MEMORIAL DAY

A DAY TO REMEMBER PEOPLE

I happened to watch Bill Moyers' Journal, today.

I don't usually watch him very long at a time, because he is smug, arrogant, supercilious and all sorts of other negative adjectives.

He believes himself to be very intelligent. He is sure of it. He is confident of it.

Moyers may be well educated, but he has the wisdom of dead grass.

As he closed his show, he began one of his patented snidely worded leftist commentaries about the purpose of Memorial Day, which he proclaimed was for us to remember war.

What a stupid, hair-brained, mindless, tasteless, insensitive and irresponsible thing to say.

Hey Bill! News Flash for you!

Memorial Day is to remember PEOPLE, you know: the ones who gave their lives in service to our country in the United States Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, National Guard, Coast Guard and Merchant Marines.

What a total fool Bill Moyers is. Total fool.

My father served 31 years in the United States Air Force (actually the Army Air Corps, which later became the Air Force).

He was a man who HATED war, but understood when and why it was necessary.

Most people today like the HATE WAR part, but are too stupid to know when or why is necessary.

President BO is one of those.

Colonel Joseph E. Scoggins was a man of honor, integrity and deep conviction. He was a man of superior skill at his job, and a patriot extraordinaire.

Pappy, as everybody called him, even his superior officers, was a man of faith and a deacon at Central Baptist Church, Miami, Florida.

He served during World War II in the South Atlantic Corridor between South America and Africa.

My father became the Deputy Commander of the last two bases on which he served, Robins Air Force Base in Warner Robins, Georgia and Westover Air Force Base in Massachusetts.

Because of hundreds of thousands of men like him, you live in a country which, up to now, has had more freedom than any other in the history of the universe. And so today I honor my father and all of the men who served with him in both the Atlantic and the Pacific theaters, as well as all of those who have given either their very lives or their lives of service to this country in all of its wars, past and present.

A MEMORIAL DAY RECOGNITION TO YOU ALL

PERSONALLY SPEAKING

I came home Thursday from the world's ritziest hospital, following my heart attacks (two of them...one Monday and one at the hospital Thursday morning - three stents in several coronary arteries).

It had wall to wall polished wood cabinets, a built in desk, draperies/sheers/verticles on the windows, high def. TV, a great staff and beds worse than an old Army cot.

I was sent there because none of the local hospitals had a surgeon who could do the proceedure STAT.

The least little activities leaves me breathless and worn out, so with your permission I will continue NOT blogging for a day or so (this one does not count...OK?).

I will, however, read yours and comment as strength permits, so keep on writing.

Thanks for all of your patience, prayers and well-wishes. I really DO appreciate it.

ADDENDUM: I am feeling quite a bit better tonight and should be back to blogging...perhaps by tomorrow. Come by if you are so inclined.

SORRY 'BOUT THAT

It was my intention to get back to blogging on this site, but Monday I had a heart attack and had to be in the hospital for four days.

I am home now and will get back to blogging ASAP.

Keep me in your prayers.

Thanks

DON'T YOU JUST LOVE IT?

AN APPLICATION OF I CORINTHIANS 13 FOR THE CONTEMPORARY WORLD.

In my early days of Christian service, I was a Minister to Youth.

Many times I was asked to counsel young people about their "romantic" involvements, sometimes in the roll of pre-marital counselor.

Most often the girl in the situation wanted to know if the guy really loved her.

I used a standardized psychological test to help them with some basic understanding of interpersonal relationships, since few of them were enthusiastic enough about their Christian "faith" to try to find out what the Word of God had to say.

Once we finished the test, however, we would go straight to the best definition of love found anywhere in the universe, I Corinthians 13.

Here is its text:

1 If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. 2 If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

After establishing the importance of love in verses 1-3, we would get to the definition, the most complete, comprehensive definition there is.

By the time we finished, one or the other or both of the parties knew whether they were "in love" God's way.

I used the passages as a test as follows:

Verse 4. "Love is patient, Love is kind It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud."

I would ask the girl, "Is he patient with you in all situations? Is he kind to you no matter what?"
The guy in the relationship would be asked the same question.

If each or either answered, "No," I would tell them they could not possibly love one another. If, on the other hand, the answer was, "Yes," I would tell them they might be in love and I would agree to go further with them.

"Is either of you envious of the other? Do you boast more about yourself than about the other one? Is either of you more proud of yourself than of your "partner?" would be the next question. "If so, you are not in love."

We would move to verse 5. "It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs."

This one is a little tougher.

Among teenagers and young adults, rudeness, self-centeredness and anger are almost a given.

But those three things ruin a marriage more quickly than anything else.

I would explain that God teaches us to be polite to one another, even when it is not easy to do so.

Then I would ask, "Have either of you used the phrase, 'If you loved me, you would...'?"

"That is conditional love, and has no place in a Christian relationship."

I would show them that thinking of others first is very important ["Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves." (Philippians 2:3, NIV)], and that anger is to be set aside [Ephesians 4:26 "Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:..."

I would ask, "Do either of you seek your own way first or get angry with the other one, allowing your anger to fester?"

I would explain that anger always has its roots in one not getting his/her own way and that if this condition exists, the relationship is not one of love.

Carrying a grudge, remembering past wrongs is also indicative that there is a problem...on the part of the one carrying the grudge.

In verse 6 we would read, "Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth."

Pure evil was not too often an issue, but failing to be truthful often was.

I would explain to them that love demands honesty. Not the hurtful kind, or the kind that runs around disguised as a compliment, like, "You're not nearly as ugly as everybody says you are."

The kind of honesty needed in a love relationship is the kind in which one does not hide things from the other.

Verse 7 tell us about love: "It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

I explained that each person in a love relationship must look out for the other, trust the other, and always have a positive attitude toward the future, being careful to preserve the relationship, no matter what.

Verse 8: "Love never fails."

Love just keeps on keeping on, as the marriage vow says, "...for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health...'til death do us part" (each of which is guaranteed).

"The marriage kind of love is forever," I would explain. It is a commitment and a contract which is entered into in the presence of and with Almighty God Himself.

The world's philosophy does not conform to that viewpoint. It tells us that if we get tired of the marriage, stressed in it, "fall out of love," or just want new horizons, we can always get a divorce.

The rest of the passage tell us that other things of the earth will pass, but mature love is the greatest thing God ever invented.

8. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.

From I Corinthians 13 we learn that love is not an emotion, although emotions result from true love, but is a decision to behave a certain way toward the other person, regardless of the circumstance.

Then God demonstrated how far we are to take that love.

As Romans 5:8 says, "But God commendeth his love towards us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."

THE WHOLE BIBLE IS ABOUT JESUS

I first posted this several years ago, but thought it was worth posting again.

See, I have learned that the Bible is not a book of history, although it contains the best history of Israel and the early church that has ever been written.

I have learned that the Bible is not a book of religious philosophy, although it contains the best religious philosophy ever written.

Neither is the Bible a book of science, wherever it and science disagree, the Bible is ALWAYS right.

The Bible is not a rulebook for living, although is contains the best rules for living that have ever been written.

The Bible IS God's revelation of His character, His love for His creation and His plan for its redemption.

God's plan for the redemption of man is in every word of the Word of God.

There is only one "stand alone" verse in all the Bible, and that is John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

When reading the Bible, it is important to read its passages in light of that one verse.

If you read it otherwise, you may learn some important things, but YOU WILL MISS THE POINT OF THE PASSAGE.

So, how do we find John 3:16 everywhere in the Word of God?

Look for Jesus.

Like this:

Jesus In Every Book of the Bible

In Genesis, He's the breath of life

In Exodus, the Passover Lamb

In Leviticus, He's our High Priest

Numbers, The fire by night

Deuteronomy, He's Moses' voice

In Joshua, He is salvation's choice

Judges, law giver

In Ruth, the kinsmen-redeemer

First and second Samuel, our trusted prophet

In Kings and Chronicles, He's sovereign

Ezra, true and faithful scribe

Nehemiah, He's the rebuilder of broken walls and lives

In Esther, He's Mordecai's courage

In Job, the timeless redeemer

In Psalms, He is our morning song

In Proverbs, wisdom's cry

Ecclesiastes, the time and season

In the Song of Solomon, He is the lover's dream

In Isaiah, He's Prince of Peace

Jeremiah, the weeping prophet

In Lamentations, the cry for Israel

Ezekiel, He's the call from sin

In Daniel, the stranger in the fire

In Hosea, He is forever faithful

In Joel, He's the Spirits power

In Amos, the arms that carry us

In Obadiah, He's the Lord our Savior

In Jonah, He's the great missionary

In Micah, the promise of peace

In Nahum, He is our strength and our shield

In Habakkuk and Zephaniah, He's pleading for revival

In Haggai, He restores a lost heritage

In Zechariah, our fountain

In Malachi, He is the son of righteousness rising with healing in His wings

In Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, He is God, Man, Messiah

In the book of Acts, He is fire from heaven

In Romans, He's the grace of God

In Corinthians, the power of love

In Galatians, He is freedom from the curse of sin

Ephesians, our glorious treasure

Philippians, the servants heart

In Colossians, He's the Godhead Trinity

Thessalonians, our coming King

In Timothy, Titus, Philemon He's our mediator and our faithful Pastor

In Hebrews, the everlasting covenantIn James, the one who heals the sick.

In First and Second Peter, he is our Shepherd

In John and in Jude, He is the lover coming for His bride

In the Revelation: He is King of Kings and Lord of Lords; He's the Prince of Peace; The Son of man; the Lamb of God; The great I AM.

He's the alpha and omega

Our God and our Savior

He is Jesus Christ the Lord and when time is no more

He is,

HE IS!

WHAT DIFFERENCE DOES IT MAKE?

We have all read about, or seen a movie, or watched a TV program about some "cult" enticing people to join and then not allowing them to leave.

Typically, they engage in the "brainwashing" techniques of stimulus deprivation, sleep deprivation, intense re-training, thought control and other nefarious acts that make the cult member think he/she must not leave for fear of disappointing the leader and therefore, God.

But that's not the only kind of cult in existence today.

What are some of the characteristics of a cult (not to be confused with a "sect," which is a whole different thing)?

The first and most important determination of whether a group is a cult is their answer to the question, "Who is Jesus."

Any entity that gives any answer other than: He is the Son of God; the third Person of the Trinity; co-equal with God; the payer of the sin-debt owed by all of mankind through His death, burial and resurrection, is a cult.

There are some "well-respected" cults in America today, who would take issue with that definition.

Too bad.

They need to come to the saving knowledge of Christ Jesus as Lord.

So what do cults do?

Let's let simple arithmetic inform us.

Addition:

Cults add to Scripture.

The revelation of God provided in the Bible is never sufficient for a cult. Thus they must add to the written revelation of Scripture, usually with additional scriptures or with their own translation of the Bible.

In this way we have books that contradict the Word of God. Since the Bible claims exclusivity as the written revelation of God, we must see that other books, even if the followers of cults claim that they are equal to the Bible, must actually be over and above the Word of God.

Subtraction:

Cults subtract from the person of Christ.

Cults cannot tolerate the divinity and exclusivity of Jesus and thus usually reduce Him to being a created being.

In some cases they make Jesus only a manifestation or mode of God. In either case, the role of Jesus as revealed in Scripture is diminished.

Multiplication:

Cults multiply the requirements of salvation.

Salvation, as it is presented in the Scriptures, is by God's grace through faith alone.

Cults continually add to the requirements of salvation, always adding human works as a necessary prerequisite to salvation.

No cult teaches or endorses justification by faith alone. Thus all cults reject the very heart of the gospel.

Division:

Cults divide the loyalty of believers.

Each cult believes that it has exclusive revelation and understanding of God that ensures its followers are either exclusively God's people or are somehow more blessed than others.

Cults always seek to divide believers against each other based on the previous three marks.

Thus cults are, by their very nature, divisive.

I urge you to accept the offering of God found in John 3:16 - 16 "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.," and Romans 10:9 & 10 - "That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."

Then you will have life, and have it abundantly.

HOPE YOU HAD A HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!

WANT TO BE STOLEN FROM?

Think about it.

Do you realize that all anger results from not getting your own way?

Don't misunderstand.

Anger is not always bad.

Sometimes getting your own way is good because it happens to be the right way.

Nevertheless, learning to properly deal with and express anger so as to be productive rather than unproductive is very important. Anger is a natural emotion that each of us experiences.

When used correctly it can motivate us into action to complete a task or right an injustice.

This type of anger can give us a strong sense of accomplishment when we take immediate action to correct the injustice or perceived wrong.

However, anger can also be a thief.

When someone directs anger negatively toward themselves or others, anger steals from that person.

10 Things Anger Steals from You:

1. Anger can steal your time.

2. Anger can steal your energy.

3. Anger can steal your self-respect.

4. Anger can steal your relationships with family, friends and co-workers.

5. Anger can steal your ability to communicate effectively.

6. Anger can steal your sense of right and wrong.

7. Anger can steal your vision of the future.

8. Anger can steal your health.

9. Anger can steal your sense of well being.

10. Anger can steal your problem-solving skills.

If you don’t control your anger, it will control you. Uncontrolled anger is giving your personal power to someone or something else.

An important part of growing up is learning how to effectively deal with anger issues.

Questions you might like to ask yourself:

1. Is my anger holding me back from developing relationships, setting goals or effectively communicating my ideas?

2. Where is my anger directed?

3. What caused me to get upset?

4. Who can I talk with to help me understand my anger issues?

5. Is my anger to a point that I need some professional advice?

Quote for Discussion:

"To overcome difficulties is to experience the full delight of existence."

Ephesians 4:26 "In your anger do not sin: Do not let the sun go down while you are still angry." (NIV)

SUNDAY SING, MAY 3

"Come, Thou Almighty King"
by Unknown Author

Hear it here: http://www2.mp3raid.com/search/download-mp3/4/instrumental_hymns.html

1. Come, Thou almighty King,
Help us Thy name to sing,
Help us to praise!
Father all-glorious,
O'er all victorious,
Come and reign over us,
Ancient of Days.

2. Come, Thou Incarnate Word,
Gird on Thy mighty sword,
Our prayer attend;
Come and Thy people bless
And give Thy Word success;
Stablish Thy righteousness,
Savior and Friend!

3. Come, holy Comforter,
Thy sacred witness bear
In this glad hour.
Thou, who almighty art,
Now rule in every heart
And ne'er from us depart,
Spirit of Power!

4. To the great One in Three
Eternal praises be
Hence evermore!
His sovereign majesty
May we in glory see
And to eternity
Love and adore!

I REFUSE TO BE A RELIGIOUS PERSON

A man told me the other day, "I don't believe in religion.

My response surprised him. I said, "I don't either."

Here's why: Religion says, "If I obey, God will love me." Gospel says, "Because God loves me, I can obey."

Religion has good people & bad people. Gospel has only repentant and unrepentant people.

Religion values a birth in the family. Gospel values a new birth in a life.

Religion depends on what I do. Gospel depends on what Jesus has done.

Religion claims that sanctification justifies me. Gospel claims that justification enables sanctification.

Religion has man reaching up to God. Gospel has the God reaching down to man.

Religion sees hardships as punishment for sin. Gospel sees hardship as sanctified affliction.

Religion is about me. Gospel is about Jesus.

Religion believes appearing as a good person is the key. Gospel believes that trusting Christ's finished work at Calvary is the key.

Religion has an uncertainty of standing before God. Gospel has certainty based upon Jesus' work.

Religion sees Jesus as the means. Gospel sees Jesus as the end.

Religion ends in pride or despair. Gospel ends in humble joy.

Religion says "If I can do enough good things, God will accept me." Gospel says, "Jesus has done the good work and therefore God will accept me."

Religion says, "Obey the Moral Law of God and He will love you. Gospel says, "Christ has fulfilled the Law on your behalf."

Religion says, "Your good works will impress God." Gospel says, "Without faith it is impossible to please God."

Religion says, "If I don't sin, I'll be saved." Gospel says, "All have sinned and come short of the glory of God."

Religion says, "I'm as good as the other guy." Gospel says, "Christ is the standard."

Religion says, "Keep looking for everlasting life." Gospel says, "Whosoever believeth in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

WHAT'S IN YOUR SPIRITUAL WALLET?

You've seen the television commercials for Mastercard.

They start by identifying some things that people can buy with their Mastercard, then show a moment that is priceless and end by saying, "There are some things money can't buy, for everything else there's Mastercard."

I Corinthians 5:20 tells us: "Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God."

You see, our lives are to be a "commercial" for others to see.

We should be a card carrying representative for the Master's Card. That's right, the MASTER'S CARD.

Let me tell you about it.

There are no finance charges, no payments due. The bill has already been covered...it's a pre-paid deal.

We couldn't afford the price, so Jesus stepped in and paid it for us.

Our name is written on the card for all to see.

It is accessible twenty-four hours a day from anywhere in the world.

The MASTER'S CARD has so many benefits it's hard to list them all.

Let me share some of them with you...you might want to apply for a personal card yourself.

Just for starters there is UNLIMITED GRACE.

That's right, there is no preset limit to the amount of grace you receive from the MASTER'S CARD.

Have you been looking for love in all the wrong places?

Then,look no farther than the MASTER'S CARD.

It offers the greatest rate on love that has ever been offered.

The MASTER'S CARD gives you access to many "members only" benefits.

Want real joy despite the difficulties of life?

Apply for the MASTER'S CARD.

Want a lasting peace?

Apply for the MASTER'S CARD.

Looking for something you can always rely on in a jam?

The MASTER'S CARD is perfect for you.

Another great thing about the MASTER'S CARD is that it never expires.

Once you're a member, you're a memberfor life...eternal life, that is.

Membership has its privileges, you know.

How do you receive the MASTER'S CARD?

Try Romans 10:9 "...if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved."

Jesus is standing by right now to take application.

Don't delay. This great offer won't last forever.

Peace, joy and hope: Invaluable.

Faith, contentment and assurance: Inestimable.

Salvation: Priceless.

There are some things money can't buy.

For those, there's the Master's Card.

Christian, why not be an advertisement for the MASTER'S CARD.

Let you life be a commercial today forJesus Christ.

DISORDER IN THE COURT

These are from a book called Disorder in the American Courts, and are things people actually said in court, word for word, taken down and now published by court reporters who had the torment of staying calm while these exchanges were actually taking place.

ATTORNEY: Do you recall the time that you examined the body?

WITNESS: The autopsy started around 8:30 p.m.

ATTORNEY: And Mr. Dennington was dead at the time?

WITNESS: No, he was sitting on the table wondering why I was doing an autopsy.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, how many autopsies have you performed on dead people?

WITNESS: All my autopsies are performed on dead people.
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: Doctor, before you performed the autopsy, did you check for a pulse?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: Did you check for blood pressure?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: Did you check for breathing?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: So, then it is possible that the patient was alive when you began the autopsy?

WITNESS: No.

ATTORNEY: How can you be so sure, Doctor?

WITNESS: Because his brain was sitting on my desk in a jar.

ATTORNEY: But could the patient have still been alive, nevertheless?

WITNESS: Yes, it is possible that he could have been alive and practicing law somewhere
______________________________________

ATTORNEY: What is your date of birth?

WITNESS: July 15th.

ATTORNEY: What year?

WITNESS: Every year.
__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: What gear were you in at the moment of the impact?

WITNESS: Gucci sweats and Reboks.
__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: This myasthenia gravis, does it affect your memory at all?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: And in what ways does it affect your memory?

WITNESS: I forget.

ATTORNEY: You forget? Can you give us an example of something you forgot? __________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: What was the first thing your husband said to you that morning?

WITNESS: He said, 'Where am I, Cathy?'

ATTORNEY: And why did that upset you?

WITNESS: My name is Susan!__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Do you know if your daughter has ever been involved in voodoo?

WITNESS: We both do.

ATTORNEY: Voodoo?

WITNESS: We do.

ATTORNEY: You do?

WITNESS: Yes, voodoo.
__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Are you sexually active?

WITNESS: No, I just lie there.
______________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Now doctor, isn't it true that when a person dies in his sleep, he doesn't know about it until the next morning?

WITNESS: Did you actually pass the bar exam?__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: The youngest son, the twenty-year-old, how old is he?

WITNESS: Uh, he's twenty.
__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: Were you present when your picture was taken?

WITNESS: Are you kidding me?__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: So the date of conception (of the baby) was August 8th?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: And what were you doing at that time?

WITNESS: Uh.... This is a joke, right?

__________________________________________________________

ATTORNEY: She had three children, right?

WITNESS: Yes.

ATTORNEY: How many were boys?

WITNESS: None.

ATTORNEY: Were there any girls?

WITNESS: Are you kidding me? Your Honour, I think I need a different attorney. Can I get a new attorney?
__________________________________________________________

I Corinthians 14:10

Let all things be done decently and in order.

SUNDAY SING

Lord Lay Some Soul Upon My Heart
WORDS: anonymous
MUSIC: B.B. McKinney



Hear it here: http://www.hymnal.net/hymn.php?t=h&n=932


Lord lay some soul upon my heart,
And love that sould through me;
And may I bravely do my part
To win that soul for Thee.

Some soul for Thee, some soul for Thee,
This is my earnest plea;
Help me each day, on life's highway
To win some soul for Thee.

Lord, lead me to some soul in sin,
And grant that I may be
Imbued with pow'r and love to win
That soul, deal Lord, for Thee.

Some soul for Thee, some soul for Thee,
This is my earnest plea;
Help me each day, on life's highway
To win some soul for Thee.

To win that soul for Thee alone
Will be my constant prayer;
That when I've reached my heav'n-ly home
I'll meet that dear one there

Some soul for Thee, some soul for Thee,
This is my earnest plea;
Help me each day, on life's highway
To win some soul for Thee.

WHO'S SORRY NOW?

Me, that's who.

I have not devoted much time to this blog, which was originally supposed to be my personal journal and spiritual blog.

But I got side-tracked by the political scene, and my political blog, Jo-Joe Politico .

I have decided to divide...my time, that is... between the two blogs and see whether or not I can keep up.

This blog will be eclectic or electric or something like that, with a myriad of topics, opinions and philosophies.

The other, Jo-Joe Politico , will continue to be political in nature.

What I will be offering here will be my humble, but correct, opinions on just about everything.

My rules will be the same and may be read over in the right hand column.

Hope you enjoy and are blessed by this new effort.

NICE SETTING

I was sent this link in an email.

Enjoy.


http://www.openmyeyeslord.net/UltimateFreedom.htm

THE CELEBRATION

"What a day this will be!"

He was full of energy and rarin' to go.

His voice was like a thousand fingernails on a thousand chalkboards.

"Is everything ready?"

"How about the feast? Is the feast prepared?"

"What are we having? Lamb? I will LOVE eating the lamb!"

"What about the decorations? Did we have enough?"

"Do we have ample seating? There will be billions coming!"

The sun had gone down Saturday night, but he couldn't sleep.

As Sunday, the day of the celebration drew nigh, he had the mother of all caffine jitters

"What about the throne? Is the throne in place? "

"And the crown! I'll need the crown!"

"Somebody get the crown!"

"And turn off that incessant rumbling"

"What is that rumbling?"

"Is there something wrong with the sound system?"

"Why is it so loud?"

"It's hurting my ears!"

"Uh, a thousand pardons, Your Highness. But the sound system has not yet been turned on."

"Not on? What do you mean, 'Not on?'"

"I can hear it. Don't you think I know what I hear? See to it at once!"

"Yes, Your Lightship. At once."

"And why is the ground trembling?"

"We can't have the ground shaking during the celebration!"

"I can hardly stand!"

"Somebody see to it that the ground stops trembling before the celebration or there will be heads rolling!"

"And that noise! Stop the noise!"

"It hurts like...like Hell!"
"Uh, master, we need to tell you something."

"Tell me what? What do you need to tell me?"

"It's the tomb, Master. Something's wrong at the tomb."

"What 'Something's wrong at the tomb?'"

"What are you talking about? Speak up, man! What's wrong at the tomb?"

"The stone, Master. The stone has been....well, the stone has been...rolled away!"
"Say what?"

"It took eight Romans to put that stone there and Caesar put his seal on it."

"The stone CAN"T be rolled away!"

"Yes, Master, of course. No one could roll away a stone that large."

"But Master, I'm afraid the stone is rolled away!"

"Are...you...sure?"

"There must be some mistake."

"No mistake, Master. The stone is rolled away."

"Rolled away. Rolled away? ROLLED AWAY?"

"What can this mean, rolled away?"

"Could it be...nonononono. That's not possible."

Lucifer's heart was raging!

"Quickly!"

"To the tomb."

"See for myself."

"Oh no! It's gone!"

"That can only mean..."

"No."

"NO!"
"NO-OOOOOOOOOOO!"

MEANWHILE

The gates and doors were barred
And all the windows fastened down
I spent the night in sleeplessness
And rose at every sound
Half in hopeless sorrow
And half in fear the day
Would find the soldiers breakin' through
To drag us all away

And just before the sunrise
I heard something at the wall
The gate began to rattle
And a voice began to call
I hurried to the window
Looked down into the street
Expecting swords and torches
And the sound of soldiers' feet

But there was no one there but Mary
So I went down to let her in
John stood there beside me
As she told me where she'd been
She said they might have moved Him in the night
And none of us knows where
The stone's been rolled away
And now His body isn't there

We both ran toward the garden
Then John ran on ahead
We found the stone and empty tomb
Just the way that Mary said
But the winding sheet they wrapped Him in
Was just an empty shell
And how or where they'd taken Him
Was more than I could tell

Oh something strange had happened there
Just what I did not know
John believed a miracle
But I just turned to go
Circumstance and speculation
Couldn't lift me very high
'Cause I'd seen them crucify him
Then I saw him die

Back inside the house again
The guilt and anguish came
Everything I'd promised Him
Just added to my shame
When at last it came to choices
I denied I knew His name
And even if He was alive
It wouldn't be the same

But suddenly the air was filled
With a strange and sweet perfume
Light that came from everywhere
Drove the shadows from the room
And Jesus stood before me
With his arms held open wide
And I fell down on my knees
And I just clung to Him and cried

Then He raised me to my feet
And as I looked into His eyes
The love was shining out from
Him Like sunlight from the skies
Guilt in my confusion
Dissappeared in sweet release
And every fear I'd ever had
Just melted into peace

He's alive yes
He's alive Yes
He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide
He's alive yes
He's alive
Oh He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide

He's alive yes
He's alive
Hallelujah He's alive
He's alive and I'm forgiven
Heaven's gates are open wide

He's alive!

HE'S ALIVE

HE'S ALIVE! From: "He's Alive" by Don Francisco

Have a blessed Resurrection Sunday!

I invite you

TO A

CELEBRATION

SUNDAY AT NOON!

With Great Pride,

I, The Angel of Light

Invite you tothe

PARTY OF THE AGES

It will be a gas!

Come enjoy warmth like you've never known beforefor all eternity.

It is with joy that I announce to you

Jesus is dead!

God has lost the battle!

I have won!

Just as I knew I would!

I will now be King of the Ages!

I will sit on the throne of the Most High

I will command your respect

as I give you all the things I have been

holding for you as I have awaited this

Inevitible Day!

Don't miss out!

Come bow before me!

Come collect your wages!

BRING YOUR FRIENDS!

EVERYONE IS WELCOME!

Signed: Lucifer

Alias: Satan

CRUCIFIED

The beating had been unimaginable.

The long walk up Via Dolorosa had been long, and hot, and exhausting.

In His mortal body, Jesus had nothing left.

The ugly tree lay on the slope of the hill. Its base stretched toward the road below. Its crossbar reaching out like arms receiving a loved one.

Placing one foot behind Jesus' heel and a shoulder into his chest, the Roman gave a mighty shove.

Jesus collapsed onto the splinter-filled cross.

Seven of the eight guards manipulated Him into position and held him there.

There was no resistance.

Jesus had no strength left for that.

As one guard held the wretched man's arm against one crossbar, another placed the spike and raised the heavy mallet.

Michael looked back at the Father and pleaded, "I have a legion with me right now. Over ten thousand in number. We can go at your bidding and put a stop to this maddness. Please."

The Father's response was in that voice that did not invite argument.

"No. Stay where you are."

The mallet came down with force enough to drive the spike into the beam behind the hand.

The sound reverberated past Michael, surrounding the entire legion and echoing with deafening intensity in all of Heaven.

Lucifer chuckled in that hideous way he had.

Jesus, unable to muster the energy to do more, exhaled over His vocal chords with the sound of death.

The other arm.

The other crossbar.

Another swing of the mallet.

Heaven shook.

Michael turned away.

The Father looked on.

Lucifer snorted.

Now the feet were placed on their rest and crossed so that only one spike would be needed.

Once more the mallet.

Heaven's thunder roared.

Where there were no tears, Michael cried.

Still the Father did not move.

Lucifer hissed, "Yessssss!"

The eight men had no trouble lifting the tree and its occupant to the vertical.

They placed it over the prepared hole and dropped it in. It bottomed out with a jolt.Michael cried out with a loud voice.

The Father watched intently.

Lucifer almost danced with glee.

Jesus' body sagged at the sudden weight now pulling down on His hands and chest.His breath left Him.

When he could stand it no longer, he pushed against the footrest and raised his chest high enough to take in some air.

It was a gasp.

Then He spoke.

It was directly to God.

"Father, forgive them. They know not what they do."

Once again His body failed Him and He drooped.

One of the two being crucified next to Jesus that day, both convicted theives, looked over at the stuggling man and managed between his teeth, "If you are really the Messiah, save yourself, and us, too."

"Hey!" strained the other, "Leave him alone! Can't you see? We are getting what we deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong!"

With all he had left in that breath, he said to Jesus, "Please, remember me when you come into your kingdom."

Jesus had pulled Himself up once again."Believe me when I tell you this: today you will be with me in Paradise."

And then He slumped back down.

As he looked down He saw His mother in the crowd with the ever faithful John.

Struggling up to speak, "Blessed woman, look. He is now your son."

Collapse.

Pushing up, "Son, she will be your mother now."

The sun was bright and hot.

"I'm thirsty." It was all He could do this time.

A guard took a sponge and soaked it in sour wine vinegar.

He raised it to Jesus' lips.

Jesus recoiled.

Michael wept openly.

The Father had an expression never seen from eternity to eternity.

Now He looked no more.

He turned His back on Jesus.

The sky darkened with the breath of sin.

This time, as Jesus drew up to breathe, He could smell the eternal stinch of evil in the air.

"My God!"

Another breath of iniquity.

"My...GOD!"

Once more.

"WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?"

Michael withdrew. He could take it no longer.

The Father could not look upon sin, and so, kept His back to Jesus.

Lucifer, vomiting out the words, was beside himself with excitement, "We're winning! Im winning!"

Jesus summoned all the strength left in His ravaged body.

"Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit."

The sound filled the countryside. The corridors of Heaven shook under its pressure.

"IT"

"IS"

"F..I..N..I..S..H..E..D!"

His head dropped.

The Spirit left Him.

Lucifer sat down.

His eyes wide. His evil heart pounding.

The smell of awful victory was in the air.

"It is time for a celebration!"

HIS NAME WAS ANNAS

He was a high priest.

He shared high-priestly duties with Ciaphas because of familial and religious/political considerations.

It was on of Annas' responsibilities to oversee the affording of worship paraphernalia to those who came to the Temple for worship.

In fact, the "money changers" were all a part of a scheme called THE BAZAAR OF ANNAS.

He sold animals for sacrifice and changed currency into an "acceptable" form for giving.

Annas, himself, performed the blessing over the merchandise, declaring it "kosher."

In today's dollars, here is the way it would have worked:

Annas had "salesmen" at the tables in the outer court who sold doves that cost $2.00 each, and that would have "retailed" in the market for $6.00 a piece. Annas' price was $10.00.

Each salesman would have received $4.00 of the profit. Annas would have kept the additional $4.00 from each sale for himself.

In other words, Annas was extorting the worshippers, charging them more than the merchandise was worth, under the guise of providing them with the necessities for worship.

Jesus called Annas and his salesmen "thieves."

The question we might ask is, "Did Jesus call them thieves because they were merchandising, or because they were thieves?

According to John 18:12, Jesus was taken to Annas after His arrest in the garden.

Annas was probably miffed with Jesus.

'You know you're a redneck when......

1. You take your dog for a walk and you both use the same tree.

2. You can entertain yourself for more than 15 minutes with a fly swatter.

3. Your boat has not left the driveway in 15 years.

4. You burn your yard rather than mow it.

5. The Salvation Army declines your furniture.

6. You offer to give someone the shirt off your back and they don't want it.

7. You have the local taxidermist on speed dial.

8. You come back from the dump with more than you took.

9. You keep a can of Raid on the kitchen table.

10. Your wife can climb a tree faster than your cat.

11. Your grandmother has 'ammo' on her Christmas list.

12. You keep flea and tick soap in the shower.

13. You've been involved in a custody fight over a hunting dog.

14. You go to the stock car races and don't need a program.

15. You know how many bales of hay your car will hold.

16. You have a rag for a gas cap.

17. Your house doesn't have curtains, but your truck does.

18. You wonder how service stations keep their rest-rooms so clean.

20. You consider your license plate personalized because your father made it.

21. Your lifetime goal is to own a fireworks stand.

22. You have a complete set of salad bowls and they all say 'Cool Whip' on the side.

23. The biggest city you've ever been to is Wal-Mart.

24. Your working TV sits on top of your non-working TV.

25. You've used your ironing board as a buffet table.

26. A tornado hits your neighborhood and does $100,000 worth of improvements.

28. You missed your 5th grade graduation because you were on jury duty.

29. You think fast food is hitting a deer at 65.