I need never forget that I am a hypocrite by nature. I tend to consider the things I approve of as moral and the things I disapprove of as immoral. When I do, I become a law unto myself.
I am NOT a law unto myself, nor is any other person. God’s moral standards exist out of myself. God’s moral law for man is explained in the Bible. And I need to know what is righteous and unrighteous, not by what I deem or others deem suitable. The moral law is not in man’s opinion or whim for the day.
I need a moral standard outside of myself. God declares what is true, what is honorable, what is pure…(Phil 4:8).
The one thing that I can count on is being a hypocrite. But it doesn’t matter what I think. God’s Word established a moral standard by which man will be judged- not anyone’s opinion or orientation. I cast my hypocrisy at the feet of the cross, confess, repent and believe Jesus. One’s belief about Jesus will determine where one spends eternity.
Man’s standards will not judge us. Therefore, let us never forget who is holy.
I AM a law unto myself,
a force of nature born and bred,
not to live upon a shelf,
but doing what might make me dead,
like leaping from a gabled roof
with flexed knees and a grin;
safe landing is my living proof
that I am born to win.
My wife no longer rolls her eyes,
nor cries into her beer,
and it should be no surprise
that she daily makes it clear
that though she can’t control my fate,
my life insurance’s up to date.
His unchangeable nature, His set purpose for man and God cannot lie.
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Hebrews 6:17-18 God desires show us two promises interposed with an oath of two immutable facts: it is impossible for God to lie and his purpose is unchangeable.WE have hope set before us that anchors our soul. A hope sure and steadfast and one who entered behind the veil as our forerunner.
From Genesis 3 to Revelations, God's purpose is to restore man to God's presence, enter within the veil, and walk beside him again.
We have entered an age where everyone is right in their own eyes. Each version is at odds with the other. God's Word is the plumb line by which all truth is measured. A plumb line is a weight suspended from a string used as a vertical reference line to ensure a structure is centered. God cannot lie therein lies the power of His Word.
Time is a fixed entity set for a season and always moving forward. God exists outside of time. God's purposes for man are unchangeable and arranged for a season of salvation as a test of man's free will. There is no variation or shifting of shadows for God's steadfast plan. All things being possible for God ( Phil 4:13, Matt 19:26) is predicated on a few impossibilities concerning His nature.
God is the plumb line of truth is how we will be measured. God create time as a linear funtion for creation, therefore He exists outside of time. He is the Alpha and Omega. Imagine God holding the ribbon of time, the beginning in one hand to the end in the other. He surveys all of the time, simultaneously.
God loves your soul like the soil loves the tree. God's Word is the soil where we firmly root our faith. The soil gives the tree all the space it needs to grow. God's will is His Word. It is not a road map but a relationship. God is more interested in what you become than what you do. Colossians 1:9. Having received Christ Jesus as Lord, you are: firmly rooted, grounded, built up in Him, and overflowing with gratitude- one faith, one hope, one Lord. Comfort comes by knowing that you are firmly rooted.
I am right and he is not,
and she is surely up a tree,
and they are what ‘stupid’ forgot
because they don’t concur with me.
There’s no need to see their point,
no matter how they cry and shout,
for they were off smoking a joint
when brains were being handed out.
And thus, I really ought to rule
over these quaint psuedo-sages
whose pictures are aligned with ‘fool’
on each dictionary’s pages,
so hand me, please, my kingly scepter,
for I’m clearly so much better.
A warrior is assigned a job or given a purpose. Our first step to becoming a warrior is to be born again to a living hope in Christ Jesus. (1Peter 1:3). As a warrior, training comes by the renewing of the mind to adopt God’s purpose. (Romans 12:1-2) The proof of your faith is more precious than gold, tested by trials. Let these trials produce endurance (James 1: 4-8), so you may be lacking in nothing, and through trials may you persevere as you develop and prove your character (Romans 5:1-5).
A warrior ready to fulfill your purpose, fully armed with the full armor of God and the shield of faith.
A warrior full of discernment with the sword of truth in the other to cut asunder lies propagated by the enemy. Lies like, live and let live; evil has no place in our home, school, community, or churches. Lies from the courts, the separation of church and state, and the constitution doesn’t protect the unborn.
God is a God of love but God condemns the reprobate mind (Romans 1), marriage is between a man and a woman, God created two sexes, male and female, and so many more.
A warrior to speak loudly against evil. With one voice we must roar the TRUTH as God has given us.
Ecclesiastes 3:8
8 a time to love and a time to hate, a time for war and a time for peace.
Matthew 24:6-7
6 You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come.
7 Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.
Our time is short and only the Truth will save another's soul.
God has me here to fulflil a purpose, as His warrior and I must trust God to lead me in that purpose.
Are you ready to be God's Warrior?
I wrote this today in response to a misconception about love. BE A WARRIOR, means speaking truth in love.
Colossians2:8 See to it that no one takes you captive through philosophy (lies or half-truth or wrong application) and empty deception ( a mind is a terrible thing to waste), according to the traditions of men, according to the elementary principles of the world rather than according to Christ. God’s love renews that heart and does not destroy it.
The Bible tells us how to love and what the fruit of the spirit of love is. It had nothing to do with sin. Love the sinner, hate the sin. Romans 12 tells us to renew our minds, don't let our minds fall into debauchery, the fruit of the spirit in Galatians 5: 22-25 vs. the world's view of love Galatians 5:19-21. You are to be led by the Holy Spirit, not be guided by empty philosophy, lies, or the deception propagated by the world's view of love.
Yes, love with a discerning heart, a heart filled with the Holy Spirit, a heart full of wisdom ready to stand against deception, willing to STAND on the whole TRUTH. God is love and Holy, and the two stand in unison. God is a God of love, but God still condemns the reprobate mind (Romans 1), marriage is between a man and a woman, God created two sexes, male and female, and so many more.
Tell your neighbor the Truth about God's love and His saving grace. The church age is coming to a close. True love is not letting your neighbor go to hell. I wrote this in response to this post which has an underlying misapplication of God's love. God offers a free gift of salvation but with the renewing of your heart and mind. It's an incorrect application of God's Word that stirred my heart. It is this type of wrong thinking that will send many to hell. How many souls will go to hell because we did not just correct wrong thinking, we did not speak God's Truth in love? Their acceptance or rejection is up to them but kowtowing to misapplication is a lie and will not lead to salvation.
Be God's Warrior by putting on the whole armor of God, the helmet of salvation, and protect yourself with Truth, the breastplate of God's Truth, as you spread the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Keep with you the shield of faith and the sword of Truth that divides (Hebrews 4:12) men's hearts, separating them into wheat and tares.
Breathe the sunlit air, uproot weeds watered by tears.
Take a chance; sometimes you pass, go and collect $2. (My grandson and I play junior monopoly.) Sometimes you get sent to Park Place with a hotel that isn’t yours. “Pay up!” Sometimes I feel like Jimmy Stewart with Mommy Dollar and Papa Dollar by the end of the game.
I have a precious grandchild whose Mom and Dad are divorced, which isn’t very pleasant between them. But my ex-son-in-law has turned his life around and is now preaching. He is having a very positive influence on his son. My grandson, for his birthday, asked for a suit to wear to church. His dad wears a suit every Sunday. And yes, we bought him a suit, shirt, tie, and shoes. So never give up, take a chance on people and always be willing to give them a second chance. God may surprise you. He answered my prayer through my son-in-law, not my daughter.
Jonah, Samson, David, Moses, Peter, Mary Magdalene, Disciples, and more.. second chance people. God is in the business of second chances.
Philippians 1:6 “And I am sure of this, that he who began a good work in you will bring it to completion at the day of Jesus Christ.”
William wears glasses and loves dogs. I painted this for him.
I loved the way Kate began her post today. We have several things in common with the exception of time. It is hard to write four decades. Wow.
At twenty I went overseas to serve as a missionary beginning on the island of Guam to the Philippines and then on a tour into China. The year 1980. I too thought I was going to lead the world to Christ but God had so much more planned.
I shared Christ with a young islander, (every which way, time, scriptures, etc) yet, she never prayed to receive Jesus. I made a friend, think of her and off and on still pray for her. I learned humility.
I lived with a family in the Phillippines and shared their everyday life. Boiling water to drink, watching their daughter studying hard to pass an exam to enter sixth grade. If she didn’t pass, her schooling was over. I learned the value of education. I became a teacher.
When asked what I wanted to eat for breakfast, I suggest an egg. I didn’t know how expensive eggs were. Once I knew I ended that. I remember the family meal of rice, one fish, and pea dish which we all shared from a turn-style from the center of the table. I learned the value of family.
So much of what I write today is still tied to that year. I was in training for the battles to come.
I hope I gave half as much as I received. God’s blessing comes in so many different ways that at times we cannot see. My students would ask why so many people come to America, I replied for the water, it is clean, drinkable, and ready to serve.
So is God’s Word, which is clean, drinkable, and served every day in America under the blessing we received.
They come here for the water,
they come here to be free,
they come so son and daughter
won’t fall to slavery.
They come here in the springtime,
they come here in the fall.
They come here, knowing it’s a crime,
but still they risk it all
to die in a hot desert place,
with home so far behind,
hoping for a simple grace
and a gentle mind
that will give, at least, Christian aid
to those who flee the murder blade.
This isn’t a political statement; I just think we have to look clearly at the motives of those who’d leave everything behind to reach a refuge, and see them as being a lot like us.
What a beautiful reflection, Rhonda! I appreciate how you shared your life’s journey thus far…I learned humility as a missionary; I learned to value education and became a teacher; I learned the value of family; all of these laid the foundation for my life…training for the battles to come.
Such inspiring and encouraging thoughts/reflections. Lessons learned that last a lifetime…..certainly some of the greatest blessings we have. I will pray that your Guam friend has accepted Christ…or soon will.
“This was written as a haiku, but I trashed it and started over. The haiku may have captured the essence of Louisiana’s swampland but missed its vibrancy.”
The Atchafalaya Basin by RL BrownAcross the boot parishes, a vast swampland exists where the Cypress reign as keepers of the river forest.
Underneath a feathery dome, robed in reddish-bark with shields of twisted branches, resides the age-old kings.
Gators serve as sentries guarding the murky waters below, instilling respect for life and doom for the ignorant.
Sinkholes, shifting sand, watchful eyes always stare, ever mindful of a changing landscape.
A river basin teams with bass, crappie, and crawfish, full of beauty and wonder. Its esse seeps into a Cajun's soul.
Stagnant water breeds relentless mosquitoes. Yet, the yellow warbles and purple martins feast.
Host to mink, otters, muskrats, bears, deer, and bobcats, this bayou exists for life and shares in its hardships.
Standing between worlds is a glimpse of immortality, a time passage that remains under the Cypress' rule.
es·se
essential nature or essence.
"two traditions, each of whose esse is opposition to the central tenets of the other"
Across fourteen parishes, the longest swamp river flows, the Atchafalaya River. The Cypress tree reigns as king in the sleepy waters of the Atchafalaya and Chitimacha rivers. They stand tall and proud, robed in a reddish-bark, untouched by time. Adorn with delicate leaves that sparkle in the sunlight, branches stretch to cover their domain.
If the Cypress is king, gators stand guard in murky waters beneath, keeping unwanted or unaware at bay.
This ecologically rich heritage is as diverse as the cultural peoples who have come to make it their home. European, African, Caribbean, and Native American descendants dug their roots deep into the bayou. The bayou blends them all into a cajun or creole cultural mix.
Real magic is the time
and effort you put into
something.
The difference between a fable and a fairy tale is that in a fable you succeed by your own efforts. That is the essence of real magic.
thunderous speech showers from the sky
pattering the earth's surface
liquid sunshine seeps into the crusty dirt,
nourishing deep roots.
Showers of thunderous speech
oozing liquid sunshine
splattering the dirt
Sun captures glistening vapors
snapdragons retreat
pods of rebirth
Seeds are coming early this year. Hidden in Nature Pic by RLBrown
(WIP)
Hidden in Nature
Dangling treasure
for avid adventurers,
hidden in nature.
Dangling treasures
hidden in nature
for seekers to find......sought by
Tenacious trekkers
journey through a rarely seen
ribbon of time.
Wanderers capture
moments of discoveries
and lasting memories.
Capturing moments
of discoveries
and lasting memories.
The patterned pathways of
speckled sunlight guiding
avid adventurers.
As evening wanes
sunlight etches closer to
twilight's shade
Speckles of sunlight
Sunlight etches closer to twilight's shade
as the evening wanes.
emits pastel hue (cool Hue) Pastel hues color the evening sky.
long summer evenings
forest and child
refuse to sleep.
Fireflies hover
tealights glow
keeping darkness at bay
Cicadas sing
tree shadows creep.
Silence and night merge.
Yet little ones play in evening's twilight.
little ones frolic
on moonbeams silvery stream
till stillness comes.
Moonbeams
little ones frolic
under silvery moonbeams
till stillness comes
vanishing, tranformed by a moonbean ---stars shine, night receds behind the stars.
light infused into the night lighting a new path
till moonbeam
cast a sprkled light or an infused ligh
shadows and light play againtill the night hush comes
to pour a sleeping draft,
draws the sleepy eyes
darkness comes with a peacful rest.
Night's hush pours it sleeping draft
Life frolics on the moonbeam.
It plays till Night's hush
moves stillness in and
draws the sleepy eyes
shut, all rest.
{Plays till stillness comes.
The hush of night,
draws the sleepy eyes,
rest.
Yet in the darkness
life does not sleep
It frolic till Night's hush
moves in stillness,
all rest.]
Dayshadows shines Pattern Pathways
on twisted trails
of speckled sunlight
patterned pathways
of speckled sunlight
on twisted trails
designed for
rambling rovers,
giddy gadabouts,
avid adventurers,
dogged drifters,
and
tenacious trekkers.
fun to play with-
Tenacious trekkers travel twisted trails through time. time turns memories into laughter.
Twisted trails of speckled sunlight and patterned pathways traveled by avid adventurers, dogged drifters and tenacious trekkers.
Wintry winds
whistling a ceaseless
threnody
Haiku Music Challenge
1. sunlight etches closer
to twilight's shade,
evening wanes
2. long summer evenings
forest and child
refuse to sleep
Rhonda L Brown - USA
http://stardusthaiku.blogspot.com/p/blog-page.html submission instructions
submission - Stardust - August
A friend and I above the clouds swinging free on a porch in Mountain View, AR. #haikusaturday I hope to visit one more time before she sells. pic.twitter.com/CMSuHM4BJ9
Certainly not the misinterpretation of a Founding Father’s letter by one man in the sixties that has reek havoc on our nation, just like one man’s decision in the Roe vs. Wae, stating that the Constitution didn’t protect a child in the mother’s womb. Jefferson’s letter assures this pastor and future churches in America that they would not suffer the persecution by the government as they had in Europe and England. Jefferson’s letter implied that our government would always protect churches and religious freedom. Read Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, every one of the Founding Fathers believed
2 Timothy 2:15
King James Version
15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
Thomas Jefferson's letter was written to a concerned pastor about the overreach of government into the church, not as it has been missed applied. Today the gov't has overreached into the church, our schools, and our daily lives to the point of infringing on our God-given inalienable rights and even trying to shut down churches, charging thousands of dollars a day for staying open. God was not to be removed from our daily lives or our society.
Mountains of precipitous words echo constant reverberation. Reach into the WORD to find perspicacity (clear insight). Today, politicians and news media constantly reverberate the same talking point, spout opinions as facts, and shut down free speech if it is contrary to their talking points.
God calls us to know our foundational truths; to think freely is an inalienable right given to us by God, not man. That made this country so different from others in the past and today.
Side note: Thomas Jefferson didn't believe in tax dollars for education, welfare, money for illegal immigrants (actually, that started with President Carter), planned parenthood, SSI, and more. Those things were the responsibility of the states.)
We live in a bubble created by all those who have forged this country, and it is disappearing into the chaos as seen in Portal and yesterday into NY, where someone runs up and shoots a mother in the back of her head, totally unaware of the danger. Many people today are unaware of the risk of a socialist regime and the loss of freedom they now enjoy because of our right to protect ourselves. Sorry, this was long; just a heartfelt concern.
I don't know how in the '60s and '70s, people accepted the misapplication of Truth. Ignorance, afraid to speak up, is that true, busy with daily life, etc.; their argument stood so long that the fight to challenge it seemed insurmountable. But I think it was good people not paying attention and evil people pushing an agenda that started over a hundred years ago. I know I'm guilty of not paying attention. Good people have sounded out from the patriot act to the crazy bureaucrats controlling your actions. Study to show thyself approved. I have so much to learn.
JOB 17:8 “Upright men shall be astonied at this, and the innocent shall stir up himself against the hypocrite. The righteous also shall hold on his way, and he that hath clean hands shall be stronger and stronger.”
Job is sad that he, a godly person, must suffer such pain and insults, but his sufferings make him more determined to do right and oppose wrong.
Act 2:16-18 “In the last days, God says, I will pour out my Spirit on all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy.”
Why bring these two seemingly unrelated verses together? Job did suffer the loss of his wealth, family, and health. His friends came to offer comfort but only accused him of sin in his life. His friends personally attacked him. We look to the church for guidance yet, are condemned by our peers, not given the whole truth. “Romans 13:12-14 The night is almost finished. The day is almost here. So we should stop doing whatever belongs to darkness. We should prepare ourselves to fight evil with the weapons that belong to the light. We should live right by not participating in wild parties or getting drunk, doped up, etc. We should not be involved in sexual sin or any kind of immoral behavior. We should not be malicious gossip on social media. We are to speak the Truth by calling evil, evil. “
God spoke to Job directly and brought a clear understanding of His love for Job and through it a deeper understanding of Himself. How would you like to have had this conversation?
Astonied is to be filled with consternation or dismay. When people’s hearts are stirred, God will pour out His Spirit. We will not be lost, nor will our hearts remain heavy at the evilness around us. God will pour out His spirit upon the stirred souls of the righteous, and God will give you discernment through His Word to recognize the counterfeiter.
God will speak to us as He did Job by pouring out His Spirit. …on your sons and daughters, (they) will prophesy, your young men will see visions, your old men will dream dreams. Even on my servants, both men and women, I will pour out my Spirit in those days, and they will prophesy (the Truth).
We are to be a bulwark for the innocence. Pic by RL Brown
I’m smart, you’re dumb; I’m big, you’re little; I’m right, you’re wrong, and there’s nothing you can do about it. (Movie/ Matilda)
7 So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her. John 8:7King James Version
I think of how we Christians lord church doctrine over other churches, non-Christians, etc., yet think my sin is not as bad as theirs. WOW! Certain sins may excommunicate you from the church, while every sin not washed by the blood of Jesus keeps you out of heaven. Sometimes our point of view needs adjusting.
Yet, from a Jewish perspective, if a Pharisee had cast the first stone, he would be guilty of claiming equality with God, the very reason Jesus hung on the cross. The Pharisees saw themselves better than others, their sin less dirty, but Jesus changed their perspective upward. I sometimes get locked into a western view of the bible, which is dangerous. I heard a pastor say once, how can a bridesmaid, the Jewish Nation, be the bride of Christ, the church. Matthew 24 is written to the Jewish nation, not the bride of Christ. It is about the second coming, not the rapture. I would like to add here of how many times I thought if the church is the bride, how is it that I’m the bridesmaid? Or where did Enoch go? Why are all of David’s failures told?
God’s Word has so many layers that I’m learning to adjust my point of view upward. God’s Word rings true for every believer to meet them where they are in the Christian walk. God reveals Himself in His Word. It is up to me to seek, and know Him.
brontebrown2 
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