“Beware the barrenness of a busy life.”
—–Corrie Ten Boom
BUSY – – – GOOD OR BAD ?
July 26, 2023 By Leave a Comment
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE ?
July 26, 2023 By Leave a Comment
In light of the administration’s ‘concern’ that someone might get hurt from encountering razor wire on the Rio Grande—
Question:
What’s the difference between razor wire on the river, and razor wire at our prisons ?
Answer:
Those crossing the river are there illegally.
Those in our prisons are there legally.
– – –
Our government is obligated legally (by our laws) to keep the illegal aliens out, and to keep the legal prisoners in.
HOW TO BE UNPOPULAR TODAY
July 8, 2023 By Leave a Comment
+Criticize important people.
+Get specific calling out sin.
+Preach the Bible—and practice what you preach.
+”Love the sinner, hate the sin”—tell the sinner what his sin is.
+Read about John the Baptist—and follow.
+Read about Joseph—and follow.
+Quote many things Jesus said—quote them over and over—without disclaimers, additions, or adaptations.
+Follow Daddy—he did the above, faithfully, consistently—paid the price.
So, what do we want to do—get along with everybody, or cause trouble ?
What are we supposed to do ?
Can I decide what I’m going to be like—can I decide if I’m going to be liked.
Can I decide if I’m going to confront trouble (get blamed for causing trouble)—can I decide if I’m going to avoid trouble ?
Answer is yes and no.
We cannot decide every situation we will face, or how it will turn out, or if we can steer clear of stuff we don’t want to deal with.
But we can decide what principles we will build our life on for facing everything—specifically, who we will build our life on.
The decision comes down to this—can I figure out my life myself, and count on me for all that comes—or do I need Jesus in charge of all of it ?
If I accept Jesus in charge of all my life, I can count on two things:
ONE—He will lead me where He wants me to go, and I don’t have to figure it all out.
TWO—He promised to be with me through it all.
Life is not always neat and clean and the way we want it, even for a Christian—not a buffet.
“There is something wrong with a person who gets along with everybody.”
—–Adrian Rogers
“We are not called to be nice; sometimes we are called to be confrontational.”
—–Sandy Rios
“I have not come to bring peace, but a sword, . . . and one’s foes will be members of one’s own household.”—-Jesus
Lots of people in history, and lots of people in the world today, find that following Jesus is not easy—not simple like going to church in America where life is good.
Yes, it may be easy to accept what Jesus did for us and ask Him to take us to heaven.
But there’s a whole lot more that He has to say about the cost of living for Him then.
Followers of Jesus in other parts of the world are not shielded from the hard parts of the Christian life, and the hard words, the straight talk in the Bible—like we are in America.
In many places today, when a person decides to become a Christian, other believers immediately explain what it may cost—in family rejection, in economic hardship, in alienation from friends, in physical attacks and beatings and injuries and brutal murder.
It’s amazing that we never tell new believers in America about the price they may have to pay for following Jesus.
So, millions of Christians know absolutely nothing about ‘the rest of the story’, that there is more, and it’s tough.
We select Bible verses that fit with living in our comfortable culture, and we totally miss or avoid the unpleasant things Jesus promised and His followers experienced throughout the Bible and through history.
We are left to conclude by default that there is something wrong with verses like the one quoted above.
It’s too much trouble to study deeper and understand why those words are there—especially to avoid how they could come true in my life.
I could add my commentary on Jesus’ words about a sword and division, along with thousands of others who may or may not be smarter than me.
But that’s not where the answers, the real secrets, are found in the Christian life.
And that’s where theologians stay on their merry-go-rounds century after century, for millennia.
I’m going to stick to the foundational principle for Bible Study—for Bible Answers.
Get your own Bible out, and dig (alone or in a group, with a leader or without).
I will continue to campaign and repeat this basic guide:
+Do not start with a statement of doctrine or theology, and then give Bible verses to back it up.
+Do start with a Bible verse, and then “search the Scriptures” to find other Bible verses that may explain or clarify or confront or challenge, to a deeper relationship with the Author.
It’s not about knowing the words of the Word, but knowing more closely the Word of the words.
Jesus is most delighted when we spend time directly with Him in the words of His Word.
—TEMPLE CITY COUNCIL
July 6, 2023 By Leave a Comment
Comments before the Temple, Texas City Council, posted on this site.
Type each title in the search bar.
LGBT LIBRARY DISPLAY
DIVERSITY
POLITICIAN vs STATESMAN
PRAY and VOTE
MIDDLE GROUND—CONSEQUENCES
TRUTH ON THE SCAFFOLD
NO BETTER
“WE’RE COMING AFTER YOUR CHILDREN”
“WE’RE COMING AFTER YOUR KIDS”
July 6, 2023 By Leave a Comment
(Comments intended to be addressed to Temple, Texas City Council meeting 7-6-23. At that meeting, the mayor announced a new policy which prevents me from speaking to the Council.)
Pride—Perversion, and proud of it.
Pride Day, Pride Month, Pride Parades—endorsement, inclusion of all things Proud—or else !
First, the rainbow—a beautiful symbol of God’s promise—now, the trademark of perversion.
Pride—despised by God—now, the slogan of perversion.
At the parade in New York,
“We’re proud, we’re gay, we’re trans—and we’re coming after your children.”
Screaming,
“We’re proud, we’re gay, we’re trans—and we’re coming after your children.”
– – –
If you, as a city council, in any way support, condone, or do nothing to stop the lgbt invasion in this community, the blood of these children, the blood of your children will be on your hands.
Filed Under: Educational, Faith Based, Family, Inspirational, Political—Cultural
OLD or OLDER
July 5, 2023 By Leave a Comment
OLDER is ongoing.
OLD is final, last, end, over, last chapter, terminal.
“I have learned, in whatever state I am, to be content.”
“Be faithful unto death, and I will give you a crown of life.”
“The time of my departure is at hand.
I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith:
And now there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.”
? EASY ?
July 5, 2023 By Leave a Comment
Easy to become a Christian.
Not Easy to live for Jesus.
Easy to enjoy freedom.
Not Easy to gain freedom.
Easy to lose freedom.
Not Easy to regain freedom.
“Freedom will look easy when we
don’t have to die to get it.”
—–George Washington
ALL GOD ! – – – OR NOTHING ?
July 1, 2023 By Leave a Comment
Saying, “It’s all God, or nothing” about stepping out in a venture of faith, could be compared to saying,
“Till death do us part, or else–or else what, divorce?”
The point here is this:
Either one is a venture of faith.
And faith does not state alternatives, if God does not come through.
IF YOU TOOK MY ADVICE . . .
July 1, 2023 By Leave a Comment
? Down and out ?
–You shouldn’t be there.
–Do this . . .
? Overloaded with problems ?
–They can be fixed.
–I can tell you . . .
? Struggles, challenges ?
–Just deal with them, solve them.
–Not talk about them . . .
? People with continuous troubles ?
–Should be, could be, more like me/us.
–If they would . . .
? Hurting, grieving, burdened ?
–Shouldn’t be there so often, so long.
–I/we get over it . . .
? Uncomfortable with inequity of
“some have it easier, some harder”
“some have more, some less”
“some more ‘success’, some less”
“some greater IQ, some less”
“some more money, some less”
“some more trouble, some less”
“some more worry, some less”
“some more happiness, some less”
“some spiritually stronger, some less”
“some need God more, some less”
“some see ‘life is no fair’, some not” ?
–Some do things right, some don’t.
–Glad I must be doing it right, got the better deal.
? Unsuccessful ?
–I can’t actually help.
–Just look at my example of success.
? So different ?
–I’m uncomfortable.
–If you don’t follow my example
and get it together, I can’t help you.
? On bottom side of life ?
–I really can’t relate,
so I can’t really get involved,
so I can’t really help.
–You’ll have to hit the bottom hard,
then you’ll change and get help.
– – –
And, after all the above, my response:
Most of it is stupid, nonsense, and reasons why so many people keep hurting that don’t need to, and why so many marriages fail and families wipe out, and why churches, Christians, talk themselves out of helping hurting people—instead, we should just “bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.”
Hard questions—harder to give easy answers.
“RADICALIZED”
July 1, 2023 By Leave a Comment
Makes me think of “africanized.”
Radicalized muslims.
Africanized honeybees.
Both become killers, terrorists.
Unstoppable suicide attackers.
Why are muslims especially likely to get radicalized ?
Because something inside is missing for muslims—a universal, deep, human need that islam cannot meet, because it is not found in their teaching.
This is the heart and center of the difference between islam and Christianity—forgiveness.
Without forgiveness, we become less than human, crazy, vulnerable to extreme ideas and behavior.
And this difference further explains why Christianity is their number one enemy—hatred, to annihilation of all followers of the true God, in the name of their false god, Allah, agent of satan.
Those who have never experienced forgiveness can’t tolerate those who have been forgiven.