Blogger: Always Thinking and Writing – All posts

Blogger: Always Thinking and Writing – All posts.   Celebrating Women’s Day with the gift of Trapped!

Honoring God’s Choice

When we look at our society and the church world today, what do we see?  Do we see leaders whom God has chosen or do we see the promotion of nepotism and self-appointment?

As a reference, I would remind those reading to re-visit the situation with Adonijah and Solomon when their father (King David) was dying.  Adonijah took it upon himself to garner support from those with questionable characters to elevate himself to the throne as king.  When God’s anointed priest and prophet refused to support him, he threw a party celebrating his kingship and did not invite the priest or the prophet or Solomon.  Later, while they were partying, David kept a promise  (as directed by God) to Bathsheba and placed her son, Solomon on the throne as king.  When the people at the party found out they were celebrating a self-appointed, not God-anointed king, they quickly left the party and Adonijah was afraid (I Kings 1:32-34–read the entire chapter)

When God first “called” Samuel, he thought it was Eli calling him (his leader, mentor and teacher).  Finally, after the third time of mistaking a voice, Eli convinced him that God was calling him to do a great work (I Samuel 3:8).

Peter reminds us that we should “make our calling and election sure” (I Peter 1:10).

More and more people are being misled and misguided by “church leaders” who are self-appointed and not God-anointed.  Many of these are using their ministry to pimp the church and they think God is not watching.  Just as many “church leaders”  are put in positions of authority because of nepotism, not ability and Godly character.  We know because we see it everyday.  How many people are leading churches because their father did or their grandfather did?  How many of these were called or appointed to ministry by their fathers or grandfathers?

The difference in God-called leadership whom He has anointed is remarkably distinctive.  God-called leaders hold the heart of the people close to them and are only interested in pleasing God.  Self-appointed or nepotism-appointed ministers have only one agenda–how they can use the ministry to benefit themselves.  We can all see the difference in those communities where God is actually reverenced over those who are seeking reverence for a “man or woman”.

With whom will God say, “He is well-pleased?”  We need to understand and honor God’s choice, more than man’s choice as it pertains to the things and directions of God.

Advertisement

Wrong Parents Punished

For the second time (of which I am aware), a parent has been punished–given jail time for larceny–simply because they wanted their child to have access to a quality education.  The crime–enrolling their child in a school community in which they did not live.  I know school districts have rules, but in the case of the parent in Connecticut, she was homeless and was simply trying to do the right thing for her child!  How foolish is a court system that punishes a person for trying to do right by their children?   The cost of the education allegedly, $15,686 of tax payer money.

Let’s look at the “real” criminals when it comes to parenting and education.  How about punishing the parents who never read to their children, never prepared their children for school, never took the time to discipline them at home or to teach them respect for others and the property of others!  Considering the high illiteracy rate, the high drop-out rate and the high rate of those who are virtually unemployable, why don’t we find those parents and arrest them for grand theft?  I’m sure the cost to tax payers who support the unemployable, replacement of textbooks desecrated and vandalized by students, the cost of re-painting and renovating buildings vandalized by the illiterate, the cost of supporting their children who are a product of their illiteracy, and the cost of building new prisons and staffing them because of the low reading test scores that predict the need for new jails would be greater than $15K.  How much would that amount to be?  These are the real criminals; not the parents who are trying to make sure their children have a good head start in life.

Our justice system needs some serious re-vamping when we choose to punish parents who actually care about their children!

The book–which details the angst of the above rant–is available through Amazon.com, Xlibris.com, BarnesandNoble.com and many other bookstores.  Let’s do something to fight for the parents who do care!

We are Overcomers!

When Jesus was talking to the disciples (just before He went into the garden to pray) he said to them, “In the world (surrounding worldliness, influenced by the enemy) you will have tribulation (trials, persecution–really off days), be of good cheer ( don’t worry–I’ve got it covered)!  I have overcome (provided a way of escape and victory) the world (everything the enemy would toss our way)” (John 16:33–paraphrased parentheses).  On His way to talk with His Father, in solitude, knowing His fate, He took the time to comfort His disciples.  He is yet comforting us with those words–“be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.” When things appear to be more than we can handle–remember the promise–things can get tough, but God’s got it!  No matter what we face–on a daily basis–we can be assured of our ability to overcome because of who He is and His promise towards us.  Be of good cheer–don’t worry about a thing!  The enemy cannot win–he has already been defeated. We are overcomers!

Light Diffuses The Darkness

How dark have your “darkest” days been? You know, the days when the clouds hang so low over your life that you think you’ll become drenched by the cloudbursts. Even in the midst of a storm the day was not dark forever and neither will the darkness be in your life. Remember this: In total darkness, a pinpoint of light diffuses the dark and gives one hope. We have more than a pinpoint of light in our lives when our lives are guided by The Light! With Him, darkness doesn’t stand a chance. Don’t give up–put up your umbrella against the cloudbursts (shield of faith) and know–the clouds will move and the bright sunshine will prevail and diffuse the darkness.

Author Central

Author Central.  My profile on Amazon.com