HEATHEN-LY DAYS

We are all Heathen - - if we are without Jesus
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Heathen: One who is regarded as irreligious, uncivilized, or unenlightened.

I was about eleven years old, in the fifth grade and at the end of the period one day out of the blue the teacher stopped me and asked what faith I was.

I felt the redness starting to creep up into my face for I had never been inside a church. From somewhere the word Baptist popped up in my mind and I blurted out, “We is Baptist.”  She looked me straight in the eyes and said make sure you go to your church. This was the first time I had ever connected with the word church since I had been raised as a heathen or at least the only thing that my family used the word GOD for was to cuss.

Since I went to the movies a lot and there were some movies about the Catholic church - - however I noted that the kids in the movies were not any better as far as conduct than I was without the church.

My grandfather started to go to the Church Of Christ and I was about fifteen at the time.  I would go with him on occasions for I knew most of the people who went there. The church had two doors kinda like a restroom and the women and small kids went in at the left door and the men on the right. There was a rail that ran down the middle dividing the men from the women.

Once a month a preacher would come and preach otherwise the deacons would get up and read from the bible.

I didn't go there enough to change my heathen-ness and I continued to live without GOD until I was eighteen.

We live in a Nation of heathen people who are in the same condition as I was.

They have never entered a church and use the name of GOD and Jesus Christ as swear words instead of calling upon the name of the Lord for salvation.

Jesus said if I be lifted up I will draw all men unto me!

If we don't lift him up then none will be drawn to him.  I like this song!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tH7rPj8JW88

This post has been linked with Joan Davis at: Sharing His Beauty

This post is also shared at: “Tell Me a True Story” http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/

I do hope you are also enjoying reading as many stories as you can and giving your comments.

TOO MUCH ??

Food Bins
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It was many years ago when one of my elders took me aside and told me a story. I'm not sure why but I think he felt I was prone to excess.  In those days telling a story was a way to correct some character flaw. Sometimes it took and sometimes not.

Anyway as the story went the scene was an old fashion general store where in front of the counters were barrels with beans, sugar, salt, potatoes and the like were displayed.  The grocer notice a boy who happened to be about my age who would stick his finger in his mouth and when he thought the grocer wasn't looking he put his finger in the sugar and then in his mouth. He would repeat this several time.

The grocer knew what he was doing and he said to the boy; go ahead and eat all you want. With some trepidation the boy began to eat and continued until the grocer notice him just standing there staring. He asked him didn't he like the sugar? The boy answered it was good until it got down to the salt! What happen was his taste buds became overwhelmed and the sugar lost its taste.

I waited for an explanation or what you might call "The moral of the story is," but I was just left hanging.  That didn't completely cure my desire for excess but it did have its effect that lasts till today.

The Bible is full of warnings about greed and excess and many examples are written as warnings.

1 Corinthians 10:11 All these things happened to them as examples for others, and they were written down as a warning for us. For we live at a time when the end is about to come.

We thrive on titillation both mentally and physically which can lead to excess. Take the story about David and Bathsheba.  First he saw and then nothing would satisfy until the lesser sin occurred which led to the greater.

Solomon, it is said had 1000 women and still he wasn't satisfied but rather was unsatisfied - - shouting vanity, vanity all is vanity.

He had it all but all wasn't enough to quench this thriving force within his soul.

Ecclesiastes 1:2 It is useless, useless, said the Philosopher. Life is useless, all useless. Ecclesiastes 1:8 Everything leads to weariness---a weariness too great for words. Our eyes can never see enough to be satisfied; our ears can never hear enough.

Caution must be taken concerning legitimate things, not to get carried away by desires and to beware of the illegitimate which leads to sorrow.

 Adam and Eve learned their lesson too late; Genesis 3:6 The woman saw how beautiful the tree was and how good its fruit would be to eat, and she thought how wonderful it would be to become wise. So she took some of the fruit and ate it.

Be moderate or your sugar will turn to salt!

Http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4mJUfd_uPww&feature=related

This post is Linked up today with Michelle’s Hear it on Sunday Use it on Monday

THE RACE

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One of my favorite pass times is watching auto racing, preferably NASCAR.

It can be time consuming if you watch all the commentary (which is your guess is good as mine when it comes to the race) so I avoid much of that, but the practice, qualifying, and the actual race is pleasing to watch.

The human race has grown from 2 people to over 7 billion at the present time, and each is running their own personal race.

As I sit here I am reminded of what Paul the Apostle said;

2Timothy 4:7 I have fought well. I have finished the race, and I have been faithful.

Those are words piercing, even challenging to every Christian as they think of how they are running their race. Paul had learned the keys to successful running and shared his secrets in his writings.

 He lived his life facing death on every hand stating "I die daily."

 He died to all that would deter him from the prize, his high calling.

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 Philippians 3:14 I press on toward the goal unto the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus and in the end he could say;

2 Timothy 4:7 I have fought well. I have finished the race, and I have been faithful.

I certainly have not been endowed with the responsibilities that Paul endured but yet that doesn't demean my calling is any less.

As I muse, I question to myself, “How do I feel about my calling unto Christ? Do I see it as a high calling that demands my best? 

Or do I feel living slip shod is good enough for Jesus?

(Ephesians 4:1 Therefore I, a prisoner for serving the Lord, beg you to lead a life worthy of your calling, for you have been called by God)

While I have the best of intentions, I sometime get out of my comfort zone and feel ill at ease and find myself reflecting on;

Galatians 5:7 You were running a good race. Who cut in on you and kept you from obeying the truth?

This is about all of this reflection on this subject I can handle for now. I'll pick it up later.

Meanwhile check out this song;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zPXqCQHl8mo

This post has been linked with Saints and Scripture Sunday

 

OLE TIME RELIGION

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Many consider the ole time religion to be archaic and the people who adhere to it to be out of touch with reality.

In the first place they haven't got a clue as to what it really is! This ole time religion started in eternity prior to the creation of the world and the fall of Lucifer. GOD saw the beginning and the end, specifically that there was going to be a need of a savior.

Revelations 13:8 All inhabitants of the earth will worship the beast--all whose names have not been written in the book of life belonging to the Lamb that was slain from the creation of the world.

 GOD made provision for the remedy for sin in times eternal, it wasn't a just in case issue but an established fact based upon GOD'S foreknowledge.

From Adam to Abraham to Christ to our present day this old time religion that started in eternity is established in the eternal future. In other words it is ageless.  Its principles are unchangeable which is man's love for and obedience to GOD.

It is based upon the veracity of GOD'S word, the same word that spoke the world into existence.

I will gladly answer any critic and say "Tis the ole time religion and it's good enough for me".

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jyP4bA9Q9d4&feature=related

This post is Linked with Charlotte’s Spiritual Sundays

THE BOOKS

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"Attitudes” to sacred texts differ.

Some religions make written texts widely and freely available, while others hold that sacred secrets must remain hidden from all but the loyal and the initiate.

Most religions promulgate policies defining the limits of the sacred texts and controlling or forbidding changes and additions.  Some religions view their sacred texts as the "Word of God," often contending that the texts are inspired by God and as such are not open to alteration." Wikipedia

Due to the fact there are thousands of "Faiths" and they all have their "Book" and their adherents are faithful to their beliefs shows forth not all could be right.

A new revelation in written form pops up every few years and claims "This is the truth" "So says their prophet".

Some of the writings that are familiar to most are; Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons, Christian Science, Scientology, Muslim and Christianity. There are hundreds of others with one common thread which is a "Book and a Prophet" of some sort.

Knowing this challenges me to reevaluate my dedication to the Bible, "The Word Of GOD" and my total loyalty to it. This requires me to believe it to be GOD'S total revelation to man. Within it's pages are found the Creator, Sin, Salvation, the future of all mankind and how one should live in the present.

There is nothing excluded from the beginning to the eternal state; from the old creation to the new heavens and the earth.

While other books may talk about a God this book “The Bible” is GOD'S revelation about Himself.

1Timothy.2:5 For there is only one God (Jehovah) and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity--the man Christ Jesus.

The best thing you can do with your Bible is to wear it out from reading and studying it and obeying the truths therein.

Get the dust off the Bible!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KpaV50HEgzM 

 This post is linked with Jennifer at:  God-Bumps and God-Incidences

 Also linked to Michelle’s Thought Provoking Thursday

THE BIG ADVENTURE

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As kids, we didn't consider ourselves a gang in the modern sense of the word but since we lived in close proximity to one another we hung out together.

We had reached the ripe age of 10 and were full of ourselves. One boy was named Gilbert and was a foster child living with what seemed to be real old people (about age fifty).

To understand what happened next you need to realize that we had difficulty getting money for the picture show even though the ticket only cost a dime.

Any way Gilbert discovered a gold mine, well actually it was where his foster parents kept their stash. There were hundreds of dollars hidden there; this was in the late thirties.

We noticed Gilbert had money for whatever he wanted and finally he confessed and told us he was taking money from the family stash. There were about five of us that decided we should share in his new found wealth.

All of our sports equipment was rag tag junk that we had managed to acquire and some of us didn't have baseball gloves and had to play barehanded. We had a meeting and discussed our pressing needs and decided to go downtown and remedy our problem.

What happen next was almost like a feeding frenzy. We had unlimited funds so everyone got a new fielders mitt. Of course we had to have the best and paid around twelve dollars each for them. That is a lot of money when ten cents was hard to come by.

Before the day was out we had equipment for baseball, basketball, football with all accessories, so much we could hardly carry it home and then we had to hide it out back in order not to have to answer questions about where it came from.

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We decided (we were very democratic and voted) to go to San Francisco so we took the A train across the Bay Bridge and were on our way to the beach (Something like Coney Island).  Since we didn't know which bus to take to reach the beach, we all jumped into a taxi and said, “To the beach please!”

The driver said it would cost about six dollars whereupon we shouted, “We have the money let’s go." The driver stared at us for awhile not saying anything and then he threw us out of his cab.

Having suffered that rejection (from which we didn't soon recover) we walked down Market Street until we found a movie we wanted to see and after that we went home very disappointed.

Things were going good until Gilbert got caught with his hand in the till and then it hit the fan. As it turned out he implicated all of us and lied the best he could about what happened. We all had to face the music and the decision was made that we had to pay for our mitts so when asked how much they cost we lied and said three dollars instead of twelve. It took awhile but I finally paid off my wonderful baseball glove.

Gilbert had almost three hundred dollars on him when he was caught and was threaten to be kicked out of the home if he did that again.

After awhile he found a large bag that was full of change so heavy you could hardly pick it up (the folding money had been put in a bank) and he would only take just enough for our necessities like the movies, candy and popcorn. He was older and wiser and never got caught pilfering that.

Soon after that World War II started and the gang found other interests and went different ways with new friends.

This post has been linked with Joan Davis   Sharing His Beauty

This post is also shared at Hazel’s “Tell Me a True Story” at
 http://letmetelluastory.blogspot.com/

I do hope you are also enjoying reading as many stories as you can and giving your comments.

TRYING TO LIVE WHAT AIN'T

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Galatians 6:7 If you think you can fool God, you are only fooling yourselves. You will harvest what you plant.


Trying to live what ain't is the fool's prerogative. It is the politician's promise and the sluggard's goal. It enslaves the diligent for the benefit of the indolent. All objectors to it's actions are declared unrighteous and objectionable. Any challenge to it's authority is ridiculed and derided; But on the other hand there is a "GOD" remedy for that.

Proverbs 6:6-11 Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise: Which having no guide, overseer, or ruler, Provides her meat in the summer, and gathers her food in the harvest. How long wilt thou sleep, O sluggard? When wilt thou arise out of thy sleep? Yet a little sleep, a little slumber, a little folding of the hands to sleep: So shall thy poverty come as one that travelleth, and thy want as an armed man.

Tis true Lord, what fools these mortals be!

The key to the ant's success was it's diligence in all things and cooperation with those of like mind. He fought his own battles and let others do the same. He didn't borrow, and then give it to the grasshopper so he could loll about. He didn't try to live what ain't.

When GOD says go, the wise goes. When GOD says consider, the wise considers. When GOD says that apathy brings poverty the wise heeds the warning and acts to eliminate the cause.

“I have learned to read the papers calmly and not to hate the fools I read about.” Edmund Wilson

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wM1DgihKHVI&feature=related


This post is Linked up today with Michelle’s Hear it on Sunday Use it on Monday