Dim Bulb or Genius?

I just took this spam IQ test. Tickle.

It says I have an IQ of 131. OOOOOOOOOOO, be impressed or not. Probably not. My lovely wife scored 138. I knew that. She's always been smarter than me.

I don't know if I'm really bright or just a good test taker. I may qualify for Mensa. Or not.

I know when I was in High School I was always "Achieving Below My Potential". So were you. I don't know what it means to perform at your full potential. Neither does any one else.

So, take the dumb test and don't lie. Report it out as you should.

Maybe we're ALL above average.

The Cure for Boredom

I'm bored.  That was the cry of little kids and now many of those kids have grown and are still bored.

 

It's a tough old row to hoe except that the problem, they never learned the joy of row hoeing.

 

Boredom is easy to cure.  No one EVER has to be bored. 

 

Here's how to avoid and conquer boredom once and for all:

 

Concentrate not on the end goal but on the next step.  Many people get frustrated and then bored because they see the big picture and never successfully see the next step.  It's like picking rocks out of a big field.  If you look at all the rocks and the big field ahead you will become frustrated and eventually give up out of boredom of the task ahead. 

 

The key to overcoming this part of it is focus on just the next rock.  Then the one after that.  Don't imagine or vision the field as being done.  Vision it as better.  One rock at a time.  Keep going, don't give up and at some point you may actually have all the rocks out of the field.

 

Pay detailed attention to what you are doing.  Focus on the next step carefully.  Do it intentionally.  If you are weeding a garden, pull one single blade of grass at a time.  Relish it, take your time, slow down, think about what you are doing.  Do it slowly.  Weed at half speed.  This intentional slowness will help create the mental ability to displace boredom with attention.  People who multitask and try to do 3 things at once burn out and are bored.  Our IPOD Video game cell phone generation aggravates boredom.

 

If you take the most mundane potentially boring task and break it into very small deliberate steps and do those slowly you will find your boredom overcome.  Relish the moment.  Breath the air around you. Sense all the sensations of the thing you are doing. Think of the joy of this single act  Don't think about anything else.  Focus carefully.

 

After just a little while of this focus you will automatically speed up again, your mind will wander, you will find the activity you are engaged in rewarding and you will accomplish your task no matter how monumental without boredom.

 

I have learned this discipline and thought I would pass it along.

Trapped or Entrapped

I have been pretty quiet about the whole Larry Craig Brouhaha. I don't have a dog in that fight. I never knew who he was till this whole thing blew up.

Now I do.

I am somewhat disturbed by it all. I can't tell you why. It's like a bad movie. When the cops seem to be above board but something stinks. My skin crawls a bit. I think there may be more than meets the eye here.

First, let me say I am not a big fan of Minnesota and particularly Twin Cities law enforcement. I very much remember the child molestation charges leveled against some people who never did anything wrong in a daycare some years ago. That was typical Minnesota. There is a liberal self righteousness that exists that I am uncomfortable with. A witch hunt mentality among law enforcement people.

As I have watched this whole Larry Craig thing develop I'm no longer convinced he wasn't entrapped. I have trolled the blogosphere and professional opinion for insight. There is no true consensus.

The Right Wing wants to show itself clean and perfect. They're not. But that's what they want to show.

I am as concerned over this whole thing as potential entrapment as I am over the sexual predator shows on NBC. I think something stinks about all that deal too. I want sexual predators in jail. I'm just not convinced we are catching predators but just stupid people entrapped by a clever scheme.

Color me sceptical.

Back to Larry Craig. I listened to and read his interview with the cop. I thought the cop was a bit overboard in his comments.

Here are several other opinions worth considering:

A guy who is convinced that this is all over but the shouting.

This guy thinks Crag was trapped in a sting operation and shouldn't have been maybe.

This professor insists it's NOT entrapment. My answer, if it walks like a duck, quacks like a duck and has feathers like a duck I think you may have a duck on your hands.

This Woman insists it's all hypocrisy and cultural drift

This College Girl thinks it's kinda weird

The Best Take on all this in "Defense" of Larry Craig

Classical Values does a great review and linkology of the whole thing

Newsbusters (who I like) does a Why Do The Liberals Pile On review

I actually think the liberals on this one have been pretty evenhanded.

My real concern is what in the world are the Republicans thinking of in having the REP convention in The Twin Cities next summer? If I were a delegate I would hold it for the whole 5 days. You never know if the toe tapping sting squad is going to be watching.

How bout Sunny St. Charles? We promise not to ask or tell. Give up on MPLS/ST PAUL. They're out to get you. On the other hand, if you come here, don't tap your foot or wave your hand.

How Many Great Dreams and Accomplishments are Buried UNREALIZED in The World's Graves

"When one door closes another door opens; but we so often look so long and so regretfully upon the closed door, that we do not see the ones which open for us."
- Alexander Graham Bell:

"A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams."
- John Barrymore

"The bitterest tears shed over graves are for words left unsaid and deeds left undone."
- Harriet Beecher Stowe

"Never regret. If it's good, it's wonderful. If it's bad, it's experience."
- Victoria Holt

"Make it a rule of life never to regret and never to look back. Regret is an appalling waste of energy; you can't build on it; it's only for wallowing in."
- Katherine Mansfield

Footfalls echo in the memory
Down the passage which we did not take
Towards the door we never opened
Into the rose-garden.
- T. S. Eliot

wouldacouldashoulda

The opportunity waited patiently for me to make a move
A step to the left or one to the right
But just a step for victory to be approved ...
Yet none was taken and there I stood in a cloud of wouldacouldashould.

Write a letter, visit a friend, take part in charity
Save a dollar, thank a client, finish my degree ...
All opportunity is around begging me to take a stand.
Read a book, compose a song or simply take someone by the hand.
Yet nothing was done and there I stood in the cloud of wouldacouldashould.

Dodidanddone will be my cry through a life of happiness,
Taking action, having fun and making a difference.
Wouldacouldashould, the saddest word known to man,
It breaks the hearts of maidens and wreaks havoc in the land.
Wouldacouldashould, a word I'll never say again!

Because from this day forth I'll rise above the cloud of discontent
To capture all the potential of the time that is well spent.
Dodidanddone is how I'm known and how my life is lived
Clear choices with strong actions is the best gift to self I'll give.

- Jim Paluch

30 Days to Complete Freedom

Lew Rockwell has described a very comprehensive plan I am on board with. So should you be. If only...............................

Hat tip to KDNY.

On recent Christian Leader failings

I have been made aware of some very sad outcomes of high profile men and women pastors of some very large churches in America.

Divorce and damage.

God cares about these things more than anyone can imagine. The vitriol about all this on the christian blogosphere is unchristian. Holier than thou or anyone else is the nature of the comments.

Here's the spiritual reality:

• God demands that we develop our own levels of intimacy with Jesus, we can't surrogately live thru others spirituality. Many mega church pastor leaders try hard to allow us to enter into what is ultimately a show.
• Men are fallen human beings. None are sinless or perfect. One who puts his trust in man is cursed already.
• Even the most fallen sinful man or woman can relay the truth of God. The duty of the Christian is to discern what and when it is.
• Who are you going to hear from for the truth that you need? If you only can trust those who are without failure you will not hear much truth.
• The fact that some people who preach a given gospel are failures as people does not affect the truth of the gospel. In fact they are and were most targeted by the enemy and did not live in the covering they needed. The truth of the gospel they preached is not affected by the failures they are.
• I am sad but not dismayed. I know in whom I have believed and I am convinced that neither death nor life not anything made or not made can in any way separate me from the love of God.

Not divorce. Not beatings. Not moral failure. Not stupidity.

I am careful to whom I will give my allegiance. I know too many good men and women of God and what they are like in the dark to allow myself to be dissuaded in faith by the actions of a few public failures.

God is still God today and forever.

I really feel sorry for the holier than thou sorts who see the raw stupid humanity of others and use it as a bludgeoning of a precious faith. They will be held to account ultimately for this just as those who have failed their flock.

Being a Christian isn't beanbag. It's tough and rough and if you fall into the holier than thou crowd it'll get rougher.

Don't.

8 Things you didin't know about me MEME

 In all my blog life I have never participated in a meme (whatever that means).  But I like Steve Scott and so I am going to go with it.

 

I am supposed to tag 6 others.  I'll see what I can do but I don't know that I have 6 others who blog and with whom I am regular enough with I can tag. 

 

So,

 

8 things:

 

1. I used to be really skinny.  Really.  6' 152# upon HS graduation.  I'm not now.  A hundred extra pounds snuck up on me somehow.

 

2. Related issue, gout frustrates me sometimes

 

3. I always awake exactly at 7am.  Why?  I don't know.  Time zones don't matter.  I just wake up at 7.

 

4. I don't ever remember not  being fascinated by living and growing things since I was a small child.  I grew beans in cups in winter when I was 6.  I haven't yet stopped.

 

5. I had laser surgery for my eyes in Germany before it was legal in the USA.  1990.  My nearsight before was a -11 diopter.  The glasses I wore were coke bottles.  I was so nearsighted I was considered legally blind without glasses. Even today they don't correct that deeply in the USA with Lasix.

 

6. My feet are getting larger as I get older.  Used to be a size 12, now I'm up to 14.  If I live long enough I'll be a size  20.

 

7. I have always had the ability, even as a child, to see the future in an uncanny way.  I didn't understand it.  I didn't know what it meant.  I read some books as a pre teen (Jeanne Dixon and all) to try to understand what was going on.  This has been a mixed gift, mixed blessing and mixed in my understanding.  I can't turn it on and off.  It just comes.  Sometimes I see things I wish I didn't.  I'm still learning this thing.  Maybe I never will understand it.

 

8. I believe in Genetics more than I should.  Hitler would have loved me for that.  I think some people are just born that way.  I know the arguments about Homosexuals will arise but I do believe in Genetics over culture and upbringing.

 

Those are mine.  Now I am tagging those who I believe read this blog and have a blog.  If you do, you are tagged to follow suit if you choose to.

 

Earl, Dan, Barry, Julie

 

Sorry Steve, that's the whole list.  I'm guess I'm shallow person, That would be number 9.

 

Or, if someone who normally comments would want to contribute, feel welcome.

 

Steve, in all honesty I never have done this but it was an interesting experience.  I probably won't again.

 

What is Being Faithful?

In a conversation with a good pastor friend of mine over lunch he made a comment regarding the importance of the Church of Jesus on the earth to be faithful. While on the face of it all I agree in principle, I began to ask myself, what is faithful, what does faithful look like and what if anything could be a person who thinks they are faithful, but are in fact not? Confused? So am I but in my normal stream of consciousness way here goes;

I know men and women in North Dakota who are faithful in marriage. They don't cheat on their spouses. They show up for occasions. But there is nothing between them except the faithfulness they show. IF you asked they would say, "we're still married by God". No love, no passion, but permanently faithful till the day they die.

I know Parents who are faithful to provide for their kids, see to it they go to school, see to it they have a roof over their heads but let the TV do the baby sitting and the baby sitter do the changing. Parenting for them is a title not a love. The kids grow up and never really knew for sure if they were loved by the parents they had. But the parents were by all accounts faithful.

There are politicians in Washington and in state governments who succeed by keeping their heads down. They show up for meetings, they do the minimum needed to keep being reelected. They never say or do much that could be construed as controversial. They put in time. BUT, they are faithful.

I have had employees who were faithful workers. Showed up on time, few sick days, never a problem but if I tried to figure out what they accomplished there was a problem. They depended on the demonstration of faithfulness by showing up to keep from being fired. They did not depend on effectiveness. Was that faithful?

Jesus talked of faithfulness in the parable of the mina or talents. You can look it up. Those who made something of the resources entrusted to them were rewarded with more. The one who was faithful in his own eyes tried to just preserve what was given him and had it stripped from his hands. He was called unfaithful. Wait a minute, didn't he do the minimum of what he was called to do? The criticism is he didn't do what he could have done. He didn't do what he was called to do. We all have a called on what we are to do. We just should all that and more if we are truly faithful.

I know a pastor who pastors a congregation on a good salary. The congregation requires that the pastor visit the old folks in the home, make every member visits and pray with the fold, visit the sick in the hospital and conduct the old women's bible study. He has a facility, he has a territory he should be reaching but he is marking time being faithful. A hireling. Oh, in one case I understand it. He has about 40 members with a legacy endowment that allows him to take 70 grand a year in remuneration. Reaching out could cost him his "deal". Not a bad man, but faithful to the call of God on his life? I'm not convinced. Would Jesus judge him faithful? You answer that one for yourself.

Can a church or denomination be unfaithful? Yes!! If it deals with the world from a protectionist standpoint it is unfaithful. If it just goes thru the motions it's unfaithful. If it just tries to preserve the status quo it's unfaithful. If reaching out to it's community is sacrificed by sacred cow theologies that are like arguing over the bar tab on the Hindenburg then it's being unfaithful. The question gets to be, how faithful are you, we, us in what has been entrusted to us. More important to whom are we faithful. To our denomination or some ancient theologies? Or to the Spirit of the Living God. How much do we really want to reach a fallen world or are we going to try to keep pouring new wine into those cracked broken busted leaky old wine skins.

It has never worked and it never will. Every attempt by man to use the old in "Harmony" with what God is doing today is a complete and utter failure. In short order the provider of all new wine will stop and tradition takes over. Then like the Rolling Stones sang, "It's all over now".

When you think you are being faithful and it is really an excuse for mediocrity you no longer are being faithful. Mediocrity at the expense of excellence has no place in Marriage, Parenting, Politics, Work, Pastoral and Church callings.

We don't have to be lukewarm and mediocre to be faithful. True faithfulness will exhibit true passion and desire.

I want to be truly faithful. How bout you?

Reno 911

Sweet Ann has done a little Attorney General comparison. Read it here.

The Phone Just Rang

Tim, our oldest son, is on the phone with his mom. Our fourth Grandchild was born at about 4 pm. It took all day. Everyone is worn out. She came crooked and that complicated things. 7 hours of labor. Tianna Dawn is 7 pounds 1 oz.

I think this may be their last one of Tim and Raquella. I hope it's not the last grandchild of ours forever.

It went harder than they thought it would go.

Tim now has a full quiver.

God Bless them all.

Everyone needs a good night's sleep.

We live in a Clockwork Orange World

If you ever happened to look at my personal profile you will see that a favorite movie of mine is A Clockwork Orange.

Not that it's such an inspiring flick. But it defines a depth of degradation that when it came out in 1971 exhibited such a horror of life no one ever thought we would ever get to.

We are there.

I compare the following:

• "You've proved to me that all this ultra-violence and killing is wrong, wrong, and terribly wrong. I've learned my lesson, sir. I see now what I've never seen before. I'm cured, praise God! . . . I see that it's wrong! It's wrong because it's like against society. It's wrong because everybody has the right to live and be happy without being tolchocked and knifed."--Alex de Large (Malcolm McDowell) in "A Clockwork Orange," 1971
  
  
• "First, I want to apologize, you know, for all the things that--that I've done and that I have allowed to happen. . . . I was ashamed and totally disappointed in myself to say the least. . . . I want to apologize to all the young kids out there for my immature acts and, you know, what I did was, what I did was very immature so that means I need to grow up. . . . I feel like we all make mistakes. It's just I made a mistake in using bad judgment and making bad decisions. And you know, those things, you know, just can't happen. Dog fighting is a terrible thing, and I did reject it."--dogfighting conspirator and erstwhile NFL star Michael Vick, Aug. 27, 2007

Just to dig up my tired old slippery slope again. We are on it and sliding rapidly to Gomorrah.

On the Other Hand

Some people shouldn't sing. This video of a crackhead singing at a funeral is a cautionary note.

And funny as all git out.....

A Romantic Mood

I believe in Love and I am a hopeless romantic. I mess in other peoples business when I shouldn't. I guess I'm incurable.

The problem is I love heartbreak romantic music that makes me swoon.

One of the all time romantic ballads that I NEVER get tired of is Joni Mitchell's "CASE OF YOU". My son Kevin (fellow hopeless romantic) gave me an MP3 of every single thing Joni Mitchell has ever done. Ever.

But Case of You always tugs at my heart. You can Hear Joni sing it with just a dulcimer.

Or Diane Krall sing it with a piano.

OR, A recent CD where K D Lang sings it. I love her HYMNS CD. Listen to it and tell me your heart doesn't beat just a little faster.

Perhaps the best song on the whole CD is IN THE VALLEY. There is discussion about if it's a "God" song. I think I want to hold your hand by the Beatles is a "God" song. But then I see Jesus everywhere.

Speaking of the romantic. One of the best is from Tom Waits on his 1974 Heart of Saturday Night CD. Call Me Baby. I have played that for couples going thru tough times and they always relate to the mood in the song.

I'm a hopeless romantic. I want everyone to be happy and fulfilled in a prosperous relationship. Maybe that really is hopeless, or maybe not.............

I Want Full Parity and I Want it NOW

I just learned there is a critical shortage in America. We need a government program to bring us to the proper levels.

As it stands today, and I hang my head as an American, we only are 90% armed in America. Only 90% of Americans own a gun.

This is a travesty. We must be fully armed and ready to fight off the invasion of the whomever is invading. So, Democrats that hold congress, let's have a bill right now to right this wrong. Let's have gun subsidies for those who can't afford them.

Better yet, lets have gun subsidies so every man woman and child in America has two guns. I mean, you can't shoot the same gun all day now can you?

Then I would feel safer, and so would you. I want every thug in the USA to believe that the next little old lady he tries to hijack her car from or steal her purse is packing a Glock Nine and knows how to use it.

Then you would see crime drop off the edge of the earth.

You really would, and you thought I was kidding.

How to know if a Church is in Trouble, the Seven Step Death Spiral

1. It becomes internally focused on problems inside the church and loses focus on the culture around them

2. It tries to solve those problems with short term shortcuts, the quick fix

3. Good people, good staff, good members leave the fellowship to pursue their purposes elsewhere

4. Low morale develops in the staff and the congregation

5. People consistently undermining colleagues and members

6. Increased cynicism particularly among leaders and about leadership

7. Months or longer, of inconsistent attendance, participation and giving leading to drift and financial pressures which leads back to numbers one, two and so on.

This is a death spiral and once a church enters it the getting out is very hard.

The only cure to break the power of this certain death is to:

1. Tell yourself the truth - value candor and honesty above tradition and protocol

2. Pursue the best over the easiest and the most comfortable (familiar)

3. Focus the energy to make the main things the main thing particularly if it isn't how you always did it

4. Leverage the power of partnerships in and out of the church, get out of your denominational box and drink from fresh streams

5. Show the courage of accountability, if there is a problem and you are the one in charge you are the problem

6. Learn, grow, and adapt every day. You know far less than you think you do. It's new every morning. The idea that "you've seen it all before" is a show stopper to the renewal your church needs.

Do what works, not what used to work.

New Orleans and Grand Forks

A few days ago I postulated that if New Orleans had been full of Norwegian Descendants there would have been no discussion about what to do with flood threatened lower than sea level property.

This is not an abstract concept. Some years ago Grand Forks North Dakota was overrun by the Red River of the North. It made many homeless and caused much havoc. I'm not sure there weren't a few who died as a result. The evacuation and devastation was equal in magnitude relative to the population.

Same as New Orleans except for two things:

1. The victims weren't black
2. It was dealt with after the fact on a rational basis

The authorities came in, razed the houses in flood plain, did some diking, made the flood plain greenspace and prohibited folks from moving back in there.

Grand Forks survived and I might say even prospered since.

So would New Orleans.

BUT, the race card in politics trumps all; it displaces common sense. So, some politician sometime will allow folks to build where their houses will be flooded again. "It's the humanitarian thing to do". Except it's not.

I hate the race card. I think it has brought us much destruction and degradation in America when played by the liberal establishment to victimize the Black Man who would like to do better than they want him to do. They live politically off the victimization of the Black Population.

Rebuilding New Orleans is all about preserving votes for the left. Nothing else.

If you want to see what to do with New Orleans, look at Grand Forks.

I was sent this by someone a while back. I didn't post it although I read it. It seemed a little harsh even if it was written by a Black Man who is critical of the attitudes of the victimized black. On this second anniversary of Katrina maybe it's worth a second look.

My Screen Saver or What I Miss about North Dakota

Thanks to Karma, here is the link to these pictures taken north of Bismarck last winter. I miss the Northern Lights. Sometimes they were so brilliant and spectacular they took my breath away. This one is the Background to my windows display on my computer and my screen saver. I never tire of it.



How can the wrapping of these brilliant lights in the sky do anything but inspire an awe for God. I know the physics of all that. Who created the physics?

North Dakota is a beautiful place for me but mostly in my memories.





I have a complete set of these spectacular pictures. If you want them, email me and I'll send you a set. I have shown these to friends origionaly from North Dakota who now live in Texas. They had already seen them. I think this must be a North Dakota thing. Kind of like the sunsets.

Late Term Abortion in New Guinea

If as a child you get AIDS in New Guinea they abort you after the fact.

• The baby doesn't have a chance at a good quality of life
• It will be inconvenient to have the child around
• The child will only feel it for a few moments and then they are gone
• It's for the good of the family
• The community expects you to do this
• We will live better without this child around

How is that any different from the whole abortion on demand argument?

You want to know how far the slippery slope drifts when life is not valued or preserved.

Children crying for Momma while being buried alive because they have AIDS.

That's how far.

HORROR, abortion and buried alive.

Defect and Die

How long will the liberals let this man live?

Now it Begins

With Gonzales resigning (over which all the liberal blogs, CNN and NYT celebrated with great glee) the war begins.

I hope President Bush has the good sense to do a recess appointment. NOW. Today. It's good for a year and we don't have to live thru the dog and pony show the liberals in congress will put on.

Oh, there will be the usual arm waving if he does. SO WHAT. They blew their wad already. (Just for those of you who always thought it was a sexual comment to say that, it's not, It's an old world military cannon fire concept of shooting accidentally without being ready).

So, if you are listening Mr President, before Labor Day, put a man in now. I recommend Robert Bork.

Besides, even if you were somehow able to get the King of Kings, Lord of Lords and judge of all creation (Jesus) to take the job he wouldn't make it past the liberal congress.

Especially if it were Jesus.

Who am I and why am I here?

Those are words by the VP candidate Admiral James Stocksdale bought to us by Ross Perot in 1991. They are words I ask myself again and again. It helps keep me centered.

Sitting in Church Sunday Morning I asked myself the question again while hearing a good man who I love very much teach a theology regarding the end times I don't agree with and don't believe is settled at any level by anyone. I don't know for sure and neither does anyone else.

And there are other distances between us, Infant Baptism, the casual treatment of the Eucharist, the fullness of the spirit, lay leadership qualifications, discipleship modalities, manifestations of the spirit of God in 1 Corinthians 12, Worship according to 1 Corinthians 14, the reality of the supernatural, the five fold ministries, women in ministry, Israel as God's chosen people, the fullness of the Godhead in the Trinity, Jesus as the God of the Old Covenant, the importance of the prophetic in scripture and in our everyday lives and how to really pray with effectiveness.

Then there are areas in which I am in full accord. The infallibility of the Word of God, the full propitiation for sin at the cross (nothing missing nothing lacking), The grace alone Gospel, Creation of all things including me and you at the hand of God, The stand against the liberal slope into apostasy as has already happened in other denominations regarding marriage, homosexuality and other liberal trends.

They are good conservative people with good conservative views on many things. Theologically we are not on the same page in many areas.

So, why am I here? They are nice people, but that's not enough. God can use them if he is let in. They have not yet completely silenced (killed) the voice of the prophet , although tradition nearly always does. When it comes to tradition bound churches, tradition trumps the word of God every time. Jesus said it best in Mark 7:13.

I am here until God shows me the door. When he does I'll walk thru it.

To be continued................

Who You Gonna Call?

I believe that every Christian needs someone they can rely on for sorting out the mixed messages about what they should or shouldn't do and who they will trust to ask them questions they should answer.

 

This person can be qualified by only ONE attribute.  Only ONE.  Before you submit yourself to anyone in leadership ask this question.  DO THEY LOVE JESUS MORE THAN YOU DO.

 

Every person including me knows of people who are deeper in love with HIM.  They possess a passion and intimacy that you wish you had.  That person is a candidate.  I don't care a whit about position, title, education, credentials or charisma. Do they love Jesus more than ME?  If they do I will hear from them.  If not, I will be polite but distant.   

 

If you believe you do NOT know someone more in love with Jesus than you, that's a huge problem.  You are lost.

 

If you have identified that person, if you can name him or her, then the question is what are you doing about it.  Are you in touch on a personal level with him or her?  If this is a person you believe exists out there in the ozone you have no spiritual leader. 

Even the Pope has a person who he trust the relationship they have with Jesus.  Billy Graham has them.  Who are you to think you have no one.  That is the kiss of death.

 

Every person has a man or woman who they can look to.  I do. They will change.  They will develop into others.  But in the end you need someone.

 

So, my recommendation is no matter who you think you are, if you aren't SUBMITTED spiritually to someone you are adrift. 

 

No ship can navigate deep waters without a rudder.  That's the person you need.

 

Get with it.

They Think we are STUPID

This is a summary of some good analysis of the stupidity that Passes on MSM CNN for actual reporting. It isn't. It's just pap for the dumb who watch this and believe it. Sorry if that's you. Truth is Truth.

Spirit of Poverty

I see manifested a spirit of poverty in those who experience it.  It shows itself in grabbing, holding on, greed, pushing, shoving, hoarding and dibs.  

 

It is born of fear, self centeredness, selfishness and a lack of faith in God to provide. 

 

It may be that the number one thing God wants to set people free from is the spirit of poverty.  Even very rich people can have a spirit of poverty.  Poor people can have it.  Medium income people can have it.  The spirit of poverty is an equal income oppressor.

 

The question in the end is what does money mean to you?  He said, "Thou Shalt have no other Gods before me". 

 

Money is and can be a god.  If you put possessions and money above who he is you will be cursed with a curse and turned over to the tormenters who's name is the evil spirit of poverty.    Matthew 18:23-35 is always taught as being about forgiveness.  It is, but it's more importantly about those possessed and tormented with the demon of the spirit of poverty. 

The things we do for love or how I spent the afternoon

There was a song at one time called, The Things we do for Love. I have come to the conclusion that has more to do with ministry than with romance. I don't think we could do ministry with the sacrifices we make from a love motivation. I once had a mentor pastor question my motivations by asking me, "how much do you love them, as much as Jesus? At the time my answer was probably not.

We baptised several people and dedicated several babies at the Berwyn Church this afternoon. I don't know if John the Baptist used a rubber pool but we did. It served just fine.


Baptisms are always good for attendance. We had a very large capacity crowd today. I'm hoping some will stick. Some will. I believe we are up and running. I am learning a great deal about what it is going to take to plant a church. Below is a picture of Pastor Aaron. He is a gifted pastor with more ability and talent than most. He is going to make a great impact on the devil's territory..


I'm glad I'm there. I wonder what use I am elsewhere? Ministry is all about love. How much do I love them.