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