Contemplations

Love your neighbor

2010-12-20T05:34:00.001-08:00

If you're like most of us, you have a few people in your life that are (how can I say this?) "not lovable".

But how do we do as we know we ought in the situations? We could simply bite out lip and "love" them but I don't think that is the spirit of the command.

I believe that we aren't being asked to Love like "I love my children", but not wish them evil.

When we look at it that way, "loving" is a "doable" act. And in a way it's a reflection of us walking in forgiveness.

Be well. And stay walking in the kingdom.
Gabriel G

His Way vs the Law

2010-11-28T04:25:00.000-08:00

This entire book is about offerings and tithes. And the point is that there are blessings linked to the giving of the people, but the people aren't living in those blessings and have been blaming God.

So in this book God points out why they aren't living at the level they should. This verse in particular stood out to me since it mentions a difference between the Law and His Way.

Malachi 2:9 “So I have caused you to be despised and humiliated before all the people, because you have not followed my ways but have shown partiality in matters of the law.”

The Law is what God gave Moses to give to the people in order that they might not stray from His ways. Remember how the religious men of Jesus' day had such a fit when Jesus healed on the Sabbath, or picked wheat and ate it as they walked through a field? Jesus pointed out that they were "following the Law" but failing to understand the meaning or the heart of God who made the law.

God is lamenting the same thing in this verse. The word "Partiality" in Hebrew means "to hold in esteem, lifted up, to support". He is saying that you are obeying the words on the paper but you are not following my WAY.

Are you doing what is right just 'cause you've been told to? Are you doing it to be a "good Christian", by following the rules?

Let's be on-guard that, in our doing what is right, we are also walking in His Way.

He desires a relationship,

His Ambassador
Gabriel Grimes

Partiality is the word Nasa'- Old Testament Hebrew Lexicon - King James Version http://bit.ly/glNuAs

Facing Goliath

2010-10-07T13:09:00.001-07:00

Have you ever felt like a grasshopper in the shadow of a giant, or a small boat being tossed by the storms of life. You aren't alone. The devil is always on the prowl looking and testing and trying to shake us. And then there is that little thing called "life". Without malice things just -happen.

But when those thing happen I am encouraged to remember that Jesus silenced the storm, and a young David cut the giant's head off. After I encourage myself the events that attempt to shake me don't seem too threatening any more.

For if God is for me who can be against me?

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Bill Johnson - God is good, ALL the time

2010-09-30T13:59:00.000-07:00

I've posted this before but I like it so much that I want to post it on my blog so I can go back anytime I want to listen to it again and again. GOD IS GOOD!!!

Bill Johnson - Your Personal History with God

2010-09-30T13:22:00.000-07:00

Bill Johnson - Abiding Faith

2010-09-30T13:21:00.000-07:00

Too Much for God?

2010-09-19T05:45:00.000-07:00

I know this may sound silly but I was so taken back of how big and powerful our God is. The realization of His power helped me in my prayer life and how I saw the problems that happen to assault us in our everyday life. It happened the other day as I was watching the Discovery Channel. The show was about the universe.

The narrator was explaining how the Universe was measured by light years. One light year is equal to 10 trillion kilometers. Proxima Centauri (the closest star other than our sun) is 4.22 light years away. The galactic center of our galaxy, the Milky Way, is about 26 kilolight-years away. The nearest large Galaxy cluster, Virgo Cluster, is about 59 megalight-years away. One Megalight year is approximately 999,315.54 light years.

God made it all, and Jesus sits in heavenly places. (Ephesians 1:20)

If you were to read in Revelations chapter 21, John describes the size of the city of the holy Jerusalem as 12,000 furlongs long, wide, and tall. Five furlongs are equal to kilometer. So the holy city is 2,400 Kilometers long, wide, and tall. To give you a reference, the cruising altitude of commercial airlines is 30,000 feet, that is only 9.144 Kilometers. Percentage wise, it is only .38% the height of the city. Look at it this way. If you were to compare the height of the holy city to a 6 foot tall man the cruising attitude of the plane would be just more than a 1/4 of an inch off the ground.

Doesn't that give more meaning to Romans 8:31 "..if God is for you who can be against you."? So when the devil comes and tries to convince you that your prayer request is too big, or too small, remember that anything we ask for is insignificant. There is no natural comparison. Physically and spatially (in the universe) we practically don't exist.

What makes a ton of difference is that we are His Kids! We are His Ambassadors. And if He gave us His Son how much MORE will He give us all things... Rom 8:32. So stick it to the devil and stop listening to his lies.

Come boldly to the throne of Grace and receive mercy! Come boldly to the throne and call on the one person who loves you more than you can fathom. It doesn't matter how small or how large and complex.

-G

The Word I stand on

2010-09-14T20:28:00.001-07:00

God gives me the desires of my heart because I delight in Him
Ps 37:4

Delight yourself also in the Lord, And He shall give you the desires of your heart.

I Roll all my care on him for He cares for me
1 Peter 5:7

Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you in due time, casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.

He supplies for all my needs according to His riches in Glory
Philippians 4:19

And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.

I have favor with God
Proverbs 3:3-4

Let not mercy and truth forsake you; Bind them around your neck, Write them on the tablet of your heart, 4 And so find favor and high esteem In the sight of God and man.

He blesses me more than any other people
Deuteronomy 7:13-15

He will love you and bless you and increase your numbers. He will bless the fruit of your womb, the crops of your land—your grain, new wine and oil—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks in the land that he swore to your forefathers to give you. You will be blessed more than any other people; none of your men or women will be childless, nor any of your livestock without young. The LORD will keep you free from every disease. He will not inflict on you the horrible diseases you knew in Egypt, but he will inflict them on all who hate you.

He keeps me from all harm and watches over me by day and by night
Psalms 121:6-8

The sun will not harm you by day,
nor the moon by night.
The LORD will keep you from all harm—
he will watch over your life;
The LORD will watch over your coming and going
both now and forevermore.

He is my hiding place from the wind and a covering from the storm.
Isa 32:1-2

Behold, a king shall reign in righteousness, and princes shall rule in judgment. And a man shall be as an hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest; as rivers of water in a dry place, as the shadow of a greata rock in a weary land.

He gives me the power to make wealth so He can establish his covenant.
Deut 8:18

And you shall remember the Lord your God, for it is He who gives you power to get wealth, that He may establish His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day.

He delights on my prosperity.
Deut 30:1

Then the Lord your God will make you most prosperous in all the work of your hands and in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your land. The Lord will again delight in you and make you prosperous, just as he delighted in your fathers,

I have been made the Righteousness in Christ so I can claim Psalms 112 for myself. I will not be shaken

For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. 2 Cor 5:21

Praise the Lord! Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, Who delights greatly in His commandments. His descendants will be mighty on earth; The generation of the upright will be blessed. Wealth and riches will be in his house, And his righteousness endures forever. Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness; He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous. A good man deals graciously and lends; He will guide his affairs with discretion. Surely he will never be shaken; The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance. He will not be afraid of evil tidings; His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord. His heart is established; He will not be afraid, Until he sees his desire upon his enemies. He has dispersed abroad, He has given to the poor; His righteousness endures forever; His horn will be exalted with honor. The wicked will see it and be grieved; He will gnash his teeth and melt away; The desire of the wicked shall perish. Ps 112:1-10

Suffering – is it God’s will for the Christian?

2010-09-12T15:37:00.000-07:00

.........

By Kyle Grimes

I object to someone whose message is 'suffering for Jesus', because their emphasis is certainly in the wrong place. Remember Jesus' mission. (John 10:10) He came to give us Abundant Life! This includes blessing, prosperity, healing and security. Nevertheless, being a Christian isn't about standing on a mountain top all our lives and shouting, "I'm blessed, I'm blessed, I'm blessed!" either. Read thoughtfully what I have written to you.

Before I get further into this subject, remember that suffering in Middle English carries the definition of ‘allowing’ or ‘tolerating’ as well as being subjected to or experiencing something bad or unpleasant (He has suffered since his imprisonment.), being affected by an illness or ailment (He suffers from insomnia.), becoming worse in quality or condition (The book suffers from misuse). So we could rephrase the question: What is a Christian to suffer and what is he to suffer not?

To see God’s will in action, without man’s interference, we have but to look at the recounting of the creation of the world. Suffering was not included with the blessing which God spoke over man and woman when He made them. Nor was it part of the creation which God called ‘good’ at the end of the sixth day.

So suffering came about later, as a result of man’s disobedience to God’s commands. The woman would give birth with toil and the ground would only yield with toil. Man’s assignment was to subdue the earth, but now it would be hard work, it would cost him. He was excluded from the beautiful place, the garden made for his dwelling, and from the source of his life. God walked in the garden, but man could not walk there any longer. He could no longer walk with God. The principle of rebellion and anarchy had been let loose upon man and his descendants. Suffering began.

Life without God is suffering.

Yet, in the midst of the curse that came upon man for his disobedient choice, God makes a promise of salvation, a promise that takes thousands of years to come to pass. Jesus is born, the Lamb of God who takesaway the sins of the world (John 1:29). He suffered in our place (Isaiah 53), and in Him we have been made the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21). As He has borne our sins, He has removed from us our disobedience, and we now have fellowship with the Father. We may now call Him Father, as Jesus called Him Father (Galatians 4:6, 7). We have been born of God’s seed, of His Word (John 1:12, 13). We are new creatures (2 Corinthians 5:17).

In what He has suffered for us, we may not suffer for each other. It pleased God that his Son take our place and suffer in our stead that we may be reconciled to God. Yet, are there things that we must suffer with Him, or in the same manner He suffered? I know that there are.
Jesus learned obedience (Hebrews 5:8) through the things He suffered. He laid aside his Heavenly advantages when he became a man (Philippians 2:6-8) and became obedient to the point of laying down his life for us. It is clear from his suffering in Gethsemane that He did not want to ‘drink this cup’, but it was his Father’s will (Matthew 26:39; Mark 14:36; Luke 22:42). In that, we will most certainly suffer with Him. Learning obedience speaks of denying oneself, one’s own desires, one’s own answers or responses, one’s own wants and will. To obey God rather than our own mind is a kind of suffering, and obedience is required of a Kingdom man. It is the basis for which we recognize Jesus as Lord.

Jesus taught that He would suffer many things at the hands of the elders, chief priests and scribes in Jerusalem (Matthew 16:21). He was reviled, rejected, spat upon, accused, and finally He gave His life (they did not take it from Him). He said that we may be happy when men revile us, persecute us or say all manner of evil against us (Matthew 5:11), who hate us, who separate us from them, who reproach us or say that our name is evil (Luke 6:22) for the sake of Jesus. Not everyone wants to hear the Good News. It is usually the news bearer that carries the brunt of the anger against the Good News. This also we may suffer. This does not mean, however, that we just have to ‘take it’, or ‘suffer’ it. A crowd at Jerusalem took up stones to kill Jesus, and He escaped miraculously (John 10:31-39). Another crowd from his hometown of Nazareth took Him and meant to throw Him off a cliff headfirst, but He just passed right through them (Luke 4:28, 29). Peter was broken out of jail by an angel, and Paul and Silas freed from a prison by an earthquake. They didn’t just lay there and suffer.

Jesus gave His life; He laid it down. No one took His life. His death was a voluntary act, in obedience to His Father’s will (Matthew 26:23, 24). He had the power to escape, had He invoked it, yet He chose to lay His life down for us. What a powerful choice! Of the heroes of faith honored in Hebrews 11:32-39 are both those who, when faced with death, escaped through faith by miraculous circumstances, and those who made the choice to lay down their lives, instead of escaping. We must remember that what they did was an act of their faith, not the result of their inability to escape or the inevitability of the circumstances; it was their choice. Today, there are places where some lay their lives down willingly as the final punctuation point to their life message of God’s love for man in the midst of people who are stone-hearted and cold toward God. One may also read of others who chose to live and have escaped from certain-death experiences by the hand of God. Did God ask the martyrs to lay down their lives, or did they do it out of love for the lost? All we know about these remarkable people is that they did it by faith. If you ever face that decision, do not let the circumstances decide for you. Circumstances had no power whatsoever over Jesus or any of those who gave their lives by faith. Were it otherwise, they would not be mentioned. Their deaths, although lamentable, would have been no more remarkable or meaningful than the thousands of homicides that unjustly occur around the world daily since the death of Abel, the son of Adam. In that moment, the choice will be yours to make, to lay your life down by faith or to take it up by faith.

Are there other kinds of suffering Christians endure? Any able and effective soldier knows that he will be placed in the battle, and as such he may endure hardship (2 Timothy 2:3). It is not in vain that we are told to be strong in the Lord and are given the armor of God to standfast against the evil one (Ephesians 6:10-18). So, we are sent into the darkness to bring light, we are sent among the sick to bring healing, we are sent among the hungry to bring them food, we are sent among the oppressed to bring liberty. We are sent as soldiers to destroy the works of the evil one. Imagine the foolishness of a soldier who accepts the darkness, the sickness, the hunger and the oppression as suffering sent from his commander! Yes, my captain, God sent you there; now go to work through His power and your faith and change it.

Paul and the writer of Hebrews speak of our lives as a race. The discipline involved in running a race could be considered a kind of suffering. Having to lay aside certain things, having to deny ourselves others, the focus required not just to run, but to run to win, are all necessary sufferings to ‘get the gold’.

Paul speaks of another suffering (Galatians 4:19), and we see it reflected in Jesus’ tears for Jerusalem (Luke 19:41). Love brings its own suffering. A mother loves a child and suffers with him until the suffering has been removed, Paul loves the Galatians and labors that Christ be formed in them, and Jesus loves Jerusalem and yet sees the results of the stubbornness of her inhabitants.

Yet there are many things we are not to suffer (or to suffer not). He was bruised and beaten, wounded for my transgression, that I might be healed in Him (Isaiah 53). He made Himself poor, that I might be rich in Him (2 Corinthians 8:9). I am redeemed from the curse of the law (Galatians 3:13). So neither poverty, sickness, nor any other thing mentioned under the curse has any part in my life. The first Adam brought us death, a curse and condemnation, the second Adam has brought the abundance of grace and the gift of righteousness whereby we reign in life (Romans 5:18).

Is it possible for a man to be poor for Jesus? The real question is: if God were to command a man to give away all his physical wealth, could he remain poor? Of course not! If we honor Him with our wealth, He blesses and multiplies us (Proverbs 3:9, 10)! If we return a tenth of our income to Him, He rebukes the devourer and opens the flood gates of Heaven upon us (Malachi 3:10, 11)! Jesus promised that man 100 times what he would lose of give up for the sake of the Good News (Mark 10:30), not in Heaven, but in this time. He has given us the power to get wealth (Deuteronomy 8:18) to establish His covenant. Such a gift could never leave a man poor.

Is it possible for a man to be sick for Jesus? Certainly not! Jesus is the same yesterday, today and forever (Hebrews 13:8), He healed all those who came to Him then, He has not changed. Sickness is a curse, not a blessing. It was not a part of those things God called ‘good’ in the garden.

What about work, was it not part of a curse that man should toil, that his work should be hard? A curse did come upon the land for man’s disobedience, but a man’s assignment doesn’t have to be toil or suffering. Man was given an assignment, but it became hard and a suffering only when stopped listening to God. It wasn’t until the time of Adam’s grandson Enos (born when Adam was 235 years old) that man again began to call upon the name of the Lord (Genesis 4:6). Nevertheless, men who have trusted God have always found how to do what had to be done, even when the circumstances were contrary. Abraham and Isaac always found water when they dug wells; God prospered Isaac even when he sowed in time of famine; Jacob prospered even working for Laban; God inspired Bezalel for work with stones and precious metals (Exodus 31:1-4); Joseph prospered everywhere he worked and became the most powerful man in a nation where he had worked as a slave; David didn’t need a degree in engineering or architecture to design the temple or choose the materials (1 Chronicles 28:11-19) because God gave him the knowledge; Daniel and his coworkers rose to top-ranking positions in a foreign government; Jesus took Peter fishing and showed him the difference between working and toiling all night long in his own strength, and working just a few minutes under the direction of the Master (Luke 5:1-11). The Scriptures are filled with stories like these. Solomon sings in Psalm 127, that there are those whose toil is from day to night just for food to eat, but Yahweh provides for those whom He loves while they sleep. If Yahweh does not construct the house, those who labored there worked in vain. You can choose how you wish to work, but God’s way is best. The righteous shall live by faith, not by the sweat of their brow. With men there are impossibilities, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26). It is preferable to work with God.

The book of Proverbs lists many bad choices and the consequences of choosing wrongly. You really can’t claim that you are suffering for Jesus as long as the test and trials come about as the result of unwise, bad, uninformed choices you have made. Choosing to lean on your own understanding instead of God’s is just not wise (Proverbs 3:5, 6). God has always been available to men willing to forsake their own opinions, ways, ideas, thoughts and take up God’s ways (Isaiah 55:1-13). Man has always gotten into trouble and into suffering for doing things his way. As an example consider the fact that man gathers in large cities, which are a major source of suffering, lack of employment, transportation, lack of resources, lack of provision, excesses, taxes, hygiene and waste problems, accidents of all manner and crime. The ‘city’ was not God’s idea (Genesis 11:4). It is a very natural thing to blame God for our problems and suffering. It started with Adam (“The woman YOU gave me handed me the fruit!” - Genesis 3:12) and continues to this day (A man foolishly twists his own way, and then blames God for it - Proverbs 19:3). Believers are not exempt from choosing wrongly; living by the Spirit cannot be a ‘sometime’ thing. God did not choose this suffering for man. Man did this, and continues to do it, all on his own. The book of Proverbs is also a book about right choices, and the blessings that come about when they are made.

What about the suffering from afflictions? Doesn’t stuff just happen to good people as well as ‘bad’ people? Don’t the righteous have afflictions? Yahweh is their rear guard (Isaiah 58:8) and delivers them out of them all the afflictions (Psalm 34:19)! I think it is interesting that although the Bible talks of drought and famine, those that called upon Him always found more than enough food and water. It is interesting to note that no one who called upon God is reported to have died in any of the natural disasters of the times, such as shipwreck because of storm, etc. (things that the insurance company describes as ‘Acts of God’).

Are their tribulations in the world? Of course! Fear not, for He has overcome the world along with its tribulations. Does the enemy resist? We have the authority of the name of Jesus and Son-ship with the Father to make the enemy yield. We have the Father’s armor to stand fast. Does the devil test our faith? Count it joy, because your faith wins every time!

If He sends me into the dark, it is to bring light. If He sends me into the prisons, it is to set men free. If He sends me against the enemy, it is to show the enemy he is defeated. This is not suffering, this is VICTORY!

With love and joy!
Dad

The Revelation of Jesus

2010-08-30T20:17:00.000-07:00

How beautiful it is to know that Jesus wants a relationship with us.

The Revelation of Jesus Christ (5) from Abundant Living Faith Center on Vimeo.

Charles Nieman

Are you ready to be narrow minded? When your heart hears this video you will be different.
Be an Ambassador!

New Creature

2010-08-30T05:54:00.000-07:00

What a wonderful thing to know that in Christ we are a new creation. We aren’t a cleansed creation, nor are we a washed creation, but we are a brand-spanking new creation. The author of 2 Corinthians says, the "...old things are passed away and behold all things are made new." (2 Corinthians 5:17) It doesn’t matter where you came from. God could have found you in an alley, a bar, running away from home, doing things that you wish you could forget …it doesn’t matter. To God, you aren’t that person anymore.

Perhaps one day while talking to Him you might ask, “Remember when…?” and he will reply, “Nope...Is there something you want to tell me?"

Wow! Thank you, Jesus. It was because of His gift that we can look at ourselves in a mirror and see a completely new person. You are not only absolved of your sins and dark past you have been made a new creation. Now, we get to start all over again. Isn’t that awesome? Throughout the world people celebrate New Year's because it is a way of beginning again–starting a new year afresh and brand-new. But for us it isn’t just a time of year–it truly is a new life-start.

So what should you have as “New Life Resolutions”? I know you probably are thinking of a couple of things. But before we get too far down the list, let’s look at what the Word of God has as indicators for our new existence. Paul writes that we should be "imitators of God" and Peter says "be holy as I am holy." Now I realize that these command can be a pretty tall order, but I have a secret for you. It can be done. You see Jesus (even though he is the Son of God and was born from a virgin) lived a blameless life. “Yeah, yeah,” you’re saying to yourself, “but He is God.” (Ephesians 5:1, 1 Peter 1:16)

Well, yes He is, but if you are referring to whether He was able to do the seemingly impossible by living blameless because of his deity, well you’re wrong. In Philippians 2:5-8 it clearly says that Jesus didn’t hold on to who He was, but let it go so that He could come down to earth as a normal man. So that means He was able to walk blameless with no “special” powers to help Him. Walking blameless isn’t impossible; you and I can do it, because Jesus could do it. But perhaps walking blameless may be a big first step as a new creation, right? I mean, my baby girl didn’t try to run until she could walk and she didn’t attempt that until she could crawl.

Jesus told us that we should love one other as He loves us. That’s a good start, I think. It’s not too hard and definitely not too easy. (John 13:34) Just start each day focused on the love God has shown to you and then start walking with the intent to share that same love with everyone in your path. If you fail, then pick yourself up and begin walking again. We all stumble as we start walking. But the idea is to get up, dust ourselves off and stumble less.

Location:Pacaritambo,Lima,Peru

Forgivness

2010-08-26T14:12:00.000-07:00

“To err is human; to forgive is divine,” Alexander Pope once said. But that point-of-view absolves us of our responsibility, doesn’t it?

The command to forgive is not one relegated to those who are holy but to all who desire to walk as Christ. If we haven’t been exercising the forgiveness “muscle” it can be very difficult to simply–forgive. There are innumerable amounts of offenses that happen to us in our everyday life. From the time we wake up in the morning to the time we lay our head back down on our pillow at night we have been assaulted by our family, other drivers on the road, our clients, bosses, co-workers, a waiter, the dry cleaners, school, teachers….and the list goes on and on. But Jesus told us to forgive.

It’s interesting that He didn’t suggest that we forgive, nor did He give us any option in the matter. He simply told us to do it. In the Lord's Prayer, He prays to the Heavenly Father, “...forgive us our debts as we forgive those who have trespassed against us.” WOW! Have you thought about how you forgive? When you forgive do you forget like God says He does in Jeremiah 31:34 “For I will forgive their iniquity, and their sin I will remember no more.” Or do you file away the fault and bring it up later in a fight or discussion?

You may be saying right about now, “Boy, Gabriel, you’re rough. It’s impossible to forgive and forget, especially if you’ve been hurt like I have.”

But in all honesty that really doesn’t matter. We can’t go through the Bible and pick and choose what we think we can or can’t do. The Bible isn’t tailor-fitted to accommodate our lives, but on the contrary we should aim to modify our lives to fit the Bible. If Jesus said that we must forgive than that is what we have to do. And He never asks us to do something impossible. Scripture tells us that with God, "...all things are possible." So if He told us to do it [forgive], then He has given us the ability to accomplish it.

The Bible mentions in several verses that there is a correlation between how we forgive and how God forgives us. Matthew 6:14 says it very plainly “For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you.” But the idea is not to scare anyone into forgiving! It should sprout from your heart. Romans 5:5 says that "God has poured out His love in our hearts." So we DO have the capacity to love as God does. And God is very forgiving. In John 3:16, it shows us just how much He loves the world, and to what extent He will go to save us…not to condemn us. 2 Peter 3:9 says He isn’t slow but patient because He doesn’t wish that any should perish. That’s the kind of love that is in us.

Now, granted, when we forgive, Satan is quick to remind us of an offense, if we have to live or work with that person. It's in that moment we must speak back to Satan and remind him we have forgiven and then refuse to meditate on the memory of the offense. Follow up with prayer for that person. Do what God would do…love him or her. If you do it from the heart and with a sincere desire to become more like Christ, then the devil will lose his ability to push your buttons.

It isn’t easy, but the good things in life seldom are. Come and join me as we become more and more like Christ, walking as ambassadors of the Heavenly Kingdom .

Location:Pacaritambo,Lima,Peru

Are We Missing Something

2010-08-12T07:02:00.000-07:00

I was listening to a certain speaker talking about a verse that I had heard all my life, but this time I heard something that I hadn't heard before. The verse was certainly the same but something went off in my heart. So I went to my bible and checked it out. What I heard was right there in the verse. Let me show you my revelation.

John 3:8
8 The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.” NKJV

Jesus was talking to Nicademus and explaining the way to eternal life but in His explanation, Jesus makes this interesting statement regarding the wind. The way I have always heard it was the following: "The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So are the things of the Spirit." Did you catch the difference?

It's not simply the "Things of the Spirit" but everyone who is born of the Spirit. That's you and me, right?! I know that this may sound weird but we should "be like the wind".

Remember when the peolple wanted to stone Jesus and He just turned and walked through the crowd? (Luke 4:28-30) That is how we should be walking. It is a special walk that hides our actions and our plans from the evil one and those who would do us harm. It protects us and keeps us. It's like it says in Psalms 91 (the secret place of the Almighty)...

But it also means that our actions and our ideas aren't always conventional. They come from God and those who aren't born in the Spirit will not understand them nor will they understand how they are so prosperous, and accepted by others.

Let's walk in the Spirit and walk like the wind.

Saturday market day

2010-08-07T10:39:00.000-07:00

Every Saturday my wonderful wife prepares a list of vegetables, meat, and spices that we need at the house to prepare our meals for the week.

It's a comforting time of easy shopping in the local market that reminds me of shopping in the Mercado de Delicias Chihuahua. The chatter of the people and the vendors shouting out their "better" prices mixes with the zapping sound of the butcher's saw cutting through the bone of someones order. The smell of fruit, and vegetables float through the air playing with the smells of spices and pots of boiling chicken soup.

People from all walks of life mill around through the market with their shopping bags full of groceries hanging off their arms. A young man in a three piece suit, a woman with all her jewelry walking with her elderly mother holding her arm, a maid in her uniform sharing the walk spaces between the vendor's stands.

El mercado de Monterrico.

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

His Way is Easy

2010-07-31T20:06:00.000-07:00

As we walk in Christ we should remember an important truth that Jesus pointed out. That to walk with Him is to take up a light yoke. The burden we are asked to carry is not heavy and tiresome when we trust in Him.

In fact in Matthew 11:30 it says that His way is easy.

I realize that we will be under attack by the evil one and we will be targeted by those who persecuted Christ. i.e. the religious folk. Jesus told us that we would have them just as they persecuted Him. But as for easy or difficult, heavy or light??? Jesus told us it would be EASY.

We should be living as ambassadors of the heavenly kingdom, with every step, with every word, and with every action proclaiming His triumph over death, hell, and the grave. His dominance over sickness and disease, and our position with Him (seated high above in heavenly places).

A Light Without a Shadow

2010-07-27T22:30:00.000-07:00

The other day the lights went out at the house. I was amazed how quickly the darkness took over the room, covering the items obscuring them from view. The first thing that came to mind was that darkness can not exist with light. Light has to leave the room for darkness to enter.

So anyway, back to the story. The family searched out the flashlights we have stashed in every room just for these cases and I made a game with my 5-year old of turning on our flashlights and playing with the beams of light. As we walked to the fuse box we made shadows with our fingers, and our hands. The shadows were fun to do but we had to stop so we wouldn't run into a chair or the ottoman.

What occurred to me (insert Holy Spirit), was that the shadows didn't happen on their own but were a product of what we did around the light source. The closer we held an object to the light the greater the shadow. And this reminded me of Matthew 5:14-16. We are the light of the World. But when we put things in front of us we block the light casting shadows. These shadows affect those around us who are benefiting from the light and us since we can't see the ottomans in our shadows.

So what are those things that cast shadows? I believe that they are the spiritual truths we are not applying in our life, like non-forgiveness, sin, hate, resentment, and truths we know are right but we decide not to accept since they don't "fit" a lifestyle, or a denomination.

As long as we continue to cast shadows in the light we will continue to stumble and struggle against the unseen ottomans and hidden throw rugs. So let's follow Hebrews 12:1 ... let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us...

Above all let us live in Love and Forgiveness, overlooking the faults of others and striving to change the only person that we can...ourselves. :)

Ambassadors

2010-07-21T14:44:00.000-07:00

Ambassadors represent their home country. They are the "face" of the president in the host country. What the President or their country leader says they support. It doesn't matter what they feel or think about the president's position. They aren't called to be their own representatives. They aren't selected to speak their mind.

They are selected to represent and speak the words their country leader has asked them to speak. This reminds me of what Jesus said, that He only did or said what He heard the Father do and say.

As representatives of the Kingdom we should weigh our words and measure our activities in such a manner as to faithfully represent our King. I believe that for the most of us this is very conscious in our minds, and we do the best we can to represent the Kingdom.

Problems happen when communication breaks down between the Embassy and the leader of the country. When the ambassador is unaware of the position the leader has, or is adding or subtracting from the message using personal experience as the justification, the Ambassador fails in his responsibility.

This happens on occasion among the representatives of the Heavenly kingdom. Due to poor communication, these representatives do the best they can but fail. Sometimes these reps have read the Word but have not developed the relationship necessary to convey the Spirit of the Word.

This is evident in people who live in such a way to insinuate that God only loves certain people, and those who spend time in downplaying and even attaching other Kingdom Ambassadors.

As Ambassadors we should be concerned with our communication with our Lord and to faithfully represent the Kingdom of God.

GG

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPhone

Missionaries Ambassadors

2010-07-19T16:47:00.000-07:00

Missionaries--- I remember when I was a kid, how the mention of the word “Missionary” meant adventure and living over seas. One day in Kansas City, Missouri while attending the church's Wednesday night service I met some Missionary kids. The Church was celebrating Missionary week and there was a family visiting who were missionaries in Africa. They had slides, beads, and native jewelry and a ton of stories. I remember that day as the moment I became enamored with the thought of being a Missionary. My Mom and Dad had read us many stories of missionaries as we grew up and for some reason they all lived in the Jungle. So when my Dad told us that we were going to be missionaries in Mexico I was ecstatic and began to imagine our lives in the Jungles of Mexico!

Until the day we actually left for Mexico, my Dad continued to teach in churches and home groups and when he would tell people that he was going to the “Mission Field” I noticed a different response among people than the one I felt. Their faces closed down or became “compassionate” (i.e. feel sorry or pity). And even today, when people mention the word "Missionary" their minds are full of images of poor, and needy people living in hardship. In fact, when I hear those people called into the Mission Field, they sound resolved to live destitute and to endure hardships. But this popular view is wrong and, to a degree, offensive.

At nearly 40 years old I can say that I see things differently. I've been lived more overseas than I have lived in the US. I have been the Missionary. I have lived as a Missionary and a Preacher's Kid. The way I see the world and the way I live my faith has matured. I must admit to you that I still believe that living as a missionary is adventurous and fun. I must also point out that God isn’t the only one who has Missionaries. A Missionary is much more than just a person who teaches and or preaches.

In first place, let me tell you that the USA has Ambassadors in many countries throughout the world. Each Ambassador is assigned to an Embassy and that Embassy reason for being, along with all those assigned to it is called the Mission. When a person is assigned by the State Department or the Department of Justice, or the Depart of Agriculture to the Embassy of what ever country, it is said that they are part of that Mission. So in all effects of the word they have become “Missionaries” of that Embassy.

In fact, they are asked to behave in such a way as to truthfully represent the Home Country i.e. USA. They are told that their activities, their actions, their conversations and friends reflect what the Mission is all about. So what is the Mission about? It’s is about representing the Home Country and it’s interests. It shows the strength, the power, the wealth, and the influence the Home Country has and is. It promotes commerce, communication, travel, and trade among the Home Country and the Host Country. It is a place for citizens of the Home Country to go to receive aid and support while in the host or foreign country.

But what I would like to emphasize is that the missionaries are not poor, destitute, living in hardship. I would imagine that the U.S. would frown on anyone assigned to the Mission that was living that way. In fact, the Ambassador (the ultimate representative of the Home Country) is surrounded by guards, and assistants. He or she lives in a nice house, and has his needs catered too. The Ambassador holds periodic meetings with the host country dignitaries and measures his/her words to say that which would reflect the interests and position of the Home Country.

It is interesting to know that we are representatives of a heavenly kingdom. We are God’s Ambassadors. We represent His Kingdom. It is true that we are Missionaries the moment we are assigned to His Mission. The Mission God has called us to is to “represent” and tell the World of His Kingdom. (Mark 16:15-18 15 He said to them, "Go into all the world and preach the good news to all creation. 16 Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned. 17 And these signs will accompany those who believe: In my name they will drive out demons; they will speak in new tongues; 18 they will pick up snakes with their hands; and when they drink deadly poison, it will not hurt them at all; they will place their hands on sick people, and they will get well.”(KJV) Matthew 6:9-10 "This is how you should pray. " 'Our Father in heaven, may your name be honored. May your kingdom come. May what you want to happen be done on earth as it is done in heaven. (NIV))

Our Mission is to bring the Kingdom of God to this Earth. So anything and everything we do should be done towards those ends. This revelation should reflect on how we see and expect a Missionary to be. They are representatives of the Kingdom. They aren’t supposed to be poor, nor would it be God’s will for them to be. On the contrary, since they represent the Kingdom, Missionaries should be attractive in every way. And when a person is called to a poor country it isn’t to be pitied but to be rejoiced and celebrated, since God is, in fact, sending an emissary to a needy country to supply it’s need, not with words alone, but with power, authority, rain, prosperity, health and a future.

An Ambassador is never alone. He speaks with his entire nation behind him. His words are backed up by the Armed Forces, Commerce, the Blessings of his nation, and the threat of holding his nation’s wealth from anyone who refuses their diplomatic note. If it is certainly true that the physical world is only a shadow of the Spiritual, then how much MORE should we walk with authority as Ambassador’s here on this Earth (aliens in a foreign land) declaring God’s Kingdom with every action, Every Word. Missionaries

-----Some Examples of US Ambassador's Residence------
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US Ambassador's Residence in Dublin

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US Ambassador's Residence in Paris

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US Ambassador's Residence in Oslo

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Weekly Routines

2010-04-24T14:30:00.001-07:00

Every saturday we visit the organic market in the "Parque La Arboleda". It's an outdoor market with local vendors who just about anything organic. Clothes spun with organic cotton, baskets made from multi-colored straw, cheeses, bread, vegitables, nutsan grains, all organic. And as it seems to be in all places around the world there are vendors selling incense, crystals, and herb potions.

Every Saturday we walk along the open vendor displays buying our vegitables for the week. Gabriella will be jumping and running in the park talking to the other kids. Jordan is walking silently with his hands in his pockets quietly taking it all in. Christi is looming forward to the ceviche in one of the last posts and I am walling with all the bags trying not to break the basket of eggs as I wonder if Gabriella and Jordan will remember this time like I remember my weekly routines when I was a child.

-- Posted while on the move

Reflections on writting my biography

2010-04-20T10:45:00.001-07:00

Writting my biography has to be one of the most rewarding activities I've embarked on. I remember that I had to write one as a student in the university as a homework assignment. I remember thinking how boring my life was and that there mut be people much more interesting than me sitting in the room. But now, sitting in a Peruvian Taxi speeding down Javier Prado to my lunch appointment in Lima off the Pacific coast, I think the smallest details of how I learned how to ride a bike with my Dad on Aberdeen Proving grounds is interesting. In fact I believe that we all have wonderful and interesting stories but the problem is that we all underestimate their importance.

With every story I've written I remember more and in greater detail. It's like peeling an onion. Each layer is smaller and more consice full of color, sights and sound. I wonder what the final product will be when I complete writting my memoirs/biography. Will I remember everything? Will the body of work be as interesting to others as it is to me?

....more to come

-- Posted while on the movei

Communication is key

2010-02-10T06:42:00.001-08:00

As I travel from meeting to meeting within the same organization I am convinced that the reason large organizations become sluggish and inefficient is their lack of efficient communication. The left hand doesn't know what the right hand is doing. Many times the same activities are done multiple times due to a lack of communication. This inefficiency causes the organization to be sluggish and perceived as ignorant.

Many times the organization feels that it has checked the communication box by relying on one communication channel I.e. Email, a newsletter, a community board, a meeting. A successful communication requires the use of multiple channels. And in certain cases it may be necessary to verify whether the message was received by using a Q&A session or one on one meetings.

Without a good communication protocol a company will come to a grinding halt.

-- Posted while on the move

Location:Esmeralda,,Peru

God's Mercy

2009-12-27T09:14:00.000-08:00

I was pondering what an amazing thing was God’s Favor, when my son asked me what the difference was between Mercy and Favor.

I started with the Dictionary Definition:
FAVOR- Overgenerous preferential treatment - a sign of liking - an act of kindness beyond what is due or usual
MERCY- Compassion or forgiveness shown towards someone whom it is within one’s power to punish or harm

I thought that the dictionary said it pretty well. Favor is unmerited preferential treatment and Mercy is compassion or forgiveness toward someone who has committed an act against you.

What awesome set of power twins. They work hand-in-hand but they aren’t the same. From the beginning we see God acting in Mercy and Favor when He sent His Son to redeem us. But it doesn’t end there. The Word says that if He would not spare His Son how much more will He give us All Things?

When we speak of God’s Will, His Mercy and His Favor in the same context of “asking, receiving” and the verse I just quoted which includes the words “all things” (Rom 8:32) people withdrawal and act “shy”. People say things like “That’s not what it really means.” or “’All things’ mean spiritual things.” or something similar.

But I encourage you not to hold yourself back by explaining away God’s favor, grace, mercy wrapped up in His blessings. Receive them and run with them.

Favor
2 Corinthians 6:2

Mercy
Mercy Heb 4:16

Principle of the Giver

2009-12-21T13:03:00.001-08:00

Principle of the giver
This principle is crucial in achieving a truly successful life, full of accomplishment and meaning. A person may be able to achieve monetary success without it, but long-lasting happiness and fulfillment will never be achieved without accepting this principle and putting it to work.

As with all good principles, this one is simple, practical and easy to put into practice. It should, although, be reviewed every day and the practitioner should compare his or her actions against it's directive.

Too often the average person falls in the common misconseption that to advance in life one has to "take" what they can.this happens with everything they come in contact with. Their vocabulary is full of "I need, I want, I must have" punctuated with "I deserve", and "you owe me". This mentality keeps the person fighting for pocket change while true riches will always alude them.

The principle of the giver runs contrary to the "Taker" and more along the line of the farmer. The farmer looks at a handful of seeds and a parcel of land and sees what it will become. The farmer sows the seed and waters it with the faith that one day it will be harvested. So the giver does what he does with the faith that the actions they are sowing today will return in an abundant harvest.

Provide more return than what is expected.

-- Posted while on the move

Location:Av El Boulevard de Surco,,Peru

'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'

2009-12-13T18:37:00.000-08:00

--- A story from my inbox. Please re-post at will.---

A wealthy man and his son loved to collect rare works of art. They had everything in their collection, from Picasso to Raphael. They would often sit together and admire the great works of art..

When the Vietnam conflict broke out, the son went to war. He was very courageous and died in battle while rescuing another soldier. The father was notified and grieved deeply for his only son.

About a month later, just before Christmas,

There was a knock at the door. A young man stood at the door with a large package in his hands...

He said, 'Sir, you don't know me, but I am the soldier for whom your son gave his life. He saved many lives that day, and he was carrying me to safety when a bullet struck him in the heart and he died instantly... He often talked about you, and your love for art.' The young man held out this package. 'I know this isn't much. I'm not really a great artist, but I think your son would have wanted you to have this..'

The father

Opened the package. It was a portrait of his son, painted by the young man. He stared in awe at the way the soldier had captured the personality of his son in the painting. The father was so drawn to the eyes that his own eyes welled up with tears. He thanked the young man and offered to pay him for the picture.. 'Oh, no sir, I could never repay what your son did for me. It's a gift.'

The father hung the portrait over his mantle. Every time visitors came to his home he took them to see the portrait of his son before he showed them any of the other great works he had collected.

The man died a few months later. There was to be a great auction of his paintings. Many influential people gathered, excited over seeing the great paintings and having an opportunity to purchase one for their collection.

On the platform sat the painting of the son. The auctioneer pounded his gavel. 'We will start the bidding with this picture of the son. Who will bid for this picture?'

There was silence....

Then a voice in the back of the room shouted, 'We want to see the famous paintings. Skip this one.'

But the auctioneer persisted. 'Will somebody bid for this painting? Who will start the bidding? $100, $200?'
Another voice angrily. 'We didn't come to see this painting. We came to see the Van Gogh's, the Rembrandts. Get on with the Real bids!'

But still the auctioneer continued. 'The son! The son! Who'll take the son?'

Finally, a voice came from the very back of the room. It was the longtime gardener of the man and his son. 'I'll give $10 for the painting...' Being a poor man, it was all he could afford.

'We have $10, who will bid $20?'

'Give it to him for $10. Let's see the masters.'

The crowd was becoming angry. They didn't want the picture of the son.

They wanted the more worthy investments for their collections.

The auctioneer pounded the gavel.. 'Going once, twice, SOLD for $10!'

A man sitting on the second row shouted, 'Now let's get on with the collection!'

The auctioneer laid down his gavel. 'I'm sorry, the auction is over.'

'What about the paintings?'

'I am sorry. When I was called to conduct this auction, I was told of a secret stipulation in the will... I was not allowed to reveal that stipulation until this time. Only the painting of the son would be auctioned. Whoever bought that painting would inherit the entire estate, including the paintings.

The man who took the son gets everything!'

God gave His son 2,000 years ago to die on the cross. Much like the auctioneer, His message today is: 'The son, the son, who'll take the son?'

Because, you see, whoever takes the Son gets everything.

FOR GOD SO LOVED THE WORLD HE GAVE HIS ONLY BEGOTTEN SON, WHO SO EVER BELIEVETH, SHALL HAVE ETERNAL LIFE...THAT'S LOVE

Stress

2009-10-01T10:56:00.000-07:00

(This was sent to me by a friend and I found it worth posting...with some modifications)

A lecturer when explaining stress management to an audience, raised a glass of water and asked 'How heavy is this glass of water?'

Answers called out ranged from 20g to 500g.

The lecturer replied,

'The absolute weight doesn't matter. It depends on how long you try to hold it.

If I hold it for a minute, that's not a problem.

If I hold it for an hour, I'll have an ache in my right arm.

If I hold it for a day, you'll have to call an ambulance.

In each case, it's the same weight, but the longer I hold it, the heavier it becomes.'

He continued,

'And that's the way it is with stress management. If we carry our burdens all the time, sooner or later, as the burden becomes increasingly heavy, we won't be able to carry on. '

'As with the glass of water, Life can hand us difficult situations and our jobs can be stressful but if we don't learn how to let them go, or place them down we won't be able to go on.'

'So, before you return home tonight, empty as much of your glass as you can.

Put the rest of your work down.

Don't carry it home.

Realize the following simple truths...

Some days you're the pigeon,

And some days you're the statue.

Keep your words soft and sweet,

You may have to eat them.

Do things that are pleasing and kind

Be, who you would want your child to be

Read that which will build you up and make you better

It's what's in our hearts that determine our words and our destiny

Drive carefully.

On the street you're surrounded by Moms, Dads, and people's Children

If you can't be kind,

Keep your mouth closed

If you lend someone $20 and never see that person again,

It was probably worth it.

Your sole purpose in life is to love others.

If put both feet in your mouth at the same time,

You won't have a leg to stand on.

It's the early worm that gets eaten by the bird, so get a good night's rest.

Be wise and remember that it's the second mouse who gets the cheese.

Birthdays are good for you. (Don't fight them)

The more you have, the longer you live.

You may like you're only one person in the world,

But you may also be the world to one person.

Some mistakes are too much fun to only make once.

Learn from crayons...

Some are sharp,

some are pretty

some are dull

Some have weird names,

But not one color is the same, yet they all have to live in the same box.

Be happy and enjoy the scenery on life's detours....