ReMarcks

Hosea 5:10 (NIV) 
^“Judah’s leaders are like those who move boundary stones. I will pour out my wrath on them like a flood of water.”

The authors of Empowerment Takes More Than a Minute state that “a river without banks is a large puddle.”  God has established many boundaries in our world. Each for His Divine purpose and our essential good. God has also ordained that men set boundaries which He also uses to give us direction.

But we have a problem: as humans we don’t like boundaries. We often see them in a negative way. Given the opportunity we will even try to move those boundaries, especially the ones set by God. We do this to our own and others detriment. Moving boundaries can be wrong, wicked and reckless. As that famous philosopher, Harry Callahan, said to Lieutenant Briggs: “man’s got to know his limitations” (Magnum Force / link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VrFV5r8cs0 ).

Hebrews 4:9 (KJV) 
^“There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.”

According to the Code of the States, once a holiday reaches “a day off work” status, it can never be rescinded. Therefore Labor Day will be among us for centuries to come. It’s immaterial that fewer and fewer people actually labor anymore.

In spite of that, it may be time to observe Computer Day. Since computers are doing more and more of our work, it stands to reason they should have one day a year off. That way we could have two Labor Days a year: one, when we take off from not working; and one, when we actually work (and let computers rest).

However, a word of caution is in order – if computers are given one day off, they will only want two days off.

Regardless, let’s hear it for computers and making our lives so much less complicated. 

Warning to all referees: no one remembers the referee except when he makes a bad call. People remember the winners and even sometimes the losers. If you choose to just point out people’s faults, even if you get it right, you won’t be remembered. Get in the game as a player.

Matthew 7:1 (NIV)
"Do not judge, or you too will be judged.”

Titus 2:2 (HCSB) 
“Older men are to be level-headed, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance.”

The apparent stages of aging men are:

Stomach Age– discernible by a disproportional growth of the waist line. (Also known as “Stretch and Shrink Age”…if the shirt doesn’t stretch because of the growing stomach, then it’s a case of the shirt shrinking.) Ages: late twenties to 40 years of age.

Stain Age – spilled food and/or drink falls on the stomach area. Although the shirt is dry-cleaned or laundered, the stain remains. Ages: 40-60.

Spot Age – stains have become acceptable and may even be considered a “fashion statement.” No need to launder the shirt, it won’t come out anyway. Just brush off the food. Ages: 60-75.

Sample Age – the male no longer sees or notices spilled fool and therefore, no effort is made to brush it aside. The remains are indicators to others what the wearer ate and as samples for the wearer to dine on later. Ages: 75+.

Maybe it would be better if others could tell our age by our maturing in being “level-headed, worthy of respect, sensible, and sound in faith, love, and endurance.”

By the way, is that spagetti on your shirt?

Like stained glass windows, our beauty is seen only when His light passes through us. The purpose of windows is to let light pass through…don’t block the Son.

Matthew 5:16 (NASB) 
“Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.”

Matthew 6:22-23 (NIV)
²² “The eye is the lamp of the body. If your eyes are good, your whole body will be full of light.
²³ But if your eyes are bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light within you is darkness, how great is that darkness!”

Theoretically, at least, black holes exist in our universe. These former stars have such a strong gravity that even light is trapped in its grip.

Theologically, likewise, black holes exits in the church. Christians, who once shown for the glory of God and  were lights in the darkness, have collapsed in on themselves. Not only do they not emit any light, they trap all light coming their way.

Watch out for the black holes, lest they suck in your light!

Country singer, Don Williams, sang:  “Hold me so close that I feel your heart beat.”

Oh that I lived so close to God that I could feel His heart beat.

James 4:8 (NIV)
“Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded.”

Ecclesiastes 3:11 (NIV)
“He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the hearts of men; yet they cannot fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”

Beautiful paintings by Jim Gray of fall foliage are on display in a museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. However, it is impossible to compete with the Creator. God paints in color, digital, high-definition, and three dimensions. He adds to this His touch not stereophonic, but polyphonic sound. If this is not enough, He throws in the shapes of uniqueness, textures of detail and aromas of freshness.

Even God (since no one else is truly qualified to do so) praised His great work of art – “God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good.” (Genesis 1:31, NASB).

Note: for an example of one of Jim Gray’s fall paintings, click this link:  http://www.jimgraygallery.com/index.cgi?action=print&datanum=25&token=11092720306&cc=&ticket=&page=gallery-null.htm

Maybe it’s only a matter of semantics, but all this talk of the “emerging church,” should be referred to as the “submerging church.” Instead of coming to a unity of belief, it’s more a disunity of unbelief. At the heart of it all are those who wrongly preach or teach resulting in a church that is less founded on truth and more floundering in an ocean of rationalizing – a submerging church.
Ephesians 4:14 (NIV)
“Then we will no longer be infants, tossed back and forth by the waves, and blown here and there by every wind of teaching and by the cunning and craftiness of men in their deceitful scheming.”

Philippians 4:9 (NIV)
^“Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me–put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”

The neighbor had been building an auto from scratch for years.  The work was done and during recent months he was finely tuning the engine. tweaking here and adjusting there. It seemed like he just loved to hear the sound of the engine being revved up. It sounded like a race car.

Irritated by the loud racing of the engine and the roar of the glasspack muffler, a neighbor finally asked him when he was going to put it in gear and get it on the street.

“Probably never! This is a show car, not a street car.”

Some Christians are like that…they act like they are for show, not for involvement. They are forever tuning their engine but never putting it in gear.

Don’t just rev up your engine, put it in gear. Let’s see what she’s got.