Ecclesiastes 9:10
Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might.

"Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do," refers to works that are possible. There are many things which our heart findeth to do which we never shall do. It is well it is in our heart; but if we would be eminently useful, we must not be content with forming schemes in our heart, and talking of them; we must practically carry out "whatsoever our hand findeth to do." One good deed is more worth than a thousand brilliant theories. Let us not wait for large opportunities, or for a different kind of work, but do just the things we "find to do" day by day. We have no other time in which to live. The past is gone; the future has not arrived; we never shall have any time but time present. Then do not wait until your experience has ripened into maturity before you attempt to serve God. Endeavour now to bring forth fruit. Serve God now, but be careful as to the way in which you perform what you find to do-"do it with thy might." Do it promptly; do not fritter away your life in thinking of what you intend to do to-morrow as if that could recompense for the idleness of to-day. No man ever served God by doing things to-morrow. If we honour Christ and are blessed, it is by the things which we do to-day. Whatever you do for Christ throw your whole soul into it. Do not give Christ a little slurred labour, done as a matter of course now and then; but when you do serve Him, do it with heart, and soul, and strength. But where is the might of a Christian? It is not in himself, for he is perfect weakness. His might lieth in the Lord of Hosts. Then let us seek His help; let us proceed with prayer and faith, and when we have done what our "hand findeth to do," let us wait upon the Lord for His blessing. What we do thus will be well done, and will not fail in its effect.

Sunday, November 22, 2009

Jeremiah 23:29
“Is not My word like fire?” declares the LORD, and like a hammer which shatters a rock?”

If you attend a Christian fellowship where prophecies are part of public worship, I wonder if we should expect from God generic messages like, “I love you, My children” or “I’m coming soon.” These statements are certainly true, but why would they need to be prophesied, since the Bible already clearly asserts God’s love and Christ’s imminent return? I have heard “prophecies” like these given in churches where many people were living in sin, lulling them into an unrighteous complacency.

The voice of a prophet is a consuming fire and a shattering hammer. A prophetic message should motivate people to righteousness, not placate them in their sin (1 Peter 4:17). God is more concerned about church purity than about church growth. Comfort only comes to those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake by allowing God’s Word to purge their sin and shatter their self-centeredness.

Jeremiah relates two other evidences of false prophets: “‘Behold, I am against the prophets,’ declares the LORD, ‘who steal My words from each other’” (23:30). That’s plagiarism: taking what God gave someone else and using it as if it were your own. “‘I am against the prophets,’ declares the LORD, ‘who use their tongues and declare, “the Lord declares”‘” (verse 31).

Declaring that what you are saying is directly from the Lord when it isn’t is an incredible offense to God. If God wants me to know something He will tell me directly. I believe in the priesthood of believers; however, God can and will encourage us and confirm His Word to us through others. “There is one God, and one mediator also between God and men, the man Christ Jesus” (1 Timothy 2:5). If someone says to you “God told me to tell you . . .” that person may be functioning as a medium. The gift of prophecy should reveal the secrets of the heart so people will fall on their faces and worship God (1 Corinthians 14:25). Then God will guide them by His Holy Spirit.

Prayer: Lord, teach me not to quench Your Spirit nor to despise prophetic utterances but to examine everything and hold fast to what is good.

This was my second T.L. Hines book and when it’s chapters are randomly numbered, than you know you are in for a ride. This time we are looking at four people, each person different, each facing their own demons and each if even for a few minutes overlaps the life of the next. With chapters jumping all over the place, we get to know the four characters, Kurt, the trucker and artist, who hears the energy left by ghosts in clothing. He tries to runs away from one ‘ghost’ but in that runs into Corrine, a spammer extraordinaire and dying of Cancer. Later we meet Grace who tattooed Corrine and finally (but firstly) there is Stan who’s bare touch was enough to kill, except Grace doesn’t die from his touch.

For a plot, I was not too sure. The stories did tie in together, and the ending, which was really a beginning for one of the characters was a good twist, but there were elements throughout the story like the catfish, or the tattooing ink that were part of the story but their origin and the agency behind them were never brought out into the light. Only the mysterious string of numbers passing through each one’s hands, an answer to a problem for Stan, Corrine, Grace and Kurt . I was also distracted by the random chapter numbering, trying hard to figure out where they played into the story. The four stories were of themselves interesting to read, each had a problem, each found their answer in a string of numbers pass to them from one of the other characters, and the ending had a great twist. Hines left a few loose strings, which I could overlook, and if you can overlook them, then this book is a good read.

I need to realize, that what is past is past. As I get older, I need to come to grips with reality. God is my only reality.

That which I have experienced in the past with joy and thanksgiving and have been changed, cannot be returned to original. My wife will never be who she was. My marriage and the relationship with my wife will never be something I can take for granted again. My mom will never be a strong healthy woman again. My body will suffer the affects of being overweight and of diabetes and not return to that which I took for granted at the age of 20 and 30.

Instead, we must take what we have, we must placed it before God, we must ask for wisdom from Him, we must move forward in faith, we must embrace the gifts of today, we must rediscover joy (if it seems lost), and we must give thanks. We will encounter new challenges, new illnesses, new disappointments but also we will encounter new joys and will give heartfelt thanks to God for His mercies and for His presence in our lifes. God wants to be the keeper of our burdens. God wants us to rest in His arms. God gives us opportunities of growth and opportunities of trust, and He has not forsaken us even when the world seems to be collapsing all around us.

Psalm 145
A psalm of praise. Of David.

1 [a] I will exalt you, my God the King;
I will praise your name for ever and ever.

2 Every day I will praise you
and extol your name for ever and ever.

3 Great is the LORD and most worthy of praise;
his greatness no one can fathom.

4 One generation will commend your works to another;
they will tell of your mighty acts.

5 They will speak of the glorious splendor of your majesty,
and I will meditate on your wonderful works. [b]

6 They will tell of the power of your awesome works,
and I will proclaim your great deeds.

7 They will celebrate your abundant goodness
and joyfully sing of your righteousness.

8 The LORD is gracious and compassionate,
slow to anger and rich in love.

9 The LORD is good to all;
he has compassion on all he has made.

10 All you have made will praise you, O LORD;
your saints will extol you.

11 They will tell of the glory of your kingdom
and speak of your might,

12 so that all men may know of your mighty acts
and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.

13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
The LORD is faithful to all his promises
and loving toward all he has made. [c]

14 The LORD upholds all those who fall
and lifts up all who are bowed down.

15 The eyes of all look to you,
and you give them their food at the proper time.

16 You open your hand
and satisfy the desires of every living thing.

17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways
and loving toward all he has made.

18 The LORD is near to all who call on him,
to all who call on him in truth.

19 He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;
he hears their cry and saves them.

20 The LORD watches over all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.

21 My mouth will speak in praise of the LORD.
Let every creature praise his holy name
for ever and ever.

Its just a bit weird when a new element is added to your deam, and a part of you KNOW that you had not encountered the element, but the dream part reactes like, ‘oh, that right… ‘, as if the element belong there, you known about it, the detail of it momentary slipped from memory.

In my dream, I picked up a shirt, and under the shirt was a cobra snake. I had a ‘memory’ in the dream, of the snake being a part of the dream, and I was ‘oh yeah’ in my reaction to it’s presence, but my watching brain knew the element was new and everything familiar about it was false.

No wonder I woke up feeling as if I had no sleep what-so-ever.

1) The bandage was wound around the wound.
2) The farm was used to produce produce.
3) The dump was so full that it had to refuse more refuse.
4) We must polish the Polish furniture.
5) He could lead if he would get the lead out.
6) The soldier decided to desert his dessert in the desert.
7) Since there is no time like the present, he thought it was time to present the present.
A bass was painted on the head of the bass drum.
9) When shot at, the dove dove into the bushes.
10) I did not object to the object.
11) The insurance was invalid for the invalid.
12) There was a row among the oarsmen about how to row.
13) They were too close to the door to close it.
14) The buck does funny things when the does are present.
15) A seamstress and a sewer fell down into a sewer line.
16) To help with planting, the farmer taught his sow to sow.
17) The wind was too strong to wind the sail.
18) After a number of injections my jaw got number.
19) Upon seeing the tear in the painting I shed a tear.
20) I had to subject the subject to a series of tests.
21) How can I intimate this to my most intimate friend?