NCarolinian

Don't allow others to rule your life, allow God to rule your life concerning others.   Then Paul says to the church in Corinth - Nobody should seek his own good, but the good of others. - 1 Corinthians 10:24 .  Well, that seemed to blow my encouragement to bits until I read this verse in the New Living Translation -  Don't think only of your own good. Think of other Christians and what is best for them . Did you catch the key word?   "Only" is the key-word.  We all know that each one of us will devote time and energy to ourselves, here the translation encourages us not to think "only of your own good" , but to "think of other Christians and what is best for them."  I like that translation better.  Also notice it says for us to think of other CHRISTIANS.  The world needs our attention, but sometimes some of the local Christian expressions give outreach so much attention that the Christians themselves are neglected.  Similarly Pau...

Trying to reason that we all believe in the same God on this earth is ludicrous.  If a person would put forth half a brain-cell and some quality time to the study of the different beliefs in this world, he/she would find that Allah, Buddha, and Jesus are not the same.  This all is relative movement makes every individual's truth - the truth.  Truth is singular, not plural and non-negotiable!  Wonderful for all of us God made it incredibly easy and told us point-blank who and what was The Truth -  Jesus answered, "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. - John 14:6   "The gospel is NOT, in my personal view, one option among many other valid options about the way to redemption and salvation. Jesus Christ is not an option, He IS the only way. ...the REAL issue IS NOT belief systems at all. Or even about being offensive, as damaging and callous as that can often be. The issue is far greater than any of that. Th...

Remember the game King of the Mountain ?  Somewhere on top of a hill, log, couch, or something was a person that took a position of control or dominance while another person(s) attempted to knock that King from his position and therefore become the new King . You know God favors mountains ( http://pritchardsplace.blogspot.com/2011/02/mountains-in-scripture.html ). However, He is the only King that will not be moved from His Holy Hill. You said in your heart, "I will ascend to heaven; I will raise my throne above the stars of God; I will sit enthroned on the mount of assembly, on the utmost heights of the sacred mountain. - Isaiah 14:13 God is speaking to the Accuser of the Believers in Christ.  Lucifer's move to be King of the Mountain not only failed, but failed miserably.  His demise is detailed in Isaiah 14:8-20 .  Read it when you get the chance and the next time the devil reminds you of your past mistakes, remind him of his future. However, there is...

Re-read this account for me please - That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, "Let us go over to the other side."  Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. There were also other boats with him.  A furious squall came up, and the waves broke over the boat, so that it was nearly swamped.  Jesus was in the stern, sleeping on a cushion. The disciples woke him and said to him, "Teacher, don't you care if we drown?"  He got up, rebuked the wind and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!" Then the wind died down and it was completely calm.  He said to his disciples, "Why are you so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"  They were terrified and asked each other, "Who is this? Even the wind and the waves obey him!" - Mark 4:35-41 "Leaving the crowd behind, they took him along, just as he was, in the boat." Interesting that Mark makes a point to state the Disciples "took...

Jesus - His looks, His trade, and even His name were so common His abilities confused a lot of people, especially the supposed Jewish religious leaders of the day. Concerning His appearance not matching up to their ideals of the prophesied Messiah. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows, and familiar with suffering. Like one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. - Isa. 53:2-3 Concerning His job not aligning with their expectation of their King and Savior. Isn't this the carpenter? Isn't this Mary's son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren't his sisters here with us?" And they took offense at him. - Mark 6:3 Concerning His Name, although it was an everyday name then, He has been the only one to live up to His name.  Examples of others who had the name of Jesus in Scripture are fou...

It is a matter of perspective.  The Christian on his/her knees in physically surrendered attitude and prayer is the right perspective.  The throne of your mind needs to be relinquished to God.  The throne of your heart needs to be relinquished to God.  The throne of your soul (who you are) needs to be relinquished to God - for His control. Why relinquish control?   Humble yourself in the sight of the Lord and He will lift you up (James 4:10) . Currently, I am watching a t.v. series called "The White Queen".  It is about the rise of Queen Elizabeth in England.  The more I watch this program, the more I realize we all are hungry for our own Thrones.  Ah yes! The allure of The Throne of England in "The White Queen" and I'm sure in reality was power, control, wealth, and prestige.  Sounds like the Throne of My Life and maybe the lives of many other Christians. I have seen many who wanted a Savior/Hero to come save their souls from an eternity...

Back when I attended college there was no internet. So, when I wanted to keep in touch with Tanya and write a lot that was on my heart and mind, I would do just that – hand write a letter. I know, don’t faint, I do come from that generation. I hand wrote most of my letters. There were some I typed on a typewriter. Then the word-processor came along and I used it also. However, I would always end my letters to Tanya – Love, KSA. The KSA part stood for what she called me – her Knight in Shinning Armor. Now-a-days it seems that Armor is “dulling”, but I try my best to keep it “polished”. I open doors for her, protect her from varmints (the insect kind), listen to her ideas and how her day went, love her, support her, and be a Godly man in addition to all this. I try to keep Chivalry and Christ’s mode of operation extended to my wife at all times. I know I have not been perfect in this full-time endeavor but evidently she meant it when she said “I do” 19 years ago on October 1...

I understand that God through James encourages us -  "you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that." (James 4:15)  However, we can be hopeful and make tentative plans for the week. Monday into Tuesday's work effort should be given the ole do unto it before it does unto you attitude - jump on your week with God's help. As long as it is day, we must do the work of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. While I am in the world, I am the light of the world." - John 9:4-5  Now His Light shines through us by the power of His Holy Spirit. Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord. Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord. - Romans 6:12 Now we are to work hard, putting our "best foot forward". On Wednesday and into Thursday, mid-week is a great time to reflect on the last few days, being thankful you have made it this far, a...

IF anybody places a significant amount of weight or emphasis on their faith, yet everybody else can observe that person's language is foul and does not line up with how their faith says you should be speaking THEN that person has believed a lie and his/her testimony is worthless. There are many ways we stumble in life.  Said another way, the perfect man is able to keep the rest of his mind, body, and spirit in harmony IF he never says a hurtful, incorrect, or sinful thing.  The tongue might be one of the smallest instruments on the body, taken as a whole, but it has the power to guide us into all kinds of trouble from the smallest of comments (spark) to the the most grandiose of speeches (boasts).  Ideas and things might start in our minds one way but by the time they get to our tongue for speech they come out another.   With all that humanity has tamed, like the animal kingdom, one might think surely we could tame our own devices such as the tongue but alo...

Believers in Christ, do you have a "Veil" covering up who you are in God? I encourage you, if you have a Veil - with God's help, remove it. "Therefore, since we have such a hope, we are very bold.  We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face to keep the Israelites from gazing at it while the radiance was fading away.  But their minds were made dull, for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant is read. It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away.  Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts.  But whenever anyone turns to the Lord, the veil is taken away.  Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." (2 Corinthians 3:12-18)   The dependencies in a persons life apart...