The folks who brought you salt water fishing licenses have now decided they can redefine marriage. Really?
Dean Skelos and his alleged Republican (I refer to alleged Republicans not alleged majority) majority in the New York State Senate have placed the foot of the Empire State firmly on the slippery slope by passing the so-called marriage equality law. Can you say detestable? Maybe abomination is a better word.
As a New Yorker I am saddened, yet not surprised. Our state is quickly heading south (like many of our citizens) led by a governor (Andrew Cuomo) who lives out of wedlock with his girlfriend in "The People's House". Quite the moral compass he.
I am not a hater. I am a Christian who isn't ashamed of the Bible. The Bible is the book I use to guide my life. It's a book inspired by the God who establishes marriage as between one man and one woman in Genesis (please see Adam and Eve) and calls homosexuality, not the homosexual, an abomination. Got a problem with that? Take it up with God.
Is homosexuality the worst sin? No. It is just one sin of many sins that Jesus Christ died to forgive if only the sinner will believe and be baptized.
The Good News is that no matter what goes on around us, God is still God and the Gospel is still the Gospel. Let's not get that sinking feeling like Peter by losing our focus.
Some in the Christian community might argue that this came about because we stood quietly on the sidelines and they might be right. However, this in no way will stop us from bringing the truth to the lost world around us. Shall we speak louder? Yes. Shall we speak more boldly? We should. Let us not be discouraged by the world. After all we cannot expect the world to have the same views as we Christians do.
The world's view can change only when the hearts and minds of those who are lost are transformed by the power of the Gospel which comes from God. God will change those hearts if they truly seek and accept His son Jesus Christ. No other power can do that.
Also, this law in no way legitimizes gay marriage nor does it make it right. It just makes it a law.
So no hate speech here. No name calling. Sadness? Yes. Sadness that those who think they are doing the right thing are really leading people farther away from God.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Psalm 119:It's All About the Word of God!
Wow! Have you ever read something that was life transforming? That impacted you so deeply you had to tell people about it? That happened to me this morning. I read Psalm 119.
I was having just a horrendous start to my day. I had to get out of the house and clear my head and think. So, I took my Bible, got a venti Americano with hazelnut and cream at Starbucks and headed to the marina on Foster Avenue in Sayville. God's word, coffee and water. That's the combination I needed to get me back on track. I was soon to realize, though, that it is God's word that would clear my mind and focus me back where it belonged.
The author of Psalm 119 is not known for certain. And, really, it's not important. What is important as you read this Psalm is that the author fully understood that their comfort, guidance and delight came from the word of God. Whether they used the term precepts, commands, word, law or promise, it all points to the word of God.
We don't get guidance from Oprah or Dr. Phil. We don't get comfort from Joel Osteen or Joyce Meyers. We aren't put back on track by a book by this author or that televangelist. The Bible, the word of God is where we get all of this.
Here's an extra, for no extra cost. If a person says they know better than the word of God, DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM! Case in point. All this hoopla about this Saturday being the rapture is UNBIBLICAL and therefore SINFUL! Mr. Harold Camping /Family Radio is a FALSE TEACHER! He has already been wrong about the end of the world in 1994. The word of God says in Matthew 24:34-36:
34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
That means that no one knows when the end will come except God the Father. Not Harold Camping. Not anyone who follows him. No one! You can't figure it out with numbers or calendars or being clever with twisting what God says.
So, friends, read the Bible. Do what is says and you'll be sure to be doing God's will. Psalm 119 makes it clear that the word is the beginning and the end of wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Anything else is just a waste of your time and your life.
I was having just a horrendous start to my day. I had to get out of the house and clear my head and think. So, I took my Bible, got a venti Americano with hazelnut and cream at Starbucks and headed to the marina on Foster Avenue in Sayville. God's word, coffee and water. That's the combination I needed to get me back on track. I was soon to realize, though, that it is God's word that would clear my mind and focus me back where it belonged.
The author of Psalm 119 is not known for certain. And, really, it's not important. What is important as you read this Psalm is that the author fully understood that their comfort, guidance and delight came from the word of God. Whether they used the term precepts, commands, word, law or promise, it all points to the word of God.
We don't get guidance from Oprah or Dr. Phil. We don't get comfort from Joel Osteen or Joyce Meyers. We aren't put back on track by a book by this author or that televangelist. The Bible, the word of God is where we get all of this.
Here's an extra, for no extra cost. If a person says they know better than the word of God, DO NOT LISTEN TO THEM! Case in point. All this hoopla about this Saturday being the rapture is UNBIBLICAL and therefore SINFUL! Mr. Harold Camping /Family Radio is a FALSE TEACHER! He has already been wrong about the end of the world in 1994. The word of God says in Matthew 24:34-36:
34 Truly I tell you, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away. 36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father.
That means that no one knows when the end will come except God the Father. Not Harold Camping. Not anyone who follows him. No one! You can't figure it out with numbers or calendars or being clever with twisting what God says.
So, friends, read the Bible. Do what is says and you'll be sure to be doing God's will. Psalm 119 makes it clear that the word is the beginning and the end of wisdom, knowledge and understanding. Anything else is just a waste of your time and your life.
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
The Power of Patiently Waiting - Dean Trune
Dean Trune gives us a great insight into patiently waiting on God.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
We Can Escape Sin!: 1 Corinthians 10:13
1 Corinthians 10:13 tells us that no temptation will come our way that we cannot resist. God will provide an escape for us. Isn't that a great promise?
Notice, it doesn't say we even have to stand and fight the temptation. As Joseph ran from Potipher's wife, we will be given an escape from sin! We just have to ask Him for that escape.
When I am tempted, I have a choice to make. Give in or not. It's that simple. When Joseph was confronted by Potipher's wife, he said, "How can I sin against God?". He couldn't even conceive in his own mind sinning. And when temptation came his way, God gave him an escape, the front door! Joseph RAN! And that's what we need to do. Run to God asking Him for our escape.
Each and everyday, we make many choices, but the most important choice we make is whether to resist temptation when it comes our way. For when we resist temptation, we maintain our relationship with our heavenly Father. When we do not resist, we let sin get in the way of that relationship.
I always notice that when I do not resist, everything seems to go wrong. Things break. Things at home seem to go wrong. It seems like when I let sin get in the way of my relationship with the Father, my life doesn't go so well.
But, when I am in tune with God and making sure I resist temptation, life seems to go pretty well. I have peace. I feel safe.
When I sin, I feel vulnerable and out there on my own. Not a good feeling.
So, today, when you feel tempted, call on the Father and His promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13 and seek out His escape for you so that you will not sin!
It's a great promise that He will honor each and every time you call on His help!
Notice, it doesn't say we even have to stand and fight the temptation. As Joseph ran from Potipher's wife, we will be given an escape from sin! We just have to ask Him for that escape.
When I am tempted, I have a choice to make. Give in or not. It's that simple. When Joseph was confronted by Potipher's wife, he said, "How can I sin against God?". He couldn't even conceive in his own mind sinning. And when temptation came his way, God gave him an escape, the front door! Joseph RAN! And that's what we need to do. Run to God asking Him for our escape.
Each and everyday, we make many choices, but the most important choice we make is whether to resist temptation when it comes our way. For when we resist temptation, we maintain our relationship with our heavenly Father. When we do not resist, we let sin get in the way of that relationship.
I always notice that when I do not resist, everything seems to go wrong. Things break. Things at home seem to go wrong. It seems like when I let sin get in the way of my relationship with the Father, my life doesn't go so well.
But, when I am in tune with God and making sure I resist temptation, life seems to go pretty well. I have peace. I feel safe.
When I sin, I feel vulnerable and out there on my own. Not a good feeling.
So, today, when you feel tempted, call on the Father and His promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13 and seek out His escape for you so that you will not sin!
It's a great promise that He will honor each and every time you call on His help!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Psalm 40 - God's Plan
Psalm 40 is such a comfort. Read as David recounts how God "heard my cry" and "lifted me out of the slimy pit".
Are you in a "slimy pit" right now? Have you ever been. Oh, yes, know it well.
What a picture this psalm paints. God lifted David out of the slimy pit and put his feet on a rock.
Being out of work, this really speaks to me. Unemployment can feel like a slimy pit, for sure. I feel like I'm sinking. Like I'll never work again.
The first line of this Psalm is key, though. The Psalm starts off, "I waited patiently for the Lord". No! Ugh! There's that "waiting" thing again. Oh, waiting is not my favorite thing to do, but in David's case, he waited "patiently". If that's not the hardest thing to do, I don't know what is.
We have to wait patiently on God. Why? I wondered that, but I think, and this is just my opinion, is that it shows our faith in God. If we are patiently waiting on God, we show Him that we trust Him to do the right thing for us at precisely the right time. Not easy. No, not easy at all, but we see what the fruit of waiting patiently is. The Lord hears us and lifts us out of our slimy pit.
Then, later in the Psalm, David talks about "proclaiming righteousness in the great assembly". Once God pulls us out of that pit, we should tell everyone we can about it. Shout it! It says that "many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord" because of what He's done for us..
How can people see the love of God, unless we show them how He loves us?
So, we cry out to God, wait patiently for Him to answer us, then we proclaim that to as many people as we can and then people will come to know and put their trust in Him!
That's God's plan.
Sound like a good one!
Sounds PERFECT to me!
God bless you.
Are you in a "slimy pit" right now? Have you ever been. Oh, yes, know it well.
What a picture this psalm paints. God lifted David out of the slimy pit and put his feet on a rock.
Being out of work, this really speaks to me. Unemployment can feel like a slimy pit, for sure. I feel like I'm sinking. Like I'll never work again.
The first line of this Psalm is key, though. The Psalm starts off, "I waited patiently for the Lord". No! Ugh! There's that "waiting" thing again. Oh, waiting is not my favorite thing to do, but in David's case, he waited "patiently". If that's not the hardest thing to do, I don't know what is.
We have to wait patiently on God. Why? I wondered that, but I think, and this is just my opinion, is that it shows our faith in God. If we are patiently waiting on God, we show Him that we trust Him to do the right thing for us at precisely the right time. Not easy. No, not easy at all, but we see what the fruit of waiting patiently is. The Lord hears us and lifts us out of our slimy pit.
Then, later in the Psalm, David talks about "proclaiming righteousness in the great assembly". Once God pulls us out of that pit, we should tell everyone we can about it. Shout it! It says that "many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord" because of what He's done for us..
How can people see the love of God, unless we show them how He loves us?
So, we cry out to God, wait patiently for Him to answer us, then we proclaim that to as many people as we can and then people will come to know and put their trust in Him!
That's God's plan.
Sound like a good one!
Sounds PERFECT to me!
God bless you.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Wow! It's been a Long While!
It's good to be back. Lost the writing bug for a while, but it's back. I got very political for a while. Yes, I still can't wait to elect a new President. I think this one is just not right for the country and he proves it just about every day. Looking for the right person to come along and run. Not sure who that will be. But, now I want to write about Jesus. About faith. About Christianity. And, hopefully, it's what God wants me to do.
We're in the Lenten season. Easter is coming. Today, as a matter of fact, is known as Ash Wednesday in some faiths.
As we close in on Easter, this is a good time to reflect on what Easter is really all about. Is it about bunnies and candy and new hats? Or is it the culmination of God sending His Son to redeem the human race from our sins?
Easter is a celebration. It's different than most as it's beginning is a sad event, namely death. The death of Jesus. However, it ends in a grand celebration of LIFE. That life is the resurrected Jesus. It is proof positive of who Jesus is. He is God. Always was, always will be.
As we approach that Easter weekend, it's time to examine yourself and take account of how Easter is reflected in your life. Do you live a life that reflects the Risen Savior? Take time this Easter season to honestly look at yourself and see what you can do differently to reflect the awesome fact that God sent His Son to be the substitute sacrifice for our sins, so we could once again enjoy a relationship with Him!
We're in the Lenten season. Easter is coming. Today, as a matter of fact, is known as Ash Wednesday in some faiths.
As we close in on Easter, this is a good time to reflect on what Easter is really all about. Is it about bunnies and candy and new hats? Or is it the culmination of God sending His Son to redeem the human race from our sins?
Easter is a celebration. It's different than most as it's beginning is a sad event, namely death. The death of Jesus. However, it ends in a grand celebration of LIFE. That life is the resurrected Jesus. It is proof positive of who Jesus is. He is God. Always was, always will be.
As we approach that Easter weekend, it's time to examine yourself and take account of how Easter is reflected in your life. Do you live a life that reflects the Risen Savior? Take time this Easter season to honestly look at yourself and see what you can do differently to reflect the awesome fact that God sent His Son to be the substitute sacrifice for our sins, so we could once again enjoy a relationship with Him!
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