Aim Lower
Think Smaller
Give Up
Go Have a Cup of Coffee

When I call on Jesus - all things are possible ...

As the body without the spirit is dead, so faith without deeds is dead. -- James 2:26

By this definition, a whole lot of people claiming to be believers are really spiritual corpses. For faith to be real, it must express itself in service. Faith not only moves mountains; it moves believers to act in ways that honor God and bless others, demonstrating their thankfulness for God's incredible grace.

The value of compassion cannot be over-emphasized. Anyone can criticize. It takes a true believer to be compassionate. No greater burden can be borne by an individual than to know no one cares or understands. -- Arthur H. Stainback

Heavenly Father,

Protect me from the loneliness that leaders often face. Give me the joy of having friends to love as David and Jonathan loved each other. May I have friends that I can trust, friends who will watch out for me, be open and honest with me - and loyal, standing up for me and protecting me how they can. (1 Samuel 18:1-3, 19:1-5, 20:1, 12-42)

Bring me friends who stick closer than a brother, a few friends with whom I can walk as closely as Jesus walked with Peter, James and John. Bring me at least one friend with whom I can share anything. (Proverbs 18:24, Matthew 17:1-2, 26-37, John 19:26, 13:23-26)

Of course, there is no closer friend than Jesus. Help me to live an obedient life, for then He will count me a friend and confide in me, and make known to me the things He learned from You. (John 15: 14-15)

Father, please give me true friendships that will last.

Amen

If absence makes the heart grow fonder,
how some folks must love the Church!

Open Theism

Open theists believe God's greatest attribute is love. I certainly would not argue against God having the attribute of love, but is He more loving than He is just? I don't think you can have one without the other in equal levels. Open theists believe man's free will is truly free in the libertarian sense. That is, man's free will is not restricted by his sinful nature, but is equally able to make choices between different options. I wonder, however if in reality man’s nature not only affects his free will choices, but also limits his ability to equally choose.

Open theists believe God does not know the future because either God cannot know the future because it does not exist, or because God chooses to not know the future even though it can be known. This suggests that God is not omniscient either by limitation or choice. Since He has always been and always will be then He not only knows the future, He is the future. Open theists believe God takes risks because God does not know the future exhaustively. He must take risks with people whose future free will choices are unknowable. They also believe God learns because God does not know the future exhaustively, He learns as the realities of the future occur. If this were true then it would be possible for God to make mistakes. Since man would have a free will to make any choice that God would not know until it was made then He might not deal with man correctly and have to change the direction of His plans.

Did you know this is a growing theology? Be careful who you listen to - they just might be an open theist!

Till men have faith in Christ, their best services are but glorious sins. -- Thomas Brooks

MY CALLING
I am to be salt on the earth - Mt 5:13
I have received the Spirit of God -1 Cor 2:12
I am to be light in the world - Mt 5:14
I have been given the mind of Christ - 1 Cor 2:16
I'm chosen and appointed to bear fruit - Jn 15:16
I have been crucified with Christ - Gal 2:20
I am called to do the works of Christ - Jn 14:12
I am a new creation - 2 Cor 5:17
I am to do what Christ commanded His disciples - Mt 28:20
I have been made alive with Christ - Eph 2:5
I have been given spiritual authority - Lk 10:19
I am God's workmanship - Eph 2:10
I have received fullness in Christ - Col 2:10
I am a minister of a new covenant - 2 Cor 3:6
I am a minister of reconciliation - 2 Cor 5:18,19
I am to be an expression of life in Christ - Col 3:4
I am a partaker of a heavenly calling - Heb 3:
I am one spirit with the Lord - 1 Cor 6:17
I am a member of Christ's body - 1 Cor 12:27

Amazing Grace

If it were not for hope, the heart would break. -- Thomas Fuller

VOTE

“We need to be aware of spiritual warfare. A lack of awareness places us at the mercy of Satan’s influence and often leads to the danger of becoming a casualty of the war. Being aware of the enemy’s activity leads us to resist and to reject being pressed into the world’s mold or compromising our obedience by giving in to temptation. We need to develop a meaningful prayer life. Prayer is the divinely ordained vehicle that enables us to tap into the power of God and bring it to bear on our own lives and on our ministry opportunities. Through prayer we have the privilege of developing spiritual protection to help shield us from attacks that the enemy sends our way. Our call in Christ is to walk purposefully and vigilantly for the sake of the Kingdom. We are to be on the move for Christ” (Bob Beltz).

The Holy Spirit is the secret of the power in my life. All I have to do is surrender my life to Him.

"Jabez cried out to the God of Israel, "Oh, that you would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain." And God granted his request. " 1 Chronicles 4:10

If a church wants a better pastor, it can get one by praying for the one it has. -- Robert E. Harris

Maxine was driving down the street in a sweat because she had an important meeting and couldn't find a parking place. Looking up toward heaven, she said, 'Lord, take pity on me.

If you find me a parking place I will go to church every Sunday for the rest of my life and give up sex and tequila.'

Miraculously, a parking place appeared.

She looked up again and said, 'Never mind. I found one.'

Grace is the gift of Christ, who exposes the gulf which separates God and man, and, by exposing it, bridges it. -- Karl Barth

These links are alarming to me. The links are to debate footage of Mitt Romney in previous campaigns in Massachusetts. These are not slick campaign videos, but simply news footage from local TV stations.

Senate debate against Ted Kennedy, 1994 (professes to be pro-choice, anti-Reagan, pro-gay rights)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a9IJUkYUbvI&feature=related

Romney on Abortion - 2002 Gubernatorial Debate (argues to be labeled pro-choice rather than pro-life)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_w9pquznG4&feature=related

Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in
humility consider others better than yourselves.
-- Philippians 2:3

I Will Lift My Eyes

My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense -- Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.
-- 1 John 2:1-2