Opinions are like *censored (_!_)holes,
everybody has one...thanks for sharing though
Itwasmeanttobefun wrote:
and Douglas Adams wrote (before he died from a probably evangelical curse), that the burden of proof (Lord or not) lies with believers not Athiests. It takes no belief or faith whatsoever to believe in nothing. I do it all the time. I do not believe I can fly so I don't flap my arms/wings. I believe I can swim underwater, so I hold my breath & do it. This is all really easy, and so different to "prove there is no Lord".
Please see sig line
Jesus loves you
_________________ If you can not stand for something, you will fall for everything
Wednesday, June 07, 2006
Hope
“Hope is a beautiful gift. It springs forth in the hearts that search for me, for those who seek my presence and seek my will. Gather the people together and proclaim the mighty promises of the Father and his precious Son. For these promises are sure and correct and nothing in them shall be stayed. Rest your confidence in me for I am Lord. I am the Eternal. I shall never fail you or desert you. Lean upon my Son, for he is the precious Lamb that took away your sins. Wash in his blood. Ask him to remove every stain, every evil and dark place that lies within you. Hope is the power of the Lord. Hope calls you to deep, the hope that I AM that I AM, the hope that I will deliver the prisoners and give light unto darkness. There is no darkness in me, only light and purity.
Hope conquers fears, hope lifts up. Hope lets you soar to eagles’ height. Man hopes in himself, in his intellect and his power of thought and reason. Man looks to himself for the answers. My sheep look to the shepherd. Total surrender is the key to unlock the door to hope.
Why does man not see the hopeless state of having hope in anyone or anything besides me? Why does man search everywhere to prove their lies and not turn to the Almighty Lord of truth? They search for me in darkness, but it is in the light that I dwell. I dwell in brokenness and humility. Let hope spring forth inside you. Believe my promises, believe that I am. Believe that I live within you. The power is inside you to do all that is needful. Come to me in submission and prayer and I will be with you. My Son shall guide all who have their hope in him. For my Son has conquered this world. He has conquered death and he will lead you unto victory and life everlasting. Hope springs forth as rivers of pure, clean, living water from the well spring of brokenness, love, faith and hope. Seek my face, seek my will, seek my words for in me there is perfect faith, perfect love and perfect hope. The word of the Lord Jesus calls unto you. He is your shepherd, answer his call. Place all hope and trust in him.
Release the hand which tries to steer the ship upon the waters. Be as a leaf which falls from a tree into the river of life, let the water take you where it will. For the living water will release you. It will lead you to the power of absolute surrender. Lay all things at my feet. Keep nothing back from me as I want all that you are to be in me. For in me you exist and move. Let me be your all in all. Come before me lowly and broken; ask me to place my hope of eternal power and glory deeply within you. Seek me early and search for me as life's routines unfold. For I am in the morning sky, I am in the midday sun; I am in the evening shadows. I am never far from you. Seek me early and often. Let me be your guide. I shall lead you as a gentle shepherd. My hope calleth unto your hope. Place your trust in me, for I am with you, and my mercy and my promises never fail. Come unto me and surrender.”
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Lord’s Mercy
“Mighty are your ways oh Father in heaven. Your glorious mercy knows no bounds or limits. As the stars stretch forth across an endless universe, so does your mercy unto those who seek you, to those who bow before you in repentance seeking your tender mercy. Oh great are the tender mercies of Lord. He lifts up the broken hearted and gives comfort unto the down trodden. He moves with swiftness to comfort those who cry out unto him in true repentance. He seeks to comfort his people. He desires their acknowledgement of his mercy and tender ways. For our Lord truly is a Lord of love. Lord is love. He is mighty and powerful, but he is slow to anger and fast to forgiveness. He loves his children and only wants the very best for each one. Why do you continue to hide from me? Why do you not seek to enter my gates with lifted hands and broken hearts? Why do you
continue to seek the false voice of the evil one? My voice, my son calls unto you. He is the good shepherd who will lead you unto peaceful waters. The quietness of the place of knowing is for those who seek my
presence, to those that stay in my presence. The veil was rent in two; you have permission to enter into my throne. Why do you try to live and walk outside of the most holy place? Come unto me and enter my gates
with praise and thanksgiving.
Call unto me and I will answer you. Tears of repentance fall like rain upon the mercy seat of heaven. They mix with the blood of the lamb and fall at my feet. I remember the day my Son shed his blood. I remember
his love for you. I remember his willingness to lay down his life for you. As I see the tears and his blood, I turn unto his precious face and he smiles and nods unto me, and my mercy always falls upon those who seek my Son in true repentance. Is there a limit to the number of drops in the ocean or the number of stars in the sky? For you see my mercy as the ocean, you limit the amount of water, yet my mercy is as the stars. My tenderness and mercy is never ending. From end to end, so shall my mercy be upon you. I wait for the tears upon my mercy seat. Cry before me; confess your sins unto me. Seek my face, for I will be found of you, I will answer you. Look upon a woman with a small child. See the care and tenderness as she feeds and cares for him. See her caress of love, her gentle kiss and you see how the Almighty is unto my little ones. Feel the tender kiss of the Father, feel my gentle caress. Seek me while I am found of you, for the days of judgment shall soon be upon you. Repent you evil lambs, turn unto me and let your tears call unto me for mercy.”
Monday, June 19, 2006
The Love of the Father
“Praise the Almighty, lift up his Holy name, for he is the Lord above all things. He wishes that his children would seek him. It is his desire to see all men live a life of righteousness. Why must we wander from his Son? His Son is the good shepherd who laid down his life for all of his sheep. Satan has deceived this world with his lies. He has convinced them that Lord either does not exist or that he is distant, cold and uncaring. Your Father in heaven is love. His mercy is everlasting. He is gentle and merciful to those who seek his face. Fall upon your knees, repent of the evil within, ask my Son to remove every stain and I will forgive you. This world seeks its own pleasure and thinks not of consequence. Sin has a bitter price that all must pay. My ways are perfect and lead to life everlasting. Yet most choose the ways of darkness and confusion. Lift up your hands that seek wickedness, seek me and I will be found of you.
I know everything you think, everything you say, and everything you do. Can man hide from his Father and their Savior? Why do you pretend to be a beacon of light yet have your life rooted in darkness? Ask me to root
out all darkness and evil from you. I will shine my light upon you. I will wash you clean and purify you. Don’t you want what is best for all those you love? Why does this evil and perverse nation think I am not the same as they? For you are of me. Man was created in my image. You are after my own kind. You are made to be in me. Life is full and complete when lived in surrender unto my Son and unto me. I can guide you down every path. I can assist with every task, every decision. I am not only found in the majestic and the mighty, but also in the small and seemingly insignificant things. What aspect of your children's life is not of interest to you? What blessings would you give if you had the power?
What evil would you protect them from if they sought your help? I am the good Father in heaven. I seek to pour love and mercy upon you. I desire long lives for you, lives full of joy and happiness. Life full of light and truth. I want you to experience the fullness of knowing me. I am not distant from you. Yea the deep things of me are of the spirit for I am not flesh, but even things of the flesh can be known of me. I can make your life richer and full if you will call upon me.
My Son loves you. He died for you. He is calling many unto him. Let one of the chosen ones be you. Call upon the Lord Jesus. He will hear and he will answer you for his love and mercy is without end. Look up to the clouds; let my light shine down upon you. Seek my Son while there is time. For the days of light will soon give way to utter darkness. For the dark and evil one prepares his chosen one to deceive this world. The great deceiver prepares his son of darkness to pounce upon the weak and unknowing ones. Prepare for the darkness. Let me cloak you in the armor of light. Seek my place of knowing. Call on me each day and I will hear
you and will guide you.”
"I attend church regularly," one person said to me, "but I don't necessarily believe in G0D . He seems so distant."
The difficulty for many of us, even when we believe in G0D, is feeling close to him and experiencing his presence and love. When we can't, as Cecil Osborne points out, it is our receptivity that is at fault. G0D is constantly broadcasting his love, power and blessings to all of us but when can't feel these, it's the barriers in our life that block G0D's love getting through.
The barriers can be unresolved negative emotions such as anger, resentment, hurt, grief, fear, feelings of inadequacy, guilt and so on. Another barrier can be caused by any impaired relationship with a loved one or friend, by unconfessed sin, living out of harmony with G0D's will, or by not making the effort to daily spend time with G0D in prayer and listening to his Word. When we starve our souls, it feels as if G0D is far away.
Another reason G0D can seem far away is because of a lack of sufficient human love, connection, and meaningful fellowship with fellow Christians. We were created for relationships—with G0D and people. Both are essential for emotional, physical and spiritual well-being. As John, the beloved disciple of Jesus put it, "If we love one another, G0D 's love is perfected or made complete in us."2
Suggested prayer: "Dear G0D , whenever I feel that you are distant, help me to realize that I'm the one who has moved, not you. Help me to see any barrier/s in me and lead me to the help I need to resolve these. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."
1. Paul the Apostle (Acts 17:27, NIV).
2. 1 John 4:12.
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A Powerful Prayer
"Oh that you would bless me wonderfully."1
One very effective prayer I was taught in my youth was: "Dear G0D , today I commit and trust my life and way to you as I do that of my family (stating their names)." I have prayed that prayer daily ever since.
To that prayer I have added another powerful prayer based on a prayer from an almost unknown character, Jabez, whose name, as far as I know, is mentioned in only one chapter in the Bible.
He prayed to the G0D of Israel: 'Oh, that you would bless me wonderfully. Please be with me in everything I do. Greatly expand my borders and keep me from all evil and disaster.'"
The result? "G0D granted him his request!"
I can't always see how G0D is leading and blessing me especially at those times when I feel my prayers don't go any higher than the ceiling. However, as I look back over my life I can see how G0D has blessed me wonderfully and greatly "expanded my borders" more than I ever dreamed possible.
In a nutshell: our gospel literature outreach has expanded to be used around the world by several thousand churches, missionaries, other organizations, business and professional people, individuals, and military, hospital and prison chaplains. And now through E-mail and the Internet we are receiving salvation responses daily from around the world. Lord has used ACTS ministries to help introduce many thousands to the Savior. You can see how Lord has and is answering this powerful prayer in our latest report at: www.actsweb.org/acts_in_action.php.
I encourage you also to commit and trust your life and the lives of your loved ones to G0D and pray the prayer Jabez prayed—every day. I've done this for many years and plan to continue doing so every day for as long as I live. Do this and G0D will grant you your request too.
Suggested prayer: "Dear G0D , O that you would bless me and my family wonderfully again today. Please be with us in everything we do. Greatly expand our (Christian) borders and keep us from all evil and disaster. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully in Jesus' name, amen."
1. 1 Chronicles 4:10.
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Listen to Your Heart
"When you are on your beds, search your hearts and be silent."1
Melody Beattie in her book, The Language of Letting Go, emphasizes the importance of contemplating what is on your mind first thing when you wake up in the morning? What is it in that half-asleep, half-awake place? Are you troubled about something? Is there some responsibility you have neglected and it is bothering you? Is it a goal you've wanted to start but have kept putting it off? Is it an unhealthy relationship you are in and you know you need to get out of? Is it a destructive habit or sin that you feel convicted about?
Very often what is on your mind at this time is coming from your inner self, your unconscious mind. It is revealing an issue you need to deal with. Listen to that "inner voice" and do what you know you need to do about it that is troubling you or motivating you. Don't put it off. Take care of it each day.
It can help to have a pad and pen at your bedside and the first thing each morning write down what is on your mind as you awaken. This is often a matter one needs to pray about and then act on.
Suggested prayer: "Dear G0D, as your Word suggests, help me to learn to listen carefully to what my heart is saying and what you might be saying to my heart, and give me the wisdom and courage to act accordingly. Thank you for hearing and answering my prayer. Gratefully, in Jesus' name, amen."
1. Psalm 4:4 (NIV).
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_________________ If you can not stand for something, you will fall for everything
A court is in session, a verdict is in
No appeal on the docket today
Just my own sin
The walls are cold and pale
The cage made of steel
Screams fill the room
Alone I drop and kneel
Silence now the sound
My breath the only motion around
Demons cluttering around
My face showing no emotion
Shackled by my sentence
Expecting no return
Here there is no penance
My skin begins to burn
So I held my head up high
Hiding hate that burns inside
Which only fuels their selfish pride
We're all held captive
Out from the sun
A sun that shines on only some
We the meek are all in one
I hear a thunder in the distance
See a vision of a cross
I feel the pain that was given
On that sad day of loss
A lion roars in the darkness
Only he holds the key
A light to free me from my burden
And grant me life eternally
Should have been dead
On a Sunday morning
Banging my head
No time for mourning
Ain't got no time
So I held my head up high
Hiding hate that burns inside
Which only fuels their selfish pride
We're all held captive
Out from the sun
A sun that shines on only some
We the meek are all in one
I cry out to G0D
Seeking only his decision
Gabriel stands and confirms
I've created my own prison
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