Did you know God is in the business of hiding people?
I know that does not sound right, but it is the truth.
How many times have you thought..."God,am I doing enough for you?
Is this where you want me to be?
I don't seem to be doing anything worthwhile.
Lets have a look at the story of David, and when he was anointed with oil to become the next king. Why was he anointed? Because God was not happy with Saul, who was king.
After the anointing.....where did David go? In 1 Samuel 16: 13 it reads: " From that day on the Spirit of the Lord came upon David in power...." and then, where do you suppose David went? Smelling sweetly of the anointing oil that Samuel had just used on him? It says, "Samuel went to Ramah.." But what did David do?
I imagine he would probably have had something to eat, talked about what had just happened, they would have been told by Samuel not to say anything, as even Samuel was worried about what king Saul would do if he found out as we read in 1 Samuel 16 v 2 God says to Samuel, (after he said to God, "If king Saul finds out he will kill me....") God tells him to take a heifer and make a sacrifice and call Jesse and his sons and God will then tell him what to do....
And.....the rightful king.....returns to tending his sheep in the field. Even when David does become a member of king Saul's court,it says in 1 Samuel 17: 15.." But David went back and forth from Saul, to tend his father's sheep in Bethlehem."
It is easy to look at our lives and think, "Why have You put me here Lord? What am I doing here?" or..."Why am I part of this church....or ministry...or....this....or that..?"
Sometimes we think instead..."I should be doing more....I should be part of that great ministry and not this one!
I think. sometimes God hides us on purpose.... I don't know why? But....God is an all seeing God..... and He knows the end from the beginning... His timing is perfect, could be that, if you were not where God has put you.....you could be missing out on some fantastic blessings, and then again.....someone else could be missing out on those blessings, because you were not there.
It is good to know.....you are exactly where God wants you to be
Yaddy
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
1 Cor: chapter 11:
1) Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.
2) Now I praise ye brethren, that ye remember me in all things.....
3) But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is GOD.
( read the whole chapter: it is very interesting and rewarding...) this is what I see:....
BUT THE HEAD OF EVERY MAN IS CHRIST, AND THE HEAD OF THE WOMAN IS THE MAN, AND THE HEAD OF CHRIST IS GOD!
This is the "God ordained Godly order" so let's have a further look,
In Ephesians chapter 5, we also read:
21:Submitting yourselves one to another.
22: Wives submit yourselves to your own husbands as to the Lord.
23: For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and He is the saviour of the body.
24: Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25: Husbands love your wives "as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for it"
28: So ought men to love their wives, as their own bodies.
HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES, EVEN AS CHRIST ALSO LOVED THE CHURCH AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR IT!
Christ loved the church, he died for the church, His bride/body.
Wives honour respect your husbands.
The concept of headship does not work, apart from submission the Christ. Many men, who never read the Bible, are quite often found quoting these verses, but if they ever bothered to read the rest of the context, I'm sure they would not be so eager to quote the Apostle Paul.
A family cannot function without leadership. And, God has assigned the leadership to the husbands. The problem lies more in the abuse and the misunderstanding of this authority, then the concept it self. You see, Jesus must be first and foremost the head of the husband.
IF the husband has rejected Christ, then the "God ordained authority" has been forfeited.
The husband cannot be the spiritual leader of the house without Christ.
How often do we see the wife and mother as the spiritual leader of the family? She is the one who takes the children to church and she is the one who teaches them from the Bible.
The woman was taken from the SIDE of the man, not from the foot as to be a footstool, not from the head so as to lord it over him, but from the side, so the two might become one and walk together in unity. Let me tell you right now, if your marriage is marked by domination, then you as a couple, are not following the Lord's leading.
If the husband is an abuser of the wife and or the children, he again has forfeited his "GOD ordained" position and responsibility to love "as Jesus loved"
If the husband is a drunkard, drug abuser, adulterer, gambler, is slothful, and refuses to provide for his family, he again has forfeited his "God ordained" position to provide for his family.
What is God's will for husbands?
God's will for husbands is that they are to be the head of the wife. O.K. So, just what does this mean? Let me begin by saying what it does not mean!
It does not mean that it gives them total control over their wives nor their children.
It does not mean that they can keep their wives under their thumb.
It does not mean that when the husband says, "jump!" the wives says "O.K. which way...how far?"
He does not dominate it all over his wife and children. and make it look like she/they have no personalities or thought and feelings of their own.
Eph: 5 v 23: "For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Saviour"
AS head of the church, Christ is not just the source, but also it's Lord. HE gives the church it's life, and also rules it. In the same way, the husband is the head of the wife, so accordingly, the husband is the source of and has the authority over his wife.
What this means in reality is that the husband is responsible to and before God, for the direction the family takes. Some day HE, the husband, will have to answer to GOD, for the lifestyle of his family. The husband will have to answer to God, for all the times his family.......
did or did not attend devotions at church or at home or......
for their tithing or for their giving......
or the education their children did or did not receive.
The husband is the head of the wife....this also means that it is his responsibility as to what kind of entertainment the family sees and does, he is the one who sets the standards of the kind of life style the family follows, whether it is of the world or of the Kingdom.
The husbands goal is, "like Christ and the church" to make his wife "radiant, holy and blameless" without stain or wrinkle (Vs27)As the head of the house he is to seek his wife's best interest, seek her spiritual gifts and to encourage her in all that the Lord wants her to be. Over and over, Paul wants to impress on the husbands that they are to be "Like Christ" and he is to enable his wife to grow and mature in Christ. He is to encourage her.
In His great love for the church, CHRIST gave Himself up for it, He died for the church, likewise, say scripture, the husband, for his great love for his wife, is to give of himself. He is to "sacrifice himself" he is to serve his wife as Christ serves the church. God's leading in marriage is for husbands to take the lead in exhibiting "Christ-like behaviour" of service and sacrifice.
How many husbands are like that?
How many husbands make sacrifices for their wives?
How many husbands take the lead in imaging Christ?
How easy would it be for wives to LOVE a husband like that?
And remembering that the above does not say, "Wives love your husbands" but it says, "Wives respect your husbands" that would not be hard to do if husbands were like the above, would it?
In today's churches there are too many widows, and I don't mean that the husbands have died, but that they have gone to...golf, or the club or football, or the telly or fishing or.....
"Well," you say, "There are lots of women who are wiser, better educated, and more successful than their husbands, are they expected to submit?" YES! Paul says, "Wives submit to your husbands as to the LORD" in other words, submission, like the husbands headship, is to be, CHRIST CENTERED. She submits, because it is for the sake of the LORD. It is to be joyfully voluntary, like the church to Christ, it is to be heartfelt and sincere.
How could a marriage go wrong if the husband wants to present his wife spotless and radiant before Christ, and to encourage her in all her spiritual gifts,and he wants her best interests, and he encourages her to be all the Lord wants her to be?
The marriage relationship is supposed to model the way God relates to His people.
A spirit filled husband and a spirit filled wife are to submit to one another
out of reverence of Christ!
2) Now I praise ye brethren, that ye remember me in all things.....
3) But I would have you know, that the head of every man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is GOD.
( read the whole chapter: it is very interesting and rewarding...) this is what I see:....
BUT THE HEAD OF EVERY MAN IS CHRIST, AND THE HEAD OF THE WOMAN IS THE MAN, AND THE HEAD OF CHRIST IS GOD!
This is the "God ordained Godly order" so let's have a further look,
In Ephesians chapter 5, we also read:
21:Submitting yourselves one to another.
22: Wives submit yourselves to your own husbands as to the Lord.
23: For the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church, and He is the saviour of the body.
24: Therefore as the church is subject unto Christ, so let the wives be to their own husbands in everything.
25: Husbands love your wives "as Christ loved the church and gave Himself up for it"
28: So ought men to love their wives, as their own bodies.
HUSBANDS, LOVE YOUR WIVES, EVEN AS CHRIST ALSO LOVED THE CHURCH AND GAVE HIMSELF UP FOR IT!
Christ loved the church, he died for the church, His bride/body.
Wives honour respect your husbands.
The concept of headship does not work, apart from submission the Christ. Many men, who never read the Bible, are quite often found quoting these verses, but if they ever bothered to read the rest of the context, I'm sure they would not be so eager to quote the Apostle Paul.
A family cannot function without leadership. And, God has assigned the leadership to the husbands. The problem lies more in the abuse and the misunderstanding of this authority, then the concept it self. You see, Jesus must be first and foremost the head of the husband.
IF the husband has rejected Christ, then the "God ordained authority" has been forfeited.
The husband cannot be the spiritual leader of the house without Christ.
How often do we see the wife and mother as the spiritual leader of the family? She is the one who takes the children to church and she is the one who teaches them from the Bible.
The woman was taken from the SIDE of the man, not from the foot as to be a footstool, not from the head so as to lord it over him, but from the side, so the two might become one and walk together in unity. Let me tell you right now, if your marriage is marked by domination, then you as a couple, are not following the Lord's leading.
If the husband is an abuser of the wife and or the children, he again has forfeited his "GOD ordained" position and responsibility to love "as Jesus loved"
If the husband is a drunkard, drug abuser, adulterer, gambler, is slothful, and refuses to provide for his family, he again has forfeited his "God ordained" position to provide for his family.
What is God's will for husbands?
God's will for husbands is that they are to be the head of the wife. O.K. So, just what does this mean? Let me begin by saying what it does not mean!
It does not mean that it gives them total control over their wives nor their children.
It does not mean that they can keep their wives under their thumb.
It does not mean that when the husband says, "jump!" the wives says "O.K. which way...how far?"
He does not dominate it all over his wife and children. and make it look like she/they have no personalities or thought and feelings of their own.
Eph: 5 v 23: "For the husband is the head of the wife as Christ is the head of the church, His body, of which He is the Saviour"
AS head of the church, Christ is not just the source, but also it's Lord. HE gives the church it's life, and also rules it. In the same way, the husband is the head of the wife, so accordingly, the husband is the source of and has the authority over his wife.
What this means in reality is that the husband is responsible to and before God, for the direction the family takes. Some day HE, the husband, will have to answer to GOD, for the lifestyle of his family. The husband will have to answer to God, for all the times his family.......
did or did not attend devotions at church or at home or......
for their tithing or for their giving......
or the education their children did or did not receive.
The husband is the head of the wife....this also means that it is his responsibility as to what kind of entertainment the family sees and does, he is the one who sets the standards of the kind of life style the family follows, whether it is of the world or of the Kingdom.
The husbands goal is, "like Christ and the church" to make his wife "radiant, holy and blameless" without stain or wrinkle (Vs27)As the head of the house he is to seek his wife's best interest, seek her spiritual gifts and to encourage her in all that the Lord wants her to be. Over and over, Paul wants to impress on the husbands that they are to be "Like Christ" and he is to enable his wife to grow and mature in Christ. He is to encourage her.
In His great love for the church, CHRIST gave Himself up for it, He died for the church, likewise, say scripture, the husband, for his great love for his wife, is to give of himself. He is to "sacrifice himself" he is to serve his wife as Christ serves the church. God's leading in marriage is for husbands to take the lead in exhibiting "Christ-like behaviour" of service and sacrifice.
How many husbands are like that?
How many husbands make sacrifices for their wives?
How many husbands take the lead in imaging Christ?
How easy would it be for wives to LOVE a husband like that?
And remembering that the above does not say, "Wives love your husbands" but it says, "Wives respect your husbands" that would not be hard to do if husbands were like the above, would it?
In today's churches there are too many widows, and I don't mean that the husbands have died, but that they have gone to...golf, or the club or football, or the telly or fishing or.....
"Well," you say, "There are lots of women who are wiser, better educated, and more successful than their husbands, are they expected to submit?" YES! Paul says, "Wives submit to your husbands as to the LORD" in other words, submission, like the husbands headship, is to be, CHRIST CENTERED. She submits, because it is for the sake of the LORD. It is to be joyfully voluntary, like the church to Christ, it is to be heartfelt and sincere.
How could a marriage go wrong if the husband wants to present his wife spotless and radiant before Christ, and to encourage her in all her spiritual gifts,and he wants her best interests, and he encourages her to be all the Lord wants her to be?
The marriage relationship is supposed to model the way God relates to His people.
A spirit filled husband and a spirit filled wife are to submit to one another
out of reverence of Christ!
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
I pulled up in a parking lot at the super market, opened the windows enough to give my Labrador pup enough fresh air to be comfortable. She was stretched out full length on the back seat, and grinned at me. I walked backwards, away from the car, pointed my finger at her and commanded her to..... "Stay... now...stay.....you hear me?"
"Stay.......Stay......."
The driver of a nearby car, a pretty blonde young lady gave me a strange look and said, "Why don't you just put it in "park?"
SENIOR MOMENTS!
For all of us who are seniors, and for all those who will be seniors soon and for all those who know seniors it pays to laugh at yourself.....
From one such senior:
Where is my Sunday paper...?" the irate customer calling the newspaper agency loudly demanded, wanting to know where his Sunday edition was.
"Sir," said the newspaper shop employee, " Today is Saturday, the Sunday paper is not delivered until tomorrow, on Sunday..."
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone, followed by a ray of recognition, as he was heard to mutter...."Geeez, so that's why there was no one at church this morning!"
Yaddy
"Stay.......Stay......."
The driver of a nearby car, a pretty blonde young lady gave me a strange look and said, "Why don't you just put it in "park?"
SENIOR MOMENTS!
For all of us who are seniors, and for all those who will be seniors soon and for all those who know seniors it pays to laugh at yourself.....
From one such senior:
Where is my Sunday paper...?" the irate customer calling the newspaper agency loudly demanded, wanting to know where his Sunday edition was.
"Sir," said the newspaper shop employee, " Today is Saturday, the Sunday paper is not delivered until tomorrow, on Sunday..."
There was a long pause on the other end of the phone, followed by a ray of recognition, as he was heard to mutter...."Geeez, so that's why there was no one at church this morning!"
Yaddy
Monday, January 26, 2009
I believe!
A birth certificate shows that you are born...
A death certificate shows that you died....
Pictures show that we lived....
But......
I BELIEVE!!!
Just because two people argue, doesn't mean they don't love each other,
and just because they don't argue doesn't mean they do love each other.
I BELIEVE.....
We don't have to change friends as long as we understand friends change!
I BELIEVE....
No matter how good a friend is,they will hurt you once in a while and
you must and will forgive them for that!
I BELIEVE....
True friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance, and the same goes for true love!
I BELIEVE....
You can do or say something in an instant,
that will give you a heart ache for life.
I BELIEVE....
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to become!
I BELIEVE....
You should always leave loved ones with loving words, it could be the last time you see them!
I BELIEVE.....
You can keep going long after you think you can't.
I BELIEVE.....
We are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel!
I BELIEVE......
Either you control your attitude, or it controls you!
I BELIEVE......
My best friend and I can do anything or nothing, and have the best time doing it.
I BELIEVE......
Sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you up!
I BELIEVE......
No matter how bad your heart is broken, the world does not stop for your grief.
I BELIEVE......
Our back ground and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but WE are responsible for who we become!
I BELIEVE......
Two people can look at the same thing and see something totally different.
I BELIEVE......
Even when you feel you have no more to give,
when a friend calls out to you, you will find the strength to help!
I BELIEVE......
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything,
they just make the most of everything!
Yaddy
A death certificate shows that you died....
Pictures show that we lived....
But......
I BELIEVE!!!
Just because two people argue, doesn't mean they don't love each other,
and just because they don't argue doesn't mean they do love each other.
I BELIEVE.....
We don't have to change friends as long as we understand friends change!
I BELIEVE....
No matter how good a friend is,they will hurt you once in a while and
you must and will forgive them for that!
I BELIEVE....
True friendship continues to grow,
even over the longest distance, and the same goes for true love!
I BELIEVE....
You can do or say something in an instant,
that will give you a heart ache for life.
I BELIEVE....
That it's taking me a long time to become the person I want to become!
I BELIEVE....
You should always leave loved ones with loving words, it could be the last time you see them!
I BELIEVE.....
You can keep going long after you think you can't.
I BELIEVE.....
We are responsible for what we do, no matter how we feel!
I BELIEVE......
Either you control your attitude, or it controls you!
I BELIEVE......
My best friend and I can do anything or nothing, and have the best time doing it.
I BELIEVE......
Sometimes the people you expect to kick you when you're down, will be the ones to help you up!
I BELIEVE......
No matter how bad your heart is broken, the world does not stop for your grief.
I BELIEVE......
Our back ground and circumstances may have influenced who we are,
but WE are responsible for who we become!
I BELIEVE......
Two people can look at the same thing and see something totally different.
I BELIEVE......
Even when you feel you have no more to give,
when a friend calls out to you, you will find the strength to help!
I BELIEVE......
The happiest people don't necessarily have the best of everything,
they just make the most of everything!
Yaddy
Sunday, January 25, 2009
LIFE THOUGHTS BY DUCKY!
How come we choose from just two people to run for president, and over 50 for miss America?
I joined a "get fit" exercise class and was told to wear loose fitting clothes....If I had any loose fitting clothes I wouldn't have signed up for the class!
When I was young, we used to go "skinny dipping" now I just chunk-dunk!
Wouldn't it be nice if, whenever we messed up our life, we could just press "Ctr Alt Delete" and start over again? Amen...Amen to that one!
Why is it, that children can't read a Bible at school, but they can in prison?
and why do I have to swear on a Bible in court, when the ten commandments can't be shown outside?
Wouldn't you know it.......Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever!
How come we choose from just two people to run for president, and over 50 for miss America?
I joined a "get fit" exercise class and was told to wear loose fitting clothes....If I had any loose fitting clothes I wouldn't have signed up for the class!
When I was young, we used to go "skinny dipping" now I just chunk-dunk!
Wouldn't it be nice if, whenever we messed up our life, we could just press "Ctr Alt Delete" and start over again? Amen...Amen to that one!
Why is it, that children can't read a Bible at school, but they can in prison?
and why do I have to swear on a Bible in court, when the ten commandments can't be shown outside?
Wouldn't you know it.......Brain cells come and brain cells go, but fat cells live forever!
Friday, January 23, 2009
Seniors.....
A few years ago, a friend of mine was at the local supermarket buying a large economy bag of dried dog food for his dog....Judy....she's a Saint Bernard...beautiful dog.....
anyway.....as he was waiting in line, the woman behind him asked if he owned a dog? duh!!! What did she think he had, an elephant?
Well, since he's retired, and he's not all that busy, on impulse he said, "No, I don't have a dog, I am starting a diet again that I tried once before...."
he added that he probably shouldn't , because the last time he did it, he ended up in hospital in intensive care, but he had lost nearly a stone in weight.
He told her that it was a pretty good diet actually and the way it works is this, you make sure you have big pockets and you fill them right up with the nibbly bites. Then, whenever you feel hungry, you just eat one or two. I mean, the food is nutritionally complete, and it works real good for dogs so they say, so..... he thought he'd try it again!
Every one in the line up was enthralled with his story!
She was horrified! She asked him did he end up in the intensive care ward due to food poisoning or something? he told her, "No, I stepped off the curb to sniff another dog's behind... and a car hit us both!
He said, "I thought the guy behind us was going to have a heart attack...he was laughing so hard!
Coles won't let him shop there anymore!!!
Better watch what you ask retired people.....they have all the time in the world to think of crazy things to say....
Yaddy!
anyway.....as he was waiting in line, the woman behind him asked if he owned a dog? duh!!! What did she think he had, an elephant?
Well, since he's retired, and he's not all that busy, on impulse he said, "No, I don't have a dog, I am starting a diet again that I tried once before...."
he added that he probably shouldn't , because the last time he did it, he ended up in hospital in intensive care, but he had lost nearly a stone in weight.
He told her that it was a pretty good diet actually and the way it works is this, you make sure you have big pockets and you fill them right up with the nibbly bites. Then, whenever you feel hungry, you just eat one or two. I mean, the food is nutritionally complete, and it works real good for dogs so they say, so..... he thought he'd try it again!
Every one in the line up was enthralled with his story!
She was horrified! She asked him did he end up in the intensive care ward due to food poisoning or something? he told her, "No, I stepped off the curb to sniff another dog's behind... and a car hit us both!
He said, "I thought the guy behind us was going to have a heart attack...he was laughing so hard!
Coles won't let him shop there anymore!!!
Better watch what you ask retired people.....they have all the time in the world to think of crazy things to say....
Yaddy!
Thursday, January 22, 2009
crash helmets!
Everywhere we look....people wear crash helmets! It's the law!
If you ride a push bike....wear a crash helmet!
If you ride a motor bike.....wear a crash helmet!
Even on construction sites the law states that you must wear a helmet at all times!
Ever wondered why?
Must be a reason for it. I wonder, is it because your head is a pretty important part of your body?
Now, why would that be so? Could it be that it's because it holds your brain?
Or maybe your mind? So, what is brain and what is mind?
Is your brain also your mind? Is it the same? Hm...makes me think!
You know what I think "mind" is? It's "you" Like the spirit part that lives in your body suit, that's you too!
They are very close! But, when you really come down to it, your brain is just some gooey stuff that is kept safe inside your skull. And that is why the law states you must wear a helmet...so if you have an accident that gooey stuff is kept safely inside your skull.
Anyway, if the law thinks it is important enough to protect your brain, how much more important is it to protect your mind?
In the Bible, Paul tells us that God has provided a complete set of armour for us. WOW!
Like in the days of old?
I guess it is very important to protect the mind... we know that any idea, any plan, always first starts with "just a thought."
If we keep going back to that thought, and add to it, feed it along, eventually that what was just a thought, will..... "become...." it will take on reality. It will become a fact.... truth.... and then we start talking about it....remember it was just a thought to begin with, nothing really!
But, if we decide to put that silly thought aside, there is nothing in this thought, and we start to think about something else completely, something that is real and true.... this other thought will not get the attention it wants, it will not get fed, and it will die.
So, God has provided a set of armour for us! This complete set of armour is there for our protection. We read in Ephesians ch 6, v 11: That we should put on the complete set of armour!
Every day...put it on! How is your imagination?
WE put it on so that we will "stand against" all those thoughts that come out of nowhere! The Bible, God's instruction book, tells us that if we put it on every day, it will protect us against all those strategies and tricks from Satan. We are not "fighting people" made of flesh and blood, but we are fighting against people without bodies...the evil rulers of the unseen world.
So, what does this set of armour consist of?
well,.......... 1) there is the belt of truth. The truth of God's word and the fact that we must be truthful
2) There is the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate protects us from a direct frontal attack,and we are covered by the righteousness of God!
3) There are the shoes for the preparation of the Gospel.... almost speaks for itself doesn't it?
4) There's the shield of faith.... It is our faith that gets put to the test more than anything....you know.....Did God really say that? Is it really written in the Bible? How do you know it's the truth? it always comes down to faith, and with the shield God's protection is there and we can stand strong and say "YES" to all those doubtful questions.
5) There's the Helmet of salvation.... I have always imagined this helmet for me, as one of those beautiful helmets the fire men used to wear....All polished and shiny and gleaming, it is part of the suit of armour for the protection of our mind. You know, those thoughts that creep in, suddenly yo are thinking stuff, and you don't know where it came from? You have never ever thought stuff like that before and it gives you the horrors?
That is satan putting thoughts into your mind, so be sure and put on your brassy beautiful helmet every morning as soon as you get up, better still wear it all night, I'm sure you can get comfortable in it! {:O))?
God's instruction book actually tells us that as soon as thoughts like that come, we are to...
"think of something beautiful, and lovely and just,...think of those things instead.
And last but not least 6) there's the Sword of the Spirit.... This is the actual Word from the Bible....it can cut like a sword...sharp.....it will tell you exactly what you can or can't do!
So, put it on....let me see how you look! Can't you just see yourself?
hm...very nice!
signing off now
Yaddy
If you ride a push bike....wear a crash helmet!
If you ride a motor bike.....wear a crash helmet!
Even on construction sites the law states that you must wear a helmet at all times!
Ever wondered why?
Must be a reason for it. I wonder, is it because your head is a pretty important part of your body?
Now, why would that be so? Could it be that it's because it holds your brain?
Or maybe your mind? So, what is brain and what is mind?
Is your brain also your mind? Is it the same? Hm...makes me think!
You know what I think "mind" is? It's "you" Like the spirit part that lives in your body suit, that's you too!
They are very close! But, when you really come down to it, your brain is just some gooey stuff that is kept safe inside your skull. And that is why the law states you must wear a helmet...so if you have an accident that gooey stuff is kept safely inside your skull.
Anyway, if the law thinks it is important enough to protect your brain, how much more important is it to protect your mind?
In the Bible, Paul tells us that God has provided a complete set of armour for us. WOW!
Like in the days of old?
I guess it is very important to protect the mind... we know that any idea, any plan, always first starts with "just a thought."
If we keep going back to that thought, and add to it, feed it along, eventually that what was just a thought, will..... "become...." it will take on reality. It will become a fact.... truth.... and then we start talking about it....remember it was just a thought to begin with, nothing really!
But, if we decide to put that silly thought aside, there is nothing in this thought, and we start to think about something else completely, something that is real and true.... this other thought will not get the attention it wants, it will not get fed, and it will die.
So, God has provided a set of armour for us! This complete set of armour is there for our protection. We read in Ephesians ch 6, v 11: That we should put on the complete set of armour!
Every day...put it on! How is your imagination?
WE put it on so that we will "stand against" all those thoughts that come out of nowhere! The Bible, God's instruction book, tells us that if we put it on every day, it will protect us against all those strategies and tricks from Satan. We are not "fighting people" made of flesh and blood, but we are fighting against people without bodies...the evil rulers of the unseen world.
So, what does this set of armour consist of?
well,.......... 1) there is the belt of truth. The truth of God's word and the fact that we must be truthful
2) There is the breastplate of righteousness. The breastplate protects us from a direct frontal attack,and we are covered by the righteousness of God!
3) There are the shoes for the preparation of the Gospel.... almost speaks for itself doesn't it?
4) There's the shield of faith.... It is our faith that gets put to the test more than anything....you know.....Did God really say that? Is it really written in the Bible? How do you know it's the truth? it always comes down to faith, and with the shield God's protection is there and we can stand strong and say "YES" to all those doubtful questions.
5) There's the Helmet of salvation.... I have always imagined this helmet for me, as one of those beautiful helmets the fire men used to wear....All polished and shiny and gleaming, it is part of the suit of armour for the protection of our mind. You know, those thoughts that creep in, suddenly yo are thinking stuff, and you don't know where it came from? You have never ever thought stuff like that before and it gives you the horrors?
That is satan putting thoughts into your mind, so be sure and put on your brassy beautiful helmet every morning as soon as you get up, better still wear it all night, I'm sure you can get comfortable in it! {:O))?
God's instruction book actually tells us that as soon as thoughts like that come, we are to...
"think of something beautiful, and lovely and just,...think of those things instead.
And last but not least 6) there's the Sword of the Spirit.... This is the actual Word from the Bible....it can cut like a sword...sharp.....it will tell you exactly what you can or can't do!
So, put it on....let me see how you look! Can't you just see yourself?
hm...very nice!
signing off now
Yaddy
way out in the outback!
A drover named Jack' was overseeing his herd in a remote mountainous outback pasture, when suddenly a brand new BMW appears out of a cloud of dust and heads towards him.
The driver, a man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, Ray-Ban sunglasses, and YSL tie, leans out the window and asks Jack, "If I can tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, will you give me one?"
Jack looks at the man, obviously a city guy, then looks at his peaceful grazing herd, and calmly answers, "Sure, why not?"
The man parks his car, whips out his "DEL notebook computer" connects it to his Cingular RAZR VR mobile phone, and surf to a NASA page on the internet, where he calls up a GPS Sattelite to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA sattelite which scans the area in an ultra-high resolution photo.
The young man then opens the digital photo in "Adobe photo shop" and exports it to an imaging processing facility in Hamburg, Germany.
Within seconds, he receives an email on his palm-pilot that the image has been processed and the data has been stored.
He then accesses an MS-SQL data base through an ODBC connected Excel spread sheet with email on his blackberry, and, after a few minutes, receives a response.
Finally, he prints out a full-colour 150 page report on his Hi-tech miniaturized HP laser Jet printer and finally turns to the drover and says, "You have a herd of exactly 1.586 animals!"
"That's right, so I guess you can take one, " Says the drover.
He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on amused, as the young man tries to stuff it in the boot of his car.
Jack then says to him, " Hey, if I can tell you what business you're in, will you give me back my animal?"
The young man thinks about it for a minute and says,"Okay, why not?"
"You work for the Government....!"says Jack.
"WOW, that's right," says the young man, "But how did you guess that?"
"No guessing needed, "says Jack, "You showed up here even though no one called for you, you want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I never asked, you tried to show me how much smarter than me you are, and you don't know a thing about cows. This is a herd of sheep, and now....
give me back my dog!"
The driver, a man in a Brioni suit, Gucci shoes, Ray-Ban sunglasses, and YSL tie, leans out the window and asks Jack, "If I can tell you exactly how many cows and calves you have in your herd, will you give me one?"
Jack looks at the man, obviously a city guy, then looks at his peaceful grazing herd, and calmly answers, "Sure, why not?"
The man parks his car, whips out his "DEL notebook computer" connects it to his Cingular RAZR VR mobile phone, and surf to a NASA page on the internet, where he calls up a GPS Sattelite to get an exact fix on his location which he then feeds to another NASA sattelite which scans the area in an ultra-high resolution photo.
The young man then opens the digital photo in "Adobe photo shop" and exports it to an imaging processing facility in Hamburg, Germany.
Within seconds, he receives an email on his palm-pilot that the image has been processed and the data has been stored.
He then accesses an MS-SQL data base through an ODBC connected Excel spread sheet with email on his blackberry, and, after a few minutes, receives a response.
Finally, he prints out a full-colour 150 page report on his Hi-tech miniaturized HP laser Jet printer and finally turns to the drover and says, "You have a herd of exactly 1.586 animals!"
"That's right, so I guess you can take one, " Says the drover.
He watches the young man select one of the animals and looks on amused, as the young man tries to stuff it in the boot of his car.
Jack then says to him, " Hey, if I can tell you what business you're in, will you give me back my animal?"
The young man thinks about it for a minute and says,"Okay, why not?"
"You work for the Government....!"says Jack.
"WOW, that's right," says the young man, "But how did you guess that?"
"No guessing needed, "says Jack, "You showed up here even though no one called for you, you want to get paid for an answer I already knew, to a question I never asked, you tried to show me how much smarter than me you are, and you don't know a thing about cows. This is a herd of sheep, and now....
give me back my dog!"
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
oil for the tractor
On the way to church this morning, I got to thinking, it's a good 20 minute drive, so there's plenty of time for that. No traffic, a quiet country road, so no distractions either.
I got to thinking that "life" what we know as the "spirit" in a person, the real you.... where does it come from? "What" is it, that makes a person unique, one of a kind? We know that no matter how identical, identical twins are to the human eye, they are still different.
We read in the Bible, in the Old testament, in the book of Jeremiah, ch1:v5, "Before I formed you in the belly I knew you..." So, I deduce from that, that our spirit comes from God and God decides when we are born, which family we are born into, and who our parents will be.
It also keeps the body, which is a kind of covering for it like a suit, alive, which we also read in the New Testament in the book of James, Ch2 v 26: "The body without the spirit is dead.."
and then we read in Ecclesiastes, ch3 v 21: "Who knows that the spirit of the sons of man that is going up high and the spirit of the beast that is going is going down below to the earth?"
So, from that I deduce that when we die, the body suit is dead, ( dust to dust and all that, you know?) without the spirit!
When the spirit, the real you and me, goes back to God, He then decides what to do with us.
Well then I deduce also from that, that God might want to know what we did, while we were in our "body suit"
God has got an instruction book for us!
Just a by the by.....
( We lived rural for a while, straight from the city to the country. With our property came a "You beaut tractor" My husband loved riding around on that tractor, made him look and feel like a real farmer, He wasn't one, but it made him look like one. Every day he would ride around on that tractor...he'd fill it with fuel, and off he'd go again. Till one day, a month later, he couldn't get it started...he called in the mechanic and was told.."You've ceased the motor mate, it's run out of oil!" Husband, "What do you mean run out of oil...it runs on diesel.." Mechanic, "Sure mate but the motor, the most important part, needs oil, haven't you read the instructions?" tip to men, read the instructions before you start, not as a last resort.)
In this instruction book, God gives instructions too. as to what He expects us to do, for Him to get a good impression of us. So, let's have a look at these instructions..( I know, we all think a lot faster than we can say it or type it all of this only took me about 50 seconds to think about)
The instructions tell us that God wants us to make an effort to love Him and do as He asks.
It tells us that He wants us to accept and believe that He God, sent His one and only Son, to die for us, because we are not really very nice people. No matter how hard we try to "do good" we fail miserably. We are awful. And He knows that. That is precisely why Jesus came. He gave His life for our awfulness. The Bible calls that SIN. And.. let's face it, deep down, we know we are awful... We are selfish, we steal, we are prideful, Oh? you don't agree? Have you ever taken a pen from the office and used it at home and thought, Oh well, they have plenty at work, they won't miss just this one....or have you taken an extra plastic bag from the supermarket? Sure they have them there for you to take, but when all your groceries are in bags, and you take an extra one, because you use them, you recycle them, that is still stealing...and that is the thing you see, God looks at the heart....the real you that spirit you, that lives inside the body suit.
That is SIN at work, that SIN is an inherited disease we received from Adam and Eve. They are the first two people God created.
There is absolutely nothing we can do.... to get rid of that disease! The only cure is a blood offering. The catch is.... the blood offering has to be given by someone who does not have that SIN disease. And the only one who does not have that is JESUS. He was sinless and He was also God. God is His father and He has a human mother...perfect!
Jesus hung there....on that awful cross..... in place of you and me!The worst of all he suffered was not the bodily pain, if that was all He had to suffer any human could have done that. Remember crucifixion was the norm in those days. There were crosses all over the place.
No, the worst of it all was that GOD turned His back on Jesus. God could not be in the presence of sin, and Jesus was covered with all OUR sins. Terrible...isn't it?
But that is now why we can come to God, because if we accept what Jesus did for us, and follow the instructions in the instruction book that God has put together for us, when our spirit leaves our body suit, and goes back to God, He can see that we are, in a manner of speaking, covered by that blood that Jesus shed while He hung there on that cross, Jesus bought us back, blood bought so to speak, so then jesus says to God, That spirit is mine I paid for that with my blood"
So, we have to make a choice then don't we? If we choose not to look at the instruction book and try to do it on our own, our spirit life will also cease up. So, we can't really blame God, can we?
signing off now...
Yaddy
I got to thinking that "life" what we know as the "spirit" in a person, the real you.... where does it come from? "What" is it, that makes a person unique, one of a kind? We know that no matter how identical, identical twins are to the human eye, they are still different.
We read in the Bible, in the Old testament, in the book of Jeremiah, ch1:v5, "Before I formed you in the belly I knew you..." So, I deduce from that, that our spirit comes from God and God decides when we are born, which family we are born into, and who our parents will be.
It also keeps the body, which is a kind of covering for it like a suit, alive, which we also read in the New Testament in the book of James, Ch2 v 26: "The body without the spirit is dead.."
and then we read in Ecclesiastes, ch3 v 21: "Who knows that the spirit of the sons of man that is going up high and the spirit of the beast that is going is going down below to the earth?"
So, from that I deduce that when we die, the body suit is dead, ( dust to dust and all that, you know?) without the spirit!
When the spirit, the real you and me, goes back to God, He then decides what to do with us.
Well then I deduce also from that, that God might want to know what we did, while we were in our "body suit"
God has got an instruction book for us!
Just a by the by.....
( We lived rural for a while, straight from the city to the country. With our property came a "You beaut tractor" My husband loved riding around on that tractor, made him look and feel like a real farmer, He wasn't one, but it made him look like one. Every day he would ride around on that tractor...he'd fill it with fuel, and off he'd go again. Till one day, a month later, he couldn't get it started...he called in the mechanic and was told.."You've ceased the motor mate, it's run out of oil!" Husband, "What do you mean run out of oil...it runs on diesel.." Mechanic, "Sure mate but the motor, the most important part, needs oil, haven't you read the instructions?" tip to men, read the instructions before you start, not as a last resort.)
In this instruction book, God gives instructions too. as to what He expects us to do, for Him to get a good impression of us. So, let's have a look at these instructions..( I know, we all think a lot faster than we can say it or type it all of this only took me about 50 seconds to think about)
The instructions tell us that God wants us to make an effort to love Him and do as He asks.
It tells us that He wants us to accept and believe that He God, sent His one and only Son, to die for us, because we are not really very nice people. No matter how hard we try to "do good" we fail miserably. We are awful. And He knows that. That is precisely why Jesus came. He gave His life for our awfulness. The Bible calls that SIN. And.. let's face it, deep down, we know we are awful... We are selfish, we steal, we are prideful, Oh? you don't agree? Have you ever taken a pen from the office and used it at home and thought, Oh well, they have plenty at work, they won't miss just this one....or have you taken an extra plastic bag from the supermarket? Sure they have them there for you to take, but when all your groceries are in bags, and you take an extra one, because you use them, you recycle them, that is still stealing...and that is the thing you see, God looks at the heart....the real you that spirit you, that lives inside the body suit.
That is SIN at work, that SIN is an inherited disease we received from Adam and Eve. They are the first two people God created.
There is absolutely nothing we can do.... to get rid of that disease! The only cure is a blood offering. The catch is.... the blood offering has to be given by someone who does not have that SIN disease. And the only one who does not have that is JESUS. He was sinless and He was also God. God is His father and He has a human mother...perfect!
Jesus hung there....on that awful cross..... in place of you and me!The worst of all he suffered was not the bodily pain, if that was all He had to suffer any human could have done that. Remember crucifixion was the norm in those days. There were crosses all over the place.
No, the worst of it all was that GOD turned His back on Jesus. God could not be in the presence of sin, and Jesus was covered with all OUR sins. Terrible...isn't it?
But that is now why we can come to God, because if we accept what Jesus did for us, and follow the instructions in the instruction book that God has put together for us, when our spirit leaves our body suit, and goes back to God, He can see that we are, in a manner of speaking, covered by that blood that Jesus shed while He hung there on that cross, Jesus bought us back, blood bought so to speak, so then jesus says to God, That spirit is mine I paid for that with my blood"
So, we have to make a choice then don't we? If we choose not to look at the instruction book and try to do it on our own, our spirit life will also cease up. So, we can't really blame God, can we?
signing off now...
Yaddy
Sunday, January 18, 2009
Did you ever have the feeling that you don’t fit well with today’s culture? I’m not just talking about the obvious problems of immorality and cultural decay around us. I’m referring to even little, day to day things.
My husband and I have often talked about how much we don’t seem to fit in the current era. Our values and preferences so often seem to go back to another time. I made a list today of the ways my beliefs are so different with current views and practices in a variety of areas. I have figured out that despite all of the technology that I use daily, and all of the advances around me, I am still very much an old-fashioned “girl.” These are my preferences, and I am not claiming that these preferences are any better than others. It’s just who I am.
I think little ones benefit more from being read Beatrix Potter and A.A. Milne than watching Barney or Sesame Street.
I think babies are more beautiful when dressed like babies and not mini-teenagers.
I think that what is considered the female body ideal today is freakish. The Lord gave women curves naturally and not the frames of adolescent boys.
I think that children should allow their elders to go in line first at family gatherings to learn respect for age.
I believe children can and should be taught to sit in an orderly manner in church from the very youngest years.
I don’t believe in time outs for rebellious toddlers.
I believe in dressing with respect for the worship of the Lord. Church is not an extension of our family rooms.
I think that children are harmed by the mouthy, disrespectful and worldly behavior displayed on the Disney Channel.
I think children should be taught that libraries are exciting places. I’m not talking about the DVD aisle or computer section, either.
I think that parents are wrong in believing that their children need them less in the adolescent years. I believe parental availability and interest, and the providing of regular meals and an orderly home is even more critical in these years, as life decisions are being made.
I think the constant use of even innocent video games harms children’s intellects.They should be playing and using their own imaginations, and
I think that raising children on a steady diet of pop music destroys their ability to concentrate and to think deeply.
I think the great music of Western civilization helps develop the minds and souls of children.
I think that the great hymns of the Faith are the neglected inheritance of every Christian child. Those hymns, baptized in the blood and tears of centuries of Christianity, are our familial legacy of infinite worth.
I think I could go on and on for pages, but will stop here. No, my husband and I don’t fit in very well with the current age. But I am thankful that, for now, we have the freedom to teach our children, and to live, as we see fit. If we’re accused of being old-fashioned, we’ll plead guilty. It isn’t that the old ways are always better, but that most of the good of the past has been abandoned completely by today’s generation. Those of us who still have appreciation for the old ways that worked will have to band together. There aren’t very many of us!
signing off now.....
Yaddy
Saturday, January 17, 2009
As a mum and grandmother, I worry about my children and their children, well tell me of one mother/grandmother who does not? I have always said, that as soon as you know you are pregnant, you start to worry about the coming baby, until you die! And it does not really matter how old they are, and how good they are, you never stop worrying about them,
do you now?
Be honest.
All my children are grown up and they have their own children, which leads me to state....
My generation had to memorize everything....
our children? asked their mother....
our grandchildren? they Google
signing off now...
Yaddy
do you now?
Be honest.
All my children are grown up and they have their own children, which leads me to state....
My generation had to memorize everything....
our children? asked their mother....
our grandchildren? they Google
signing off now...
Yaddy
well,well,well, my first ever entry...
Starting the year off pretty good. Yesterday we had smoke all over the place and I was sure we were going to have one massive bushfire, but Praise the Lord, it was just smoke that had blown in from somewhere else and by the time we went to bed it was all gone.
Church tomorrow and I am really looking forward to it too. So I will leave it at that for now and see what happens as we mosey along....signing off...
Yaddy
Starting the year off pretty good. Yesterday we had smoke all over the place and I was sure we were going to have one massive bushfire, but Praise the Lord, it was just smoke that had blown in from somewhere else and by the time we went to bed it was all gone.
Church tomorrow and I am really looking forward to it too. So I will leave it at that for now and see what happens as we mosey along....signing off...
Yaddy
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