Ouch! I’ve Got a Headache

It wasn't long ago that my spam emails had gone, but what a headache!

It is suggested the word 'Spam' has come from a skit from Monty Python of which Monty Python flying circus was created. A sketch of 'Spam' meat was the subject of the skit. Embedded in the script was a repetition of the product name of 'Spam' and even Spam and Eggs. In the skit there was an actor that didn't want Spam.

Ok, why mention where the word 'spam' came from as related to emails? The fact that they are repeated over and over in our emails, of which very few want in there home or business. They lend to the script of Monty Pythons 'Spam' sketch.

Understanding Monty Pythons sketch as I listened to it, it is no wonder a headache comes to the ears of the listener.
Yes, I am sick of spam emails. I got numerous emails over and over again about the untruthful fact there is money waiting for me from a beneficiary. Not only these, but emails followed that there would be compensation for those receiving such emails. Of course, these were spam as well.

I started to tell my family, if someone was that eager to give me money, then why not just post it to me. I could do with it being on a pension. I then started to send them back to my internet provider, blocked them and then deleted the email. Now instead of numerous emails, I am getting less than ten a day.
It is no doubt, had I responded to sending my details it would have cost me money and could have destroyed my family.

Pondering on what may have happened, came across my mind that the evil one, Satan is out to destroy. One of the ways he is doing this is through the internet and the family.
My encouragement today is to walk circumspectly.

“Behold I send you forth as sheep in the midst of wolves: be ye therefore wise as serpents, and harmless as doves.” Matt 10:17

Odd Aliens

Looking inward, we see the life we once lived. It could be regarding time and the era we were brought up in, or it maybe the change which has conquered our lives. Whatever the life we once lived, it is apparent that odd things are seen or spoken that takes us by surprise in the present tense of life.

If the past could look back at us, I wonder what it could say or think of the clothes we wear, the food we eat, the working life, the home life , and of course technology?
Going through family photos and how Grand parents dressed and looked years ago, I entered into another world. It seemed to me a world of which if the images could come alive and talked and thought, we could be labelled as outlandish Aliens.

Yet we look at the images with not much thought about what they wore or talked like. We tend to think the clothes and the life style is something that should never had been in existence. Ideas of life and life style change from year to year and era to era, but Jesus never changes.
If we had a true photo image of Jesus that came alive and he could see us through that image, I wonder if he would think about the clothes we wore, our facial features, modern life styles or will he see our inward

appearance? He wouldn't look on us as some outlandish alien but rather he would see us as forgiven and on our way to Heaven to be with Him. This can only be if we have accepted the Lord Jesus Christ into our hearts and lives.

Sorry! We don't need an image of Jesus alive for Him to see what we're like; He sees our inward appearance now.

Firm Heart Implantation

We all grow up don’t we. Yet we touch peoples lives for one reason or another in which we have not communicated with for many years. It is expected during the renewed friendship, we are the same people as we have been in the past.

To our amazement we seem to not able to recognize the change in them and the change from them to us that has taken place over the years.

What do we do? We tend to try to treat each other as immature, Irresponsible, and other attributes of sin we could think of.

What is the remedy for this? A person can’t do the implantation of your new self without God. Most times we need to step back and be silent and do what the Bible says “Be still and know that I am God.” You cannot implant your new self into another person because they already have a mind set of what you were like maybe years ago.

Another unfortunate problem is we try too hard. We either become complacent or we don’t trust the other person because of our mind set that has embedded in our minds and lives from the past.

Where is God in this? We can easily tip the scales either way to complacency or complete distrust. I suggest we stand firm in the centre of the balance to give God a chance to work in the lives of both on each side of the balance.

Standing firm in Christ is the only answer. We should not be swayed by Satan in either direction of complacency or full distrust in the other person. Both are a sin as our Trust should be in the Almighty God, Son and the Holy Spirit that live in our lives if we know Him.

As we trust our Lord, trust without sin can take place between two people or a party of people and even a congregation, in a group or a Church. Following the Lord by being firm in him will renew our relationship with others by renewed implantation which only God can do.

Be still and know that I am God psalm 46:10

Lest I forget You

“Lead me to Calvary”

“Lest I forget Getsemene;

Lest I forget thine Agony;

Lest I forget thy love for me;

Lead me to Calvary.”

The above chorus of “Lead me to Calvary” is such an old song. But as I pondered today of this special day “Anzac Day, I couldn't help but note the fact in my mind, the comparison thought between our Soldiers at war who died in battle and the selfless cross Jesus bore for the whole world.

Yes the Soldiers fought for our country and well deserving should be honoured, for we have them in our hearts as we go to the “Dawn Service” and the “Anzac Parade.”

But shouldn't we just stop for a moment in our busy lives to think about our Lord and the punishment He took for us by saving us, so we might receive His life in our hearts by believing in Him and accepting His Holy Spirit to be in our lives.

Our Soldiers honourably saved our country. Our Lord can save our lives from destruction so we may live for eternity in Heaven with our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

A Prayer you can say:

Oh Lord just as we remember our Soldiers and what they have done for us, help me to remember you by accepting you into my life. I believe what you have done for me by dying on the cross for my sins. I ask for your forgiveness. I ask now that your Holy Spirit to come into my life today.

2011 Easter Encouragement

Forgiveness through Personal Experience.
An Easter message.

Written in http://easternchristmas.blogspot.com/ & http://allforjesus-4.blogspot.com/

What God wants God gets. I wonder what we allow God to do in our lives and I wonder what advantage is overtaken us by others?

We are so busy trying to defend talk, and what people do to us, we tend to forget that God wants what we are defending. But then we are hit with a problem of wanting God's will in our lives.

Others think they can do what they like to another, taking advantage of another persons Faith and trust in God, just to see if that person is for real with God.

Forgiving one another takes humility and sometimes taking a beating from others in verbalization and acts that one might do against us.

When this happens we can land in Spiritual pride and say “look at me.” We may be humble for a while and as time goes on the hurt starts to fester in our lives. Or we could wait on God and be blessed of God through his rewards in this life and the life that is to come, in heaven.

Does this excuse what the person has done to us, either by the attitude, “We will see how he or she fairs with this one,” i.e. a deliberate act, or by revenge on something we may think they have done to us?

What if we were to do that to our Lord? Whoops we did. “If thou be the Christ come down off the cross.” Did this not happen to our Lord? We are doing a deliberate act when we do it to God's people. We are tempting our Lord to come down off the cross and being used of Satan.

God's people will be blessed through Spiritual, emotional and physical needs. We need not defend God's will as He will bless us in time and we do not need to do things to others just to see how the other person relies on his or her God.
God is not going to bless in an unforgiving, tempting, or revengeful Spirit, but we will be blessed in time, when we have a right heart right Spirit and the prayerful help to keep our lives in check.

At this Easter time, we need to have a grip and understanding of God's forgiveness through our Lord dying on the cross, not only for the present of His day but it was for past, present and future for all people.
He was buried and rose again and then ascended to Heaven. He then left His spirit for those who wanted Him in their hearts.

When we are unforgiving, the Spirit grieves and it affects our Lord and the inner person. Just like when we accept the Lord, we need to ask His forgiveness, so, we also need to ask the forgiveness of others. Just like our Lord when he does not expect an acceptance, neither can we from another. Just as it is a new life when we accept Him as Saviour, So will it be new life to us when we accept another persons forgiveness.

I wrote this in view of things that has happened in my Life. As I have learned to forgive in humility and let God work things out, has been testimonial to my life.

Bro Phil

Less than Sixty Seconds

One weekend, I decided to go camping. I slept soundly that night. Waking up in the middle of mist and fog early in the morning, I stumbled across a figure among the mist, which looked like a man.
“What do you want?” I asked in fear.

“You are so selfish. You have not done the things I have required you to do. I asked you to give of your self and you didn't do it. The man down the street you met you could have witnessed to, died this morning without Christ. What about the severe accusations you made against the brother at church? Just because you have had a bad time, you took it out on him. You have hurt a child of God. To be scared of the Lord coming because you want to do more in this life is selfish. You should love His coming. Your lack of interest teaching others has gone by without any thought to how you could be a blessing to others. I'm so sorry but I can't give you any rewards.”

“Wait a minute, am I supposed to be in Heaven.”

“Oh, You are at the judgement seat of Christ.”

As I started to pray to ask forgiveness of all the things I was to doing wrong, I suddenly heard a big rumble.

“What is that:?” I asked quickly.

“Oh that! That is the dead in Christ rising from the graves and going to heaven.”

Weeping, thinking I had missed out on those things I should have been doing. I started to feel the shaking. With tears in my eyes, I woke up seeing my friend standing over me.

“What's wrong?” he asked with great concern.
I put my hands on his arms and told him I had to go out for a while to put things right with those I have neglected and hurt.

It is going to be in a twinkling of an eye when Jesus comes and we won't have a minute to put things right with those we have done wrong.

May we answer this question in our hearts... What is our lives like right now?

“For we must all appear before the judgement seat of Christ, that each one may receive the things DONE IN THE BODY, according to what He has done, whether good or bad.” (2 Corinthians 5:10)

This Story is fictional with a very true meaning.

The Tour of my Life

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It was a wonderful day yesterday when I had the privilege of going with the year eight students on their History excursion. As the guide who loves the Lord took us on a Mountains tour and the history behind the convicts and the roads they endeavoured to build.

At one place in the bush, he showed how they made a box bridge using the sandstone and rocks that were their as a foundation to build on.

As we toured, we went to the most beautiful scenery that I have ever seen. Being scared of heights that I always had been, I went towards the fence with my arms out in front to look down. While I gazed upon the tops of the trees many miles/kilometres down, I was so thrilled that I was on top of the land of which I knew I was firmly upon a rock. Looking to the right of me was a huge waterfall tumbling off the top of the mountain pouring down to the bottom of the trees below of which was obscured by the massive view of the top of the trees.

Taking it in breathlessly I looked over to the left, I viewed a massive rock face structure. Being slow to rejoin the year eight group and the guide, I reluctantly pulled my self away from the view I was richly enjoying.

We continued the tour to go to a cricket oval. I wondered what was the value in this after seeing such a glorious view of what God has created. Then we listened to the story written below:
“On Monday 2nd November 1931, the Six Hour Day public holiday, a special cricket match took place at Blackheath between teams representing the local community and the Pottery Cricket Club from Lithgow. Organised by the Blackheath Municipal Council, the event was used to christen the newly installed malthoid wicket, the first of its kind in the Western Districts. The Test players Wendell Bill and Don Bradman, then aged 24, were specially invited to represent Blackheath in the local team.

Few in the crowd could have known what a memorable match it turned out to be. ‘The Don’, in his own words, “had a day out” and what a day it was! In one three-over period, in which he faced 22 balls, Bradman hit 10 sixes, 9 fours, a two and 2 singles, running up what was probably the fastest century ever scored. He was finally caught on 256, an innings that ensured a Blackheath victory.”

As I listened to the amazing story of this cricketer, Don Bradman, I thought about the relaxation and the enjoyment he got playing this game. It is to my understanding, Don got out for a duck in the next game he played in Sydney.

Going back to the school, I thought our tour was over. To my surprise there was more to come. Because the school is placed in the mountains, the tour guide along with the teacher and students took us into the bush. With the teacher in front to cut some brush away to make the path easier, I noticed a man made wall on the left of me. When we stopped the tour guide explained we were standing in the location of the old girls school and the man made wall was the foundations of the old school that got burnt down about a century ago.

The day over we were left with our thoughts and the school kids their homework.

Thinking about the bridge, I pondered over the crossing of circumstances in our lives and there is always away to the other side. Looking down to the tops of the trees, I thought about how some things may seem afar off in our lives but it can be still in our vision. Looking at the waterfall I had a glimmer of a thought that Jesus is the water of life and we need to drink from it. Gazing at the rocks I knew that Jesus is my rock and the rock of all ages. Understanding the story of Don Bradman, he kept his eye on the ball to score just over a century until he took his eye off the ball in the next game. Seeing the foundation of the old school reminded me that Jesus is the foundation that we need to be firmly on even though the wood is burnt down in our lives, He will still stand firm.
Quote from: http://www.flickr.com/photos/blue_mountains_library_local_studies/4680010673/

Why did you Eat

It is often said “I wonder what this year, week, and sometimes day will bring?” The thought comes to mind about what kind of day it is. The day could be thought of as a negative when we ask the question to ourselves or orally as we think about the past we so horribly experienced.

If we had experienced life's troubles in various forms, it is meant to be for our own good. We don't like what had happened to us, but it seems to stick in our minds as a hurtful ailment in our lives.
Starting a new day as the beginning of the rest of our lives becomes a knife in our back, so to speak, when others remind us of those things which we may or may not have done is spoken of again.

In Genesis chapter three, when Adam was asked why he ate of the fruit, he blamed the woman. When eve was asked by God why she ate of the fruit, she blamed the serpent or the devil. Because the sin of blame was there at the beginning, then it is not at all surprising that it's going to be a huge problem in our lives.
How we deal with this problem of various forms, remembering that the devil is the accuser of the brethren, is entirely our responsibility. Then I wonder if some things should be left unsaid and not thought of by a brother or sister in Christ.

Having a week full of misery through the thoughtlessness of others can have a devastating affect on our lives. God made both women and men differently and with each different personalities of which I have much respect. In an up-side-down world of today there is the view of some that women are in charge and like to take control.

God gave everyone their gifts according to their own ability. Let us use them in the Spirit of meekness and fear.

It was a bad week when Adam and Eve ate from the tree in the garden. In-so-much because of sin and blame, it has affected the history and the future of mankind. When we are accused or blamed of things we didn't do, I wonder how that affects us in relation to the weeks to come, in our lives? And how does it affect the accuser? We need not make it a bad week for ourselves by heeding what Satan commands.

Night Chills

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Time progressed slowly when I was young, as some of us may recall. We would remember our going to bed and saying “good night” to our parents or guardian. I remember that my bed was tucked in so tightly with sheets and blankets I could hardly get into it. I know now beds were prepared this way in the era I had grown up in. Or, was there some other reason that I did not know about?

During the quiet of the night while the rest of my family were asleep, I would pull the top sheet and the blankets out from the bottom of the mattress. After being free from my tightly tucked bed, I would then go to the bottom of my bed head first, and see if I could turn around in a circle underneath the bed linen and blankets without going over the edge of the mattress. Every morning my sheets and blankets were on the floor. It was thought by my parents that I had nightmares.

Looking back it doesn’t seem long before I became a young man and left home. This was not easy. I had thought that I could change a lot of things in my life and I would be free; just like I was free from the tight bedding at home. It wasn’t long before I bought myself a digital clock and a quilt. My sleep became very restful because of my very own quiet clock, and a quilt.

One night, years later, I had an experience which I will never forget. It was a cold night and was in bed with my new wife.
(You know what’s coming don’t you. Well, you can just wait for the rest of the story!)

Thinking I was under the warm quilt I woke up very cold. Weary eyed, I looked over to the other side of the bed to find my honey rolled up in the quilt. I looked down at myself thinking that there maybe something over me, but shivering away there was nothing to be seen.

Not being able to move the quilt, “Are you quite warm, Hon?” I asked in a shivering voice.

“Yes.”

There was a silence for a while, when a question came. “Have you put the garbage out?”

“No! I am not going out in the cold. I am cold enough without the quilt over me.”
“Ok.”

At this point I had three choices. The first choice was to get angry and pull the quilt off her. The second was to wake her up, which I didn’t have heart to do, or third, was to speak with her in the morning. However, for the night, I laid there like a good husband.
Folding my arms and curling up trying to keep warm, I dozed in and out of sleep for the rest of the night. I woke up before her at day break.

(Now you are starting to get interested aren’t you?)

I got dressed into some warm clothes, and made myself a cup of coffee. While sitting drinking it in the kitchen my Hon woke up and came in.

My voice cracked. “Did you have a good sleep Hon?”

“Yes, I did. What about you?”

“No I didn’t; you had the quilt all night.”

“Why didn’t you wake me up?”

“I did; I asked if you were warm enough and you said ‘yes’, and then you asked if I put the garbage out.”

At this point my loving husband attitude had gone and she noticed it.

(I have your attention now!)

Well the “debate” went back and forth of the occurrences through the night as you may imagine. Then, she said something that changed the situation around.

“I honestly don’t remember talking to you, or asking you about the garbage.”

Realizing what had happened, I knew that it was time to reconcile with her. She was so upset I knew that my tender loving care had to come back.

It was a wonderful experience to forgive each other, and we still laugh at this experience we had that night.

I will always remember the joys we had when we were growing up and the well tucked in nights that we once enjoyed and we will always cherish the experiences of marriage as we grow to be more like Christ, forgiving one another.

(What happens with our quilt now? Not telling!)