I saw a bumper sticker the other day that said, "When the power of Love replaces the love of Power, then we will have peace."

I thought it was great. God is Love. Jesus is God, therefore Jesus is Love incarnate. He is the only true power worth living and loving for.

Happy New Year. May the Lord of Love and Life and Peace reign over you all. JESUS.

DJ GlenMC...keeping rockin' with the Rock!

More Ramblings and stuff.

It's been over a month...the election is over...Obama is the president-elect. My life will go on. The people around me will still need Jesus. Politics will still be in the hands of corrupt people on both sides of the isle. Jesus is still the Lord of all. People will still play their religious games. We will still struggle with who we are in Christ. I will continue to seek Him first and His righteousness. I will remain forever in His hands.

Who are the greatest? Those who need no recognition. Those that need not hold power in order to love those around them. Those who love Jesus and share that love with those around them.
What do you get when you mix religion with politics? Politics.

Jesus is not on any side. Prayerfully we will be on God's side. It's not about power and control. It's about love and surrender. That is hard for the egotistical and self serving. Which pretty much covers most of us.

Think on that awhile.
Be blessed. Be a blessing.

No Matter

No matter who wins on November 4th, God will still be on His throne, Jesus will still be the Savior, and love God first and love your neighbor as yourself will still be the 2 greatest commandments on which all the law and the prophets hang.

John says, "He who says he loves God and hates his brother is a liar..."

No matter who you vote for, if you say you're a Christian, and you refuse to love me or choose to lie about me due to my party affiliation and you're more concerned with party power rather than loving each other, then there is a problem.

Gosh...what has it been? Over a month...

Hello again.
I'm still out here. Does what I say have any importance? Only if it's the Spirit of God speaking through me...
Does that make me important? Only to God.
Love ya...Jesus loves you more...He loved you so much He opened His arms up wide and said, "Come to me" and "It is finish." We have been bought. We are paid for. It's a done deal.
Until I can come up with something clever...
Be blessed...be a blessings.
DJ GlenMC

Don't Matter

In the midst of my struggles
In the midst of my turmoil
In the middle of troubles
In the times my blood boils
When no one is reading
Or if all stop on by
Well I'm feeling blue
Or my spirit's flying high
It don't matter
Cause God loves me
And Jesus is still in control...

Whether you read this
Whether you don't
If you have great knowledge
Whether you don't
God still loves you
He gave His life you see
To adopt you as His child
To forever set you Free...

Come Along With Me

God’s love for us is so great He gave His only begotten Son as the final sacrifice for our sin. His sacrifice is our salvation. This is the only sacrifice that God accepts because we are blemished, our righteousness is as filthy rags.

Now come along with me as I take this little journey.

In the beginning God created everything including the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and the tree of Life. Told Adam not to eat of the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We know what happens after that.

Now, man, tainted by Adam’s sin, is under the curse. Man now must live under the “Law” – aka The knowledge of Good and Evil. Simple enough. Follow the law, all will be well. Break the law, things go bad. Problem is, man couldn’t keep 1 simple rule (Don’t eat), what makes him think he can keep 10? So blood is shed to cover man’s sin. Must keep sacrificing to cover sin. Not perfect, because man keeps on sinning. God knows this. Always has.

Enter Jesus into the time / space continuum. God in the flesh to show us God’s heart. God in the flesh to take man’s sin upon himself. God in the flesh to shed His blood to be the final sacrifice to wash away the sins of the past and the future. The final sacrifice for a sinful mankind. God in the flesh to make us all acceptable to the Father and pour out His Spirit on those whose faith is in that final sacrifice.

He lived to show us Who love is. He died to make us acceptable to the Father, to wash us clean, to take away the barrier between us and the Father, to impart His Spirit to us so that we can live in the Spirit and not by the flesh.

Side note: Paul wrote in Romans that “he who has not the Spirit are none of His.” You can follow the rules without love, and according to Jesus and Paul it means “nothing.” (I Corinthians 13) When your whole point of view is “the law” and you don’t have love it’s nothing. What did Jesus say to the religious leaders of His day? “You know the letter of the law, but not the spirit behind the law.” (Also consider Mark 7:6, John 6:63 Check out Paul’s views on this subject: Romans 7:6, Rom 8:2, Rom 8:4, Gal 5:18)

Jesus said, “I am The Way, The Truth, and The Life. No one comes to the Father but though me.” Very pointed. Very simple. Okay. Jesus is God incarnate, aka, God in the flesh. Jesus gave us His Spirit – God the Spirit. If we learn from Jesus and follow the Spirit, we will be following God. God is Love.

So, if God is Love, and the Spirit is God, and Jesus is God, therefore Jesus is Love in the Flesh. Therefore, The Way is Love, The Truth is Love, The Life is Love. Not mankind’s view of love, but God’s design for Love. All the Law is summed up in Love God and love your neighbor.

But what does that mean? You may ask. Check out I Corinthians 13. Only Jesus death on the cross makes us acceptable to the Father. What did Paul say he wanted to know? The law? No. New rules? No. What to drink or eat or what not to drink or eat? No. Paul said he only wanted to know “Jesus Christ and Him crucified.”

Many will come in that day and say, “Lord, did we not do many wonderful things in your name.” And He will say “Depart from me for I never knew you.”

Do you know Love, or just the rules? Are you putting on God’s righteousness, or are you trying to justify yourself by your own righteousness?

Lord, Save Us...

From "Lord, Save Us From Your Followers" by Dan Merchant

The point is, it's easy to make exceptions to Jesus' call. Now I'm not trying to be a jerk here; I'm merely illustrating how flipping easy it is for us Christians to disqualify someone or some group. We declare them unworthy...unworthy of our best...unworthy of the love we're called to share. That is simply unacceptable. I don't think it's right to partake of this faith and blame others for this tumult. You know, that whole "He who is without sin..." thing weighs on me. And since none of us are in the "No Sin Zone," aren't we all in the same predicament?

I tend to get confused, so I want to be sure I'm articulating my thoughts as clearly as inteneded. Let me see if we're tracking together, okay?

Christians are the ones who believe in the God of love, right? We're the ones who love and worship the Prince of Peace, right? Isn't that us? Aren't we the ones who are to hold patience, kindness, and forgiveness up as ideal standards? We're the truth and grace people, correct? Then why are we hammering others with the truth (our take on it, anyway), and then neglecting to share the grace? Those two things go together; one doesn't mean as much without the other.

Why are we so comfortable blaming those who disagree with us for the conflicts in our country? Why are we allowing the gospel of love to divide America? I'm comfortable with the bar being higher for us. If not us, then who? We're saved, right? Isn't that worth something now? Jesus is the One who accepts everybody, who includes the weakest in His embrace, restores the broken, deperate, and unworthy (there I go again, trying to sneak one by you...yes, you're right, we're all unworthy, that's why I'm so grateful for grace). If we are truly to represent Him, we better come up with a better plan than dividing the country over temporal, political issues.

On Vacation

This is from Cadillac Mountain over looking Bar Harbor, Maine or as the the local would say Baa Habaa.

Miss everyone. Will be coming back tomorrow evening. See everyone on Sunday, unless you send me a picture of yourself by way of email then I'll see you before then.

Be blessed, be a blessing.

Love and Laugher and lots of music,
DJ GlenMC

Contemplating Simplicity

We live in a consumer driven society which thrives on stuff. Our computers become obsolete the moment we take them out of the box. Our games are ‘so yesterday.’ We are all looking for the ‘next big thing.’ One day it was the Commodore 64, then it was the Nintendo 64, then it was the Playstation, PSP, Xbox. Or it was Windows, then Windows NT, or 98, then XP, now Vista. Oh wait, my old programs don’t work with Vista, so I now have to buy an updated version of a program that was working fine before, but it won’t work now, because I bought a new computer because my old computer wasn’t good enough or fast enough or small enough.

Or my car is old and I need a new one, or it’s a gas guzzler and I need to get a more economical one.

Or my house isn’t big enough. It doesn’t have the latest gadgets.

So we go to work, to make money, to spend on newer, faster, bigger, better or convenient things. And of course, we have to buy newer, fancier clothes to impress the bosses so we can get a better job, so we can make more money to spend on more things so we can keep the consumer wheel turning.

I feel like a gerbil in a cage on an exercise wheel sometimes, running but getting no where.

But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ. 2 Corinthians 11:3

What does “stuff” have to do with ‘simplicity that is in Christ” you may ask? I believe it has a lot to do with it. If we didn’t let our ‘stuff’ possess us, it would be so simple to ‘give our cloak to those who have none.’ We would stop worrying about somebody stealing out stuff. (This would be if everyone came to understand the simplicity that’s in Christ. Problem right now is we live in a fallen world. We must remember to be ‘Cunning as serpent, but as harmless as doves.’) Love also protects those one loves.

There are things that just seem to be necessary, paying the electric bills, buying food, clothing, rent or mortgage payments.

And having food and clothing, with these we shall be content. 1 Tim 6:8.

But, we aren’t content. We are consumers. We are taught (churches are included) that we are successful and we are blessed if we have bunches of stuff and not just stuff, but the “newest” or “latest and greatest” stuff. Didn’t Satan tempt Jesus with stuff. “Bow down to me and all this can be yours.” Matt 4:9. We compromise. We ‘play the game.’ We do what is ‘required’ in order to get by. But, should ‘getting by’ be our goal in life? Should our goal in life to be striving for the temporary? Or should we be looking to the eternal?

I had a thought in church the other night that, “The person fighting to keep his ‘hard earned cash’ is no better than the person who is trying to get the government to take it away to give to someone who ‘needs’ it." We are all sinners in need of the Savior.

We excuse ourselves from helping the homeless (Yes, I am guilty of this) by saying, “Well they are able bodied. Doesn’t the Bible say, ‘if you don’t work, you don’t eat’?” Or we leave the welfare up to the government. “Well, they shouldn’t have gotten into that situation. They are not my responsibility.” To really love requires getting involved in someone’s life.
Love is the simplest thing, but it’s also the most difficult. Love requires involvement. Love requires commitment.

Love doesn’t concern itself with what others are doing or have done. Love is more concerned with “what can I do to help.”

Love isn’t caught up in “it’s your own fault you’re in this situation.” Rather love is more occupied with “How can I help you out.”

Love doesn’t want to give “hand outs.” Love wants to give a “hand up.”

Love doesn’t want to just live for you. Love would die for you. As a matter of fact, Love did die for you and rose again. Jesus is God incarnate. (God in the flesh) God is Love, therefore, Jesus is Love in the flesh. Jesus is the Way. To make it simple, “Know Jesus, Know Love. No Jesus, No love.”

Love also knows there are times to stay, and there are times to walk away...'brush the dust off your feet" if you will. Love isn't about winning arguments. Love is about winning hearts.

May we truly come to know the freedom that Jesus bought for us on the cross, the freedom to love.

Blessings and Grace,

Love and Laughter,

And whole bunches of hugs.

CS Lewis Quote

I got this quote off of the site listed below for the band Sixpence None the Richer.
Not sure if this was the quote a friend of mine was looking for, but I think it's worth sharing.

http://www.crlamppost.org/sixpence.htm

First off, many of you may be asking, "What's the deal with the name Sixpence None The Richer?" The band's name comes from this passage in C.S. Lewis' book Mere Christianity:


Every faculty you have, your power of thinking or of moving your limbs from moment to moment, is given to you by God. If you devoted every moment of your whole life exclusively to His service you could not give Him anything that was not in a sense His own already. So that when we talk of a man doing anything for God or giving anything to God, I will tell you what it is really like. It is like a small child going to his father and saying, 'Daddy, give me sixpence to buy you a birthday present.' Of course, the father does, and he is pleased with the child's present. It is all very nice and proper, but only an idiot would think that the father is sixpence to the good on the transaction. When a man has made these two discoveries, God can really get to work. It is after this that real life begins. The man is awake now...

Blessings and Grace,
Love and Laughter,
DJ GlenMC

Takes No Pleasure

A lady meets an old friend of hers on the street and asks how he’s doing. He tells her that he’s doing okay but that his church is looking for a new pastor.

“But why?” the old lady asks.

“Our pastor, all he talks about is hell. We’re just tired of listening to him.”

They parted ways.

A couple of weeks later they meet again. The old lady asks the man if they found a new pastor yet.

“Why yes we have. We love him and think he’s great,” was his reply.

“What does he talk about?” asked the curious old lady.

“Hell,” was his response.

Surprised, the old lady inquired, “But, I thought you said you were looking for a new pastor because all the old pastor talked about was hell. Now your new pastor talks about hell, and you’re happy. Why?”

“Simple,” he explained. “Our old pastor talked about hell as if he were glad people were going. He would spend time telling us who was going, and seemed to take glee in the thought of people being eternally separated from God. Our new pastor talks about hell, but his heart is that no one should go. He offers up Him who gave His life to make us acceptable to God. He shares the free gift of salvation that’s found only in Jesus the Christ, the Son of the living God. He’s grieved by those that don’t accept Him, and rejoices for all who freely accept this most precious Gift that God has freely offered to us.”

A gift is only ours when we accept it. If we have to earn it, it’s not a gift, it’s a payment. We could never earn it.

Heaven is open for “all who call upon the name of the Lord, who believe on His name.” Read the whole book of John for some insight into that. Read Romans for a glimpse of who is righteous…hint, there are none righteous, no not one.

God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked. Ezekiel 33:11

Do not rejoice when your enemy falls, And do not let your heart be glad when he stumbles;
Proverbs 24:17

The Lord is not slack concerning His promise, as some count slackness, but is longsuffering toward us, not willing that any should perish but that all should come to repentance. 2 Pet 3:9

Love your enemies.
Peace and Love,
Blessings and Grace,
DJ GlenMC

Thought for this Political Season

Read the quote, then read my previous post on "Inconvenience."
DJ GlenMC

"Many of our troubles are due to the fact that our people turn to politicians for everything."

Margaret Thatcher.

Inconvenience

We, as a people, don’t like to be inconvenienced. Our lives are too busy. We have too much to do. We have stuff to take care of. We have important meetings to attend. We need to pay for our bigger house, newer car, new toys, our vacation homes, our pretty yards, our status, our pools and hot tubs.

Our kids grow up not wanting to be inconvenienced. They are too busy playing video games, watching TV, listening to their iPods, talking on their cell phones, creating their web page.

As a people we would rather get the government to do what Jesus told his followers to do. We think we are doing the “Christian” thing by getting the government to steal from the rich to give to the poor. It’s easier to get someone else to walk that extra mile rather than do it myself. It’s more convenient to get some faceless government agency to take care of the needy, than for me to get involved with someone else’s life. I might miss the next episode of “Survivor.”

“Hey, having that baby can inconvenience my plans for my life.” “Doing what I’m asked inconveniences what I want to do.” “I’m an important and busy person. Don’t bother me with that ‘love my neighbor’ stuff.”

Maybe we need to set aside the things that are not important, and get down to the things that are.

On the flip side of that, we must realize that other people do have other things going on in their lives and we are not the center of the universe and everyone can’t cater to all our needs. (Yes, I know, it’s hard to accept. It was a shock to me too. I’m still dealing with the repercussions of that.) Take for example, my pastor, for that matter any pastor. Nice guy. Great teacher. He can’t be everyone’s friend. He wouldn’t have time for his own family. He can’t accept every invitation to dinner. He can’t be everywhere. He’s human just like the rest of us - bound by time or the lack thereof.

Some people think because you are in some position of authority you are better at praying for things than they are. “You, as the authority, must have some higher knowledge and can ask God for stuff.” Those of us who have accepted Christ as our Savior, we can boldly go to the throne of God and place our supplications at His feet. He is never inconvenienced. He will never turn you away. But, we must also realize that “no” is an answer. All the promises of God are “yes and amen,” but sometimes our desires may not necessarily be good for us. Some times our desires may not be in line with what God desires for us.

May we come to learn that love is not inconvenient.

Blessings and Grace,
DJ GlenMC

Quote

Latest fun quote I've heard.

"Your life is an occasion. Rise to it." - Mr. Magorium's Wonder Emporium

Be blessed, be a blessing,
DJ GlenMC

Thoughts as I Sit Here...

It's hard not to sit and wonder what goes through God's mind when those who consider themselves "God's people" take joy in the death of one who has rejected God. There's an attitude of "They'll get theirs in the end." HA HA HA... But somehow we forget that "God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked."

The same can be said on the other side of the coin about people who see "leaders" in the church fail, who turn out to be just as human, just as frail as the rest of us, and there's an attitude of "I always knew he was a hypocrite."

We like to think of ourselves as "above it all," or "better than them."

So many of us don't share our frailies, nor our weaknesses, because of the attitude of those 'in the church.' But, I also find myself wondering about the other extreme of excusing sinful behavior. Nothing can seperate us from the love of God that's in Christ Jesus. Do I think because someone has had too much to drink that God will turn His back on that person? No. Do I think I need to keep that person from driving? Yes.

We love God, because He first loved us. My behavior should be driven by my first and foremost love for God, not some religious rules and regulations set up by an organization that wants to not only control my behavior, but my life. That's God's job.

I am a falable human being. I will make mistakes. I will sin. I will hurt the people I love. Not because I want to. Not because I set out to. It just happens. That's why God gave us Jesus. We aren't perfect. God knows it.

As I sit here and write this, I know there will be those who are looking for the things I say wrong and will have an 'opinion' about it. I don't need your opinion. As a brother or sister in Christ, I need your love.

Love covers a multitude of sins.

Blessings and Grace,
Love and Peace only in Christ Jesus.
Rambling...I know. That's who I am.
Jesus still loves me, no matter what some may think.
DJ GlenMC

Backsliding

A lot of us are taught that backsliding is falling back into our old sinful nature. It can be and it is. It’s so easy to slide down the slope of our old addictions if we don’t watch ourselves. But if we do trip and fall, does that mean that God stops loving us? No. Problem that we sometimes have is the self-righteous would like us to believe that. People backslide and turn away from God, not because God has stopped loving them, but because some self-righteous, unloving person misrepresented God and convinces those that are hurting that God doesn't love them, when in fact He loves you so much that He sacrificed His Son on the cross to make you acceptable to Him.

It’s God’s kindness that leads us to repentance. We forget that sometimes when we have a ‘I’m so good, they’re so bad’ attitude, or even a “I’m not that bad” opinion of yourself.

But, you know what? Backsliding can be sliding back into the attitude that “I’m good enough to get into heaven by what I’ve done.” This is more subtle and dangerous because this basically says that what Jesus did on the cross for us was not sufficient and now you have to be a good little boy or girl to find acceptance in the eyes of God. Who are we comparing ourselves to? (Maybe I’ll try to expound on this at a later time. Or maybe I already have. LOL)

God declared that He would write His laws on our hearts. It is no longer the letter written in stone, but that that is written on the heart. Those who put their faith in Christ are those who have God’s law written on their hearts. What is God’s law? “Love God with all your heart, mind, body and soul and love your neighbor as yourself.” Against such there is no law.

Do we not trample Christ underfoot when we go back to the thinking that “I am good enough to be accepted into heaven.” Isn’t that basically telling God, “Hey God, Jesus didn’t have to die, because I’m good enough.” None of us are worthy. None of us are righteous. None of us are innocent. Only Jesus is worthy. Only Jesus is righteous. Only Jesus is the acceptable sacrifice for the sins of mankind.

When we put our faith in Christ’s sacrifice on the cross as our only means of salvation, God puts within us a new heart that longs for Him and Him alone. We desire what He wants for us. Yes, we do battle with our old nature, but it’s God love for us that draws us near to Him.
When we starting thinking that we are ‘good’ we lose sight of the fact that it’s Christ in us that brings us any semblance of good. There is only one that is good, that is God.

Be Love

We miss so much
Just trying to be right
We get lost in the dark
Closing our eyes to the Light
We spend too much time
Just trying to be good
And we miss the point
That we should be Love
It's so easy to miss
All the blessings out there
When we close ourselves off
And our lives we don't share
So open your heart
And let God's love in
Then pour it all out
Then be filled up again
Love is the reward
That is meant to be shared
Christ will fill up
The heart that's prepared!!!

Be blessed...be a blessing
Blessing and Grace all,
DJ GlenMC

Relay for Life This Weekend

Come out and share Christ's love with those of us at Shalimar Elementary School for the Relay for Life to benefit the American Cancer Society.
If you can't make it say a prayer for the teams all over the county.
Be blessed...I'll be on stage most of the evening. Stop by and say "Hi."

Blessings and Grace,
DJ GlenMC

Will You?

If I sing about my friends
Will you condemn me?
If I write about the sun and moon
Will you ignore me?
If I don’t talk about Jesus
Will you doubt my Christianity?
If I don’t agree with you
Will you refuse to talk to me?
I know that Jesus is the Savior
I know He died and rose for me
But if I don’t act like you
Will you refuse to love me?

Why?

Being Profound

I started writing stuff a while ago. I wanted to be profound. I wanted to be thoughtful. I wanted to have some depth. I probably didn’t achieve any of those things. Such is life.

One thing I do want to emphasis is that I don’t profess to any hidden knowledge. I don’t claim any higher degree of understanding. I try not to come off as being smarter than anyone else. Sometimes I can be a bit short with those around me. Sometimes it’s because I think I’m smarter than them. Sometimes it’s because I think they should know more than they do. Sometimes it’s just because I don’t want to be bothered. Sad, but oh so true. It’s a part of my human make up. It’s a part of who I am.

Some people I don’t like talking to because they want to come off as knowing more than they do, and they don’t like to admit they are wrong, they don’t give anyone the benefit of the doubt or can just be down right mean. I can be like that.

Some people resort to name calling and insults if you don’t agree with them. You are ‘uninformed,’ or ‘ignorant,’ ‘have your head in the sand,’ ‘don’t know what you’re talking about.’ This is a form of contempt for the person whom the insult is flung at. It’s a way of looking down your nose at another. It’s an excuse not to listen to what they are saying. God isn’t too keen on that. We can be like that too. “Oh, they are heathens.” “He just doesn’t have the spirit.” “He’s not a Christian.” “You don’t have a theological/psychological/sociology degree.” “Bless his heart.” It’s a way of being dismissive.

I try to be discerning. Who am I talking to? Would what I say ‘offend’ this person? Does this person need ‘offending?’ (That may sound like a strange question, but Jesus had to ‘offend’ some people. Not that it changed them, but it helped bring out their true character.) Is a ‘harsh word’ or ‘kindness’ needed at this time? Truth can be offensive.

Most people are more concerned about ‘their rights,’ ‘their feelings,’ or ‘their opinions,’ that they only listen to other people to point out where they are wrong or to find an opening or break for the chance to express their view and they don’t listen to what is being said in total or context or at all.

“He who has not the Spirit of Christ, are none of His.” Romans 8:9 You can follow rules without love, but according to God through Paul “it means nothing.” Profound words, not mine. Too many of us hate the world that “God so loved.”

Where is all this going? I don’t know. I wake up every morning praying, “Father, forgive me, I don’t know what I’m doing.” This was Jesus’ prayer after being beaten, spit on, rejected and finally nailed to the cross, “Father, forgive them, they don’t know what they’re doing.” We get so upset with people when they offend us. Life would be a little easier to take if we would just say, “Father, forgive them, they know not what they do.”

Jesus is what makes us acceptable to the Father. There is nothing else. For everything else we do, “Father, forgive us, we don’t know what we’re doing.”

Geoff Metcalf once said, “I don’t know, what I still don’t know.” Profound wisdom.

Motivation

There are so many people that talk about things. We argue about things. We have meetings about things. We talk about movies. We talk about music. We argue about what is ‘good’ music or ‘bad’ music, or movies, or books…blah, blah, blah. We talk about what motivates us, or what inspires us.

But, what does motivate us? Money? Power? Hate? Revenge? Or are you motivated by the desire to make yourself acceptable? Acceptable to whom? Man? God?

Maybe you’re motivated by the desire to control others. They aren’t acting the way I think they should act so I’ll use guilt, condemnation, threats, or religion to control their behavior. We make statements like, “This is what you should be doing,” or “You shouldn’t be doing that.”

We say that if you do this or that, “You will be good.” But we forget, “There is none good, no not one.” Jesus told the rich young ruler, “You lack one thing, sell all you have and come follow me.” Our personal righteousness is our idol. We trust more in our behavior than in what Jesus did, once, for all, on the cross of Calvary. Then we turn around and treat people based on our personal ‘holiness’ or ‘righteousness.’

Maybe we seek recognition or acclaim. We want people to think we’re great. We want to be famous. We strive and sacrifice for that hint of glory. But Jesus told His servants, “So likewise you, when you shall have done all those things which are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants: we have done that which was our duty to do.”

Yet there will be those that stand before God and say, “Hey, did we not do many wonderful things in Your name?” What were they doing, and why were they doing it? Did they trust in Christ or in their ‘wonderful things?’ God sees the motives of the heart.

Who are the ‘good’ or ‘great’ people of God? They are the people who are living their lives not seeking recognition. They are the sheep that Jesus said, “Come into my kingdom faithful servant…” Who answer back, “When did we do these things?” They lived their lives of love. They were led by the Spirit, but have been unaware. Who knows, maybe they were “angels unaware” that are spoken of. These are people who know that God has accepted them because of what Jesus has done on the cross and now love from a free heart. They go the extra mile, not because it’s ‘commanded,’ but because it is a part of who they are in Christ.

What is our duty? What is required of us? “This is the first and greatest commandment. Love God with all your heart, mind, body and soul. The second is like it. Love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Love should be the motivator – love for God and love for your neighbors. ‘Therefore abide these three, faith, hope, and love. But the greatest of these is love.”

Faith saves us and makes us acceptable to God. For by grace we are saved through faith, and not of works, lest any man should boast.

Hope sustains us. In the trials of life, knowing that this is not all there is and that God loves us so much He opened the door for us, He made the Way for us. He gave His life for us. It strengthens and sustains us.

But it is love that is the greatest. For this is how we share Christ with the world, by the love we have one for another.

May the Grace of Christ fill your life,
DJ GlenMC

RIP Larry Norman

Larry Norman

4/8/1947 - 2/24/2008

http://www.larrynorman.com/

You will be missed.

For those who don't know who Larry Norman is, he wrote one of the best Christian Rock Songs.

"Why Should the Devil Have All the Good Music?"

Some Good Websites

Have you ever heard the lie that "All credible scientists believe in evolution?" It's a slap at creation scientists and those that don't fully accept evolution. Here are a couple of good websites.

http://www.icr.org/
http://www.answersingenesis.org/
http://www.discovery.org/
http://www.allaboutthejourney.org/
http://emporium.turnpike.net/C/cs/
http://www.christiananswers.net/q-eden/edn-scientists.html
http://www.christiananswers.net/creation/people/home.html

Of course everything depends on Who your faith is in.

Be blessed,
DJ GlenMC

I am a Creationist

http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=56243

The above link is to an article concerning standards for teaching the theory of evolution in Florida schools. After reading the article I decided to blog. I also recommend Vox Day's book "The Irrational Atheist." You can download it for whatever you feel like paying at Vox Day's website. http://irrationalatheist.com/downloads.html

In the interest of disclosure, before I talk about what I’m going to talk about, let me say unequivocally that I am a Biblical Creationist. I believe in the Biblical account as it is written. I believe the Bible as truth. I believe that there are differences between allegory, stories and history written in the Bible. I believe Jonah and the large fish is history. I believe David and the giant was history. I believe creation was history. Was I there to witness it? No. Do I accept it? Yes.

I also believe that evolution is a theory, not a fact, a theory. I believe it is a theory being used to undermine the faith of millions. I know that evolutionist will claim that creation is a theory. So be it. Funny thing is about this word ‘theory.’ I saw someone write an article complaining that someone wanted the teaching of evolution to include the word ‘theory.’ They had a problem with that. It is a theory. That’s all it is. Contrary to what is pushed upon us, evolution is a theory not a proven fact, a theory.

What should be taught in schools? Neither. What? You may say.

In his book “The Irrational Atheist,” Vox Day talks about the definition of science. “But if Oxford’s most famous professor never quite gets around to answering the question, the Oxford English Dictionary does not shirk from the task. It defines science as “the intellectual and practical activity encompassing the systematic study of the structure and behavior of the physical and natural world through observation and experiment. (—ORIGIN Latin scientia, from scire “know.”)There, was that so hard? Science is systematic study done through observation and experiment. Therefore, if the study is not systematic, or if observation and experiment are not involved, it is obviously not science by this definition.”[1]

Using the Oxford English Dictionary view of science, neither evolutionary theory nor creation theory should be taught in school. Maybe both should be taught in philosophy.

What the schools should teach is how things work, not how we think it came in to being. Math isn’t taught by teaching how it came into being. English isn’t taught by teaching how it came to be. Why should biology and science be taught that way? Biology especially shouldn’t be taught that way. Teach how something that we must deal with works now, not the theory of how we think it worked before it came to be now. I don’t care how you think it came to be. How does it work now?

First day of class the teacher should say, “There are many who believe that God created the heavens and the earth. Others believe that it just happened by chance. Others just don’t know. In this class we will learn what we do know – how things work.” Teach how the eye works. Teach how the body works. Teach about the healing process and how thing work together. Neither creation nor evolution is fundamentally necessary to teach how something that is in existence works. Teach how things work, not how you think it came into being. How it works will be more of a benefit that how you think it came about.

The only reason I can see for the pushing of evolutionary theory on anyone is to undermine their faith. Just teach how things work and function. I believe God created us. Man sinned. Jesus died and rose for us to make us acceptable to God. I will do what is in my power to love you.

Now explain to me how the body is designed to heal itself. Explain to me how the eye works. Explain how the ear works. Don’t tell me how you think it came to be, I’m not interested in how you think it came to be. I know what I believe. My faith is in Jesus, the only begotten Son of God. There is no other. He has no brother, except his adopted brothers and sisters of grace through faith. I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist.

To me the body functions too well together to be an accident.

[1] The Irrational Atheist by Vox Day, Page 30, BenBella Books, Inc, Dallas, TX

None Righteous, No Not One

I started reading Romans again. I just sat down and read Romans chapters 1-3 without focusing on 1 verse here or there to justify any attitude that my human self may want to take about a particular set of people. After laying out his indictments against mankind in chapter 1 Paul starts off chapter 2 with an interesting statement to the believers in Rome. He says to them, “Therefore, you are inexcusable, oh man, whoever you are that judges: for wherein you judge another, you condemn yourself; for you that judge do the same things.”

Why doesn’t anyone ever get that far when they use Romans to condemn others? We are all guilty in the eyes of God, that’s why Jesus had to die on the cross. If acceptance to God is based on our behavior, everyone needs to forget access to heaven. Paul then starts to lay out the ground work for the reason for the cross. There is not a single person that can say they are worthy of heaven because of what they have done.

We need to focus on the whole council of God, not just our pet verses to justify our theology. If you need to pick just one verse to base your theology on then, it should be John 3:16. But I like 1 Corinthians 1:18. “For the preaching of the cross is to them that are perishing foolish, but for those of us who are saved it is the power of God.” God made the Way. God made the Sacrifice.

As I’ve been praying, thinking and writing this blog, I found myself thinking about all of the history of the people of Israel and people in general. The whole history of Israel could be generalized to people in general - a people who are obedient to God over time stray from God. God has to bring them back to himself. Even the New Testament saints weren’t perfect. What we see over the history of man is that man will always make a mess of things. Only God can clean up the mess.

“If my people, who are called by My name, would humble themselves and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways…” There are so many things that are considered wicked in the eyes of God – pride being number 1 on God’s list. Yet, so many ‘religious’ people are proud, knowing not as they ought. They look down on those they feel aren’t living up to the ‘standard’ that has been set before them. They aren’t living ‘the Christian life’ – whatever that means.

I’ve come to the conclusion that I cannot judge people with piecemeal theology – use a verse here and a verse there to point the finger at those I disagree with. Under the ‘whole council of God’ we are all sinners in need of a Savior. Jesus is that Savior. Jesus is the only Son. Jesus is the only answer. Jesus is the only Way. Jesus is IT. Jesus is God. If God is Love, then Jesus is Love in the flesh. Love died on the cross and rose from the dead to give me new life in God. Not the old life in the Law, but new life in the Spirit. It’s not about winning arguments. It’s not about gaining adherents to our ‘religious’ way. It’s not about being better than others. It’s about Jesus.

Thoughts on Sitting on Our Butts

John 21:21-23
Peter, seeing him, said to Jesus, "But Lord, what about this man?"
Jesus said to him, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me."
Then this saying went out among the brethren that this disciple would not die. Yet Jesus did not say to him that he would not die, but, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you?"

So many misunderstandings are based on a misused word, a wrong quote, or just plain ‘jumping to conclusions.’
Take the text used above. Peter was concerned about what someone else was going to be doing, Jesus said, "If I will that he remain till I come, what is that to you? You follow Me." The disciples jumped to the conclusion “that this disciple would not die.” Jesus didn’t say that. Jesus was just pointing out ‘whatever I tell him to do, it is none of your business. You do what I ask of you.”
We can never and should never assume that we know what God wants someone else to do. Hosea is a good example. God told Hosea to marry ‘the wrong kind of woman’ as some people would call her. It became a prophet’s lesson to God’s people. We act like the wrong kind of woman but God loves us anyway and keeps bringing us back to Himself.

I started writing this the other day and yesterday (1-12-08) I had a thought (rare for me, to be having a ‘thought’ such a painful endeavor, I try not to do to much of it) and I asked myself this simple question, “Do I do good things because I’m good or because I’m good I do good things?” Religious people would have me believe that if I do good things I must be a good person. But, there are bad people that do good things. Jesus points that out when He said, “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will [your] heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!"(Matt 7:11 and Luke 11:13)
Anyone can do good things but it doesn’t mean they are good.

So maybe because I’m good, I do good things? Oh heck no. Apart from Christ, in me dwells no good thing. Paul reminds us that, “As it is written: "There is none righteous, no, not one;” Romans 3:10.

All I can do is fall on God’s grace and mercy found at the foot of the cross and boldly rise a new creation and “Love God and love my neighbors.” Funny though, my neighbors aren’t just those that treat me well, but those that don’t too. It’s God’s kindness that leads people to repentance. Love is what we show to those who love us and those that don’t.

Am I good, because I do good things? No. Do I do good things because I am good? No. I do good things because God is good and God is alive in me and God’s spirit leads me to do good things. Apart from Jesus what I do is nothing.

Back to my original thoughts on “If I have him tarry til I come…” Do I think God would have someone just sitting around on their butts doing nothing? No. Is it my business to meddle in what God is having someone else do? No, but I can pray that they are seeking God’s guidance and their focus is on Jesus. I believe that if you are spending time doing what God has called each of us to do, “Love God and love your neighbor,” we won’t have time to meddle in other people’s affairs.

Blessings and Grace,
DJ GlenMC

Ramblings

September 11th, 2001 changed the world for a lot of people.

We have since entered into a war that a lot of people object to. I think some people live with their heads in the sand. They believe if we just make nice then all will be okay. I don't believe that. We can't compromise with evil. I don't believe we can allow evil people to kill innocent people because it just emboldens them to kill more innocent people.

I've seen advertisements for "How to Survive a Nuclear Holocaust." My question is "Why would I want to?" I have an eternity before me in Christ Jesus.

Although we have an eternity before us, we are only given so many days here on earth. We have been given the great gift of salvation through Christ Jesus, so we can stop worrying about trying to 'do the right things in order to please God.' I can't touch the whole world but I can touch the world around me. Thing is there are those that don't want to be touched.

Jesus let the rich, young ruler walk away. He didn't chase him down and try to convince him of coming to His way of thinking. He knew his heart. We are only given so much time to love those around us. I do way too lousy a job at it.

James gave a short sermon today (1.6.08) about 'becoming as a little child.' Tanya ended the first service about hearing it for the 3rd time and still finding a little nugget from God. She mentioned something about getting something from "The Lion King." I was talking to Steve and Mark after the service and said the I've seen some really bad movies that God spoke to me and said, 'You've just wasted 2 hours of your life.'

I feel a lot of times I'm wasting my life. Who do I connect with? Who connects with me? Do the people closest to me even know who I am? Does anyone care about who I am? I know people care about me. I know God loves me. I know Jesus died for me and lives in me. But I still struggle with wondering about people caring. If I throw a party, will anyone show up? Yes, I know people will, but I still wonder. Do they show up out of love for me, or a sense of obligation? Do I think they should show up? People have lives. People have commitments.People have their own world to deal with.

Why all these wasted thoughts? I finished reading a book by Nelson DeMille called Wild Fire. No, it's not a Christian novel. A paragraph in it stuck in my thought processes and I was originally just going to write the paragraph and leave it at that, then I just started typing. Here is the paragraph:

"It was easy to pretend that all was right with the world. It never is, of course, and never was, but you have to steal a few hours now and then, and pretend that the rest of the world isn't going to hell."

We play our video games, we watch our TVs, we rent our DVDs, we go hunting, fishing, we go to work, we go to sleep, we go shopping, we go in debt, we go broke. We gather stuff around us as the people who are near to us wander away or we push them away so we don't get hurt or so we don't have to face the unloving part of ourselves. Or we buy things thinking that it will make those around us love us, but all it does is put us deeper in debt, and the people around still don't love us.

Problem is we don't "steal a few hours." We give them away to movies or games or hunting or fishing. Soon you find that you have no hours left to steal. Your life is nearing the end and the vapor called your existence is gone.

I'm sorry...I'm just rambling. I'm not sure if anyone is going to read this anyway. LOL.

Somebody write me something happy and upbeat...LOL.
JESUS LOVES ME, even in the midst of my stupidity. I cling to that with my very being.

Grace and peace. Love and blessings. May you find something in these ramblings.
DJ GlenMC

Fulfilling the Law

Rom 13:8-10

Owe no one anything except to love one another, for he who loves another has fulfilled the law.

For the commandments, "You shall not commit adultery," "You shall not murder," "You shall not steal," "You shall not bear false witness," "You shall not covet," and if there is any other commandment, are all summed up in this saying, namely, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.