tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61071868102546676022023-11-15T10:41:09.093-05:00FINDING MY RELIGIONMikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.comBlogger23125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-88611571335987060712010-09-30T15:22:00.001-04:002010-09-30T15:22:50.704-04:00At What Cost?<p>1 John 4:7, 11</p> <h4>Beloved, let us love one another: for love is of God; and every one that loveth is born of God, and knoweth God.  Beloved, if God so loved us, we ought also to love one another.</h4> <p>I have been studying the Bible and am amazed by the message of Love that is written within its pages.  Yet, in having lived for more than a half century now I am equally amazed by how we as a species we fail at the most simplest of lessons from the Bible, the ability to get along with one another.  To me that has to be one of the biggest disappointments that God must have in his creation.  With the ability to learn and create great things we have yet to learn to accept each other and to Love Thy Neighbor as Thy self.  Why do we feel compelled to gauge our success of being good Christians by smiting other religions or people without religion in their lives.  I accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior and live for a relationship with God.  But it doesn’t occur to me that in order for me to be successful at that relationship that I have to hate those who do not feel the same.  God gave man freewill and in doing so has put a path in place for man to return to his side.  Other religions have been developed over the years as has Christianity and those that follow those paths believe deeply in what they have been taught. I’m not saying that all Christians fail at getting along, in fact, in every religion there are zealots that interweave their own agenda within the peaceful teachings of their faith.  </p> <p>Why then…….and at what cost will we ever come together as God intended?   I know that this is not a question that can or will be answered within my life time, but I hope at some point a generation is born that realizes that we are all in this together.  There will come a time that if we do not stand as one, we will be faced with annihilation.  Maybe that will be the end days maybe it will be something totally unexpected.  </p> <p>I pray for the day when God looks at the way that we treat each other and smiles.  </p> Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-2572219228414145882010-06-29T17:06:00.001-04:002010-06-29T17:06:56.957-04:00Lost Along the Way<p>Lately, and for the life of me I can’t understand why, I have felt that I have become separated from the Lord.  I know it doesn’t have anything to do with Him not caring.  I have stalled in my desire to find my relationship with God.  I have tried to pray through this feeling, but have been unsuccessful in my attempt.  </p> <p>Has any of you ever been in this dilemma?  if so, I’d love to know how I can get back on track.  I miss the closeness that I was feeling with our Lord.  I felt that the Holy Spirit was strong in me for some time but I just feel that all has stopped.</p> <p>I desperately need help to get through this problem.  Please help if you can……Tell me what you did, if you’ve been where I am now.</p> <p>Thanks and God Bless……..  </p> Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-54859000899082101752010-06-01T14:54:00.001-04:002010-06-01T15:02:58.873-04:00But Through the Glory of God<p>This past week I lost my mother.  She had suffered many years with health problems that caused her great pain.  I’m sorry that she suffered for all those years, but I know now that she suffers no more.  God has delivered her from this momentary mortal life and has welcomed her to her new home in Heaven for eternity.  Mom often talked about what she believed would happen after death and I would marvel in her excitement of expecting a better existence. </p> <p>My mother was a wonderful woman who was a born again Christian who knew no strangers and was very strong willed and compassionate.  She often gave of herself so that others could have.  In talking with the caregivers from the nursing home where she lived for the past 2 years I found out she was instrumental in assisting in the recovery of others.  She would help to care for others at the home that could not take care of themselves.  She would assist in their rehab and keep them busy when they were feeling lonely and depressed.  She loved to play all kinds of board and card games.  </p> <p>All that is good in me came from my Mother and Father.  I miss them both dearly, but I know that we will all be together again some day, but through the Glory of God.</p> <p><em><strong>I Love You Mom….I will see you again in Heaven….</strong></em></p> <p><em><strong>John 11:25</strong></em>  Jesus said, "I am the resurrection and the life. Those who believe in me, even though they die like everyone else, will live again.”</p> <p><em><strong>1 Corinthians 15:21</strong></em> So you see, just as death came into the world through a man, Adam, now the resurrection from the dead has begun through another man, Christ.</p> <p><strong><em>Psalm 23</em></strong> David’s Prayer……The LORD [is] my shepherd I shall not want…He maketh me to lie down in green pastures…he leadeth me beside the still waters…He restoreth my soul…he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake…Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death…I will fear no evil...for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me…Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies…thou anointest my head with oil…my cup runneth over…Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life…and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever</p> Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-48312518121228536812010-05-18T14:04:00.001-04:002010-05-18T14:06:50.248-04:00A Prayer for Forgiveness<p class="MsoNormal">Dear <b>God</b>,</p><p class="MsoNormal">I am your humble servant.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> My intentions are good, but I am human. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I suffer from all of the flaws and impurities that come from existing in this worldly environment.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My soul is dedicated to you and I have accepted </span>Jesus Christ<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> as my Lord and Savior.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In His name, Dear </span>God<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> I ask that you forgive me my sins and guide me “down the road” towards righteousness.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Help me to shed my worldly concerns and to focus on an eternity by your side.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Forgive me, for I am just a man.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There are many things in this life that I have done that I am not proud of…….I have let down myself and others in the past which has impacted my life in so many ways.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>All I want Dear </span>God<span style="mso-spacerun:yes">, is to feel like I will be in Heaven after this life.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Jesus has sacrificed so much for me that nothing I can do can repay Him……He took on the sins of an entire WORLD so that we could reunite with our God.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I go to bed each night praying to you and hoping for Forgiveness, I also ask that you help make me a better person tomorrow then I was today.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Each morning I wake hoping that I can live up to your expectations.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There are no excuses for my shortcomings, just know Dear God that my soul belongs to you.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Do with it what you see fit…..Please show me how to serve you each day.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In Jesus name I pray….Amen</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-39047476265166260282010-05-11T18:29:00.001-04:002010-05-11T18:30:40.671-04:00Isolation<p class="MsoNormal">Isolation is seen in two lights; one is the environment of choice for those wanting to meditate or find spiritual freedom and the other relates to the separation of an individual from those of his kind and leads to depression and loneliness.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There are those who like to live separate from everyone else, hermits, if you wish, that cherish an environment free of hassle, drama, strife and human suffering.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The old saying “out of sight, out of mind” is true in the sense that we are able to push aside our thoughts of those close to us simply by separating ourselves both physically and mentally from the situations and people who annoy and burden us with their circumstances.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Some isolation is good in that it leads us into a realm where we can control what information we take in and what we chose to ignore.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Some of my best mediations and conversations with God have come during time when I have been able to isolate myself from everything else.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In fact, it is the best way that I know to build your relationship with God…..it is one of the few times that you can experience a one on one conversation with your Creator.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>God is always listening; he listens for the sincere cries for help and the jubilant shouts of joy.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He is there to share in your life the ups and downs that we all face.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>When your interactions with others fail, he will always be there.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>All of us have had times when things are at their worst where we think that we are alone, isolated, to handle the situation on our own, but God is ALWAYS there.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So, because we are never truly alone, Isolation doesn’t really exist.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">When you feel that there is no one around that you can rely on, know that God has never left you.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He was there when you were created and will be there through eternity when you pass from this physical existence.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The Bible, the true word of God is filled with stories of people who faced situations seemly alone only to find out that He was there all along.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Think of the story of Daniel in the Lion’s den….Daniel was thrown to the lions with the intent on becoming their meal, but God intervened and saved him from that fate.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I know that it’s convenient and popular to copy only brief segments of the Bible, but in this case I copied the story…..It’s a wonderful testament to the power of our God. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Enjoy…………</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>“<i><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">Daniel is Thrown into a Lions’ Den (The Book of Daniel 6:1 – 28)<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">It seemed like a good idea to Darius<sup> <a name="v1"></a><a href="http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Dan&chapter=6#n1"><span style="mso-bookmark:v1"><span style="color:blue">1</span></span><span style="mso-bookmark:v1"></span></a><span style="mso-bookmark:v1"></span> </sup> to appoint over the kingdom 120 satraps<sup> </sup>who would be in charge of the entire kingdom. Over them would be three supervisors, one of whom was Daniel. These satraps were accountable<sup> </sup>to them, so that the king’s interests might not incur damage. Now this Daniel was distinguishing himself above the other supervisors and the satraps, for he had an extraordinary spirit. In fact, the king intended to appoint him over the entire kingdom. Consequently the supervisors and satraps were trying to find<sup> </sup>some pretext against Daniel in connection with administrative matters.<sup> </sup> But they were unable to find any such damaging evidence,<sup> </sup> because he was trustworthy and guilty of no negligence or corruption.<sup> </sup> So these men concluded,<sup> </sup>“We won’t find any pretext against this man Daniel unless it is<sup> </sup>in connection with the law of his God.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 12.0pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"> So these supervisors and satraps came by collusion<sup> </sup> to the king and said<sup> </sup> to him, “O King Darius, live forever! To all the supervisors of the kingdom, the prefects, satraps, counselors, and governors it seemed like a good idea for a royal edict to be issued and an interdict to be enforced. For the next thirty days anyone who prays<sup> </sup> to any god or human other than you, O king, should be thrown into a den of lions. Now let the king issue a written interdict<sup> </sup> so that it cannot be altered, according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed.<sup> </sup> So King Darius issued the written interdict.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 12.0pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"> When Daniel realized<sup> </sup> that a written decree had been issued, he entered his home, where the windows<sup> </sup> in his upper room opened toward Jerusalem.<sup> </sup> Three<sup> </sup> times daily he was<sup> </sup> kneeling<sup> </sup> and offering prayers and thanks to his God just as he had been accustomed to do previously. Then those officials who had gone to the king<sup> </sup> came by collusion and found Daniel praying and asking for help before his God. So they approached the king and said to him,<sup> </sup> “Did you not issue an edict to the effect that for the next thirty days anyone who prays to any god or human other than to you, O king, would be thrown into a den of lions?” The king replied, “That is correct,<sup> </sup>according to the law of the Medes and Persians, which cannot be changed.” Then they said to the king, “Daniel, who is one of the captives<sup> </sup> from Judah, pays no attention to you, O king, or to the edict that you issued. Three times daily he offers his prayer.”<sup> </sup><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 12.0pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"> When the king heard this,<sup> </sup> he was very upset and began thinking about<sup> </sup> how he might rescue Daniel. Until late afternoon<sup> </sup> he was struggling to find a way to rescue him. Then those men came by collusion to the king and<sup> </sup> said to him,<sup> </sup> “Recall,<sup> </sup> O king, that it is a law of the Medes and Persians that no edict or decree that the king issues can be changed.” So the king gave the order,<sup> </sup> and Daniel was brought and thrown into a den<sup> </sup> of lions. The king consoled<sup> </sup> Daniel by saying, “Your God whom you continually serve will rescue you!” Then a stone was brought and placed over the opening<sup> </sup> to the den. The king sealed<sup> </sup> it with his signet ring and with those<sup> </sup> of his nobles so that nothing could be changed with regard to Daniel. Then the king departed to his palace. But he spent the night without eating, and no diversions<sup> </sup> were brought to him. He was unable to sleep.<sup> <o:p></o:p></sup></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 12.0pt;line-height:normal"><sup><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"> </span></sup><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height:normal"><i><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black">God Rescues Daniel from the Lions<o:p></o:p></span></i></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 12.0pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"> In the morning, at the earliest sign of daylight, the king got up and rushed to the lions’ den. As he approached the den, he called out to Daniel in a worried voice,<sup> </sup> “Daniel, servant of the living God, was your God whom you continually serve able to rescue you from the lions?”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 12.0pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"> Then Daniel spoke to<sup> </sup> the king, “O king, live forever! My God sent his angel and closed the lions’ mouths so that they have not harmed me, because I was found to be innocent before him. Nor have I done any harm to you, O king.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 12.0pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"> Then the king was delighted and gave an order to haul Daniel up from the den. So Daniel was hauled up out of the den. He had no injury of any kind, because he had trusted in his God. The king gave another order,<sup> <a name="v42"></a><a href="http://net.bible.org/bible.php?book=Dan&chapter=6#n42"></a><span style="mso-bookmark:v42"></span> </sup> and those men who had maliciously accused<sup> </sup>Daniel were brought and thrown<sup> </sup> into the lions’ den – they, their children, and their wives.<sup> </sup> They did not even reach the bottom of the den before the lions overpowered them and crushed all their bones.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 12.0pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"> Then King Darius wrote to all the peoples, nations, and language groups who were living in all the land: “Peace and prosperity! I have issued an edict that throughout all the dominion of my kingdom people are to revere and fear the God of Daniel.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">“For he is the living God;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">he endures forever.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">His kingdom will not be destroyed;<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">his authority is forever.<sup> </sup><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black"> He rescues and delivers<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">and performs signs and wonders<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">in the heavens and on the earth.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif";mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";color:black">He has rescued Daniel from the power<sup> </sup>of the lions!”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 12.0pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"> So this Daniel prospered during the reign of Darius and<sup> </sup> the reign of Cyrus the Persian.”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 12.0pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 12.0pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black"><o:p> </o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent: 12.0pt;line-height:normal"><span style="font-family:"Georgia","serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; color:black">God Bless you all…….<o:p></o:p></span></p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-52972688588779120012010-04-21T18:53:00.001-04:002010-04-21T18:55:23.362-04:00Compassion<p class="MsoNormal"><i>“Life is full of ups and downs and I am left to deal with them on my own. Others say that they understand but until they’ve walked in my shoes they can’t fully understand what I am going through.” </i></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These are words that have echoed from peoples lips throughout time.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The truth is that you are NOT alone.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ has guaranteed that through his teachings and personal sacrifice.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Having struggled personally with some of these ups and downs, I know that God is there to help me.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Literally, every time I have asked for His help I have received an answer.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And most of that help has been exactly what I have asked for, for example, I would ask God to tell me what action I should take regarding a personal issue and within a few hours I am presented with the thoughts of what I should do…..now keep in mind, these are thoughts that I would never have come up with on my own.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I can see how people can let their circumstances get the best of them…..in fact; it has happened to me a lot in the recent past, but having said that, since I have turned to God and accepted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior, I have never felt abandoned.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have also been blessed with friends and family members who have been there, when I’ve needed them.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">In regards to more Earthly help, us mortals should not under-appreciate the value of having another person who is there to support you.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A sounding board, if you will, to help you process and provide feedback to help you through the darkest time.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What you should know is that, that other mortal person I am talking about has been sent your way by God to be the right person at the right time you need to get you through your situation.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">As Christians I think one of the most important things we can do is to offer ourselves as that sounding board to others.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Become your brother’s keeper, you would be surprised how much you are appreciated and how much better you will feel as well.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You never know you may have saved that person’s life.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There are those who make one last ditch effort before taking that final step leading to suicide.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Although suicide is a sin and is NEVER the answer to your problems……you hear in the nightly news the number of suicide’s continues to rise each year…..I have to think that some of those taking this horrible action are Christian’s who have somehow lost their way.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Dear brothers and sisters my message is clear……..seek out those in need, make a difference in someone’s life.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And in doing so share your relationship with God and help those who are struggling to create a relationship with God of their own.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You will never regret it.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Compassion is one of our Lords greatest gifts to us, don’t waste it or push it to the back burner.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Everything that Jesus did while on this Earth can be tied back to His compassion for mankind.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Please take this opportunity to exhibit your ability to show compassion.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><b><i>God Bless you all...... </i></b></p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-50626752610254474602010-04-08T17:06:00.000-04:002010-04-08T17:08:14.877-04:00Pride and Your Relationship with God<p class="MsoNormal">For those of you that don’t know me or is looking at this blog for the first time, my writing style is that of the lay person.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I don’t know scripture to quote, but I tell you in my own words how I feel and the thoughts that I experience through this unbelievable journey. </p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’ve met a few people since this all started and I’ve noticed a few things.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One is that there are those who are saved but really don’t know God on a daily basis.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Their pride or the way that they were raised keeps them from turning more of their lives over to God.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The ones that I’ve met are mostly men and for men there is a tendency to think that if you give too much of your life to your religion than you lose something of yourself, in that, you no longer seem in control or that you have become a zealot.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>As a man I can tell you that most of us have been raised to be the leaders of our family, to be the rock that everyone stands or falls back on…..we must ALWAYS show our strength and not faultier from that course.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">These men are missing a big part of what God can bring into their life.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I can tell you from my own experience that each stage of my relationship with God has empowered me, not taken anything away.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I forget which Psalm it is, but in that message there is a statement that says “God is the Strength of my Heart”, if anything, allowing God into your life makes you stronger.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There are those that I’ve known both before they’ve been saved and afterwards who enjoy a close relationship with God…..These people radiate strength from within, you can feel that they are more in control of their lives than they have ever been.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">My message today is that there is a happy medium between just being saved versus becoming a zealot.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And that place is different for everyone…..but we must not fail in our attempt to become closer to God.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He wants us to be happy, He wants us to succeed, He wants us to maintain our individuality, so please look for that which brings you closer to your Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He knows us so well, He knows what we need and He is our biggest supporter.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We all suffer trials and tribulations but that does not mean that we have to deal with them on our own.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We are NOT WEAK if we turn our problems over to our Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In business, as in life, we our taught to use all of our resources for maximum effectiveness and to achieve the best results.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>God is a HUGH resource…..He is there waiting for you to use His energy and tap His promise to deliver us in all that we do….don’t let that slip away because you think that people will see you as someone who has gone overboard with their religion.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Let Him in….you will never regret that decision.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In looking back I can’t believe how dumb I’ve been about trying to carry all of what life has dumped on me on my own shoulders.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The times that I have turned to God for help, I have never been disappointed.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And I can tell you that I am not worthy of His Love, but I know that Jesus died so that I could receive what God has to offer.</p> <span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">Dear friends please listen to this message and know that God has a miraculous life in store for you…..all we have to do is ask……..Remember….”Ask and you will receive”…….God Bless you all.</span>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-87960962012666354762010-04-06T18:02:00.001-04:002010-04-06T18:02:41.222-04:00God and a New Friend<p class="MsoNormal">I’m back……My apologies for my hiatus to those who have visited my site over the past few months.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A lot has transpired in my life during this time.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have undergone and recovered from total hip replacement surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have been through periods of extreme depression and have had to fight off the demons that have plagued me for most of my life.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">God has been doing some miraculous work on me, he is and has always been there for me in my times of need.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He has directed me to a new friend who is anointed with the Holy Spirit who, along with my wife, sister-in-law and niece prayed over my broken body and spirit to drive away the devil and his lies.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>For some time now I have been dealing with bouts of doubt about my worthiness.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This doubt was placed in my mind by the enemy, the devil.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He has been working on me for awhile and thanks to the session with those who love me I think that his hold on me has been broken.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is ironic that on this Easter Sunday the day that we celebrate the resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ…….that I too was resurrected from the pit of despair.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I feel like a new warrior of God.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>His power surges through my veins and I know that he has good things in store for me.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I now pray every morning for the Lord to watch over and protect me and to direct me in what he wants me to do for him each day.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">My new friend Linda has opened my eyes.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She is one of the truly blessed people that you could sit and talk to all day and wonder where the time went after you were through.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I call her a renaissance women, she is my sister-in-laws friend who along with being anointed by God has the ability to excel in many different disciplines.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Thank you Linda for praying over me, and caring enough to help enlighten me so that I might continue on my journey.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I truly believe that God directed me to you and that he has given me access to yet another resource to complete my mission.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I want to end today with a devotional message the Linda shared with me that is quite inspiring.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Enjoy</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;color:black">“MY BELOVED WARRIOR<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;color:black">Hopelessness is just an illusion, my beloved warrior. I am your hope, and your future is in My hands. Just as I parted the Red Sea of hopelessness for Moses and My chosen people, I will part your sea and you will walk in the promises I have for your life. Don't allow the illusion of the enemy to become reality. Fires will never burn you out; raging waters will not drown your dreams. I am bigger than any challenge you are facing. Now, My Warrior, fight the temptation to give up, and allow Me to walk you into a life filled with indescribable hope for your future!<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;color:black">Love,<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;color:black">Your King, your hope<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;color:black"> </span><em><span style="font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;color:blue">Jeremiah 29:11 "For I know the plans I have for you," says the Lord. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope."</span></em><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-latin;color:black"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family:Calibri;mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;color:black">Isn't that the way God does things. First, confession, then blessing.”<o:p></o:p></span></p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-84183240945416294852010-01-15T11:37:00.002-05:002010-01-15T12:23:54.946-05:00When My Lord Speaks<p class="MsoNormal">It occurs to me that there are people out there that have never heard our Lord speak to them.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In going through the process of “Finding My Religion” one thing that has overwhelmed my senses from the very beginning <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>is when My Lord speaks to me.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’d like to attempt to explain how that feels.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">My wife Teresa and I are planning on moving this year.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We want to sell out home in the Raleigh area and move to the North Carolina Mountains.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Now obviously, one thing that hits your “worry” button is the real estate market these days.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We have seen our house depreciate in value some $30,000 dollars in the last few years.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Teresa, God Bless her, is a worry wart she lets everything get to her……She worries that we will not be able to sell our house.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And yesterday in particular she was stressing very badly that we were in over our head.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She came to me yesterday and told me that she was near her wits end having to deal with this worry.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">As many Christians will tell you, you just never know when The Lord is going to come to you and answer your prayers or put something on your heart.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I was sitting in our living room yesterday when all of a sudden this unbelievable sense of peace came upon me…..and as clear as any verbal communication we have with each other…..I was told to go to Teresa and let her know she was not alone…..that Our Lord Jesus Christ would take care of us and see that we would be able to move.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’m probably not doing a very good job at explaining this message.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>When My Lord speaks to me it comes in this calming voice that reassures me that he is aware of our problems and will be there to help us through our tribulations.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The peace I feel when receiving these messages is like nothing we find on Earth.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You know that what is being told to you is “the truth”…….this message cannot be received any other way from Our Lord….He is the truth……..His voice is confidence…….His voice is clear…..His voice is resolute…….When He speaks it is like the reassuring support that you receive from your earthly parents, only stronger.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I have no doubt that My Lord is with me and that he speaks to me on occasion.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To those who have never experienced this I am very sorry……take this message as encouragement……Jesus is there for us all…..all we need do is to let him in….listen with your heart and soul….He will answer your prayers. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-36307687319691977112010-01-04T19:54:00.008-05:002010-01-06T20:39:34.059-05:00I have a Question<p class="MsoNormal">Assuming or knowing that we all are souls that have originated in Heaven with our Father, before we are born……why does God make us forget about our time in Heaven?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I know there is a good answer…..I just don’t know where to find it in the Bible.</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal">What about Jeremiah 1:5</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="line-height:115%; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-Times New Roman";mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi; mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language:EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SAfont-family:";"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">“I knew you before I formed you in your mother’s womb.<br /></span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;"> Before you were born I set you apart<br />and appointed you as my prophet to the nations.”</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" line-height: 17px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">This verse suggest to me that God knew was before we came to the earth.....</span></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 17px;"><br /></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-42046757506184392112009-12-17T12:31:00.007-05:002009-12-20T12:55:52.205-05:00For God so Loved the world<h2 style="background:white"><span style="Verdana","sans-serif"; font-family:";color:black;">John 3:16</span><span style="line-height:115%; font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:8.0pt;color:black;"> </span><sup id="en-KJV-26137"><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight:normalfont-family:Arial;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">16</span></span></sup><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.</span><o:p></o:p></span></h2> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="line-height:115%;font-size:14.0pt;">Praise be to God and to our Lord Jesus Christ who washed away my sins.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">This Christmas I find myself with a new spiritual energy flowing through my body.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I am completely consumed by the Love of our God and His blessed Son Jesus Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Everything else seems to be happening in the periphery.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>What I mean is those who hold ill will for others or those who are too caught up by the commercialism that our society has created over this event seem to happen outside my shield.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am amazed that anything that isn’t pure Love from God has failed to penetrate this shield of spirituality.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I hope that there are millions or billions of you out there who feel the same way.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span class="Apple-style-span" style=" font-weight: bold; font-size:24px;"><span style="Verdana","sans-serif"; font-family:";color:black;">John 16:33</span><span style="line-height:115%; font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;font-size:8.0pt;color:black;"> </span><sup id="en-NIV-26749"><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-weight:normalfont-family:Arial;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">33</span></span></sup><span style="line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."</span></span></span></p> <h2 style="background:white"><span style="Verdana","sans-serif"; font-family:";color:black;">Mark 11:25-26</span><sup><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-bidi- font-weight:normalfont-family:Arial;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">25</span></span></sup><span style="line-height: 115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif";mso-bidi-font-family:Arial;color:black;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."</span></span></h2>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-40510498922153313152009-12-08T18:02:00.002-05:002009-12-09T15:51:46.162-05:00'Tis the Season<p class="MsoNormal">As I look around these days I see people rushing into stores doing their last minute Christmas shopping.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>When you actually get in the store and see the frenzy is even worse.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>People actually fighting over getting the latest greatest thing that their kids just have got to have.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’ve lived that way myself in the past, but I was wrong also.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We as Christians have known for years that things have been getting worse each season.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This season isn’t for how much you can spend or how many things you can buy for your loved ones.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">We celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It was a day that was prophesized and <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>would change life on this planet forever.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>God Himself came to earth in the form of a human being Jesus Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>People will argue that the three wise men brought gifts for the baby Jesus, and they did.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But there gifts were in celebration of the deity coming in human form.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think that people should reconsider going into debt or worrying about how much they buy or get for their families and friends.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It’s NOT about the number or cost of the gift it’s the thought that truly counts.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I am truly thankful to know my Lord and Savior and my God, their love for me is without bounds and my gratitude to them is endless.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I’d like to extend my Love and goodwill to my family:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>My beautiful wife Teresa,</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>My children Michael Jr., David, Trisha and Katie</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>My Son-in-Law’s Danny and Bobby</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>My Grandkids Gregory, Little Danny, Bethany, Davinia and Ace</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>My Mother, and my brothers Larry and Jim along with my nieces and nephews, <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span></span>Brandy and Katrina (Larry’s ) and her kids and James the III, Raymond and Steven <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>(Jim’s kids) and two grandkids,</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in">My Sister-in-Law Joyce and her husband Ken and their kids Wanda, Robin, Bobby, Krysti <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>and their Spouses Jimmy, Donald , Angie and Ernie and their kids Alison and Ashley (Wanda’s), Brandi (Robin’s ) Jay and Josh (Bobby’s), Miranda, Chelsea and Bailey (Krysti’s)</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-tab-count:1"></span><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span> My Aunt-in-law Faye and her family Beverly (her daughter), Ray, Philip and Matthew</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Although my finances are lacking these days, my love for these people far exceeds anything I would be able to purchase for them.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>With all the emotion in my soul I love them all and wish them the very best….And for those of them who do not know the wonder of knowing our Lord<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>and God, I hope that they will see the shining light of God’s Love and are surrounded by God’s happiness very soon.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">God Bless All that read this Blog and I hope you have a safe and Happy Holiday season.</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-83103771220180183722009-12-04T19:37:00.002-05:002009-12-04T19:56:52.183-05:00Loss<p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">It’s been awhile since my last blog post.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In truth, I have had a difficult time trying to figure out what I wanted to write about.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In the past few weeks I have dealt with the happiness of seeing my mother and brother and adversely have experienced the sudden lost of an old Family pet.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Though, I enjoyed my time with my mother and brother, who are both by the way in fairly good health.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have had a very difficult time dealing with the loss of my pet.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I know that it is said that dogs, cats and all animals have no souls.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But, there is something special about the relationship you develop with a companion who just happens to be a dog.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Her name was Abby and 3 days ago I was forced to make the decision to put her down, because of financial and quality of life <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>concerns.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Abby and I had a special connection, you see, we both suffered the majority of our life with chronic health problems, yet every time I needed her she was there lying by my side and giving me the empathetic look of understanding.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">There is a hole in my heart as I type this message, we had Abby for 9 years and I never once regretted having her.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And for those who think that I am going overboard over a pet, I challenge any of you that have had a serious relationship with a dog to dispute how hard it is when you lose great companion.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I hope that she is with our Lord in Heaven, and will be there to greet me when it is my time for me to go home.</p> <span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">No words of wisdom this week, no bible quotes to reflect upon….my sorrow is deep and reminds me of all of our mortality.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There is a country song sung by Tim McGraw that reminds us that we should live life as if it were or last day…..some day it will be……enjoy life my friends, as for me, at least for a little while….Satan has won this battle to pull me down.</span><p></p><p></p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-81355373960644523232009-11-20T21:17:00.004-05:002009-11-21T21:21:00.001-05:00There's No Mistaking the Works of Our Lord<p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/">Spiritual Sunday</a></p><p class="MsoNormal">Nothing is coincidence when it comes to our Lord.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One year ago this November I was in the emergency having problem breathing.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The ER doctor had said that I had asthma and promptly gave me two breathing treatments to loosen my congestion.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In fact, after being in the ER for a couple of hours I was starting to breath better and was in the process of being released…..What happened next , I refer to as a miracle.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>All of a sudden my heart started acting up and I felt real dizzy….The heart monitor had started to go crazy alarms were going off everywhere and people started running into my room.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My heart rate had dropped from around 190 to 33, then paused for about 8 seconds and went back up to 190.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>This happened about six times at the ER.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Of course I was worried that I might not be going home ever, but a doctor told me that I had what they call Tachy/Brady syndrome.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Where your heart speeds up and slows down dramatically.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>While I was waiting for a ambulance to be moved to the main hospital….The doctor told me that “someone was watching over you tonight”….Of course he meant to be in the right place at the right time.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Before that night was over I had roughly 12 or 13 episodes with my lowest heart rate getting down to 13 beats per minute.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That night they put me on an external pacemaker.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The next morning I was told that I would need to have an internal pacemaker put in.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I was in the hospital for almost a full week.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Aside from being scared about the pacemaker I was very worried about the cost of all the medical procedures.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My anxiety and depression for that week was at a fever pitch.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I was tired of living, I was tired of the constant issues with my heart and I was tired of being a burden on my wife and family.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The day of my implant surgery a good friend of mine came to the hospital to visit….My surgery was supposed to be at 9:00 am and at 5:30 pm I was still waiting. My friend had stayed with Teresa until my surgery.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I was beyond scared and overwhelmed by the thoughts of what it meant to be reliant on a pacemaker.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My friend is name Bruce and he is probably the nicest person I’d ever met in my life.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>We’ve known each other about 6 years.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Bruce is a Christian Scientist. Which is a belief that I am not real familiar with….but, before I went off to surgery, Bruce bent over and handed me a note that simply read “God, is the strength of my Heart”.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He told me that God had made sure that I was in the place I was supposed to be when my problems started and that He (God) would see me through the rest of the way.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I felt peace for the first time in that week and knew at that moment that I would live through the ordeal.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">When I reflect on that time I am amazed of all that transpired that week and know that my Lord was there protecting me and seeing that I made it through that very serious moment of my life.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One of the most amazing things is that Bruce has never been to the hospital to visit me before or to my knowledge was he aware of how weak and lost I felt.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I later found the passage he had written for me in Psalms…..and here it is……</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height: normal;mso-layout-grid-align:none;text-autospace:none"><span style="Times New Roman","serif";font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:red;"><i>Psalms 73:26 </i></span><span style="Times New Roman","serif"; font-family:";font-size:12.0pt;color:black;"><i>My flesh and my heart fail; [But] God is the strength of my heart and my portion </i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="line-height: 18px; "><i>forever.</i></span></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-bidi-Times New Roman"; font-family:";color:black;">Truer words have never been written…..My friends our God lives and is waiting for you to seek him out.</span></p><p></p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-17866819099599279262009-11-17T16:55:00.002-05:002009-11-29T08:22:17.753-05:00Health and Fitness<p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/">Please visit Spiritual Sunday</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">This is a huge topic now days that people associate with physical looks and strength.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Where there is a big push especially for Americans to eat better and exercise more often…..All that only touches on your physical life.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">What about your spiritual health and fitness?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Why is there no push to improve in this area?<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>For many years we have known that we are as much spiritual as we are physical beings. In fact our spiritual health impacts our eternal soul not just what we do here on earth.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You may be saying to yourself that I am spiritually fit…I go to church every Sunday like clockwork.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Yet how many of you can tell me what it is your pastor, reverend or preacher talked about this past Sunday and how you used this knowledge to fulfill your spiritual obligations.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">It’s not that we’re bad Christians our hearts are in the right places….It’s just that so many of us believe or obligations end when the sermon stops.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I once had a good friend of mine tell me that they were doing God’s work because they went to church regularly.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To me, church is where you go to worship and learn His message.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The real work is done after you have left the confines of the church and put into practice what you’ve learned.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Make sure you talk to your pastor about his sermon and how it applies to you……I guarantee there are a lot of people in that church who don’t understand the message.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>You see the sermon means nothing if it stays just another speech from the pastor.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He is there to motivate you, to help you find inspiration in the word of God, for you then to go out and make a difference in your community, your family or to those who are lost without a clue on how to find their way home to God.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">That doesn’t mean only certain people; God wants to reconnect with all of His children.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I can speak from the receivers’ point of view, for I have been lost for many years.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It took someone who decided to put into practice what she learned from her church and in studying the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>With her help I WILL find my way home to God.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Just remember from this message that we are physical and spiritual beings, one side being in tune without the other in balance and we are only half of what we could be…</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">All your children shall be taught by the Lord, and great shall be the peace of your children.</i><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Isaiah 54:13</b></p> <p class="MsoNormal">God Bless you…..</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-11350714567708346822009-11-11T11:43:00.003-05:002009-11-11T11:50:39.863-05:00Our God is Always with UsOn occasion I will be posting messages from guest bloggers. The following post is from Robin, you have read about her in my postings, she is my niece by marriage, but in truth she is like the sister I never had. Aside from that, she is my religious mentor and has been my inspiration in putting this blog together.<br /><br />I appreciate her love and concern for my eternal soul. Please sit back and enjoy her insights below.<br /><br />Thank you Robin, Love Mike<br /><br /><br />"I must first admit to all of you how far out of my comfort zone I am. Writing is not one of my gifts. School was not one of my best moments. Let’s just say I thought of it as the place for me to do all my socializing. Now talking, that’s my gift. I can talk with the best of them. Lol. When Mike asked me to write a blog for him I held my breathe and said ok (this shows how much I love him) <br /><br />The past week-end I went to The Women of Faith Conference in Greensboro and was truly blessed with the messages I received about How God is always with us and that even means when we are going through difficult times. Then, low and behold, I come home to study for my Study School lesson that I was to teach the next morning and it was on the same subject. And yes, this bad teacher was studying at the last moment around 10:30 Saturday night to be exact. And thankfully he was with me at this difficult time. haha<br /><br />James writes to the early believers to encourage them during these times. He gives us this in James 1:2-18.He gives us three things we must do: find Joy, find Wisdom and find Blessing.<br /><br />Now, if we are all being honest, sometimes we think you got to be kidding. I am at a very low point and somewhere in here; I am suppose to find Joy. I kind of get the wisdom, but then come the find blessings and we are back to how I am going to do this. So in thinking I have decided that we find the joy in knowing that when things are at there lowest, we have a Savior that we can say anything to. We can say I am hurt, I am mad and I don’t understand why this is happening. That should give us Joy in knowing He is always there.<br /><br />Now we get to the Wisdom part. Have you heard; as I always have the old saying, what doesn’t kill you will only make you stronger. We learn from our troubles. I think we must just simply ask God to show us what we are to learn from this. Give us Wisdom to make the right choices as we go through this with Him guiding us.<br /><br />Blessings, here we go again. It took me a while on this one. But thankfully I finally got it. The blessing is that HE IS ALWAYS THERE. That I have someone that loves me so much he will never leave my side. I said NEVER leave my side. He is and will always be with me know matter what. Good times, Bad times, Our God is always with us."Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-62781236656365660492009-11-09T13:46:00.001-05:002009-11-15T10:28:39.582-05:00Never to Old to Learn<div><a href="http://bloggerspirit.blogspot.com/">Spiritual Sunday</a></div><br /><p class="MsoNormal">My sister-in-law gave me a present one Christmas about 5 years ago, that I have truly cherished.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is a book by Billy Graham entitled Hope for Each Day – words of wisdom and faith.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It is a daily devotional book that I have read every day since she gave it to me.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There are many passages and message mentioned by Reverend Graham, most that I do not, in truth, completely understand.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>But there are a few after five years that are starting to sink in and I wanted to share one with you.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>These comments a verbatim from his book so I take know credit for his wisdom.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This one is titled - <span style=" line-height:115%;font-size:14.0pt;">Poor in Spirit</span> …..Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Matthew 6:21</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“One of the hardest truths for some people to accept is that there is absolutely nothing they can do to win their salvation.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">No matter how generous…how honest…how compassionate they are - it is never enough.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>God is holy, and His standard is perfection.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>If we think we are simply good enough, it simply proves our pride.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Only when we see ourselves as God sees us – sinners, guilty before Him- will we realize our need of a Savior.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>C.H. Spurgeon said “The first link between my soul and Christ is not my goodness but my badness, not my merit but my misery, not my riches but my need.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">But the amazing thing is this: In spite of our sins, God still loves us.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He loves us so much that Christ died on the Cross for us.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>All we can do is believe and receive – <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">believe</i> Christ died for us and by faith <i style="mso-bidi-font-style:normal">receive</i> Him into our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>No, you cannot win your salvation – but Christ has won it for you.”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">For many years I believed that I have needed to win my salvation.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I believed that penance was do for the sins I have committed in my life and that the pain and bad health I have suffered for 14 years now was my penance.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I felt like God has been torturing me for the bad things that I’ve done throughout my life.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Thankfully, through prayer I have been enlightened by those who know far more than I do about God.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’ve learned that God if I confessed and repented my sins, and ask that Christ come into my life as my Lord and Savior, that even I would be forgiven.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">This message helped me by explaining we all are sinners in the eyes of God, but that through His love for us and the sacrifice of His only son Jesus Christ, that He has forgiven us and wants us to come home to Him.</p> <span style="line-height: 115%; font-family:Calibri, sans-serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:medium;">God Bless you all……… </span></b></span>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-36468225950516433062009-11-04T14:16:00.000-05:002009-11-04T14:17:13.221-05:00My Holy Spirit Experience<p class="MsoNormal">I’ve decide to put a face and a story to my message about the Holy Spirit….For the past 3 months or so I had noticed that I had been getting increasingly angry almost by the day.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I didn’t know what was making me lash out at those who I love most.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>My wife Teresa was one of those who was getting the worst of it….folks please believe me when I tell you that this woman means everything to me…we have been married for 24 years, and unfortunately she has seen me loose more and more of my health over the past 14 years.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She has been the perfect spouse, because I expected (in my own mind) early on in my decline she might get tired of dealing with my health problems, but she has been by my side every step of the way.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I had gotten real irritated with my children and anybody who would even try to talk to me.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And the worse thing to ask me was “what’s wrong”.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>About 3 weeks ago I thought I had reached the end of my life.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I definitely felt like I was done trying to live each day with the same pain and depression. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I posted on my “Facebook” an announcement that I have had enough, that I wanted to die.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A few of my friends had called to see if I was OK and I would just go through the motions of telling them all was OK, but it wasn’t.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It was one afternoon that I felt like something inside me was telling me that things will get better…then I got a message from my wife’s niece Robin and all of a sudden it all came pouring out of me…I felt her religious conviction reassuring me that I could tell her anything. I cried for what felt like hours….all of the pain, the frustration, the feeling of being stuck with my health issues were all surfacing all at once.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The more I talked to robin the more I felt like the Holy Spirit was convincing me that she was to be my spiritual guide, that she would not judge me but help me to understand what scriptures and stories from the bible will enforce my spiritual needs to fight off my physical failures.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">In the course of our first conversation Robin had committed to me that she would always be there for me until I found my religion.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’ve known her for about 25 years, but in the course of just a few weeks she has become the sister I never had.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She helps me to interpret my feels and the messages I feel I have been getting from a higher source.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I believe that the Holy Spirit is active in me…when I am down and lack the energy to even stand that he tells me that Jesus is there to make sure I will not fall. He (the Holy Spirit) has also told me that Robin will get me where I can stand on my own and be at a place where my faith will focus my spiritual needs. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I can’t thank Teresa or Robin enough…they are both my angels with very different roles.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Teresa is the strength of my physical life and Robin is the strength of my spiritual journey.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I believe that the Holy Spirit and our Savior recruit those we need to help us along with our journey.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The Holy Spirit certainly knew I had received my lowest point and help me build my spiritual confidence to move forward with Robin.</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-32256557465483010052009-11-02T14:42:00.001-05:002009-11-02T14:42:40.408-05:00The Holy Trinity<p class="MsoNormal">Tonight, I am thinking <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>a lot about the Holy Trinity and try to think through the role of each part…So you have The Father (GOD), The Son (Jesus Christ) and The Holy Spirit……I know together they make up the figure of GOD in total, but it seems to me that the reason for separating them in scripture is by the role they play in our lives.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The Father the creator of all things whose wonders know no bounds, the son Jesus Christ our savior whose deeds and sacrifice allow us access to our heaven Father.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>That leaves the Holy Spirit ….Who to me is the teacher, the guide, the will, the energy and holy conscious.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">You can’t reach the Whole unless you are in tune with all three. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">I think that all my life has been focused on God and Jesus Christ, forgetting the most important part.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Jesus says nobody comes to the father except through me…..I think also that nobody comes to the son except through the Holy Spirit…they are all mutually inclusive. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">We are talking about perfect harmony.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>When I started writing this blog last night I had no idea what I was going to talk about, but this morning after surfing the web to find reference of the Holy Spirit it would appear that I hit the nail on the head with the relationship between the trinity.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">It is written that there is one GodHead who is made up of three distinct entity; The Father , the son and Holy Spirit.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Again what I read on the following link; <a href="http://www.theholyspirit.com/HolySpiritPerson.asp">http://www.theholyspirit.com/HolySpiritPerson.asp</a> was that Holy Spirit does bring you to Jesus who in turn brings you to God.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I also read that the Holy Spirit helps you even when you pray….For instance if there is something troubling you or causing problems in your life and you just can’t put the words together to ask God for Help that the Holy Spirit will intercede and help you with what to pray about.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">He also brings with him, as we receive him into our bodies, all of the memories of the scriptures and thoughts of Jesus and God we forgot.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I guess what I’m getting to, is that I am amazed by the depth of God’s plan and by the mechanism he has in place to ensure that we find our way home to him. </p> <p class="MsoNormal">And I truly cannot wait until I able to go home and be with my Lord and Savior our Heavenly Father. </p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-50530425434152499712009-10-31T21:09:00.000-04:002009-10-31T21:10:14.745-04:00A Simple Prayer<p class="MsoNormal">Here’s a simple prayer that I start my daily conversations with God with;</p> <p class="MsoNormal">“Glory…. Glory….. Glory….. to my God, the creator of the universe and all things in it…hallowed is He that through Him all things are possible.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And blessed is His son, my personal Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who bore the weight of my sins and the sins of all mankind while being crucified on the cross…and through His death and resurrection promises everlasting life to those who accepts Him as their Lord and Savior, and follows the Word of God (The Holy Bible).”</p> <p class="MsoNormal">Saying this one simple prayer puts the rest of my conversation with God into perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>To me it respectfully identifies with the Deity of our living, and the sacrifice of our savior.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p>In the last few weeks in particular I have been trying hard to connect with God on a more personal basis.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>So I have changed my attention and affection in which I ask God for help everyday.</o:p></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p> <p class="MsoNormal">God Bless you All………</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com17tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-51939332830369467232009-10-30T18:08:00.000-04:002009-10-30T18:09:42.147-04:00Logical Learning<p class="MsoNormal">I had talked to a number of friends and fellow bloggers in the last day and I am still in the midst of discovering what type of Christian I am….I’ve heard the terms mature, teenage, toddler and even baby Christians.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And I can agree with that when you are describing a place where someone is in their development and knowledge of the Bible.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>In comparison to how much someone is educated in the word of God, I believe there are also different types of learning.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>There are people that read and acknowledge the word of God in the bible, just as they would with their studies in school…Then there are people who learn purely through the way they experience God physically (a more logical approach based on what has transpired in their lives.)<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Then there are those who learn both ways.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Just as God loves all levels of Christian based on their knowledge I contend that the same is true based on how we learn.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I believe that I fall within the category of a logical Christian.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And when I think about early Christianity I have to believe that the people who were to become Christians in the time of Christ were logical as well, what they saw and experienced is what they knew to be true.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>A friend of mine sent me a message yesterday that puts the trials and tribulations that our Lord Jesus Christ experienced leading up to the end of His mortal life into perspective.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I’d like you all to read it:</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">THE (SCIENTIFIC) DEATH OF JESUS<br /><br />At the age of 33, Jesus was condemned to the death penalty.<br /><br />At the time crucifixion was the "worst" form of execution used. Only the worst criminals condemned to die were to be crucified.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Yet it was even more dreadful for Jesus, unlike other criminals condemned to death by crucifixion Jesus because He was to be nailed to the cross by His hands and feet.<br /><br />Each nail was 6 to 8 inches long.<br /><br />The nails were driven into His wrist. Not into His palms as is commonly portrayed. There's a tendon in the wrist that extends to the shoulder. The Roman guards knew that when the nails were being hammered into the wrist that the tendon would tear and break, forcing Jesus to use His back muscles to support himself so that He could breath.<br /><br />Both of His feet were nailed together. Thus He was forced to support Himself on the single nail that impaled His feet to the cross. Jesus could not support himself with His legs because of the pain so He was forced to alternate between arching His back and using His legs just to continue to breathe. Imagine the struggle, the pain, the suffering, and the courage.<br /><br />Jesus endured this reality for over 3 hours.<br /><br />Yes, over 3 hours! Can you imagine this kind of suffering? A few minutes<br />before He died, Jesus stopped bleeding.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He simply began pouring water from His wounds.<br /><br />From common images depicting the scene, we see wounds to His hands and feet and even the spear wound to His side. But do we realize there were other wounds that were actually made in His body. A hammer driving large nails through the wrist, the feet overlapped and an even large nail hammered through the arches, then a Roman guard piercing His side with a spear. But before the nails and the spear Jesus was whipped and beaten.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>The whipping was so severe that it tore the flesh from His body. The beating was so horrific that His face was torn and His beard ripped from His face. The crown of thorns cut deeply into His scalp.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Most men would not have survived this torture.<br /><br />And remember after 3 hours of enduring this brutal act. He had no more blood to bleed out, only water poured from His wounds.<br /><br />The human adult body contains about 3.5 litres (just less than a gallon) of blood.<br /><br /><br />Jesus lost all 3.5 litres of His blood; He had three nails hammered into His arms and feet; a crown of thorns on His head and, beyond that, a Roman soldier who stabbed a spear into His chest.<br /><br />All this without mentioning the humiliation, <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>He was forced to pass angry crowds carrying His own cross for almost 2 kilometers (about a mile and a quarter), while the crowd spat in His face and threw stones (the cross was almost 30 kg of weight (66 pounds), the cross that he carried across is back was the cross-section where His hands were nailed).<br /><br />Jesus had to endure this experience, so that you can have free access to God.<br /><br />So that all our sins could be "washed" away. All of them, with no exception!<br />Don't ignore this situation. JESUS CHRIST DIED FOR YOU! For you, who now read this message.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Do not believe that He only died for others (those who go to church or for pastors, bishops, etc).<br /><br />He died for you! It is easy to pass jokes or foolish photos around, but when it comes to God, sometimes you feel ashamed to forward to others because you are worried of what they may think about you.<br /><br />Accept the reality, the truth that JESUS IS THE ONLY SALVATION FOR THE<br />WORLD.<br /><br />God has plans for you; No matter where you are in your faith or how you go about learning, just know that God Loves you so much that he gave is only begotten son….Could you imagine sending your son to an automatic death sentence for strangers.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family: "Verdana","sans-serif";mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"">Think of life today….do any of you know ANYONE who would endure that kind of punishment and terror just so someone else could be close to their Father in Heaven.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Ashamedly, we live in a world that doesn’t care about their immortal souls…We all have to follow what others thinks is cool.<o:p></o:p></span></p> <span style="font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Verdana","sans-serif"; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman";mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-US;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA">If you look logically at the story that you just read you have to believe that only God incarnate would have the conviction and compassion to forfeit His life for you.<br /> <br /></span>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-43569582249317684292009-10-29T11:57:00.000-04:002009-10-29T11:58:04.658-04:00The Journey has Begun<p class="MsoNormal">Thank you all for your comments.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I am very new to blogging and am even newer to discussing religion.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I ask that you bear with me if I make protocol errors or am unable to quote scripture.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>And actually for those you can quote scripture about something I may talk about I would appreciate your comments.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">There are three people in my life I want to acknowledge.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>First, my gorgeous wife Teresa is the best person I’ve ever met, you see I have been dealing with life changing health problems for 14 years now.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have had a lot to go wrong and the rock that has been there throughout all of this is my Teresa.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I Love her unconditionally, I hope that God allows us to continue our relationship in heaven.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The second person is someone who reached out to me just two weeks ago, she is my wife’s niece, Robin, you see God, I believe sent Robin to me, because I was without hope.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Robin is a beautiful person inside and out.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>She is in the process of bringing back from the abyss. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have trouble expressing in words how I feel about what she’s done for me.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">The third person is my wife’s cousin Beverly, she is my blog mentor and she too has a beautiful soul that truly cares about others.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>One message I feel like I’ve been given by God is that people miss the importance of compassion, as I wrote about earlier.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Compassion is the key word to life it is the intent of the golden rule. <span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>It also applies to those who are will to sacrifice their lives for others and much more.</p> <p class="MsoNormal">I was thinking last night about the idea of God talking and directing us in our life.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>I have heard that pastors and priest have talked that God talks directly to them to tell them what to do…..I think that is why I was feeling left out….because I couldn’t hear him….no matter how bad I tried.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Then it occur to me that God speaks to us all continuously, because He is the one that makes sure you are near help when trouble is on the horizon, He is your conscious that tells you what you ‘re about to do is right or wrong he also the compassion you exhibit to others.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal">I believe that God has a plan for us all, and to top that off through the Holy Spirit that he injected into our hearts, is willing to share the trip with you good or bad.<span style="mso-spacerun:yes"> </span>Our Lord and savior has told us that he will be with us always….let’s all commit to let him in and know that we don’t walk alone.</p>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6107186810254667602.post-85721994175039895752009-10-25T17:12:00.000-04:002009-10-25T17:14:50.990-04:00Finding my Religion<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 11px; color: rgb(51, 51, 51); -webkit-border-horizontal-spacing: 2px; -webkit-border-vertical-spacing: 2px; ">For many years of my life I have been struggling with my religion / spirituality...so I wanted to start a blog where I can share my thoughts and hope all of you will share yours as well....One rule....no judging.<br /><br />To start this off I would consider myself as someone with a deaf, Dumb, and blind soul.....I want with all my heart to believe that Jesus Christ has forgiven my sins and is guiding and protecting me.<br /><br />Food for thought based on some thoughts I had the other day:<br /><br />I think the first time I accepted the Holy Spirit into my life was when I went to a Joel Osteen presentation with my family. First because of my physical limitations I was unable to sit with my wife and robin…so I found a seat in the disabled section….I remember during the sermon that pastor Osteen had asked all those who wanted to commit their life to God to stand up. I stood for the first time in front of thousands of people, exposed in my denial of committing to God. When pastor Osteen lead us through the commitment prayer I felt something that I have never experienced before or since. The best way to describe it was tremors…my feet, than legs, waist…all the way up my body shook and a lady sitting next to me said that I was being consumed by the Holy Spirit.<br />Until lately I have not felt that God was guiding me…The Holy Spirit has come to me again, but this time he has inspired me to think about my connection with God. Things like, a man who has accepted our Lord Jesus Christ cannot possibly be separated from God. God resides in us and he experiences what we experience in life. So we serve God on Earth and then in Heaven when we pass. I believe this is so that God can know what we experience and what trials we face so he can take them from us.<br />In two thousand years since our Lord has been crucified and resurrected we have lost our way and our purpose. We can only survive with God as our center and with the understanding that compassion is what makes it all work. If it weren’t for Gods compassion for man, he would not have sent his son to redeem us…If it was Jesus Christ’s compassion for us we would not have sacrificed his physical body for us and fulfilled the prophecies of the resurrection to reconnect us with God.<br />I Believe that we are tested in faith and in action on our ability to feel compassion for each other. So next time you are in church, and you are thinking or your fellow parishioners’ see how many you truly feel compassion for knowing that you should feel compassion for all. That’s what God wants from us…you see we think that we are alone in life but we create our loneliness God gives us the freewill and the ability, all we have to do is act.</span>Mikehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01870318464331121126noreply@blogger.com4