...or Adam?
The first husband and wife, both were originally part of the first human being, and were made from that first human, who was also named 'Adam.'
God said, "Let us make people in our image, to be like ourselves. They will be masters over all life - the fish in the sea, the birds in the sky, and all livestock, wild animals, and small animals." So God created people in His own image. God patterned them after himself, male and female He created them." (Gen 1:26-27)nlt
He made them to be the first man and wife. Each was made to be the compliment of each other. They went from being one person to being two, and then one through marriage.
Yes, I know that marriage didn't exist officially yet... but look at what God said, "It is not good for man to be alone. I will make a companion who will help him." (Gen 2:18)nlt "So the Lord God caused Adam to fall into a deep sleep. He took one of Adam's ribs and closed up the place from which He had taken it. Then the Lord God made a woman from the rib and brought her to Adam." (Gen 2:21-22)nlt
First they were one, then two, then they became husband and wife.
God knows what He is doing! We all need a spouse who completes us. That person becomes our Eve (or Adam), and we become one!
So, when I ask, "Have you met Eve (or Adam)?" it is not really a rhetorical question. I am asking if you've met the person who completes you. Is that individual truly "your other half?" This is a very important question to ask.
Ten years ago, on May 19th, I met a wonderful woman through a pen-pal service. I'm aware that is not the best (or safest) way to meet, but she became very special to me, very quickly. Less than two months later, we married.
Neither of us is perfect. Mind you, that is not God's design. Rather, we both fill each others gaps, watch out for the other, love each other and make each other our top priority, after God.
If you meet someone about whom you are wondering, "Is this the right person for me?" Ask yourself this question, "Does he or she complete me in the way God intended?" Passion often blinds us to what God wants. It should be a part of your married life, but should never be the sole reason for marriage. Reflecting God's love is!
See you soon, in Paradise!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Monday, June 20, 2011
God's gift to us - Children!
-This is a common theme of mine. Forgive me for covering it again-
Almost 45 years ago, I joined a group called TARs. Its intended pupose was to help retarded children fit into society. I discovered that I bonded fairly well with these kids. Most people, unfortunately, treated them as though they were carriers of some contagious disease. I tried instead to meet them at whatever level they were capable of. The kids usually responded well, as most people didn't even want them around at all. This experience shaped my understanding of children, in general. Meet them at whatever level they are able to achieve and they will open their hearts to you.
About 20 years later, I met a couple at church who had one child who'd been born deaf, as a result of some disease the mother had contracted during her pregnancy. The doctors had advised her to have an abortion because of the high probability that the child might be deformed by the disease. They chose instead to have their child, and she was absolutely beautiful little girl. When I met them, the kid was about 8 or 9. I did notice that adults treated her the same as the retarded kids were generally treated, as if she were a carrier of some horrible disease. Bcause I accepted her as she was, she thought it would be great if she could teach me sign language so that we could communicate better. In less than 3 weeks, however, her family had moved to Tennessee.
I have always wished I could have had 10 to 12 kids, but that was not to be. At one point I figured an acceptable substitute might have been to be in charge of an orphanage, but that never came about, either. Instead, God granted me a number of "foster" grandchildren. Each one asked me to be his or her substitute grandfather! Even though they aren't truly mine, I love every one of them as much as though they were.
It is critical that we see our children, all of them, as the precious gift that God intended them to be. All too many people today seem to feel that kids are nothing but a burden to be dealt with by whatever means they find expedient. Abortion is considered an admirable way to eliminate unwanted babies. Sadly, people do not see it as murder of a helpless human being. Our world is truly becoming satanic.
What does our Lord have to say about kids? "But Jesus said, 'Let the little children come to me, and don't prevent them. For of such is the Kingdom of Heaven.' And He put His hands on their heads and blessed them before He left." (Mat 19:14-15) tlb
Jesus valued kids so much that He rebuked His apostles when they tried to prevent these children from spending time with Him. If our Lord places so much value on children, how can we do any less? Open your arms to them. Love them. Show them they mean the world to you, just as they do to God! The reward is beyond measure!
See you soon, in Paradise!
Sunday, June 19, 2011
Our Father's Day
Today is father's day. I first became a father over 30 years ago. Like a lot of people, father's day never meant anywhere near as much to me as did mother's day. For me, that changed about 10 years ago when my dad died. I realized that he'd been basically a pillar of support to my family, both when I was a child, and then later when I was grown. I expect that is the same for most of us. You never known how much any person means to you until he or she is gone.
This made me begin to think about they way we view our Lord in heaven. He is our Father. Jesus also refers to Him as His Father. Do we see Him as merely the Father of Jesus, or are we seeing Him as the Father of us all, and all of creation?
From the bible, as Jesus taught us to pray...
"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." (Mat 6:9-13)kjv
I can almost hear the music playing in the background... can you?
Take a little time out today to thank the Lord for being our God, our Creator and our Father. Not one of us would be here, otherwise.
This made me begin to think about they way we view our Lord in heaven. He is our Father. Jesus also refers to Him as His Father. Do we see Him as merely the Father of Jesus, or are we seeing Him as the Father of us all, and all of creation?
From the bible, as Jesus taught us to pray...
"After this manner therefore pray ye: Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen." (Mat 6:9-13)kjv
I can almost hear the music playing in the background... can you?
Take a little time out today to thank the Lord for being our God, our Creator and our Father. Not one of us would be here, otherwise.
Our Father
You are in heaven,
Your Name is holy to us.
All of existance is Your kingdom!
What You want will come true
here on earth,
just as it does in heaven!
Thank-you for your care
and for providing us with food.
Please forgive our wrongdoings
and help us to forgive those who have harmed us.
Please help me resist temptation,
and keep evil away.
Father, Yours is the kingdom!
Yours is all power!
Yours is all glory,
eternally!
Amen!
Till we meet again in paradise!
Saturday, June 18, 2011
Why couldn't I have been...
.Taller?
..Prettier?
...Richer?
....Older (or younger)?
.....Blonde (brunette, redhead, whatever)?
......Healthier?
...Almost everyone has asked these, or similar, questions at one time or another. Surely, we think, God could have made me more acceptable to ME. Why did He give me what I consider to be obvious defects?
...Perhaps we should look at His words on the subject; "I knew you before you were formed within your mother's womb; before you were born..." (Jer 1:5)tlb or if you prefer a more traditional; "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb..." (Jer 1:5)kjv.
...Now, He wasn't speaking specifically to you. His audience, at that time was a kid named "Jeremiah" who went on to become one of the great prophets of the Old Testament. Does this mean it cannot apply to you?
...God has made every single grain of sand, drop of water, plant, animal and human, since the beginning of time. If you think about it, He has the blueprints for everyone He has ever made, and ever will! If He really wanted another Abraham Lincoln, Queen Nefertiti, Alexander the Great or Marilyn Monroe, He already has that set of plans on hand. Nope, He wanted you! It is never up to us to second guess God's design.
...It tears me up to hear of a baby born deformed or retarded. My heart aches when I run across a deaf child or one with a horrible genetic defect that will make his or her life miserable. Through it all, we have to keep this in the forefront of our thoughts, "It is God's plan." Not yours, not mine... God's! It behooves us to remember that He has a reason... always. The reason may be nothing more than that we turn to Him more.
...You are unique for a reason. That reason is God's. He sees you a His wonderful creation. You are a joy He made because He wanted you. Most of all, He wanted you to be who and what you are. Is it so terrible to be a "God original design?"
...He loves you! You are a one-of-a-kind, limited production item. His effort went into making you exactly what you are. Be proud of who and what you are. Just remember to thank Him for all His work!
...Look at it from another perspective, you could have been a three-toed sloth, a slime mold or a malaria virus. He has all those plans, too.
..Prettier?
...Richer?
....Older (or younger)?
.....Blonde (brunette, redhead, whatever)?
......Healthier?
...Almost everyone has asked these, or similar, questions at one time or another. Surely, we think, God could have made me more acceptable to ME. Why did He give me what I consider to be obvious defects?
...Perhaps we should look at His words on the subject; "I knew you before you were formed within your mother's womb; before you were born..." (Jer 1:5)tlb or if you prefer a more traditional; "Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb..." (Jer 1:5)kjv.
...Now, He wasn't speaking specifically to you. His audience, at that time was a kid named "Jeremiah" who went on to become one of the great prophets of the Old Testament. Does this mean it cannot apply to you?
...God has made every single grain of sand, drop of water, plant, animal and human, since the beginning of time. If you think about it, He has the blueprints for everyone He has ever made, and ever will! If He really wanted another Abraham Lincoln, Queen Nefertiti, Alexander the Great or Marilyn Monroe, He already has that set of plans on hand. Nope, He wanted you! It is never up to us to second guess God's design.
...It tears me up to hear of a baby born deformed or retarded. My heart aches when I run across a deaf child or one with a horrible genetic defect that will make his or her life miserable. Through it all, we have to keep this in the forefront of our thoughts, "It is God's plan." Not yours, not mine... God's! It behooves us to remember that He has a reason... always. The reason may be nothing more than that we turn to Him more.
...You are unique for a reason. That reason is God's. He sees you a His wonderful creation. You are a joy He made because He wanted you. Most of all, He wanted you to be who and what you are. Is it so terrible to be a "God original design?"
...He loves you! You are a one-of-a-kind, limited production item. His effort went into making you exactly what you are. Be proud of who and what you are. Just remember to thank Him for all His work!
...Look at it from another perspective, you could have been a three-toed sloth, a slime mold or a malaria virus. He has all those plans, too.
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Satan's "secret agents"
If you read the bible, you know the Antichrist is coming. He is bringing with him 7 years of horrible misery in preparation for Christ's return in glory.
Careful reading of the scriptures reveals that there will also be "antichrists" (lower case).
Just who are these? They will be precursors to the Antichrist. In effect, they will be forerunners, here to establish the playing field for Satan's attempt at a takeover of theworld. Keep in mind that the devil's goal is not to make the world permanently his, but rather, to keep souls from God. Period.
A while back, I worked with such an individual. Very abrasive, lied constantly, demanded his own way (no matter what), he brought misery to those around him. And yet, many others thought him God's gift to the workforce. He was very capable of making others see his way as the only right way. and was extremely abusive to those who managed to see him for what he was. I put in a lot of prayer time, trying to deal with this individual. I even received an answer to those prayers, although it was not exactly what I expected (or hoped for). I heard a brief flash of, "Be at peace, He has it under control."
You probably already have met with a (lower case) antichrist. They seem to be everywhere, even in politics. What you might not expect is that are quite a few who are active in churches. Think about it! Where else can Satan reap such a harvest? By working in churches he can strip away souls that might otherwise end up belonging to God.
If you run into an individual who lies with ease, is willing to emotionally hurt others (especially children), or tries to belittle others to his (or her) own benefit, that person may very well be a (lower case) antichrist! This may be true, even if he is a family member. Don't let the spiritual bio-hazard get you down. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Frequently. Oh, and don't expect God's answer to be just what you want to hear.
Careful reading of the scriptures reveals that there will also be "antichrists" (lower case).
Just who are these? They will be precursors to the Antichrist. In effect, they will be forerunners, here to establish the playing field for Satan's attempt at a takeover of theworld. Keep in mind that the devil's goal is not to make the world permanently his, but rather, to keep souls from God. Period.
A while back, I worked with such an individual. Very abrasive, lied constantly, demanded his own way (no matter what), he brought misery to those around him. And yet, many others thought him God's gift to the workforce. He was very capable of making others see his way as the only right way. and was extremely abusive to those who managed to see him for what he was. I put in a lot of prayer time, trying to deal with this individual. I even received an answer to those prayers, although it was not exactly what I expected (or hoped for). I heard a brief flash of, "Be at peace, He has it under control."
You probably already have met with a (lower case) antichrist. They seem to be everywhere, even in politics. What you might not expect is that are quite a few who are active in churches. Think about it! Where else can Satan reap such a harvest? By working in churches he can strip away souls that might otherwise end up belonging to God.
If you run into an individual who lies with ease, is willing to emotionally hurt others (especially children), or tries to belittle others to his (or her) own benefit, that person may very well be a (lower case) antichrist! This may be true, even if he is a family member. Don't let the spiritual bio-hazard get you down. Take it to the Lord in prayer. Frequently. Oh, and don't expect God's answer to be just what you want to hear.
Sunday, June 5, 2011
Watch out for the worm holes!
It has been a while since I've posted. I will explain why at some future date.
For some time now I've been wondering just how to explain the difference between good and evil to a child. We understand that God expects certain behavior from us, and mostly we try to live up to His expectations. But, how to put it into language that a little kid could understand?
Out of the blue, it hit me... We know God will not look upon evildoers. His goodness is withheld from them, they live in Satan's world, not God's.
So, here it is...
The ground is like the dividing line between good and evil. God is above, smiling down on His creation. The devil is below the ground, trying to trick us and lure us down, below the ground, away from God. We are all like happy little worms, wriggling along on top of the ground, enjoying the warmth of God's love. Now and then, we find a tunnel going down. It leads away from God, but we usually don't think about that. We just think, "Oh look! Here is this neat hole to play in." So, we go, just a little bit, away from God. Probably we don't think about it at the time, it just looks like a great way to have fun. Before you know it, though, you're in the dark, and away from God. Soon, you don't remember the way back up. Its OK down here, isn't it?
But, you are away from God, His goodness, His love and His blessings. You have to get out of the hole to get back to God. Sometimes He will help by putting big rocks in your way, so that you will remember just how nice it was on the surface. Sometimes, though, He knows you will ignore Him, because that is the way worms get when they want only their own way.
So, how does the little worm go back to being God's good little worm? It has to be sorry it went down the hole, tell God it is sorry, and then work its way back out of the dirt, back into God's love and light.
So, what's the moral?
- Be a good worm and watch out for Satan's worm holes! -
For some time now I've been wondering just how to explain the difference between good and evil to a child. We understand that God expects certain behavior from us, and mostly we try to live up to His expectations. But, how to put it into language that a little kid could understand?
Out of the blue, it hit me... We know God will not look upon evildoers. His goodness is withheld from them, they live in Satan's world, not God's.
So, here it is...
The ground is like the dividing line between good and evil. God is above, smiling down on His creation. The devil is below the ground, trying to trick us and lure us down, below the ground, away from God. We are all like happy little worms, wriggling along on top of the ground, enjoying the warmth of God's love. Now and then, we find a tunnel going down. It leads away from God, but we usually don't think about that. We just think, "Oh look! Here is this neat hole to play in." So, we go, just a little bit, away from God. Probably we don't think about it at the time, it just looks like a great way to have fun. Before you know it, though, you're in the dark, and away from God. Soon, you don't remember the way back up. Its OK down here, isn't it?
But, you are away from God, His goodness, His love and His blessings. You have to get out of the hole to get back to God. Sometimes He will help by putting big rocks in your way, so that you will remember just how nice it was on the surface. Sometimes, though, He knows you will ignore Him, because that is the way worms get when they want only their own way.
So, how does the little worm go back to being God's good little worm? It has to be sorry it went down the hole, tell God it is sorry, and then work its way back out of the dirt, back into God's love and light.
So, what's the moral?
- Be a good worm and watch out for Satan's worm holes! -
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Witnessing in real life
A few months back, my much loved granddaughter wrote a letter to the president. In it she expressed her views on the environment and ecology, after which she wrote (exactly as shown here),
"I am a Christian. I love God. Did you know God sent His Son to die on a cross for our sins so we can be forgiven."
Incredible!
Absolutely amazing!
The vast majority of Christians NEVER get around to witnessing to anyone, and here is a 3rd grader witnessing to the president of the United States! Set aside your political feelings (whatever they are) and, just for a moment, consider the awesome possibilities here...
Remember, Paul was turned from persecuting, torturing and murdering early Christians into the greatest witness for Christ EVER! What could God work in our world with a man who became a true Christian while holding the highest office of the most powerful nation in the world?
It is totally humbling...
We've all heard the expression "out of the mouths of babes," here we see the true meaning of that phrase.
I am not one who believes in exposing children to even the slightest chance of personal harm, so allow me to address her in this manner;
"My Princess, I am so proud of you! I love you very much! You are the heroine I will always think of when I am faced with difficult tasks. I pray as constantly as I can that God uses your beautiful testimony to effect a change for the better in this man, and through him, our world."
I ask all who read this to join me in prayer that this happens.
"Father, thank You for the opportunity to see such sincere, simple faith in action. I feel overcome that You have allowed me to be even a small part of Your plan. Please keep Your hand of protection over this child, and all children. Please help me to love, trust, and follow You with a heart like that of this child. Amen."
Mr Mike
"I am a Christian. I love God. Did you know God sent His Son to die on a cross for our sins so we can be forgiven."
Incredible!
Absolutely amazing!
The vast majority of Christians NEVER get around to witnessing to anyone, and here is a 3rd grader witnessing to the president of the United States! Set aside your political feelings (whatever they are) and, just for a moment, consider the awesome possibilities here...
Remember, Paul was turned from persecuting, torturing and murdering early Christians into the greatest witness for Christ EVER! What could God work in our world with a man who became a true Christian while holding the highest office of the most powerful nation in the world?
It is totally humbling...
We've all heard the expression "out of the mouths of babes," here we see the true meaning of that phrase.
I am not one who believes in exposing children to even the slightest chance of personal harm, so allow me to address her in this manner;
"My Princess, I am so proud of you! I love you very much! You are the heroine I will always think of when I am faced with difficult tasks. I pray as constantly as I can that God uses your beautiful testimony to effect a change for the better in this man, and through him, our world."
I ask all who read this to join me in prayer that this happens.
"Father, thank You for the opportunity to see such sincere, simple faith in action. I feel overcome that You have allowed me to be even a small part of Your plan. Please keep Your hand of protection over this child, and all children. Please help me to love, trust, and follow You with a heart like that of this child. Amen."
Mr Mike
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