YOU ARE NOT RETIRED, YOU ARE REFIRED UP.

When one decides to retire and take life easy, one does not expect to do any more task or jobs. You know, the easy life. The one thing you planned all your life so you didn't have any time sheets or cards to punch. No more bosses, no more deadlines, no more pressure and no more stress. Yep, that is going to be great or so I thought. I was fortunate to take an early retirement as I had planned for decades. Well I have to tell you for me, it did not happen or didn't work

As I was getting used to the "easy life", I always felt uneasy and wasted a lot of time doing nothing or had no real purpose for getting out of bed. I did take up managing a mobile home park part time a few years back to have a purpose but that wasn't it. Although I was a par time believer on again and off again and occasionally attended a church, I was not getting some strong messages or I wasn't listening to that still silent voice.

A little while later I was at a nature preserve doing photography work when all of a sudden I felt like I was struck by a lightning bolt out of the sky. It wasn't that stormy of a day but it sure felt like it. All of a sudden I vividly recalled certain passages from the scriptures , the feeling of elation and peace fell upon me. It was something I never experienced before. When I came to my senses, I was down on my knees and the Geese nearby looked at me dumb founded. I looked up at the sky and all that I could say was "My God what did you do? ". Then I began to hear the still silent voices that I ignored before through the years. No I wasn't struck by lightning but I think the Lord struck me up side my head with a base ball bat to get my attention.

It was then that I felt compelled to start daily prayers, reading the scriptures, devoured numerous books on theology and Christianity, and began to generate a better understanding of scriptures that I never had before. After nearly two years of study, the wife and I were ready to take the next step and joined a church in order to have fellowship and serve the Lord. I started up a blog site to reach out to others that may or may not have a home church in order to spread the "Good News" covering topics of the Scriptures, miracles, the Holy Spirit, and the Spiritual gifts. We joined several classes in learning about the church doctrine,did some volunteer work, and made new friends.

At a recent Encounter ( mini revival , my term), I was really feeling blessed by the Holy Spirit while singing the Revelation Song. I didn't realize I moved up to the front near the altar while singing and rejoicing in the Lord. All of a sudden with in the large group of people at the altar, the head of the Encounter gathering came over to me whom I had never officially met before and began praying and laying of hands on my shoulder. I was surprised but then realized where I was. A warm feeling came over me and I felt revitalized as she prayed and I broke down praising god and began praying feverishly. I don't really know what I said in my prayers but she turned to me and said "you are not retired, you are re fired up". All I said was "Yes I am. Thanks" ( I think) and then she was gone back into the crowd of others praying.

I had been pondering my retirement fearing I was too old at 65 now to become active in ministering or pursuing an evangelist vocation other that what I was doing on the Internet. Was she divinely sent to seek me out and pass on encouragement from the Lord that you are never too old to serve? Is this the message I was seeking from the Lord? Why did she say that to me? I never mentioned retirement to her or her associates.

Considering God works in strange ways, I can only feel that message was divine. Now I know. You too can experience the same divine guidance by only accepting Jesus as your saviour and confess your sins. God is a loving forgiving God that wants you to share His love for you. Just don't take decades to understand that like I did. I wasted so much of my life refusing to serve and believe. I was lucky. He got my attention before it was too late. I dedicated my life to serve him and He has been a beacon of light in a dark world leading and guiding me. Life in the flesh is too short to waste it and face eternal damnation. As you read the scriptures, God is always a loving God that wants you to be saved in His grace. Every day He calls out to you to become one of His children in faith. He is also patient and forgiving. He has many gifts to offer you through the Holy Spirit and to witness the miracles of His healing powers. He is always and will for eternity be your pillar of strength if only you believe and serve only Him.

Can you make that choice today? Can you get down on your knees and pray with your heart for salvation in Jesus name? Time is running short. I can assure you if and when you pray to the Lord for salvation, You will be lifted out of darkness and forgiven of your sins. You will walk in the light of the Lord forever by only believing in this life and you will never taste the death of the flesh as your spirit will be lifted up into heaven to dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

It is your call.

NO TITLE

Tonight I have no pictures to post. Tonight there is no title. Tonight I am deeply troubled. Tonight I see injustice every where I turn.

The world is a dark place with out light and peace. Every news station I watch, I only hear of death and violence. The Islamic radicals are killing their own and others for holy jihad. Grown men are taking little children for sexual satisfaction then killing them. They are also attacking adult women and killing too. Teenage children have become so rebellious that they kill and brutally attack each other or adults with out remourse if only for some kind of satisfaction. Others kill to settle a score or revenge. Our current political party has set out on a mission to ignore the wishes of the citizens and seem to be turning to a new age way of thinking. Socialism for the masses and a select few rule all. The constitution is no longer valid per their way of thinking.

Why does God allow these atrocities to happen? Wait a minute! We allowed God to be taken out of our schools, banned prayers, even the mention of God publically, our judicial systems, our displays in public places, our TV networks, and even our lives and yet we said nothing as believers. Don't you think God feels His grace is not welcome in our lives any more so why bother?

Then you may wonder why God lets these things happen. As in bibical times you remember the ones that rebeled and ignored His guidance were uncontrolable.They refused to hear his words. He had no recourse but to warn first of the results if repentance was not made. In the cases as told by the prophets for those that refused to change their wicked ways destruction and death proceeded. The case of Noah is a good example. Others can also be found in scriptures.

God can't control everything that happens out side of his plan but He can surely allow the ones in His plans eternal life in His kingdom after the death of the flesh. Those that fail to come into His grace before their death of the flesh will suffer the consequences eternally in damnation and hell. As Jesus has said only the young children are innocent of sin and will be spared in Heaven. So God does have a master plan for believers and sinners in the time of judgement days comming soon.It just doesn't seem to be that way now but He never rest.

These thoughts reminded me of the time of Abraham pleading to God for sparing Sodom and Gomorah if only 10 believers could be found there ( thinking of his nephiew Lot)(Genesis). Instead God sent two of his angels ahead to see what wickedness was there. Is this what our own country has become ( modern day Sodom and Gomorah)? I pray to God that He does not feel that way for the ones who do believe.

I would think it would be hard to target one home over the other to pelt with Hell fire and brimstones. However, He does have a master plan of allowing all to repent and come under His grace before the rapture. That will be the time that His patience runs out and Jesus will come back to earth to claim His church. Even then, God is still reaching out to the ones that still refuse to repent. This time though, the non believers only have about 7 years left should they survive the tribulations of famine, death, and plagues to repent. If not, eternal judgement and damnation will prevail for those that refuse Gods loving grace for eternal life.

God is a loving God and wants all of us to enjoy his love and grace. God hates sin and the ones who fail to repent but He every day pleads with you for a better way of life and peace. You will never find it in the Humanist manifesto, New Age thinking, a political ideaology, worshiping false gods, lust, money, power, or material objects. Only through God can you ever find inner peace and the glory of the miracles and super natural power of God. It is yours for the asking by only believing and praying for forgiveness. In Revelations chapter 21 to 22, we read of the New Jerusalem that will descend from Heaven to replace the old Jerusalem. Reading the descriptions will certainly prove God's love for you if only you will believe. This is our new home for all eternity in Gods grace.

What is your choice?

WHO IS MELCHISEDEC?

Who is or was Melchisedec? Although he was only mentioned in three places in the Bible but seemed to hold a high priest position above all others. Some articles even went so far as to proclaim him a Pre incarnate Jesus. In Genesis :14, Abraham was blessed by Melchisedec after his battle to save his nephew Lot. Abraham goes so far as to give Melchisedec a tenth of all the goods he recovered in the battle. At the time Melchisedec was the King of Salem ( Jerusalem?). In Hebrews : 6, 7, and 8. Melchisedec is called a High priest of God, a king of peace, a king of Salem. He had no record of ancestors and there is no record of his ending and beginning of his life. He was not a descendant of any Levites where normally the priest were from. It is said he was a high priest for ever resembling the Son of God. There fore are we to conclude that Melchisedec was a spirit sent to earth in the form of a human and return to Heaven as in the case of Elijah not experiencing death? He lives eternally?

It was also said Jesus is like Melchisedec and a high priest in the order of Melchisedec. It was evident the apostles knew the importance of Melchisedec in the Book of Hebrews. So why is there not more on him if he held such a high position? I decided to do some research to find out more on Melchisedec.

In one publication, Melchisedec was called the King of Peace. Bible scriptures called Jesus the Prince of Peace so does this mean that he was a holy high priest or angel in Gods temple that took on a human form to dwell on earth in biblical times. Had he visited earth as a messinger or an agent of God with the power as God? We all know that God in Heaven has many of angels or Priest in various levels of power that dwell or serve in the House of the Lord so it is not that God is alone.

Another article I found suggest that Melchisedec was the pre incarnate Christ that came to earth to converse with Abraham well in advance of his birth in Bethlehem hundreds of years later. This article also states he had no father or mother, did not die, or was not born of earthly humans. Essentially he was a spirit or the actual incarnate of Christ.

One article suggested that Melchisedec was actually God himself in human form but goes on to say he might have been an intercessor for God. In Psalms 110.1 David is saying " the lord is saying to my Lord" (This indicates there are two lords conversing) "2 The LORD shall send the rod of thy strength out of Zion: rule thou in the midst of thine enemies. 3 Thy people [shall be] willing in the day of thy power, in the beauties of holiness from the womb of the morning: thou hast the dew of thy youth. 4The LORD hath sworn, and will not repent, Thou [art] a priest for ever after the order of Melchizedek."

Another part of this article states: Therefore we see in this scripture that this one who is called Lord and Master will also be called a Priest forever after the Order of Melchizedek. It does not tell us that He is Melchizedek, but he will be a priest after the Order, which word AFTER comes from the Hebrew word, 'al' and it means, 1) upon, on the grounds of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with,… Therefore this one that is spoken of here will come and enter into a Priestly order which was founded by this Melchizedek. This then tells us that This Melchizedek laid the groundwork for this priestly order. He set the pattern, in which this other Lord will follow. At one point it states that Melchisedec was in fact Jesus in a preincarnate form. When Jesus was born, Melchisedec became Jesus in human form then we hear nothing else about Melchisedec until the book of Hebrews. I would have to think that Melchisedec was a priest of the highest order in the Lords house ( Heaven) with a large amount of power and ruling capacity.

Another article states also that Melchisedec and Jesus are the same person ( a preincarnate Jesus) at which time of Jesus birth, he became Jesus and at Jesus Resurrection Jesus became God.

Confused yet?

There are no clear objective definitions of who Melchisedec really was except of what is written in Hebrews. It was apparent the apostles knew of who he really was but did not elaborate except that he was a heavenly high priest of the Holy God all mighty. One of the mysteries in the Bible that does not fully explain his position. Perhaps in time it will be revealed Melchisedec's real identity. What we know now is Jesus was a high priest "after" the order of Melchisedec. Does this mean we are also priest in the order of Melchisedec as one article hinted since we are Christ followers?

WHAT IS IN A LABEL SPIRIT WISE.

PRESIDENTIAL HOPEFUL IN 2008 LABEL

It seems for some reason there has to be a label on your faith rather than just being called a Christian. It seems you have to have a label so that you can be categorized or fit in a nice pigeon hole category by others.

Let me see how many I can come up with from my studies. I am not going to get into the different denominations as that will be another category to cover. There are the fundamentalist, cessationist, traditionalist, dispensationalist, Pentecostals, evangelicals, Charismatics, Post tribulationist, pretribulationist, and the list goes on. Then you have theologians that fall into these labels too. Some believe this way and some believe that way. I guess with theologians, it depends on which seminary you studied under.

A few of these groups states that the spiritual gifts ceased after the last apostle's death but that might not be the case. It very well could have been the church groups and bureaucratic leadership possibly put out gifted people or the church rejected them. Thus the people stopped seeking the gifts in direct disobedience to Gods commands. (1 Cor. 12:31: 14:1-39). Augustine about 3 centuries later began by believing that the miracle gifts were with drawn from the church but near the end of his life he retracted his claim and recorded 70 instances of miracles happening in his city of Hippo. Another that substantiates this was Warfield about 500 AD although he failed to give credence to the miracles he did state there were miracles.

Think about it. If the church lost the gifts for so many centuries could they have not lost other doctrine? Take the case of the book of Deuteronomy. It was lost some time after Moses death and wasn't discovered until about 622 B.C. It also happened again in the doctrine of justification by faith alone in Christ as stated by the apostles . It wasn't until the reformation in the 1500's and 1600's that it was found and made available to all people again in their own language. Can you wonder if more vital scripture is lost in a dusty closet waiting to be discovered? Lets not even talk about the Gnostic scriptures.

Back to basics here. The reason for all these labels as related to Christians is to determine where your ideologies and thinking follows. What I don't agree with is being pigeon holed into a label or group. I think a bible believing Christian that follows the scriptures as it is written is plenty of a label. What has happened is these labels has split up the Christian church and created division among Christians. Can you imagine what the non believers think of this? We can't even agree amongst ourselves what to follow. This is certainly not what God had planned or envisioned. And all this time He thought that the Nation of Israel was a headache. It would be nice for all people of faith to sit down and unite under one goal as Christians but that will never happen due to the many varied ideologies that we can come up with in worshiping the Lord. There in lies the paradox of who is right and who is not.

What ever Bible you read the scriptures from, it should convey the true word as stated by God and understandable as God's will for us to follow. Careful repeated study will reveal His true words and it will jump right off the pages at you. We don't need to be theologians to understand what God is saying. Through Paul He says to earnestly seek the gifts and miracles. Through Paul He states we will be baptised with the Holy Spirit in order to receive these gifts. He was not talking about only the Apostles but us as Christians. It doesn't take a theologian to figure this out.

Miracles, Spiritual gifts, super natural healing, and loving faith in the Lord is ours for the asking. No label or church can take that away from you. It is from God as He loves us all and wants us to experience His grace and gifts. Of course this is going to label you as a charismatic or whatever. The fact remains is you are a Christian seeking God's grace and love. That is the only label you need to worry about.

So what does that label me?