I feel like a pit bull on a chain!

I use to buy and sell ugly houses for a living and sometimes I'd run up against a crazy glassy eyed pit bull.  Not just run of mill crazy, but junk yard dog mean.  You know, the kind Jim Croce use to sing about. 

One time I was inspecting a vacant house in a bad neighborhood.   As I swung around back there was the ugliest, meanest pit bull dog I had ever seen and it was running full speed at me.  I knew I was only going to have one chance to save myself with the swing of the big flashlight I had.  As the pit bull charged, I made note of the chain link fence between he and I.  I was feeling more comfortable with my future when I saw him heading for the hole in the fence, only he knew about.

As he darted through the hole at breakneck speed and only a few feet away, the chain he was tethered to jerked his neck so hard I thought it was going to break.  It definitely slowed him down enough to consider walking meekly back into his yard.  I can testify to what an adrenaline rush feels like.  Ha!

i say this as an introduction to a thought and a question I don't have an answer to.  I'm hoping you might.  I'm contrasting the thought of serving a God of "just enough" versus serving a God of "abundance".  I've seen God work both ways, but it seems more times then not He is a God of just enough.  Have you noticed that? My dad use to say, "God is never late.  God is never early.  God is always on time."

Here's my thought and I'm hoping you will help me work through it.  I think you serve a God of "just enough" when you do what you want to do and then ask God along for help.  I think you serve an abundant God when you see where He is working and He invites you to step into His work. 

What do you think?  I think this principle if true, could be one of the most important truths to incorporate in my life.  So tell me….

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Old Testament -> New Testament -> Future Testament

God talked through man and documented the happenings prior to Jesus birth.  I guess for about 2,000 years.  Then, Jesus came and God documented through man another 2,000 years.  It's seems there is a need for the next book in the Bible sequel of books.

 

There is the Old Testament.  There is the New Testament.  What will the next Testament be called and who is doing the writing?  I'm interested because I would like to know if my name is mentioned?

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Good is OK, but everyone remembers the BAD!

As the story goes… "He did what was right in the eyes of the LORD, just as his father Uzziah had done. The high places, however, were not removed; the people continued to offer sacrifices and burn incense there. Jotham rebuilt the Upper Gate of the temple of the LORD.  As for the other events of Jotham's reign, and what he did, are they not written in the book of the annals of the kings of Judah?"

 

Jotham did what was right in the eyes of the LORD.  He did rebuilt the temple gate, but mostly the specific things worth mentioning were the bad things he did.   The rest of what he did was just a sidebar in some other book.

 

Makes me wonder…  Will only the bad I've done be remembered or will something of the good be remembered?  How much of what I've done is insignificant and will only end up as a sidebar to the testamony of my life?
 
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ORGANIZED RELIGION

When does church become organized religion? I’ve been in church where the religous experience was great but the spiritual experience was in the toilet. One church i was in passed the hat on the end of a long stick. That was cool although i couldn’t figure out if they didn’t trust me or i was contagious.

It might be fun if you cared to share some of your “religious” experiences.  Here’s another memory.  I  was traveling and dropped in on a small church.  They had already started their experience.  I sat down in a chair backed up against the rear wall. A rather religious elderly type, told me I couldn’t sit there.  I said, “Thank you and left”.

I have more but will give you a chance.  What’s your experience?

Worshipped at Connection Church

This morning I stopped off to worship at Ikki’s Connection Church on
the way to worship at Grace Point. Learned it was ok to believe in God
and be myself. Seems this is contrary to most Christian thought. If
you DO church on Sunday you got it wrong. IF you are a believer in the
way… You are the church 24/7…

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Casa Bethesda – An Orphanage in Piedras Negras Needs Your Help.

Yesterday, a team from our church made a trip down to Piedras Negras, Mexico to visit the Casa Bethesda Orphanage for handicapped children.  Pastor Paulino and his wife started this orphanage about 15 years ago with a God Spot.  For those of you new to 37stories, a God Spot is a specific time when God authenticates His presence and I get to blog about it.  The story goes like this and I apologize for any inaccuracies due to translation or my memory.

Pastor Paulino was pastoring a church in Piedras Negras some 15-20 years, ago.  People would bring children to the church and ask for help.  They were unable to help or possibly the people thought help was an impossibility.  The church was poor financially.  But children kept coming and the Pastor had to turn them away.  Then, one day about 15 years ago a God Spot happened.

A lady brought her handicapped boy to Pastor Paulino and instead of asking, she said, “Here is my son.  Take him.”  This was the first person to bring a child and not ask.  She told the Pastor to take him.  Pastor Paulino’s interest was peaked, but again he said, “No”.  The lady said, “You don’t understand.  I was at home about an hour from here.  An uninvited man knocked on my door.  He said to go find Pastor Paulino in Piedras Negras and give him your son.  I have found you.  I give you my son.”

This was the beginning of a ministry to poor orphaned handicapped children and a love direct from God.  Today the pastor and his wife care for about 20 children.  Their handicaps range from retardation, cerebral palsy, tourettes, autism and the list goes on.  Most of the children can not talk.  Can you imagine the difficulty of caring for a single child with physical needs and can’t communicate with them.  Now multiply that times 20.  Without God it is an impossibility.

The orphanage’s finances are challenging for the pastor and his wife.  Possibly, you might want to help.  I know some of us visiting for the day, emptied out our pockets.  If God puts it on your heart to help, here is his contact information.  He has many needs.  Money, wheelchairs and diapers are high on the list.

Piedras Negras,
MexicoContact & Support Information
pauesmo@hotmail.com
Casa Bethesda
PO Box 3083
Eagle Pass, Texas

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What price for Michael Jackson’s soul? 1/2 Billion Dollars?

I always thought I’d like to be rich.  I don’t know how much money is rich, but I know the $700 Million Michael Jackson earned would be a good start.  I knew a guy one time that said he had been poor and he had been rich.  He much preferred rich.  I can relate to at least half of his life’s experience.  The poor part.

I am 5 years older than Michael.  I haven’t had to have my nose rebuilt from drug abuse.  I haven’t been accused of child molesting and my heart is still beating five years longer than Michael’s.  It might stop tomorrow, but today I am already 5 years ahead of his game.

Suppose when you were young, you had an offer made that you could earn more than a HALF BILLION DOLLARS if you were willing to experience all that Michael chose to experience.  How long would you think about the offer?

I think sadly, many people of today would not have to think about it at all.  It would be, how do you say, “a no brainer”.  What price do you put on your soul?

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Michael Jackson and God meet at the Pearly Gates..

It’s likely Michael Jackson the king of rock has met God at the Pearly Gates.  If God said something like, “Hey Michael!  Great job with the rock gig, but why should I let you into my heaven? We already have all the singers we need and the moonwalk thing never did anything for me.  So, tell me again why I should let you in.”

 

What do you think Michael Jackson, the king of rock said?
 
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Thank God or curse the car?

This morning trying to be conscientious, I backed the car out and added water to the radiator before taking my wife to work.  She is opposed to seeing lights flashing on the dash.  Go figure.

 

Anyway, filled up with water and went to restart the car.  It turned over just fine, but it wouldn’t start.  Figuring I got something wet I shouldn’t have, I dried things out and still no start.  Cora was planning on taking the car and going to a women’s overnighter and we were now late for work. 

 

Now the question:  Shall I thank God for protecting us from the unknown or curse the car?  I might prefer cursing the inconvenience, but I love the car and God, so I chose to thank God for protecting us from maybe a car wreck or something.  It seems a few minutes here and there can really make a difference.  Maybe you have avoided a car running a red light or whatever.  You just don’t know. 

 

Turns out my newly replaced distributor cap was broken inside.  It could have easily stranded my bride in the hill country at night on the way to her overnighter.  Instead it broke in my drive.  I don’t understand how God does it, but He is the master engineer of circumstance…

Michael Jackson was a high achiever. Being a high achiever is not always good!

“But Omri did evil in the eyes of the LORD and sinned more than all those before him.”  How’d you like that on your tombstone.  It would really stretch the unlikelihood of resting in peace.  Poor Farrah.  I think I’d have picked a better day to pass than the same day as Michael.

http://www.1stchurch.org.  You’ll find 37stories there and all my friends.