Having Done All, Stand. Eph 6:13

I don't know if anyone even reads my blog anymore as I write so infrequently. My apologies. I'm exhausted. I just haven't taken time to write. I'm not reading my Bible as much as I was. I'm sure that has a lot to do with it. I've allowed busy work and home to get in the way. Pray for me. I'm digging out and making a schedule (yes, I need to schedule every minute if I am to get anything done.) so that I make time to write at least once a week. I think that's a decent goal...once a week. I could probably write every day if I wanted this to just be about my happenings, but I don't. The idea was that I would share what God was teaching me in His Word. Gonna stick with that. I like what Pastor Jack Abeelen says. He believes that he's a pastor because God knew he wouldn't study his bible or go to church like he should if he wasn't.
While you are praying for me to get off my butt, pray with me about a Bible study at work. I know a fair number of Christians there -  a huge blessing, really. And I was thinking I would poll them to see if they would be interested. Or maybe I should just study, schedule a room and tell them I'll be there if they are interested. Hmmm. Just thought of that.

Anyway. I'm not gone. Haven't given up. Just tired and disorganized and haven't taken the time to write.

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Some folks say at conception, others say at birth, and still more have answers that are in between. What do you think?

I get the argument for conception and birth. In between? What could that mean? Anyway...

Jeremiah 1:4-5 says, "Then the word of the LORD came unto me, saying, Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations."

And Psa 139:13  For thou hast possessed my reins: thou hast covered me in my mother's womb.


So, God being who He is, has a plan for us before we are even conceived. And He is watching over us in the womb. So, from a human perspective, I would have to say that life as we understand it begins at conception. At the conception of the life, God's plan has kicked into action and He's concerned about us.




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A simple, unrelated question after completing a post that took me forever.

Doesn't the fact that people spend so much time, money, energy trying to figure out where it all started and/or why we are here prove that God exists? If we evolved, who cares why we are here? What difference would it make? Would we even ask the question? I don't see my cats spending their energy on this. Only man does.

My answer is that we were created in God's image. Sin corrupted that and now the connection to God that we were intended to have is broken and we're uncomfortable. Jesus gave us THE way to repair that connection.

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Recall from the intro to Part 1, that this writing stemmed from a discussion that took place about proof that one is saved. One of the people believed that you had to speak in tongues if you were saved.

Where does this argument even come from? It has been brought to my attention (because I have never been in a church that espoused this belief) that the basis for tongues = salvation comes from Acts Chapter 2, which tells us about the Day of Pentecost.

What happened on the Day of Pentecost? Essentially, the 120 or so believers, that's important, that were in a room were filled with the Holy Spirit and they “began to speak in other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.” Among them were the apostles. These men and women made up the church. Where church = group of believers. The church didn't start at the day of Pentecost. Being filled with the Holy Spirit began that day. Those who confessed that Jesus is the Christ constituted the early church. Jesus refers to the church first in Matt 16:18 stating that upon Peter's confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God, the church will be built. Jesus makes a second reference to the church in Matt 18:17 when he discusses church discipline. If a church didn't exist, why talk about it as if it does.
These people believed in Christ as the son of God and their redeemer. Again with the thief on the cross next to Jesus. He was promised that he would be in paradise that day. He was saved, yet without being filled with the Holy Ghost.

The other people in attendance on the day of Pentecost were the devout Jews who lived in Jerusalem. They had returned from all over the place. 17 countries are mentioned in Acts 2:9-11. And what did they hear? Did they hear unknown tongues? No. They heard the message in their own language, which is what amazed them (Acts 2:12). When the word "tongues" is used in the New Testament, it is always referring to an actual language(s) unless it's referring to the physical member.
Then in Acts 2:14, Peter starts his sermon. In Aramaic. So everyone in attendance could understand including the mockers from Acts 2:13. At the end of the sermon, 3000 people received Christ and were baptized. Nothing about them speaking in tongues.

I believe the sign of tongues in Acts served a practical purpose. It got the attention of the people who were there. They couldn't deny what happened. I don't think it had anything to do with a proof that they were saved or filled with the Holy Spirit. It's not a card you carry and pull out when someone asks you if you are a Christian. The gift of tongues was given to these people to allow them to minister to the people that they were with at the time. 1 Cor 12:11 tells us that the Holy Spirit distributes the gifts as he wills. Earlier in that chapter, Paul clearly states that there are different gifts, different offices and different effects of the gifts in the given situations. Verse 7 tells us that the gifts are given to benefit the whole body, not the individual. The gift of "unknown"tongues is covered more directly in 1 Cor 14. Basically, that gift is for the individual and does nothing for the church. It's private. In order for me to "prove I'm saved because I have tongues", I have to violate its very use. At the middle of that chapter, Paul downplays the gift of tongues saying he'd rather be able to speak five words that produces learning in others than ten thousand that benefit no one but himself.


For me, this says it all:
1Cor 12:1-31

The More Excellent Way in 1 Cor 12:31 is 1 Cor 13:1-13. No one’s gifts mean anything without love.


The worst thing is that Christians allow themselves to be divided over this. 1 Cor 14:1-40 asks the question of whether everyone has the same function in the body. No, we don't. Everyone has a unique purpose designed by God. And He has gifts for you to fulfill that purpose.

I'm going to close this with Eph 2:1-22. We are saved by Grace through Faith. We are all saved from the same separation from God by the same Jesus. Filled with the same Holy Spirit. We are to love one another and encourage one another to run the race that is set before us (Heb 12:1).  To press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus (Phil 3:14).



If you want to know if someone is a Christian, Jesus gave you a way to know. Recorded in John 13:35, Jesus said, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."



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This past week our US congress passed a new health care bill. I won't pretend that I know all about it, but I do know there is a lot of talk going on.


On one side, folks are against it. There argument is that we are going down the road to socialism and/or it will run our national debt up even higher. Some say that the government can't even efficiently run the programs that we have now how do they think they are going to be able to run national health care.


The opposite side claims that those who are against it are just heartless. Wouldn't Jesus want everyone to have health care? Shouldn't the poor have just as much access to health care as the rich? They say that this would ultimately save our country money because there would be less folks using emergency health services at the taxpayers expense.


Question of the week:


What do you think? Is this new health care reform good for our country? Do you agree with one of the above point of views? Why or why not?

I have to admit that I am not completely educated on the Health Care bill. I don't really have time to read it...it's rather long. And, heck, the people who get paid to read it (CONGRESS!) didn't read it either. So, I feel somewhat excused. As uneducated about the bill as I am, I am still against it. I don't think it fixed the problem...Insurance Companies. Did the bill do anything to control what it costs to have insurance? What about the doctor who pays tens of thousands of dollars a year for malpractice insurance? Don't get me wrong, they can afford it for the most part. Allow me to defend some of the medical professionals for a second (it's my blog so you can't stop me). Some of these people are honestly involved in life and death all day long. Every decision they make, which can be under extreme pressure with limited time and information, can save or cost a life. I kinda want those people to make a LOT of money. Why? Because that's how our society rewards people for a job well done. You can talk about doing it for the common good or that a personal thank you has great meaning. Those are good and admirable things. But I work a difficult job. It's not life and death, but it's a lot of money on the line for the company and often enough it's with little data and great pressure from several areas for me to make a decision. I am not well compensated relative to my peers and it irritates me that I work for a company with a LOT of money, yet I worry about paying my bills from time to time. Doesn't seem right. I say the same for a life and death kind of Doctor. They shouldn't worry about their bills. How much is enough? Not for me to say. But I say all of that because the cost of medical care isn't ridiculous just because Doctors want to be rich. It's because they are going to be rich, but so are the insurance companies who don't actually do anything. So, who pays? The patient. So, now the government is going to step in and make sure everyone has health care. But did what they passed fix the cost problem? It doesn't seem like it to me.
And what social program has the government ever run that went well, reduced debt or went away? The NYS Thruway system was supposed to be paid for when I was a kid. Not only didn't that happen, it keeps costing more to drive on it. My mother was once told to quit her job and go on welfare because she needed a little - $100/month - help with food stamps or something. Great idea. Let's fund her entire existence rather than giving her a boost and letting her keep her job and her dignity but not run out of food.
The government can't do anything effectively or efficiently because there is hardly an honest soul involved. Pressure tactics, back-room deals, all taking place just to get the bill passed. "But now, we'll all get along and run it for the good of the American people." Yeah, right.

A good point to the bill. A friend of mine hasn't been able to get help with her son who is autistic. Insurance won't cover the treatments. Now, she can. I am glad for her and her son. But again, it wasn't cost, it was some insurance bureaucrat deciding this young boy shouldn't get the help.

The other big issue I have with it is abortion. My tax money, your tax money, will continue to fund abortion. Planned Parenthood will end up in public schools. It's ugly. And it's being foisted on an American Public that does not want it. I saw an interview on PBS a week or so ago with Nancy Pelosi. The interviewer said, in effect, you didn't have the votes in your own party, no one across the aisle supports the bill, and the public is sharply divided. Yet, you passed the bill. Pelosi replied that it was a great example of determination and perseverance for her constituents. Blah, Blah, Blah. I think she missed the point. He wasn't applauding her. With so little support, shouldn't you stop and ask why you're doing this? It has nothing to do with what's good for America or what the people want. Do it because it's historic or to prove you can or prove how powerful you are. Well, I'm unimpressed by your power.

Here's the good news. God is still in control. Never wasn't. So, we can rant and rave all we like (or need) but the best thing to do is pray and to be still and know that He is God.


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This will be a multi-part post. I don't know if it will be one after the other as I have to finish the end. I started writing this about a year ago after a discussion with a friend. It was about spiritual gifts. The discussion broke down when we got to the part where you will have the gift of tongues if you are saved...as proof that you are saved. What follows is from a short paper I started writing as a result.

First, let me say that this is not an attempt to “convert” anyone to my way of thinking. It is an attempt to understand differing views on salvation and the signs of salvation as they bear on eternity.
Second, I began writing this as a way to educate myself. I am not one given to apologetics in general, but it is important that one be able to defend one’s beliefs. If you can’t defend what you believe, why believe it?
Mostly, I do not want to divide the body of Christ.

Tit 3:9  But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain.

I do think it's important enough to research and answer because the body of Christ is divided by this topic. Some folks are being told they aren't saved because they don't speak in tongues. So, here we go.

What is required for salvation? What can we do?
Belief in Jesus Christ alone. There is nothing we can do to earn the free gift of salvation.
I find no scripture requiring anything but believing on Jesus for salvation.

Jesus says it Himself…believe on Me.
John 5:24  Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life.

and

John 6:45-48  It is written in the prophets, And they shall be all taught of God. Every man therefore that hath heard, and hath learned of the Father, cometh unto me. Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God, he hath seen the Father. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me hath everlasting life.  I am that bread of life.

It is belief in Jesus that saves us. Nothing more.
When the Philippian jailer was sure he was dead for having let Paul and Silas escape, he saw the example of Christianity in Paul and Silas. They knew he’d be killed for letting them escape, so they stayed and spared his life. And not only that, they showed him the way to eternal life in Heaven.

Acts 16:25-32  And at midnight Paul and Silas prayed, and sang praises unto God: and the prisoners heard them. And suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken: and immediately all the doors were opened, and every one's bands were loosed. And the keeper of the prison awaking out of his sleep, and seeing the prison doors open, he drew out his sword, and would have killed himself, supposing that the prisoners had been fled. But Paul cried with a loud voice, saying, Do thyself no harm: for we are all here. Then he called for a light, and sprang in, and came trembling, and fell down before Paul and Silas, And brought them out, and said, Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house. And they spake unto him the word of the Lord, and to all that were in his house.(emphasis mine)


Romans 10:9 is the whole Gospel.
Rom 10:8-11  But what saith it? The word is nigh thee, even in thy mouth, and in thy heart: that is, the word of faith, which we preach; That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. For the Scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed.

It is Christ’s atoning blood that redeems.
Heb 9:14-15  How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this cause he is the mediator of the new testament, that by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.


If having the gift of tongues is required, what am I to do? I believe in Jesus. He is my Savior, yet I don’t have the gift of tongues.  If the gift of tongues is a requirement for salvation, God has to give me this gift. Should God choose not to give me tongues, and I can’t be saved without it, then salvation isn’t a choice I can make.

I'll get into gifts more in the next post. One last thought for now...what about the thief of the cross next to Christ? Jesus promised him he'd be in Heaven that day. This guy was neither baptized (different topic) nor did he speak in tongues. As far as I know, there isn't anywhere in scripture where Jesus speaks in tongues either...still working on that one.

I also realize that the verses I have referenced talk about what it takes to be saved and I supposed you could make the argument that having Tongues is proof that you are saved. Not a requirement, but evidence. I'll address that as well.

To be continued...

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I got this from a friend at work. I love this because I stand firmly on the rules of Math and Physics as proof that there is a Creator. You don't get this kind of order from random chance.


The Beauty of Mathematics and the Love of God!

This is TOO cool!
Just the math part is good enough, the end is even better.
I bet you will NOT be able to read it without sending it on to at least one other person!

Beauty of Mathematics!!!!!!!

                 1 x 8 + 1 = 9
               12 x 8 + 2 = 98
             123 x 8 + 3 = 987
           1234 x 8 + 4 = 9876
         12345 x 8 + 5 = 98765
       123456 x 8 + 6 = 987654
     1234567 x 8 + 7 = 9876543
   12345678 x 8 + 8 = 98765432
 123456789 x 8 + 9 = 987654321

                 1 x 9 + 2 = 11
               12 x 9 + 3 = 111
             123 x 9 + 4 = 1111
           1234 x 9 + 5 = 11111
         12345 x 9 + 6 = 111111
       123456 x 9 + 7 = 1111111
     1234567 x 9 + 8 = 11111111
   12345678 x 9 + 9 = 111111111
123456789 x 9 +10 = 1111111111

              9 x 9 + 7 = 88
            98 x 9 + 6 = 888
          987 x 9 + 5 = 8888
        9876 x 9 + 4 = 88888
      98765 x 9 + 3 = 888888
    987654 x 9 + 2 = 8888888
  9876543 x 9 + 1 = 88888888
98765432 x 9 + 0 = 888888888

Brilliant, isn't it?

And look at this symmetry:

                                1 x 1 = 1
                            11 x 11 = 121
                         111 x 111 = 12321
                     1111 x 1111 = 1234321
                 11111 x 11111 = 123454321
             111111 x 111111 = 12345654321
         1111111 x 1111111 = 1234567654321
      11111111 x 11111111 = 123456787654321
  111111111 x 111111111 = 12345678987654321         
 
Mind Boggling...
 
Now, take a look at this...

101%

From a strictly mathematical viewpoint:  What Equals 100%?

What does it mean to give MORE than 100%?

Ever wonder about those people who say they are giving more than 100%?

We have all been in situations where someone wants you to GIVE OVER 100%...

How about ACHIEVING 101%?

What equals 100% in life?

Here's a little mathematical formula that might help answer these questions:

If:

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Is represented as:

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26.

Then:

 H-A-R-D-W-O- R- K =

8+1+18+4+23+15+18+11 = 98%

And:

 K-N-O-W-L-E- D-G-E =

11+14+15+23+12+5+4+7+ 5 = 96%

But:

 A-T-T-I-T-U- D-E =

1+20+20+9+20+ 21+4+5 = 100%

THEN, look how far the love of God will take you:

 L-O-V-E-O-F- G-O-D
12+15+22+5+15+ 6+7+15+4 = 101%

Therefore, one can conclude with mathematical certainty that:
While Hard Work and Knowledge will get you close, and Attitude will get you there, It's theLove of God that will put you over the top!

If you find this interesting share it with your friends & loved ones.
Have a nice day & God Bless You


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