This started out to be a less than serious birthday wish to a brother in the Lord who destroyed my back playing racquetball in Texas some 30plus years ago. Then, I got too serious, so I decided to post it. So, here it is:
To my younger brother in the Lord! Getting older is not all it's cracked up to be! BUT knowing that God is in charge of every day is!! The world has to depend upon positive thinking. The believer KNOWS that God is in charge and HE is the source. It is not saying, "I can do it!" It is saying "This is the Day the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it" (Psalm 118:24). It is everything knowing that God can (and does) do it for His children.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
Sunday, September 26, 2010
A high school classmate and brother in the Lord posted this refection on Facebook on his birthday. I deeply appreciated his thoughts and wanted to share this with others...
DEATH OR LIFE .............Today is my birthday.
by Ros Erickson on Friday, May 14, 2010 at 4:27pm
Did you realize that there is no such thing as cold? Nothing in nature generates cold. It does not exist on its own. By itself out in space, it actually is NOTHING. The dictionary says it is the LACK ….. of heat. So by itself it actually is …………… NOTHING.
We create it in industry with machines called refrigerators which do nothing but remove heat. They don’t generate cold. They remove heat. So cold doesn’t exist.
The same is true of darkness. Nothing in nature generates darkness. It does not exist on its own.
By itself out in space, it actually is NOTHING. The dictionary says it is the LACK ….. of light.
So by itself it actually is, again …………… NOTHING.
We create it by shutting of our light bulbs, or by blowing out a match. But nothing generates darkness. So darkness doesn’t exist.
(Thoughts not original. Came from A. Einstein, one of my contemporaries. Hey, he lived until 1955.)
But, here’s where philosophizing takes us. There is no such thing as death. Nothing in nature generates death. It does not exist on its own. By itself anywhere, it actually is NOTHING. The dictionary says it is the ABSENCE ….. of life. So by itself it actually is …………… NOTHING.
We create it by taking away life. We cannot generate death. So death doesn’t exist.
BUT, the comparison breaks down when Christ enters the picture. Scripture says He is life.
He fills the voids of cold, darkness and death. He and only He over comes all. I choose to NOT pass into the NON-EXISTING state of death. I choose to NOT be NOTHING. (Sorry for the double negative).
I choose life…………………….. how about you?
Actually for you theologians out there, I agree that life never ends. It’s a matter of where we spend the “rest of our life” after our body dies. That of course is hell. But here is where the analogy comes back together. The best definition of hell I’ve seen is that hell is ………………… “the ABSENCE OF GOD”
DEATH IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF LIFE; IT’S THE ABSENCE OF GOD. So if I choose life, I choose God.
DEATH OR LIFE .............Today is my birthday.
by Ros Erickson on Friday, May 14, 2010 at 4:27pm
Did you realize that there is no such thing as cold? Nothing in nature generates cold. It does not exist on its own. By itself out in space, it actually is NOTHING. The dictionary says it is the LACK ….. of heat. So by itself it actually is …………… NOTHING.
We create it in industry with machines called refrigerators which do nothing but remove heat. They don’t generate cold. They remove heat. So cold doesn’t exist.
The same is true of darkness. Nothing in nature generates darkness. It does not exist on its own.
By itself out in space, it actually is NOTHING. The dictionary says it is the LACK ….. of light.
So by itself it actually is, again …………… NOTHING.
We create it by shutting of our light bulbs, or by blowing out a match. But nothing generates darkness. So darkness doesn’t exist.
(Thoughts not original. Came from A. Einstein, one of my contemporaries. Hey, he lived until 1955.)
But, here’s where philosophizing takes us. There is no such thing as death. Nothing in nature generates death. It does not exist on its own. By itself anywhere, it actually is NOTHING. The dictionary says it is the ABSENCE ….. of life. So by itself it actually is …………… NOTHING.
We create it by taking away life. We cannot generate death. So death doesn’t exist.
BUT, the comparison breaks down when Christ enters the picture. Scripture says He is life.
He fills the voids of cold, darkness and death. He and only He over comes all. I choose to NOT pass into the NON-EXISTING state of death. I choose to NOT be NOTHING. (Sorry for the double negative).
I choose life…………………….. how about you?
Actually for you theologians out there, I agree that life never ends. It’s a matter of where we spend the “rest of our life” after our body dies. That of course is hell. But here is where the analogy comes back together. The best definition of hell I’ve seen is that hell is ………………… “the ABSENCE OF GOD”
DEATH IS NOT THE ABSENCE OF LIFE; IT’S THE ABSENCE OF GOD. So if I choose life, I choose God.
Sunday, August 15, 2010
It won't be long now before people stop talking to each other. Mark Driscoll, senior pastor of Mars Hill Church, was misquoted in the Wall Street Journal. They took some comments entirely out of context and used the "bites" that suited their story. This painfully reminds of the twisting placed upon news stories to fit the agenda--whether it be the extreme right or left! Who, in their right mind, would want to be in the public eye or run for office these days knowing that their words will be distorted by the opposition and/or the "responsible press".
Over the years Jesus and the Bible have faced similar distortions. The Word has always been under attack. God's Word has been maligned by both those who profess faith and those who do not. I just look forward to the day when the media becomes truthful and men handle the Word of God in truth...not manipulating it to fit one's doctrine or lack of belief.
When God's Word is handled properly the truth shines forth and works bring life to the enquirer.
Over the years Jesus and the Bible have faced similar distortions. The Word has always been under attack. God's Word has been maligned by both those who profess faith and those who do not. I just look forward to the day when the media becomes truthful and men handle the Word of God in truth...not manipulating it to fit one's doctrine or lack of belief.
When God's Word is handled properly the truth shines forth and works bring life to the enquirer.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
An unexpected blessing! It has been nearly a year since we traveled to the United Kingdom. It abounds with historical buildings and sites everywhere. To walk down the streets in London Central was fantastic, but the greatest blessing was traveling on a day trip to Cambridge. My "hero" is an 18th Century preacher by the name of Charles Simeon. He was a fellow at Trinity College and appointed rector of Holy Trinity Church across from the University.
The fascinating fact about Simeon was the people did not want him. They locked him out of the church, cut his salary, and did everything they could to make his life miserable. But Simeon continued to love them and would not give up preaching the Word to them. After 40 years they accepted him as their pastor!
So my treat of the entire trip was to do a walk about of Holy Trinity church. I must admit that tears welled up in my eyes as we walked through the sanctuary, then to see his preaching Bible, umbrella, and tea pot (every day he met with his students to mentor them in the ways of the ministry--having tea and biscuits with them!).
He would not give up. He held on to the Lord and completed the task.
Today Holy Trinity Church continues to serve Christ in the world of Cambridge University--lifting high His Name!
The fascinating fact about Simeon was the people did not want him. They locked him out of the church, cut his salary, and did everything they could to make his life miserable. But Simeon continued to love them and would not give up preaching the Word to them. After 40 years they accepted him as their pastor!
So my treat of the entire trip was to do a walk about of Holy Trinity church. I must admit that tears welled up in my eyes as we walked through the sanctuary, then to see his preaching Bible, umbrella, and tea pot (every day he met with his students to mentor them in the ways of the ministry--having tea and biscuits with them!).
He would not give up. He held on to the Lord and completed the task.
Today Holy Trinity Church continues to serve Christ in the world of Cambridge University--lifting high His Name!
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