And so, it's off to ministry I go; not sure what the Lord has in store, but it will be a great adventure.
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If we could only forgive people; what a much better place this would be.
Now acquaint yourself with Him, and be at peace; Thereby good will come to you. Job 22:21
I had sat down to write a world changing sermon on the current condition of society. I had an outline, well a rant, listing everything that ails us. It was detailed, it was deep, it was disastrously long, and boring. The Lord spoke to me, and said that the message is simple, and I should not worry about changing the world, but changing hearts. We live in a world that is now more connected than ever in the history of man, yet we seem more lonely, and isolated than ever. It almost seems that we have created modern Tower of Babel and our pride in our accomplishments seeks to diminish the importance of God in our world. We base our lives and value on the number of Facebook friends we have, or followers on Twitter. I was part of that, especially on Twitter. I had over 6,000 followers, but really, what difference was I making in their lives? None really. I closed that account; opened another and now proudly have 36 followers. We spend much of our time seeking value based on another person’s opinion of us. We are constantly looking to fill a hole in ourselves that no job, promotion, team, sporting event, amount of money, or material possession can fill. Often in our relationships with friends, family, or spouses, we still feel a need for something else. The answer, while quite simple, is difficult to accept. The hole you are seeking to fill, cannot be filled by the things of this world. Peace, real peace, in this world can only be gained with a relationship with Jesus Christ. He will never leave you, even in your darkest and most desperate moments, He will stand beside you, or carry you through. Becoming a Christian does not guarantee an easy life, but it does provide for an inner peace, and calm in times of trial and tribulation. My prayer is that you will take that step of faith, ask for the forgiveness of your sins, and invite Jesus to be your Lord and Savior. Only then will you feel a wholeness and peace. God Bless. So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 An initial diagnosis of possible stage 3 lymphoma. Lucy spent night in hospital for testing. Offered a glimmer of hope this morning. Keep praying, thanks.
For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. Ephesians 6:12
We are not living in a dying country, we are living in a suicidal country. The problems and issues that inflict us as a nation, are of our own creation. You can see the moral and social decay accelerating each day. We turn on each other, we divide ourselves, we communicate with tweets, instant messages and smart phone emails, yet we are more disconnected as a society than ever.
We are killing ourselves as a nation, and as a people, by removing God from the public square. No prayer in school, has led to school shootings, drug dependence, and a lack of respect for those in authority at school, and fellow students. We now have teachers and students having relationships, and children. Removing God from government buildings has led to corruption, a sense of entitlement, the abuse of intern and pages, and no fear of justice for the crimes being committed. The removal of God, and Christian themes in Hollywood and the media ahs created a product that has destroyed the family, normalized the vilest behaviors, led to a desensitizing to the violence, sexual promiscuity, and drugs. Bad behavior has become cool and encouraged. Women long for the “bad boy, bully,” to protect them, but suffer in an abusive relationship that they seem unable to escape; and when they do it is often with tragic consequences. Men chase the “bad girl,” but become upset with her, when her past comes up before him. We live in a time when men think they are women, women think they are men, and anyone who disagrees is labeled a “Hater.” Our society is fearless. It does not fear the consequences of their actions, it does not fear how their actions will impact others, and it does not fear God. Yes, God is love; also remember that God is just. “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom and the knowledge of the Holy One is understanding.”-Proverbs 9:10 Please understand this, there is a just God, and there is a Hell. Both are real. You need to make a decision to turn to Jesus Christ and be saved from this suicidal world and have an eternity in Heaven. All the choices we make, are ours, we own them. As Larry Norman sang many years ago, “Why don’t you look into Jesus?” Ah...Cashmas...the joy of banging into people, watching parents fight for the last "toy of the season," and the heartfelt, mumbled, merry Christmases, make my heart fill with the hope of a new and peaceful year.
Right.... The true meaning of Christmas has been tucked away in the Smithsonian next to the Ark of the Covenant. First they came for the toilets, and I sat idly by, next it was smokers, and I said nothing. They took the fluorescent light bulbs away and I hid in the dark. Then they came for the trans-fat, and I let it slide on by. They came for the 16oz sodas, and I turned away. Finally they came for the chips and the milk, and I said enough! Right now, if I lived in New York City, I’d be breaking the law. Add a bag of popcorn and I could potentially be a felon. There could be police check points as you enter the movie theatre. Tickets please, would you mind removing your shoes?
Dude all I have are Raisinets.(Why chocolate covered raisins are called Raisinets; and chocolate covered peanuts not called peanutets? I mean why not just call them chocolate covered raisins? Perhaps the better question is, why not a fancy name for chocolate covered peanuts?) Sorry, just another random thought. It seems that the Mayor of New York wants to become “Nanny in Chief.” Is his goal to make the “Big Apple” the “Small Apple?” If I choose to move to NYC, why can’t I be a French fry eating, soda slurping, chain smoking, fat slob? Perhaps the Mayor would like to check my underwear and see if I’ve changed it? Of course that is the TSA’s job, but what the heck, given the current state of our federal, state, and local governments. I’m sure they wouldn’t mind joining together to limit our freedoms even further. However we willing accept these infringements as they are for our safety. Take a look around; there are so many surveillance cameras today that I’ve applied for my Screen Actor’s Gild card. The state Legislature wants to pass a law that would allow Philadelphia to continue using cameras at red lights and would extend their use to other cities in Pennsylvania. I’m all for safety and security, but at what cost? Think about it, we spend more time on camera than Mel Gibson. The soundtrack of our lives should be the Police’s “Every Breath You Take.” We are told what to eat, what to drink, what type of light bulbs we can use, and who to marry. We are being recorded on cameras almost everywhere we go, stopped at seatbelt and DUI checkpoints. It doesn’t surprise me that I can’t have a 16 oz pop, since I can only have 1 ½ gallons of water in my toilet. For the love of the Constitution, can’t you leave us alone and let us live our lives. Having just watched a Chuck Schumer and Nancy Pelosi press conference; then being subjected to various elected officials weigh in on "the wall," and other issues, I have determined that we elect a lot of morons. May God have mercy on our souls...
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john Gregory ParksI only worry about the things I can control; as I control nothing, I have no worries. Archives
January 2023
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