ABOUT MY HEALTH

   In the fall of 2016, I was diagnosed with C.O.P.D. (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease).
   Since the beginning of 2017, I have experienced a total of seven compression-fracture ribs, an infectious cat bite, a stroke, and three back surgeries.
   Additionally, I have been diagnosed with osteoporosis in my femurs (leg bones) as well as diagnosed with an enlarged aorta near my heart.
   The past two and a half years of my life have not been easy, especially when my life has been connected to an oxygen tube 24/7 because breathing is difficult.
   Let me tell you, however, that my faith in God and in Christ and in the Bible have never changed even though my condition is getting progressively worse.  Even though I have often prayed to God for a miracle, that He would restore my health to where I was prior to 2016, the Lord has not answered my prayers; instead, He has continuously nudged me to believe:  "My grace is sufficient for thee:  for my strength is made perfect in weakness." (Second Corinthians 12: 9)
   Neither do I have fear of dying:  "to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord."         (Second Corinthians 5: 8)
   In this time since 2016, I have drawn closer to the Lord and Him to me, and He has revealed things to me that quite possibly I would have never known had I not been stricken with this disease.  For that, I am thankful.

"For I know that my redeemer liveth,

and that he shall stand at the latter day

upon the earth:

And though after my skin 

worms destroy this body,

yet in my flesh shall I see God:

Whom I shall see for myself,

and mine eyes shall behold, 

and not another;

though my reins be consumed within me."

(Job 19: 25-27)

 
   

The Heart of Christmas, by Billy Graham

A NEW CHRISTMAS TRADITION

Billy Graham - Is the handwriting on the wall, America?

John Denver signs The Lord's Prayer

KNOWLEDGE

"But thou, O Daniel, 

   shut up the words, and seal the book, 

even to the time of the end:  

many shall run to and fro,

 and knowledge shall be increased." 

 (Daniel 12: 4)

   It is my belief that knowledge has increased more since the year 1900 up until today than knowledge increased from the time of Adam's creation up until the year 1900.
   Do you suppose this is a fair and accurate assessment for the increase in knowledge.
   Even as early as 1900 the horse was still the number one method of transportation worldwide; but because of the increase in knowledge in the 20th century man was able to mass produce automobiles and the horse was returned to pasture.
   Then, too, consider the impact of computer technology in addition to the increase in knowledge in medicine and science, which has enabled people to live longer and healthier lives as well as harness diseases before they spread.
   After all, the Bible says "knowledge shall be increased,"   and the Bible has never been wrong.
   Read the Bible:  and your knowledge shall be increased in the knowledge of God.

PADDLE TALES

There were six of us in all---
   marveled that we survived;
Not one perished in the flee.

Walking in ankle-deep water,
  we struggled and strained
  tugging our boats ashore;
   we fell on the ground
   to rest there for a spell.

Needing a fire,
  we gathered sticks and twigs
  and a few dry bones;
  striking rocks to get a blaze going.

Everything we had was wet---
  our clothes, food, harps still in tune---
  from not knowing the swelling currents
  in downstream water this time of year.

We hung our possessions in the trees
   to hopefully dry before the dawn.

Should we go or should we stay?
   we asked ourselves in the night.
'Tis better to die on a desert island,
   than return to Babylon,
   to its misery and darkness.
 
Zeke said we should look to Zion,
   for a sign we should see there,
   as a prophet of God
   he breathed no lies.

Pushing north
   we paddled upstream
   toward the destination
   we had chosen.

The days were long,
   the nights longer,
with fear on every side
   and in the boats with us.

And there it was
   as clear as the moon!

A cross stood in Jerusalem.

CHRIST ALONE

    Anybody can be a Catholic, anybody can be a Hindu, anybody can be a Buddhist, anybody can be a Muslim, and anybody can be a member of any religion in the world today, but it is impossible for people to be a Christian until they meet Christ the Lord.
   Until then, Jesus is no more than an imaginary character in the minds of religious people and with no more value than Santa Claus or Easter Bunny, or a Jack-o-Lantern at Halloween.  They can celebrate Christmas and Easter with all the pomp and pagentry of presents and green trees, yet believing that Jesus is no more than a ceramic baby in a manger scene.
   Unless people believe that Jesus is resurrected from death, they will never trust in Him to be the Savior of their sins while clinging to their religion until the day they die.
   The Bible, however, tells us the truth about knowing Christ:

   "That if you shall confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, you shall be saved."  (Romans 10: 9)

   Christ alone saves the souls of people, not religions.


   

PATHWAY TO GOD

   The pathway to God is through the word of the Lord, which is the Bible, and nothing else.
   For the Bible says,

   "So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."

(Romans 10: 17)

      If we will believe in the word of God, then we will also believe that the pathway to God is not based on my church membership, nor is it based on my affiliation with a religious institution.

     Moreover, the pathway to God is not based on water baptism, nor in participation in rites, rituals, and traditions.

     The pathway to God is not based on my entrance to a temple, shrine, or cathedral, nor in the belief that I must go to building to meet God because God does not dwell in buildings made by human hands.

     Beyond this, my pathway to God is not based on whether my shirts and pants are starched and pressed, nor by the way I comb my hair.

     My pathway to God is based on God and not me, and not in the things that I do.

    God is interested in my soul and His relationship with me.

    For when I was without God and knew Him not, He came looking for me instead of me looking for Him.   

     "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of ourselves:  it is the gift of God:  not of works, lest any man should boast."  

 (Ephesians 2: 8-9) 

   In other words, we cannot save ourselves from sin because of the things we do.  If we could do that, then we would die on a cross for our sins instead of Christ.

   The pathway to God is through the word of the Lord, which is the Bible, and nothing else.

AN ELECTRONIC GENERATION

   As long as people feed their minds from television and iPhones, they will have difficulty believing anything else.
   Has America raised an electronic generation, a generation that relies on television and iPhones to tell them everything they need to know that they believe is the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?
   Have we raised a generation that refuses to read, research, and study in order to gather information to make up their own minds?  Or, are they allowing others to make up their minds for them, to believe as others believe, and to do as others do?
   The attention span of people is very short these days, especially as people are watching television or holding iPhones in their hands.
    It is also difficult to share a meal with others because their iPhones are closer to their plates than the silverware.

     "Excuse me,"  they say, "but I need to take this call.  Very important."  
     Then they say, "Hi, Susie.  How was your date last night?"

   Even out on the golf course people will stop the game and brake their carts in the middle of the fairway and say,

     "Excuse me, but I need to take this call.  Very important."
     Then they say, "Hi, Johnny.  How was your first day of kindergarten?"
     They cup the phone to tell their partners and whisper, "It's my grandson."  Then they go on to talk about fishing and camping and everything little Johnny got for Christmas, item by item, while other golfers are in a traffic jam, backed up to the first tee.

   Have you ever seen people in churches clinging to their iPhones instead of their Bibles?
   Watch him.  He's flirting with the girl in the choir, left side, next to the piano:  "Brush your hair if you see me."
 
   For the electronic generation, their only interest in news is selfie news, such as selfie cars and bars, pools and pets, and selfie Christmas trees that light up the night and will surely win Tree of the Month.
   On social gathering places on the internet, if the electronic generation does not like people such as you and me, or do not like what we say or post, all they do is click and turn the page; for we are not the important people in their lives even though they call us friends and will also tell us they love us from time to time.
   How quickly will this blog post today get a click and turn the page?
   There was so much I wanted to tell you, but now you are gone.  I thought we were friends.

The Adventures of Christmas

   If we should take away the green trees, Santa Claus and presents, what would people do at Christmas?  Or would Christmas be the most boring time of the year?
   Without Christmas, there would be no office parties, no traffic jams on interstate highways, no cruises on the seas, and no family vacations at beachfront condos.
   There would be no toys for tots, no electronic games for kids of all ages to play throughout the day, no mistletoe to tack above the doors, and no shopping malls wall to wall with people.
   There would be no candlelight services in churches on Christmas Eve because there would be no "'twas the night before Christmas and all through the house."
   Above all else, there would be no football games and no pumpkin pie at grandma's house on Christmas day.
   Oh, my!
   What would people do without the adventures of Christmas in their cities, in businesses, in neighborhoods, and in families once a year?

      "And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.  And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them; and they were sore afraid.
       And the angel said unto them, Fear not:  for, behold, I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.  For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord."  

(Luke 2: 8-11)

CUSSING

   In my lifetime, I am amazed and astonished at the number of people, as members of religions and churches, that curse after leaving their houses of worship.
   They cuss at work, cuss while driving in traffic, cuss at school, cuss while standing in lines at restaurants, cuss while playing golf or while watching Little League baseball games, cuss on the telephone with neighbors, friends, or relatives, as well as cuss while watching politics and sporting events on television.  They even cuss in front of their children and grand-children as if their little ones need to be like them.
   And then, at their appointed times of weekly worship, such as 5 o'clock on Saturday evenings, or at 10:30 or 11 on Sunday mornings, they return to their religious institutions or churches, sit on the pews, kneel to pray, stand to sing, repeat the words they have learned to repeat since they were children, such as "the peace of the Lord," or "God is good all the time,"  shake hands with the preacher or priest---being mindful to thank him or her for such a lovely message---and then leave the buildings and quickly return to their cussing:  as if cussing to them is as normal and natural as eating gravy on biscuits is normal and natural to a hungry stomach.
   I am also amazed and astonished when I hear some of these people, from time to time, actually desire to talk about God, who is holy, while the words of the devil are still sizzling on their tongues!
   How can these things be?  How do these people justify talking like the devil yet still believing they have something important to say on behalf of God and that others should listen to them!---as of they wrote the book on "In God We Trust".
   If I should invite you to go to church with me, would you go because you would want to understand a wonderful change in my life?  Or would you think that going to church with me would help you to be better at cussing?
   Have these people never heard of the Bible, that says,

"Let the words of my mouth

   and the meditation of my heart,

be acceptable in thy sight,

 O LORD, my strength,

and my redeemer."

(Psalm 19: 14)

THE GIFT OF FAITH

   If you never set a goal to par a golf course, you never will.
   If you never set a goal to play a musical instrument, you never will.
   If you never set a goal to read the Bible, you never will.
   If you never set a goal, you will never accomplish anymore than you are accomplishing now.
   At the end of your days, however, you will look back at your life and realize all that you could have achieved had you only set a goal.

      "When I call to remembrance the unfeigned faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in thy grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice; and I am persuaded that is in thee also. 
       Wherefore I put thee in remembrance, that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands." 

(2nd Timothy 1: 5-6)

   Faith in God is a gift from God.  

   Therefore, if we will stir up the gift of God that is in us, which is faith in God, and let God help us in our talents by setting goals, the results that we can achieve will be far greater than our own expectations.

   Faith in God is a gift from God, and there is no greater gift than this.

      "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, 

the evidence of things not seen."

(Hebrews 11: 1)

A LINE IN THE SAND

   Christians believe in the resurrection of Jesus Christ from death while the founders of man's religions are still dead and their bones are still in the ground.
   There is a line in the sand:  which side are you on?

      "In the end of the sabbath, as it began to dawn toward the first day of the week, came Mary Magdalene and the other Mary to see the sepulcher.  And, behold, there was a great earthquake:  for the angel of the Lord descended from heaven, and came and rolled back the stone from the door, and sat upon it.  His countenance was like lightning, and his raiment white as snow:  and for fear of him the keepers did shake, and became as dead men.  And the angel answered and said unto the women, Fear not ye:  for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified.  He is not here:  for he is risen, as he said.  Come, see the place where the Lord lay.  And go quickly and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead; and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee:  there shall ye see him:  lo, I have told you."  (Matthew 28:  1-7)

      "And they departed quickly from the sepulcher with fear and great joy; and did run to bring his disciples word.  And as they went to tell his disciples, Jesus met them, saying, All hail.  And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him.  Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid:  go tell my brethren that they go unto Galilee, and there they shall see me."  (Matthew 28: 8-10)

      "Then the same day at evening, being the first day of the week, when the doors were shut where the disciples were assembled for fear of the Jews, came Jesus and stood in the midst, and saith unto them, Peace be unto you.  And when he had so said, he showed them his hands and his feet.  Then were the disciples glad, when they saw the Lord."  (John 20:  19-20)

     "Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself:  handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have.  And when he had said these things, he showed them his hands and his feet."  (Luke 24:   39-40)

   Thomas Didymus proclaimed:  "My Lord and my God."

   Earlier, if you recall, Jesus said unto Martha:

      "I am the resurrection, and the life:  he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live:  and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.  Believest thou this?"  (John 11: 25-26)

   Paul the Apostle wrote:   "That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection...."  (Philippians 3: 10)

   There is a line in the sand:  which side are you on?

      "Choose you this day whom you will serve; 

but as for me and my house, 

we will serve the LORD." 

 (Joshua 25:  15)

   

   

MUSICALLY SPEAKING

   The ear is the pathway to the mind and to the heart, through which flows words, noises, and music.
   Words, noises, and music are invisible, and only God can create things invisible.
   God created words and music, but man created noise.
   Interestingly, the first words spoken from God in heaven are these:

   "Let there be light."  (Genesis 1: 3)

  Interestingly, too, are these words:

   "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  The same was in the beginning with God.  All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made.  In him was life; and the life was the light of men."  (John 1: 1-4)

   Therefore, we can believe that light, words, and music are in Christ Jesus, which He has made available to us; for, without Him, light and words and music would not exist. 

   For if God did not exist we would not know it because we  would not exist.  

   But we know, however, that we exist because we can touch our bodies and see our faces in the mirror because of the light created by God!  All we need to do is believe that God gives us the minds to believe that He is God, the Creator of all things visible and invisible, and accept the fact that God created us.  

   Now that we know that God is God, Creator of all things, why hesitate to trust in Him to be the leader of our lives since He knows more about us than we know about ourselves?

   If we, therefore, believe in God, why hesitate to believe in the word of God, which is the Holy Bible?  

   God wants us to be happy, healthy, and prosperous.

   God wants the best for us and not the worst.

   God wants us to be the head and not the tail.

   God also wants us to be with Him in heaven after our bodies die here on earth.

   The life we are living on earth today is simply a prelude for a life that is yet to come, which now is invisible to our eyes, but it is a life that we will behold with our eyes after our bodies die. 

   In other words, the best of our lives it yet to come!

   "Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, 

neither have entered into the heart of man, 

the things which God hath prepared 

for them that love him." 

 (1st Corinthians 2: 9)

   The ear is the pathway to the mind and to the heart, through which flows words, noises, and music.

   The ear is also the pathway for hearing the word of God:

  "So then, 

faith comes by hearing, 

and hearing by the word of God." 

 (Romans 10: 17)

   When we hear the truth of God's word and accept it in our hearts, the word of the Lord will eliminate the noise, which will enable us to hear music instead of noise; for lost people like noise, which clutters the soul.  Our music choices will also change when we accept Christ.

   "Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly and in all wisdom; teaching and admonishing one another in psalms, and hymns and spiritual songs, singing with grace in your hearts to the Lord."  (Colossians 3: 16)
   "Speaking to yourselves in psalms and hymns and spiritual songs, singing and making melody in your heart to the Lord; giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ."  (Ephesians 5: 19-20)

MY FAVORITE MUSIC

A FRIEND OF GOD

   Do you want to be my friend?
   If I am to believe in you, I must be able to believe in your words.
   Likewise, if I am to believe in God, I must be able to believe in the words of God, which are written in the Holy Bible.
   Just as you and your words are one, you cannot separate yourself from your words.
   Likewise, God and His words are one, and God cannot separate Himself from His words.
   You and I, on the other hand, can change our words and lie, but because God is perfect and holy, it is impossible for God to change His words and lie, which is why "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, and to-day, and for ever."  (Hebrews 13: 8)
   For us to remain friends, we must not lie to each other.  And for us to become friends of God, then we must be honest with God, not lie, but tell the truth and admit that we are sinners,  "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God."  (Romans 3: 23)

  Consider Abraham, for the Bible says of him:
    "And the Scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness:  and he was called the Friend of God."  (Hebrews 2: 23)

   But Jesus tells us more about friends of God:

      "Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.  
        Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth:  but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.  
        Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you, that he should go and bring forth fruit, and that your fruit should remain:  that whatsoever ye ask of the Father in my name, he may give it to you."  (John 15: 14-16)

   How, then, do we become a friend of God?
   By confessing to God that we are sinners in need of salvation, for the Bible says:

      "That if you will confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus, and shall believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.  For with the heart man believes unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation."  (Romans 10: 9-10)
      "For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves:  it is the gift of God:  not of works, lest any man should boast.  For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them."  (Ephesians 2: 8-10)

   Believe in this today and you will become a friend of God today.
   Remembering, too,

   "Greater love hath no man than this,

 that a man lay down his life 

for his friends." 

 (John 15: 13)

   

TWO EARS FOR THE HEART

   "And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I have commanded thee this day, that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:  
    And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God."

(Deuteronomy 28:  1-2)

   "It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, 

but by every word that proceedeth

 out of the mouth of God."

(Matthew 4: 4)

NO GREATER LOVE

 "Greater love hath no man than this,

 that a man lay down his life 

for his friends." 

 (John 15: 13)

  Perhaps we can agree that many, many people have the opinion that God is no more than a bad dude, sitting in heaven, with  no more to do with His time than to thump people on their heads and send them down to the pit.
  If that had been the agenda of God, however, He would have never sent His Son to die for the sins of the world.
  But we can also agree that not one man of the earth has ever laid down his life for a religion or philosophy, and neither has any sinful man of the earth ever laid down his life for the sins of people.
  For the leaders of philosophers and religions never lay down their lives for people because their only desire is for people to believe in them while they remain living.
  To be honest, it is impossible for people to believe in God until they believe in the word of God, which is the Holy Bible.
   The Bibles says,

   "If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead."  (Luke 16: 31)

   "But these things are written, that ye might believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and that believing ye might have life through his name."  (John 20: 31)
 
   "For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the Scriptures might have hope."  (Romans 15: 4)

   Even Jesus said,
      "Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God."  (Matthew 4: 4)

   "So then, faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the word of God."  (Romans 10: 17)

   In conclusion, Jesus said,

   "I say unto you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner that repenteth.."  (Luke 15: 10)

PEOPLE, PLACES, AND EVENTS

   Over the past two thousand years, people have heard more stories about people, places, and events in the Bible than from any other book in world history.
   These are the stories:

   The Creation of the heavens and the earth
   Adam & Eve in the garden of Eden
   Cain & Abel and the world's first murder
   Noah & the Flood
   Nimrod & the Tower of Babel
   Abraham, the "friend of God"
   Moses & the Burning Bush
   Moses & the Exodus
   Moses & the Red Sea Crossing
   The Ark of the Covenant
   Joshua & the Battle of Jericho
   Samson & Delilah
   Ahab & Jezebel
   Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon
   Daniel in the Lions'Den
   Three Men in a Burning Furnace
   King Bel-shazzar & the Writing on the Wall
   David & Goliath
   King David & Bathsheba
   King Solomon's Wisdom
   Joseph & Mary
   The Birth of Jesus Christ
   John the Baptist
   King Herod
   Judas Iscariot
   Pontius Pilate
   The Crucifixion of Jesus Christ
   The Resurrection of Jesus Christ
   Mary Magdalene
   Peter & Paul
   The Second Coming of Jesus Christ

   "For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  

(Romans 8: 38-39)