Month: July 2012

Can money buy happiness?

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In this talk, Michael Norton shares fascinating research on how money can, indeed buy happiness — when you don’t spend it on yourself. I think you will find the talk interesting, but what I would like for us to consider and comment on is Michael’s phrase “money can buy you happiness.” What does the Bible teach about happiness? What do you think, as a believer about the subject “If you think money can’t buy happiness, you’re not spending it right,” Norton said. “You should stop thinking about which product to buy for yourself, and try giving some of it to other people instead.” “The reason that money doesn’t make us happy is that we’re always spending on the wrong things, and in particular that we’re always spending it on ourselves,” he said. Norton said that in numerous studies, “people who spent money on other people got happier; people who spent money on themselves, nothing happened. It didn’t make them less happy; it just didn’t do much for them.” Is it a sin to be rich? …

Battle Hymn of the Republic

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Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord, He is trampling out the vintage where the grapes of wrath are stored, He hath loosed his fateful lightning of His terrible swift sword, His truth is marching on Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on I have seen Him in the watch fires of a hundred circling camps, They have builded Him an altar in the evening dews and damps, I can read his righteous sentence in the dim and daring lamps, His day is marching on Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on I have read a fiery Gospel writ in burnished rows of steel, “As ye deal with My contemners so with you My grace shall deal,” Let the Hero born of woman crush the serpent with His heel, Since God is marching on Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! Glory! Glory! Hallelujah Glory! Glory ! Hallelujah! His truth is marching on He has …

Isolating the healing power of the blood

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I read an article the other day that spoke about a new medical practice that is gaining traction at least in the sports world. Doctors have now come up with a strategy to speed up the healing process to injuries by isolating the healing part of the blood to targeted areas in order to speed up the healing process. They are using nothing else but blood from the human body to bring healing. When we actually take a closer look at what God has set in place and is doing in our bodies through the blood that runs through our veins, we will be amazedby it. Check them out: The blood -transports oxygen and nutrients to all cells of the body-transports carbon dioxide and other waste products away from the cells-transports chemical messengers, called hormones, to the cells-maintains the pH of body fluids-Distributes heat and maintaing body temperature-maintains water content and ion concentration of the body fluidsprotects the body against disease-causing microorganisms All of these in and of themselves are incredible. God has designed things to …

Piercing the darkness

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In him was life, and the life was light of men John 1:4, 5 In him was life, and the life was the light of men.The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not comprehend it. We saw in verses 1-3 that Jesus was not created but instead was creator. He is the source of all life. The ancient Greek word translated life is zoe, which means “the life principle,” not bios, which is mere biological life. This life which is the light of men – speaks of spiritual light. Without Jesus we are lost. We are the blind leading the blind. We may claim to have enlightenment or knowledge of spiritual things, but we are just fooling ourselves.  All that we are and have or can do – knowledge, integrity, intelligence, willingness to submit to God, love Him and love others, wisdom, purity, joy, all has its fountain in Jesus. Like the Psalmist says, “For with you is the fountain of life; in your light do we see light.” And because he hath the life …

Take 6 and get that life

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You know that I’ve got it (sho’ you right) (I’ve got it) (yes I do) I’ve got it (sho’ you right) (sho’ ‘nuf got it) (I sure do) You know that I’ve got it (sho’ you right) (sho’ you right) Well you might wonder why I’m so happy And if I’m right there’s one thing you should know I’ve just been connected (oh Lord) to an everlasting souce of power And that power makes me glow No I’m not saying I don’t have problems And I can’t say that I don’t get down But it behooves me to move with a pep in my step When I’m excited ’bout the joy that I’ve found Channel: I might have trouble on every side yet not distressed I might be perplexed but never in despair Persecuted but not forsaken Cast down but not destroyed Chorus: Whoa I’ve got life in Jesus (Better believe) That I’ve got life just look at the smile on my face Oh I’ve got life in Jesus And you know that I’m goona …

Yes! He is God.

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I grew up going to the kingdom hall. My entire family used to be Jehovah’s Witnesses. So the very first question I asked the Jesus when I got saved was this – “Are You God?” His answer was a resounding “yes!” From the day he showed me John chapter 1, it has remained one of my favorite chapters in the entire Bible. The bible talks about the beginning. The beginning of Genesis 1:1 – when God created the heaven and earth. It is not talking about the beginning of God – because God has no beginning. Therefore since God has no beginning but exist from eternity to eternity and the word was with Him in eternity the ‘Word’ (Jesus) could not have been created. In fact the bible says, the ‘Word’ was with and the ‘Word’ was God. This ‘Word’ stepped out of eternity into time in the person of Jesus – the Christ – the Son of the living God – which happens to be a technical term used for Jesus. He has always been …

Come Now, let us reason together

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> There is a fountain filled with blood drawn from Emmanuel’s vein and sinners plunged beneath that flood lose all their guilty stain.Lose all their guilty stain The most important thing one can ever enjoy from a relationship with God is the blessing and hope of being forgiven of past, present and future sins. As long as we stay under the blood, covered and cleansed daily we can rest assured of His continued presence and blessing. We are purchased by the blood of Jesus Pay careful attention to yourselves and to all the flock, in which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to care for the church of God, which he purchased with his own blood. Acts 20:28 We are redeemed by the blood of Jesus “In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace.” Ephesians 1:7 We are cleansed, washed and sanctified “For if the blood of goats and bulls, and the sprinkling of defiled persons with the ashes of a heifer, …

The Disciple Whom Jesus Loves

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Welcome to Morning Devotion Introducing John It feels a little strange for me to begin our first devotional entry with a verse that sounds a little selfish and partial; especially in the face of John 3:16 – “God so love the world.” We meet the writer of the gospel of John – the apostle himself – John. The title says that the Gospel was written by John, and other evidence identifies this John as the son of Zebedee. He was: one of the 12 disciples – John 13:23; 19:26; 20:2; 21:24, 25 the disciple whom Jesus loved We do no know why it is said that John was the disciple that Jesus loved. We can only, but speculate because scripture is silent on the passage. So let me give you my two cents of what I think it means. A fellow pastor friend told a story about his grandmother. How she will tell him how special he was. That he was was not like his other brothers and sisters. That he was love and cherished. …