tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.comments2016-02-15T07:34:27.110-08:00Upstream at BittercreekUpstream at Bittercreekhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15960439841504914135noreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-55826876713259398232016-02-14T22:25:00.245-08:002016-02-14T22:25:00.245-08:00Maybe the angel was preparing him to see God? If I...Maybe the angel was preparing him to see God? If I were walking up a hill and saw GOD without warning I might be too freaked out to be present for HIS instructions. However, if an angel appeared first I might warm up to the idea that GOD was next up. :)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04273674929615157762noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-48373451089099456512015-01-27T22:39:46.065-08:002015-01-27T22:39:46.065-08:00So very true, Greg. For the incarnate God to come ...So very true, Greg. For the incarnate God to come into such a proposterous, desperate situation - it seems charmig to us in the Christmas cards - seems incomprehensible.What was he thinking? But he came to the marginalized, the desperate, the poor. How can you refute the testimony of lives changed though? My own miracle healing, saved from a plane crash, too many other lives delivered from addiction.... As C. S. Lewis wrote, Jesus must be either the world's greatest liar, a lunatic, or Lord. There are no other logical possibilities. And again, who would die for a con artist or a fruitcake?<br /><br />You can't be sort of a Christian any more than a woman can be sort of pregnant; you're either are all in or all out. The question comes: people say they're Christian,meaning they believe IN Jesus, but do they believe him,and if they do, what do they do about it? "Yeah, he was God, but it doesn't mean anything to my daily life." How can he mean anything without meaning everything? Rose Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07388981495700842926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-51557421898128548112015-01-27T19:39:04.833-08:002015-01-27T19:39:04.833-08:00Either Jesus is God or He is a liar and a lunatic....Either Jesus is God or He is a liar and a lunatic. Honestly the Jewish head honchos murdered Him more for the fact He claimed to be God than for what He taught. He proved His claim over and over again by His many miracles and His final proof which was His own resurrection. The Jewish leaders knew all these facts but willfully refused to believe in Him as their Messiah. Why? Perhaps the same reason folks today refuse Him as Savior. They would be obligated to submit and obey Him. They aren't willing to pay that cost.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-66782667066881637142015-01-27T19:24:07.905-08:002015-01-27T19:24:07.905-08:00Key word here is: free will. The angels who chose ...Key word here is: free will. The angels who chose to rebel used their free will to follow one of their own into rebellion against the God who made them. God cannot make a mistake or He cannot be God. He also cannot be taken by surprise by the action of any being.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-6641099000561710762015-01-04T01:02:27.757-08:002015-01-04T01:02:27.757-08:00Interesting thought Interesting thought Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13644083047132171045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-32712318371908106682015-01-04T01:01:30.342-08:002015-01-04T01:01:30.342-08:00Interesting Interesting Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13644083047132171045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-41526366510517124032015-01-03T21:27:10.455-08:002015-01-03T21:27:10.455-08:00Amen! Being a widow makes me feel like I suddenly...Amen! Being a widow makes me feel like I suddenly have some kind of disease. I don't fit in anywhere.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04162910567895382237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-28121554551424948772014-12-20T22:56:05.721-08:002014-12-20T22:56:05.721-08:00Infidelity isn't God's will, bitterness i...Infidelity isn't God's will, bitterness isn't, self-seeking isn't, but many people choose those things out of selfishness, dysfunction, , and a multitude of " reasons" that boil down to self over others or above His clear word. Man's free will gives us liberty to choose to live lovingly- but also to choose otherwise in ways that surely break God's heart. Rose Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07388981495700842926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-70927317898431248022014-10-30T21:46:12.389-07:002014-10-30T21:46:12.389-07:00Sadly all too true. We need to stand inthe gap and...Sadly all too true. We need to stand inthe gap andpray for revival and a return to holiness in our land - 2 Chronicles 7:14,andme at the head of the line confessing my own sins and knowing they're removed as far as the East is from the West. Rose Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07388981495700842926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-20040338426877287922014-10-30T21:41:37.320-07:002014-10-30T21:41:37.320-07:00Anyone with these qualities would be flexible, fai...Anyone with these qualities would be flexible, faithful, grace-giving and humbly recognizing that we all fail and disappoint sometimes, but the other (and they) are 95% amazing. Rose Jacksonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07388981495700842926noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-85994893023423687722014-10-20T20:03:29.059-07:002014-10-20T20:03:29.059-07:00Hebrews 1:14 and Matthew 18:10 seem to indicate be...Hebrews 1:14 and Matthew 18:10 seem to indicate believers are served by angels in general. These angles are pictured "always" watching the face of God so as to hear His command to them to help a believer when needed. God and the holy angels are very concerned for every believers well being therefore it is extremely serious to treat any fellow believer with contempt.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-31852573235640127962014-10-07T21:24:59.315-07:002014-10-07T21:24:59.315-07:00And yet- if you find a person like that - why don&...And yet- if you find a person like that - why don't they measure up in the end?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04162910567895382237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-81168059195038412022014-10-07T21:21:14.299-07:002014-10-07T21:21:14.299-07:00All I can do is laugh at this one!All I can do is laugh at this one!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04162910567895382237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-52895518664209162442014-10-07T17:56:12.843-07:002014-10-07T17:56:12.843-07:00In verse 2 the rich man intended to fire his stewa...In verse 2 the rich man intended to fire his steward. But for some reason he waited and it cost him even more. The mans reaction in verse 8 seems to indicate he thought the steward guilty of incompetence rather than fraud. The rich man had been outwitted and he admired the stewards criminal genius. This shows that he too was a wicked man. It seems all the characters in this parable are crafty, unjust and corrupt. Perhaps this is why he didn't fire him on the spot after finding out his unscrupulous dealings.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-68735940862469996512014-09-13T19:17:09.806-07:002014-09-13T19:17:09.806-07:00God's known will is clearly defined for us in ...God's known will is clearly defined for us in His word. It is His will all be saved. Thus we are to actively pursue this for all. It is His will we be Spirit filled. It is also His will we be sanctified which is practical purity. It is God's will we submit to every ordinance of man for His sake. It is also God's will we are suffering (all who live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution) It is His will we be thankful in all things. How do I know something is really God's will for my life? my Am I walking in all of God's revealed will for me? If so then do what I have the desire to do, Psalm 37:4 my desires will be what He has given me not what I want but what He wants.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-63157349124582205372014-09-11T20:25:42.147-07:002014-09-11T20:25:42.147-07:00One of the worst things that one can say to a wido...One of the worst things that one can say to a widow or widower is that the loss of their mate - their soul mate - their best friend, is that it was God's will. Add to that, "He has something even better planned for you". When we lose our life partner; someone who knows us & whom we know better than anyone; we do NOT EVER believe there's something better out there for us! Will it happen? Will we be that lucky again? I suppose some will. Only time will heal those wounds & help us with the idea that it may be possible. MAY being the operative word. I guess we just have to work on being open to the possibility.....someday.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04162910567895382237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-86199937437129623812014-08-28T19:28:24.237-07:002014-08-28T19:28:24.237-07:00Ah adversity or storms of life.....because we live...Ah adversity or storms of life.....because we live in a fallen world trouble of some kind is woven into the fabric of life. As somone once said we're always in one of three places: heading into a storm, in a storm, or emerging from a storm. Most generally until these storms hit, we live with "delusions of adequacy," we think we have it under control until suddenly we don't. Storms cut us down to size and cause us to fear.<br />Although God doesn't create the storms in our life, He does what Jesus did that night on the Sea of Galilee. He uses the churning seas to demonstrate His power and strengthen our faith in Him.<br />C.S. Lewis explains it like this: God, who has made us, knows what we are and that our happiness lies in Him. Yet we will not seek it in Him as long as He leaves us any other resort where it can even plausibly be looked for. While what we call "our own life" remains agreeable, we will not surrender it to Him. What then can God do in our best interest but make "our own life" less agreeable to us, and take away the plausible source of false happiness?<br />(Quoted from 'What Are You Afraid Of' by David Jeremiah)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-90382351928051286702014-08-26T21:41:52.903-07:002014-08-26T21:41:52.903-07:00I've often thought of how Jesus felt knowing H...I've often thought of how Jesus felt knowing He did all He could to give us a picture of who God is, what He can do and of His character and yet was rejected. The heartache He must have felt is something I can't fathom. I'm glad His love for us was so complete that it over shadowed any grief. Marshanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-88845503040179531822014-08-26T18:47:21.372-07:002014-08-26T18:47:21.372-07:00And the Lord God said, "It is not good that t... And the Lord God said, "It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him a helper comparable to him." Was God observing man's incompleteness? It surely seems so. The words seem to indicate man's need for a companion, a helper, an equal without which he was incapable of multiplying, or taking dominion over the earth. Thus God created Eve, Adam's suitable counterpart.<br />The arguement presented for 'completeness' is definitely legitimate and biblical. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-3549930022188883842014-08-26T14:46:07.227-07:002014-08-26T14:46:07.227-07:00That's all very true. As one who had that kin...That's all very true. As one who had that kind of love - I know it's possible. I pray I have it again.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04162910567895382237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-72894243837226741052014-08-07T09:02:27.046-07:002014-08-07T09:02:27.046-07:00Nothing like a little light hearted humor to begin...Nothing like a little light hearted humor to begin the day!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04162910567895382237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-11525652075614290222014-08-01T16:24:41.372-07:002014-08-01T16:24:41.372-07:00There are six components of God's known will w...There are six components of God's known will which in addition to loving Him supremely and others would be a fantastic way to change our world. <br />#1 It is God's will for all men to be saved. We are to be actively pursuing this for all.<br />#2 It is God's will that all Christians be Spirit-filled. Live every moment as though we are in the presence of Jesus.<br />#3 It is God's will we be made into His likeness (sanctification)<br />#4 It is God's will we submit ourselves to every ordinance of man for the Lord's sake.<br />#5 It is God's will we suffer. All who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer.<br />#6 It is God's will we be thankful in all things.<br />Perhaps if all Christians were living in such a manner every one of our individual worlds would be changed and thus the entire world.<br />If a Christian is "in" every one of these aspects of God's will, he/she may do whatever he desires for it will be God who will give that desire.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-89116430551865761452014-06-16T08:17:50.266-07:002014-06-16T08:17:50.266-07:00Being a loving & daily example for our childre...Being a loving & daily example for our children makes a huge difference. I really believe they absorb what we project - even step children. The best thing I, personally, did was marry a loving man. They witnessed real love & that can only be a good thing for everyone in the end. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04162910567895382237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-28831806378159469992014-06-11T06:32:19.768-07:002014-06-11T06:32:19.768-07:00AMEN!!!AMEN!!!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04162910567895382237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4681337582983939535.post-50677848845403148552014-05-29T08:53:36.841-07:002014-05-29T08:53:36.841-07:00A quote from "Healing after Loss" by Mar...A quote from "Healing after Loss" by Martha Whitmore Hickman;<br /><br />"Did someone say that there would be an end, an end, Oh, an end, to love and mourning? by May Sarton -<br /><br />No, not to either. And that's the comfort, I suppose - that though we don't ever 'get over' a major loss, we don't 'get over' the love we shared with that person, either - a love that, in ways we will come to know, stays with us and continues to enrich our life over the years.<br /><br />But a caution. We need not confuse the mourning with the image of the person we loved. If we allow them to overlap too much, then we cannot let go of the mourning because we would lose the loved one, too. But they are different, and we will do better with our lives if, as soon as we are able, we make a conscious separation of the loved person from the grief over his or her loss. Each has its place, but they don't always need to blend together..<br /><br />** Though I know my memory of my loved one will always carry a tinge of sadness, I will be able to put that in the background - if I want to."<br /><br />That was today's meditation from "Healing After Loss" & certainly seemed to fit here.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04162910567895382237noreply@blogger.com