tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-217787582024-03-14T01:27:30.753-04:00Around the CornersIdeas and insight from Cornerstone on Building Life Together in Four Corners FLJoel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.comBlogger494125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-15806930808003341342020-03-13T16:49:00.000-04:002020-03-14T05:23:27.636-04:00Cornerstone Services & COVID-19 <br />
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We have waited as long as possible to make announcements
concerning this coming Sunday Services as it seems that the landscape is
constantly changing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Please know in
advance that the information contained in this email is for this particular weekend
and could still change.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Over Christmas break, I sat down and outlined the sermons
and series that we would cover each week for thru October.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Little did I know that God had planned this
week’s message for exactly the circumstances that we are facing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are in week two on our message series “Pax
Romana” talking about the importance of being people of Peace from the book of
Romans.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After consulting with other churches, our staff, and deacons
we are setting this modified plan for this weekend:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">First and foremost</b>,
we believe that church exists for community, not necessarily content.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We are striving to ensure the best member
care while not sacrificing the biblical mandate for church to be about
community.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Therefore, we have decided
that this weekend will go ahead as planned with a few alterations.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">We
will be having both the 9:00 a.m. and 11:00 a.m. services. </b>These services
will be modified to only include nursery for infants and toddlers up to 3 years
of age.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We will also be suspending
coffee service, so you may want to bring coffee from home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition, we will not be passing the
offering plate, but will station them in the back for you to drop off
connection cards and your tithes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It
goes without saying that we will be asking our greeters to open the doors so
that you do not have to touch the handles, and asking everyone to refrain from
any greeting that may include touching.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Secondly,</b> as is
our already standard practice, <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">we will
disinfect the nursery between each services and are adding additional
volunteers to disinfect all hard surfaces between the services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></b></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Third of all, </b>we
are asking you to watch online and forego attending in person if:<o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You would
prefer watching online due to the current COVID-19 circumstances. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->You are exhibiting any cold or flu symptoms or
if anyone in your household is exhibiting symptoms. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->If you are at a greater risk of infection due to
preexisting condition. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: "symbol"; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font: 7.0pt "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]-->If you have traveled outside of the country in
the last 14 days.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Fourth,</b> we are
working to create additional avenues for you to participate in the service
online.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In addition to our Live Feed
from the church Facebook page, we will be creating a YouTube channel to host the
services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This will act as a backup
should Facebook get overloaded.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Fifth,</b> we
anticipate attendance to shift online and therefore it is important for all of
our members and friends to set up online giving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Currently we receive half of our weekly
offering in the plate during the services.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>In order to remain strong and to minister to the increased needs of our
community, we are asking everyone to be regular and generous in your
giving.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We anticipate greater than
normal needs arising from closures to the parks and cancellations of tourist
travel. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We plan to do more ministry in our community,
not less.</b><o:p></o:p></div>
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We have a great opportunity right now to show love to our
neighbors and increase our witness to those far from Christ.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Even as Disney closes, all of our cast
members have 2 weeks of paid leave to participate in a local mission trips in
their own neighborhood.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is this
mindset that will help us share the name of Christ!<o:p></o:p></div>
<br />Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-43621384215787105072020-03-09T05:50:00.000-04:002020-03-14T05:51:33.789-04:00Pax Romana - Live Peaceably<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The
Pax Romana is a roughly 200-year-long period in Roman history which is
identified with increased and sustained peace and stability. Yet, in Paul’s
Epistle to the Roman people, he emphasized a greater peace. A peace with God and a peace From God. </span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: yellow; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Little did I realize over Christmas break as I worked on this sermon series for the first time how critical our need was going to be for peace during this present time. However, it brings me peace to know that God knew, and that He was already planning for our church and my family.</span></span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br />We all are in need of the peace of God today. Everything around us is closing down. Uncertainty abounds and in times of uncertainty, we look to God's Word for peace.</span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="line-height: 115%;"></span></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Romans 12:9-21 (NKJV) </i></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><br />
</b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><sup>9 </sup> <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Let</span> love <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">be</span> without hypocrisy. Abhor what is evil. Cling to what is good.
<sup>10 </sup> <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Be</span> kindly
affectionate to one another with brotherly love, in honor giving preference to
one another; <sup>11 </sup> not lagging in diligence, fervent in spirit,
serving the Lord; <sup>12 </sup> rejoicing in hope, patient in
tribulation, continuing steadfastly in prayer; <sup>13 </sup> distributing
to the needs of the saints, given to hospitality. <sup>14 </sup> Bless
those who persecute you; bless and do not curse. <sup>15 </sup> Rejoice
with those who rejoice, and weep with those who weep. <sup>16 </sup> Be of
the same mind toward one another. Do not set your mind on high things, but
associate with the humble. Do not be wise in your own opinion. <sup>17 </sup> Repay
no one evil for evil. Have regard for good things in the sight of all men. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><sup>18 </sup> If it is possible,
as much as depends on you, live peaceably with all men. </u></b><sup>19 </sup> Beloved,
do not avenge yourselves, but <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">rather</span>
give place to wrath; for it is written, <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">"Vengeance
is Mine, I will repay,"</span> says the Lord. <sup>20 </sup> Therefore
<span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">"If your enemy is hungry, feed
him;</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">If he is thirsty, give him
a drink;</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">For in so doing you
will heap coals of fire on his head."</span> <sup>21 </sup> Do not be
overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.</i><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"> <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>I.<span style="font-stretch: normal; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> <span style="color: blue;"> </span></span></b><!--[endif]--><b><span style="color: blue;">KNOW The Standard of Peace</span><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
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<b><i><u><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> If it is possible, as much as depends on you,
live peaceably with all men.</span></u></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">If it is possible...</b>This implies 3
things. First, we are to try to
de-escalate people who are angry. It seems that this corona virus crisis has put everyone on edge. Uncertainty does that, and apparently when we don't know what to do, we stock up on toilet paper. And when the toilet paper is sold out, we get even more agitated. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The second implication of the text is that we are to go out of our way as Christians to NOT be the one to instigate conflict. David said in Psalms, "depart from Evil and do good. Seek peace and pursue it." Jesus said "if someone slaps you on your right
cheek, turn to him the other one also."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">Third of all, it implies that peace is not always possible with
everyone. No doubt life is not always going to go our way and as much as we may try, there are people who do not desire peace. The writings of Solomon reminds us that there is a time to be born,
time to die. A time for war, a time for
peace. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b> </b>If it is possible, <b>as much as depends on you…</b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">M</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">uch of the
time we act as if we had no part in the blame for the conflict.</span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;"> </span><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">On the playground or in divorce court we
like to play the victim. </span>The reality is that the vast majority of time, some of the
conflict is because of our own actions and behaviors.<b> </b>The apostle Paul who wrote the book of Romans was not stranger to trouble.</span></div>
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<b><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in;">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">John Philips writes this in his commentary<b> <i>"</i></b><i>On Cyprus Paul
had to contend with Elymas the sorcerer (Acts 13:8); at
Antioch in Pisidia he was driven from the city by persecution (Acts 13:50); in
Iconium a general assault was made on him (Acts 14:2, 5); at Lystra the
mob stoned him and left him for dead (Acts 14:19); at
Antioch in Syria he was opposed by legalists in the church (Acts 15:2); at
Philippi he was scourged and imprisoned (Acts 16:22-23);
at Thessalonica he was forced out of the city (Acts 17:6-9); at
Berea opposition forced him to leave (Acts 17:13-14);
at Athens he was publicly mocked (Acts 17:32); at
Corinth his presence led to insurrection (Acts 18:12); at
Ephesus the whole city was in a tumult because of him (Acts 19:23-41);
and at Jerusalem he was repeatedly the center of violent opposition (Acts 21-23). Jesus
said, "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send
peace, but a sword" (Matt. 10:34).
Although the most conciliatory of men where no vital spiritual issue was concerned,
Paul certainly proved this statement true."</i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /><b> </b>Some have even asserted that Luke wrote the book of Acts as a
record for Paul to take to Caesar in Rome to prove he did not start all the
trouble he got into. Let's just say, Paul got beat up a
LOT.<b> </b>The standard of
peace is that if it is possible… say it with me… if it is possible, as much as
depends on you… <u>live peaceably with all men</u>.(and women… )</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><b style="text-indent: -0.25in;">Live peaceably with all men... </b><span style="text-indent: -0.25in;">sounds like an impossible task...</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">This does not
mean…, “Be patient for as long as you can, but once your patience runs out, get
ready to throw down.” This verse is actually saying, as far as it depends on you, that is, on your side of the
relationship, live at peace with
everyone. Do everything you can to get along with people, and if they
should still harbor a grudge, that’s on them.<b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">If Christians would not engage in slander or be unfair in
business dealing, if they would not cause anyone to take them to court for late
payment of debts or honesty in business, if they would do nothing to prolong a fight
through gossip or social media. It would go a long way toward peace.<b><br /></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">So, How do we strive for this life of peace in a divided, conflicted
world? In our next post we will explore some practical ways to be people of peace during stressful times.</span></div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-38281440751968025652016-10-18T09:18:00.001-04:002020-03-14T05:22:24.100-04:00<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<b><span style="background-color: white; color: white; font-size: 14pt;">Ahab, Jezebel
and God’s People<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; color: white; font-size: 14pt;">Introduction<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">This election season has caused great division among the
people of God. The adage that history
repeats itself, has never been more true.
In the books of the Kings and Chronicles, we see a divide between God’s
people as Israel and Judah went their separate ways and chaos and turmoil
headlined every chapter. During the time
of the divided Kingdom, Israel suffered thru a long line of wicked rulers and
two of them, Ahab and Jezebel bear a striking resemblance to the character of
Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton.
Understanding their sins, worldview and judgment will be instructive as
we choose between these two rulers for our nation in 2016.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: white; color: white; font-size: 14pt;">Ahab <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<b><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">1 Kings 16:31-33 (NKJV) </span></i></b><br />
<i style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><sup>31 </sup> And it came to pass,
as though it had been a trivial thing for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam
the son of Nebat, that he took as wife Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal, king of
the Sidonians; and he went and served Baal and worshiped him. <sup>32 </sup> Then
he set up an altar for Baal in the temple of Baal, which he had built in
Samaria. <sup>33 </sup> And Ahab made a wooden image. Ahab did more to
provoke the LORD God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were
before him.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b><i>1 Kings 21:25-26 (NKJV) </i></b><i><br />
<sup>25 </sup> But there was no one like Ahab who sold himself to do
wickedness in the sight of the LORD, because Jezebel his wife stirred him up. <sup>26
</sup> And he behaved very abominably in following idols, according to all
that the Amorites had done,
whom the LORD had cast out before the children of Israel.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b>1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>The sins of Jeroboam – Idolatry<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">The first indictment against Ahab was his continuation of
the sins of previous rulers, namely that of Jeroboam. The sin of Jeroboam in general was that of
idolatry. Idolatry is rampant in American
culture. It shows up in our worship of
self, of wealth, and health. These sins
are evident in the life of Donald Trump, whose name is his brand. He represents, for most Americans, the type of
lifestyle that we aim for; to be rich and powerful and full of vigor at a time
of life when most would retire.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b>2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Trivialized sin<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">The second sin of Ahab we will consider is the trivialization
of sin as listed in 1 Kings 16:31. This
too is a prominent sin within our culture.
Years of humanism has led to each individual choosing their own personal
morality. This has caused a rise in
moral relativism, and licentiousness has not only become tolerated, but
celebrated. We now promote sins that
were once unspeakable. Even sins against
children and babies have been trivialized as nothing more than a woman’s right
to choose.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b>3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Married Jezebel<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">According to John McArthur, Ahab’s greatest sin was in
marrying Jezebel. I find it interesting
that we espouse sin by the people we attach ourselves with. Ahab was greatly influenced by Jezebel and
without her cunning and vicious hatred for the people of God; Ahab may have
gone down as just another name on a long list of wicked kings.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b>4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Served and worshipped Baal<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">Success! Baal was a
god of fertility, he was worshiped in order to increase crops, to have healthy
and strong children. He was a god of
winning. Both candidates offer promises
of prosperity and success, but Donald Trump has truly embraced this message
with his slogan of “Make America great again.”
What many of God’s people should desire is to make America <i>good</i> again. Greatness is never the goal. Greatness comes as the fruit of the blessings
of the Almighty as He responds to the goodness of His people.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b>5.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Willing to skirt law to obtain Nabal’s
vineyard<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">The final story of Ahab is summed up in his dealings with
his neighbor Nabal. Ahab wanted to have
Nabal’s vineyard for a personal vegetable garden. He offered him a great deal, the only issue
was that Nabal was a man of God and would not sell family property for personal
gain. Ahab proved his depravity in that
he was willing to make a shady deal for what he wanted even if it violated the
laws of God. When rebuffed, he became
depressed and sullen because he was not used to not getting what he
wanted. We err when we are willing to
skirt the laws, to bend the rules in our favor.
We as a nation are spoiled and selfish, and ripe for the harvest of God’s
judgment.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l1 level1 lfo1; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b>6.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Provoked God to anger<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b>1 Kings 16:33 states
that “</b><i>Ahab did more to provoke the LORD
God of Israel to anger than all the kings of Israel who were before him.”</i> He was the worst offender to date. His actions exceeded those of all that had
come before and he goes down in history as the most notorious king in the
history of Israel. Wickedness is
progressive. Nations do not fall as
would stones dropped from a cliff. They descend. Degradation of kings and countries is most
often generational. We are now where we
are because we have continued the sins of the ones before us, and taken it
further down the path than was ever thought possible. This election offers us two of the most
exposed and corrupt options for leadership of our nation. This is not a sudden turn of events. We did not arrive here out of nowhere. We have been on this path for many years and
the place we find ourselves in is the place we have been headed all along.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background-color: white; color: white; font-size: 14pt;">Jezebel <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b><i>1 Kings 18:4 (NKJV) </i></b><b><br />
</b><i><sup>4 </sup> For so it was,
while Jezebel massacred the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah had taken one
hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them with bread
and water.<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b><i>2 Kings 9:22 (NKJV) </i></b><i><br />
<sup>22 </sup> Now it happened, when Joram saw Jehu, that he said, "Is it peace, Jehu?" So he
answered, "What peace, as long as the harlotries of your mother Jezebel
and her witchcraft are so
many?"<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b>1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>The massacre of the prophets<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">The first step in Jezebel’s evil plan was to remove the
influence of God from the nation of Israel.
She did so by massacring the prophets.
My greatest fear with a Hillary Clinton presidency is not death squads,
but the continuation of the policy of progressive liberalism that has already
done so much damage to the church in America.
As the homosexual agenda has already accomplished victories in the
bathroom, hate speech, and employment, it will soon be illegal to hold a
biblical position on any moral issue.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b>2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>The promotion of Baal worship<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">The height of Baal worship was the sacrificing of children
for the purpose of prosperity. Many have
pointed out the obvious correlation to abortion, but this can be applied so
much further. One thing that I believe
this election is about is the future of America for our children and
grandchildren. Although this is perhaps
always the case with elections, it is evident that with as many as 3 or 4
possible seats of the Supreme Court open, we must realize that the election is
about more than just the executive branch.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b>3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>The conspiracy to murder Nabal<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">Although it was Ahab that coveted Nabal’s vineyard, it was
Jezebel who sent false accusers to have him set up and put to death. The story in I Kings 21 show a level of
manipulation and deceit that we see in the behaviors of Hillary Clinton. Without the revelations of stolen emails, we
would be forever relegated to conspiracy theorists. However, with the publication of these
emails, the term “theorist” no longer applies.
There is a level of corruption and cunning that far exceeds the carnal
selfishness of Ahab, willing even to coordinate accusations and murder. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l0 level1 lfo2; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b>4.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Harlotries and witchcraft <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">By the time we get to the judgment of Jezebel in II Kings 9,
we see the summary of her sins as both harlotries and witchcraft. The witchcraft no doubt stems from the lewd
and evil worship of Baal, the massacre of the prophets and the desecration of
God’s holy law. The interesting
accusation is that of harlotry. Now we
do not believe that Jezebel was in need of working the streets as a lowly
harlot for wages. However, what we do
see is the prostitution of position for political and selfish gain. This has been shown to be the case with Mrs.
Clinton in all of her time as a “public servant.” In that time the Clinton foundation has been
used to launder money in exchange for political favors and influence. Go no further than the earthquake of Haiti
where FOB’s (Friends of Bill) were awarded contracts for reconstruction or the
nearly million dollar salary for Chelsea and you cannot escape the prostitution
of our most sacred offices and positions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><span style="background-color: white; color: white; font-size: 14pt;">The “Jezebel” of Thyatira (The spirit of Jezebel)<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b><i style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">Revelation 2:20-22 (NKJV) </span></i></b><br />
<i style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><sup>20 </sup> <span class="jesuswords">Nevertheless I have a few things against you, because you
allow that woman Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, to teach and seduce
My servants to commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols.</span>
<sup>21 </sup> <span class="jesuswords">And
I gave her time to repent of her sexual immorality, and she did not repent.</span>
<sup>22 </sup> <span class="jesuswords">Indeed
I will cast her into a sickbed, and those who commit adultery with her into
great tribulation, unless they repent of their deeds.<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b>1.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Called herself a prophetess<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">The obvious sin here is to claim to speak on behalf of God,
while in fact seeking selfish ends. All
too often on both sides of the aisle we see politicians claim to be doing God’s
work. They claim to be Christian, may
even label themselves with some denomination, yet reject the Word of God and
refuse to allow their campaigns and leadership to be in submission to God’s
Word.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b>2.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Led people to immorality <o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">The seduction to immorality is not a difficult job. We live in a culture where sex is pervasive
and many people today are not just addicted to immorality, we have arrived at
the place where Romans 1 has warned. We
don’t just tolerate immorality, we celebrate it. Pride is the word used to describe the
immorality. The more we promote this and
attempt to normalize this, the more we seduce the children of this and future
generations to accept and participate in immorality.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph" style="mso-list: l2 level1 lfo3; text-indent: -.25in;">
<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b>3.<span style="font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></b><!--[endif]--><b>Led people to eat things offered to idols<o:p></o:p></b></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">At first glance, this seems like a strange accusation. It requires us to understand the practical
aspects of idol worship. In many
countries today people bring actual food and place it before idols of stone and
wood. As you can imagine, wood and stone
idols do not eat that food proving that they are indeed not gods. The priests collect the meat and food offered
and sell it out the back door. As you
can imagine this is both a lucrative and hypocritical process. In order for priests and worshippers to buy
and sell offered food, they have to willingly ignore the truth about the gods
they worship. The sin here is that of
willful ignorance. At some point we
close our minds to the obvious truth, choosing rather to participate in a shell
game for our own personal benefit. What
is obvious to many is the willful ignorance of those in the political process
when it comes to truth. Even when truth
is revealed by Wikileaks, the media and many on the left choose rather to
ignore the facts. They do not bring
truth into the equation therefore they come to untruthful conclusions.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle">
<b><span style="background-color: white; color: white; font-size: 14pt;">The People of God<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast">
<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">Obadiah<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b><i>1 Kings 18:3-4 (NKJV) <br />
</i></b><i><sup>3 </sup> And Ahab had called Obadiah, who was in
charge of his house. (Now Obadiah feared the LORD greatly. <sup>4 </sup> For
so it was, while Jezebel massacred the prophets of the LORD, that Obadiah had
taken one hundred prophets and hidden them, fifty to a cave, and had fed them
with bread and water.)<b><o:p></o:p></b></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><b><i>1 Kings 18:9 (NKJV) </i></b><b><br />
</b><i><sup>9 </sup> So he said,
"How have I sinned, that you are delivering your servant into the hand of
Ahab, to kill me?<o:p></o:p></i></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">The first type of reaction we see by the people of God is
displayed in the actions of Obadiah.
Obadiah was a godly man who was high up in the ranks of the
kingdom. Yet he allowed fear to cause
his actions for God to be done in secret.
He understood the dangers of being open in his loyalties, but he also
understood and feared the Lord. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">Today, we find many Christians who do fear God. Their integrity and hard work has allowed
them to climb to the top of their companies and positions of power even in our
own government. There are Christians in positions
of influence, yet they choose to do their works in private. They do what they can as long as it is in
secret.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">Scripture does not seem to give a commendation nor condemnation
of Obadiah’s work. There are many
Christians who will choose to do the work of Obadiah during this election process. They will keep their ballot and beliefs
secret, they may contribute to a candidate without desiring that to be made
known publically, but at the end of the day they chose to do what they could to
affect a difference in the process and outcome.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraph">
<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">Elijah<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">Elijah, on the other hand was active and bold at times, and
absent and timid at others. Yet, each
time God prodded him to go and confront the evil in the palace, he did so with
wisdom and strength. In this political
season, I feel that God is leading me to speak out against the evil in our
government. Not for the sake of
political or personal gain, but for the sake of truth. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<b style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">Conclusion: <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">We have arrived not at this place in our politics by
accident. The two remaining candidates
we have before us represent America whether we like it or not. We have been given a choice between Ahab and
Jezebel. One of these two will lead our
country for the next 4 years. The first
decision we must make is as to what we will do with the evidence presented to
us. Will we search out the truth, study
and understand the issues or will we float along with our preconceptions and
party loyalties. The second decision is
for us to understand the role that God has for us in the process. Are we called to be an Obadiah who does God’s
work in secret or are we to be an Elijah who stand up against Ahab and Jezebel,
who fights with truth and strength in the power of God? The latter, I believe is the role of salt and
light that I have been called to as a pastor.
I should speak up. I should go to
the scriptures, and I should publish my findings in the hope of affecting the direction
of our nation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">In the end, we cannot sit this one out and be right with
God. We must choose a role. We must be Obadiah or Elijah. So as we head to the polls on November 8<sup>th</sup>
we will cast our vote for one of two types of candidate. One is an Ahab; an idolatrous, self-promoting,
self-serving, and reckless tyrant. The
other is a Jezebel; an evil, murderous, manipulative tyrant. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">So who should Christians vote for? A third party vote being a vote with the
majority of the engaged, it cannot and should not be even considered as
anything other than a refusal to participate in the process. You can justify yourself by calling it a protest,
but with the exception of the Libertarian party it will garner less than one
percent of the vote. Not even a blip on
the map of history. Do not waste your
vote.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="color: white;">The best option as I study the culture, the candidates, and
the scripture is Donald Trump. He is
immoral, he is carnal, an idolatrous, and a self-promoting individual. However, compared to Hillary Clinton, he is
the better option. Here is why. Clinton is Jezebel to Trumps Ahab. Ahab sought luxury and promotion, but
Jezebel sought power and to fundamentally change the spiritual nature of
Israel. Her massacre of the prophets
foretells the actions of Hillary Clinton as she closes the doors of Christian
schools and colleges. Her promotion of
immorality and the homosexual agenda will end the first amendment rights of
pastors and churches to preach God’s Word. Her Supreme Court appointments will close the
door to any legal appeal to the preservation of our freedom of religion in this
country. America will be changed fundamentally
at its core. Trump may be all the things
he is accused of being. Only time will
tell. The stated agenda of Mrs. Clinton
is to continue to push the immoral agenda of the last leaders of our
country. If she is elected, and this
prophet survives the massacre, maybe one day I will see Mount Carmel. That is, if God even deems our nation worthy
of restoration.</span></span><o:p></o:p></div>
Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-25063023883710484752016-06-15T13:34:00.001-04:002016-06-15T13:34:22.126-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-62331270526191395002016-02-17T12:04:00.001-05:002016-02-17T12:04:56.559-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-69658815862484164072016-02-11T09:37:00.001-05:002016-02-11T09:37:27.217-05:00Some Dating Advice for This Weekend<div class="MsoNormal">
The Proposal:<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<br /></div>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal">Make a
list of 50 qualities you want in a spouse. <o:p></o:p></li>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="a">
<li class="MsoNormal">This
could be anything from joy, to godliness, good driving skills, to liking
hurricane football.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<li class="MsoNormal">Evaluate
that list to see if those qualities are in you<o:p></o:p></li>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="a">
<li class="MsoNormal">People
are attracted to people who share their values. This step will determine whether you
are fishing in the wrong pond, or are asking more of the other person
than yourself.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<li class="MsoNormal">Shorten
that list to 20 that are most important.<o:p></o:p></li>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="a">
<li class="MsoNormal">Nobody
is perfect. Much of your list is
probably selfish. This step will
allow you to be flexible and allow the other person space to be who they
are.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<li class="MsoNormal">Make a
list of 5 girls that you are attracted to, and rate them according to your
20 qualities.<o:p></o:p></li>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="a">
<li class="MsoNormal">Be
careful not to weight your qualities.
No giving extra points for hotness.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<li class="MsoNormal">Go
back to your list of 50, and make a list of the ones you need to get fixed
in your own life.<o:p></o:p></li>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="a">
<li class="MsoNormal">That’s
right, you will be all 50 while only expecting her to be 20.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<li class="MsoNormal">Now go
back to the list of girls. You will
start with the one who scored highest on the qualities. If there is a tie, you will break that
tie randomly.<o:p></o:p></li>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="a">
<li class="MsoNormal">You
will now spend 1 week studying that girl.
Do not, I say, DO NOT stalk her.
You may not talk to her or her friends about the proposal.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
must build a profile of this girl and her likes and dislikes. Favorite foods, bands, everything.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<li class="MsoNormal">Now,
compile a list of activities that she would enjoy.<o:p></o:p></li>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="a">
<li class="MsoNormal">At
an appropriate time ask her to go “on a date” to said event/activity.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
must ask her in person. No phone
call or texting will be permitted.<o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
<li class="MsoNormal">On the
day of the date, you will send her 6 yellow roses. This is a color of friendship and a
great place to start.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">You
will dress appropriately for the date including cologne. However no Drakar or <st1:city w:st="on">Aspen</st1:city> will be permitted.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">On the
date you will talk only about her.
See if you were right about her likes and get her to talk about her
feelings.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">After
the date you will decide if you will have another date.<o:p></o:p></li>
<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="a">
<li class="MsoNormal">Regardless
of your decision, you will call her the next day to thank her for a good
time.<o:p></o:p></li>
<li class="MsoNormal">Remember,
once a girl is off the list, you cannot go back to her in later
rounds. Be sure that she is off
your list before you go to girl number two. <o:p></o:p></li>
</ol>
</ol>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
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Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-54274297247494910682016-02-10T09:59:00.001-05:002016-02-10T09:59:55.633-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-39567594588397998702016-02-03T17:36:00.001-05:002016-02-03T17:36:46.356-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-64894414460112984672016-01-26T10:49:00.002-05:002016-01-26T10:49:21.572-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-89058029233648336922016-01-02T17:16:00.001-05:002016-01-02T17:16:50.479-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-57396912082872616172015-12-15T15:45:00.001-05:002015-12-15T15:45:55.499-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-35377712663864164102015-12-15T15:19:00.002-05:002015-12-15T15:19:57.211-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-87327243417494310842015-12-01T11:22:00.001-05:002015-12-01T11:22:03.985-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-25122727613622903462015-11-06T10:30:00.001-05:002015-11-06T10:30:23.277-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-73648037737315976812015-09-29T15:27:00.002-04:002015-09-29T15:27:37.888-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-19893527466980290182015-01-06T14:44:00.002-05:002015-01-06T14:44:30.842-05:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-10203180262957826082014-07-18T15:13:00.001-04:002014-07-18T15:13:33.891-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-64739943040575719332014-05-29T12:02:00.001-04:002014-05-29T12:02:40.287-04:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-75906063510230186482012-11-09T09:58:00.000-05:002012-11-09T09:58:05.245-05:00I once broke into someone's privacy fence...I once broke into someone's privacy fence, went to the back of the house and began breaking windows. It all started when I left the house on the way to the printer to pick up some envelopes for the church. I had to stop for gas, and as I was pumping the gas, I smelled something funny. It was the same smell my GI Joe action figures made when I was younger so it caught my attention. A few blocks away there was a brownish smoke rising, so I decided to drive over and see the obvious army of GI Joes. What I found was a house that had just caught fire. Now I am no hero, but being the only one there, I began to yell and pound on the door. No one answered. A semi-truck driver arrived and we kicked in the front door. Again I yelled but no one answered. I tried to go in but the smoke was thick. I was scared. Instead of going in, I broke into their privacy fence and went from window to window breaking them. Yelling inside. No answer. The dog barked. The fire trucks arrived, a paramedic bandaged up my bloody hands. I left and got my printing. As I left the print shop, I saw a car stop at the end of the road-block, a woman got out and yelled at the cop, "That is my house." She is panicked. Crying. She runs down the street. I leave there shaken. It was a Thursday. I arrived back at about 10 that morning and my pastor tells me that I can have the rest of the day off. I am still shaken. Finally, around noon, I called the TV channel, because I am overwhelmed with the fear that someone was in that house, that maybe the panicked lady had a child home sick that day. The person comes back to the phone. The house was empty. I am still shaken. 10 years later as I type this, I am still shaken. I hope that I will always be shaken.<br />
<br />
Over the last week I have been shaken. Some would define all the virtual yelling and breaking of glass as hate. I do not. It is the overwhelming sense that the house is on fire. I am on scene, and something must be done. What is first classified as hate, ultimately will be seen as love. And conversely, what is now seen as love, acceptance and tolerance will ultimately be seen as the greatest form of hatred. Condoleezza Rice wrote in her biography that "Today's headlines and history's judgments are rarely the same." Be careful how you define hate. Be careful how you define love. Be careful how you respond to the smell of GI Joes burning in the distance.Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-22537208592882015292012-10-19T08:46:00.000-04:002012-10-19T08:46:22.260-04:00A tax is Attacks is A tax<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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A wise man once said there is no such thing as a free lunch. Keynesian economics says to tax the rich and discourage saving so that people are encouraged to keep their money flowing. Each time it is spent, it can be taxed and the more people spend the better it is for the poor.<br />
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Politicians promise lower taxes and free healthcare, but the money has to come from somewhere. When you tax Big Oil Companies to pay for your Green Energy, gas prices go up to compensate. When gas prices go up, everything goes up. <br />
<br />
A family making $50,000 a year spends about to $15,000 on gas & groceries alone. The spike in gas prices have driven up the cost of living. On the flip side, a family making $500,000 a year spends... you guessed it, about $15,000 a year on gas and groceries. So the impact on the middle class is 10 times more severe. The doubling of gas prices in the last 4 years is the equivalent of a $7,500 tax increase on every middle and lower class family!<br />
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Bottom line. There are always consequences. For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction. You cannot tax the rich without taxing the poor. You cannot raise the poor out of poverty by raising taxes on anyone. Taxes and regulations on big corporations are strangling our lower and middle classes.<br />
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Class warfare is smoke and mirrors. A tax on one American is an attack on all Americans.Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-65640434367290728312012-10-10T12:05:00.001-04:002012-10-10T12:05:49.402-04:002012 General Election Florida Amendments<div class="MsoNormal">
<span lang="en-US">This year’s election is not simply about the White House. There are 4 pages of items up for vote and anyone who plans on going into the voter booth without doing their homework will be shocked and amazed at the shear number of confusing amendments and options this year. Everyone needs to vote, even if you are not in favor of a particular candidate for president. There are many other important races and it is my hope that by going public with my ballot that you will be challenged to do some research of your own. I realize that our vote is a private matter but I make mine public not so that you can attack me on the points where we likely will disagree, but rather to help you understand my perspective on the issues at hand. (Initially, I put this together to help my wife sort through the mess as she has little time or stomach for politics.)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Number 1 - 100% Yes</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 19px;">Because it prohibits the government from forcing individuals to purchase health insurance. (Obamacare) And prohibits the government from penalizing companies to provide healthcare options that violates their conscience.</span></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Number 2 - 75% No</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;">Expansion of property tax discounts to injured veterans who were not residents prior to their injury. This is one of those laws that makes for great pretense but little substance. We already give this discount to residents, to expand it nationally sounds patriotic, but potentially puts a greater tax burden on the residents of the state.</span><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Number 3 - 60% Yes</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;">This law is just an update to an existing law that limits the amount of revenue our state government can collect. Typically I would vote to keep our state from having the ability to collect greater revenue,(taxes) but in this case this amendment is just a provision to account for growth in population and inflation.</span><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Number 4 - 60% No</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">For me this was not a strong no. This is a great law if you are in the real estate development business, but what is a tax cut for some requires a tax increase for others. To add additional homestead exemptions and slow the government’s ability to adjust property tax from 10% to 5% sound good, but someone’s got to pay and since I do not make my money flipping houses, I will vote no. </span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: 119%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Number 5 - 80% Yes</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This is just good law. It requires supreme court justices that are nominated from the governor to be confirmed by the legislature. This will keep activist governors from appointing activist supreme court justices. It will give elected officials greater power than appointed ones. In addition, it streamlines the court system within the state to act in accordance with one another. (Rather than each court doing its own procedures)</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: 119%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Number 6 - 100% Yes</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;">This law further strengthens existing laws that states that tax dollars be spent in the abortion industry. It is one thing to say that abortion is not murder, it is another thing to require me to pay for it.</span><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Number 8 - 60% Yes</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This is another of those 60/40 in favor of votes for me. I feel strongly in the separation of church and state, but our FL constitution prohibits support of ministries simply because they are based in religious efforts. I am not saying that I want churches to be dependent on government aid, but I do not think a ministry such as Salvation Army should be discriminated against simply because they are associated with a church. My vote is for Salvation Army to have the same access to public funds for their ministry as the secular ministry down the street.</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: 119%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Number 9 - 75% No</span></b></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This is similar to amendment 2 where it sounds like a nice idea to give discounts to first responders and their spouses if they die as a result of their work. Firemen who die in a fire are heroes and so are the policemen killed in the line of duty. I do not argue this. However, they all should have life insurance and this amendment even though it means well, is misguided. We don’t need to amend our constitution and make things a constitutional right to provide breaks to our first responders.</span></span><span lang="en-US" style="font-size: 7pt; line-height: 119%;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Number 10 - 75% Yes</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;">This bill is directed at small business owners who have “tangible property” that they are taxed on. Real people call that “equipment.” If a lawn care guy needs $25,000 worth of equipment, he is not rich, those are just the tools of his trade. Releasing him on the taxes would help him better run his business. On the other hand, this may also provide tax breaks for owners of 4 wheelers, jet skis and boats… Not a strong yes, but I will hope that with the tax breaks the small biz guy hires someone else to work for him.</span><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Number 11 - 80% No</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;">More property tax breaks for specialized classes. First veterans, then first responders and now grandma…. I know you hate me for saying it, but this is not what amendments are for. Granny gets one homestead exemption and that should suffice. If she has been a resident of that home for more than 25 years it is almost paid off anyway.</span><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Number 12 - 75% No</span></b></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;">Again, this is more of a procedural move and I am tired of making a state constitutional right for everything. If it is necessary to make the change, we don’t need to make it a “right” to do so. The legislature has ways of doing this and this sounds to me like someone did not get their way and so they are trying to make it a constitutional right of the government to include this position… In conclusion, we don’t need to make procedural decisions a constitutional right.</span><span lang="en-US" style="line-height: 119%;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="en-US"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> Stay tuned for my candidate picks and why...</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-377494610110677442012-09-24T09:29:00.000-04:002012-09-24T09:29:35.091-04:00Why Obama will win in 2012 and What People of the Bible should do about itBefore we get to the reason why I believe Obama will be re-elected, let me see if I can bring you into my perspective on the state of the human mind when it comes to change of direction.<br />
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People change their direction/mind when they are open to change of direction/mind. What opens their minds? Glad you asked....<br />
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1. They are <b>STUCK</b> because they are looking at a situation from a wrong point of view<br />
3. They are <b>SUFFERING</b> the consequences of bad decisions<br />
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For an example of this, let look at the story of the prodigal son from the Bible.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJl_wSKgsyb6P5S8cSX7xnrAQMAH__GDPEmieuwH5Ryv48VEA8uVN95wdJhFxGBg7_jlnMJKx8S7XewzgS0HGzA1ieMIHYcBlQSwFuSMJ4NbXpvqDm9lCaFYX3JNEiqrzM5ss/s1600/the+prodigal+son.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="313" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbJl_wSKgsyb6P5S8cSX7xnrAQMAH__GDPEmieuwH5Ryv48VEA8uVN95wdJhFxGBg7_jlnMJKx8S7XewzgS0HGzA1ieMIHYcBlQSwFuSMJ4NbXpvqDm9lCaFYX3JNEiqrzM5ss/s400/the+prodigal+son.jpg" width="400" /></a><br />
<span style="background-color: white;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: white; font-family: inherit;"><b>The Parable of the Lost
Son</b></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white;"><i><b>Luke 15:11-32 </b></i></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="textluke-15-11"><b><sup>11 </sup></b></span><span class="textluke-15-11">Jesus continued:</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">“There
was a man who had two sons.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span id="en-NIV-25601"><span class="woj"><b><sup>12 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">The
younger one said to his father, ‘Father, <b><u>give me my share</u></b> of the estate.’</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">So he divided his property</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">between them.</span></span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span id="en-NIV-25602"><span class="woj"><b><sup>13 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">“Not
long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant
country and there squandered his wealth</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">in wild living.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span id="en-NIV-25603"><span class="woj"><b><sup>14 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">After
he had spent everything, there was a severe famine in that whole country, and
<b><u>he began to be in need.</u></b></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span id="en-NIV-25604"><span class="woj"><b><sup>15 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">So he
went and hired himself out to<u><b> a citizen of that country</b>,</u> who sent him to his
fields to feed pigs.</span><span class="woj"></span><b><sup value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-25604E" title="See cross-reference E">E</a>)"><span id="en-NIV-25605">16 </span></sup></b></span><span class="woj">He
longed to fill his stomach with the pods that the pigs were eating, but no one
gave him anything.</span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span id="en-NIV-25606"><span class="woj"><sup>17 </sup></span><span class="woj"><u><b>“When
he came to his senses,</b></u> he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired servants have
food to spare, and here I am starving to death!</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span id="en-NIV-25607"><span class="woj"><b><sup>18 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">I will
set out and go back to my father and say to him: Father, I have sinned</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">against heaven and against you.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span id="en-NIV-25608"><span class="woj"><b><sup>19 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">I am no
longer worthy to be called your son; make me like one of your hired servants.’</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span id="en-NIV-25609"><span class="woj"><b><sup>20 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">So he
got up and went to his father.</span></span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span class="woj">“But while he was still a long way off, his
father saw him and was filled with compassion for him; he ran to his son, threw
his arms around him and kissed him.</span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span id="en-NIV-25610"><span class="woj"><b><sup>21 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">“The
son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and against you.</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">I am no longer worthy to be called your son.’</span></span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span id="en-NIV-25611"><span class="woj"><b><sup>22 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">“But
the father said to his servants, ‘Quick! Bring the best robe</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">and put it on him. Put a ring on his finger</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">and sandals on his feet.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span id="en-NIV-25612"><span class="woj"><b><sup>23 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">Bring
the fattened calf and kill it. Let’s have a feast and celebrate.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span id="en-NIV-25613"><span class="woj"><b><sup>24 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">For
this son of mine was dead and is alive again;</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">he was lost and is found.’ So they began to
celebrate.</span><o:p></o:p></span></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span id="en-NIV-25614"><span class="woj"><b><sup>25 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">“Meanwhile,
the older son was in the field. When he came near the house, he heard music and
dancing.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span id="en-NIV-25615"><span class="woj"><b><sup>26 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">So he
called one of the servants and asked him what was going on.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span id="en-NIV-25616"><span class="woj"><b><sup>27 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">‘Your
brother has come,’ he replied, ‘and your father has killed the fattened calf
because he has him back safe and sound.’</span></span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span id="en-NIV-25617"><span class="woj"><b><sup>28 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">“The
older brother became angry</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">and
refused to go in. So his father went out and pleaded with him.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span id="en-NIV-25618"><span class="woj"><b><sup>29 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">But he
answered his father, ‘Look! All these years I’ve been slaving for you and never
disobeyed your orders. Yet <b><u>you never gave me </u></b>even a young goat so I could
celebrate with my friends.</span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span id="en-NIV-25619"><span class="woj"><b><sup>30 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">But when
this son of yours who has squandered your property</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">with prostitutes</span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span class="woj">comes home, you kill the fattened calf for
him!’</span></span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><i><span id="en-NIV-25620"><span class="woj"><b><sup>31 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">“‘My
son,’ the father said, ‘you are always with me, and <u><b>everything I have is yours.</b></u></span></span><span class="apple-converted-space"> </span><span id="en-NIV-25621"><span class="woj"><b><sup>32 </sup></b></span><span class="woj">But we
had to celebrate and be glad, because this brother of yours was dead and is
alive again; he was lost and is found.’”</span></span><o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
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<b>1. Entitlement</b><br />
What we see in this passage is a classic example of a young man who, though extremely blessed, feels like he is being cheated and thus boldly demands more.<br />
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The first reason I believe Obama will be elected to a second term in office is because the majority of Americans, though in the top 1% of the richest people in the world, still have a poverty mindset. No matter how rich we are, we as a nation feel like we are entitled to more. Not only that, but we feel that getting "more" will actually make us happier.<br />
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Sadly, the entitlement that FDR set in place has grown in subsequent generations and is not one of the factors that will cause us to change our thinking. The young man did not "self-check" his entitlement.<br />
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<b>2. Need</b><br />
So the boy parties like a white house staffer in Columbia until he runs out of OPM. (other people's money)<br />
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Though one would think that "Need" would turn our nation back, and cause us to change our minds and actions, it is not the strong medicine that we demand. Our nation is sick with sin and self, and running out of money is simply a symptom of our disease. Treating the symptom through stimulus, or other trick may hold off the fever, but will not remove the infection.<br />
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<b>3. Worldly Solution</b><br />
Unfortunately, this young man did what most anybody would do who finds himself in a situation like this. He gets a j-o-b. On the surface, this seems like reform, and is what most of us would feel like a step in the right direction. But he has not yet hit bottom.<br />
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We do this when we turn to the world and its leaders for a solution to our problem. Make no doubt, the boy's problem was not that he was out of money, it was because he was in rebellion from his father. The turn to the citizen of that country was not a step in the direction of repentance, but a desire to continue to fund the rebellion.<br />
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One of the major reasons we will see Obama in the White House yet again is that there is no indication of any intention on the part of our nation to admit our rebellion against God.<br />
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<b>4. Senses</b><br />
The first six words of verse 17 are some of my favorites in all of the Bible. "When he came to his senses..."<br />
This is the point of change. This is the place we will have to be before we elect a different type of leader. <br />
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People will NOT change their minds until they are <b>1. STUCK</b>, and are <b>2.</b> <b>SUFFERING</b> the consequences of their decisions. America is not stuck, and we do not even know the meaning of the word suffering. <br />
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<b>REACTION:</b><br />
So what are people of the Bible to do about our brothers that are partying away the inheritance?<br />
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<b>1. Keep Doing the Father's Work</b><br />
As far as I can tell from scripture, neither the father nor the brother ever made any attempts to rescue the brother. They did not send him nasty emails, or have an intervention. They knew that efforts of that kind were premature. They stayed focused on the Father's work.<br />
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<b>2. Stop Complaining</b><br />
One of the saddest things in this story is that, after all is said and done, the one good son complains. Losing perspective, he actually becomes jealous of his emaciated, gaunt brother. You never threw a party for me....<br />
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<b>3. Accept Your Inheritance</b><br />
The Father tells the son, "everything I have is yours." For People of the Bible, we need to remember that we are not citizens of this country and even the best country BBQ does not compare to what our Father has for us. Let's keep working until our Father calls us home.</div>
Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-51896249313321991662012-09-15T07:10:00.000-04:002012-09-15T07:10:01.453-04:00Peace in the Middle EastThere will be two times of peace in the middle east. The first will be under a great world wide ruler that will be able to bring peace on earth for the span of 3 1/2 years. This great leader is the one the Bible calls the Anti-Christ. The second, and final peace will be brought under the Prince of Peace during the millennial kingdom when He rules and reigns over all the earth for 1,000 years.<br />
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To understand the events of this week, and for that matter, the last 1,500 years you must understand Genesis 22. I personally believe that without a firm grasp of Genesis 22, Christians may find themselves on the wrong side of history.<br />
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Before we begin, we must understand that Islam is not at war with Jews and Christians because of cultural differences or issues of free speech or even modesty of women. At its core is the fact that as long as Christianity and Jews are allowed to exist on the earth, Islam's core religious tenets will be in question.<br />
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For the purpose of understanding the conflict, we will combine Christianity and Judaism into one faith, that we will call the faith of the Bible. (The Jewish Old Testament combined with the Christian New Testament.)Or as it has been called the Judeo-Christian ethic. The link between these two world religions and by extension the nation of Israel and America cannot be underestimated.<br />
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<b>The First Conflict: </b>Isaac or Ishmael (The Jewish Conflict)<br />
The root of the conflict between Islam and Biblical Faith exists in the account of Abraham on Mount Moriah. This is the place where in Genesis 22 the Bible states that Abraham sacrificed his son Isaac. For Jews this is a key historic event and for Christians this is a major picture of Isaac as a type of Christ and the lamb as a sacrificial substitute. (This also explains the constant battle for Jerusalem and specifically the Temple Mount) <br />
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In Islam, Abraham's first born, yet illegitimate son Ishmael was the one in the story. Ismael, the son of the Egyptian slave Hagar, is the forefather of the Ismaelites, of which Mohammad claimed to be a descendant. This conflict is core to understanding why these two worldview will always be in conflict.<br />
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<b>The Second Conflict:</b> Jesus or Mohammad (The Christian Conflict)<br />
The root of this conflict between Islam and Biblical Faith exists in who's narrative of God you will accept. Though Islam claims that Jesus was a prophet, their mantra is that "there is no God but Allah, and Mohammad is His prophet." The exclusivity of Mohammad is as central to Islam as the exclusivity of Jesus is central to Christianity. There is no way to find an amicable resolution to this conflict.<br />
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<b>Conclusion:</b><br />
For people of the Bible, there are some choices. Will you accept the narrative of the 24 hour news cycle that makes this about oil, or land, or insults? Will your loyalty be to the Bible, and Jesus? Will you stand with Israel? Will you accept the idea that Islam is peaceful, or that peace can be achieved through a two state solution, or by democratizing nations in an Arab Spring?Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-36812281242302415062012-09-05T15:57:00.002-04:002012-09-05T15:57:34.997-04:00The Castro Brothers<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6EflhtnfxKBD-jIDWtKHjFBCQaL88gyuaoBioE7vmqqtLxupmEH9PjN3V-nHdQxybcOxvzVDg_OzShJiqUQ33oK1FcD2lQ3R6xDkoOQg0SHyif3kqYpcyyg6WZ69IWM3Mes7/s1600/castro-brothers2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhl6EflhtnfxKBD-jIDWtKHjFBCQaL88gyuaoBioE7vmqqtLxupmEH9PjN3V-nHdQxybcOxvzVDg_OzShJiqUQ33oK1FcD2lQ3R6xDkoOQg0SHyif3kqYpcyyg6WZ69IWM3Mes7/s400/castro-brothers2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-21778758.post-19263478659985373682012-09-05T07:17:00.000-04:002012-09-05T15:34:44.418-04:00Forward, But in What DirectionI am a conservative that is right of Romney. Romney, let's not forget is a New England Liberal. One who has drifted with the expedient political winds. I will hold my nose as I cast my vote for him for the first time in November. Not because I disagree with his politics, but because I believe his is a far cry from the godly men we used to elect into office. American politics IS moving forward, but in what direction?<br />
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I am a conservative and I watch FOX News because I believe CNN Is a minion of the left wing. I was surprised that even their reporting showed the all out retreat of the Democratic party from the morality of our past. The Democratic national convention last night removed "God" from their official platform to the cheers of atheists who are quoted as approving of this forward motion. (See CNN article<a href="http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/09/04/god-also-absent-from-democrats-platform/" target="_blank"> here)</a>.<br />
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I fear that my statements about November's election may be construed as political. It is not. It is, above all moral. I am watching as both parties move forward but they are facing away from God's word, and towards a secular humanist state. <br />
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Please understand that we get the politicians we elect. They are in the most basic sense, a reflection of our national values. I do not mourn the election of any politician more than I mourn the national sin that would choose such a politician.<br />
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Last night, the Democratic Party endorsed Contraception, Abortion, Gay Marriage. And this to thunderous applause. These are the issues that eclipse any political agenda. These are not political issues. These are moral issues. The danger is that those who believe in democratic principles are being swept forward in a moral tidal wave.<br />
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I can agree to disagree on economics and jobs, and politics. I cannot agree to disagree on morality and scripture. It is clear to me that both parties are moving forward in the wrong direction. Both parties are abandoning their biblical moorings and increasingly supporting and promoting ungodly lifestyles. The difference is that the Democratic party last night made it loud and clear that they wanted to win that race.<br />
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Broad is the road that leads to destruction, and forward is the way that we are headed. It may be too late to exit the vehicle before the cliff. The brakes may be out, but I choose to be in the car that is traveling "forward" in the slow lane.<br />
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It is my prayer that morality would be the reason Christians go to the polls. Not politics, not personality, but bible. That we would humble ourselves and pray and seek God's face and forgiveness and repent from our forward direction, and head back to the bible.Joel Johnshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06483466064144522549noreply@blogger.com0