Life Blogs Archives - Page 15 of 21 - GraceAndWorks

We Need To Give President Elect Trump A Chance

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Love him, hate him, or are indifferent, Democrat, Republican, or Independent, liberal, conservative, or middle of the road, we need to stand and unite with this administration. America united will succeed and prosper. All presidents have done things we didn’t like, things that left us shaking our head, and things that were good for you, me, and the rest of the Country. This administration with Donald Trump leading it will be no different.

If you post on Facebook, I don’t care what Hillary said or has said–she was voted out. I don’t care what President Obama said or did, he is done. I don’t care what some “Liberal” said or didn’t say, nor do I care what they are doing or not doing. I don’t care what some “Conservative” said or didn’t say, nor do I care what they are doing or not doing. I do care what President elect Trump is saying and doing because that affects you, me, and the rest of the Country.

If you are spreading what “he said/she said”, you are gossiping and that will cost you your salvation. If you are posting negative, hateful, media propaganda, you can’t have love in your heart and that will cost you your salvation. You cannot love and hate at the same time. God says, “Love your neighbor as you love yourself.” He also says, “If you don’t love your brother, you don’t love me.”

There have been good leaders and bad leaders throughout the Bible. There have been good leaders and bad leaders throughout the years of America as a nation. Is Donald Trump a good leader or a bad leader? We don’t know the answer, yet. I do know, if we don’t unite with him, he has no chance.

Soooo, STOP all the hate and negativity. Dwell on his positives and keep whatever you think is negative to yourself. He’s going to do good things, bad things, and things that will leave you shaking your head. It is what it is!!

There is change coming and we all get nervous when that happens. We don’t know what to expect because we tend to live in our little “Box” and are cautious to venture outside. Contrary to what most of us think, it is OK to venture out. Change can be good and refreshing, embrace it.

Ultimately, God is our leader and our salvation. Religious beliefs and freedoms are paramount to this nation and believe me when I say, “God had his hand is this election.” If you don’t believe that, you don’t know God and what He is capable of doing!!

Is Salvation A Slam Dunk?

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Slam dunk is a term used in basketball when a player throws the ball through the hoop. It’s an automatic score. Or is it? Sometimes it bounces off the rim or is blocked by another player. No score–no slam dunk. We are getting ready to go to an interview for a new job. We’re dressed for success, did our research on the company, have our resume updated, showed up a little early. We’re thinking this job is a slam dunk. Now it’s time for the interview. It’s going well and the interviewer seems to like me. All information and questions are answered. Now I go home and wait for the call that says they want me. I’ve got this, I’m thinking this is a slam dunk. Or is it? I wait for nearly a week and no call. Finally I call them only to find out they had hired someone else. No score–no slam dunk. We’ve found that perfect house. Real Estate agent is wonderful and says we should have no problem with our purchase. My credit score is good, I’ve filled out all the paper work, down payment is intact, and I think all is good. I’ve got this, it’s a slam dunk. Or is it? I get a call from my agent and they sold the house to a cash buyer that offered more money. No score–no slam dunk. There are many examples we could use, but, I think you’ve got the point. Nothing in life is a slam dunk.

Our salvation is the same. We’re going along fine. Life is good and we’re doing the best we can. We read the Bible occasionally, believe in God and Jesus, once in a while we may go to church, we take food to the sick or the bereaved, we give money to our favorite charity, etc. We’re thinking we’ve got this, salvation’s a slam dunk. Or is it? God says, “Obey my commands AND I’ll prepare for you a place.” Wait!! I have to do what God says, and not just believe in Him and Jesus? Yep, that’s what the Bible teaches.

Some of those commands are:

A) Don’t spread hate, but, love one another.

B) Don’t forsake the assembly of the Saints–Attend Worship services

C) Believe AND be Baptized. Repent AND be Baptized.

D) Be humble and think more of others than we do ourselves.

E) Seek first the Kingdom of God. Everything else takes second place.

I’ve got this, it’s a slam dunk. Or is it? In the end, God’s Grace is what will save us. In the mean time, do what God says!!

OBSESSIONS

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I want to challenge everyone out there to read this. It may appear to be more of a rant than an actual blog. There are many things we can be obsessed with such as, drugs, alcohol, sex, jobs, sports, etc. Today I want to talk about the obsession people have with politics and this election.

Social media is filled with everything that is wrong with Hillary and Trump. Can we see some things that are good points instead of all the bashing? Oh, I get it, there is nothing good to post about either one, or it seems. To quote a friend, “These two are just bad, Heaven help us.” There is so much hate being spread right now, it just boggles my mind. I see shares how we need to get this Country back to God and then the very next post is something about hate on Hillary or Trump. When there is so much hate, how are we ever going to get back to God? We go to Bible classes to learn about God and His love, then go home and spread hate. I just don’t understand!! We tell the preacher what a good job he did with the sermon, then proceed to do as we want. I just don’t understand!! Where and when will the hate stop? I will venture to say that when this election is over, whichever candidate wins, people will nit-pick every thing done and continue to spread hate. “Heaven help us!!”

Throughout the Bible, there have been good leaders and bad leaders. It is what it is. I just hope that in the next 4 years there isn’t damage beyond repair. Then maybe we will have viable candidates to choose from. We can only hope and PRAY.

You want this Country to be a Godly Country? Stop spreading the hate. Instead of sharing political “garbage”, how about sharing a Bible verse. I post one every day. There is a new blog each Monday, mostly dealing with God and life. Share one of those instead of hitting the share button on negativity about Hillary or Trump.

God says that love is the cure for all things. STOP the hating and show some love!! In the New Testament, James tells us to look in the mirror and take stock of ourselves. Some of you will read this and say that doesn’t apply to me. Go look in the mirror and take stock to make sure.

Building Fences

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When I lived on the farm, one of our main jobs was to build and repair fences. There were miles of barbed wire fences that were built around pastures. They were used to keep cattle in and other ranchers cattle out. We would dig holes and put round wooden posts in them. Then we would have to fill the hole back in and tamp the dirt so the post was solid. This was all done by hand as we didn’t have machine post hole diggers. Once the post was set, it was time to put the barbed wire on them. We would buy barbed wire on a reel and hook one end on a corner post and take the tractor or pickup and pull the wire along the line where the posts were. Once the wire was laid out, we had a stretcher that one end was hooked to the wire and the other end would hook around the post. We would stretch the wire tight and staple it to the posts. Most of these fences were three wire, sometimes four wire. We spent a lot of time building these fences and then they had to be kept up and sometimes repaired.

Other fences we had were chicken wire to keep the chickens in and other animals out. Around  the corral we had wooden fences. At times we used electric fences. These were primarily used for a quick fix. We used small round steel posts and one strand of wire hooked to a box that would send electricity through the wire. If any animal touched it, they would get buzzed with an electric shock. It worked OK, but, was not near as strong or effective as the barbed wire fence.

In life we tend to build fences to protect ourselves and to keep others out. Are they strong and stout like the barbed wire or are they a quick fix like the electric wire? Either way, we need to be careful, so as not to fence out someone that matters. We can become isolated from friends and family, if we’re not careful. Isolation can lead to depression and then we just pull ourselves into a hole and hide from everyone and everything.

One fence I haven’t talked about is the picket fence. Picket fences can be short and pretty, medium high with not much protection, or tall with protection for our pets and kids. What ever the case, they are for the most part pretty, white, showy, and friendly. If you are going to be building fences of any kind, these are the kind to build.

If you have built fences in your life of any kind, knowing God and having an understanding of His love towards us, will help us in having and showing that same love towards others. God so loved the world He gave His only Begotten Son. The Apostle John tells us that if we don’t love our brother, we can’t love God. Are you pulled into a hole protected by barbed wire or do you have the pretty, friendly, picket fences?

It’s Sunday!! What Are You Going To Do?

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Why do you ask? Who cares? After all it’s MY weekend off. It’s MY only day to do what I want. So, what are you going to do? Find a foursome and go play golf? Maybe find a buddy and go fishing. Think maybe we’ll take the boat and go to the lake. Gather the guys and watch football all day? Sleep in and lounge around all day? Think I’ll settle in my easy chair and watch movies all day. Unfortunately that are some of the things people  will do on Sunday.

The New Testament proclaims the 1st day of the week as being the Lord’s day. It’s not YOUR day!! In Hebrews, you’ll find the writer saying, “Don’t forsake the assembly of the Saints.” Many times, it is just said, to not forsake the assembly. People must think that pertains to the assembly of buddies to watch football or the assembly with a friend to go fishing, boating or golfing.

So, maybe this Sunday we will go to worship service as God would want. We say we believe in God and we will do what He commands. What about assembling with the Saints and worship God? That’s one of His commands. While in Worship, we can sing songs of praise to His name (Also a command). We can approach God’s throne and offer prayers (Also a command). We can show God how much we appreciate what He gives us as blessings, by giving of our monetary means to further the work in His Kingdom (Also a command). We can hear a lesson from God’s word to make our life more productive as Christians (Also a command). We can fellowship one with another (Also a command). We can Commune with God and remember the Son He sent to this world to die so that we can have forgiveness of sin and have a home in Heaven (Also a command). We say we love God and we believe in Him, yet, we don’t want to give Him any of our time or make any effort to OBEY His commands. Why is that??

It’s Sunday, let’s go to Worship Services and honor our God.

If you like this, please feel free to share with your friends. Thank you.

Hurricanes-Tornadoes-Earthquakes

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All three of these can be absolutely devastating. They can destroy homes and all the contents. They can destroy automobiles. They can destroy entire cities. They can even cause your death. Warnings need to be heeded. Cities can be rebuilt. Homes can be rebuilt. Personal belongings, for the most part, can be replaced. Cars can be replaced. There is a difference however, especially with earthquakes. You see, hurricanes and tornadoes can be predicted whereas earthquakes, for the most part cannot be seen or predicted with much accuracy. Radar can detect hurricanes and can be used to tell how bad the storm is and where it is going to go. Same is true for tornadoes. We can know when the storm will hit, where it will be and the track of the storm. Earthquakes, however, cannot be seen, heard or predicted with any accuracy. Yet all three are VERY destructive.

Now I want to compare them to sin in our lives. As we stated, hurricanes and tornadoes can be seen, heard and tracked. Much of the sin in our lives can be seen, heard and tracked. As with hurricanes and tornadoes, we need to heed to the warning signs. If we don’t pay attention to the signs and warnings, sin can also cause death. Both physical and spiritual. Take refuge, move to a different place in your life and get rid of the “Storms.”

Earthquakes are a completely different story. They can’t be seen, heard or tracked until they have already done their damage. Some sin in our lives can be as devious. Sin will sneak up on you and cause damage before you can see, hear or track it. There are probably no warning signs and sometimes no way to move to a different place in life or take refuge. So, what do we do about it? Know and understand that God will get you through the tough, devious times (If you let Him). We can prepare for devastation by doing the things God says for us to do. Study, attend worship services with other Christians and know what sin is. If we truly know what sin is, we can divert the “Storm” to a different track and avoid the damage it may cause.

Take heed and be aware of the warning signs!!

Trump Needs To Bow Out

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Donald Trump, for the sake of the Republican Party,  needs to bow out or be eliminated by the party from running any further. If President Obama was advocating the same things as Trump is, everyone would be calling for impeachment. If President Obama was treating and talking about women the way Trump is, everyone would be calling for impeachment. Why is not everyone calling for an “Election Impeachment” by the Republican Party? This simply makes no sense to me!! The only way, as I see this, is for Pence to take over and have either Rubio or Perry as his running mate. I don’t know if this would be a winning ticket, but, it would sure be better than what is there now. Come on Republican Party do something!! I would hate conceding this election to Hillary Clinton if I were the RNC!!

Can Life Be Put On Cruise Control?

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When traveling down the highway, cruise control can be nice to use. It will maintain your vehicle at a certain speed. We just finished a 3250 mile trip where the cruise control was used quite a bit. As we were going down the highway, I got to wandering if cruise control could be applied to life. There are some problems with using the cruise control. When traffic is slow or bunched up, it has to be shut off. I personally don’t think it is wise to use when one is tired, because you don’t have the control that is needed if something were to go wrong or the reflexes to make fast decisions. I also hesitate to use it when it is dark and you don’t know the road very well. Going through curves also will cause you to have to turn it off, because speed varies and you again don’t have the control that might be needed. Though cruise control is nice to have, it does have it’s limitations.

I think many of us put our lives on cruise control and don’t realize the hazards that it may cause. What happens when you are just going along fine and all of a sudden life gets somewhat complicated? Do you become frustrated and just continue to speed along? Or, do you have to put a stop on the controls and readjust? Just like the highway, life becomes slow or it gets bunched up and we have to have our own control rather than being on cruise control. We need to slow down and figure out what to do. Sometimes that isn’t easy to do and we have to regain control. When life becomes complicated, confusing or bunched up, we also need the control to maneuver around the obstacles in the way. When the ways seem dark and we don’t know the road very well, we will have to slow down in order to find our way. When things are going smooth, I see nothing wrong with life being on cruise control and simply moving forward.

All the above would also apply to our Christian lives. We have curves in the road to deal with, speed bumps, complications, confusion and dark times when nothing seems to be going right. Let God be your cruise control and the Bible be your guide to getting on the right road and thus ending up in the right place.

What Happened To My Inheritance?

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There are two types of inheritance that I want to deal with in this blog. The first one is the inheritance we have or receive during our lifetime that involves money, property, special items, family heirlooms, etc.

So what happened to your inheritance? Did you waste it away? Spend it foolishly? Not receive any? People deal with inheritances in different ways. With cash, some will take that trip they have always wanted, buy the new car that was always dreamed about, purchased the ultimate home, or maybe it was put away so you would have that available when it comes time to retire. Whatever you did with it, it eventually will be gone. Special items or family heirlooms will probably be around longer, however, one day will come when someone won’t care about them and do away with them by giving them to someone, sell them or maybe just cast them away. Whatever happens, eventually they are gone. Thus an inheritance today is what modern language would say, “Here today–Gone tomorrow.”

The other inheritance I want to deal with is the inheritance God promises us. This is an inheritance that will last forever, IF, we don’t give it away. How do we give it away, you say? God expects us to obey His commands and do what He says. By not doing what God says, you in theory will give your inheritance away by not caring. How could that happen?

In Galatians 5:19-21, Paul pretty well lays out what not to do. If you do these things you will give/lose your inheritance according to Paul. These are listed as works of the flesh.

A) Adultery

B) Fornication

C) Uncleanness

D) Lewdness

E) Idolatry

F) Sorcery

G) Hatred

H) Contentions

I) Jealousies

J) Outbursts of Wrath

K) Selfish Ambitions

L) Dissensions

M) Heresies

N) Envy

O) Murders

P) Drunkenness

Q) Revelries

R) And the like!!

Verse 21 ends this with, “Those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.”

We need to pay attention to what God says, expects and wants us to do. If not, we will give your inheritance away. Then What?? We’ll be left with nothing, just like real life. Let’s not put ourselves in a position that we would not receive the inheritance that God promises us!!

So, How Do You Get There?

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Getting from point A to Point B can happen in many different ways. Do you walk?  Do you roller skate or use a skate board? Maybe a surf board, jet ski, canoe or a motor boat. How about a bicycle, motorcycle, 18 wheeler, pickup or a car? Could it be a hand glider, helicopter small plane or a jet. Getting from point A to point B happens whenever something has a starting point and an ending point. Things that use a clock for instance–A work day, race, TV shows, cooking, and the list goes on. Life has a starting point and an ending point–Birth to Death.

Most of the things listed above don’t need directions, or very few. If we were take a trip, say, driving from California to Florida, we would not only need some type of transportation, but also would probably need directions. Yes, you could probably get there, somehow, without a map of some kind. But, if you want to get there in shortest amount of travel and time, you would have to have some kind of a plan. If I were doing this kind of trip without direction, I would end up on wrong roads and probably end up lost and be somewhere other than where I wanted to be. OR throw my hands in the air and quit and go back to where I started from. Is this beginning to sound like life?

All of this is especially true in our Christian lives. We all start at point A, Baptism, and end at point B, Heaven. However to get from point A to Point B we HAVE to have a plan, or a map, if you will. The map we have is the Bible. God says that we need to obey His commands and he will prepare for us a place (Heaven). He has provided us with His Living Word to give us the map and directions, that we need, to be successful in these Christian lives. We have to stay on the right roads. We have to stay on course. We have to remain steadfast and not get distracted. We must not throw our hands in the air and give up.

We MUST obey what God says and follow the directions, He has set before us, to gain the home He has promised.