abrev's Xanga

My friend Nata's Smoothie King Commercial

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 22:48:35 GMT

Call2Fall

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:36:42 GMT

June 26, 2009

SPECIAL INVITATION: National Event on July 5, 2009

We are only days away from the 233rd anniversary of our nation's Independence, which we will celebrate on Saturday, July 4, 2009.

Yet, if you are like me, it's hard to get into the celebratory mood, as our individual and national freedoms rapidly slip away.

Nevertheless, there IS a proven solution – if we will only answer the Call.

The Family Research Council invites everyone – individuals, families, churches, businesses and organizations – to answer this call and join the Call2Fall movement.

WHAT: Call2Fallis a clarion call to ALL Americans to declare their dependence on GOD at this time of national crisis. The Call2Fall is nothing fancy. It is not a slick new program. No big production is necessary. It is simple. We are just talking about a definite time during worship on Sunday, July 5^th when we get on our knees and faces before the Lord in repentant prayer, pleading with God to reshape our lives, renew our land, and send times of refreshing.

WHO: Join over 23,000 individuals and churches from across the country in signing the “Declaration of Dependence on GOD.” The United States was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. Let’s get back to these roots!

WHY: The path back to God's blessing and favor begins on our knees. We are praying that millions of people just like you will ignite a national movement to plead with God for America.

Pray as if our country depends on it... because it does!

“If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.” ~2 Chronicles 7:14

WHEN: Sunday, July 5, 2009 * Anytime

WHERE: At a corporate house of worship… your home… with your family…or alone…
just join in!

HOW: Here are some helpful, FREE resources as you plan for Sunday, July 5, 2009:

Participants: http://www.call2fall.com/participants

Pastors: http://www.call2fall.com/pastors

Check out all the free resources to help you prepare for C2F:

Devotional Blogs * Inspirational Videos * Suggestions For Individual & Corporate Prayer * Bulletin Inserts * Bible Study Materials

Thank you!

Will you help us spread the word about Call2Fall?

Please take a couple of minutes and send an email to your friends and family. Just copy and paste the link below into your email and encouraging them to visit this link:

http://call2fall.com/welcome_participant

Sincerely,

Donald E. Wildmon, Founder and Chairman
American Family Association

P.S. Please forward this e-mail message to your family and friends!

The Husband Store

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:20:38 GMT

A store that sells husbands has just opened in New York City, where a woman may go to choose a husband. Among the instructions at the entrance is a description of how the store operates.

You may visit the store ONLY ONCE!

There are six floors and the attributes of the men increase as the shopper ascends the flights. There is, however, a catch . . .. you may choose any man from a particular floor, or you may choose to go up a floor,

but you cannot go back down except to exit the building!

So, a decades-ago highschool classmate ~ having become a widow ~ goes to THE Husband Store to find herself a husband.

On the first floor the sign on the door reads:
Floor 1 - These men have jobs and love the Lord... she continues onward & upwards;

The second floor sign reads:
Floor 2 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, and love kids... she ponders and continues her way above;

The third floor sign reads:
Floor 3 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, and are
extremely good looking.

'Wow,' she thinks, but feels compelled to keep going;

She goes to the fourth floor and sign reads:

Floor 4 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop-dead good looking ~> and help with the housework.

'Oh, mercy me!' she exclaims, 'I can hardly stand it!'
Still, she goes the one-way trip to the fifth floor and sign reads:
Floor 5 - These men have jobs, love the Lord, love kids, are drop-dead gorgeous, help with the housework, and have a strong romantic streak.

She is sooooo extremely tempted to stay, but goes on to the sixth and final floor ~ her heart is vertually pounding and audible ~ once there the sign reads:
Floor 6 - "You are visitor 4,363,012 to this floor... and

ARE YOU KIDDING???" There are no men on this floor.

But this floor exists simply and solely as proof that women are emphatically impossible to please.

Thank-you for shopping at THE Husband Store.

Please watch your step as you exit the building, and

have a nice day!

I feel sorry for Michael Jackson ...

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 09:15:49 GMT

I have connections to Michael Jackson. He was 50 when he died and I am 50. My ex-wife, who was a model, actress and singer (in Japan) before we married, met him as she sang for a band that opened before him in Tokyo.

When his career was beginning I was in junior high and high school. Long before I was a pastor he was successful in his singing career. In a worldly sense he appeared to have everything and I had nothing.

In many ways our lives were parallel though as we both made bad choices. My wife left me after seven years of bad marriage, committing adultery and leaving me for another man. His trials are well documented and I will not judge him guilty of things I do not have full knowledge of.

Yet, now he is dead and has started his eternal destiny and today I am meeting with my beautiful 24 year old female best friend for Bible Study. God has been gracious to me, even in spite of my sins. Yet, Jackson seems to have been walking in slippery places -

^{NKJ Psalm 73:1 A Psalm of Asaph. Truly God is good to Israel, To such as are pure in heart. 2 But as for me, my feet had almost stumbled; My steps had nearly slipped. 3 For I was envious of the boastful, When I saw the prosperity of the wicked. 4 For there are no pangs in their death, But their strength is firm. 5 They are not in trouble as other men, Nor are they plagued like other men. 6 Therefore pride serves as their necklace; Violence covers them like a garment. 7 Their eyes bulge with abundance; They have more than heart could wish. 8 They scoff and speak wickedly concerning oppression; They speak loftily. 9 They set their mouth against the heavens, And their tongue walks through the earth. 10 Therefore his people return here, And waters of a full cup are drained by them. 11 And they say, "How does God know? And is there knowledge in the Most High?" 12 Behold, these are the ungodly, Who are always at ease; They increase in riches. 13 Surely I have cleansed my heart in vain, And washed my hands in innocence. 14 For all day long I have been plagued, And chastened every morning. 15 If I had said, "I will speak thus," Behold, I would have been untrue to the generation of Your children. 16 When I thought how to understand this, It was too painful for me -- 17 Until I went into the sanctuary of God; Then I understood their end. 18 Surely You set them in slippery places; You cast them down to destruction. 19 Oh, how they are brought to desolation, as in a moment! They are utterly consumed with terrors. 20 As a dream when one awakes, So, Lord, when You awake, You shall despise their image. 21 Thus my heart was grieved, And I was vexed in my mind. 22 I was so foolish and ignorant; I was like a beast before You. 23 Nevertheless I am continually with You; You hold me by my right hand. 24 You will guide me with Your counsel, And afterward receive me to glory. 25 Whom have I in heaven but You? And there is none upon earth that I desire besides You. 26 My flesh and my heart fail; But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever. 27 For indeed, those who are far from You shall perish; You have destroyed all those who desert You for harlotry. 28 But it is good for me to draw near to God; I have put my trust in the Lord GOD, That I may declare all Your works.}

Evil Speech / Evil Boasting Sermon Outline

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 08:31:27 GMT

June 28, 2009

“Evil Speech, Evil Boasting!”

James 4:11-17

The tongue is a monster and evil speech is the fire it breathes!

James calls the tongue:

1. A fire – James 3:6

2. A world of iniquity – James 3:6

3. An unruly evil, full of deadly poison- James 3:8

Yet, with all he said in chapter 3 about the sinful human tongue, James was not finished! Here in chapter 4 James revisits the topic and points out two more patterns of evil speech he would have us avoid!

I. The first pattern of evil speech we should avoid is JUDGMENTALISM – James 4:11-12

^NKJJames 4:11 Do not speak evil of one another, brethren. He who speaks evil of a brother and judges his brother, speaks evil of the law and judges the law. But if you judge the law, you are not a doer of the law but a judge.¹² There is one Lawgiver, who is able to save and to destroy. Who are you to judge another?

Alfred Plummer describes this:

“The context shows what kind of adverse speaking is meant. It is not so much abusive or calumnious language that is condemned, as the love of finding fault. The censorious temper is utterly unchristian. It means we have been paying an amount of attention to the conduct of others which would have been better bestowed on our own. It means also that we have been paying this attention, not in order to help, but to criticize, and to criticize unfavorably … but over and above all this, censoriousness is an invasion of the divine prerogatives. It is not merely a transgression of the royal law of love, but setting oneself above the law, as if it (meaning the Law of Love) was a mistake, or did not apply to oneself. It is a climbing up onto that judgment-seat on which God alone has the right to sit and a publishing of judgments upon others, which He alone has the right to pronounce.”

It focuses on (hunts) the faults of others –

^NKJMatthew 7:1 "Judge not, that you be not judged.² "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you.³ "And why do you look at the speck in your brother's eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?⁴ "Or how can you say to your brother, 'Let me remove the speck from your eye'; and look, a plank is in your own eye?⁵ "Hypocrite! First remove the plank from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother's eye.

It is lacking in brotherly love – James 4:11; John 13:34-35

^NKJJohn 13:34 "A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.³⁵ "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."

It is lacking in humility and reeks of pride – James 4:12

A. We should not covet the position of “Judge”

B. We should not pretend to the knowledge of God, claiming we know another’s heart: this is beyond human ability to know - Matthew 5:21-30

C. This is why two or more eye-witnesses were required for condemnation in court –

^NKJDeuteronomy 17:6 "Whoever is deserving of death shall be put to death on the testimony of two or three witnesses; he shall not be put to death on the testimony of one witness.

Before we move on, let us consider what is not condemned in these verses:

A. Discerning between right and wrong, making moral judgments is not condemned here –

^NKJRomans 12:9 Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.

B. Confronting obvious sin, with a heart to restore a sinning brother is not condemned here -

^NKJGalatians 6:1 Brethren, if a man is overtaken in any trespass, you who are spiritual restore such a one in a spirit of gentleness, considering yourself lest you also be tempted.

C. Legitimate church discipline is not condemned here –

^NKJMatthew 18:15 " Moreover if your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he hears you, you have gained your brother.¹⁶ "But if he will not hear, take with you one or two more, that 'by the mouth of two or three witnesses every word may be established.'¹⁷ "And if he refuses to hear them, tell it to the church. But if he refuses even to hear the church, let him be to you like a heathen and a tax collector.

D. Our PCA Book of Church Order is a great treasure in this regard, if it is properly understood and followed.

II. The second pattern of evil speech we should avoid is Secular or Ungodly Boasting- James 4:13-17

^NKJJames 4:13 Come now, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a city, spend a year there, buy and sell, and make a profit";¹⁴ whereas you do not know what will happen tomorrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapor that appears for a little time and then vanishes away.¹⁵ Instead you ought to say, "If the Lord wills, we shall live and do this or that."¹⁶ But now you boast in your arrogance. All such boasting is evil.¹⁷ Therefore, to him who knows to do good and does not do it, to him it is sin.

These verses condemn our leaving God out of our thoughts, plans and speech. Our speech (as referenced here) is a mere symptom of a deeper problem – PRACTICAL ATHEISM!

We may believe in God for the religious aspects of life – “I am saved by the blood of the Lamb!” Yet, we leave Him out of our everyday thought and life and our godless speech exposes this problem!

Our godless speech also could contribute to this problem. As the way we think comes out in our speech, so also how we talk works back to impact how we THINK! It can influence how others think also!

“Oh, where is the sea?” The fishes cried,

As they swam the Atlantic waters through;

“We have heard of the sea and the ocean tide

And we long to gaze on its waters blue.”

“All around us are little fishes looking for the sea; people living, moving, having their being in an ocean of God’s providence, but who can’t see the ocean for the water. Maybe it is because we call it by another name. The ancient Hebrews from whom the Bible came were a religious people. They thought in religious patterns, they spoke in religious phrases, they saw in every event the activity of God. It rained. It was God Who sent the rain. When crops were good it was God Who yielded the increase. But that is not our language, nor the pattern of our thought. We think in terms of law – chemical, natural law. When it rains we know it is the natural condensation of vapor. When crops are good we credit fertilizer. An amazing thing has happened in our way of thinking. In a world that could not exist for one moment without God, we have conditioned our minds to a way of thinking that leaves no room for Him.” J. Wallace Hamilton

Secular speech leads to (or comes out of) godless thinking, it is deceptive, it divorces us from the reality of our mortality and God’s judgment –

A. Our life (in this world) is a vapor - :15; Psalm 90:5-6; 1Peter 1:24-25

^NKJPsalm 90:5 You carry them away like a flood; They are like a sleep. In the morning they are like grass which grows up:⁶ In the morning it flourishes and grows up; In the evening it is cut down and withers.

^NKJ1 Peter 1:24 because "All flesh is as grass, And all the glory of man as the flower of the grass. The grass withers, And its flower falls away,²⁵ But the word of the LORD endures forever." Now this is the word which by the gospel was preached to you.

B. Our life is known and watched (controlled) and ultimately JUDGED by God – Psalm 90:10-12; Matthew 12:36-37

^NKJPsalm 90:10 The days of our lives are seventy years; And if by reason of strength they are eighty years, Yet their boast is only labor and sorrow; For it is soon cut off, and we fly away.¹¹ Who knows the power of Your anger? For as the fear of You, so is Your wrath.¹² So teach us to number our days, That we may gain a heart of wisdom.

^NKJMatthew 12:36 "But I say to you that for every idle word men may speak, they will give account of it in the day of judgment.³⁷ "For by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned."

Therefore, we ought to speak differently, humbly, acknowledging our dependence upon God – James 4:15

This kind of speaking:

A. Acknowledges God’s sovereignty “If the Lord wills”

B. Professes our dependence – “we shall do …” if the Lord helps us – John 15:5

^NKJJohn 15:5 "I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing.

The Christian life is lived only by His grace –

^NKJEphesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.¹⁰ For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

“Only One Life”

Two little lines I heard one day; Traveling along life's busy way;
Bringing conviction to my heart, And from my mind would not depart;
Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Soon will its fleeting hours be done;
Then, in 'that day' my Lord I’ll meet, And stand before His Judgment seat;
Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.

Only one life, the still small voice, Gently pleads for a better choice
Bidding me selfish aims to leave, And to God's holy will to cleave;
Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.

Only one life, a few brief years, Each with its burdens, hopes, and fears;
Each with its chores I must fulfill, living for self or in His will;
Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.

When this bright world would tempt me sore, When Satan would with victory roar;
When self would seek to have its way, Then help me Lord to humbly say;
Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.

Give me Father, a purpose deep, In joy or sorrow Thy word to keep;
Faithful and true whatever the strife, Pleasing Thee in my daily life;
Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.

Oh let my love with fervor burn, From this dead world now let me turn;
Living for Thee, and Thee alone, Seeking the pleasure of Thy throne;
Only one life, "twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.

Only one life, yes only one, Now let me say, "Thy will be done";
And when at last I'll hear the call, I know I'll say "It was worth it all";
Only one life, 'twill soon be past, Only what's done for Christ will last.

Author Unknown

Article on Heresy by J.I. Packer

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 19:16:05 GMT

Lay Teaching in the Church
How can churches fight heresy when laypeople teach others?
J. I. Packer

Wednesday, June 24, 2009

Q: How can churches fight heresy when laypeople teach others?

A: It's my firm conviction that churches ought to foresee the unhappy possibility of heresy getting in when lay folk are leading, and counter the possibility by what in the history of the church's life has been called catechesis. The second and third centuries were the high peak of catechesis. These weren't catechism classes, because that suggests that it was all done by question and answer, such as we are used to when we think of catechizing children. But catechesis is the teaching of the truths that Christians live by, and linked with that it's the teaching of how to live by those truths. It's a practical, pastoral discipline of instruction.

In the second and third centuries the inquirers didn't have any Christian background; they didn't even have any theistic background. They were polytheists—they came out of various pagan cults, and so the catechists had to begin at the beginning and take them through the whole body of Christian doctrine. They did not separate truths from each other in order to focus on them in isolation. They taught the whole Christian view—God's great economy of grace for the salvation of sinners, and the syllabus was essentially the themes of the Apostle's Creed.

The Apostle's Creed was used for a congregational confession of faith as one element in Christian worship. But originally all the material in the Apostle's Creed was catechetical material or topics. And if we could recover catechesis as a regular element of church life, we'd be anticipating a lot of these problems, because we'd be constantly sustaining orthodoxy and reminding people of what the Christian faith is when you put it all together as a single ball of wax. I am currently writing articles and more to try and renew the vision of catechesis.

In the absence of catechesis, when lay people who believe themselves to have a teaching gift deviate into heresy, certainly something must be done—you don't just let them go on doing it. Those under this person's teaching must take a complaint to the leadership of the congregation. Then it's the leadership group's responsibility to handle it, which means they should ask the person who's been making the waves to explain him or herself. You hope that the person in error will allow him or herself to be put straight.

Churches are responsible for weeding out heretical teaching—that's pretty clear from the New Testament. And in those early days of Christianity, there were any number of cults and false views. Christian truth had in it, right at its center, two convictions which the secular sects simply couldn't handle and rejected out of hand. Conviction number one is the plurality of persons within the unity of God—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. And number two was the reality of incarnation. The Divine Spirit —or the second person of the godhead, as Christians would say—took to himself everything that's involved in being human so that now the divine person is as truly human as he is divine. And all around the churches throughout the Roman Empire, you had these groups that found Christianity very attractive, but they were trying to reconstruct it in terms that didn't involve a Trinity and the incarnation. So it was very necessary then, and is still necessary now, that Christians defend the Trinity and the incarnation.

In this post-Christian age, it's a very potent fantasy that all religions are somehow one; somehow they are the same religion, pointing to the top of the same mountain. And as we climb, we become more and more aware that we're getting closer to everybody else who is climbing by other paths—Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu, or whatever. But we're all climbing the mountain and we're all getting closer to each other, and when we get to the top, well, we shall find that we're totally together. It's a sweet dream but the early Christians rejected it out of hand and so should we.

What's wrong with religion?

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 10:48:27 GMT

^{NKJ James 1:26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless. 27 Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.
I am new to Xanga, after a long absence. I guess I have not given this much time. Yet, coming back, yesterday, I sought out the Christian groups and I noticed many, if not most of the larger ones were anti- religious. Why?
James in the verses above defines "pure and undefiled religion ..."
He says it is to visit orphans and widows in their affliction, this means to show kindness to them. Being against "religion" I guess means you like to kick orphans in the face and tell poor widows "get a job!"
James also tells us pure and undefiled religion means keeping oneself unspotted unspotted from the world --- is this what we hate about religion? We love the world! We love things! More than God, we love our bling!
I notice many contrast "religion" with a relationship with Christ. Yet, Jesus Himself seems to embrace the kind of "religion" promoted by James, when He says when you have done it unto the least of my brethren you have done it unto ME --- Matthew 25:31-46 seems to indicate to me that the type of religion that James promotes (helping the needy) is essential to a relationship with Christ! Essential!
Sure, hate godless religion, pharisaical religion, hypocritical religion ... but don't throw pure and undefiled RELIGION out with the rest of these!
Pure and undefiled religion - embrace it, study it, love it, celebrate it! Listen to my sermon about it in my audio blog!}

Religion, Amazing, Wonderful, God-glorifying, Religion!

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 16:05:58 GMT

“RELIGION, Amazing, Wonderful, God-Glorifying, Religion!”

James 1:26-27

Real

Exciting

Love-filled

Inspiring

God-glorifying

Intelligent

Oh WOW!

Nothing-else-like-it --- CHRISTIAN RELIGION!

I. True religion is something right, good and wonderful – James 1:26-27

^NKJJames 1:26 If anyone among you thinks he is religious, and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless.²⁷ Pure and undefiled religion before God and the Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their trouble, and to keep oneself unspotted from the world.

Non-believers being against it does not make it WRONG!
Not Religion DOT COM does not speak for me, Christians should be careful about kowtowing to the world
Christians should be against: worthless religion; false religion; pharisaical religion; etc… but not against true Christian religion, as described here!

Here, James gives us some clues for distinguishing TRUE RELIGION from false –

II. True religion means CONTROLLING your tongue –

“and does not bridle his tongue but deceives his own heart, this one's religion is useless.” James 1:26

1. A person’s control of his or her tongue / language is one mark of true conversion –

A. Romans 3:13-14 vividly describes the unconverted, ungodly person in terms of his or her tongue

^NKJRomans 3:13 "Their throat is an open tomb; With their tongues they have practiced deceit"; "The poison of asps is under their lips";¹⁴ "Whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness."

B. God has great and high purposes for our converted tongues – Psalm 40:1-3

^NKJPsalm 40:1 To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David. I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me, And heard my cry.² He also brought me up out of a horrible pit, Out of the miry clay, And set my feet upon a rock, And established my steps.³ He has put a new song in my mouth -- Praise to our God; Many will see it and fear, And will trust in the LORD.

C. James will speak more about an unruly tongue, tongue sins: filthy language, slander, lying, gossip are dread sins and mark are religion as deficient – James 3:1-12

III. True religion means CARING for the needy –

1. Here orphans and widows, not necessarily limited to them

2. This caring ministry was an essential part of the churches ministry from its very beginning – Acts 6:1-7

^NKJActs 6:1 Now in those days, when the number of the disciples was multiplying, there arose a complaint against the Hebrews by the Hellenists, because their widows were neglected in the daily distribution.² Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, "It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables.³ "Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business;⁴ "but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word."⁵ And the saying pleased the whole multitude. And they chose Stephen, a man full of faith and the Holy Spirit, and Philip, Prochorus, Nicanor, Timon, Parmenas, and Nicolas, a proselyte from Antioch,⁶ whom they set before the apostles; and when they had prayed, they laid hands on them.⁷ Then the word of God spread, and the number of the disciples multiplied greatly in Jerusalem, and a great many of the priests were obedient to the faith.

3. Though our cultural situation may be different / this mandate from God to care still applies

4. A philosophy of pastoral visitation

IV. True religion means CUTTING OUT of your life, any CONFORMITY to the world –

1. We are to keep ourselves “unspotted”

2. We are not to be conformed to the world – Romans 12:1-2

^NKJRomans 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable to God, which is your reasonable service.² And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

3. We are not to LOVE the world – 1 John 2:15-17

^NKJ1 John 2:15 Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.¹⁶ For all that is in the world -- the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life -- is not of the Father but is of the world.¹⁷ And the world is passing away, and the lust of it; but he who does the will of God abides forever.

4. Remember the world HATES you if you LOVE Christ and God the Father – John 15:19-25

^NKJJohn 15:19 "If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.²⁰ "Remember the word that I said to you, 'A servant is not greater than his master.' If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you. If they kept My word, they will keep yours also.²¹ "But all these things they will do to you for My name's sake, because they do not know Him who sent Me.²² "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would have no sin, but now they have no excuse for their sin.²³ "He who hates Me hates My Father also.²⁴ "If I had not done among them the works which no one else did, they would have no sin; but now they have seen and also hated both Me and My Father.²⁵ "But this happened that the word might be fulfilled which is written in their law, 'They hated Me without a cause.'

V. True religion is EXCITING, FULFILLING, this is what we are made for –

1. It is not the prerequisite for our salvation – Ephesians 2:8-9

^NKJEphesians 2:8 For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God,⁹ not of works, lest anyone should boast.

2. It is the FRUIT of our salvation – Ephesians 2:10

^NKJEphesians 2:10 For we are His workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand that we should walk in them.

It is different for each one of us, like snowflakes God has a unique and wonderful place, plan, for our lives! We are His

My best friend

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 14:49:18 GMT

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Monday, November 05, 2007

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 00:47:22 GMT

Monkey DNA!

This is meant as a fun poke at evolutionists, not even they have "Monkey DNA"
but even if they do not know it, they were created in God's image.

Monkey DNA





Monkey DNA (Sing to the tune of Y.M.C.A. by the Village People)

Young man, you’re just hanging around. 
I said, young man, your arms touch the ground. 
I said, young man, you make an eek, eek sound
You scream when you’re unhappy. 

Young man, there's a place you should go. 
I said, young man, it’s spelled z-o-o! 
You can go there, and I'm sure you will find 
Many of your own kind! 

It's fun to have Monkey DNA. 
It's fun to have Monkey DNA. 

You can swing from the trees, 
You can do it with ease ... 
You can do whatever you please!
It's fun to have Monkey DNA. 
It's fun to have Monkey DNA.

You can pick your nose clean, you can have a good meal, 
Beware you don’t slip on the peel ... 

Young man, are you listening to me? 
I said, young man, what do you want to be? 
I said, young man, you can forget all your dreams. 
But you've got to know this one thing! 

No man is much more than a slug. 
I said, young man, you’re just an evolved bug, 
Richard Dawkins, he told me it’s true
What a primate bummer for you!

But … It's fun to have Monkey DNA. 
It's fun to have Monkey DNA. 

You can swing from the trees, 
You can do it with ease ... 
You can do whatever you please

It's fun to have Monkey DNA. 
It's fun to have Monkey DNA.

You can pick your nose clean, you can have a good meal, 
Beware you don’t slip on the peel ... 

It's fun to have Monkey DNA. 
It's fun to have Monkey DNA.