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Showing posts from September, 2018

Technology, Society, and God

Wired for Sound by Michael W. Smith is a song that has meaning. It is also, in my humble opinion, is such a great, upbeat song. Here are some of the lyrics: Word of mouth is the counselor There is no need for proof In a world that's wired for sound The tongue becomes the mighty sword That battles the truth In a world that's wired for sound Wisdom from the sacred page Is turned and ignored In a world that's wired for sound In today's society, there is all this negative news from the media. Technology such as smartphones and computers are distractions at times disconnecting people from talking to each other. People use their smartphones for Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, and games talking about politics, sports, and entertainment. How about we use the news to talk about people doing good for one another more often? How about we use smartphones to post Scripture? How about we take breaks from our smartphones and computers and talk to one another?  How about we talk mor

God Made Animals Too!

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"And God said, 'Let the water teem with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth across the vault of the sky.' So God created the great creatures of the sea and every living thing with which the water teems and that moves about in it, according to their kinds, and every winged bird according to its kind. And God saw that it was good. God blessed them and said, 'Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the water in the seas, and let the birds increase on the earth.'" Genesis 1:20-22 NIV There are a number of animals and all different varieties of animals. There are dogs, cats, jaguars, cheetahs, lions, birds, dolphins, sharks, and much more. These animals should be preserved except for food when necessary. They shouldn't just be killed for no reason at all! God made these animals to live a great life and multiply.  I know of people who have pets such as dogs and cats that they take care of in a hospitable environment. For examp

Imagine This: No More Sadness!

"And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, 'Look! God’s dwelling place is now among the people, and he will dwell with them. They will be his people, and God himself will be with them and be their God. He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.' He who was seated on the throne said, 'I am making everything new!' Then he said, “Write this down, for these words are trustworthy and true.'” Revelation 21:3-5 NIV John, the one who wrote Revelation, is telling us that one day there will be no more sadness! There will be no more depression and no more bad feelings about yourself or others. Jesus makes all things new as all pain, sorrow, fear, and disappointment will leave. We will dwell in the house of the Lord and be with Him. We will be overjoyed to see Jesus, the disciples (men and women), Mary (the mother of Jesus), Joseph, the saints, the angels, o

Jesus' Humanity, Death, Resurrection, Living In Us

"For you know the gracious act of our Lord Jesus Christ, that for your sake He became poor although He was rich, so that by His poverty you might become rich." 2 Corinthians 8:9 "Rather, He emptied Himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness, and found human in appearance, He humbled Himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross." Philippians 2:7-8 God gave us His most precious gift to us-His Son Jesus, who is God in human form. Jesus is Wonder-Counselor and the Prince of Peace, yet He humbled Himself, displayed His humanity, and became poor for our sake. Jesus serves others and cares for others' needs before His own and has compassion for others as well. Jesus knows what it's like to be human and He knows what you are going through. This is because of Him becoming poor for our sake and coming into human likeness as a humble servant. He understands your heartache, your pain, your happiness, and your joy because He Himsel

Where Did Peter Deny Jesus?

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Peter said to Jesus that he will not fall away, saying the following: " Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away." Matthew 26:33 ESV Meanwhile, Jesus had other ideas. " Jesus said to him, 'Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.'” Matthew 26:34 ESV He said this to Peter at this spot in Jerusalem according to the experts and tour guide that I had, which is where Caiaphas's house was located:   The phrase is translated as Psalm 121:8 which says, "T he Lord will watch over your coming and going both now and forevermore" (NIV). The Lord is by your side during good and bad all the time. In this case, He was by Peter's side. Peter caves when pressured by the crowd. In Matthew 26:69-75, it gives the details of Peter basically saying that he didn't know Jesus three times. It then says he remembered what Jesus said to him and the fact that he wept along

Open the Eyes of Our Hearts

" H aving the eyes of your hearts enlightened, that you may know what is the hope to which he has called you, what are the riches of his glorious inheritance in the saints." Ephesians 1:18 ESV Paul wants us to ask God to help us enlighten and open the eyes of our hearts so that we know the greatness of God. He wants us to recognize that Jesus is spiritually rich and that inheritance with Him is powerful and life-changing. Paul also wants us to recognize that Jesus is our hope for eternal life. Jesus created us in His image and wants us to focus and pray about living a life that is rich in spirit. Walking with Jesus, repenting, forgiving others, and becoming more like Him will allow one to have a spirit-filled life along with loving God and others.   This Bible verse reminds me of the song written by Paul Baloche and sung by Michael W. Smith. The song starts off like this: Open the eyes of my heart, Lord Open the eyes of my heart I want to see You I want to see You