tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-53764079613008970192024-02-06T22:08:44.455-05:00A New Creature. . . an Apostolic Pentecostal blogI am a former atheist who discovered Jesus in June of 2000. Now I am a chaplain and a licensed UPC minister who loves the Lord with all my heart, soul, mind and strength. . . I once was blind, but now I see. . . never say never.David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.comBlogger379125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-2937914648877437652023-01-02T13:45:00.000-05:002023-01-02T13:45:01.606-05:00<p> I've posted a new video to my YouTube channel titled, "Deliverance from Bondage"</p><p><br /></p><p>https://youtu.be/h2lXiEHhx9M</p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-89680593026189179322022-12-30T21:30:00.004-05:002022-12-31T08:38:26.747-05:00<p> This video is about my prayers for my Mother after she had a stroke, and we were told that she would be a vegetable.</p><p><br /></p><p><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8eY3dpqCwNQ">https://youtu.be/8eY3dpqCwNQ</a></p>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-90153453479178172892022-12-26T10:46:00.005-05:002022-12-26T10:46:33.618-05:00<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIppNboQ1nKeb6sptCfyY8n57SKmLog1v6Izg_V9BojsuXDoR-W1uBYpwjBDB8bEMBcEhgqAibKeNLEkwxywe_jf1a73kPaoPf_2jwXX2BCigQ_5eW8svp0nP5hs-9zRzAlHs-dNtL0zGqtUJOmkd01PGKTs3uxgiPPQ2eP1Gk5nTITaE1GPV7EslM/s1200/n29737%201200x960.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="1200" height="384" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIppNboQ1nKeb6sptCfyY8n57SKmLog1v6Izg_V9BojsuXDoR-W1uBYpwjBDB8bEMBcEhgqAibKeNLEkwxywe_jf1a73kPaoPf_2jwXX2BCigQ_5eW8svp0nP5hs-9zRzAlHs-dNtL0zGqtUJOmkd01PGKTs3uxgiPPQ2eP1Gk5nTITaE1GPV7EslM/w480-h384/n29737%201200x960.JPG" width="480" /></a></div><br /> <p></p><div>Random thoughts. . . </div><div><br /></div><div>Memories of many years gone by, orbiting my head this afternoon. . . all three of ancient old men, whom my path has crossed with in the last 50 years. . . </div><div><br /></div><div>The first was when I was in high school. My father worked on the railroad, and as such had a free rail pass, and in high school, on the weekends, I would take the train up to Chicago and go to visit the museums or go to Old Town, which in the day was full of head shops, and hippy type stores. In the train station one day, I cannot remember the details, but somehow I connected with an ancient old one legged, one eyed wizened and weathered black man, with what might be described as a cloth wrapped beggars crutch. He was sitting in the Chicago train station, waiting for the train to St. Louis. . . He said he was taking the train home to die. Again, I haven’t thought of this in over 50 years, and cannot remember the details, but I remember sitting with him for a good long time that day, as he told me of his life. . .his troubles. . . his hopes. . . He refused the little bit of money that I was able to offer him, but he did accept my buying him a coffee, with lots of sugar in it. Somehow or other he was given a train ticket for free to go home. He had cancer and not long to live. . . He wasn’t bitter about how his life had turned out, but seemed to look forward to his finding rest and peace in closing his eyes for the final time. . . That afternoon’s conversation touched me deeply, shed new light on life. . . I remember him with deep fondness. I hope he found his looked for peace. . . </div><div><br /></div><div> The second memory was from when I was in the military. I was in a Gausthaus, outside the gates of Sheridan Kaserne in Augsburg, Germany where I was based. It was a small hotel/bar/restaurant, a very cozy setting where wonderful German food and strong German beer were served in abundance. These were long years before I came to Christ, and I found many evenings leaving Herbert, and Helena’s Gausthaus in a rather intoxicated state, to walk back to the base, which was only a block or so away. One evening I began conversing with an old German gentleman, whom I’d never seen there before. His English was about as broken, and unintelligible as my German, but somehow we conversed in spite of the difficulties. He recognized me as American military. He had been a German Luftwaffe pilot in the great war. The base I was stationed at was an old German air base taken over by the U.S. military after WWII. He had been shot down, and captured by the allies, and held as a POW for a time. He said that he had been treated fairly by the Americans, and held no grudges, it was war after all. He and I ended up drinking some not small quantity of a traditional German drink made of goat’s milk, and brandy, arms interlinked, cheek to cheek from an ornate traditionally decorated German mug. In the way of intoxication, we ended the evening hugging, and declaring eternal friendship and brotherhood as comrades in arms across the long decades which separated us in age. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /> The third memory was of a man in a nursing home, whom I had an afternoon’s conversation with. He had been a railroad engineer during WWII. He drove the train which brought Franklin Delano Roosevelt, our 32nd president from Washington D.C. to the Democratic National political convention in July of 1940. He drove the train for the last leg of the journey from somewhere in Ohio, into Chicago. The trip was held in high secrecy. He remembers seeing FBI/Secret Service agents at every overpass, and many/most of the road crossings that the train took, to protect against attacks against the train. A little old man, like uncountable other little old men, now lonely in nursing homes across the land, whose lives lay the foundation for great men, and great events. . .with rheumy eyes, and trembling hands remembering their brushes with history.
Reminiscing this afternoon. . .remembering these men who with light brief touches across my path, helped mold and shape me. . . </div><div><br /></div><div>I remember you. . . </div><div>I appreciate you. . . </div><div>I do love you and hope you found rest and peace. . . </div><div> I thank you God for putting people across my path, who helped shape me. .
I treasure their memories. . . </div><div><br /></div><div> ❤ </div><div><br /></div><div>Dave</div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-50249451344200583382022-12-25T08:25:00.001-05:002022-12-25T08:25:30.469-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvKNdFcUyMwLhkls926q12p8sPf0bXmhtHGL2k5usTk4XSg-cJfDb1efxLde171scw6Zg5UVai0OsTiRmkQEJ6LMww4GTKWoH_e4b9i2xXYM81TWuZO0YlBUI-88B-_svg13--yrcyq8_fbAJ3bcZ2aEyQrE978zjkk_xA2qM5OBylTRhQX6HB6Fk/s1920/carina_nebula_large.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1111" data-original-width="1920" height="324" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiqvKNdFcUyMwLhkls926q12p8sPf0bXmhtHGL2k5usTk4XSg-cJfDb1efxLde171scw6Zg5UVai0OsTiRmkQEJ6LMww4GTKWoH_e4b9i2xXYM81TWuZO0YlBUI-88B-_svg13--yrcyq8_fbAJ3bcZ2aEyQrE978zjkk_xA2qM5OBylTRhQX6HB6Fk/w560-h324/carina_nebula_large.jpg" width="560" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><div><br /></div>I am working on memorizing Psalm 139. Memorization does not come at all easy to me. I have to go back and review previous verses to keep them anchored in my mind. In my review this morning verse 12 stood out to me: <div><br /></div><div>Psalms 139:12 KJV </div><div>Yea, the darkness hideth not from thee;
but the night shineth as the day:
the darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
The darkness hideth not from thee:
The night shineth as the day; </div><div><br /></div><div>This verse powerfully spoke to me. God doesn't see by visible light, as we do. God's sight is deeper, and reveals hidden things.
The Hubble telescope, viewed the universe in visible light, which is only a miniscule part of the electromagnetic spectrum. The recently launched James Webb telescope, views the universe in the invisible to us, infrared. . . heat portion of the spectrum, and in its first few pictures is revealing stunning hidden stars and structures.
The James Webb resides far out into space, away from other celestial bodies, where the temperature is only a few degrees above absolute zero, where all subatomic motion stops. In this cold, the Webb can detect objects by their heat hidden behind clouds of dust, thereby invisible to our eyes.
Sin is darkness. </div><div><br /></div><div>Sin is the absence of light and heat. Physical appearance can disguise sin, but heat and light cannot be hidden in the infrared, no matter the dust, and distraction of outward appearance.
God sees through all that. He sees the inner person. Do you radiate warmth and love and light? Or are you a cold empty shell, beautiful on the outside, but a dark void within?
Do not fool yourself.
Psalms 139:11 KJV
If I say, Surely the darkness shall cover me;
even the night shall be light about me.
God sees through it all. He sees the inner man. . . Fill yourself with warmth, and light, and love. Come into a close relationship with God, and your fellow man. . . Find a place of peace, and joy, and hope for your eternal home. . .
I love you my God. . .
I thank you my Lord. . .
</div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-37003473858633611692022-12-25T07:14:00.004-05:002022-12-25T08:28:08.193-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEini1MP6e-Od8tlbk_L1__G3zbRAJi8C2KHa5tHnEVb6UbbZHn3oiJy7iGK56KgUo6g-pQrVFpATX0R5ztXyr6AMozJgH6EsK5qchtVsznN7vIfDRtOIm7CH6a01pUmwEXVqv36xTa_PlSjY64liw-pYQH2BE2uLp1DI3wqh7_MVCA3-xsuCIte2vzu/s2048/320690624_545628387196144_450861879847453943_n.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1638" data-original-width="2048" height="421" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEini1MP6e-Od8tlbk_L1__G3zbRAJi8C2KHa5tHnEVb6UbbZHn3oiJy7iGK56KgUo6g-pQrVFpATX0R5ztXyr6AMozJgH6EsK5qchtVsznN7vIfDRtOIm7CH6a01pUmwEXVqv36xTa_PlSjY64liw-pYQH2BE2uLp1DI3wqh7_MVCA3-xsuCIte2vzu/w527-h421/320690624_545628387196144_450861879847453943_n.jpg" width="527" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Talking with some friends this morning about looking for bald eagles to see on our upcoming trip, when to my mind came the following memory:<div><br /></div><div>My father had a friend who was a falconer. My son, Colin, my father, and my brother (all now passed away) went to a little scrub field, maybe an acre or two in size, in a town 10-15 miles away. The bird was a red tailed hawk, same as the picture above. The bird had a jess (a leather strap) with a couple of bells around its leg.</div><div><br /></div><div>When we got to the field, the falconer lifted the bird up from his forearm into the air, and the bird took off and landed in the top of the tallest tree in the field.
We then proceeded to walk the field through the weeds and bushes until we kicked up a rabbit. The hawk from the top of the tree swooped down, the little bells on the jess ringing, letting us follow the sound to the bird. The hawk's talons had pierced the rabbit's sides, killing it instantly. </div><div><br /></div><div>The falconer then twisted off the rabbit's head, and gave it to the red tailed hawk, which ate it crunch crunch crunch like an apple. He kept the remainder of the rabbit, to freeze, and feed the hawk at intervals during times when they didn't go hunting together. </div><div><br /></div><div>At one point my son Colin who was five years old, walked under the tree where the red tailed hawk was perched. The hawk seeing my son's head and hair, somehow mistook him for game, and swooped down landing eye level on my son's chest, during which one of the bird's talons had cut my son's ear, which was bleeding pretty good. The bird was looking Colin full in the face. </div><div><br /></div><div>Kind of scary, we didn't know what the bird was going to do next.
My brother Matt, being several steps closer to my son, than I, did like a karate kick knocking the bird off Colin's chest. Colin was crying pretty good at the pain, and surprise of the bird attack. My brother and I told Colin what a cool sexy scar to have. . . to be able to tell the girls, "Yeah, that's where I was attacked by a hawk." </div><div><br /></div><div>Anyway cool memory of my father, my brother, and my son. . . </div><div><br /></div><div>I love you Lord. . </div><div>Thank you my God. . . </div><div><br /></div><div>❤ </div><div><br /></div><div>Dave</div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-2435845302691881962022-12-25T06:33:00.002-05:002022-12-25T08:40:44.695-05:00Stuck in the Sand<iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/_YPc-TFeo48" width="480"></iframe><div><br /></div><div>The power of prayer. . . God delivering my wife and I from a very difficult situation.</div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-21191142940773150322022-12-25T06:31:00.001-05:002022-12-25T08:39:30.022-05:00My Road from Unbelief to Belief<iframe frameborder="0" height="270" src="https://youtube.com/embed/aXumv347RsY" width="480"></iframe><div>My testimony. . . How God revealed Himself to me, and dispelled my atheism.</div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-32704270036305047602020-12-02T12:02:00.001-05:002020-12-02T12:02:37.231-05:00<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMjcQ26somCmOzNBJO7BJUOG3_9Fu_PkehJ5d4oVpQZh2vXApROoEkN0bYGKuC5eKd1yjY9UCMpTDzlibNmpBFc6xdA2RR462Xdb8jzYBpy4EJ9IEALnAtM2GpkdHrAbS_XRX8MBAO3E/s2048/n13509.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1637" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiBMjcQ26somCmOzNBJO7BJUOG3_9Fu_PkehJ5d4oVpQZh2vXApROoEkN0bYGKuC5eKd1yjY9UCMpTDzlibNmpBFc6xdA2RR462Xdb8jzYBpy4EJ9IEALnAtM2GpkdHrAbS_XRX8MBAO3E/s320/n13509.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>I listened to Ezekiel chapter 3 on the way to work this morning: </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The voice said to me, “Son of man, eat what I am giving you—eat this scroll! Then go and give its message to the people of Israel.” So I opened my mouth, and he fed me the scroll. “Fill your stomach with this,” he said. And when I ate it, it tasted as sweet as honey in my mouth. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Then he said, “Son of man, go to the people of Israel and give them my messages. I am not sending you to a foreign people whose language you cannot understand. No, I am not sending you to people with strange and difficult speech. If I did, they would listen! But the people of Israel won’t listen to you any more than they listen to me! For the whole lot of them are hard-hearted and stubborn. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">But look, I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are. I have made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock! So don’t be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are rebels.”
Then he added, “Son of man, let all my words sink deep into your own heart first. Listen to them carefully for yourself. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Then go to your people in exile and say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says!’ Do this whether they listen to you or not.” </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard a loud rumbling sound behind me. (May the glory of the LORD be praised in his place!) It was the sound of the wings of the living beings as they brushed against each other and the rumbling of their wheels beneath them. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Spirit lifted me up and took me away.
I went in bitterness and turmoil, but the LORD’s hold on me was strong. Then I came to the colony of Judean exiles in Tel-abib, beside the Kebar River.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I was overwhelmed and sat among them for seven days. After seven days the LORD gave me a message.
He said, “Son of man, I have appointed you as a watchman for Israel. Whenever you receive a message from me, warn people immediately. If I warn the wicked, saying, ‘You are under the penalty of death,’ but you fail to deliver the warning, they will die in their sins. And I will hold you responsible for their deaths. If you warn them and they refuse to repent and keep on sinning, they will die in their sins. But you will have saved yourself because you obeyed me. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">“If righteous people turn away from their righteous behavior and ignore the obstacles I put in their way, they will die. And if you do not warn them, they will die in their sins. None of their righteous acts will be remembered, and I will hold you responsible for their deaths. But if you warn righteous people not to sin and they listen to you and do not sin, they will live, and you will have saved yourself, too.” </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Then the LORD took hold of me and said, “Get up and go out into the valley, and I will speak to you there.” So I got up and went, and there I saw the glory of the LORD, just as I had seen in my first vision by the Kebar River. And I fell face down on the ground. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Then the Spirit came into me and set me on my feet.
He spoke to me and said, “Go to your house and shut yourself in. There, son of man, you will be tied with ropes so you cannot go out among the people. And I will make your tongue stick to the roof of your mouth so that you will be speechless and unable to rebuke them, for they are rebels.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">But when I give you a message, I will loosen your tongue and let you speak. Then you will say to them, ‘This is what the Sovereign LORD says!’ Those who choose to listen will listen, but those who refuse will refuse, for they are rebels. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(NLT Ezekiel 3:1-27) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Listening to Ezekiel chapter 3, it strongly struck me how difficult it was to be a prophet of the Lord. Beaten, ridiculed, imprisoned, ignored. . . saying unpopular things, doing seemingly foolish things on the instruction of God, and yet they persevered. . . choosing obedience to God over the approval of man. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For most it seems to have been a stark and lonely existence. Supported by at most a few family members, but speaking unpopular words to the community in which they lived. . . and yet they persevered. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">They were to be watchmen. . . a lonely occupation. . . whose sole purpose and responsibility was to sound the alarm. They bore no responsibility for people’s obedience, but only to sound the alarm as instructed by God. . . This isn’t a popularity contest. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">“Do to others whatever you would like them to do to you. This is the essence of all that is taught in the law and the prophets. “You can enter God’s Kingdom only through the narrow gate. The highway to hell is broad, and its gate is wide for the many who choose that way. But the gateway to life is very narrow and the road is difficult, and only a few ever find it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(NLT Matthew 7:12-14)</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> . . . and only a few ever find it. . . we reach for the few. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">But look, I have made you as obstinate and hard-hearted as they are. I have made your forehead as hard as the hardest rock! So don’t be afraid of them or fear their angry looks, even though they are rebels.”
(NLT Ezekiel 3:8-9) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We must never give up in our efforts. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">always in love. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">always in faith. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">always in obedience. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I love You my God. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thank You my Lord. . .</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><3</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dave </span></div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-55860325760019396312020-11-30T13:30:00.005-05:002020-11-30T13:30:29.966-05:00Our Boundless God. . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FUBKbW_Pjktd0UbAEeSM54mRMyjZ360YpMBF9nFqpckfkg8ff9y0HKU3OACu442gRgQ2AYF62FV1eaiQM5D_NjCJBVW9cfYZBWqG6S7rVZ_pjUrl-y4lPCrKjVw1QnDfomquRz-glXs/s1024/n14223+Large+e-mail+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="816" data-original-width="1024" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh4FUBKbW_Pjktd0UbAEeSM54mRMyjZ360YpMBF9nFqpckfkg8ff9y0HKU3OACu442gRgQ2AYF62FV1eaiQM5D_NjCJBVW9cfYZBWqG6S7rVZ_pjUrl-y4lPCrKjVw1QnDfomquRz-glXs/s320/n14223+Large+e-mail+view.jpg" width="320" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> We love boundaries. We are surrounded by both visible, and invisible boundaries. My bedroom has walls, and a door. . . My home has doors, windows, roof, and walls. . . My yard has a fence around it dividing my property from our neighbors. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">People have what is called their personal space, the distance at which you expect casual acquaintances to stay beyond. We feel uncomfortable when this shell of comfort is invaded. . . riding a packed subway, or otherwise being in a densely packed crowd can make us feel very ill at ease. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The boundaries of the varied political divisions our world is divided into, nations, states, counties, cities, townships. . . we take comfort and pride in our association with these varied boundaries.
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Boundaries take many forms. Our actions and interactions are governed by our cultures acceptable rules of behavior. To enter into a different culture exposes how deeply ingrained and unconscious these “normal” rules of behavior are. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Things we take for granted as normal, are suddenly turned upside down, and we feel what is known as “culture shock”.
To enter into, as I did in being transferred to Germany in the service, to what might be thought of as a very similar culture to ours, was surprisingly disorienting and disconcerting to me. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I went through a significant period of adjustment, and unease while I adapted to the German way of doing things.
Personal space, eye contact, familiarity, polite eating habits, personal hygiene, acceptable conversation. . . and on and on. . . things we take for granted as the norm. . . the only way things are universally done, when immersed in another culture are shown to be extremely fluid and relative to where you are on the world’s map. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It was very uncomfortable to find myself in a culture where I knew nothing about acceptable behavior. Leaving the shores of the U.S. I had left behind all the rules that had been lifelong familiars to me. I discovered how much I liked, and missed my known boundaries. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I believe that there are spiritual parallels. There is comfort in rules. . . The Old Testament commandments are comforting and reassuring. Follow these 10 or 100 or 1000 laws, and God will be happy with you. We greatly desire to have a specific code to follow. . . don’t take God’s name in vain. . . don’t lie. . . don’t murder. . . don’t steal. . . don’t covet. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The problem with such boundaries, is in how limited and flawed they are. Which of the 10 commandments have I broken, if I badly beat someone, but don’t kill them? No matter how many more new rules you add to such finite laws, they will never be complete.
It is said that the Mosaic Law code had more than 600 laws, and still there was endless quibbling and arguing about their application. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The U.S. has been a country for almost 250 years. It has thousands of legislative bodies that spend their entire time drafting new laws, with no end in sight. Legions of lawmakers. . . Legions of lawyers. . . miles of shelf space for the books containing all these laws and still more are daily written. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">We serve a God without boundaries. He is not limited by time, or space. He is omnipresent, omniscient, and omnipotent. There are no boundaries to His Power, His mercy, His forgiveness, or His grace, and likewise there are no boundaries to His Laws:
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Master, which is the great commandment in the law? </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(Matthew 22:36-40) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">All thy heart. . . all thy soul. . . all thy mind. . . and love thy neighbor as thyself. . . These commandments are boundless. . . There are no limits here. There are no questions here. . . either you are loving God with everything you are, and loving your neighbor with the same limitless love as you love yourself or you are not. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There is no way to hide behind the interpretation of a rule. . . no way to make excuses for the incompleteness or mis-understanding of the law. . . You are either following these 2 commandments or you are not. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">There is great purity and clarity, in simplicity. I try to focus on these commandments in all that I do. . .</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I love you my Lord. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Please help me be more obedient to You. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Please help me better follow Your Laws. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I love you my God. . .
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><3</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dave </span></div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-22547202767091934502020-11-19T08:58:00.000-05:002020-11-19T08:58:26.994-05:00How Long Until X-Giving?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1ImUiJKKXSJvo2dC_TXMFaNdAVnzB2eJSAct557YuBExtjXncEI2sodAFllTX00e4LHDhOSMqinQdRDk7daivlhMxF2dPA3i1kxeVW2xSu9FxYhQ3w54zzcxGJVvVMO4lWWVI9K9XfY/s1024/n9824+Large+e-mail+view.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="819" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZ1ImUiJKKXSJvo2dC_TXMFaNdAVnzB2eJSAct557YuBExtjXncEI2sodAFllTX00e4LHDhOSMqinQdRDk7daivlhMxF2dPA3i1kxeVW2xSu9FxYhQ3w54zzcxGJVvVMO4lWWVI9K9XfY/s320/n9824+Large+e-mail+view.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">How Long Until X-Giving? </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For most Christ has been successfully removed from X-mas. There is nothing so removed from the life and love of Christ as buying innumerable made-in-China gifts from Walmart, Target, and Amazon in an appallingly corrupted celebration of His birth. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">How long will it be until the thanks is removed from Thanksgiving. Let’s forget the ‘thanks’ and concentrate on the ‘giving’. What an inconvenience and embarrassment it must be to the politically correct, a holiday totally devoted to God, for </span><span style="font-family: arial;">Who is it to that we are giving thanks other than God?
Are we thanking one another? Are we thanking the government? Who do we thank for the blessings bestowed upon us other than God. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The corruption of Thanksgiving has long been underway. . . Black Friday. So very aptly named. People trampling, kicking, even shooting one another, right after our national day of giving of fervent thanks to God.
How short our apparent memory. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Love God with all your heart, soul and mind. . . love your neighbor as yourself as you elbow him or her out of the way to grab that $89 big screen TV before they do. Getting up one day a week to worship God and save your soul, is too much trouble, but arising at 2 a.m. to go stand for hours in the dark and cold outside of a big box store to save a few dollars is well worth it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Let’s spend this week before Thanksgiving, truly giving thanks. Spend some time each day, telling God how grateful you are for all the blessings in your life. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">If you are going through a rough time, ask Him to please reveal to you the things He has done for you.
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My back was turned on Him for the first 45 years of my life. I thought He did not exist, until one day, He revealed to me how time and time and time again, when I should have been severely injured or even killed, something. . . something always occurred to prevent disaster. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">When seen all strung together, those 12 or 15 events, like beautiful pearls on a string, were revealed to me to be His Hand protecting me, even when my back was turned to Him. . . Flipping a quarter, and having it come up heads 12 times in a row is not luck, but the Hand of God. . .
My unbelief was gone. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Since that day, over twenty years ago now, my heart has been filled with gratitude for what He has done for me, and shame that my eyes were closed for so long. I’m so sorry, that I once was completely blind to Him. . . BUT!!!! Now I see. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I worship Him and give thanks every day. . .
Give Him thanks. . . and offer Him a gift, this Christ-mas season. . . Choose a way to draw closer to Him in the coming year. . . Give up something that stands between you and He. Take a small step toward Him. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(James 4:8 NLT) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I love You my God. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I give You thanks my Lord for everything You have done for me. . .
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><3</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dave </span></div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-55611145723674358862020-11-18T13:44:00.000-05:002020-11-18T13:44:11.987-05:00<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2RVKrpRF6u36kgS34WFcqpssg1ALPz0CBznvpulXWGIvb_Et6YIHriwHkxq7u7I1oDPKcRRcz4N9b91OObp7zrqpHjHiPvOii9goOcq8fbhVcknTWP1Qs1EBqtKSu1VHEGH9GqiJ9Z0/s2048/n29525+%25281%2529.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjp2RVKrpRF6u36kgS34WFcqpssg1ALPz0CBznvpulXWGIvb_Et6YIHriwHkxq7u7I1oDPKcRRcz4N9b91OObp7zrqpHjHiPvOii9goOcq8fbhVcknTWP1Qs1EBqtKSu1VHEGH9GqiJ9Z0/s320/n29525+%25281%2529.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>Say to those with fearful hearts,</span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">“Be strong, and do not fear, for your God is coming to destroy your enemies. He is coming to save you.” And when he comes, he will open the eyes of the blind and unplug the ears of the deaf. The lame will leap like a deer, and those who cannot speak will sing for joy! Springs will gush forth in the wilderness, and streams will water the wasteland. The parched ground will become a pool, and springs of water will satisfy the thirsty land. Marsh grass and reeds and rushes will flourish where desert jackals once lived. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And a great road will go through that once deserted land. It will be named the Highway of Holiness. Evil-minded people will never travel on it. It will be only for those who walk in God’s ways; fools will never walk there. Lions will not lurk along its course, nor any other ferocious beasts. There will be no other dangers. Only the redeemed will walk on it. Those who have been ransomed by the LORD will return. They will enter Jerusalem singing, crowned with everlasting joy. Sorrow and mourning will disappear, and they will be filled with joy and gladness. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(Isaiah 35:4-10 NLT) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> I listened to the above passage on the way to work this morning. Oh to travel on the Highway of Holiness. . . Looking forward to that day. We cannot imagine the wonders that await us. The idea of standing for eternity to be the endless strumming a lyre dressed in a white robe is surely not a vision of what would be bliss-like for me. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> (Psalms 16:11 KJV) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Fulness of joy. . . pleasures for evermore. . . not boredom.. . not fatigue. . . not frustration. . . but fulness of joy. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">“Look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth, and no one will even think about the old ones anymore. Be glad; rejoice forever in my creation! And look! I will create Jerusalem as a place of happiness. Her people will be a source of joy. I will rejoice over Jerusalem and delight in my people.
And the sound of weeping and crying will be heard in it no more. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">“No longer will babies die when only a few days old. No longer will adults die before they have lived a full life. No longer will people be considered old at one hundred! Only the cursed will die that young!
In those days people will live in the houses they build and eat the fruit of their own vineyards. Unlike the past, invaders will not take their houses and confiscate their vineyards. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For my people will live as long as trees, and my chosen ones will have time to enjoy their hard-won gains.
They will not work in vain, and their children will not be doomed to misfortune. For they are people blessed by the LORD, and their children, too, will be blessed. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I will answer them before they even call to me. While they are still talking about their needs, I will go ahead and answer their prayers! The wolf and the lamb will feed together. The lion will eat hay like a cow. But the snakes will eat dust. In those days no one will be hurt or destroyed on my holy mountain. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I, the LORD, have spoken!” </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(Isaiah 65:17-25 NLT) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">No more weeping. . . no more sickness. . . living in our own houses, eating those things that we grow. . . no enemies to attack us. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have a good life, but still. . . life is tough. . . it’s a battle. . . aches and pains grow more and more familiar to me. My physical strength and endurance ever weakens. . . friends and family pass on. . . a new body. . . all my needs and cares satisfied. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(1 Corinthians 13:12 KJV) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. In my Father's house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(John 14:1-4 KJV) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Join hands with me. . .
Come let us seek Him and worship Him together. . .
In His presence, we will find fulness of joy. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I love You my God. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I thank You my Lord. . .
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><3</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dave </span></div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-3767831418710258272020-11-15T18:44:00.001-05:002020-11-15T18:45:22.019-05:00Five-fold Ministry. . . <div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGLOIMLmJ6tyN-enwvxC3cFF37V3BrvmY2nQjmBKo7Hp5nSsfPKlRluzxfMuZQV8Pza9H3BtHtV5R8-mXvpXpyJoBgy3k5hM8K7rvwVpDXNI80rHaz2Tv4gJIl21I4hG_cidNGGo7CK4/s2048/_DSC1109.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1639" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEicGLOIMLmJ6tyN-enwvxC3cFF37V3BrvmY2nQjmBKo7Hp5nSsfPKlRluzxfMuZQV8Pza9H3BtHtV5R8-mXvpXpyJoBgy3k5hM8K7rvwVpDXNI80rHaz2Tv4gJIl21I4hG_cidNGGo7CK4/s320/_DSC1109.jpg" /></span></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;">Five-fold ministry. . . </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And he gave some, apostles; and some, prophets; and some, evangelists; and some, pastors and teachers; For the perfecting of the saints, for the work of the ministry, for the edifying of the body of Christ: </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> (Ephesians 4:11-12 KJV) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> Meditating and praying this afternoon, about the five-fold ministry, and how to apply it, when it comes to me that I have been quite possibly looking at it upside down.
It has always seemed to me to be a pyramid, working from top down. Few apostles, a few more prophets, yet more evangelists, and pastors, with many teachers making the broad base.
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">But looking at the Greek definitions of the words: </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Apostles; ἀπόστολος apostolos ap-os'-tol-os From G649; a delegate; specifically an ambassador of the Gospel; officially a commissioner of Christ (“apostle”), (with miraculous powers): - apostle, messenger, he that is sent. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Prophets; προφήτης prophētēs prof-ay'-tace From a compound of G4253 and G5346; a foreteller (“prophet”); by analogy an inspired speaker; by extension a poet: - prophet. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Evangelists; εὐαγγελιστής euaggelistēs yoo-ang-ghel-is-tace' From G2097; a preacher of the gospel: - evangelist. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Pastors ποιμήν poimēn poy-mane' Of uncertain affinity; a shepherd (literally or figuratively): - shepherd, pastor. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Tteachers; διδάσκαλος didaskalos did-as'-kal-os From G1321; an instructor (generally or specifically): - doctor, master, teacher. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Apostle - ambassador, he that is sent </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Prophet - foreteller, inspired speaker, poet </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Evangelist - preacher of the gospel </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Pastor - shepherd </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Teacher - doctor, master </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">It comes to me that when looked at in another light, these roles mirror the growth and development of the disciples of Jesus. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">First apostles. . . the called. Common men, from many walks of life. Not exceptional men, not the elite, not to be exalted for their own knowledge and abilities, but everyday plumbers, carpenters, day laborers, store clerks, waiters.
They sat at the feet of Jesus for more than three years, getting to know Him. Traveling with Him, eating, sleeping in His camp, watching Him, and the ways of His ministry to and love of others. Learning from and of Him, tending to his needs. . . ministering to Him. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">After His crucifixion and resurrection the apostles were filled with His Spirit, and became prophets. . . inspired speakers. Peter’s inspired preaching on the day of Pentecost. . . inspiring, foretelling the future, making predictions of promises fulfilled and more promises to come. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">From there they were dispersed, and carried the Gospel. . .the Good News to the world, thereby becoming evangelists. . . witnesses to Him throughout all the world. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And they planted churches. . . became shepherds. . . pastors of those churches. . . leading them in their first steps, feeding them, instructing them. . .
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">And finally, training up a new generation of leaders. . . instructing, teaching the next generation how to properly conduct themselves, structure their own ministries and to carry on in the Way. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">They began their calling as apostles. . . they ended as teachers. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Much to ponder on and think about here. . . but I believe that my initial view was upside down. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> (Matthew 28:19-20 KJV) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> Meditating on this, of all Jesus' various roles, I believe that He spent most of His time as a teacher. . . to be a great apostle, prophet, evangelist, pastor. . . I believe that you must be a teacher. . . You must be able to cast your vision, convey your knowledge, your insight, your revelation, the basis of your passion for God, in an understandable and convincing manner. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The same Greek word translated here as 'Master', is translated 'teacher' in Ephesians 4:11 </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Ye call me Master [teacher] and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Master [teacher], have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another's feet.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(John 13:13-14 KJV) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">What seemed at first to be the most humble of the five-fold ministry callings, appears to me to be the highest calling of ministry. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I love you my God. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Help me be a better teacher. . .
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><3</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dave </span></div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-82226678459321975642020-11-12T08:36:00.001-05:002020-11-12T08:36:35.829-05:00“Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.” <div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6-Eq8hBmCAqnsO5OLsWnKcksC-ks2kKV0zhcBIG3SMLcPBvaFfh9mZqKBmJhLAY-Ctz3nDADxxxi0D0Y0EapvXQ7XFUBtgzsNDghAI2ddXQLZfdfJLf2W8S-JrpXgDRzpV9ZdWDwsTc/s1731/115930727_10160296332944741_8321087134852844286_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1385" data-original-width="1731" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJ6-Eq8hBmCAqnsO5OLsWnKcksC-ks2kKV0zhcBIG3SMLcPBvaFfh9mZqKBmJhLAY-Ctz3nDADxxxi0D0Y0EapvXQ7XFUBtgzsNDghAI2ddXQLZfdfJLf2W8S-JrpXgDRzpV9ZdWDwsTc/s320/115930727_10160296332944741_8321087134852844286_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-family: arial;"><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>I listened to the book of Ecclesiastes (NLT) on the way to work this morning. Hearing it in one sitting like that, rather than in bits and pieces very deeply spoke to me. </span><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> I think it is one of the most. . . if not the most evangelical books of the Bible. Written by Solomon, the wisest, the most wealthy man of the Bible era, and quite probably one of the wisest, most wealthy men of all time, speaking on the worthlessness of possessions, riches. . . really everything fleshly and physical.
</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Here is the last chapter of Ecclesiastes: </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Don’t let the excitement of youth cause you to forget your Creator. Honor him in your youth before you grow old and say, “Life is not pleasant anymore.” </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember him before the light of the sun, moon, and stars is dim to your old eyes, and rain clouds continually darken your sky. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember him before your legs—the guards of your house—start to tremble; and before your shoulders—the strong men—stoop.
Remember him before your teeth—your few remaining servants—stop grinding; and before your eyes—the women looking through the windows—see dimly. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember him before the door to life’s opportunities is closed and the sound of work fades. Now you rise at the first chirping of the birds, but then all their sounds will grow faint. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember him before you become fearful of falling and worry about danger in the streets; before your hair turns white like an almond tree in bloom, and you drag along without energy like a dying grasshopper, and the caperberry no longer inspires sexual desire. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Remember him before you near the grave, your everlasting home, when the mourners will weep at your funeral. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Yes, remember your Creator now while you are young, before the silver cord of life snaps and the golden bowl is broken. Don’t wait until the water jar is smashed at the spring and the pulley is broken at the well. For then the dust will return to the earth, and the spirit will return to God who gave it. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">“Everything is meaningless,” says the Teacher, “completely meaningless.” </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Keep this in mind: The Teacher was considered wise, and he taught the people everything he knew. He listened carefully to many proverbs, studying and classifying them. The Teacher sought to find just the right words to express truths clearly. The words of the wise are like cattle prods—painful but helpful. Their collected sayings are like a nail-studded stick with which a shepherd drives the sheep. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> But, my child, let me give you some further advice: Be careful, for writing books is endless, and much study wears you out. That’s the whole story.
Here now is my final conclusion: Fear God and obey his commands, for this is everyone’s duty. God will judge us for everything we do, including every secret thing, whether good or bad. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">(Ecclesiastes 12:1-14 NLT) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Spoke to me very powerfully. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"> I love you my God. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Thank you my Lord. . .</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><3</span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dave </span></div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-47869136840628953562020-11-11T09:55:00.000-05:002020-11-11T09:55:08.988-05:00<b><u><span style="font-family: arial;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86j1rlvPlTqq6LBZUw3LxfSAUfxLoJnBWxfj-bwGGXB-GctlEUm3a6uvDqxMcvu0DOIW_u1Y49ZRXgKG3jY7IbKovq_IbNLHQLKEz0WsLcc9fj8W0jBaXC7qHGgYuwdUVPZzRsmMlNTE/s2048/Apple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="2048" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj86j1rlvPlTqq6LBZUw3LxfSAUfxLoJnBWxfj-bwGGXB-GctlEUm3a6uvDqxMcvu0DOIW_u1Y49ZRXgKG3jY7IbKovq_IbNLHQLKEz0WsLcc9fj8W0jBaXC7qHGgYuwdUVPZzRsmMlNTE/s320/Apple.jpg" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div>Fruit of the Spirit. . . </span></u></b><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
(Galatians 5:19-25 KJV) </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><br /><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">My life is defined by before and after coming to God. . . It was a pivot point. . . a line of demarcation. . . a transformation. Confusion, pain, anger, unforgiveness, shame on one side. . . peace, love, joy on the other. . . There is no comparison between the two epochs of my life.
So much has changed within me that was unexpected, and completely unforeseen in coming to God. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">From the outside looking in, as an unbeliever imagining what life as a believer would be like I completely misunderstood, and underestimated this way of life.
I only saw what I thought at the time to be the negatives. . . can’t do this, can’t do that, can’t do the other thing. . . having to go to church. . . having to pray. . . having to read the Bible. . . having to give money offerings to the church. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I envisioned life as a Christian to be the most boring colorless life imaginable.
The truth is the complete opposite. This is a life filled with vivid colors, textures, experiences that I were completely invisible to as an unbeliever. I absolutely was blind, and now I see. . . all those things that I looked at as being unable to do, I no longer want to do. . . all those things I thought I would be forced to do as a burden, I now greatly desire to do. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I have been fundamentally changed. Things I formerly valued I now see as worthless. Things I previously saw as worthless, I now greatly value.
Not that I am perfect. . . not that I am never upset or angry or sad, but I now have an equilibrium. . . ballast in my hold if you will, that helps more quickly me regain my peace and stability after the blow of the storm. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><u><b><span style="font-family: arial;">The Fruit of the Spirit </span></b></u></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Love</u></b>: A deep appreciation and enjoyment of the people and things around me. A grateful heart. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Joy</u></b>: Happiness at being forgiven. Appreciation for the grace God has shown me. . . Complete forgiveness. . . able to be loved by Him with no hint of accusation for my past sins. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Peace</u></b>: No matter what trials I may face on this earth, I have a wondrous place waiting for me in heaven. I have complete confidence that God’s will will prevail. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Longsuffering</u></b>: My back was turned to God for the first 45 years of my life, and still He patiently waited. I KNEW there was no God. My faith in that was absolute, and in a span of less than 30 day, my mind was completely changed. Is there any mountain too high for God to climb? Any task insurmountable for Him? The hand of God is moving. . . I watch. . . I wait. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Gentleness</u></b>: Kindness is never inappropriate. . . loving, giving, caring, service to others with no expectation of return. . showing the love of Christ. . . walking in His path, sacrifice and generosity to the very ones who murdered Him. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Goodness</u></b>: desiring to do those things pleasing to God. I love God, and He loves me. In this love affair my greatest desire is to make Him happy. Yes one day He will sit in judgement on me, but that is not on my mind. Truthfully I have no focus on heaven or hell. . . I wish to make my beloved happy. . . to lighten His heart, to be a bright spot to Him in a sea of darkness. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Faith</u></b>: My trust in God. . . the hard belief that even though I cannot see Him, I know that He exists, and is active in this World. . . that He hears my prayers. . . that I can depend upon the promises in His Word. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Meekness</u></b>: Meekness is not weakness. Meekness is having the power to respond, and yet restraining yourself. Keeping your sword sheathed. Letting God fight my battles. . . not responding in anger, but with patience and love even when greatly provoked. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u>Temperance</u></b>: Self-control, moderation. . . not being overwhelmed by circumstance. . . maintaining perspective. . . not letting your flesh dictate my actions. Being led and ruled by the Spirit of God rather than the appetites of the flesh. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Fruit takes time, and energy, and effort for the tree to produce. Fruit is not produced for the benefit of the tree. An apple tree does not eat apples. The purpose of fruit is for the seed it contains, for the spawning of more fruit trees. The delicious flesh surrounding the seeds, entices others to pick up the fruit, and enjoy it. . . carrying the fruit as it is consumed. . . finding good earth far from the tree, to begin a new grove of fruitful trees. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">The Spiritual fruit in my life takes effort and growth. If I neglect water. . . good nutrition. . . being planted in a place of Son-light. . . my crop of fruit may fail for a season, but as long as my roots are strong, and the soil deep and fertile, my branches will again be heavily laden with beautiful fruit. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I love you my God. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">I give you thanks my Lord. . . </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">❤ </span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="font-family: arial;">Dave</span></div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-11122996396986056012020-11-06T08:22:00.000-05:002020-11-06T08:22:05.076-05:00<div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpsCCSuLvZeOuqf5ZZJM1UAvITCEIIt9pb0R4mem9UqCuPYdbTSxcMwsSJzWnaYkTy4GslUPHYc1FSQYsAqUM9uYvTBCiR3nY8hrsTvR148_24uXtVTYtShyphenhyphenof-fVRnRpHNMSpZ168qc/s1881/123910970_10160616738094741_5091279251659733679_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1500" data-original-width="1881" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiTpsCCSuLvZeOuqf5ZZJM1UAvITCEIIt9pb0R4mem9UqCuPYdbTSxcMwsSJzWnaYkTy4GslUPHYc1FSQYsAqUM9uYvTBCiR3nY8hrsTvR148_24uXtVTYtShyphenhyphenof-fVRnRpHNMSpZ168qc/s320/123910970_10160616738094741_5091279251659733679_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div>One of the most common metaphors for Christian life, and the structure of the church is that of a Pastor as shepherd, and his congregation as sheep. As I’ve written several times before, this is a very good analogy in many ways.
The shepherd devotes his life to the sheep. He has longer and better vision than the sheep. He is able to see things in the sheep that they probably don’t recognize in themselves. </span><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Every pastor I’ve known, will hungrily devour books written on how to become a better shepherd.
But what about the sheep? It’s not only the shepherd that has duties, and roles, and responsibilities. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><b><u>How to be a Good Sheep</u> </b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><b>1. Stick with the flock:</b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">What man of you, having an hundred sheep, if he lose one of them, doth not leave the ninety and nine in the wilderness, and go after that which is lost, until he find it? </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">(Luke 15:4 KJV) </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">OK we get that. If a sheep wanders off, the shepherd must go track it down. That’s a legitimate part of his role, but time spent tracking down a lost sheep, means that he’s not getting anything else done during that time. He can’t be both tending the flock, and seeking in the wilderness for a lost one. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Furthermore, if he gets back to the flock after gathering the lost one, and finds that five more sheep have wandered away, you can see where this goes. . . he will be spending all his time bringing back strays, and not growing and improving the flock. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"> As good sheep, we need to stay with the flock, following the direction the shepherd sets for us for our own good, and for the good of the flock. We need to greatly value the flock as our community, our place of security, acceptance, and comfort. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><b>2. Have faith in the shepherd: </b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">I am the good shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">(John 10:11 KJV) </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">The shepherd stands higher than the sheep, that is why a sheep is never chosen as a shepherd. A sheep could pretend to be a shepherd, but it wouldn’t work. The shepherd stands on two legs. He can see farther. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">With this in mind, the shepherd may move the flock in a direction that appears without reason. . . pointless. . . silly. . . to the sheep. Does a good sheep take off on a direction of its own, or stop and refuse to follow the shepherd? Does it grumble to the other sheep about how foolish the shepherd is? </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">No. Trust, and have faith that the shepherd sees something not visible to you. Trust the good shepherd. . . . He gives his life for the sheep. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><b>3. Submit to the authority of the shepherd, and do what he says: </b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine. As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my life for the sheep. And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, and one shepherd. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">(John 10:14-16 KJV) </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">How does the shepherd know his sheep? The sheep aren’t branded. They don’t wear name tags, and yet still the shepherd can identify them. . . They know his voice. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">When the shepherd speaks, they hear his voice, and they react to it. They follow his commands, which are ignored by other sheep. They are submitted. They do what he says without quibbling and argument and resistance. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Another metaphor often used for Christians, is that of warriors. One of the first things we were taught in military training was to obey orders without question. It would mean defeat and death if in the midst of battle, the troops refused to act until they understood and agreed with the orders, so the commander had to stop and explain his commands. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">It isn’t submission if you agree with it. Not as I will, but as thou wilt. . . my will is to do something else, but I will submit in faith to my pastor, recognizing that my pastor knows more. . . sees farther. . . is aware of things that I am not. Submit without question or hesitation. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Many years ago my Pastor mentioned to the senior chaplain at our church, that he preferred anyone on the platform to be clean shaven. At the time, the three of us chaplains all had mustaches. Only the senior chaplain was ever on the platform. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">The following Sunday when we walked into church, we were all without mustaches. The Pastor never said a word to us, but I remember that he had a really big smile on his face that morning. Submission. . . obedience. . .no meeting required. . . no big deal made about it, he just let his desire be known and we obeyed. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">You can quibble and argue all sorts of things. As far as I know the Bible is silent on facial hair. It surely is not a salvation issue. . . but obedience is a salvation issue. . . not making our own way, but following the commands of God. . . submitting to Spiritual authority is a salvation issue.</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">I had had a mustache for over 20 years, but it was nothing of importance in comparison to my Pastor’s desire for us to be clean shaven. I didn’t understand it, but I/we did it without hesitation. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><b>4. Tend to myself the best as I am able: </b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">For when for the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need that one teach you again which be the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of strong meat. For every one that useth milk is unskilful in the word of righteousness: for he is a babe. But strong meat belongeth to them that are of full age, even those who by reason of use have their senses exercised to discern both good and evil. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">(Hebrews 5:12-14 KJV) </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Newborn babies require a lot of attention and care. That is understandable, but we need to spiritually mature, and grow beyond the infant stage, to where we don’t need to be bottle fed, or spoon fed by the shepherd. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Make no mistake, we still need the shepherd, we need a spiritual leader in our lives to lead us. . . guide us. . . teach us, but we as we mature, we shouldn't require lots of individual attention, so that the shepherd has the time and energy to tend to the legitimately newly born. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><b>5. Love and respect and be kind to your shepherd:</b> </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">(1 Peter 2:25 KJV)</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">I have never been a pastor, but everything I have learned of what is involved with that calling, has raised my esteem for the man of God to great heights. . . . </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">A small thing. A long time ago for several years, I organized golf outings for the company I worked for. Not much like being a pastor maybe, but in a small way I came to understand. . . 40 or 50 people would be in our outings, most of them were my co-workers, and I was daily bombarded with questions, suggestions, and complaints. Every person of themselves saw no harm done, but in the aggregate. . . didn’t like the course chosen, didn’t like the tee time, didn’t like the prizes offered, didn’t like the teams makeup. . . complain. . . complain. . . complain. . . that’s all I heard for the weeks leading up to the event, and then grumbling for weeks afterward. I finally threw up my hands in exasperation, and quit doing it. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Think of every interaction you have with your pastor, and then multiply that by 100 or more times. Recognize the great demands upon him in time and energy, in balancing the leading the flock and his role as husband and father. Aspire to be a model sheep. Keep yourself healthy. Minister and help your flockmates. Be a unifying force. Be intolerant of negativity, and division and gossip within the flock. Support the needs and efforts of the shepherd and the flock with your time and monetary resources. To thrive and survive, the flock needs more than your mere presence. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><b>6. Be fruitful and multiply: </b></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Genesis 1:22 And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Genesis 1:28 And God blessed them, and God said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth, and subdue it: and have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over every living thing that moveth upon the earth. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Genesis 8:17 Bring forth with thee every living thing that is with thee, of all flesh, both of fowl, and of cattle, and of every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth; that they may breed abundantly in the earth, and be fruitful, and multiply upon the earth. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Genesis 9:1 And God blessed Noah and his sons, and said unto them, Be fruitful, and multiply, and replenish the earth. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Genesis 9:7 And you, be ye fruitful, and multiply; bring forth abundantly in the earth, and multiply therein. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">The shepherd leads us to good pasture, and safety, and clean water. . . gives us all the right requirements needed for reproduction. . . barrenness is never God’s will for His flock. Be ye fruitful and multiply we are told over and over again. . . whatever fruitfulness and multiplication the shepherd can achieve, his efforts are multiplied by dozens or hundreds of times when the sheep take up the priorities of the pastor as their own responsibility of fruitfulness and multiplication. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">On the surface of it, there was no one more negative toward Christianity, than I was. . . and yet. . . a friend took a chance and invited Jackie and I to church, without having any indication that we would accept. . . It wasn’t the pastor of the church, but one of the sheep who took a first step, and changed the course of my life. . . of Jackie’s life. . . of anyone that we may have been able to touch ourselves. . . </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">What I saw and heard and felt that day changed my eternity. . . </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Just some thoughts this morning. . . </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Grateful for the men who have been my Spiritual authority in the past 20 years of my walk with God. </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Lord help my Pastor be a better leader. . . </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Lord help me be a better follower. . . </span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">I love you my God. . .
</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><3</span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;"><br /></span></div><div><span style="background-color: white; font-family: arial;">Dave </span></div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-6935636776156716922020-11-03T13:41:00.004-05:002020-11-03T14:11:54.572-05:00The Spirit of God. . . <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEild6_zLRgGPE0QVECuL3graBlNrc4KHOYl-KPnxoPOrrIfleplUaDPtZWjtNbSE2qHrWhNE97593t-FW-owVIWhA5YTGvpQ7C8tvM49GPpeMn4TjIbl0odMdSwCJoo8RnqonimYGtM8bQ/s2048/n13394.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1640" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEild6_zLRgGPE0QVECuL3graBlNrc4KHOYl-KPnxoPOrrIfleplUaDPtZWjtNbSE2qHrWhNE97593t-FW-owVIWhA5YTGvpQ7C8tvM49GPpeMn4TjIbl0odMdSwCJoo8RnqonimYGtM8bQ/s320/n13394.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>The Spirit of God. . .
Among the many other divisions of Christianity, a deep division exists on how being filled with God’s Spirit is viewed. <div><br /></div><div> This is a simplification, but on one side are those which believe that the Spirit of God enters a person at the time of profession of faith or baptism, and the other side, called Pentecostals, which believe the experience of God’s entering into a believer is the same as occurred on the day of Pentecost, documented in the book of Acts chapter 2. </div><div><br /></div><div> Why is this something worth arguing or dividing our body of Christ about?
</div><div><br /></div><div>Jesus said:</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div> And, being assembled together with them, commanded them that they should not depart from Jerusalem, but wait for the promise of the Father, which, saith he, ye have heard of me. </div><div><br /></div><div>For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.
When they therefore were come together, they asked of him, saying, Lord, wilt thou at this time restore again the kingdom to Israel? And he said unto them, It is not for you to know the times or the seasons, which the Father hath put in his own power.</div><div><br /></div><div>But ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto me both in Jerusalem, and in all Judaea, and in Samaria, and unto the uttermost part of the earth. </div><div><br /></div><div>And when he had spoken these things, while they beheld, he was taken up; and a cloud received him out of their sight.
(Acts 1:4-9 KJV)</div><div><br /></div><div> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div> Jesus' final words before being taken up into heaven. . . His last words spoken on earth were hugely important. His followers left behind, now leaderless after following Him for his years of earthly ministry.
Encouraging them. . . telling them that they would have POWER after the Holy Ghost. . . God’s Spirit came upon them. He told them not to leave the area, but to wait for the promise of the Father.
Jesus had spoken of this previously, but His followers most certainly did not understand what He was saying at the time: </div><div><br /></div><div> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div> John 14:16 And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever; </div><div><br /></div><div>John 14:26 But the Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you.
</div><div><br /></div><div>John 15:26 But when the Comforter is come, whom I will send unto you from the Father, even the Spirit of truth, which proceedeth from the Father, he shall testify of me: </div><div><br /></div><div>John 16:7 Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you.</div><div><br /></div><div> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div> So His disciples did as Jesus instructed. The gathered together:</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div> Then returned they unto Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is from Jerusalem a sabbath day's journey. And when they were come in, they went up into an upper room, where abode both Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew, Philip, and Thomas, Bartholomew, and Matthew, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon Zelotes, and Judas the brother of James. </div><div><br /></div><div>These all continued with one accord in prayer and supplication, with the women, and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with his brethren.
(Acts 1:12-14 KJV) </div><div><br /></div><div> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
</div><div><br /></div><div>They remained there until the Day of Pentecost: </div><div><br /></div><div> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div>And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.
(Acts 2:1 KJV) </div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
</div><div><br /></div><div>The day of Pentecost. . . 50 days from Passover: </div><div><br /></div><div> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div> And ye shall count unto you from the morrow after the sabbath, from the day that ye brought the sheaf of the wave offering; seven sabbaths shall be complete: Even unto the morrow after the seventh sabbath shall ye number fifty days; and ye shall offer a new meat offering unto the LORD. </div><div><br /></div><div>Ye shall bring out of your habitations two wave loaves of two tenth deals: they shall be of fine flour; they shall be baken with leaven; they are the firstfruits unto the LORD.
(Leviticus 23:15-17 KJV)
</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div> The Day of Pentecost. . . the culmination of the feast of the first fruits. The Old Testament is a shadow of things to come. In the Old Testament the first fruits referred to the first sheaves gathered in the harvest. In the book of Acts, the giving of God’s Spirit on the day of Pentecost. . . the day of first fruits is hugely symbolic: </div><div><br /></div><div> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div>In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise, Which is the earnest of our inheritance until the redemption of the purchased possession, unto the praise of his glory.
(Ephesians 1:13-14 KJV) </div><div><br /></div><div> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div>After you believed, you were sealed with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance. . .
The earnest of our inheritance. . . a small taste of the fullness to come that awaits us in Heaven.
The believers were gathered together, not knowing what awaited them:</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div> And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. </div><div><br /></div><div>And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.
(Acts 2:1-4 KJV) </div><div><br /></div><div> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div>The gathered believers were filled with the Spirit of God, and began to speak in a language unknown to them as the evidence of that infilling. Those watching were skeptical at what they were seeing. They thought they were drunk: </div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div> But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judaea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words: For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day. </div><div><br /></div><div>But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel; And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams: And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:
(Acts 2:14-18 KJV)</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
</div><div><br /></div><div>God said He would pour out His Spirit on ALL flesh. Some would tell us that this occurrence was only for those gathered in Jerusalem, but what does Scripture say:</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div> Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? </div><div><br /></div><div>Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. </div><div><br /></div><div>For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
(Acts 2:37-39 KJV)</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div> . . . even as many as our Lord our God shall call. . . Not only for those gathered that day nearly 2000 years ago, but unto you and your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as our Lord our God shall call. . .
Some would tell us that we are filled with the Spirit of God automatically at the time of water baptism, but what does Scripture say: </div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div>While Peter yet spake these words, the Holy Ghost fell on all them which heard the word. </div><div><br /></div><div>And they of the circumcision which believed were astonished, as many as came with Peter, because that on the Gentiles also was poured out the gift of the Holy Ghost.
For they heard them speak with tongues, and magnify God. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then answered Peter, Can any man forbid water, that these should not be baptized, which have received the Holy Ghost as well as we?
And he commanded them to be baptized in the name of the Lord. Then prayed they him to tarry certain days.
(Acts 10:44-48 KJV)</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div>Peter preached the first message of salvation to the gentiles (Non-Jews). As he was speaking the hearers received the gift of the God’s Spirit. How did Peter know this? “For they heard them speak with tongues”. Then Peter decided, if they can be filled with God’s Spirit same as the Jews who had received His Spirit previously, how can we deny them baptism in Jesus name, so the gentiles were then baptized.
Again Paul found believers in Ephesus, who had been baptized, but had not received the gift of receiving God’s Spirit: </div><div><br /></div><div> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div> And it came to pass, that, while Apollos was at Corinth, Paul having passed through the upper coasts came to Ephesus: and finding certain disciples, He said unto them, Have ye received the Holy Ghost since ye believed? </div><div><br /></div><div>And they said unto him, We have not so much as heard whether there be any Holy Ghost.
And he said unto them, Unto what then were ye baptized? </div><div><br /></div><div>And they said, Unto John's baptism. Then said Paul, John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people, that they should believe on him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus. </div><div><br /></div><div>When they heard this, they were baptized in the name of the Lord Jesus.
And when Paul had laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues, and prophesied. And all the men were about twelve.
(Acts 19:1-7 KJV) </div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div>They were baptized in Jesus' name, and then when Paul laid his hands upon them, the Holy Ghost came on them; and they spake with tongues and prophesied. . . again and again two separate happenings. </div><div><br /></div><div>Receiving God’s Spirit did not ever automatically happen at baptism, as recorded in Scripture.
Is there more to say on this subject? Yes surely there is. Entire books are written on what it means to be born again. I have included a link to one of my favorites below.
We began this writing with the words of Jesus’:
ye shall receive power, after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you. . .
We need power. . . I need power to prevail against sin. God is offering you that power by the gift of His Spirit to you. He has given us a way to be overcomers. </div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div>And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. </div><div><br /></div><div>For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened. </div><div><br /></div><div>If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? </div><div><br /></div><div>If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
(Luke 11:9-13 KJV)</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div>Open your hearts. . . </div><div>Open your minds. . . </div><div>Don’t be handcuffed by tradition. . . </div><div>Receive the Gift that God wants to give you. . . </div><div><br /></div><div>I received God’s Spirit August 17th, 2000. Truthfully I didn’t believe in it. I had been going to a Pentecostal church for roughly 2 months, and in my mind I really thought the people that I witnessed speaking in tongues around me were faking it. . . until it happened to me. </div><div><br /></div><div>At the altar call at the end of the service, I went down front, and began to pray. The visiting evangelist put his hand upon my head, and the most amazing thing happened to me. I was filled with God’s Spirit and began to speak in a language that I could not understand. </div><div><br /></div><div>It was an overwhelming experience. I smiled for two weeks after this happened to me. It greatly accelerated the changes that were already transforming me from my old sinful man into a new creature. </div><div><br /></div><div>. .
I cannot put into words how powerful this experience was and is. . . you must experience it for yourself to fully understand. . . </div><div><br /></div><div>I love you my God. . . </div><div>I thank you my Lord. . .
</div><div><br /></div><div><3</div><div><br /></div><div>Dave</div><div><br /></div><div>https://www.amazon.com/New-Birth-Pentecostal-Theology-Book-ebook/dp/B004BLK5FE</div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-28494972494466511022020-11-03T13:25:00.000-05:002020-11-03T13:25:11.867-05:00Setting the White Point. . . Today’s digital DSLR cameras are amazing. From auto-focus to auto-selection of lens aperture, shutter speed, and ISO they are amazing, but even with all of their powerful internal electronics, and processing it is usually necessary to tweak the various levels of the image.
I love shooting in-flight bird pictures. <div><br /></div><div>For those shots, using a very fast shutter speed is required. I can correct for an exposure being too dark. I cannot correct for a picture being blurred due to too slow of a shutter speed.
Oftentimes the raw camera image taken will be too dark, and there may be other problems. I usually allow the camera to automatically choose what is called the white balance. Each set of lighting conditions effects the color spectrum differently.
Sunny/cloudy/shaded/fluorescent lighting all effect how the camera sensor records colors. </div><div><br /></div><div>Occasionally the camera software will badly mis-interpret the lighting conditions and render very strange color effects in the image.
One way to correct for this is to choose a part of the image which is pure white. That is called setting your white-point. Tell the processing software what pure white is, and let it set the proper levels of the picture from that. . . </div><div><br /></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9w9msBu4nIbShOI-Fco9y1K53Lmfd_hj3GQVHlbdfyhwHKspa4wSvV_wqwUS_JKHu4wSFGPfNHJPcZaXkDL2F_e9zAsFcrZG03r_vdDcCCulWIlaYaf769hgDbStC23HuzDka7Lry-s/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="709" data-original-width="818" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhj9w9msBu4nIbShOI-Fco9y1K53Lmfd_hj3GQVHlbdfyhwHKspa4wSvV_wqwUS_JKHu4wSFGPfNHJPcZaXkDL2F_e9zAsFcrZG03r_vdDcCCulWIlaYaf769hgDbStC23HuzDka7Lry-s/" width="277" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklCjorFs4VK8eCgM-RmY8BxgsZX51mKgY7sMmvTuyMDm38aZrcGulp_MsqEzNvEYrqzdIL0ZxQMB5ztGTKpWkk3TSj941_dJ3i89Y0_8s9eLtVw0W95DsZoO8w9_NRmBURZqfEOF9CLY/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="712" data-original-width="824" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhklCjorFs4VK8eCgM-RmY8BxgsZX51mKgY7sMmvTuyMDm38aZrcGulp_MsqEzNvEYrqzdIL0ZxQMB5ztGTKpWkk3TSj941_dJ3i89Y0_8s9eLtVw0W95DsZoO8w9_NRmBURZqfEOF9CLY/" width="278" /></a></div><br /><br /></div><br /><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>But it’s not only in processing pictures that white points are set. Before coming to God, I looked upon myself as a good person. I used as my ruler. . . as my measure, of the things I saw and read of other people doing. </div><div><br /></div><div> I set my white point as myself, and graded others as darker shades because of the things I saw them doing that I did not do.
Sure I got drunk, but I never beat my wife. Yeah I might take small things occasionally, but I never robbed stores or mugged anyone. I never raped anyone. . . never killed anyone. </div><div><br /></div><div>In my measure, my white point was myself. If you’ve never seen pure white. . . if pure white is not to be found in your picture. . . your world, then you can be fooled into thinking that any shade of gray is pure white. . .
Until that is, you meet the One who is truly pure white, and then your error can clearly be seen for the foolishness that it was. </div><div><br /></div><div>Then you can see how dark and filthy your supposed righteousness really was.
I would give a bag lady $20. . . I picked up litter as I walked the trails in a state park. . . I helped little old ladies cross the street. . . never mind my drunkenness, my lying, my stealing, my immorality. . . I only saw my good aspects. I completely ignored my darkness. . . until the day I met Jesus.
His whiteness was pure and unimaginably bright. </div><div><br /></div><div>What I had seen as my white, was actually a very dingy gray.</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div>But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.
(Isaiah 64:6 KJV)</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div>My unrighteousness was revealed after meeting Him. My eyes were opened. The true measuring stick, was not ever meant to be my fellow man. There is no comfort or justification to be gained from the sins of my neighbor. There are no misdemeanors and felonies under God’s law. Sin is sin is sin is sin. . . </div><div><br /></div><div>The undeniable fact of others around me sinning will not help me when standing before God, and giving an account of my life. There is no bell curve in God’s grading system. He grades on a purely pass/fail system. </div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div>For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
(Romans 6:23 KJV) </div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div>His requirements are tough. His expectations are high, but He gave us the answers to the test ahead of time. We enter the final exam with full fore-knowledge. He gave us His Holy Word. By His sacrifice, He made a way that everyone can pass through death's door, and gain eternal life. </div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div>Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.
(Acts 2:37-39 KJV) </div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div>I love you my God. . . </div><div>I thank you my Lord. . . </div><div><br /></div><div>❤ </div><div><br /></div><div>Dave</div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-42907198308467051612020-10-30T07:49:00.000-05:002020-10-30T07:49:12.453-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqetoOCMJCBSP6y-G1rMca9nqEstSbLH3P52L-2fe5RmeZojcg5kPcaR2fjY11EWKPOMr7MyM2Ug46aPY-O5k2Czm8-xyp4_pFCPSD-y3KNV1Ped0uRJF2k4lwKQnBKvvsU9fSlAME2Y/s2048/n11134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1362" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgRqetoOCMJCBSP6y-G1rMca9nqEstSbLH3P52L-2fe5RmeZojcg5kPcaR2fjY11EWKPOMr7MyM2Ug46aPY-O5k2Czm8-xyp4_pFCPSD-y3KNV1Ped0uRJF2k4lwKQnBKvvsU9fSlAME2Y/s320/n11134.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>I was driving last evening when a good sized flock of seagulls flew overhead. I slowed down, and stopped so that I could fully enjoy their flight. Seagulls are a favorite of mine. As I gazed in rapt fascination upon their graceful traverse of the sky above me, one of the seagulls looked to be larger than the others. It might just have been the perspective, or maybe it was another type of gull mixed in with the other members of the flock.
Regardless, it got my mind thinking as to why you don’t find predators mimicking their prey. <div><br /></div><div>Why isn’t there a seagull hawk that looks nearly indistinguishable from a seagull. It could mix in and get close to the seagulls before its attack.
Likewise I’ve never seen or heard of a predatory cat that looked similar to the deer on the plains of Africa, that could mix and mingle in with the grazing animals before striking. </div><div><br /></div><div>Pondering on this, it comes to me that function dictates form. A predator would be unable to prey, in the form of its prey. A bird of prey has a completely different construct, from those birds which are preyed upon.
A seagull has webbed feet suitable for paddling as it swims. A predatory bird has talons for grasping and impaling its prey upon. A hawk has long broad tailfeathers for quickly stopping and changing directions in the chase. A hawk's beak is constructed for ripping and tearing flesh. His eyes face forward to better focus and see for the chase. The lion's claws, the wolf's teeth. . . all very different and never to be mistaken for their herbivore prey. </div><div><br /></div><div>There’s no mistaking. . . no possibility of a predatory creature able to naturally have the form of a prey, the function required of a predator drives its form. From seagulls and hawks my mind went to sheep and wolves. . . </div><div><br /></div><div> ************************************************** </div><div><br /></div><div> “Beware of false prophets who come disguised as harmless sheep but are really vicious wolves. You can identify them by their fruit, that is, by the way they act. Can you pick grapes from thorn bushes, or figs from thistles? A good tree produces good fruit, and a bad tree produces bad fruit. A good tree can’t produce bad fruit, and a bad tree can’t produce good fruit. So every tree that does not produce good fruit is chopped down and thrown into the fire. Yes, just as you can identify a tree by its fruit, so you can identify people by their actions.
(Matthew 7:15-20 NLT)</div><div><br /></div><div>************************************************** </div><div><br /></div><div> There are wolves among us which try to pretend and deceive us that they are sheep. A wolf will prefer to kill and eat meat over anything and will abhor eating grass. A wolf spends its nights howling at the moon, and will naturally cause confusion, and distress, unease and even a panicked stampede among the sheep. Sheep are naturally peaceable creatures, wolves are not.
</div><div><br /></div><div>************************************************** </div><div><br /></div><div> Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:
(1 Peter 5:8 KJV) </div><div><br /></div><div> ************************************************** </div><div><br /></div><div>Learn to identify, and avoid the wolves, the lions, all the predators, which scatter and cause strife within the flock. Tolerate nothing, tolerate no one which causes disunity among God’s people. Nothing is more damaging than disunity to the body of Christ. Disunity is a cancer. . . a body turned against itself. . . devouring itself. . . weakening, and ultimately destroying itself. . .</div><div><br /></div><div>************************************************** </div><div><br /></div><div>Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. </div><div>Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. </div><div>Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. </div><div>Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. </div><div>Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. </div><div>Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. </div><div>Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. </div><div>Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake.
(Matthew 5:3-11 KJV)</div><div><br /></div><div>************************************************** </div><div><br /></div><div> It might be easiest to define wolves, by what they are not. Spiritual predators are never spiritually blessed. They are not known for being poor in spirit or mournful, or meek, or hungering and thirsting after righteousness. They are not known as being merciful, or pure, or peacemakers.
Spiritual wolves invariably cause disunity, and always lead to the fracturing of fellowship. </div><div><br /></div><div>Cain was a spiritual wolf. Lucifer, and the fallen angels were spiritual wolves. Saul was a spiritual wolf. Job's 'friends' were spiritual wolves. Joseph's brothers were spiritual wolves. Judas was a spiritual wolf.
</div><div><br /></div><div>The predator of any stripe is at heart a lazy coward. He, of necessity, seeks the easy prey. He never goes after the strongest of the flock. A well placed kick from a strong, healthy, and alert sheep will break the wolf’s leg, and is a death sentence for him. He knows this, so he goes for the old, the crippled or sick. . . the weakened. . . the foolish. . .the gullible. . . the very young, the malnourished, those which separate themselves from the watchful eye of the shepherd, and safety of the herd. </div><div><br /></div><div> We are speaking here not of fleshly, but of Spiritual things. . . You can look muscular and well fed in the flesh, but spiritually be as malnourished as a withered child in a desiccated land of famine. . .
The predatory spirit comes strongly to attack and lay waste those who are Spiritually weak. . .the easy prey. . . those who haven’t done their daily devotions or spent time in prayer. . . those who haven’t been well nourished by preaching, and strengthened by worship. . . Those who have distanced themselves from the flock, and forsaken fellowship. Those whose faith has faltered. . . All these things lead to spiritual malnourishment, and increase the likelihood of spiritual disease and starvation. </div><div><br /></div><div>But be aware. This devouring predatory spirit of disunity isn’t born only in faraway lands, but the seed of this spirit can be found within us all. Waiting for good growing conditions to take root. Its father is named pride, and mother is known as envy. . . ambition, and insecurity are also to be found in its heritage. Give it no opportunity. Give it no voice within you. Isolate yourself, protect yourself from those infected with the spirit of disunity. It is subtle. It is a seducing spirit. Be vigilant against it.
The best place to battle this spirit is on your home court. . . within you. </div><div><br /></div><div>Find your justification, validation, security, and love in the arms of and daily communion with God. . . under the shelter of His wings. God is love. Fill your heart with love. Fill your heart with God. Fill yourself with the Spirit of God, and there will be no room for lying and deceiving spirits within you. . .</div><div><br /></div><div>************************************************** </div><div><br /></div><div> Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
(James 4:7 KJV) </div><div><br /></div><div>Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus. </div><div><br /></div><div>Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things. Those things, which ye have both learned, and received, and heard, and seen in me, do: and the God of peace shall be with you.
(Philippians 4:6-9 KJV)</div><div><br /></div><div>************************************************** </div><div><br /></div><div>I love You my God. . . </div><div>I thank You my Lord. . . </div><div>I thank You for Your love and peace. . . </div><div>I thank You for the unified body of the Church </div><div><br /></div><div> ❤ </div><div><br /></div><div> Dave</div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-63148830865239261912020-10-29T11:54:00.001-05:002020-10-29T11:54:14.580-05:00What About Smoking?In my jail ministry, I once spoke on why smoking was a sin. When I would ask the fellows why they would quote: <div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~<br /><div><br /></div><div>What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
(1 Corinthians 6:19 KJV)</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div>So in other words, smoking is defiling/harming the temple of your body. That’s possible, but if that is the case then wouldn’t also going out in the sun without sunscreen on be harming the temple of your body. . . or eating high fat/high sodium foods with little or no nutritional value. . . potato chips come to mind. . . drinking sugary cola drinks also be defiling/harming the temple of our body? </div><div><br /></div><div>Smoking is different. Nicotine is an addictive drug, and when you are addicted to something, it is not possible to follow Jesus’ commandment: </div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div>Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment.
(Matthew 22:37-38 KJV) </div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div>When I was addicted to nicotine, it was not possible to love God with ALL my heart, ALL my soul, and ALL my mind. Keeping my addiction cravings at bay was the MOST important thing to me, and not God.
The other issue is that sin hangs out with sin. </div><div><br /></div><div>As Christians we cannot pick and choose what sin we drop, and what sin we keep. It is utter foolishness to think that we can quit stealing, but keep lying. We must make every attempt to rid our lives completely of sin.
Illicit drugs/adultery/violence hang out together. Drunkenness/smoking/gambling/adultery hang out together. . . . and on and on. . .</div><div><br /></div><div>I believe that if I were to begin using tobacco again, that it would be a short time before I was again drinking. . .
Think of it this way. . . sin is like cancer. It never stays small. I always grows until it consumes you. </div><div><br /></div><div>Imagine having surgery to remove a cancerous tumor, and waking up after the surgery, and talking to the surgeon. . . “Well. . . I took most of the tumor out. I left some of it. I didn’t figure it was a big deal, leaving that little bit.” . . . really????? </div><div><br /></div><div>That little bit of cancer will not stay small. It will grow and grow. . . It will metastasize to other parts of your body until you are consumed with it. </div><div><br /></div><div>The only people who I have known who were successful in quitting crack, or meth were those who also quit smoking. The ones I’ve known, who said that smoking wasn’t that important, eventually went back to their illicit drugs. </div><div><br /></div><div>I’m not perfect by a long measure. I’m working on things today, that I had no clue about when I first came to God. I’ve been given victory over many things. I’m not battling the same things I was 20 years ago. I’ve grown. Now He has revealed to me other things that I need to tackle. The important thing is I can’t ever be satisfied and complacent about sin in my life. </div><div><br /></div><div>Whatever sin I accept, will ruin my relationship with God, and will lead me back to where I started from. . .
I cannot live back there. . . , but also importantly I cannot forget what life back there was like. . . the pain. . . the shame. . . the darkness. . . </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>If I ever forget, then I could be tempted to return. . . </div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div> We remember the fish, which we did eat in Egypt freely; the cucumbers, and the melons, and the leeks, and the onions, and the garlick: But now our soul is dried away: there is nothing at all, beside this manna, before our eyes.
(Numbers 11:5-6 KJV) </div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~</div><div><br /></div><div>The Hebrews were delivered from slavery in Egypt, and when a trial came, all they thought of were the cucumbers, the melons. . . leeks, onions, and garlic. . . They didn’t remember the taskmasters. . . the pain. . . the death sentence on the baby boys. . . the making bricks without straw. . . the slavery. . . they were tempted to go back, because of their selective memory. . . </div><div><br /></div><div>Dear God. . . help me always remember what life was like before coming to you. . . don’t let me forget how far a journey I have traveled from Egypt. . . </div><div><br /></div><div> I love you my God. . . </div><div> I thank you my Lord. . . </div><div> Thank you for saving me. . .
</div></div><div><br /></div><div>Dave </div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9jUsJNstnUjUTIkuPGVEH353bONLjRk4efPpT5fya54wLRDEu2s6VpvC7VjFRg5U_qFV14TPYqXFyXG9NgTzfskJxQZ4edqBstGpxpOBT4KE3V4mj9ZLVig9TD1QL9YQC0_IsL_0U5M/s2048/DSC_4648.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1638" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgH9jUsJNstnUjUTIkuPGVEH353bONLjRk4efPpT5fya54wLRDEu2s6VpvC7VjFRg5U_qFV14TPYqXFyXG9NgTzfskJxQZ4edqBstGpxpOBT4KE3V4mj9ZLVig9TD1QL9YQC0_IsL_0U5M/s320/DSC_4648.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-27768859464592584262020-10-26T06:44:00.002-05:002020-10-26T07:25:25.778-05:00Recipe for a Successful Marriage. . .<div><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;">My former Pastor </span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"><a class="oajrlxb2 g5ia77u1 qu0x051f esr5mh6w e9989ue4 r7d6kgcz rq0escxv nhd2j8a9 nc684nl6 p7hjln8o kvgmc6g5 cxmmr5t8 oygrvhab hcukyx3x jb3vyjys rz4wbd8a qt6c0cv9 a8nywdso i1ao9s8h esuyzwwr f1sip0of lzcic4wl q66pz984 gpro0wi8 b1v8xokw" href="https://www.facebook.com/RevMarkJohnson?__cft__[0]=AZXl10XAccMnWv7zVwi9Gy73HqF3EuhoAB2eMpR2nyeC5RMSbWiRMVci9axBziQOBlhTnDLc4Fi3AinKsH82HGnsfAP2DcR65FDYmqU4Y7X0Wu76Z95IkzteVqJ8rTw28vY&__tn__=-]K-R" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0"><div class="nc684nl6" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Mark Johnson</span></div></a></span><span style="font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; white-space: pre-wrap;"> of Life Tabernacle in Elkhart taught a lesson on a God centered marriage using a rope, close to 20 years ago, when Jackie and I were newly come to God. It made an great impact upon me. That is the foundation for this message.</span></span></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Recipe for a Successful Marriage. . . <div><br /></div><div>No one stands before God, and makes their vow, till death do us part, believing that their marriage is destined to fail, and yet statistics show that many marriages do not last. I had a failed marriage. To my sorrow, I am divorced. What happened to my first marriage, and what happens to many marriages. . . something changes. . . the people change. They deeply loved each other on the day of their wedding, and somehow they grew apart. That great love they had that day, one for another faded and eventually grew cold.
I don’t want that. . . as I’m sure that you don’t want that to happen in your marriage. . . .</div><div><br /></div><div>I made this cord as a representation of marriage vows:</div><div><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7Zt08ZAjeQOet3XA_UP_1Oj6FBDNyUT488WBlTcJ_0vrgEW1PmfeYonAsPdASTUIozn0dA9l4_Ekg86106zAJQfG0QvofqwsBdWBNFxj0g-VHzcZouop1CiT3cK4z_PecUhBrox03UE/s2048/DSC_0152.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1245" data-original-width="2048" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjq7Zt08ZAjeQOet3XA_UP_1Oj6FBDNyUT488WBlTcJ_0vrgEW1PmfeYonAsPdASTUIozn0dA9l4_Ekg86106zAJQfG0QvofqwsBdWBNFxj0g-VHzcZouop1CiT3cK4z_PecUhBrox03UE/s320/DSC_0152.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>Your life is forever changed by these vows. The woman takes one end of this cord, and the man the other. Now if you imagine that both were to begin walking around each going their own way, they would soon find that this cord. . . these vows have limited where they could go. The man might head to the left, and the woman to the right, the cord is long, but very soon you would be tugging against the other, as you reached the limit of this cord. . . your vows. </div><div><br /></div><div>The vows are in this way seen as restricting. There are places now. . . relationships now which were appropriate yesterday, which after taking the oath of marriage, are no longer appropriate for you. This cord represents the very limits of appropriate behavior inside of your marriage vows, but let me emphasize that you live at the limits of your vows, then you are fulfilling the letter of your marriage commitment, but not the spirit. </div><div><br /></div><div> I have experienced such a marriage. I have experienced a failed marriage. Jackie and I were married 7 years before we came to God. There is no comparison between the before God, and after God phases of our marriage.
But this cord is not just a rope, there are many features to this cord that I made. </div><div><br /></div><div>This cord is not representative of mere marriage vows, but it symbolizes a marriage with God in the center of it. The center section of this cord is the only section that is pure white. This represents God in the center of your vows, and in the center of your marriage. </div><div><br /></div><div> What happens if we lift up the center of this cord?. . . as God is lifted up in a godly marriage. But when the middle of the cord. . . when God is lifted up, the ends of the cord are invariably drawn together. No longer is the marriage lived at the edges of the vows, a region where no one should ever stray, but with God lifted up in the middle, each partner in the marriage, is drawn closer to one another than they would ever have been found on their own. </div><div><br /></div><div>People do change over time. God forbid that anyone should be the same person at 50 that they were when they were 25. That would represent a life with no growth, no maturing, no mellowing or ripening. We do change over time, but centered on God that change not driving a couple apart creating differences, and disunity in them, but Godly growth is growth in parallel, creating ever more harmony and unity in a couple. Guaranteed to strengthen, not weaken their marriage vows over time. </div><div><br /></div><div>You will also notice each end of the cord has 9 colored sections. These sections come from each end. Each section is labeled with beads:</div><div><br /></div><div>Love Red </div><div>Joy Yellow </div><div>Peace Blue </div><div>Longsuffering Brown </div><div>Gentleness Green </div><div>Goodness Purple </div><div>Faith Cream </div><div>Meekness Violet </div><div>Temperance Gray </div><div><br /></div><div> You will recognize these from:
</div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div> Galatians 5:22-23 KJV
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, (23) Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.</div><div><br /></div><div>~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div> The fruit of the Spirit, the evidence of the ongoing work of the Spirit of God working within you. A deep relationship with God invariably changes you. You are by His Spirit transformed into a tree which bears good fruit. </div><div><br /></div><div>This change. . . this rebirth manifests itself as the 9 fruits listed above.
This is so important on a number of levels. If you look to your partner as the source of your love, joy, peace, then when they have a bad day, or are going through some trial of their own, then you are robbed of the source of your happiness. . . for they are at that time unable to supply you with those things essential for a satisfying life, and you may begin to feel dissatisfied and look for happiness, etc. elsewhere.
</div><div><br /></div><div>This marriage from a selfish me-me-me perspective. What can my partner supply me with? How can my partner supply me with love, joy, peace. . . security. . . happiness But if you have a deep relationship ith God, then God is your foundational source of love, joy, and peace, validation, and security. Your partner is no longer your primary source, so when they are sick, or in pain, or grouchy, or selfish, as does happen even with the best of us, you are able to, not focus upon yourself, but to tend to their needs. Marriage is then not a selfish me-me-me work, but it becomes a holy Godly work of ministry and service to your spouse. You can then truly be a helpmeet, a minister for your spouse. </div><div><br /></div><div>This was a revelation to me. . . a completely different perspective to marriage. Keep God in the center of your marriage and your marriage will prevail all the winds that might blow against it, for it is built upon a foundation of Rock. </div><div><br /></div><div>Truly live for God together, but you must also absolutely dedicate yourself to having a relationship with God regardless of your partner, for you cannot live for God for someone else. To be the very best husband that I can be, I must be in love with God, even above and preceding my love for my Wife.
Jesus commanded us:</div><div><br /></div><div> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div> Matthew 22:37-39 KJV
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38) This is the first and great commandment. (39) And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.</div><div><br /></div><div> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ </div><div><br /></div><div> I put it to you, that your love of God comes first, that before I can properly love my neighbor, or my wife in all the sacrificial depth and pureness a great marriage entails. To be the husband that my wife deserves, I must love God with everything that is within me, then as God loved me and sacrificed Himself for me, I can love my wife, and sacrifice myself for her. . . </div><div><br /></div><div>Do not commit to your marriage, with your lips only. . . But I plead with you fervently, vow in your heart of hearts. . .Love God with every fiber of your being, and then from this starting point, this day of your Marriage’s Genesis love each other and stand by each other with all your mind, body, soul, and spirit until truly death do you part. . . </div><div><br /></div><div>Strive for this and you will have a marriage truly built with its strong foundation in Heaven. . . .a marriage that cannot fail. </div><div><br /></div><div>These thoughts were written for a young couple just starting out on their journey, but no matter how long you have been married, your marriage can be reborn. . . remade with God in the center of it. It is never too late to invite God into your marriage. </div><div><br /></div><div>I love you my God. . . </div><div>I thank you for my wife. . .</div><div><br /></div><div><3</div><div><br /></div><div>Dave </div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-25829316237152367982020-10-24T05:46:00.002-05:002020-10-24T05:46:33.267-05:00Why do I believe that it is necessary to go to church? <b> Why do I believe that it is necessary to go to church? </b><div><br /></div><div> A church is a family. We call each other brother and sister. . . We pray to Our Father who art in heaven. . . We have the same Papa. We are related by the blood which our Father shed for us, and by which our sins are washed away. . . We are related by our Father’s Spirit which lives inside of us. </div><div><br /></div><div> I am a reasonably bright person, but it is said that a lawyer who represents himself, or a doctor who treats himself has a fool for a client or a patient. No matter how devout I may think myself, I cannot spiritually minister to myself. I need a pastor. . .I need a spiritual authority in my life. . . someone to speak into my life both encouragement and correction. . . someone to help me through life’s trials with Godly wisdom. </div><div><br /></div><div> A pastor is a shepherd. A good shepherd devotes his life to his flock. He tends to his sheep. He can see when one is injured or ill or otherwise not acting right. A shepherd can see farther than the sheep. He knows where there is good water and good pasture. He can see dangers ahead long before the sheep become aware of them, and lead the flock to safety.
A good pastor will tell you what you NEED to hear, more often than he’ll tell you what you want to hear. He will step on your toes on occasion. He will shine light on areas of your life that you would prefer to keep hidden. He will attack your pride. . . your laziness. . . your hardness of heart. . . your selfishness. . . your sinful nature. . . </div><div><br /></div><div> A church is full of imperfect people, wanting to learn to live better. . . walking this walk together striving to live more righteous, more holy, more loving lives. We celebrate together. We mourn together. We pray together. We endure hardship together. We lift each other up in times of need. We learn together. </div><div><br /></div><div> When the storm comes, the lone corn stalk will be blown down, while the field of corn which endures the same wind still stands. When the strong wind blows, as part of a church, we can lean on a brother or sister to help us withstand the wind. </div><div><br /></div><div> Are there hypocrites in church? Are there people who can be unkind or rude?. . . Yep. . . I am there, and those words apply to me on occasion. I’m in church for God. Not for the music. Not to be entertained by fascinating stories eloquently spoken from the pulpit, not even for the pastor. I’m there to learn how to live a more pleasing life for God. . .How to draw closer to Him. I’m there to be ministered to, and not only to be spiritually fed myself, but to learn to more ably minister to others, to help feed and support others. . . </div><div><br /></div><div><b> How do I find the right church? </b></div><div><br /></div><div> Finding a church should not be like going to the shoe store, and trying on shoes. The right church is not the one that feels the most comfortable or looks the most fashionable. At times, you should feel uncomfortable in a church. It should pinch. It should convict. It should make you feel dissatisfied, and hunger for change. </div><div><br /></div><div>It is very easy to preach feel-good messages that inspire or entertain, but have no spiritual value to them.
The Bible is God’s infallible Word. It was given to us, as His instructions to us. The Bible cannot be improved upon. Whatever man adds to or takes away from the doctrines given in the Bible takes away its strength. . . dilutes its divine purity. . . subverts its supreme authority. </div><div><br /></div><div> The energy contained in a tank of gasoline will propel a 3000 lb vehicle 400 miles. Dilute that tank of gas with even a tiny bit of water and the vehicle will sputter and knock, and not have enough power to even make it around the block. </div><div><br /></div><div> There is power in the unadulterated 100% pure Word of God. . . undiluted by councils, and history, and the traditions of men. With a watered down Word of God, the church becomes little different than a country club with a cross in front. </div><div><br /></div><div>Find a church that bases its doctrine solely upon the Word of God. </div><div>Find a church that will love and accept anyone who walks through their doors. </div><div>Find a church that believes that the pure power of God’s spirit living within you can transform, and completely free you from the bondage of sin. </div><div><br /></div><div>I need my church. . . </div><div>I love my church. . . </div><div>My church loves me. . . </div><div><br /></div><div> I thank you God for my Pastor and my church
</div><div><br /></div><div>Dave </div>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-80259050137629175452019-01-24T09:08:00.002-05:002019-01-24T09:08:58.584-05:00A Measurement Standard. . . A kilogram is currently defined by a standard cylinder of platinum-iridium alloy which is kept at the International bureau of weights and measures near Paris, France. On May 20th of this year a new definition will replace the platinum-iridium artifact association. The new definition will be: taking the fixed numerical value of the Planck constant h to be 6.62607015×10−34 when expressed in the unit J⋅s, which is equal to kg⋅m2⋅s−1, where the metre and the second are defined in terms of c and ΔνCs.<br />
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A second is defined as the amount of time a cesium-133 atom takes to vibrate 9,192,631,770 times.<br />
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A compass points to the magnetic pole of the earth to determine the direction north.<br />
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A meter is defined as 1,650,763.73 wavelengths of orange-red light, in a vacuum, produced by burning the element krypton-86.<br />
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In each of these cases, a measurement is determined by something outside of what is being measured. . . something independent of the measurer.<br />
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Where am I going with this? For the first 45 years of my life, I thought myself to be a highly moral, righteous person, but my morality was measured by no outside standard. I thought myself to be a good and righteous person, and my opinion was all that I used for my self-measurement.<br />
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I had occasional instances of selflessness, altruistic behavior, and that was how I judged myself. I gave $20 to a street person, and basked in my goodness and righteousness. . . I ignored the times I stole. . . the lies I told. . . the drunkenness. . . I was blind to my darkness. I only saw the times of my light. With no outside standard, every man or woman can measure themselves to be 10 feet tall. . .<br />
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If you have never seen anything purely white, it is easy to consider any shade of gray to be white. . . When I came to God, my former righteousness was shown to be for what it truly. . . filthy rags, compared to His spotless robes.<br />
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Before coming to God, I had no outside independent standard against which to compare my behavior. My measured morality was always favorable to my behavior. It is impossible to accurately measure your own morality.<br />
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What is your moral foundation? What standard do you measure your behavior against? The standard of the world. . . the ever changing behavior of what everyone else around you is doing? Or have you an unchanging independently fixed standard? <br />
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My rapid conversion 18 years ago, from a life of no fixed standards to one with a fixed moral code still quakes and shudders within me. I can still see and feel the shame of my old behavior, and how fooled I was in my prideful thinking of how good and righteous I was. . . How wrong I was. . . how utterly wrong. . . <br />
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How thankful I am for God’s mercy and forgiveness. . . <br />
How thankful I am for God’s saving me from my darkness. . .<br />
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I love you my God. . .<br />
A thousand times I love you my God. . . <br />
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<3<br />
<br />
Dave<br />
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David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-6677393729271586462019-01-04T07:21:00.001-05:002019-01-04T07:21:13.932-05:00A choice to make. . .I had my tonsils removed when I was 20 years old. I had recurring sore throats, and I asked my doctor to remove my tonsils and he arranged it. My room at Elkhart General Hospital was in a very old section of the hospital, and I was in a four man ward.<br />
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My bed in this small room, was on the left by the door as you entered. On the right by the door, was an old gentleman who was completely insensible due to some kind of dementia. I remember the night after my surgery having to go to the nurses station, because in some kind of dream or delirium he was ripping out his IV lines and doing himself damage.<br />
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On the right at the far end of the room by the room’s windows, was an elderly Amish with a long white beard. I’m assuming he was hard of hearing and had had prostate surgery, for I remember his doctor visiting him and speaking in a booming voice told him, “Well Zeke (cannot remember his real name, but I vividly remember these words), now you should be able to drill a hole in a six foot snow bank.”<br />
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On the left side of the room by the window, was a cherub faced man with twinkling eyes, and a lively smile affixed to his face. His window, though it looked out into the array of cooling towers, and other engineering structures on hospital rooftop, received a bit of the afternoon sun. I’m sure this placement was intentional on the part of the nurses. . . for this man had gas gangrene, and that hospital bed was to be his address for the span of his remaining life.<br />
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He had lost one leg completely to surgery, and his foot from the other. Several fingers from one hand were gone. . . He had one remaining good hand, but relentlessly his disease rotted him away, and he was being chopped to bits under the surgeon’s knife in an endless retreat of life from his perimeter.<br />
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I remember this man’s wonderfully cheerful disposition. He shamelessly flirted with each nurse, and female aide who tended him. Bringing smiles and sparkles to their eyes, with his shameless flattery, winking innuendo, and quick witted banter. He had good, kind, and uplifting words for each of his visitors that I saw. He was a kindly friendly grandfatherly soul to me, though wrapped in my own recovery, I watched him with amazement.<br />
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I saw a man clearly facing his own death in a term measured not by decades or years, but by a few torn sheets of the calendar, and yet he sparkled. . . a bright light in our dim ward. He who could be seen to be so needy himself, lifted up all the people he encountered. Death had no power over him. I saw no fear, or self pity within this man, but a ministering spirit.<br />
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Happiness is a decision. I see it in the jail. Two men faced with the same charge, the same sentence, and one will be depressed, sullen, angry. . . maybe suicidal, lashing out trying to hurt. . trying to make others as miserable as they are. The other man will focus on what they can do to change. . . strive for improving themselves. . .finding God. . . finding hope and a path upward out of their swamp. . .almost invariably beginning to minister to others around them, becoming a light in the darkness. All this based upon a decision. . . a choice. . . reflected and reverberating within my heart like that man in the my hospital room so many years ago.<br />
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I never spoke religion with that man, but today I recognize the light and power and peace of God shining from within him. . .<br />
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Choose hope. . .<br />
Choose life. . .<br />
Seek God. . .<br />
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I love you my God. . .<br />
I thank you my Lord. . .David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-50060969679855101882018-11-27T08:26:00.002-05:002018-11-27T08:26:35.397-05:00Blessed beyond measure. . .<br />
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In the past two weeks, my truck has broken down twice, and the heat at the lake house has gone out. . . and yet I loudly proclaim us to be blessed beyond measure.<br />
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Why is that, one might rightly ask? In the first incident with the truck, I was on the way to the lake house with my dog Solomon, and Jabez our African Gray parrot, when my power steering went out, and the truck started overheating, and stopped charging. I recognized those signs as the main serpentine belt on the truck had failed for that belt drives the fan which cools the engine, the power steering pump, and the alternator which provides electrical power. The timing of the failure was a supreme blessing in many ways. It was light out, it wasn't raining, and I was on a well traveled road, relatively close to a towing service. Jackie was already following a few minutes behind me along the same route, easily able to pick me up.<br />
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I called the tow truck company, they arrived mere seconds after Jackie pulled up. I was not familiar with any repair shops in the area, and did not know where to instruct the tow truck driver to take the truck, when he looked under the hood, and discovered that the belt tensioner had failed. The belt wasn’t even broken. He said that he could fix the tensioner himself. In every way this event happened in the best possible manner. He fixed the truck, and charged me a very fair price. . . so many blessings in this one event.<br />
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The second happening with the truck, maybe less dramatic, but still with the hand of God all over it. The truck wouldn’t hold an electrical charge. I thought maybe the recently installed belt, was too loose and the alternator slipping. The battery was only 11 months old, but to no avail I looked for causes. Finally in our driveway I could not get the truck started without a jump, so Jackie and I drove it to a local repair shop. It turned out the battery case was cracked, and had no fluid in it. . . but again I was never stranded way away from home. All my troubles with it were where help was all around me. . . again blessing after blessing in this apparent trouble.<br />
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Lastly this past weekend, Jackie and I were on our way to church, when the thermostat, at the lake house, display went blank. Jackie suggested that maybe the batteries had run out. I knew nothing about the thermostat, whether there were even batteries in it. I gently pried it off the wall, and indeed there were 3 AAA batteries underneath it. I replaced them, and we went to church, but when we arrived home, we still had no heat. The temperature in the house was in the low sixties and dropping.<br />
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The week before I had called Legacy Heating and Cooling, the people who work on our heating unit in Bristol, and had arranged for them to come out and check out our geothermal unit at the lake, putting it under maintenance. This was scheduled for a couple of weeks away, the same day we are having our wood stove installed. I called Monday, and explained that we were having a problem with our heat. . . or more accurately lack of heat.<br />
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Since I had called last Wednesday to have our furnace put on maintenance, they honored that and this problem was covered under maintenance, and only cost $45 for the service call. Everything about this is a total blessing. The timing. . . occurring after the holiday weekend, when we were preparing to go home anyway. It could have happened at the beginning of the holiday. There is no way for us to heat the lake house with space heaters, etc. The wood stove isn’t installed yet. . . It would have been extremely inconvenient it this problem had occurred Wednesday afternoon rather than Sunday afternoon. We are only at the lake 2 out of every 7 days. . . 28% of the time. This problem could have occurred when we weren’t there. The heat could have gone out and the pipes could have frozen without our even knowing it, thereby causing a major major problem.<br />
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Another blessing. . . in addition to all the above, all of these problems occurred in a month where I get paid 3 times. I get paid every two weeks, and twice a year there is a month with 3 pay periods in it, so I have an extra pay check with which to cover the month's bills. . . I weep in gratitude for all this. . .<br />
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Yes as a Christian we have problems, but even within those problems are blessings found. . . My disbelief was cast away, when I was shown in a vision, a dozen or more times in my life where I should have been in great trouble or even killed, but for a ‘lucky’ occurrence. . . Seen all on a string like pearls on a beautiful necklace, it was obvious to me that it was not random chance, but the hand of God in my life, even when I was denying Him. . .<br />
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Lift Him up. . . let all know the of goodness of God, that the unbelievers might see that He is alive and active in the world. . .<br />
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I love you my God. . . <br />
Thank you for watching over me. . . <br />
I Love you my Lord. . .<br />
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Dave</3>David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5376407961300897019.post-40224755513929568232017-11-12T08:36:00.001-05:002017-11-12T08:39:47.065-05:00Walnut in the Woodpile. . . <span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I am a woodworker. I love the beauty of wood. I love making things from wood. I love the rich glistening, almost iridescent beauty of a finely finished piece of wood. I love the warmth of wood, compared to steel or glass or ceramic. I love looking at the growth rings in a piece of wood. Imagining the years of budding growth, and fruit bearing, and glorious autumnal colors, and then the time or dormancy. I love thinking of all the animals who were blessed by the tree from which the wood came. . . birds nesting and resting. . . squirrels scampering and gathering nuts and acorn. . . building their leafy dens high in the tree tops. Newborn fawns resting in the shade of the tree. . . I love wood. . .</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">All that being said, Jackie and I have a wood burner, and we burn wood to heat our home. I do recognize that wood serves many purposes, but still when I gather logs to place upon the fire, I look a bit ruefully at the piece and wonder what might have been created from it.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This year it has hit me especially hard. Amongst the oak, and cherry. . . maple and ash, as I helped unload and stack the wood in front of our house, I saw the remains of a walnut tree. To me walnut is the height of beauty of woods. It’s rich dark brown color. . . the silky smoothness to which it can be finished. . . the unique contrast in hues between heartwood, and sapwood, all blend together in my love for walnut. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I have resisted so far, but I am truly tempted to set aside the pieces of walnut, to try and make something of them, but once sawn, and split into such small pieces it is not very feasible for me to do much with them other than to burn them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Walnut is so expensive. . . . so very very beautiful when finished. The eight boards I have selected for the top of our dining room table cost almost $600. . . to think of cutting them up and using them for the purpose of a brief time of heat, makes me almost cry at the thought. . . . . . . .</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">My mind is drawn to the parallels between the pieces of walnut laying on my stack of wood to be burned, and the wreckage of lives I encounter in my ministry at the jail. . . . what might have been. . . what might have been crafted a beautiful heirloom piece, handed down through the generations, now only used for a brief time of heat, before being consumed by the fire to ash and cast away.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">This precious life. . . this amazingly versatile and capable body we are given. . . this wondrous mind we possess has the potential for such great and eternal beauty, and all too often we burn it instead for a short lived heat.</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">1 Corinthians 6:19-20</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own? (20) For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well. (15) My substance was not hid from thee, when I was made in secret, and curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth. (16) Thine eyes did see my substance, yet being unperfect; and in thy book all my members were written, which in continuance were fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Genesis 2:7</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">God formed us from dirt, but with the addition of His breath, we were transformed from the lowly mire of our substance into the wondrous temple of God’s Spirit, and without His spirit, we soon revert back into that from which we were formed. . . </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">It is beyond me, but I know that God can transform even the shattered and cut, split and broken pieces of walnut in my woodpile into wondrously made heirlooms, for I know what He has done in my life.</span><br />
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Romans 12:1-2</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. (2) And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Matthew 11:28-30</span></div>
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<span style="color: magenta; font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. (29) Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. (30) For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I love you my God. . .</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">I give you great thanks for what you have done for me. . .</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: "arial" , "helvetica" , sans-serif; font-size: large;">Dave</span><br />
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David Stokelyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10606803228509286453noreply@blogger.com0