Tag Archives: scripture

Multiplicity

26 Saturday Sep 2015

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Sometimes I think it would be nice to clone myself. I’d be able to be in more than one place at a time, accomplishing more work. I could spend time at home with my wife while not feeling guilty about running around town doing other “important” things.

Then again ………….

If there were 4 of me, there would be 4 times as many demands on my life. Multiplicity would only increase the stress level, not decrease it.

Such is not the case with God – He is 3 persons: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Yet there is no struggle for power or any inability to meet the demands that millions of people place on him each day.

We call these multiple persons of God the Trinity. Based on a survey published by Ligonier in October of 2014, Americans don’t have a very clear understanding of exactly what the Trinity is or does:

“Americans believe in the Trinity. But the details don’t reflect traditional views of orthodoxy.
About 7 in 10 (71 percent) Americans believe in the Trinity. That’s the idea that one God exists as three persons: Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

But few—even those in evangelical denominations—seem to grasp the details of how Christians have historically taught the Trinity. More than half of evangelicals (59 percent), for example, say the Holy Spirit is a force – not a personal being. Ten percent are not sure, while 31 percent agree the Spirit is a person. Overall, two-thirds of Americans (64 percent) say the Holy Spirit is a force.

More than 1 in 7 Americans (15 percent) say the Holy Spirit is less divine than God the Father and Jesus. A third (33 percent) believe God the Father is more divine than Jesus. One in 5 (19 percent) say Jesus was the first creature made by God. All of those run counter to Christian doctrine as found in historic creeds of the Church.”
The State of Theology – Ligonier Ministries

“You and I live in a three-dimensional world. All physical objects have a certain height, width, and depth. One person can look like someone else, or behave like someone else, or even sound like someone else. But a person cannot actually be the same as another person. They are distinct individuals.

God, however, lives without the limitations of a three-dimensional universe. He is spirit. And he is infinitely more complex than we are.

That is why Jesus the Son can be different from the Father. And, yet the same.

The Bible clearly speaks of: God the Son, God the Father, and God the Holy Spirit. But emphasizes that there is only ONE God.

If we were to use math, it would not be, 1+1+1=3. It would be 1x1x1=1. God is a triune God.” http://www.everystudent.com/forum/trinity.html

Understandably, the Trinity is an infinitely difficult concept for finite minds to grasp. Check out the website above and also the link below for more information about this.

http://www.desiringgod.org/articles/what-is-the-doctrine-of-the-trinity

John 14:16-17

16 And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate to help you and be with you forever— 17 the Spirit of truth. The world cannot accept him, because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be in you.

It’s important to know God and to know what the Bible teaches about him. If this is an area you have struggled with, take a few moments and read the content of these two sites.

Have a great day and don’t forget that a good hot mug of coffee gets the day started right!

All verse quotes courtesy of bible gateway.com

 

 

 

How Bad Could It Hurt?

17 Thursday Sep 2015

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Rubber Mallet

So I slammed my thumb with a rubber mallet one day. I wasn’t being particularly careful because in my mind I was thinking, “It’s a rubber hammer, not steel. If I hit my finger, how bad could it hurt?”

It hurt ………….. a lot.

Sin has a way of using the same argument to entice us into doing something we know we shouldn’t. “How bad could it hurt?”

Isaiah 59:1-2 (NIV)

Surely the arm of the Lord is not too short to save,
    nor his ear too dull to hear.
But your iniquities have separated
    you from your God;
your sins have hidden his face from you,
    so that he will not hear.

Most of the time when we fail, we look at the earthly consequences: I ran a red light and got a ticket; I didn’t study for my test so I received a bad grade; I was late for work three days in a row and I got fired. We pay attention to those consequences because they are right in front of us.

The full consequences of sin are not always so obvious; we may not discover until much later the depth of its destruction. One of the most difficult things to understand is how it affects our relationship with God. It’s not as though God doesn’t expect us to sin. He knows how weak we are. But when we sin, what do we do? Run and hide; pretend like nothing happened?

Unconfessed sin separates us from God. It creates a barrier between us and Him until we have been reconciled. However, Paul wrote in Romans 5 that “where sin increased, grace increased even more.” We have a very forgiving Father whose arms are always open and ready to receive us when we repent. But that’s the key isn’t it? We need to repent.

A rubber mallet may not appear dangerous, but try whacking your finger with one. Sin needs to be confessed and repented. Don’t assume it is safe to ignore.

Mugs up!

 

 

 

Picasso I Am Not

04 Friday Sep 2015

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The Weeping Woman by Pablo Picasso

I have been told that I am an illustrator, not an artist. An illustrator draws what he sees with his eyes; an artist draws what he sees in his mind. Well ………..  that is quite possibly true.

This is no judgment against modern art or specifically Picasso. I just don’t get it.

I’ve begun a digital art class and one of the assignments was to pick out colors in different pieces of artwork that demonstrated “color plasticity.” Huh?

Supposedly, there are certain color combinations where colors “push and pull” at each other. Huh?

Opposing colors can cause the eye to move across the canvas while others are more “static” and cause the eye to get stuck in one location. Huh?

I’ll have to take your word for it ………. I don’t get it.

I, eh hem, didn’t score very high on that test.

Exodus 31:1-6 (NIV)

Then the Lord said to Moses, 2 “See, I have chosen Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah, 3 and I have filled him with the Spirit of God, with wisdom, with understanding, with knowledge and with all kinds of skills— 4 to make artistic designs for work in gold, silver and bronze, 5 to cut and set stones, to work in wood, and to engage in all kinds of crafts. 6 Moreover, I have appointed Oholiab son of Ahisamak, of the tribe of Dan, to help him. Also I have given ability to all the skilled workers to make everything I have commanded you:”

God is an artist and he loves beauty. He has placed in the hearts and minds of many people the ability to create works of art.

“It is important to define beauty. Art that is created to shock or horrify, or to glorify or elicit sin (violence, lust, greed) cannot be called “beautiful.” It is still “art” but not art that glorifies God. Art that glorifies God must have the same two properties as the designs created in Exodus 31. First, it must be “artistic”; that is, it must be creative, well executed (a good representation of the object) and well crafted (well made). It must have worth as an object of value. Second, it should be something of which the artist can say, “God put it in my heart to make this.” gotquestions.org

I agree with the above statement.

What do you think?

Mugs up!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

One Massive Soup Pot

02 Wednesday Sep 2015

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chicken-barley-and-butternut-squash-soup-photo

Some things are worth arguing about ……… others are not.

Like, for example, what color we should paint the walls or what color the carpet will be. Granted, I would just as soon not have hot pink for either. But the truth is that whether the wall is pink or blue has no bearing on my spiritual growth or my relationship with God. It doesn’t bring me any closer or drive me any further away from my Father.

In the Christian church, there are what some would call disputable matters and those that we could say are indisputable. There are some things that are non-negotiable if you claim to be a Christian. For example that Jesus is the Son of God. But there are many, many things that ultimately don’t matter.

Paul brings this discussion up in Romans 14. In this chapter, he is not addressing matters of sin; he already dealt with that in the first 13 chapters. We have been set free from the bondage of sin by the righteousness of Christ, which has been graciously imparted to us. Rather he is confronting issues over matters of opinion that could potentially lead to sin.

Let me explain. If you look around your congregation on any given Sunday morning, you will see old people, young people, and middle-aged people. If you were to take a survey on the number of years they had been Christians, you would have some say 40 years while others may say 40 days. You have individuals who grew up 10 miles away while others came from somewhere on the other side of the world. You have some who only drive pickup trucks while others insist on having a sports sedan. You have some who prefer classical music while others only listen to pop rock. You should begin to see my point.

The church is a soup pot of many people. Soup is not made up of just one element; it is a mixture of different vegetables, meat stock, and spices. Each ingredient adds to the overall flavor and enjoyment of the meal. The same applies to the church; each member, no matter how mature or experienced, adds something to the flavor. The potential problems arise when so many different people get thrown in together and begin to find fault with other believers who don’t agree with their way of thinking. Even though these issues may not start out as sin, differences in opinions that are not dealt with properly can become sin.

The purpose of Paul’s discussion is to encourage his readers, and us, that they should not judge people in the church who have a difference of opinion. If someone prefers Pepsi over Coke, so be it. Or if they prefer carrots in their soup, and you prefer potatoes, then don’t be discouraged ……… perhaps their vision will be improved.

Romans 14:4

4 Who are you to judge someone else’s servant? To their own master, servants stand or fall. And they will stand, for the Lord is able to make them stand.

Strive for unity and peace. Don’t let insignificant differences of opinion cause division among you.

Mugs up!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

To Know Your Father’s Voice

31 Monday Aug 2015

Posted by in Children, Christianity, Devotional, Life, People, Raising The Mug

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SheepFlock

So how long has the darkness lasted?

In 1993, our family began supporting our first child through World Vision, a young boy in Kenya. We continued to sponsor him until he was too old for the program. For a while we lost contact until he managed to find me on Facebook; since then we have communicated regularly through social media and messaging.

Yesterday morning as I was about to walk out the door to go to church, I received a phone call. I looked at the caller ID and realized it was my once small child from Kenya, now 25, calling me by WIFI. Oh the marvels of modern technology! I was surprised because he had never attempted to call me. I answered and we talked for a while. During the conversation, I discovered something he hadn’t told me before; he had never known his father. His father had either disappeared or died when he was very young. Because of this, in a very touching way, he considers me his father, the only father he has ever known. When I asked why specifically he had called, he told me had never heard my voice and he wanted to know the sound of his father’s voice.

John 10:27-30 (ESV)

27 My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. 28 I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. 29 My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all, and no one is able to snatch them out of the Father’s hand. 30 I and the Father are one.”

There’s something comforting about a recognizable a voice. Children know the sound of their parents’ voices, parents know the sound of their children’s. Nothing soothes a child from a bad dream like the sound of his mother or father’s voice.

We long to know the voice of our Father. We long to hear him speak to us so that we can be reassured about who we are and where we are going. We long to know that we are loved and cared for, no matter what happens. We long to feel his arms around us and hear him say we are so important to him, that he would do anything, even die for us.

And he has ………….

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

 

 

Raccoon Saturday

20 Saturday Jun 2015

Posted by in Animals, Children, Christianity, Devotional, Life, Raising The Mug

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It was a Saturday like any other………… or not.

So get the picture ……… Our oldest daughter, maybe thirteen at the time, walked out the front door of our house onto the front porch with our two small dogs in tow. She noticed one of the dogs looked to the right towards the other end of the porch; she in turn glanced that way. There was a raccoon on the porch that immediately approached her. So she ran away from the house screaming to the dogs, “Run for your life!”

Everyone knows that it’s odd for a wild raccoon to be out during the middle of the day and even more odd for them not to be frightened by people and dogs.

Jane and I, along with our youngest daughter, were cleaning out the garage. I don’t recall who, but one of us had a leaf blower, clearing old leaves from the garage. Amid the noise of the machine, daughter number one came running around the corner from the front yard screaming at the top of her lungs. Right behind her was the raccoon.

It was strange that the raccoon wasn’t afraid of people or dogs, but a leaf blower? That was a bad sign. We could only assume one thing ……… rabies.

raccoon

photo courtesy of Valerie Sauve – flickr.com


We rushed all the kids inside and called animal control. They asked us to make sure the raccoon didn’t escape …………… really? Buh, wuh …… zactly how was we ‘posed to do dat?

My son and I grabbed some rakes and tried to trap the animal in the bushes. Have you ever heard a raccoon growl? It’s a little unnerving ……… especially when you’re pretty sure the animal is rabid.

In the end, a local sheriff’s deputy arrived and disposed of the animal. Whew! Thank you James Brown! No really………… the deputy’s name was James Brown……

James Brown

photo courtesy of Kill Gil – flickr.com

 Genesis 9:2 (NIV)

2 The fear and dread of you will fall on all the beasts of the earth, and on all the birds in the sky, on every creature that moves along the ground, and on all the fish in the sea; they are given into your hands.

The Bible has very little to say about wildlife. Obviously the primary focus of scripture is God’s relationship with man, not animals.  This particular verse was part of God’s covenant with Noah. After the flood, God placed a fear of man in all of the wild beasts.

So ……… question – does this mean that between the time of Adam and Noah, animals and men were friends?

Very interesting thought ……. don’t you agree?

I hope your day is filled with excitement and joy, but no abnormal encounters with animals.

Fill a mug, fill it high, guzzle it down, start again!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Something Out Of Nothing

17 Wednesday Jun 2015

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Cristales_cueva_de_NaicaFB

Sometimes reality is so fantastic that you find it nearly impossible to believe. For example, the Crystal Cave discovered in the deserts of Mexico. The size of the crystals are so enormous, it’s like something out of a fantasy movie.

“Buried a thousand feet (300 meters) below Naica mountain in the Chihuahuan Desert, the cave was discovered by two miners excavating a new tunnel for the Industrias Peñoles company in 2000.

The cave contains some of the largest natural crystals ever found: translucent gypsum beams measuring up to 36 feet (11 meters) long and weighing up to 55 tons.

“It’s a natural marvel,” said García-Ruiz, of the University of Granada in Spain.” national geographic

To see more photos you can click here

The natural world is so full of unbelievable wonders, like this cave. Who would have ever thought that there could be something so amazing buried so deep beneath the surface of the earth? What an incredible discovery!

God not only creates unbelievable things in the earth, he creates unbelievable things in our hearts.

2 Corinthians 4:6 NIV

6 For God, who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,”made his light shine in our hearts to give us the light of the knowledge of God’s glory displayed in the face of Christ.

God’s ability to create and recreate is not limited to the physical world, it extends to the spiritual world as well. He looked inside us and made something out of nothing, making light shine where there was only darkness. Without the light that he put in us, that is his Holy Spirit, we would not have the ability to perceive and understand who he is anymore than we could explore a crystal cave in the dark. In the cave, light is not only necessary to see where you are going, it illuminates the glory and beauty of the crystals. The Spirit within us illuminates the glory of God displayed in the face of Christ.

I pray this day that your hearts will be bright, fully illuminated by the Spirit of God.

Here’s to a great new day! Mugs up!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

The Song Plays Again……. And Again 

16 Tuesday Jun 2015

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333526-alpine-car-stereo-receiver-cde-136btI turned on the radio in my truck one day as I was driving and a familiar song began to play. When it ended, the same song began to play again. After it ended for the second time, it started up again. Hmm …… I wonder what’s up with this? The same song repeated over and over as I drove along for the next hour. I found it humorous and since I liked the song, I just let it play. When I reached my destination and completed my task, I climbed back in the truck ………. same song still playing. Someone at the station must have quit, fallen asleep, or was having a really bad day.

Depending on the situation, repetition can have great benefits. Kids learn many social skills by watching their parents and mimicking their actions and words. Repeating the same task in a job helps build speed and efficiency. And repetition can be useful when learning to live a godly lifestyle.

Deuteronomy 11:18-21 NIV

Fix these words of mine in your hearts and minds; tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates, so that your days and the days of your children may be many in the land the Lord swore to give your ancestors, as many as the days that the heavens are above the earth. 

Moses encouraged the Israelites to repeat the things they had learned so that they wouldn’t forget. He knew how quickly the mind strays to other thoughts, neglecting what is important.

Fix these words in your hearts and minds…… again and again………

Mugs up!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Pink From The Inside Out

15 Monday Jun 2015

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celestun-yucatan-mexico

photo courtesy of viajando mexico

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The Yucatan Peninsula is home to one of the largest populations of flamingos in the western hemisphere. Some of them live in the fishing village of Celestun on the western shore of the peninsula. Others are a little further north in the small town of Sisal. Still others are at Ria Lagartos Biosphere at the northeast corner of the peninsula.

Flamingos are some of God’s most unique creatures with their pink plumes and gangly legs. They are one of only two bird species in the world who share this vivid color. One type of flamingo from South America, called James’s Flamingo, has a very interesting mating dance. Watch the video below.

Flamingos are pink or orange or white depending on what they eat. Flamingos eat algae and crustaceans that contain pigments called carotenoids. For the most part, these pigments are found in the brine shrimp and blue-green algae that the birds eat.

Enzymes in the liver break down the carotenoids into the pink and orange pigment molecules deposited in the feathers, bill, and legs of the flamingos. Flamingos that eat mostly algae are more deeply colored than birds that eat the small animals that feed off of algae.

People eat foods containing carotenoids, too. Examples include beta-carotene in carrots and lycopene in watermelon, but most people do not eat enough of these compounds to affect their skin color. about.com – why are flamingos pink?

What sets the flamingo apart from other birds is its distinct color which comes from what it consumes …….. what is inside. What sets a Christian apart from other people is what they consume ……….. what is inside. They consume the Word of God and it changes them from the inside out. It permeates and colors every aspect of their lives; their thoughts, words, and actions.

Matthew 4:4 (NIV)

4 Jesus answered, “It is written: ‘Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.’“

As we start a new day, let’s consider what we consume and how it changes us. Feed heavily on the Word of God.

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com

Shut The Door, Please

14 Sunday Jun 2015

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open door

So a friend calls you up and says, “Hey, I really need to talk. Can you spare me an hour?” You get together and they spill out a rather lengthy tale of a less than honorable thing they did last week.” What do you do? Where do you go for counseling to help the person you’re supposed to be counseling?

One thing you don’t do is call up another friend and blab about the details.

Sometimes as an elder in my church, I am given the privilege of counseling another member. This is always a humbling task because although I am willing, I don’t feel especially gifted in this area. I am also very cautious ……….. I distinctly recall an episode where something I said in confidence made its way to the ears of my pastor for which I later received a harsh rebuke. I would just as soon not repeat that little incident.

Therefore ………

I have learned to keep the door shut, both the physical door and my mental door. What I mean is, I don’t talk about the issues with anyone outside that room. If someone puts their confidence in me, then I respect their privacy. I also carefully guard what words I use so that I’m not embarrassed at a later date because of something I shouldn’t have said.

Here are a few verses that may be helpful:

Proverbs 11:13 ESV – Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets, but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.

Matthew 12:36-37 ESV – I tell you, on the day of judgment people will give account for every careless word they speak, for by your words you will be justified, and by your words you will be condemned.”

Ephesians 4:29 ESV – Let no corrupting talk come out of your mouths, but only such as is good for building up, as fits the occasion, that it may give grace to those who hear.

Proverbs 21:23 ESV – Whoever keeps his mouth and his tongue keeps himself out of trouble.

Top-Secret3One of the little rhymes my kids used to repeat was, “Secrets, secrets are no fun! Secrets are for everyone!”

That’s a bad piece of advice. If someone shares a secret with you, you owe it to them to keep the matter quiet. Practice some self-control and keep it to yourself. Don’t even hint that you know a secret because someone will try to weasel it out of you. Self-control, self-control ……….

As for having a private meeting, here is another strong word of warning. If the person asking for counsel happens to be of the opposite sex, never meet with them alone. Always ask a respected third party to be in the room with you. They may not want a third person involved, but this safeguards you from multiple temptations and any hint at wrongdoing on your part. With a third person you trust, you have a reliable witness who can vouch for your character.

Here’s to the beautiful sound of silence. Mugs up!!

All verse quotes courtesy of biblegateway.com