Excuses

Excuses
Excuses, Excuses
A pastor in Ireland got tired of listening to the same old excuses from people who do not attend Church, so he wrote the following item titled “Ten Reasons Why I Never Wash” for his church bulletin.
I was made to wash as a child.
People who wash are hypocrites. They reckon they are cleaner than other people.
There are so many different kinds of soap, I could never decide which one was right.
I used to wash, but it got boring so I stopped.
I still wash on special occasions, like Easter and Christmas.
None of my friends wash.
I’m still young. When I’m older and have got a bit dirtier I might start washing.
I really don’t have time.
The bathroom is never warm enough.
People who make soap are only after your money.

Doctors Give Sharon Another Brain Scan

Update 24: Doctors Give Sharon Another Brain Scan - Forbes.com

Pure Speculation:

“One of the heads of the beast seemed to have had a fatal wound, but the fatal wound had been healed. The whole world was astonished and followed the beast.” Revelation 13:3 (NIV)

It would take us by surprise if the anti-christ were a jew, especially a hero who wants peace….

Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly

Micah 6:8
Act justly, love mercy, walk humbly with your God.

Can God make it any more simple for us humans? We complicate life soooo much!! And all along He desires us to walk with Him in humility, love mercy and act justly.

“Cause you can run with the big dogs
You can fly with the eagles
You can jump through all the hoops
And climb the ladder to the top
But when it all comes down
You know it all comes down, down, down, down, down
To the walk”

Steven Curtis Chapman - Signs of Life

Expecting Reality

Disclaimer: these are notes of something I am pondering, just thought I would share them…

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“Disappointment is the gap between reality and expectation; therefore we must visualize reality and create expectation.”

In the scenario above:
Expectation = thought or visualization of end result.
Reality = end result.
Disappointment = the gap between the two.

In the realm of God’s salvation everything is in reverse:

Visualize reality = seeing in your mind, heart and sprit that which God has set out to achieve.

Creating expectation = speaking, writing, visualizing and meditating on the truths that achieve that reality.

Example:

Reality: It is Gods will
that all men should be saved. (1 Timothy 2:3-4, 2 Peter
3:9)

Expectation: It is left to
us to communicate the good news of Christ regardless of the
response.

Contrast: Often our expectation is that if we just have a large enough audience and good enough pitch people will accept Christ, which means they also accept us. This is why so many Pastors identities are wrapped up in attendance, they perceive peoples rejection of the Gospel as their own failure instead of “shaking the dust from their feet”.

Christian reality dictates we preach the good news “in season and out of season”, when it is popular and when it is not regardless of what the people want to hear.

Example:

Reality: It is Gods will that we love others.

Expectation: We must love others regardless of how they respond.

Contrast: Our worldly expectation is that if we love others we will be loved back or receive some sort of blessing or benefit from our generosity. In reality most people who receive our love and generosity will not return any form of the same, leaving us disillusioned when we find ourselves hurt by those we love.

Christian reality is we are commanded to love others regardless f how they respond. Much like the first example, we love regardless of how others respond.

So then we must make reality those things which God’s requires of us:

Love God (like the Father loves us): Seek Him above all other things, live holy and desire heavenly things.

Love Others (like the Son loves us): Have mercy, be hospitable and serve those who are less fortunate.

Make Him known (like the Holy Spirit does for us): Preach, teach and give testimony of God’s incredible goodness.

These three things are our new reality. God wills us to love Him, love others and make Him known to the world.

If we seek after these things first we will never be disappointed. Selfless love requires no exchange in order to be made complete: it flows from God to us, from us to others and eventually from them to God completing the circle.

Because God is love, he never runs out of it, so we mustn’t concern our selves with what we will get out of loving others because God continues to pour out His love on us regardless of how others respond.

Our goal is to “win the prize” or to reach the end off this life and awaken in the presence of the Almighty’s voice pronouncing “job well done, good and faithful servant”.

We have already been compensated for our obedience. Salvation, eternal life in heaven, a relationship with God and an earthly purpose for our existence; what more could we possibly expect from Him?

This is my new reality: that I spend every minute until my death doing that which is required of me, considering all my due as being paid in full.