Vengeance is Mayan?

 
Well, we made it.  It's December 22, 2012.

Jesus is right again when He said:
"Heaven and earth will disappear, but my words will never disappear. However, no one knows the day or hour when these things will happen, not even the angels in heaven or the Son himself. Only the Father knows.  And since you don’t know when that time will come, be on guard! Stay alert!"   Mark 13:31-33

VENGEANCE IS NOT MAYAN!
God the Father decides when the world ends and He wants us to be ready! :

"We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are. For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard.  Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood."
Romans 3:22-25a

If you haven't trusted Jesus as your Savior- YOU NEED HIM and HE WANTS YOU!  He loves you.  Don't waste any more time because the world will end someday- your world will definitely end someday- and you NEED to be ready.  You can be totally ready, you can be safe and assured! 

When Jesus is your Savior, it doesn't matter how many crackpot archaeologists, wild-eyed preachers, Nostradamus believers or numerologists proclaim the end of the world because you know the Truth and the Truth has your back.

" For we know Him who said, 'Vengeance is Mine, I will repay,' says the Lord. And again, 'The Lord will judge His people.' It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God."  Hebrews 10:30-31

A Three Decker Sauerkraut and Toadstool Sandwich With Arsenic Sauce

The Grinch!  He's the Christmas villain, the infamous meanie from Dr. Suess' How The Grinch Stole Christmas.  His heart is two sizes too small.  He is full of hate.  He hates Christmas and his happy neighbors in Whoville.

There is an entire song dedicated to his ickiness.  Among other things, the Grinch is a monster, a rotter, vile, foul and nasty.  His heart's an empty hole and his soul is full of gunk.  He's the king of sinful sots!

Look at this "grinch song" from the Bible:
“As the scriptures say, No one is righteous—  not even one.  No one is truly wise; no one is seeking God.  All have turned away; all have become useless.  No one does good, not a single one.  Their talk is foul, like the stench from an open grave.  Their tongues are filled with lies.  Snake venom drips from their lips.  Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness.  They rush to commit murder.  Destruction and misery always follow them.  They don’t know where to find peace.  They have no fear of God at all." 
Romans 3:10-18
That's talking about us- everyone.  We're all Grinches!  In other words: your soul is an appalling dump heap, overflowing with the most disgraceful assortment of deplorable rubbish imaginable!
"For everyone has sinned; we all fall short of God’s glorious standard." Romans 3:23
God's punishment for sin is Hell but He loves all of us Grinches.
 ^"Yet God, with undeserved kindness, declares that we are righteous. He did this through Christ Jesus when he freed us from the penalty for our sins.  For God presented Jesus as the sacrifice for sin. People are made right with God when they believe that Jesus sacrificed his life, shedding his blood..."  Romans 3:24-25
And just like the Grinch's heart grew three sizes; our dirty, sinful hearts are washed clean when we accept God's forgiveness through Jesus.  And even though we still sometimes act like nasty,wasty skunks; God no longer holds it against us.  We know we'll be with Him someday in Heaven and we can truly have a merry Christmas.

Quick Quote

"This 'normal' Baby wrote book -you should read." -Fausta, from Go On on NBC.
"For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him. There is no judgment against anyone who believes in him. But anyone who does not believe in him has already been judged for not believing in God’s one and only Son." John 3:16-18

Love Triangle

 

Aah, the love triangle. It's a classic.  Sure to add a little zest to any story. All the pining, angst-filled dialogue and unrequited gazes  can make for a compelling break from the action of your favorite story. 

How can our favorite characters possibly choose who they truly love?  Jack or Sawyer?  Nathan or Duke?  Addison or Meredith?  Abby or Ziva (okay that one's a decision for us viewers...)  Team Edward or Team Jacob?  Mr. Wickham or Mr. Darcy?  Roy or Jim?  Lana or Chloe...or Lois?  And don't get me started on choosing between Adam, Hoss and Little Joe.

Often, our gorgeous and complicated leading lady has to decide whether she wants the good man or the bad boy.  Personally, I have no clue why she needs to agonize over whether she wants the affectionate firefighter or the adulterous criminal.  It just seems like a no-brainer! 

When I think about it, I realize that the Bible is about an epic love triangle.  It's about us deciding who we love most: Jesus Christ or anything else.  Jesus is the good man: the loving, self-sacrificing, attentive, affectionate hero.  And anything that we would choose over Him is the bad boy.  The bad boy might be pride telling us that we don't need God's forgiveness through Jesus or guilt telling us that we're too bad for Jesus to forgive.  The bad boy might be our own selfishness telling us to not even consider Jesus because Jesus wouldn't approve of our favorite activity.

Just like a real life bad boy, the things that keep people from Jesus can be very attractive, charming and fun.  And just like a bad boy, they don't love or respect you.  They'll string you along and then break your heart.  Anything that stops you from accepting Jesus as your Savior is really trying to send you to Hell.  When you look at it the way God does, it's really a no-brainer!  

Even after you accept Jesus, you'll still have feelings for that bad boy.  You'll catch yourself flirting with that stuff that Jesus tells you not to do, the stuff that's bad for you.  The instant you accept Jesus, He is totally committed to you and will never, ever, ever leave you no matter what you do.  But that bad boy can keep you from enjoying your relationship with Jesus.  So send the bad boy packing because the love triangle isn't worth it.  

"If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved." Romans 10:9

"There is salvation in no one else! God has given no other name under heaven by which we must be saved.” Acts 4:12

"Do not love this world nor the things it offers you, for when you love the world, you do not have the love of the Father in you.  For the world offers only a craving for physical pleasure, a craving for everything we see, and pride in our achievements and possessions.  These are not from the Father, but are from this world."
1 John 2:15-16

"Since you have heard about Jesus and have learned the truth that comes from him, throw off your old sinful nature and your former way of life, which is corrupted by lust and deception.  Instead, let the Spirit renew your thoughts and attitudes.  Put on your new nature, created to be like God—truly righteous and holy."  Ephesians 4:21-24

   

The Hunger Games

       What an exciting and poignant story!  The Hunger Games presents a country where twelve districts are under the choking control of the Capitol.  Seventy-four years after their failed rebellion, the districts are still being punished by the Capitol.           
        Every year, each district selects one girl and one boy from the ages of twelve to eighteen to be offered as a tribute participant in the Hunger Games.  Selected by lottery, the young participants are taken to the Capitol where they are primped, polished, trained and then forced into a large arena of wilderness where they must fight, hide and die until only one remains.  The survivor is labeled the winner and receives wealth and fame.  The entire spectacle is televised for the entertainment of the people of the capitol and the manipulation of the people of the districts.       

        Katniss Everdeen (Jennifer Lawrence) is from District Twelve, a district used for mining and trapped in their poverty by the Capitol.  When Katniss' little sister is chosen as tribute at the annual "reaping", Katniss volunteers to participate in the games in her place.
               I'm sure there are many impressive spiritual metaphors I could find in a story as emotional and engaging as The Hunger Games.  But the feeling I get from it is simple and intense.  People in the real world are suffering under oppressive governments, unfair circumstances, scarcity, poverty and loss.  Some of us have rich and luxurious lives.  We should be doing something to help the suffering.  There are many people who have need and we have excess.  We're a match made in Heaven.                                             
Isaiah 1:17
"Learn to do good.
Seek justice.
Help the oppressed.
Defend the cause of orphans.
Fight for the rights of widows"

 
                Like the fictional citizens of the Capitol, some of us have wonderful things and an easy life.  The characters spend theirs being self-serving, cruel, shallow and cowardly.  We should spend ours being champions for the hurting.  Money, time, prayer, encouragement, advocacy.  It's simple:  The suffering are real and important.  They need help and we can help. 

2 Corinthians 9:7 "You must each decide in your heart how much to give. And don’t give reluctantly or in response to pressure. 'For God loves a person who gives cheerfully.' " NLT

More importantly, we represent Jesus and we can share the good news of His love and salvation.  That good news is what everyone needs most! 

"In the same way, let your good deeds shine out for all to see, so that everyone will praise your heavenly Father." Matthew 5:16 NLT 

"For I am not ashamed of this Good News about Christ. It is the power of God at work, saving everyone who believes" Romans 1:16a NLT
 

Confidence

     Remember that song from The Sound of Music? Maria sings "I Have Confidence" when she faces the challenge of becoming governess to the seven children of the stern widower, Captain Von Trapp.  Maria had confidence in sunshine, rain, in confidence alone and in herself.

     Confidence is a popular subject.  It's all over magazine covers and TV commercials.  But will having clear skin or good insurance really make you confident?  And even if it does, is that the kind of confidence you need?  What happens if you have a pre-existing condition or wake up with a pimple?

     The Bible talks a lot about confidence and how to get it.  But it doesn't tell you to get "confidence in me".  The problem with "confidence in me" is that me isn't always beautiful, healthy and wise.  And if "me" pretends to be, then "me" is an egotistical jerk.

     God wants our main confidence to be in Him.  "But blessed are those who trust in the Lord and have made the Lord their hope and confidence." Jeremiah 17:7 NLT

     This makes perfect sense because, unlike me, God is always beautiful, healthy and wise!  And so much more!  All-knowing, all-powerful, everywhere present, completely just, completely loving...  Totally trustworthy. "Trust in the Lord forever, For in YAH, the Lord, is everlasting strength" Isaiah 26:4 NKJV

     And if we accept His gift of forgiveness, God guarantees that we will spend eternity in Heaven with Him.  If you have accepted Jesus as your Savior, you're His.  He promises that He is always with you and that everything that happens to you, whether happy or sad, is for your good.  "And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Romans 8:28 NLT

"In my distress I prayed to the Lord, and the Lord answered me and set me free. The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear. What can mere people do to me? Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me. I will look in triumph at those who hate me." Psalm 118:5-7

   He says you are cherished, protected and headed for Heaven.  And because He is one hundred percent trustworthy and Truth itself, we can have perfect, bold, passionate CONFIDENCE!

"But let us who live in the light be clearheaded, protected by the armor of faith and love, and wearing as our helmet the confidence of our salvation."    
1 Thessalonians 5:8

Dr. Seuss' The Lorax

          This movie was so much fun!  Zac Efron stars as the voice of Ted, a young resident of the tree-free, industrialized city of Thneedville where they buy bottled air.  Ted wants to impress his friend Audrey (Taylor Swift) and for that he'll need to find a tree.  So Ted goes to the Once-ler (who sports the dramatic and entertaining voice of Ed Helms). 

          The Once-ler regails Ted with the story of his wonderful invention, the thneed.  The thneed was an all-purpose piece of clothing made from trees and was once the must-have fashion item.          
        The Lorax who speaks for the trees (Danny Devito) is a cute and fuzzy little creature with a mustache and an attitude. He warns the Once-ler not to harm the trees or something bad will happen.  But when the Once-ler foolishly decides to chop down trees instead of harvesting only the part he needs, he uses every tree in the forest and is left with nothing. 

    After all the trees are gone, the Lorax sends the animals away and leaves the Once-ler alone in the gray, barren forest with only the tree stumps and a special stone.  The stone has a word carved on it: Unless. 

          When the Once-ler finishes his story, he gives Ted the last seed.  He tells Ted to plant it where everyone in Thneedville can see so that they will know the importance of trees and free air.
               

        We may not have thneeds, bottled air or the Lorax but our world is a lot like Ted's.  Like the forest that was once beautiful, our world was once very good:

"Then God looked over all he had made, and he saw that it was very good!"

 Genesis 1:31 NLT



          Like the Once-ler, we got a warning:

"And the Lord God commanded the man, saying, 'Of every tree of the garden you may freely eat; but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.' " Genesis 2:16-17 NKJV

 

          We didn't obey and something bad happened:

"For the wages of sin is death..." Romans 6:23a NKJV

 

          And we have an Unless:

"...but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord." Romans 6:23b NKJV



                  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life." John 3:16 NKJV 

 

Christ lived the perfect life we never could and died in our place, as our substitute, taking the punishment from God that we all deserve for the wrong we do.  Now we can be forgiven and go to Heaven someday if we accept this gift.

 

And we have a seed to plant by telling everyone we can so that everyone can see the importance of Jesus and free eternal life!





Previously On

             We've all heard it.  The sixty second recap montage before a new episode.  Sometimes the review can be redundant but if you've ever watched a complicated show like LOST, Once Upon a Time or Person of Interest you can appreciate a quick rundown. 
              If you had tried to watch an episode of LOST in the middle of a season, you wouldn't have had any idea what was going on.  You'd need the recap to tell you that a plane crash left an odd group of survivors on a mysterious island already occupied by a cult of peacey psychopaths.  You wouldn't know what a "tailie" was or what "the hatch" meant.  And pressing a button every 108 minutes would just sound crazy to you.  You'd be, well... lost.

             It's the same thing with the Bible.  If you just pull one verse off of a random page and don't read the surrounding verses or look at God's Word as a whole, the message you get might be confusing or you might interpret it wrong.
             Being confused about an episode of LOST is one thing- LOST is just a TV show- but being confused about the basic messages of the Bible is another.  The Bible is God's message to humanity.  It's all about life, death, Heaven and Hell.  The most important things for any person.  And even if you don't believe it yet, it is so important to understand it clearly.  So don't take it out of context!  Make sure you look into the "previously on".

WALL-E: For The Love

WALL-E.  One of the most charming animated characters ever.  A cute little robot in the not-so-distant future.  Earth has piled up with garbage and all the humans have evacuated to live aboard enormous cruise ship like spacecraft.  WALL-E was left on Earth with a directive: clean up trash.  He's the only working robot left on Earth and his only company is a cockroach who likes twinkies.

 

Until WALL-E meets EVE.

EVE is an advanced probe sent from one of the spaceships to search Earth for signs of life.  WALL-E falls in love.

When WALL-E shows EVE a plant he found while cleaning up trash, EVE takes it back to the spaceship and WALL-E decides he has to follow.  Aboard the ship, WALL-E is friendly to everyone.  He helps EVE and together they cause a chain reaction that brings the humans back home to Earth.

It might sound crazy but, in a way, I want to be like WALL-E.  His love for EVE made him throw away his old directive and chase after her no matter what the cost.  I want to be that in love with Jesus Christ.  So in love that everything else in my life is affected by Him.  I want Jesus to be my directive.  I want my love for Him to make me be friendly to everyone, showing and sharing His love wherever I go.  I want to help Him as He causes a chain reaction that brings people into a saving relationship with the Savior of the world.

"This same Good News that came to you is going out all over the world. It is changing lives everywhere, just as it changed yours that very first day you heard and understood the truth about God's great kindness to sinners."  Colossians 1:6 (NLT)

"So then, since Christ suffered physical pain, you must arm yourselves with the same attitude he had, and be ready to suffer, too. For if you have suffered physically for Christ, you have finished with sin. You won’t spend the rest of your lives chasing your own desires, but you will be anxious to do the will of God."  1 Peter 4:1-2 (NLT)

" But may all who search for You be filled with joy and gladness in You. May those who love Your salvation repeatedly shout, 'The Lord is great!' " Psalm 40:16 (NLT)

 It is a tall order to put Jesus before yourself but I could never be good on my own anyway. God is the one who gives Christians the ability to please Him, we just have to let Him do it.  

      

        "So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while, you will grow as you learn to know God better and better." Colossians 1:9-10 (NLT)

Song Recommendations: Motion of Mercy by Francesca Battistelli  

Side Effects

   Dizziness, fainting, blood clots, stroke, heart attack...  These are just a few of the possible side effects of the many prescription drugs that are advertised every day on TV.  Whether you sit down to watch a shark week special, a mini marathon, your favorite drama or the news; you will probably see a prescription drug ad or two.  Sprightly music plays while cartoon animals have a picnic and the voice over announcer uses a hushed tone to warn you about what could possibly go wrong if you take this medicine.
            The Bible talks about side effects. Galatians 5:22-23  "But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things!"
            Love, joy, peace, patience...  This is what Jesus offers.  These are the side effects of having Jesus as your Savior.  And these side effects don't occur in rare cases.  This is what you have when you have Jesus.  If you sincerely accept Jesus as your Savior, you get the Holy Spirit.  And the Holy Spirit gives kindness, goodness, faithfulness, self-control...  A world of unimaginable wonder and purpose.
            Christians still disobey God and do stupid things sometimes but if a person sincerely accepts Jesus as their Savior there will be... side effects.  If Jesus is your Savior and you're letting yourself get in the way of His side effects- stop it!  If you don't know Jesus, don't go another second living without Him.  You need Him to rescue you from God's punishment.  The joy and fulfillment He will give you isn't available anywhere else!  You don't have to talk to your doctor- ask God to prescribe Jesus this very instant and start living like you never could before!

Mid-Season Break

         So I've been off the air for a while.  I haven't published an article in over a month!  I've been on a bit of a "mid-season break".  That's what TV networks call it when a series plays reruns or goes off the air for a month or two, right in the middle of the season.
         Christians sometimes take a "mid-season break".  At some time in their life they realized they needed Jesus Christ.  They put their trust in the message of the Bible.  That no one is good, that they deserved God's anger- Hell- but that God sent Jesus to die in their place so that they could someday spend eternity with God in Heaven if they just trusted in what Jesus has done.  They started their new life as a member of God's family!  An exciting life of hope and peace. 
        And then, at some point during this wonderful new season of their life, they take a little break.  Life gets the best of them.  Busyness or stress or trajedy rise and they forget that they have an amazing Savior who cares about every aspect of them and wants to help them get through the tough or hectic times.  Or they want to do something that they know God doesn't want them to do and they feel guilty so they ignore God for a while.  They forget Who saved them and Who deserves their attention.  So they don't listen to what He has to say in the Bible, they don't talk to Him, they stop getting together with other Christians.
         The Bible talks about growing as a Christian.  How we need to act the way God wants us to act and feel the way God wants us to feel.  2 Peter 1:8-9 says "The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.  But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins."
         Maybe you've trusted Jesus to be your Savior but right now you're in a mid-season break.  I've had some times like that and so did some of the Christians that God talks about in the Bible.  King David was a "man after God's own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14) and more than once he took a break from living the way he should and was disobedient to God in big ways.  The beauty of salvation is that if you truly, sincerely put your faith in Jesus Christ, from that moment on you belong to God and you will never lose that salvation.  You may have taken a break when you shouldn't have but God will never "cancel" you.
         Now is the time for your return!!!!  Time for new episodes.  And even though I wish the show had never stalled, the mid-season premiere is the most exciting episode yet!
          
         "By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence.  And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world’s corruption caused by human desires. In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God’s promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge,  and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone."    2 Peter 1:3-7

And if you have never accepted Jesus as your Savior, now is the time!  Time for your "Pilot" episode.  God guarantees you'll never be "cancelled"!  2 Corinthians 6:2b "now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation."
    

Ancient Aliens?

FreeDigitalPhotos.net

                 The History Channel's Ancient Aliens features archaeologists, scientists and UFO believers reviewing evidence of alien visits throughout history.  The show presents theories claiming that archaeological sites, legends and ancient religious texts have been influenced by extraterrestrial visitors.  To be honest, it makes me angry when the show takes a passage from the Bible and suggests that an ancient interaction of the Most High God with humanity was just some creature visiting from another planet!
                 So what's my point here?  What's the connection to the Bible?  Well, I don't know if life exists on other planets or whether there have been any visits from that hypothetical life.  Maybe there have been.  But when I think about the word extraterrestrial, I realize it just means "not from Earth".  So there have been many times when ancient people have had extraterrestrial experiences.  And it's not a mystery.  The Bible tells us all about it! In detail. With locations, names and quotations.  And science and archaeology support what the Bible says.
                  God is definitely not from Earth.  He made Earth!  He made the entire universe and He knows everything!  Talk about credentials. 
                God walked and talked with Adam and Eve.  Interacted with their children.  A man named Enoch walked with God and was taken by God to Heaven before he died.  Noah, Moses, Elijah and many more people acted as God's messengers, telling people what God wanted from them and accurately predicting the future as proof that they spoke God's words.  God Himself came to Earth as a human- Jesus Christ! 
                God doesn't communicate with us through unintelligible crop circles, He wants us to understand Him and so He wrote us a book.  The Bible.  He tells us exactly Who He is, how He feels about us, what He wants for us and what we need.  He has given us the MEANING OF LIFE!
                So much better than some super smart aliens helping people build ancient monuments.  And all we have to do is pick up the book and read.

    "but these are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing you may have life in His name."  John 20:31
     
"How sweet your words taste to me; they are sweeter than honey."  Psalm 119:103
      
"Your word is a lamp to guide my feet and a light for my path."  Psalm 119:105


If you want to learn more about how science and archaeology agree with the Bible visit:    answersingenesis.org

Be Better Protected From Mayhem With Jesus

   Who doesn't love the Allstate insurance commercials featuring the battered and mischievous "Mayhem" character?  In each commercial he presents himself as some force in your life that could cause trouble and expense: a raccoon living in your attic, a satellite dish falling off of your roof onto your car, your dog not protecting your home from a team of burglars, your vehicle's blindspot.  The punchline of the ad is always something like "If you have cut-rate insurance you could be paying for this mess yourself.  So get Allstate and be better protected from mayhem like me."  And maybe the classic, "Allstate.  Are you in good hands?"
                  These commercials are hilarious and SO fun!   But mayhem does really happen and it doesn't always come in a small dose like a caved in garage roof or a fender-bender.  Sometimes really bad stuff happens.  Sad, scary stuff that an insurance claim can't fix.  Stuff like sickness, crime and death.  Money from an insurance company can pay the bills but it can't help us on a personal level.  It can't heal our hearts or bring us peace and it can't promise a perfect future.  But God can!  That's exactly why He sent Jesus- to cure our sin problem and get us into Heaven!  If we trust Him to do it, that is.  And if you do trust Him to be your Savior from your doomed self, you have Him forever!  Jesus will never leave you, no matter what!  He can give you peace and comfort no matter what kind of mayhem happens in your life.

 Romans 8:35-39  "Can anything ever separate us from Christ’s love? Does it mean he no longer loves us if we have trouble or calamity, or are persecuted, or hungry, or destitute, or in danger, or threatened with death?  (As the Scriptures say, “For your sake we are killed every day; we are being slaughtered like sheep.”)  No, despite all these things, overwhelming victory is ours through Christ, who loved us.
 And I am convinced that nothing can ever separate us from God’s love. Neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither our fears for today nor our worries about tomorrow—not even the powers of hell can separate us from God’s love.  No power in the sky above or in the earth below—indeed, nothing in all creation will ever be able to separate us from the love of God that is revealed in Christ Jesus our Lord."

If you accept His death on the cross in your place, as your substitute, for the forgiveness of all the wrong you've ever done, you're forgiven forever that instant and you will belong to Jesus from that second on.  Jesus promises He will never leave you alone on this earth and you'll someday live in Heaven.  Jesus beat death and so can you!  And He can give you "overwhelming victory" in the midst of all of this life's problems. 

        When it comes to being protected from mayhem, are you in good hands?

Quick Quote

"If redemption was reversible, it wouldn't be redemption."  - Leo Knox, from The Finder on FOX                

"The truth is the Good News. When you heard the truth, you put your trust in Christ. Then God marked you by giving you His Holy Spirit as a promise.  The Holy Spirit was given to us as a promise that we will receive everything God has for us. God’s Spirit will be with us until God finishes His work of making us complete. God does this to show His shining-greatness." Ephesians 1:13-14

Somewhere Only We Know

I was watching a romantic comedy the other day and the song "Somewhere Only We Know" by Keane played as the cute young couple got their happily ever after.  It's a piano rock song that talks about needing peace and rest and the singer wants to go "Somewhere Only We Know" to get that kind of security.    

What a beautiful song.  I don't know what the songwriter intended but for me it makes me think of place, a location, that is perfectly unremarkable to the rest of the world but totally meaningful to the characters of the song.  Maybe the place a couple had their first date.  Or a family's beloved backyard.  The couch where friends always spend movie nights.  The boat that a husband and wife spend every weekend on.    Somewhere to escape from the world, to let go of all stress and to be completely yourself.



I have a place like that.  It isn't a location and I don't share it with my boyfriend or sister or mom.  I share it with the Creator of the Universe.  It's a place where I'm completely safe, completely loved, completely known and where everything I say is important enough to listen to.  It's prayer.  It's me and my God.  Prayer is Somewhere Only We Know.

Philippians 4:6-7  "Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done.  Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus."

     Everyone can have this same place, this same special relationship.  God wants you.  He wants to listen to you, He wants to be there for you, He wants to shower you with His perfect love and forgiveness.  He wants you to know Him.  But you have to want Him too. 
     You don't deserve His love, I don't deserve His love and no one else does either.  But He offers it just the same.  John 3:16  "For God loved the world so much that He gave His one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in Him will not perish but have eternal life." 
     God sent Jesus to live and die and rise from the dead, all to make up for our mistakes so that we can be forgiven, so that we can get the spiritual "credit" for Jesus' goodness.  But you have to admit you need it, you have to want it and you have to accept it.  That's THE prayer.  That prayer of acceptance is the prayer that begins the rest of your life.  Your new life.  Your eternal life.  A life that no matter where you are you can always pray and God will always listen.  There are no magic words to say, no special circumstances required.  Just you pouring your heart out to God because He loves you, He wants to hear you and He always will.  All you need to do is tell Him that you need Him, that you can't make it on your own, that you're not good enough for Him or for Heaven but that you want Jesus to do it all for you.  And He will.  Immediately you will be God's treasured and special child.  He will ALWAYS listen to you and someday you will see Him with your own eyes in Heaven.
                         Once you start your relationship with God, everywhere is Somewhere Only We Know.

                            
If you have any questions about starting a relationship with God, please email me at emmalurvey@yahoo.com

Mythbusters: Duct Tape Island

So the other day I came across the most charming thing that I’ve seen on TV in a while.  It was a Mythbusters special placing head Mythbusters Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman on a “deserted” island with only the clothes on their backs and a pallet of duct tape.  The challenge was to accomplish as many of the standard "survival" tasks as possible.

It was hilarious and amazing.  Along with a very serviceable hat and two pairs of sandals, they managed to make rope, a water bag, hammocks, a small table and chairs and an outrigger canoe!  And that's just some of the things the duct tape was good for! 

It was fun to watch how useful a roll of tape could be when Adam and Jamie put it to work in different situations.  It might even be able to save your life.

This reminds me of the Bible.  The Bible is God's own Word and is useful in every situation you could find yourself in.  God gives us His ultimate wisdom to help us with relationships, family, kids, work and everything else.  He gives comfort for sadness,  anger, loneliness and pain.  God knows everything about everything and everyone and He wrote a Book for us to help us with everything in life!  

"For the word of God is alive and powerful. It is sharper than the sharpest two-edged sword, cutting between soul and spirit, between joint and marrow. It exposes our innermost thoughts and desires."  Hebrews 4:12

"All Scripture is inspired by God and is useful to teach us what is true and to make us realize what is wrong in our lives. It corrects us when we are wrong and teaches us to do what is right." 2 Timothy 3:16

And the Truth God offers can not only save your life, it will save your soul if you let it.

" Jesus told him, 'I am the way, the truth and the life.  No one can come to the Father except through me.' "  John 14:6

"so also Christ died once for all time as a sacrifice to take away the sins of many people. He will come again, not to deal with our sins, but to bring salvation to all who are eagerly waiting for him."  Hebrews 9:28

Here's a link to the Gideons International website where you can see Bible verses for specific situations:  http://www.gideons.org/ReadTheBible/Helps.aspx

Or you could read the entire Bible here:  http://www.biblegateway.com/

You can Listen to audio versions of the Bible right on your computer by clicking the link below:

http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/audio/

"Jesus replied, 'But even more blessed are all who hear the word of God and put it into practice.' "  Luke 11:28

Manly Man

     BASE Jumping.  Rock climbing.  Skydiving.  These are what they call "adventure sports".  You've probably seen tv specials showcasing videos of people crashing and burning (sometimes literally) when attempting the extreme. 

Why do these adventurous people take such big risks?  I can only guess that it's because they love what it feels like to cheat death, to tiptoe to the edge of injury and disaster and live to tell about it. 

            Doing something that the average person is too scared or too weak to do or doing something that no one has ever done before means they are strong.  Tough.  And no one can argue with that.  (Although we can argue that they're a bit crazy.)

  Now I want to talk about Jesus, as usual.  I think that there are a lot of assumptions about Jesus floating around out there and that one of the big ones is that He is weak.  When people picture Jesus Christ, they picture someone quiet, kind and gentle.  And He is those things of course.  But He is so much more!  He is strong, tough, brave and powerful beyond our wildest imagination.  He is good and He always wins.  Jesus is infinitely more tough than Chuck Norris, Jack Bauer and Seal Team Six all rolled into one.

 If surfing is tough, what do you call walking on water? (Matthew 14:25)  Or controlling the weather? (Mark 4:39)  Or willingly submitting to crucifixion?!!! (John 10:18, Matthew 26:53) 

     And strength?  Jesus is the image of the invisible God, He created the universe, He is eternal, He is self-existent and He holds all creation together. (Colossians 1:15-17)  He didn't just cheat death.  He beat it.  He kicked it in the teeth and then shot it in the heart!  Jesus Christ rose from the dead and never died again!  He's alive this very moment. (1 Corinthians 15)

              And He deserves to be respected and taken seriously.  If His power alone doesn't convince you then maybe your eternal destination will.  He died to pay for all of your failures and mine.  All you have to do is admit you need Him.  "He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him.” John 3:36

      Jesus Christ is the MAN!  And you can be proud to serve Him!