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preacher31
COMING TO GOD - Subscribe
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And through him God reconciled everything to himself. He made peace with everything in heaven and on earth by means of Christ's blood on the cross. Colossians 1:20, NLT Christ's death provided a way for all people to come to God. It cleared away the sin that keeps us from having a right relationship with our Creator. This does not mean that everyone has been saved, but that the way has been cleared for anyone who will trust Christ to be saved. We can have peace with God and be reconciled to him by accepting Christ, who died in our place. Is there a distance between you and the Creator? Be reconciled to God. Come to him through Christ. (From Life Application Daily Devotion |
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preacher31
DOES ANGER CONTROL YOU 11/04/2009 07:42 - Subscribe
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Scripture And "don't sin by letting anger control you. " Don't let the sun go down while you are still angry, for anger gives a foothold to the devil. Ephesians 4:26-27, NLT Reflection: The Bible doesn't tell us that we shouldn't feel angry, but it points out that it is important to handle our anger properly. If vented thoughtlessly, anger can hurt others and destroy relationships. If bottled up inside, it can cause us to become bitter and destroy us from within. Paul tells us to deal with our anger immediately in a way that builds relationships rather than destroys them. If we nurse our anger, we will give Satan an opportunity to divide us. Are you angry with someone right now? What can you do to resolve your differences? Don't let the day end before you begin to work on mending your relationship. |
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I allowed myself to fall in love. It was a mistake that felt too right. All I knew was alcohol and casual sex. He turned me around and made me feel things. I thought I deserved those feelings. I thought that feeling was worth potential pain. I realized I was right all along. It is better not to feel. It is better not to trust. I would rather have a stranger lie to me. At least I know they lie. I would rather have her telling me the way it is than having him pretend he is in love with me. I regret the loss of my best friend. I will never have another Chelsea. There is no one left to tell me the truth. |
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preacher31
DO WE PRETEND 11/01/2009 08:27 - Subscribe
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Scripture: Don't just pretend to love others. Really love them. Hate what is wrong. Hold tightly to what is good. Love each other with genuine affection, and take delight in honoring each other. Romans 12:9-10, NLT Reflection: Most of us have learned how to pretend to love others--how to speak kindly, avoid hurting their feelings, and appear to take an interest in them. We may even be skilled in pretending to feel moved with compassion when we hear of others' needs, or to become indignant when we learn of injustice. But God calls us to real and sincere love that goes far beyond pretense and politeness. Sincere love requires concentration and effort. It means helping others become better people. It demands our time, money, and personal involvement. No individual has the capacity to express love to a whole community, but the body of Christ in your town does. Look for people who need your love, and look for ways you and your fellow believers can love your community for Christ. From "Life Application Daily Devotion" September 20, 2009 |
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preacher31
ALL SAINTS EVE! 10/31/2009 07:28 - Subscribe
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A reformer's refuge "A mighty fortress is our God. A bulwark never failing. Our helper He amid the flood Of mortal ills prevailing. For still our ancient foe Doth seek to work us woeâ€" His craft and pow'r are great, And, armed with cruel hate, On earth is not His equal." A Mighty Fortress is Our God Martin Luther (1483-1546) God is our refuge and strength, always ready to help in times of trouble. So we will not fear, even if earthquakes come and mountains crumble into the sea. Let the oceans roar and foam. Let the mountains tremble as the waters surge! Psalm 46:1-3 NLT The great reformer "After posting his ninety-five theses on the door of Wittenberg's Castle Church in October 1517, Martin Luther faced many years of trials and persecution. And during the years of the ensuing Protestant Reformation, Luther came to know better than most the gracious power of God's sheltering hand. He confidently stepped forward to defend the truth he found in God's Word, despite excommunication from the Roman church, continual threats to his life and freedom, and times of intense spiritual battle. In the comforting words of Psalm 46, Luther found the inspiration for this hymn that would become the battle cry of the Protestant Reformation. Many who suffered for their faith during that time found solid comfort in Luther's words of faith and praise. "A might fortress is our God!" from The One Year® Book of Hymns by Mark Norton and Robert Brown (Tyndale) entry for October 31 |
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preacher31
GUESS WHO WILL BE IN HEAVEN 10/29/2009 05:44 - Subscribe
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Poem I was shocked, confused, bewildered As I entered Heaven's door, Not by the beauty of it all, Nor the lights or its decor. But it was the folks in Heaven Who made me sputter and gasp- The thieves, the liars, the sinners, The alcoholics and the trash. There stood the kid from seventh grade Who swiped my lunch money twice.. Next to him was my old neighbor Who never said anything nice. Herb, who I always thought Was rotting away in hell, Was sitting pretty on cloud nine, Looking incredibly well. I nudged Jesus, 'What's the deal? I would love to hear Your take. How'd all these sinners get up here? God must've made a mistake. And why's everyone so quiet, So somber - give me a clue.' 'Hush, child,' He said, 'they're all in shock.. No one thought they'd be seeing you.' JUDGE NOT. |
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preacher31
THINK ABOUT THIS 10/27/2009 07:09 - Subscribe
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'To get something you never had, you have to do something you never did.' When God takes something from your grasp, He's not punishing you, but merely opening your hands to receive something better. Concentrate on this sentence... ' The will of God will never take you where the Grace of God will not protect you.' Something good will happen to you today; something that you have been waiting to hear. |
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I imagine that nothing can be said or done to make his mistakes disappear. He says he's here now and that should be enough to prove that I'm important. It could also just go to show what a coward he is. Anything he says from now on will have no meaning. He told me he loved me and that he wanted to spend the rest of his life making up for all the pain he caused me. He said those things while waiting for the right time to dump me and pursue a real relationship with her. He screwed it up with her and now he's stuck with me. So of course he's going to try and make this work, he has no better options. Do I allow myself to be taken in by the flowers, treats, rocks, and cliches? Of course not. This is me we're talking about. I'll go about this until I find someone better. I'll listen to the words, pretending they are true long enough to get through another night. I'll pretend I'm not hurt by the months of lies. I'll fall into a peaceful slumber when he says he stays up late talking to god-knows-who online. I'll smile when he spouts off all the things that usually make girls feel loved. I'll feel better when I replace him. Until then I suppose I'll give him the picture perfect, reality-free relationship he once had online. |
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I will never be anything more than just Grampa. To anyone. I will never be the love of anyone's life. I am now and forever will be the girl who was just good enough. |
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preacher31
TOGETHER WE CAN DO IT 10/23/2009 06:29 - Subscribe
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Scripture: "But Jesus said, "You feed them." "But we have only five loaves of bread and two fish," they answered. "Or are you expecting us to go and buy enough food for this whole crowd?" For there were about 5,000 men there. Luke 9:13-14, NLT" Reflection: It was the middle of the day, probably around lunch time. People had been waiting a long while to see and hear Jesus. They were hungry and tired, and on top of that there was over 5,000 them (not counting women and children). This was no small crowd. When the disciples expressed concern about how the crowd of thousands would eat, Jesus offered this surprising solution. "You give them something to eat: The disciples were set back by this proposal. Notice their response to Jesus' solution. They protested, focusing their attention on what they didn't have (food and money). How many times, in our life, have we focused on the things we didn't have. Do you honestly think that our God would ask us to do something that we and He together couldn't handle? WE NEED TO FOCUS ON WHAT WE DO HAVE, JESUS CHRIST! Don't let your lack of resources blind you to seeing God's power. Prayer: Thank You God that I have you. I pray that I focus on my relationship with You and on Your power and strength. Not on what I don't have. Because when I have You God I have everything. In Jesus name amen. |
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preacher31
FEELING OLD 10/21/2009 07:32 - Subscribe
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Just in case you weren't feeling too old today. The people who are starting college this fall were born in 1991. They are too young to remember the space shuttle blowing up. Their lifetime has always included AIDS. The CD was introduced two years before they were born. They have always had an answering machine.. They have always had cable. Jay Leno has always been on the Tonight Show. Popcorn has always been microwaved. They never took a swim and thought about Jaws. They don't know who Mork was or where he was from. They never heard: 'Where's the Beef?', 'I'd walk a mile for a Camel ', or 'de plane Boss, de plane'. McDonald's never came in Styrofoam containers. They don't have a clue how to use a typewriter. Pass this on to the other old fogies on your list. Notice the larger type? That's for those of us who have trouble reading. P.S. Save the earth.. It's the only planet with chocolate. |
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preacher31
TAKE A LITTLE TIME AND PRAY 10/17/2009 04:48 - Subscribe
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Scripture: Luke 6:12 (New King James Version) The Twelve Apostles 12 Now it came to pass in those days that He went out to the mountain to pray, and continued all night in prayer to God. Reflection: When you have a decision to make how do you approach making that decision. Do you seek other people's advice, do you research a lot, do you spend days seeking advice from experts, maybe you even look at self-help gurus. Then as an after thought you spend five minutes with God. But before Jesus chose His twelve apostles, He spent the night in conversation with His father. I mean we are talking about the Son of God and He didn't think it was a waste of His time and spent the whole night in prayer. What about you? Do you pray when you have a decision to make. Do you pray when you are looking for a job, when you hire or fire someone. When you change jobs, careers, or locations, do you seek your father's counsel. Do you have other important decisions that would benefit from godly wisdom? (are there any other kind of decisions?) ARE YOU WILLING TO SPEND THE NIGHT IN PRAYER! Prayer: Oh Lord I want to walk as one of your blessed children. "Order my steps in thy word" What is Your Word concerning my life and the decisions I must make? Oh Lord give me a greater hunger to spend time with You, to hear Your Word of life, Your Wisdom, Your Counsel, |
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preacher31
HIS MIRACLES TO PERFORM 10/15/2009 05:20 - Subscribe
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OUR LORD WORKS IN WONDEROUS WAYS, HIS MIRACLES TO PERFORM!!! A preacher concluded that his church was getting into very serious financial troubles. While checking the church storeroom, he discovered several cartons of new Bibles that had never been opened and distributed. So at his Sunday sermon, he asked for three volunteers from the congregation who would be willing to sell the Bibles door-to-door for $10 each to raise the desperately needed money for the church. Jack, Paul and Louie all raised their hands to volunteer for the task. The minister knew that Jack and Paul earned their living as salesmen and were likely capable of selling some Bibles. But he had serious doubts about Louie who was a local farmer, who had always kept to himself because he was embarrassed by his speech impediment. Poor Louis stuttered badly. But, not wanting to discourage Louis, the minister decided to let him try anyway. He sent the three of them away with the back seat of their cars stacked with Bibles. He asked them to meet with him and report the results of their door-to-door selling efforts the following Sunday. Anxious to find out how successful they were, the minister immediately asked Jack, 'Well, Jack, how did you make out selling our Bibles last week?' Proudly handing the minister an envelope, Jack replied, 'Using my sales prowess, I was able to sell 20 Bibles, and here's the $200 I collected on behalf of the church.' 'Fine job, Jack!' The minister said, vigorously shaking his hand. 'You are indeed a fine salesman and the Church is indebted to you.' Turning to Paul, 'And Paul, how many Bibles did you sell for the church last week?' Paul, smiling and sticking out his chest, confidently replied, 'I am a professional salesman. I sold 28 bibles on behalf of the church, and here's $280 I collected.' The minister responded, 'That's absolutely splendid, Paul. You are truly a professional salesman and the church is indebted to you.' Apprehensively, the minister turned to Louie and said, 'And Louie, did you manage to sell any Bibles last week?' Louie silently offered the minister a large envelope. The minister opened it and counted the contents. 'What is this?' the minister exclaimed. 'Louie, there's $3200 in here! Are you suggesting that you sold 320 Bibles for the church, door to door, i n just one week?' Louie just nodded. 'That's impossible!' both Jack and Paul said in unison. 'We are professional salesmen, yet you claim to have sold 10 times as many Bibles as we could.' 'Yes, this does seem unlikely,' the minister agreed. 'I think you'd better explain how you managed to accomplish this, Louie.' Louie shrugged. 'I-I-I re-re-really do-do-don't kn-kn-know f-f-f-for sh-sh-sh-sure,' he stammered. Impatiently, Peter interrupted. 'For crying out loud, Louie, just tell us what you said to them when they answered the door!' 'A-a-a-all I-I-I s-s-said wa-wa-was,' Louis replied, 'W-w-w-w-would y-y-y-you l-l-l-l-l-like t-t-to b-b-b-buy th-th-th-this b-b-b-b-bible f-f-for t-t-ten b-b-b-bucks ---o-o-o-or--- wo-wo-would yo-you j-j-j-just l-like m-m-me t-t-to st-st-stand h-h-here and r-r-r-r-r-read it t-t-to y-y-you??' |
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preacher31
SHOW MERCY! 10/12/2009 06:15 - Subscribe
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Scripture: But you, dear friends, must continue to build your lives on the foundation of your holy faith. And continue to pray as you are directed by the Holy Spirit. Live in such a way that God's love can bless you as you wait for the eternal life that our Lord Jesus Christ in his mercy is going to give you. Show mercy to those whose faith is wavering. Rescue others by snatching them from the flames of judgment. There are still others to whom you need to show mercy, but be careful that you aren't contaminated by their sins. Titus 1:20:23 NLT <…the Lord has already told you what is good, and this is what he requires: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. Micah 6:8 NLT Reflection: During my years in the Christian Ministry, I of course had contact with a wide variety of Christians. I delighted in my discovery of the many positive things we shared as followers of Jesus Christ.There were also negative characteristics that we as Christians seemed to share. One of those characteristics was we as Christians,"often times shoot our own wounded". We often times become impatient and judgmental with our brothers, and sisters, and reject them. Especially when they struggle with sin and doubt. Instead of rejecting them, Jude says, we should have mercy on themâ€" just as Christ had mercy on us when he forgave our many sins. While we must not tolerate or accept sin, we are to love and accept others with kindness and mercy. Would you remember this one very important thing. Please remember this: If you know someone who has fallen away from God, your kindness may be just what is needed to lead them back to God. |
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Things can never be the same. He can never make me feel the same as he had before. My feelings were based on lies he told. Simple words such as "I love you" escalated into delusions. I made my plans around him. I sacrificed so much to make it work. He had little interest in me. I believed there was so much more. I believed I was the only special one. How could I believe differently when he never told me differently. He left me believing I was special. Touching me shortly after expressing love for another. I should accept that I have him now. Instead I dwell on the past. The past has made the present meaningless. I will never know my value. |
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preacher31
I HAVE A CONFESSION 10/09/2009 05:20 - Subscribe
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I am a recovering alcoholic. I have been recovering since 1978. I was one of those happy drunks, this of course only fortified my conviction to drink. If I was happy, if I made everyone happy, it was ok to drink. Of course I was never taking into account that drinking was taking over my life. I could do nothing, I could not even function normally without being drunk. Everybody loves a happy drunk, but I didn't love myself. Only when I turned my life over to Jesus, my supreme being, did I begin to recover. I received no help, no encouragement, no assistance at all from the church, only the head of the church Jesus Christ. We as a nation spend over 500 billion dollars, that's right 500 billion dollars on addiction. The emergency rooms of our hospitals, the morgue's of our cities, are filled with the bodies of drunk drivers, and overdose victims. Close to 25% of all Medicare, and Medicaid expenses come from substance abuse. We are in a war and we are loosing the battles. Among all of this, Where is the church? If, as a church, we want to see God at work in our communities, I think we need to examine and help these lives that are being lost to self-destruction. It is fine for a church to hold pot luck dinners, present Christmas Pagaents, and have Wednesday night prayer services. What is not fine, is for a church, the body of Christ, to be apathetic and unconcerned about the individual lives of our community. If, we as a church, are to serve God, then we are to serve His people. We need to see and help those lives that are being disturbed by the epidemic of addiction. The bottom line has been reached and our cities and towns are spinning wildly into self-destruction. It's time to stop building walls around our individual lives. We must respond to the call as a faith community. We must respond as a "church" of God. It's time to launch "recovery ministries" in our churches. It's time to open all aspects of our church life to addicts who are seeking recovery. It's time to make a difference, one day at a time, one life at a time, in a whole society that is caught in the "down fall" of addiction,. WE NEED TO GET INVOLVED NOW! If we are are truly the body of Christ, then we are to be INVOLVED NOW! THERE IS SOMEONE IN NEED.......DO SOMETHING! "Help me to perform whatever miracles you want of me today." Prayer to Overcome Addictions Dear God, I come to You as I come to no one else. I am so sorry. I have tried to throw away my life, my body, my soulâ€"through addiction. But recognition of my addiction has never given me power to control it. You know this. You never blame me. You know the truth. Addiction is an attractor field in which minds and bodies become mired to escape emotional pain. But there is another, better way to escape pain. Pain is transcended through an authentic calling from You. Therefore, I surrender myself, now, to You. I demand, now, in this moment, Father, that You call meâ€"that You call me loudly. You raise me up out of addiction and into a higher level attractor field. And as You raise me, so do You raise Humanity out of addiction and into a higher level attractor field. Together we rise, as one force in You, one at a time and together. Because the world needs us. We rise or we fall, together. For You need me. I am Your Thoughts, Your Voice, Your Hands. I rejoice in awe over my inherent holiness: I am where You reside. By Your grace, as I read this, my mind is aligned with Yours. By Your grace, the power of my mind is multiplied exponentially by all who read this. Aligned with You, we are more powerful than any evilâ€" or any substanceâ€"can ever be. Together WE form a conduit of love that reaches into my need for addiction and I am healed. By healing myself, I now heal Humanity's need for addiction. Joy fills my soul. My gratitude is infinite. Thank You. |
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preacher31
WHAT ABOUT MY THINGS 10/06/2009 07:03 - Subscribe
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Scripture: All the believers were united in heart and mind. And they felt that what they owned was not their own, so they shared everything they had. The apostles testified powerfully to the resurrection of the Lord Jesus, and God's great blessing was upon them all. Acts 4:32, NLT Reflection: . What do "things", mean to you. Are "things", important to you. Is it important to own what you possess. I think to most people ownership is very important. But today's scripture verse gives us a very different slant. None of these Christians felt that what they possessed was their own, and so they were able to give and share, actually eliminating poverty among them. This is important, THEY WOULD NOT LET A BROTHER OR SISTER SUFFER WHEN OTHERS HAD PLENTY. This question begs an answer, "How do you feel about your possessions? It seems to me that we, all of us, need to adopt a new attitude given to us by the scriptures. That attitude is THAT EVERYTHING, YES EVERYTHING, WE HAVE COMES FROM GOD, AND WE ARE ONLY SHARING WHAT IS ALREADY HIS. With that attitude I know what "things" are in my life. Prayer: Oh God thank You for sharing with me Your grace. And especially, Oh God, for sharing Your Son with me. Oh Lord let it be that the only "thing" I possess, is the power of the Holy Spirit! |
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preacher31
SPECIAL GROCERY LIST 10/03/2009 02:42 - Subscribe
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Scripture: 18"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, 19to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." Luke 4:18-19 (New International Version) (Please take time and read this, and when your finished please, please say a Prayer of Thanksgiving.) Louise Redden, a poorly dressed lady with a look of defeat on her face, walked into a grocery store. She approached the owner of the store in a most humble manner and asked if he would let her charge a few groceries. She softly explained that her husband was very ill and unable to work, they had seven children and they needed food. John Longhouse, the grocer, scoffed at her and requested that she leave his store at once. Visualizing the family needs, she said: 'Please, sir! I will bring you the money just as soon as I can.' John told her he could not give her credit, since she did not have a charge account at his store. Standing beside the counter was a customer who overheard the conversation between the two. The customer walked forward and told the grocer that he would stand good for whatever she needed for her family. The grocer said in a very reluctant voice, 'Do you have a grocery list?' Louise replied, 'Yes sir.' 'O.K' he said, 'put your grocery list on the scales and whatever your grocery list weighs, I will give you that amount in groceries.' Louise hesitated a moment with a bowed head, then she reached into her purse and took out a piece of paper and scribbled something on it. She then laid the piece of paper on the scale carefully with her head still bowed. The eyes of the grocer and the customer showed amazement when the scales went down and stayed down. The grocer, staring at the scales, turned slowly to the customer and said begrudgingly, 'I can't believe it.' The customer smiled and the grocer started putting the groceries on the other side of the scales. The scale did not balance so he continued to put more and more groceries on them until the scales would hold no more. The grocer stood there in utter disgust. Finally, he grabbed the piece of paper from the scales and looked at it with greater amazement. It was not a grocery list, it was a prayer, which said: 'Dear Lord, you know my needs and I am leaving this in your hands.' The grocer gave her the groceries that he had Gathered and stood in stunned silence. Louise thanked him and left the store. The other customer handed a fifty-dollar bill to the grocer and said; 'It was worth every penny of it. 'ONLY GOD KNOWS HOW MUCH A PRAYER WEIGHS' THE POWER: When you read this, say a prayer. That's all you have to do. Just stop right now, and say a prayer of thanks for your own good fortune. .. So dear heart, trust God to heal the sick, provide food for the hungry, clothes and shelter for those that don't have as we do. AMEN & AMEN |
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preacher31
HERE'S THE PLAN 9/28/2009 06:18 - Subscribe
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Scripture: 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faithâ€"and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of Godâ€" 9not by works, so that no one can boast. 10For we are God's workmanship, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do. Ephesians 2: 8-9 Reflection: The Plan of Salvation Salvation= It is the ultimate reward you receive for giving your life to Jesus Christ. The Reward= Eternity spent with Christ your Savior in heaven. How do you get this Salvation= You receive Salvation as a gift through grace, God's love. You don't get this from anyone else, or by doing good things. You get salvation because of your faith, it is a gift from God. The cause of Salvation= Salvation causes our center of focus to change from ourselves to serving God, (good works). This is God's Plan for you, you can accept or reject it, the consequences are totally in your hands. But please keep this in mind, God Loves You and that's why this plan is given to you. Prayer: Dear Lord, I admit that I am a sinner. I have done many things that don’t please you. I have lived my life for myself. I am sorry and I repent. I ask you to forgive me. I believe that you died on the cross for me, to save me. You did what I could not do for myself. I come to you now and ask you to take control of my life, I give it to you. Help me to live every day in a way that pleases you. I love you, Lord, and I thank you that I will spend all eternity with you. In Jesus Name Amen |
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Facebook is a social networking site. It is intended for people who want to stay in contact with their old friends and stalk them accordingly. Why in the hell would anyone create a facebook account for their child? I understand if you want your friends to see pictures of your kid. I have no objection to that. Just put in on your own facebook. Create albums for your kid. Make your status about your kid. Hell, put your kid's face as your profile picture if it's so damn imporant. I wouldn't want my mother creating an account for me. I wouldn't even want my mom to get facebook and add me as a friend, let alone create an account for me, add all of her friends and proceed to put embarassing baby photos all over the goddamn internet. Why do we use facebook? It's an easy way of sorting out your address book and contacting people without picking up the phone or sending an awkward email. Why would a newborn baby need facebook? So they can immediately be friends with all his/her parent's friends before they can even talk. It seems like exploitation to me. Putting up pictures of your baby so your friends can see is one thing. Adding all your friends to your child's account is another. What happens ten years from now when your child actually uses facebook for its intended purpose and decides that he/she no longer wants to be friends with all your old drinking buddies? Ouch. This is retarded. Don't create an account for your child and insist that all your friends befriend him or her. It's just stupid. Do it the old fashioned way and make a damn scrapbook. |