Welcome to my randomized study & miscellaneous thoughts about the Awesome God of the universe, who He is and what He wants us to be.

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Verse of the Day

Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

Philippians 4:8/NIV
Verseoftheday.com

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Today's Quote “God has given us two ears, but one tongue, to show that we should be swift to hear, but slow to speak. God has set a double fence before the tongue, the teeth and the lips, to teach us to be wary that we offend not with our tongue.” —Thomas Watson Quotemeal | Subscribe by Email | Heartlight®

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Can You Hear Me Now?

They said to Moses, 'You speak with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die'
Exodus 20:19

Oswald Chambers writes,

We don't consciously and deliberately disobey God - we simply don't listen to Him. God has given His commands to us, but we pay no attention to them - not because of willful disobedience, but because we do not truly love and respect Him. "If you love Me, keep My commandments" (John 14:15). Once we realize we have constantly been showing disrespect to God, we will be filled with shame and humiliation for ignoring Him.

"You speak with us, . . . but let not God speak with us . . . ." We show how little love we have for God by preferring to listen to His servants rather than to Him. We like to listen to personal testimonies, but we don't want God Himself to speak to us. Why are we so terrified for God to speak to us? It is because we know that when God speaks we must either do what He asks or tell Him we will not obey. But if it is simply one of God's servants speaking to us, we feel obedience is optional, not imperative. We respond by saying, "Well, that's only your own idea, even though I don't deny that what you said is probably God's truth."

Am I constantly humiliating God by ignoring Him, while He lovingly continues to treat me as His child? Once I finally do hear Him, the humiliation I have heaped on Him returns to me. My response then becomes, "Lord, why was I so insensitive and obstinate?" This is always the result once we hear God. But our real delight in finally hearing Him is tempered with the shame we feel for having taken so long to do so.

If you've passed anywhere near a television set in the US in the past few years, you no doubt have seen the commercial for the cellular telephone company in which the man walks around from place to place, repeating into his phone, "Can you hear me now?" We are left to suppose that the person on the other end has responded with an affirmative, as the man pictured smiles contentedly and moves to another location to repeat the action.

For awhile now, I've pondered about mankind desperately looking heavenward and pleading for God's attention. After meditiating on Chambers' writing (above), I've come to realize that it is (and always has been) God himself who is asking mankind, "Can you hear Me now?"

It started back in the beginning. We find it recorded in the
third chapter of Genesis where God called out, "Where are you?" to His hidden and naked creation. As Chambers correctly wrote, it's a matter of obedience. Adam did not obey God and therefore did not want to hear Him.

Jesus said 27 "My sheep (1) hear My voice, and (2) I know them, and they follow Me;

Trying to obey - letting Him live my life,
scribbled with crayon by dr. larry at 11:55 PM      

 
Jeremiah 29:11-13

¹¹ For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. ¹² Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. ¹³ You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. (NIV)

Interesting to note who takes the lead in these actions - all actions really.

For I know the plans....Then you will call...

God's always seeking to restore us into relationship with Him, to draw us into His love and His perfect will for our lives isn't He.
scribbled with crayon by dr. larry at 4:22 PM (0) comments      

 
Dreaming Dreams

With a hat tip to MLK, I just wanted to post some quotes about dreams today. Enjoy.

You are never given a dream without also being given the power to make it true. You may have to work for it, however.

Richard Bach 1936-, American Author

A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams.

John Barrymore 1882-1942, American Actor

Before your dreams can come true, you have to have those dreams.

Dr. Joyce Brothers 1927-, American Psychologist, Television and Radio Personality

Help others achieve their dreams and you will achieve yours.

Les Brown 1945-, American Speaker, Author, Trainer, Motivator Lecturer

You can dream, create, design and build the most wonderful place in the world, but it requires people to make the dream a reality.

Walt Disney 1901-1966, American Artist, Film Producer

To understand the heart and mind of a person, look not at what he has already achieved, but at what he aspires to do.

Kahlil Gibran 1883-1931, Lebanese Poet, Novelist

There are those that look at things the way they are, and ask why? I dream of things that never were, and ask why not.

Robert F. Kennedy 1925-1968, American Attorney General, Senator

Now, I say to you today my friends, even though we face the difficulties of today and tomorrow, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream. I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: -- we hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal.

Martin Luther King Jr. 1929-1968, American Black Leader, Nobel Prize Winner, 1964

scribbled with crayon by dr. larry at 9:33 PM (0) comments      

 
This has got to be the best. Blond. Joke. EVER!
scribbled with crayon by dr. larry at 11:40 PM (0) comments