Food For Thought Fridays

When you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins. Mark 11:25

If you are reluctant to forgive others, you are out of sync with God's character. And if you are out of sync with God's character your prayers are not going to be consistent with God's purposes for your life and this world.

Here is where my focus gets a little foggy.

When I am in a tough relationship with someone, sometimes I think Satan's warfare against me focuses on my relationship with the person.

But that really is a secondary problem. If he can cause bitterness or resentment in our hearts (no matter who is right), Satan hinders our relationship with God. This is what he is after.

Satan's desire is to destroy our relationship with God, regardless of the collateral damage.

Don't let Satan win, live a life of forgiveness.

Food For Thought Fridays

Sometimes believers let what has been perverted by culture or other religions keep us from examining important and insightful things in the Bible.

For example, we don't talk about the Virgin Mary very much (except Christmas) because Catholicism has placed so much emphasis on her life. Even though she was a great example of faith.

We don't talk a lot about works because we don't want people to get the idea that we are saved by works thanks to many other religions. Even though our works show our faith.

And we don't talk about the law of God because we don't want to be involved with legalism.

I ran across a curious passage in Proverbs.

Proverbs 22: 28 says, "Do not move an ancient boundary stone set up by your forefathers."

We shouldn't shy away from anything in scripture, but, especially the law of God.

The law of God is a mirror for us to see our sin. It is a restrainer to help guide us. It is a schoolmaster leading us to salvation.

The law of God is an ancient boundary stone that we would like to move sometimes, but nothing can humble us like looking into the holy character of God through the law.

Remember, Proverbs 19:7 says, "The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul."

Nothing will bring us to our knees before God like seeing who we are before a HOLY HOLY HOLY God.

Don't move the stones.

Coconut Kids

Coconut Kids, originally uploaded by DocUNC.

Hot Tub , originally uploaded by DocUNC.

Isaiah loved the jacuzzi on the beach. Caleb thought it was so so. On the way to dinner one night, Caleb found a little coconut. It was his new best friend and the boys fought over it. They took a quick picture for Daddy in the beach hut, but the coconut had to be in the photo.

C is for "Cookie"

Isaiah & Cookie, originally uploaded by DocUNC.

The boys were able to bake cookies with Cookie Monster. Cookie was great all week long.

Of course, Isaiah could not wait. He has a sweet tooth the size of Jamaica so Cookie Monster is right up his alley.

Elmo's World

Caleb & Elmo, originally uploaded by DocUNC.

Elmo was walking poolside, so Caleb grabbed a quick picture. I can only imagine how hot "ELMO" must be.

The characters were great. About twice a day, one character would come by the pool for about 15 to 20 minutes.

It was so neat to be swimming one minute and hugging Elmo the next.

Food For Thought Fridays (On Sunday)

Jamaican Sunset, originally uploaded by DocUNC.

We just got back from vacation and I did not have access to a computer on Friday, so here is a little snack to munch on.

As he looked at the beauty of God's creation, St. Augustine once said, "If these are the pleasures afforded to sinful men, what does God have in store for those whose hearts are His?"

How much do you get caught up in the worries and hurries of life and walk right by the blessings God lays in front of you today?

And if God does bless us now in some way, how great will it be when He comes and we see Him?

What does He have in store for us?

Shalom.

Food For Thought Fridays

I read a statistic the other day that is pretty scary.

50% of Christian men read the word one time or LESS (A BIG FAT ZERO) during the week. These aren't just men who say they are Christians. These are men considered to be the pillars of the congregation.

That is a sad statement. No wonder the church is viewed as wishy washy.

We are a bunch of starving people. We are so malnourished we can't stand up to fight.

John Calvin once said we should reverence the scriptures as we revere God.

I understand what Calvin is saying, but I think we say the Bible is Holy and inspired by God, then put it on the top shelf and never open the Word.

We revere it, we just don't read it.

Thats why we sway with every windy fad and smooth talk that comes by.

2 Timothy 3: 16-17 says, "All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work."

If you want to be equipped, trained, repaired and taught; read the Word.

Shalom

Strawberry Excitement

I Love Strawberries, originally uploaded by DocUNC.

Caleb had a blast picking strawberries. He would pick one strawberry from each row. He picked one and yelled, "Look at those strawberries!" Then he would jump to the next row and yell the same thing. I bet he went on twenty rows to pick a bucket of strawberries.

Pickin' Berries

Pickin' Berries, originally uploaded by DocUNC.

Isaiah was a strawberry pickin' machine. He probably ate more than he picked though. They should have weighed him before and after in order to charge us.