Cna yuo raed tihs?
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Posted:May 7, 2007 10:20 am
Last Updated:Oct 11, 2007 5:12 pm 37976 Views
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Olny 55 plepoe out of 100 can.
fi yuo cna raed tihs, yuo hvae a sgtrane mnid too
i cdnuolt blveiee taht I cluod aulaclty uesdnatnrd waht I was rdanieg. The phaonmneal pweor of the hmuan mnid, aoccdrnig to a rscheearch at Cmabrigde
Uinervtisy, it dseno't mtaetr in waht oerdr the ltteres in a wrod are, the olny iproamtnt tihng is taht the frsit and lsat ltteer be in the rghit pclae. The rset can be a taotl mses and you can sitll raed it whotuit a pboerlm. Tihs is bcuseae the huamn mnid deos not raed ervey lteter by istlef, but the wrod as a wlohe. Azanmig huh? yaeh and I awlyas tghuhot slpeling was ipmorantt!
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Whatsup With Mistakes?
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Posted:Apr 28, 2007 10:58 am
Last Updated:Aug 4, 2008 3:01 pm 37571 Views
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Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.
Oscar Wilde
While one person hesitates because he feels inferior, the other is busy making mistakes and becoming superior.
Henry C. Link
I have learned throughout my life as a composer chiefly through my mistakes and pursuits of false assumptions, not by my exposure to founts of wisdom and knowledge.
Igor Stravinsky
If you have made mistakes, even serious ones, there is always another chance for you. What we call failure is not the falling down but the staying down.
Mary Pickford
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He Died Singing
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Posted:Apr 27, 2007 7:15 am
Last Updated:Apr 28, 2007 10:52 am 37696 Views
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" John Huss, the Bohemian reformer, was burned at the stake in 1415. Before his accusers lit the fire, they placed on his head a crown of paper with painted devils on it. He answered this mockery by saying, “My Lord, Jesus Christ, for my sake, wore a crown of thorns; why should not I then, for His sake, wear this light crown, be it ever so ignominious? Truly I will do it willingly.”
After the wood was stacked up to Huss’ neck, the Duke of Bavaria asked him to renounce his preaching. Trusting completely in God’s Word, Huss replied, “In the truth of the gospel which I preached, I die willingly and joyfully today.” The wood was ignited, and Huss died while singing, “Jesus Christ, the of the living God, have mercy on me.”
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Abraham Lincoln made me Laugh!
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Posted:Apr 26, 2007 1:52 pm
Last Updated:Apr 27, 2007 7:06 am 37062 Views
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No, I was not around to heard him say this, but when I read it I laughed!
After Abraham Lincoln became president, before they days of civil service, office seekers besieged him everywhere trying to get appointments to various jobs throughout the country. Once, confined to bed with typhoid fever, exasperated, Lincoln declared to his secretary, “Bring on the office seekers; I now have something I can give to everybody.”
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John Wesley’s Budget
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Posted:Apr 25, 2007 10:19 am
Last Updated:Apr 27, 2007 7:06 am 38039 Views
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I was amazed when I read John Wesley's budget. John Wesley was eventually one of England’s most wealthy citizens. Yet, as his income sharply increased, look at what happened to his spending habits:
......... ............. Income ......... Living Expenses ....To the Poor
First year: ....... 30 pounds .. 28 pounds (93% ) ....... 2 pounds (7% )
Second year: . 60 pounds ...28 pounds (47% ) ......32 pounds (53% )
Third year:....... 90 pounds ...28 pounds (31% ) ......62 pounds (69% )
Fourth year: ...120 pounds ...28 pounds (23% ) ......92 pounds (77% )
Later: .........>1,400 pounds ..30 pounds (2% ) .>1,400 pounds (98% )
Year after year the giving increases, his giving to the poor increases to the point where he is giving 98% away and his living expenses barely change.
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Did John the Baptist have a Faith Crisis?
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Posted:Apr 24, 2007 11:40 pm
Last Updated:Apr 25, 2007 10:10 am 37159 Views
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A friend of mine made an interesting statement Saturday night that even John the Baptist lost faith when he was in prison, because he doubted that Jesus was the Messiah and therefore sent two of his disciples to find out who He was. Many people have taught and preached sermons on John sending his disciples to ask Jesus if He is “The Expected One?” [Luke 7:18-23 ] as crisis of faith, because John doubted that Jesus was the Messiah. But is this really what Luke was communicating. To answer this question we must first look at the context, which is broader than verses 18 to 23. To understand why John asks this question we will starts with verse 12.
Now as He approached the gate of the city, a dead man was being carried out, the only of his mother, and she was a widow; and a sizeable crowd from the city was with her. 13When the Lord saw her, He felt compassion for her, and said to her, "Do not weep." 14And He came up and touched the coffin; and the bearers came to a halt. And He said, "Young man, I say to you, arise!" 15The dead man sat up and began to speak. And Jesus gave him back to his mother. 16Fear gripped them all, and they began glorifying God, saying, "A great prophet has arisen among us!" and, "God has visited His people!" 17This report concerning Him went out all over Judea and in all the surrounding district. 18The disciples of John reported to him about all these things. 19Summoning two of his disciples, John sent them to the Lord, saying, "Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?" 20When the men came to Him, they said, "John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, 'Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?'" 21At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. 22And He answered and said to them, "Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. 23"Blessed is he who does not take offense at Me."
After resuscitating the dead man, the people are gripped in fear and while glorifying God, say; "A great prophet has arisen among us!” [7: 16 ] John’s disciples report this message to him and he then sends two of his disciples to ask the LORD, “Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?" [7: 19 ]. John response brings many question to mind, among them are:
1. What was it about the feedback that John received from his disciples that caused him to send two disciples to ask Jesus if he was “The Expected one or do we look for someone else”?
2. What did “The Expected one” mean to John?
3. Did John have a faith crisis?
It is very important to always let the text answer questions (exegesis), and not read in meanings to the text (eisogesis). The text provides the answer to the first question when it tells us that the people are proclaiming Jesus to be a “Great prophet,” and John’s disciples relay this information to him. Now why would this cause John to ask whether or not Jesus was the “Expected one?” Well, John anointed Jesus thinking He was the Messiah and he had certain expectations about what the Messiah would be like and what He would do. John is told that Jesus has brought a dead man back to life and that the people are calling Him a “Great prophet.” There is a difference between a great prophet what John and the Israelites understand as the “Expected one.” Moses, Elijah, Elisha all sought the LORD and dead men were resuscitated, but none of them was the Messiah/Expected One. The issue for John revolves around whether Jesus was a “Great prophet” like Elijah, Elisha, etc. or truly the “Expected one,” the Messiah. John does not ask his disciples to find out if Jesus is a prophet, he assumes this to be true from the testimonies he hears.
Why does John ask any questions since he baptized Jesus? Further clues to understanding John’s question requires us to understand what John understood the “Expected One” to mean. It is thought that John understands the “Expected One” from the descriptions given by Daniel and Isaiah:
I kept looking in the night visions, And behold, with the clouds of heaven One like a of Man was coming, And He came up to the Ancient of Days and was presented before Him. 14"And to Him was given dominion, Glory and a kingdom, That all the peoples, nations and men of every language Might serve Him His dominion is an everlasting dominion Which will not pass away; And His kingdom is one Which will not be destroyed. [Dan. 7:13-14 ]
18On that day the deaf will hear words of a book, And out of their gloom and darkness the eyes of the blind will see. 19The afflicted also will increase their gladness in the LORD, And the needy of mankind will rejoice in the Holy One of Israel. 20For the ruthless will come to an end and the scorner will be finished, Indeed all who are intent on doing evil will be cut off; 21Who cause a person to be indicted by a word, And ensnare him who adjudicates at the gate, And defraud the one in the right with meaningless arguments. [Isa. 29:20 also see 35:5, 61:2 )
From Daniel and Isaiah’s writings, John, and Israelites in general, understood the “Expected One” to be the Messiah who would come and establish His kingdom, defeat their enemies, heal the sick, bring ruthlessness and injustice to an end, etc. John knows that Jesus is healing people and has brought a dead man back to life, but their enemies have not been defeated, God’s kingdom has not been established, injustices continue and evil abounded. John is still imprisoned and if the “Expected One” had come, wouldn’t he have been released and experiencing the kingdom of God? John would have expected, as many of the prophets of old had prophesied, that the “Expected One’ would come in judgment. Therefore, Jesus is not as John expected. God’s grace had a priority that John and many others had not foreseen. The eschatological events which John and others anticipated did not occur on the cataclysmic scale they expected. Jesus caught the Israelites/Pharisees by surprise. They did not recognize their Messiah. It was only through the teaching of Jesus, Mark, Matthew, Luke, Paul, etc. that the early Christians came to understand that Jesus, the Messiah, was to come not once, but twice. We now understand, what John and others did not comprehend at the time, that Jesus would put an end to evil, injustices and establish His Kingdom at His second coming and not at His first coming.
John never doubts whether Jesus is a prophet of God. In my opinion, John wonders why he has not been released, why the Israelites are still being oppressed by the Romans, and why the Kingdom of God has not been established if Jesus is the “Expected one. ” It is through misunderstanding of the prophecies of how and when the “Expected One” is to come that John wonders whether Jesus is only a “great prophet” or is he really the “Expected one?” His question he asks his disciples to ask Jesus is to answer this dilemma. It is not that John doubts or even has a faith crisis that causes him to ask this question, but a misunderstanding of what the times would be like when the Messiah came and not recognizing that He would come twice.
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Did Samson commit suicide?
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Posted:Apr 23, 2007 9:28 am
Last Updated:Aug 30, 2008 1:01 pm 37831 Views
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A friend who has been talking about suicide asked me what I thought about Samson, his suicide and how he is in the Hebrew's Hall of Faith (Heb. 11). She is very concerned about her salvation and has been thinking that Samson taking his own life and being referenced in Hebrews 11 makes suicide an "OK" option for her. Her question inspired me to go back and revisit the text. I post this in the hopes that it may be used to benefit people who are contemplating ending their life. Here is what I think:
Samson was a man whom “The spirit of the LORD came on him in power” (Judges 14:6) to confront the Philistines because they were ruling over Israel (14:4). Therefore, Samson was a man on a mission, as God representative/agent, and a judge of Israel. Samson led Israel for 20 years and was used by God to deliver Israel from their Philistine oppressors.
When Samson was finally captured by the Philistines they put out his eyes and he prayed to the LORD, “O Sovereign LORD, remember me. O God, please strengthen me just once more, and let me with one blow get revenge on the Philistines for my two eyes.” I think Samson, as God’s judge, knew God had chosen him to help his people to get out of the oppression from the ruler ship of the Philistines. His prayer is one where he is asking for power to get revenge on the people who put out his eyes and who have oppressed Israel. His last request is to, "Let me die with the Philistines!" It is not a request to just let Samson die, but it is a request for strength to push apart the pillars so the Philistines will die. Samson’s desire is to avenge his eyes and kill Israel’s enemy and oppressor, the Philistines. In a sense, it is a request to continue to do God’s will or fulfill the calling in his life to the point where he accepts the fact that he will die in the process of killing the Philistines. Samson never asks to die or for the LORD to take him. He asks the LORD for strength to avenge himself and Israel’s oppressor.
The Israelites remembered Samson’s act as one in which “he killed many more when he died than while he lived” (17:30). Samson’s act corresponds more with a person who is acting out in a means that fulfills God’s calling in contrast to a person who just want to die. Yes, he dies in the process of avenging himself against the Philistines, but his intent and prayer was not just to die. His prayer was for strength to serve two purposes and Samson recognized in the process of killing the Philistines, as Israel’s Judge and God’s deliverer of those days, that he would die at the same time his strength was used to kill the Philistines.
In my opinion, Samson’s death is not a suicide. His death is one in which a man recognizes that he will die while in the process of doing the function for which God had originally called him. I find Samson death very different than a suicide, because in the case of suicide a person just want to die to escape life and not fulfill any objective that God may desire them to accomplish in their lives. I think the vast majority of people who commit suicide are focused on themselves and their own problems and do not do this to help other people. Samson did not pray to die or just make an effort to kill himself. His effort was to kill the Philistines and in doing this the LORD allows him to die. But his actions were never based in the concept that he would no longer have to live. Therefore, Samson dies fulfilling his duty as a judge over Israel by defeating their enemies. And it is for this reason that he is remembered in the Hebrews Hall of Fame chapter along with David, Gideon and others as someone “who through faith conquered kingdoms, administered justice, and gained what was promised; who shut the mouths of lions, 34quenched the fury of the flames, and escaped the edge of the sword; whose weakness was turned to strength; and who became powerful in battle and routed foreign armies.” I think if the Jewish people and the author of Hebrews viewed Samson's death as a suicide, he would never have been referenced in the Hall of Faith Chapter.
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Prayer Request: Update on Suicidal Friend
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Posted:Apr 22, 2007 10:09 am
Last Updated:Apr 23, 2007 9:05 am 35466 Views
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I want to thank everyone for their prayers for "D," I believe our prayers our starting to be answered for ways in which other women can help her. On Saturday her girlfriend "M" called a Pastor at their church and he gave her some suggestions. M is a nurse and she also called the hospital where she works to get some additional suggestions and resources. M feels better now, about knowing how to approach and communicate with D, but is still very concerned--as we all are. Last night I went to a friends wedding and talked with a woman counselor (friend of mine) who suggested a woman counselor who has experience working with women who are thinking of suicide like D and she works less than 5 miles from where D lives.
We realize this is going to be a long process and covet your continued prayers for D. I will keep you informed of the progress. It is great to have a body of believers, like you, who know, believe and appropriate what James has told us, "Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. 14Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. 15And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up."
Thanks my BC friends!
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Prayer Request: Woman I know thinking about Suicide
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Posted:Apr 21, 2007 12:56 pm
Last Updated:Apr 23, 2007 9:06 am 35553 Views
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A friend of mine is talking a lot about whether a person will loose their salvation if they commit suicide, She thinks Samson committed suicide and since he is in listed in Hebrews 11 (Hall of faith Chapter) that it may be ok to commit suicide. Her husband of 25 years left her last year. Her relationship with her daughters is not good. She lost her career and is living with her parents. She feels totally empty and that there is no reason left for her to live. Through questions I learned that she already knows how she would take her life.
Please pray that God will intercede and fill the emptiness and voids she feels; That her relationship with her daughters will be restored; that she will recognize her value and how God views her, etc.
Thanks!
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They said it, and I gotta agree with them.
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Posted:Apr 21, 2007 7:30 am
Last Updated:Apr 21, 2007 11:04 am 35259 Views
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I have tried to keep things in my hands and lost them all, but what I have given into God’s hands I still possess.
Martin Luther
When it comes to giving, some people will stop at nothing.
Jimmy Carter
I do not believe one can settle how much we ought to give. I am afraid the only safe rule is to give more than we can spare.
C. S. Lewis
He who gives what he would as readily throw away, gives without generosity; for the essence of generosity is in self-sacrifice.
Sir Henry Taylor
God judges what we give by what we keep.
G. Mueller
Give according to your income, lest God make your income according to your giving
Peter Marshall
If you give what you do not need, it isn’t giving
Mother Teresa
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