Love thy Political Opponent?

Inspired by Jock Hendricks:
Worship Pastor of Alice Drive Baptist Church, Sumter, SC

When did we begin to hate?

That was the question our Worship Pastor asked yesterday.

Caught up in the politically correct politics, Americans have taken sides.

The firestorm is either right or left and if you disagree there is no negotiation.

Or at least the attempt has been lost even among family and friends.

Acceptance doesn’t mean agreement.

While one may accept another person’s views, it doesn’t mean they are agreeable.

For instance. Just because a person claims to be homosexual doesn’t mean agreeing with that lifestyle is correct; it isn’t. The two views may be opposite but hating each other?

When did we get caught up in such a dilemma the outcome has been total division?

Jesus hung out with some rather seedy characters. Did he hate them? No. He loved them into his kingdom. The individuals decided whether or not to join him.

The battle heated up over serious issues in government such as abortion, homosexuality, taxes, debt, spending, borrowing and the list goes on and on. Either side of the aisle took on an unprecedented following. And then……the country got stuck on “rights.”

As if to strip each other of what we love or need depending on which side you are on, the elimination really ended up that we all have lost a big chunk of ourselves. In and of itself that may not all be bad if it is purposed with God’s will of pruning.

However, mixed in with all the emotional upheaval that comes with hate has been discrimination. As if hate wasn’t bad enough “racism” took sides filtering in among the “rights” provoked. Get over it.

If I really wanted to pitch a fit of being discriminated against I could. After all I live in a military based city where the first question asked of me is always, “are you military?”  The base personnel receive first class service, freebies and percentages off of everything from meals to diapers.  Argue that point with a soldier who comes home from Iraq after being deployed for a year and says to you, “I don’t like getting shot at.”

Who are we to believe we deserve anything good? Our so-called “rights” stem from one piece of degradation. Self-serving, egotistical, narcissistic, Me.

Our society has taught us to hate each other, ostracize anyone who disagrees with our personal agendas and fight to win even if it’s wrong. That issue of “wrong” depends on who you talk to. Never mind God wrote it all down and even labeled them “The Ten Commandments.” How hard can that be?

Think or ponder a moment what the world would be like without a set of God given rules. Oh…..sounds all too familiar.

I don’t hate anyone but there are some humans if you can call them humans I could hate. Hitler, Ariel Castro, Adam Lanza, King Herod, Pharaoh, the Boston bombers…what about the thief who hung next to Jesus on Calvary? He may have been the worst criminal on earth at the time.  That guy is in heaven now. He was a last minute convert but the gates opened and he walked through them.

Hate in our hearts can only be reconciled through Jesus. Unfortunately some have aligned the scum of the earth with political sides.

Jesus discerned humanity with wisdom. He said, “Do not be deceived” out of his love for us. He wasn’t nor is he now pursuing to take away what we believe are “rights.” If anything he is giving us his rights.

His rights include grace, mercy and justice which in his book trump judgment any day. (James 2:12-13)

http://jsparkblog.com/2013/05/20/i-once-wrote-a-song-about-killing-my-ex-gf-actually-twice/

http://samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/the-bible-is-to-be-understood/

http://johnadavid.wordpress.com/2013/05/20/c-s-lewis-daily-81/

Copyright @ 2013 All Rights Reserved

Jesus the Conqueror

Jesus is all-conquering. Face all your difficulties in a spirit of conquest. Wherever Jesus is, there is victory. There are always choices with Jesus leading your way.  Forces of evil flee in his name.  Claim big victories.  Fear not.

Learn what it means to trust God in everything. You will never be the same again before that moment.

The Tricks of the Scammer

Rarely if ever do I get scammed; mostly because I never engage in junk mail inquiries, online freebies or the door to door salesman.

People are hurting financially. Noticing the number of sales people walking around neighborhoods has increased. It’s like avoiding the inevitable. If a person is hungry enough they will try to sell almost anything.

For some reason our neighborhood must be a target for the local swindlers. Maybe we are generous or appear to be stupid.

Their efforts to sell lawn chemicals, carpet cleaners and magazines have become annoying. Lately more general maintenance and lawn care advertisements are found attached to the mailbox.

Two men showed up the other day. Immediately poor mouthing how one had lost his job 3 weeks earlier and couldn’t pay his bills he wanted to work. He could clean the windows and gutters, weed the flower beds, cut the grass and paint.

It was rather odd his so called cousin never said a word. He was his helper.

Our hearts were in the right place. Listening to this man ramble on about his plight made us question his motives. His cousin headed for the flower beds.

If you aren’t closely listening, missing clues will slip by. The major trick of the trade of scammers in a word is, “liars.”

He fidgeted and looked the other way while spilling his sorrows; his mannerisms invoked one who is nervous or unsure. Centering on the job at hand we stressed the need for an estimate. While his cousin or helper began washing the windows he managed to turn to walk away while mumbling,

“I’ll give you a price once I’m done.”

Sorry, but we don’t do business that way.

Heading for their truck, it was apparent he was disgruntled. He got caught.

He needed to learn how to do business or brush up on his skills of lying.

How can you tell when someone is lying?

A few signs are:

→The first five minutes give upfront clues such as distraction or repeating themselves.

→Liars will talk incessantly possibly attacking interrogators with a smile on their face.

→Quickly, the con artist or deceiver will change course by acting as if they don’t understand or use selective memory.

→Using foul language or swearing often comes into play along with rolling eyes and profuse sweating.

→Fillers or words invoked in sentences that are far from straightforward bring about a change of subject from the fabricator.

→The perjurer knows how to give truthful answers off the point of the subject at hand.

→Deluders are masters at using “limited statements” for answers instead of responding with facts.

The truth about liars is what they are willing to do or give up for their lies. Going to the extreme to cover up falsehoods becomes an obsession for a number of reasons.

1. Embarrassment
2. Determined to be right
3. Simple stubbornness
4. One lie may be a ripple effect of other lies
5. Covering for someone else
6. Don’t want to be punished
7. Giving up selfish lifestyles for money or materialism
8. Desperation

Lying has become a national pastime. When one doesn’t receive what they want or need immediately, taking the situation into their own hands overrides patience.

The pain of knowing the truth has given into pre-conceived notions that many don’t want to hear or know the truth. Some people would rather be told a lie if it means the truth will hurt.  Hearing what people want to hear no matter the consequences is an American way of life now.

But is it worth losing your soul?

Proverbs 12:19 “Truthful lips endure forever, but a lying tongue is but for a moment.”

http://goldenbible.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/all-scripture-is-useful-for-2/

http://vineoflife.net/2013/05/18/irs-rep-told-dr-james-dobson-they-wouldnt-approve-his-application-because-he-had-been-critical-of-president/

http://samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com/2013/05/18/a-proper-fear-of-god/

Is it Raining?

When it rains it pours.

Trust has to be earned. Sincerity and honesty don’t come wrapped in a package with ribbons.

Unless you have been on another continent or stuck on a remote island with no communication with the outside world, understanding the truth of trust broken in America has hit an all time high.

As the leader of the free world stands behind a real podium and announces, “I had no idea any of this was going on” many questions fill my brain.

What was it Bill Clinton repeated over and over?  “I did not have sex with that girl?”

If there is a correlation here to the present condition of our government, it is a real lack of trust within the administration itself. One dept. after another including individuals would just as soon throw each other involved in the latest defamation of our freedoms under the next bus that drives by 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue.

Trickle down suspicion is the first secret to be exposed. One by one the malice spreads until the dark shroud is lifted by some degree of confrontation or truth spilled unexpectedly. Lies eventually speak for themselves.

As if the latest explosions of treason weren’t on the radar, the only hold out was when they would detonate. If you didn’t see this coming you must have been watching the shopping channel.

The Obama Administration:

“The government has placed itself in the position of never getting caught. Do whatever needs to be done to get what we want. It doesn’t matter who you step on, what group you profile or what embassy gets blown up; we will press forward with the democratic agenda. If we have to we will rid the nation of conservatives who are racist, extreme terrorizing groups and individuals who desire to end abortions, stop Gay Marriage and use guns to shoot those of us who disagree with them.”

Unfortunately, attitudes such as the above are a result of the blindness of liberals. I for one am disgusted at the constant attacks, ridicule and lies being told about those of us who follow the constitution and live accordingly. After this past week, they have no argument. Besides the facts that have surfaced implying possible criminal activity is the sickening hypocrisy the left has hurled continuously at conservatives.

Regardless of how this plays out, consequences of sin from this government have already been set in motion. The absolute turnaround within the last few months of an arrogant, sanctimonious group of people is now emerging.

As I have written over and over, no matter what good may result from the present Government, issues such as homosexuality and abortion have been stipulated by God as reprehensible acts. These issues will trump anything else. God is not in the bargaining business.

America is a chosen nation by God to aid Israel. America is a chosen nation to financially bless other countries in need. America is a chosen nation by God to set an example for others to follow.

My prayer is that those who have misunderstood the truth will allow God to open their eyes and hearts. This is not about getting revenge or reprisal. It is about restoration and repentance for our nation that is hanging over many cliffs.

If I didn’t know any better, my sense is a new leader has moved into the Oval office.

2 Peter 2:19 “They promise them freedom, while they themselves are slaves of depravity—for “people are slaves to whatever has mastered them.”

____________________________________________________________________________________

http://vineoflife.net/2013/05/17/why-barack-obamas-imperial-presidency-is-imploding/

http://samuelatgilgal.wordpress.com/2013/05/17/the-pure-in-heart/

http://vineoflife.net/2013/05/16/five-abortion-facilities-have-closed-in-pittsburgh-because-of-gosnell-inspired-law/

http://settledinheaven.wordpress.com/2013/05/16/which-road-are-you-traveling/

Copyright @ 2013 All Rights Reserved

The evil tempter caramel muffin

Reblogged from kingintraining:

Fasting is difficult, but I love it. It is such a blessing, to open your spirit to the wonders of God. Satan knows how beneficial it is that he will do anything to interrupt it. This day was no exception! I will never forget the cunning way he literally devised this.

It was during my annual fast and while at work I was craving a caramel muffin.

Read more… 351 more words

Please read! Great story of how the enemy works.

“Mystery Meat” or the Antartica?

Life throws us curves at the end of a season. Just when we believe we ended a major accomplishment, it turns out the season was a prerequisite to the next one.

So it is with growing up. We live each day preparing for the next day. Vocabulary places it all in the “future” tense. What we fail to realize is all the while we are focusing on what we are to do, we forget we are living it in the present.

Living in the future wears on our souls in the present. Another clear tactic of the enemy is the busyness of planning. We have gone too far ahead of ourselves.

Such is the case of moving on after graduation. Having numbers of close relatives and friends graduating from college is an awakening in itself of how old I am!  LOL!

With that in mind, they have their entire future ahead of them. Unless they are specialists in the production of daily planning, it won’t go at all as they believe it will. Not sounding negative here, life gets in the way of life.

Hopes and dreams line up our agendas.

Job hunting becomes a job.

Years of education embody the components of what we hope to become.

Isn’t that what we went to school for?

All those years of horrible classes, mystery meat for lunch and teachers/professors we would like to forget?

While our misery was foremost in our minds, we are fortunate to have the opportunity to be educated. Leaving those memories to move on is the end of one season and the beginning of another.

Reality sets in and the loss of “mystery meat” or that 8am Biology class is the difference between understanding how good we had it and wishing we could do a re-run.

But the future has arrived. Going backwards is not an option. Facing the prospects of the unknown isn’t easy for anyone. The sheltered Graduate leaves years of a safe haven they didn’t know was a place of refuge to begin with.

The truth is we can make plans all day long, but if they don’t match up with God’s plan for our lives, any number of events can happen such as:

Jobs are scarce in general much less in the field studied.

Pay scale won’t feed a mouse much less a hungry graduate.

Moving out of home sets in motion a diversity of issues one never prepared for.

Many take jobs they hate or wind up living in Antarctica.

Within months of graduating you find out “mystery meat’ was really not all that bad opposed to starving.

All the education in the world, won’t advise a stubborn heart to seek God first for a future only he can ordain.

Proverbs 16:9 “We can make our plans, but the Lord determines our steps.”

Maybe the bullheaded, former student will learn that while cleaning toilets.

Copyright @ 2013 All Rights Reserved

 

Crisis of Technology or Scandals?

Lately I have been experiencing a crisis of technology. Appliances, cell phones, computers, etc. and me continue to war against each other. Either manufacture defects occur early on or one of these items breaks when my husband is gone on a trip.

As I use this old Acer laptop, my new Acer Aspire is boxed up and ready to be sent to Texas for a much needed hospital visit.

After countless on-line chats and phone calls to Acer, today was the day for emergency service.

The foreign agents who speak broken or very little English get as frustrated with me because I cannot understand them as I am that they continued to want to repeat the same repairs. Not so today. I am done trying their motives to repair my internet continually disconnecting itself from my network.

This inconvenient problem began from day one. Maintaining a website or page for any length of time past 15 minutes was almost non-existent.

Relaying my internal anger, the agent of whose name I can’t pronounce quickly noted the Aspire needs attention by repair support in Texas.

Blindsided by my many past experiences dealing with broken what-evers, he quickly noted I was not about to pay a dime to ship it either way. As he proceeded to inform me 3 times of “how sorry he was for my inconvenience” but that Acer was not responsible for the shipping, I informed him of the complaint I made last Thursday to the BBB of “ACER’S HORRIBLE PRODUCTS AND SERVICES.”

Asking to speak to his Superior; 2 minutes later another Pakistani/Indian/Farcy speaking man politely said,

“Hello ma’am, Acer will be glad to pay for the shipping of your Acer product.”

As annoying as the last 3 months have been dealing with a broken extension of my arms it doesn’t compare to the White House scandals that continue to pile up. A broken piece of technology would be a reprieve for the scarlet laced staff.

Don’t think this is an “I told you so” but I told you God will not allow evil to stand especially when people are praying.

You can always count on a mistake(s) when wrongs are performed over and over. Eventually getting caught or the ripple effect of botched blunders somehow reaches the surface.

The ultimate blame game has hit the West Wing. Whether it is Benghazi, the IRS, Fast and Furious or now the AP media scandal, the truth is finally emerging.

And the Walls of Jericho came tumblin’ down.