What is Your Perspective of God?

The Bible is a road map that helps us understand who God is and what He has done. It tells the story of paradise lost and the redemption that can only be found in Jesus, all while detailing the human condition. But what if your perspective is wrong in reading and interpreting it? Many people read the Bible but their eyes have not been opened to God's master plan and so they have an incomplete understanding of God. This also negatively affects their children and each successive generation who is molded after their parents. It is your perspective will determine your place in eternity.



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Ten Inches of Water

A boy was sitting on a park bench with one hand resting on an open Bible. He was loudly exclaiming his praise to God. "Hallelujah! Hallelujah! God is great!" he yelled without worrying whether anyone heard him or not. Shortly after there came along a man who had recently completed some studies at a local university. Feeling very enlightened in the ways of truth and very eager to show this enlightenment, he asked the boy about the source of his joy. "Hey" asked the boy in return with a bright laugh, "Don't you have any idea what God is able to do? I just read that God opened up the waves of the Red Sea and led the whole nation of Israel right through the middle."

The enlightened man laughed lightly, sat down next to the boy and began to try to open his eyes to the "realities" of the miracles of the Bible. "That can all be very easily explained. Modern scholarship has shown that the Red Sea in that area was only 10-inches deep at that time. It was no problem for the Israelites to wade across." The boy was stumped. His eyes wandered from the man back to the Bible laying open in his lap. The man, content that he had enlightened a poor, naive young person to the finer points of scientific insight turned to go. Scarcely had he taken two steps when the boy began to rejoice and praise louder than before. The man turned to ask the reason for this resumed jubilation. "Wow!" exclaimed the boy happily, "God is greater than I thought! Not only did He lead the whole nation of Israel through the Red Sea, He topped it off by drowning the whole Egyptian army in 10 inches of water!"

The moral of the story: Don't try and put God in a box, there isn't one big enough to contain Him.

Shake It Off and Step Up

A parable is told of a farmer who owned an old mule that fell into the farmer's well. The farmer heard the mule braying and after carefully assessing the situation, he sympathized with the mule but decided that neither the mule nor the well was worth the trouble of saving. Instead, he called his neighbors together and told them what had happened and enlisted them to help haul dirt to bury the old mule in the well and put him out of his misery.

Initially, the old mule was hysterical. But a thought struck him as the farmer and his neighbors continued shoveling and the dirt hit his back, why not shake it off and step up every time a shovel load of dirt landed on his back. This he did blow after blow. "Shake it off and step up... shake it off and step up... shake it off and step up," he repeated to encourage himself.

No matter how painful the blows, or how distressing the situation seemed the old mule fought panic and just kept on shaking it off and stepping up! It wasn't long before the old mule, battered and exhausted, stepped triumphantly over the wall of that well!

What seemed like it would bury him had actually blessed him, all because of the manner in which he handled his adversity. That's life. If we face our problems and respond to them positively, and refuse to give in to panic, bitterness or self-pity, the adversities that come along to bury us usually have the potential to benefit and bless us!

Remember that forgiveness, faith, prayer, praise, and hope are all excellent ways to "Shake It Off And Step Up" out of the wells in which we find ourselves!

Why Do We Need God?

1. If you never felt pain, then how would you know that I am a Healer?
2. If you never had to pray, how would you know that I am a Deliverer?
3. If you never had a trial, how could you call yourself an overcomer?
4. If you never felt sadness, how would you know that I am a Comforter?
5. If you never made a mistake, how would you know that I am a forgiver?
6. If you knew all, how would you know that I will answer your questions?
7. If you never were in trouble, how would you know that I will come to your rescue?
8. If you never were broken, then how would you know that I can make you whole?
9. If you never had a problem, how would you know that I can solve them?
10. If you never had any suffering, then how would you know what I went through?
11. If you never went through the fire, then how would you become pure?
12. If I gave you all things, how would you appreciate them?
13. If I never corrected you, how would you know that I love you?
14. If you had all power, then how would you learn to depend on me?
15. If your life was perfect, then what would you need me for?

"I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. If a man abide not in me, he is cast forth as a branch, and is withered; and men gather them, and cast them into the fire, and they are burned. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what ye will, and it shall be done unto you.  Herein is my Father glorified, that ye bear much fruit; so shall ye be my disciples. As the Father hath loved me, so have I loved you: continue ye in my love. If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father's commandments, and abide in his love. These things have I spoken unto you, that my joy might remain in you, and that your joy might be full." (John 15:5-11)

Who is Responsible for Me?

Some people say, "If God made me this way then he is responsible for what I do and the way I live." No, my friend -- God only created Adam and Eve and in the beginning they were without sin. But they rebelled against the command of God and now sin has entered into the human race, and all have partaken in sin (see Romans 5).

He tells us in Jeremiah 2:21 "Yet I had planted thee a noble vine, wholly a right seed: how then art thou turned into the degenerate plant of a strange vine unto me?" Man has turned into a strange vine indeed. He is far from the man that God wants man to be. If he, however, will turn to Jesus Christ he can be grafted into the true vine again.

  --James Lucas, missionary

Congressman Fears Guam Will Capsize

Rep. Hank Johnson, a Georgia Democrat, asked a bizarre question about the island of Guam possibly tipping over on Thursday. The 55-year-old congressman said, "My fear is that the whole island will become so overly populated that it will tip over and capsize." For emphasis, Johnson leaned to his left and added hand motions suggesting a large vessel tipping into the sea. Admiral Robert Willard, the head of U.S. Pacific Command who was testifying, paused briefly and offered a deadpan response: "We don't anticipate that. The Guam population, I think, currently about 175,000 and, again, with 8,000 Marines and their families, it's an addition of about 25,000 more into the population."



These are the type of people who are supposed to be representing us? God help us!

National Atheists Day

Today is April 1st and I would like to honor all the atheists and publicly salute them on this special day known as "All Fools Day." They dully stare around them and declare there is no evidence for God despite the fact that He has manifested Himself in the creation all around us. Sadly most atheists are proud intellectuals that have become fools in their supposed wisdom. They are as grass in the field that is here today but gone tomorrow but these are the Words of the Eternal God:

"Sing, O ye heavens; for the LORD hath done it: shout, ye lower parts of the earth: break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest, and every tree therein: for the LORD hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. Thus saith the LORD, thy redeemer, and he that formed thee from the womb, I am the LORD that maketh all things; that stretcheth forth the heavens alone; that spreadeth abroad the earth by myself; That frustrateth the tokens of the liars, and maketh diviners mad; that turneth wise men backward, and maketh their knowledge foolish..." (Isaiah 44:23-25)

"I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else." (Isaiah 45:5-6)

"For thus saith the LORD that created the heavens; God himself that formed the earth and made it; he hath established it, he created it not in vain, he formed it to be inhabited: I am the LORD; and there is none else. I have not spoken in secret, in a dark place of the earth: I said not unto the seed of Jacob, Seek ye me in vain: I the LORD speak righteousness, I declare things that are right. Assemble yourselves and come; draw near together, ye that are escaped of the nations: they have no knowledge that set up the wood of their graven image, and pray unto a god that cannot save. Tell ye, and bring them near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? who hath told it from that time? have not I the LORD? and there is no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; there is none beside me. Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I am God, and there is none else. I have sworn by myself, the word is gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and shall not return, That unto me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall swear. Surely, shall one say, in the LORD have I righteousness and strength: even to him shall men come; and all that are incensed against him shall be ashamed. In the LORD shall all the seed of Israel be justified, and shall glory." (Isaiah 45:18-25)