See you in Heaven on Saturday? Oh Yeah!!!!! Party!!!!! ??????

So, I guess our time is coming to see the Lord! Yippee!!!! It is about Time!! Sheesh, i don't have to work anymore, i can spend time with my wife and daughter and get to know my grandfather from my Dad's side.  See some family and friends that have been partying with Jesus for some time now.  I am so excited!!!! 

Okay so i bet you're thinking i have gone bonkers! 

Heck, No! Now don’t get me wrong, a part of me would love to be hanging with Jesus and not be focusing on how our country is being run, or the price of fuel, etc. My selfish me, would love to see my daughter graduate college, get married, and have a couple of kids, so i can spoil them rotten!!! But the Daddy in me also does not want her to live through the Hell that is coming our way with all the idiots running this world. I respect my Government and follow the laws as the Bible tells me to do, okay maybe i drive a little bit over the speed limit, LOL, but i respect them, doesn’t mean i have to agree with some of the wonderful decisions they make. 

Sorry, off my soap box! LOL

So we have this group from Family Radio, that have people across the country and the world with banners, billboards, posters, etc, stating that Judgment day is coming tomorrow.  WOW, i get goose bumps just thinking about it.

The point i believe they are trying to get across is to get people to come to Christ. Do you think this works?  Okay so they come to Christ because they are scared of getting to the pearly gates and having the lever pulled and falling down to hell, as depicted in the Tom and Jerry cartoons. 

I know this will happen in some way, but once someone comes to Christ because they are scared of hell, then what?  They have accepted Christ as their Lord and Savior, but then what? What does it all mean; we are saved, from hell? From ourselves? Form others? What does it mean?

What has happened to teaching the Good things about Christ, our relationship with HIM and others. Love, Peace, Joy, etc, wow sounds like a 70's commercial. Once someone is saved, what are these groups or churches doing with these people, giving them signs to go warn other on the street? I think is anything some of these Groups give Christians a bad taste in peoples mouths. 

I have skimmed through the what i call the Hallelujah channels on TV. Again, i respect many of them, but there are those few that have been preaching about the end of times and that is all they are talking about. Watch out for the flying horse scorpions, and all that good stuff, which again i think it is important to learn and understand, but what does it have to do with what God wants from us? 

Matthew 24:4 (The Message)

 ^4-8Jesus said, "Watch out for doomsday deceivers. Many leaders are going to show up with forged identities, claiming, 'I am Christ, the Messiah.' They will deceive a lot of people. When reports come in of wars and rumored wars, keep your head and don't panic. This is routine history; this is no sign of the end. Nation will fight nation and ruler fight ruler, over and over. Famines and earthquakes will occur in various places. This is nothing compared to what is coming.

Okay, this says to watch out for False prophets, it has to be tough nowadays to know, because of the earthquakes and war that is really going on. So how do we really know?  I will let you tell me! PLEASE POST A COMMENT! I would love to hear from you about this!

I am really looking forward, to our Pastor preaching and spending a few weekends talking about this starting this weekend. and it will not be the doomsday version.

DUCK!! WATCH OUT!!!! I thawt I sawed a Puddy CadDragon with 4 heads!

Prayer

Lord, if your time is coming AMEN! But i lift up those people right now that are actually worried and concerned about what is being publicized out there. Lord, show them you are a God of Love, yes you are coming back and that is going to look like what it is going to look like, but only you know when, and how that will happen.  Lord, i pray for those that are on the fence about you, that they do see YOU for who You ARE and not what YOU are NOT! That if we are still here on Sunday, that those that fell for any misrepresentations of YOU, eyes are opened and You speak to them and tell them where to go for real true representation of YOU! 

I pray against any Stress in people’s lives having to do with this or just the economy. That we remember it is YOU that gets us through all this not US. We can't do it without You and we tend to forget that when times are bad. I pray these things in your Precious name AMEN! 

Fun Prayer!   

Lord, Why didn't you give me the idea to charge people to take care of their Pets when they are resurrected!

This guy is making big bucks!!!!

Usama or Osama! Dead or Alive?

So, the guy is finally gone! Of course, there are those that believe there is a conspiracy theory and that this was a scam drummed up by the US Government. I am not here to convince you either way. Does him being gone make us safer? Does spending Billions to Trillions of dollars make it worth it? Again, not here to sway you either way.

I would like to focus on the doubts of his death. There is not picture, they disposed of the body. so i can see how there might be doubt. But if we are to trust our Government should we not believe what they tell us? I know i know but let us just focus on the Osama thing. LOL

When God wants to use us, He does.  Sometimes we doubt ourselves, which can be seen as doubting God or not trusting Him.  It is easy to trust him when things are going good, but what about when things are going bad or when His plan for us is a huge change in our life, something out of our comfort zones. 

Why is it so hard, or is it really?  I know when i left my career after 12 years to go into full time ministry; it was actually an easy choice. Everyone around me thought i was crazy.  God opened the doors and He made it happen. Right, now i am struggling with a decision i made to possible have a chance to go into full time ministry. Now by struggling i do not mean i am second-guessing myself. I am at total peace with my decision to continue with my current plans and season. What is happening is that the enemy is now trying to cause me to try to doubt myself.  The enemy is trying to create problems that are not there at my current job.  And by doing so, he is trying to make me think "see if you go back into ministry you won't have to deal with this anymore. Knowing that does not make it any easier, but i do know it is not of God, and i trust God will put me where he wants me in His time.

Our pastor gave a great sermon on this this past weekend and it solidified my decisions, and that i am doing what God wants me to be doing for such a time as this. If you are in a place right now in doubt and not sure of yourself or of God. Leave it to God! God does not blur things He makes them nice and clear for us, we and/or the enemy are the ones that make it seem so hard to trust God.  Did i lose you?

 I also have been praying for our best friends who lost their beautiful daughter over 2 years ago. This mother's day was filled with joy because of the birth of their first grandbaby, so they are filled with blessings yet i know they are hurting because they are thinking about their daughter who is with Jesus.  I cannot even come close to understand how they feel or what they are go through on a daily basis. it is easy for outsiders to say, they will get over it; or the grandbaby will change things; time will heal, etc...  But the reality is that they are different people today than they were the night before they lost their daughter.   I can use the example of losing a part of your body. If you lose a leg, this dramatically changes who you are as a person overall. You cannot do certain things as easy as you could before. Yes, you learn to adapt and do things differently because the leg is missing. The fact is the leg is still missing.  You are a no longer the same exact person you were before you lost the leg. You are the same person in your soul. I cannot image losing a part of your family unexpectedly and try to be the same person you are, it is like the missing leg, this was someone they have had in their lives for just over 16 years. It took me a while to see and understand this for myslef, when i an with them.  The converstatiosn we have at times are different and how they process things are different. This is where they are at and all i can do is continue to be there for them and be the best friend i can be. Continue to pray for them, listen, support, and love them as i know how.  Some people have asked me if they blame God for their loss. I answer, i am sure they do not blame God, it was the drunk person behind the wheel fault.  Do they question God? I think any God Fearing person would. I know and fully trust God will bring healing to the family, but what that healing is, will look different for each and everyone one of the family members. 

 So what the heck does all this have to do with Usama or Osama? LOL not sure now, i just started typing and here i am! It has been awhile since i have written anything! Give me a small break.  

 If you are in a place where Doubt is over running your life and not a clear picture of who you are or what you are supposed to be doing, Talk to God about it!

 Jeremiah 29:11-13 (New International Version, ©2011)

11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.

 Prayer

Lord, wow, i am all over the place here today. I just ask you for clarity when the enemy try’s to fill our lives with fog. Lord i lift up anyone right now needing to hear from You, that they listen, listen, and listen, and trust in what You are telling them. If it is foggy, than it is not of You. I thank you for my friends and bring them into my family's lives. I pray for their new grandbaby and his parents. I continue to lift them up to You Lord, because you are their Father and you as a parent, i know you are in their lives!   Lord, i pray against the lies of the enemy. He has no place in our lives, though he thinks he has every right. In YOUR precious NAME!!! AMEN!

Prayer #2

Lord as we just honored our mothers this past Sunday, i say a special prayer for those single parents out there that are both a mom and a dad for their chidlren! Lord, give them strength, and wisdom as they support their families, bring people in their lives for support, and most of all Love on them!

In Jeuss name AMEN, AMEN, AMEN!  

 

Pre-Marital Sex, Porn, and Marriage? What the H.......?

Hola, my wife and i are taking a marriage class at the church we attend, and tonight Mark Gungor, the creator of "Laugh your way to a better marriage" got serious about this one topic.
This is not meant as a judgment on anyone.
But he provides what i think is a simple way of explaining how Pre-marital sex or porn could cause issues within a marriage.
Growing up most boys are told they need to "sow their wild oats" before getting married.  Most girls are told the opposite.
Anyway, i wanted to share this before i forgot. 
If i can find the video clip online i will share with you. 
Again, this is not to judge, but hopefully something we can use to share with our children or loved ones as they reach that all so delicate age where this comes into play, as well as maybe understand our own selves in this area.

PRAYER

Lord, you are awesome, and know we are not perfect. I lift up all us parents, uncles, aunts’ grandparents, etc, that are raising children Lord.  That when the time comes for the “talk” that you give us the words to speak truth into their lives. That we are able to tell them that what they see on TV or in the movies is not necessarily Good or correct behavior. Lord I ask that those parents that are currently dealing with pre-marital sex with their children, that you first touch the parent’s heart and mind, and give them the strength to have that talk with their children again or first time. It is not too late Lord, through you all thing are possible.  I pray that people feeling bad about themselves right now, for whatever Reason, that you show them your love for them, that there is no need to do certain things to love someone.  I pray that whatever hurts may have brought them to this point, that You HEAL, HEAL, HEAL, Lord. That anyone that has had a negative experience, such as molestation or rape as a child or adult, that you show them that, this is not what it is like out there. That you bring healing to them as well, and the right person or persons in their lives as proof of your Love and what it is You know and want for them. That from Today on, Lord we love and Respect ourselves and our bodies. That today on, we are new in You, no matter the past, whether it was a choice or not! That we see how beautiful we are in your eyes and that, that is all that is Important!  Lord you ROCK! In your Precious Name! AMEN AMEN

http://www.laughyourway.com/blog/the-damage-of-sexual-promiscuity/#more-432

God Hates you because...?

I have been hearing a lot about this Group from Westboro Baptist Church that Picket at the Funerals of Fallen Solders. Now, I have never been in the military but have many family members that have, including both of my fathers. One was in Vietnam and was almost killed when his jeep drove over a land mine. I would personally be very insulted if these people were at my funeral. Yes, I would be dead, so what, but my family would have to deal with them. Christ is about Grace and Mercy. Does that mean we tolerate certain things just to be “people” friendly? No. But, we do not have to be hatefully. If you are helping people to come to Christ, you do it with love and understanding, not hate or Judgment. Church discipline inevitably involves making judgments and even judging people's behaviors, but it can be done in a nonjudgmental and humble manner. Boy, do they give Christians a bad name. No wonder non-Christians think Christians are hypocrites!


I remember leaving a church service as a teen, and this man had just given his life to Christ, and after the service he went outside to have a cigarette. One of the elders of the church went up to him and said “you just gave your life to Christ you are not supposed to be smoking or you will lose your salvation”(paraphrasing)…, in a very judgmental way. Needless to say, he never came back to the church. Now, I understand some churches have their rules they feel are Biblical, I got that, but that situation could have been handled a whole lot differently.
That situation has always stayed with me. It actually got me thinking a lot about God and all these “rules” there were In order to be “Christian” and right with God, as a teen. I became a little rebellious during my senior year of high school. I feel some of these churches confuse trying to help people have a relationship with Christ or be right with God, with DON’T DO THIS OR THAT, and make people live in FEAR of GOD rather than Fearing God, totally two different things (another Blog entry).


Okay, Joe where are you going with this now?


In our lives we are always around people. Our spouses, kids, coworkers, Church family, etc. It is so easy to talk about what someone is doing wrong than what they are doing right, or we spot what they are doing wrong easier than what they may be doing right.


It is Like someone trying to tell you everything you do is wrong, you don’t do this, I hate when you do this, blah blah blah. Yet that same person does those very same things to either you or others. I think this happens a lot in relationships.


Think about Parents trying to tell a child they should not talk about a person who let’s say is overweight, and can even get upset with the child when they hear them say something.


The Child constantly hears their parent making fun or criticizing an overweight person. If the child brings it to the attention of the Parent, they say “I am not doing that, I am not saying that”, don’t judge me” “don’t criticize me” You get the picture?


What is the kid going to think? “I can tell people whatever I want, but it does not apply to me”; “It must be okay for them to do it, so why should I bother listening to them”.


Someone comes in yelling and screaming all the time, and yet you happen to raise your voice in order to be heard, and you become the one who is attacking. This kid thinks well, it must really be okay to do that because they do it all the time.


The parent’s in integrity is lost!


I love this passage below and the Message does a great job interpreting it.

Matthew 7:1-5 (The Message)

1-5 "Don't pick on people, jump on their failures, criticize their faults— unless, of course, you want the same treatment. That critical spirit has a way of boomeranging. It's easy to see a smudge on your neighbor's face and be oblivious to the ugly sneer on your own. Do you have the nerve to say, 'Let me wash your face for you,' when your own face is distorted by contempt? It's this whole traveling road-show mentality all over again, playing a holier-than-thou part instead of just living your part. Wipe that ugly sneer off your own face, and you might be fit to offer a washcloth to your neighbor.

Matthew 7:1-5 (New International Version, ©2011)

1 “Do not judge, or you too will be judged. 2 For in the same way you judge others, you will be judged, and with the measure you use, it will be measured to you.

3 “Why do you look at the speck of sawdust in your brother’s eye and pay no attention to the plank in your own eye? 4 How can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ when all the time there is a plank in your own eye? 5 You hypocrite, first take the plank out of your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.

PRAYER

Lord, you are so awesome! Thank you for who you are! Thank you for being a loving, caring, and understanding God. Lord, we are not perfect and you know it, and I ask for Patience, Wisdom, Love, understanding, and whatever else you want to send our way Lord. I ask that you help us with our tongues Lord. Be that voice in our head that stops us from saying anything judgmental, or criticizing. Lord that if we need to be corrective, that you give us the grace and mercy to handle these situations. I lift Japan up again, Lord, continue to show yourself to them and those around the world! In Your Precious name! AMEN AMEN!

Prayer For Japan!

Wow, it has been a crazy few days. I was at work working on a project when they started showing what was going on in Japan.  My heart broke as they showed the live shots of the Tsunami hitting and cars and trucks trying to out run the massive rush of water. Now there is a treat of radiation. I have been happy to see that most of the news is being real smart about how this may or may not affect us. There is that small portion of news and others that are trying to turn this into a doomsday or end of times event. They are trying to create a panic for ratings or asking for money so that God will save us (that is another blog entry). 

PRAYER

Lord i just lift up the people of Japan and those immediately affected by this disaster. Lord I thank you for how their Government was as prepared for this as they could be.  I pray for continued wisdom for the relief efforts and those involved. I pray for the nuclear plants having issues and that they are taken care of in your precious name! Father I also lift up everyone else outside of Japan, watching and hearing what is going on. I pray for us to watch with wisdom and not jump into a panic mode. That the truth be spoken on the news and the churches.  I pray for our and other Governments to wisely handle this situation with Your guiding hand.  I ask you in your Precious name, AMEN AMEN.