Quote of the Day
"...If we walked out of this room really believing all of this stuff was really real, I mean really real, we'd turn the world upside down. I've often thought, if I really believe that when I went before God in prayer, that I was really walking into the throne room and God was leaning forward with his arms out and says "Come closer, lets talk," if I really believed that, I wouldn't have trouble praying, I'd have trouble getting up and leaving! Do you really believe that what you believe is really real?"
Dr. Del Tackett
President
Focus on the Family Institute
As seen on a key chain...
"Good morning, this is God. I will be handling all your problems today. I will not need your help, so have a good day!"
:-)
Dave Barry's "25 Things"
25 Things I Have Learned in 50 Years
Dave BarryThe badness of a movie is directly proportional to the number of
helicopters in it.
You will never find anybody who can give you a clear and
compelling reason why we observe Daylight Saving Time.
People who feel the need to tell you that they have an excellent
sense of humor are telling you that they have no sense of humor.
The most valuable function performed by the federal government is
entertainment.
You should never say anything to a woman that even remotely
suggests you think she's pregnant unless you can see an actual baby
emerging from her at that moment.
A penny saved is worthless.
They can hold all the peace talks they want, but there will never
be peace in the Middle East. Billions of years from now, when Earth
is hurtling toward the Sun and there is nothing left alive on the
planet except a few microorganisms, the microorganisms living in
the Middle East will be bitter enemies.
The most powerful force in the universe is: gossip.
The one thing that unites all human beings, regardless of age,
gender, religion, economic status, or ethnic background, is that,
deep down inside, we all believe that we are above-average drivers.
There comes a time when you should stop expecting other people to
make a big deal about your birthday. That time is: age 11.
There is a very fine line between 'hobby' and 'mental illness.'
People who want to share their religious views with you almost
never want you to share yours with them.
Nobody is normal.
If you had to identify, in one word, the reason why the human
race has not achieved, and never will achieve, its full potential,
that word would be: meetings.
The main accomplishment of almost all organized protests is to
annoy people who are not in them.
If there really is a God who created the entire universe with all
of its glories, and He decides to deliver a message to humanity, He
will not use, as His messenger, a person on cable TV with a bad
hairstyle.
You should not confuse your career with your life.
A person who is nice to you, but rude to the waiter, is not a
nice person.
No matter what happens, somebody will find a way to take it too
seriously.
When trouble arises and things look bad, there is always one
individual who perceives a solution and is willing to take command.
Very often, that individual is crazy.
Your friends love you anyway.
Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance.
Funny thought
I don't know why this struck me as funny, but I was reading in Revelation tonight and came across Revelation 21:17 - "He also measured its wall, 144 cubits by human measurement, which is also an angel's measurement." I guess an angel is about the same size as a human being. I have always assumed that I suppose, but it kind of argues the thought that angels are some giant beings or small things that sit on your shoulders. Just an interesting thought, nothing theologically ground shattering. :-)
The Bible Says...
I read this story today and I thought it was amazing. How much time do I spend trying to prove the Bible is accurate instead of letting God's words (1 Thessalonians 2:13) pierce the hearts of the unbelievers and let the Holy Spirit do His work. For me, a natural debater, that's hard for me to do. I will just relay it here from Dr. Adrian Roger's study on "The Incredible Power of Kingdom Authority - Achieving Victory Through Surrender." Copyright LifeWay church resources.
BILLY GRAHAM AND THE POWER OF THE WORD OF GOD
In 1949, when Billy Graham was a very young man, he harbored the same doubts about the Bible that many young people have. When he stood up to preach there was a lack of power. He knew an intellectual battle was waging in his mind over the authority of God's Word.
That year God allowed Billy to spend some time in the mountains outside of Los Angeles. There, he wrestled with God and with himself. He said, "In desperation, I surrendered my will to the living God revealed in the Scripture. I knelt before the open Bible and said, 'Lord, many things in this book I do not understand, but Thou hast said the just shall live by faith. All I have, I have received by faith. Here and now by faith, I accept the Bible as Thy Word, I take it all, I take it without reservations. Where there are things I cannot understand, I will reserve judgement until I receive more light. If this pleases Thee, give me authority as I proclaim Thy Word, and through that authority convict me of sin and turn sinners to the Savior."
Within six weeks of that prayer, Billy Graham preached the great Los Angeles crusade where thousands were swept into the kingdom of God. His ministry caught on fire for the Lord - making a global impact for the Savior! Now, he recognized that he didn't have to prove the Bible was true. He had settled it in his mind and that faith then impacted his preaching and the men and women who were saved as a result. Now he had a quick, powerful weapon in his hand - a two-edged sword that could pierce the heart of people. He had a flame with which to melt away the unbelief of people, a hammer to break up the stony covering of hearts. All this, Billy Graham says, is why, to this day, he frequently begins sentences with the phrase, "The Bible says..."
Another Christian Publisher Ban
Ok, so I wrote a while back on my disapproval and
boycott of Zondervan publications. Unfortunately, I have a new publisher to add to this list. Heard of Thomas Nelson? Of course you have, they are the world's largest publisher of Bibles in English. So why the ban? I have discovered that Thomas Nelson has decided to diversify a bit. What's their newest project? Something called Naked, Inc. which promotes a new book and website. The book is "The Hot Mom's Handbook" and the website is
http://www.hotmomsclub.com. How can Thomas Nelson attach their name to the Word of God and at the same time to the Word of ones that would promote sex outside of marraige, astrology and readings, yoga and meditation, and a hedonistic lifestyle? I have no idea, but I'm sure Nelson would roll over in his grave if he knew what his company has come to.
Congrats to Adam and Jo!
Well, it's official, my younger brother Adam is married. He and Jo got married on August 5th and the wedding was great. Eli was a ring bearer and he actually went up the aisle. It's great to have Jo in the family, but now we have to figure out a way to get them back up to Iowa instead of that house they just bought in Jefferson City, MO. :-)
Pics from my photo blog can be found below...
