Blessings

Obedience Always Brings Blessing-Charles Stanley

As we see in Luke 5:1-11 there was a great crowd around Jesus while He preached. Jesus wanted to use Peter's boat as a sort of platform so that all could see and hear Him so He asked Peter to push the boat out a little. Wow! What obedience if Peter had refused how much would the blessing would have been heard and get this the crowd saw this obedience. We also see in this passage that Jesus says to Peter to take the boat out further and let down his net. Peter could have refused afterall he had been out fishing all day and caught nothing but here again because Peter simply obeyed he caught two yes two overflowing boatloads of fish! Because Peter obeyed hi life was changed.
Obedience is critical in Christian life. Obeying God in small matters is an essential step to God's greatest blessing. So if Peter had said "no", "I'm too busy" he would have missed out big time. So thinking about that are there things God wants us to do but we have the mindset of "I'm too busy" or "That's not important" we may be missing out on our 2 boatloads of fish.
Obedience always benefits others. So many people were blessed that day because of Peter's obedience. The large crowd got to see and hear Jesus and Jesus also was benefited because He was able to sit down in comfort and still be able to teach. Because of our obedience others benefit. Because we are obedient at work our boss and our clients are benefited. When a child obeys it is a blessing to his or her parents.
When we obey God, we will never be disappointed. We must be like Peter and recognize that obeying God is always the wisest and best action. He can take whatever we are facing and change it into something good.
We are sometime hesitant to obey for fear of the outcome, but we must remember that God can handle our results of obedience. We may not get what we want and trials may intervene a blessing but His ways are never a disappointment.

I recently prayed that I would become more obedient with study of His Word and prayer. I know that I will not be disappointed.

Obedience

God Does Not Require Us To Understand His Will, Just Obey It, Even If It Seems Unreasonable-Charles Stanley

We must make obedience a priority in our lives. When we obey the Lord we will become the person He wants us to be. When we have the obedience we do what God says, when He says, how He says, how long He says and how He says it should be done - whether we understand it.
When we pray we need to pay attention to what we are praying...meaning is there anything that God keeps bringing to our attention and if so that may be an area that we are struggling to obey in. With that in mind I sit and wonder that since I ask for wisdom and guidance in a certain area of my life is God pointing that out to me as an area that I am struggling to obey? I always thought of it as I am willing to obey but that I need that extra boost. Now that I sit here and write this I am realizing that my asking for wisdom and guidance in this particular area is an obedience issue.

New Template

Ok so I checked out this site....Leelous blogs and picked out a new template I'm not sure if I like this one or not.

Hello, Old Friend

Ok, so I know that it has been awhile since I have even visited this site let alone other blogs. I'm trying to take my focus elsewhere since computers and their websites can become an idol. So maybe the title for this blog is wrong but on the other hand it has been awhile and there really is no harm checking in once in awhile as long as the visit is not too long. I don't think that line would have worked in Fireproof but is this different? I don't want to start making excuses for myself.
So speaking of Fireproof I picked up my reserved copy the other day and watched it last night. I really enjoyed that movie along with Facing the Giants and Flywheel...I always seem to cry and I'm not talking about little sniffles either. So if you own the movie but yet to watch the extras I recommend it especially Fireproof in 60 seconds I admit I laughed.
So now is the time to say good-bye for the moment. I'll try to drop by again sometime and hopefully I won't be gone as long.

God's Personal Letter To You

God vs. Science

I received the following as an e-mail...I thought it was interesting and true and decided to share it through the world of blogging.



God vs. Science...very good, your going to love this!!






A science professor begins his school year with a lecture to the
students, 'Let me explain the problem science has with religion.' The
atheist professor of philosophy pauses before his class and then asks
one of his new students to stand.

'You're a Christian, aren't you, son?'

'Yes sir,' the student says.

'So you believe in God?'

'Absolutely.'

'Is God good?'

'Sure! God's good.'

'Is God all-powerful? Can God do anything?'

'Yes.'

'Are you good or evil?'

'The Bible says I'm evil.'

The professor grins knowingly. 'Aha! The Bible!' He considers for a
moment. 'Here's one for you. Let's say there's a sick person over here
and you can cure him. You can do it. Would you help him? Would you
try?'

'Yes sir, I would.'

'So you're good..!'

'I wouldn't say that.'

'But w hy not say that? You'd help a sick and maimed person if you could.
Most of us would if we could. But God doesn't.'

The student does not answer, so the professor continues. 'He doesn't,
does he? My brother was a Christian who died of cancer, even though heprayed to Jesus to heal him. How is this Jesus good? Hmmm? Can you answer that one?'

The student remains silent.

'No, you can't, can you?' the professor says. He takes a sip of water
from a glass on his desk to give the student time to relax.

'Let's start again, young fella. Is God good?'

'Er...yes,' the student says.

'Is Satan good?'

The student doesn't hesitate on this one. 'No.'

'Then where does Satan come from?'

The student falters. 'From God'

'That's right. God made Satan, didn't he? Tell me, son. Is there evil
in this world?'

'Yes, sir.'

'Evil's everywhere, isn't it? And God did make everything, correct?'

'Yes.'

'So who created evil?' The professor continued, 'If God created
everything, then God created evil, since evil exists, and according to
the principle that our works define who we are, then God is evil. 'Again, the student has no answer. 'Is there sickness? Immorality?
Hatred? Ugliness? All these terrible things, do they exist in this world?'

The student squirms on his feet 'Yes.'

'So who created them?'

The student does not answer again, so the professor repeats his
question. 'Who created them?' There is still no answer. Suddenly the
lecturer breaks away to face in front of the classroom. The class is
mesmerized. 'Tell me,' he continues onto another student. 'Do you
believe in Jesus Christ, son?'

The student's voice betrays him and cracks. 'Yes, professor, I do.'

The old man stops pacing. 'Science says you have five senses you use
to identify and observe the world around you. Have you ever seen Jesus?'

'No sir. I've never seen Him.'

'Then tell us if you've ever heard your Jesus?'

'No, sir, I have not.'
'Have you ever felt your Jesus, tasted your Jesus or smelled your Jesus?
Have you ever had any sensory perception of Jesus Christ, or God for
that matter?'

'No, sir, I'm afraid I haven't.'

'Yet you still believe in him?'

'Yes.'

'According to the rules of empirical, testable, demonstrable protocol,
science says your God doesn't exist. What do you say to that, son?'

'Nothing,' the student replies. 'I only have my faith.'

'Yes, faith,' the professor repeats. 'And that is the problem science
has with God. There is no evidence, only faith.'

The student stands quietly for a moment, before asking a question of
his own. 'Professor, is there such a thing as heat?'

'Yes,' the professor replies. 'There' s heat.''And is there such a thing as cold?'

'Yes, son, there's cold too.'

'No sir, there isn't.'

The professor turns to face the student, obviously interested The
room suddenly becomes very quiet. The student begins to explain. 'You can
have lots of heat, even more heat, super-heat, mega-heat, unlimited
heat, white heat, a little heat or no heat, but we don't have anything
called 'cold'. We can hit up to 458 degrees below zero, which is no
heat, but we can't go any further after that. There is no such thing
as cold; otherwise we would be able to go colder than the lowest -458
degrees'

'Every body or object is susceptible to study when it has or transmits
energy, and heat is what makes a body or matter have or transmit energy.
Absolute zero (-458 F) is the total absence of heat. You see, sir,
cold is only a word we use to describe the absence of heat. We cannot
measure cold. Heat we can measure in thermal units because heat is energy.
Cold is not the opposite of heat, sir, just the absence of it.'

Silence across the room. A pen drops somewhere in the classroom,
sounding like a hammer.

'What about darkness, professor. Is there such a thing as darkness?'

'Yes,' the professor replies without hesitation. 'What is night if it
isn't darkness?'

'You're wrong again, sir. Darkness is not something; it is the absence
of something. You can have low light, normal light, bright light,
flashing light, but if you have no light constantly you have nothing
and it's called darkness, isn't it? That's the meaning we use to define
the word.''In reality, darkness isn't. If it were, you would be able to make
darkness darker, wouldn't you?'

The professor begins to smile at the student in front of him. This
will be a good semester. 'So what point are you making, young man?'

'Yes, professor. My point is, your philosophical premise is flawed to
start with, and so your conclusion must also be flawed.'

The professor's face cannot hide his surprise this time. 'Flawed? Can
you explain how?'

'You are working on the premise of duality,' the student explains.
'You argue that there is life and then there's death; a good God and a bad
God You are viewing the concept of God as something finite, something
we can measure. Sir, science can't even explain a thought'

'It uses electricity and magnetism, but has never seen, much less
fully understood either one. To view deat h as the opposite of life is to
be ignorant of the fact that death cannot exist as a substantive thing.
Death is not the opposite of life, just the absence of it.''Now tell me, professor. Do you teach your students that they evolved
from a monkey?'

'If you are referring to the natural evolutionary process, young man,
yes, of course I do.'

'Have you ever observed evolution with your own eyes, sir?'

The professor begins to shake his head, still smiling, as he realizes
where the argument is going. A very good semester, indeed.'Since no one has ever observed the process of evolution at work and
cannot even prove that this process is an on-going endeavor, are you
not teaching your opinion, sir? Are you now not a scientist, but a
preacher?'

The class is in uproar. The student remains silent until the commotion
has subsided.

'To continue the point you were making earlier to the other student,
let me give you an example of what I mean.'

The student looks around the room. 'Is there anyone in the class who
has ever seen the professor's brain?' The class breaks out into laughter.

'Is there anyone here who has ever heard the professor's brain, felt
the professor's brain, touched or smelled the professor's brain? No one
appears to have done so. So, according to the established rules of
empirical, stable, demonstrable protocol, science says that you hav e
no brain - with all due respect, sir.'

'So if science says you have no brain, how can we trust your lectures,
sir?'

Now the room is silent. The professor just stares at the student, his
face unreadable.

Finally, after what seems an eternity, the old man answers. 'I guess
you'll have to take them on faith.'

'Now, you accept that there is faith, and, in fact, faith exists with
life,' the student continues. 'Now, sir, is there such a thing as evil?'

Now uncertain, the professor responds, 'Of course, there is. We see it
everyday. It is in the daily example of man's inhumanity to man. It is
in the multitude of crime and violence everywhere in the world. These
manifestations are nothing else but evil.'

To this the student replied, 'Evil does not exist sir, or at least it
does not exist unto itself. Evil is simply the absence of God. It is
just like darkness and cold, a word that man has created to describe
the a bsence of God. God did not create evil. Evil is the result of what
happens when man does not have God's love present in his heart. It's
like the cold that comes when there is no heat or the darkness that comes
when there is no light.'

The professor sat down.

Hamster Dance

I'm sorry but we got a card for my nephew for his birthday that had this. Somehow it is a bit catchy or I'm just odd that way.