Making a Difference in your Life, in the Parts that are for Keeps!
Did the pioneers have something inside, that we don’t have today?
Yes, several things—one at a time here.
Pioneers accepted hard times, and welcomed hard work, as part of life.
They did not spend so much (time, effort, money) seeking or expecting life to be easier—like we do.
Rick Warren (labeled ‘America’s Pastor’) took the American church by storm with his runaway bestseller, THE PURPOSE DRIVEN LIFE.
Very few criticisms, if any.
And his church is the biggest in the Southern Baptist denomination.
I had reservations then, but he did include a lot of Bible verses.
Now, sadly, truth comes out, and reality crashes in all over the American church, including Rick Warren.
So many churches, leaders, ‘Christians’ are wavering and compromising with the culture in the country and the “reset” goal around the globe.
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Five minutes ago I heard a quote on American Family Radio (afr.net) on the program “Understanding The Times.”
“Globalism will only be possible if the American church goes along with it.”
Rick Warren said that at a recent meeting of the World Economic Forum—a speaker by invitation—a group organizing one-world government—a goal with one obstacle in their path, the Christian church.
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All I have to offer in return is this Bible verse:
“Whoever wants to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God.”
Read and listen to everything God tells us about Himself.
Open your “. . . heart and mind and soul and spirit”* “to trust in the Lord with ALL your . . .”* as you read and listen.
Open mind—without “leaning on your own understanding”* (or someone else’s).
Practice not fitting in words that man has added, that try to explain God better than He explains Himself.
Then, “I will show you great and mighty things which you do not know.”*
*Combining the Bible verses: Trust in the Lord with all your heart and mind and soul and spirit, without leaning on anyone’s understanding, and God will show you stuff you need to know, and understand, and do.
“Let the Word of Christ dwell in you richly in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord.”—–Colossians 3:16
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That verse can be used well to direct and evaluate church music, and all corporate worship—in fact, everything we do in the “assembling of ourselves together.”
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Study the verse above slowly and carefully.
It’s all about THE WORD in us so rich and so deep, that everything flows from and reveals our time spent in His Word.
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Music is to “teach and admonish” from “the Word of Christ.”
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In fact, the ONE ingredient, and measurement, of a Christian’s life, and a church’s life, is daily time in the Bible.
It is the universal ‘just do it’ for any Jesus follower.
Just a few comments, not necessarily profound, except for the one verse from His Book.
Words matter.
Words count.
Words can make us feel good, or bad.
Oldest cliche—doesn’t cut it, “Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words can never hurt me.”
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Words reveal what’s inside—good or bad.
“Out of the heart, the mouth speaks.”—–His Book
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Can our words change our heart?
Can our words change our actions?
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Words are words.
Action is more.
Second oldest cliche, “Actions speak louder than words.”
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Is New Years Day just another day, or a meaningful opportunity for what we need or want to be different?
New Year’s Resolutions—words we say to change our life.
Is it possible for a New Year’s Resolution to change our life?
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Perhaps the value in New Year’s Resolutions is hope—commitment in anticipation of something better.
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Consider your own words from day to day—when do they result in change—when do they waste time and energy?
I would like for this to be my New Year’s Resolution:
“I pledge to talk only about something I will do, today.”
From now on, every time you hear a preacher or teacher mention or expound on ‘the trinity’, stop and honestly ask yourself this question:
“What did those words actually do for my faith and my relationship with God?”
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Some followup questions:
+”Is it not perhaps true that ‘trinity’, and all the language that goes with it, does more for the theologian than the layman?”
+”Just exactly where did those comments come from?—from the Bible?”
+”Did the comments match Bible words, and make them more clear?”
+Ask the speaker, “Would you explain what you just said about ‘the trinity’?” (Then ask the above questions again, after the response.)
+”Have we ‘always done it (said it) this way’—really?—or maybe not, like not in the Bible?”
+”Have we gotten so ‘used to’ the ‘trinity’ wording that nobody ever questions it?”
+”What happens if anyone does question the universal use of ‘the trinity’?”
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Danger—church teaching can become more sacred than Scripture.
We are slaves to insurance and retirement portfolios.
We work harder to spend more money on intangibles—something that ‘might happen’, and someday that ‘might come’.
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Pioneers didn’t have these—they didn’t even think about it.
They worked hard to eat, and to buy things to use immediately to sustain life, and possibly make life better now.
‘Someday’ did not rob them of time for family, today.
Parenting and Punishment
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Insult is a very poor punishment.
Pain is a necessary punishment.
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Incomplete punishment develops immunity.
Proper punishment produces regret.
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Delayed punishment is a disaster.
Swift punishment is Biblical.
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Threatened punishment is not good.
Prescribed punishment is understood.
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Negotiated punishment is the worst.
Authoritative punishment is respected.
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Uncontrolled punishment is scary.
Controlled punishment communicates.
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Insufficient punishment causes disrespect.
Appropriate punishment builds character.
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Belabored verbal punishment is abusive.
Punishment with action speaks louder than words.
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Uncertain punishment breeds more.
Definite punishment diminishes.
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Angry punishment alienates.
Loving punishment wins.
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Punishment without authority is anarchy.
Orderly punishment creates order.
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Punishment by consensus is a loose cannon.
Punishment by the Bible gives THE authority.
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Punishment for power instills hatred.
Fair punishment will be appreciated.
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Lack of punishment generates rebellion.
Consistent punishment provides security.
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Punishment for childhood clumsiness may be waived.
Punishment for willful disrespect must be decisive.
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Effective punishment is inversely proportional to volume.
The time for punishment is time for action, with calm, limited verbal reminder of the rules.
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The best behavioral expectations—and their alternate consequences—are laid out in advance.
Then, swift proper punishment may catch the disobedient by surprise, but not blindsided.
Demonic does not care about hypocrisy.
Christians complaining among Christians about leftist hypocrisy (and ‘no fair’ and ‘illegal’ and ‘unconstitutional’ and ‘criminal’) has no effect on the left.
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So, how should we spend our time and energy, and air time, to make a difference beyond revealing and repeating facts about pagans acting like pagans ?
“Freedom will look easy when we don’t have to die to get it.”—–George Washington
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