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Congregationalists

January 1st, 2006 @ 1:00 am by Rich | Share This | Comments: none
Filed under: ChurchRodent

The real architects of the denominational theory of the church were the seventeenth century Independents (Congregationalists) who represented the minority voice at the Westminster Assembly (1642-49). The majority at the Assembly held to Presbyterian principles and expressed these convictions classically in the Westminster Confession of Faith and in The Westminster Larger and Shorter Catechisms.

The Independents, however, who held to congregational principles, were keenly aware of the dangers of "dividing the godly Protestant party" in England so they looked for some way to express Christian unity even when Christians did not agree.

These Dissenting Brethren of Westminster articulated the denominational theory of the church in several fundamental truths: First, considering man’s inability to always see the truth clearly, differences of opinion about the outward form of the church are inevitable. Second, even though these differences do not involve fundamentals of the faith, they are not matters of indifference. Every Christian is obligated to practice what he believes the Bible teaches. Third, since no church has a final and full grasp of divine truth, the true Church of Christ can never be fully represented by any single ecclesiastical structure. Finally, the mere fact of separation does not of itself constitute schism. It is possible to be divided at many points and still be united in Christ. Thus, the denominational theory of the church looked for Christian unity in some inward religious experience — and allowed diversity in the outward expressions of that personal faith. This tolerant attitude was not born of doctrinal indifference. The Independent had no intention of extending Christian unity to all religious professions. The identity of the "one true church" was restricted to those who shared a common understanding of the core of the Christian faith.

This denominational view of the church found only limited acceptance in England where the Church of England retained a favored position, even after the Act of Toleration in 1689 recognized the rights of Presbyterians, Congregationalists, Baptists and Quakers to worship freely. Yet to the colonists in America it seemed to be God’s answer for the multiplying faiths in the New world.

Few advocates of the denominational view of the church in the seventeenth century envisioned the hundreds of Christian groups included under the umbrella today. They had no intention of reducing the basic beliefs of Christianity to a general feeling of religious sincerity. But they could not control the future. They simply knew that the traditional bigotry and bloodshed in the name of Christ was not the way forward.

In the end, then, the denominational form of the church has marked the recent centuries of Christian history, not because it is ideal, but because it is better than any alternative the years have offered.

 

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Instead of taking time to share my trials, temptations, concerns and needs with the Lord, I chose to try to carry them alone, worrying about things I cannot control, fretting over an unknown future. I felt the tug of the Spirit several times through the day inviting me to spend some time in retreat, prayerfully drawing on His strength. But, I was &#39;too busy&#39; (that self-god thing) and decided to substitute a few flash prayers. Those are the quick short &quot;Lord, help __________&quot; that we pray in emergencies. It&#39;s fine to pray that way, but they are no substitute for contemplative deep reflection when we &quot;&lt;em&gt;wait on the Lord!&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;656344310-16052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;656344310-16052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Believer, if we are engaged with the world as we ought to be, we will find ourselves desperate and weary for the battle is often fierce. The work of the Kingdom of Heaven is no Sunday School picnic. The Word is not being sensational when He warns us that &quot;&lt;em&gt;This is for keeps, a life-or-death fight to the finish against the Devil and all his angels&lt;/em&gt;. &quot; (Ephesians 6:12, The Message) We are called to care, to love, to give! Those are not without cost. Evil is active, not passive. The Devil organizes forces against God and His people and he does not fight fair. His only goal is the destruction of the works of God. And, if he can accomplish that end by convincing us that we must be &#39;god,&#39; exhausting ourselves to the point of despair, he will do that. The goals of the evil one are accomplished as readily when we work hard and ineffectively to the point of becoming ungodly, as they are when we do nothing!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;656344310-16052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;656344310-16052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;But, we are not his victims. &lt;/strong&gt;We are not helpless, hopeless, or hapless. We are richly resourced, equipped for the mission. &quot;&lt;em&gt;Be strong &lt;strong&gt;in the Lord &lt;/strong&gt;and &lt;strong&gt;in His mighty power&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/em&gt;.&quot; (Ephesians 6:10, NLT) There is an old saying worthy of repeating: &quot;A Christian is never stronger than when he is on his knees!&quot; &lt;em&gt;&quot;The Lord doesn’t care about the strength of horses or powerful armies. The Lord is pleased only with those who worship him and trust His love.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; (Psalm 147:10-11, CEV) So we don&#39;t run from the battle. We don&#39;t ask to be reassigned to an easier place of service. We don&#39;t seek to be relieved of duty. We ask to be &lt;strong&gt;resourced&lt;em&gt; &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;from the rich supply that our God has available. This is the promise: &lt;em&gt;&quot;Those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint&lt;/em&gt;.&quot; (Isaiah 40:31, NKJV) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;656344310-16052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;656344310-16052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Here&#39;s a Word on which to meditate today. As you read them, make they help you to give God His rightful place in your mind and heart. May they help you to see Him in His majesty, for He is a BIG God.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;656344310-16052008&quot;&gt; &lt;p&gt;&quot;&lt;em&gt;I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, from whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might through His Spirit in the inner man, that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height— to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that you may be filled with all the fullness of God. &lt;/em&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Now to Him who is &lt;strong&gt;able to do exceedingly abundantly above all that we ask or think&lt;/strong&gt;, according to the power that works in us,&lt;span class=&quot;656344310-16052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.&quot; (Ephesians 3:&lt;span class=&quot;656344310-16052008&quot;&gt;14-&lt;/span&gt;21, NKJV) &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;', '1210947892', '1210947892', '2008-05-16')

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INSERT INTO wp_bdprss_items_v3 (item_feed_id, item_url, item_name, text_body, item_update_time, item_time, item_date) VALUES ('37', 'http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-vQwmRz07frSd2czSBsr_eQ--?cq=1&amp;p=648', 'Entry for May 15, 2008', '&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;156082311-15052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;An exclusive relationship&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;156082311-15052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;156082311-15052008&quot;&gt;A very small percentage of Americans claim to live in an arrangement that baffles me called &#39;open marriage.&#39; Supposedly these couples feel a need to have intimate partners other than their spouse so that they are able to move through stages of emotional development. It is sometimes called &#39;love without jealousy.&#39; God calls it immorality. Marriage is an exclusive relationship and those who do not remain with the one to whom they are pledged, with or without their spouse&#39;s consent to their infidelity, are committing adultery. In most situations, jealousy is a destructive reaction, but in defense of our vows, we do well to jealously defend our claim to the affections of our spouse. We are right to insist that as remain committed to faithful and exclusive love, we be loved in the same way.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;156082311-15052008&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;156082311-15052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;156082311-15052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Bev and I pledged an exclusive love relationship 33 years ago! I love many people, but no one in the same way that I love my wife. I know that she loves me exclusively, too. That bond is a treasure which we guard with diligence. Neither of us would overlook any relationship that we felt potentially threatened our marriage. We jealously protect our marriage because we own each other, not in a sense of slavery, but with voluntary commitment to one another as we are mutually submitted to Christ, our Lord. Our fidelity creates trust, stability, and security - not just for each other, but also for our adult children who can draw on our shared strength. I pray that our love for each other glorifies God, too, by demonstrating in some small way what it means to be &#39;married to Christ.&#39; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;156082311-15052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;156082311-15052008&quot;&gt;Do you realize that God asks for an exclusive relationship with you? He says, &lt;em&gt;&quot;No other gods, only me. &lt;/em&gt;&quot; (Exodus 20:3, The Message) &quot;&lt;em&gt;Don’t bow down to them and don’t serve them because I am God, your God, and I’m a most jealous God&lt;/em&gt;.&quot; (Exodus 20:5, The Message) Do you flirt with other gods? No, I am not talking about going after one of the Hindu deities or taking up devotion to some tribal religion. That&#39;s too obvious and not likely much of a temptation for any of us. What about the god of reputation, or pleasure, or money? Worship is not expressed only in a formal setting like church. We &#39;worship&#39; when we assign value and worth. God, our Father, requires that He be given exclusive position as the Lord of our life. Jesus repeated this commandment from a positive side quoting Deuteronomy: &lt;em&gt;&quot;Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.&lt;/em&gt;&quot; (Matthew 22:37, NIV) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;156082311-15052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;156082311-15052008&quot;&gt;Believer, protect your love for the Lord. Serve Him faithfully. When temptation attempt to seduce you, bidding for your affections, name it what He calls it, &quot;spiritual adultery!&quot; That sounds so ugly because it is! He wants to own us, to give us His love, to share life with us without inference from any other lovers. Who can forget the heartbreak of the story of Hosea, the prophet to Judah, whose wife repeatedly left him for other lovers? He went to find her and found her broken and desolate. He brought her home and restored her. This tragedy became an illustration for the people of God who left their Husband to chase other gods. But, He did not abandon them. Instead, He pursued them and won their hearts again.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;156082311-15052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;156082311-15052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He loves you and me, Believer. If our hearts should wander, we can return to His love for He says, &lt;em&gt;&quot;I will betroth you to me forever; I will betroth you in righteousness and justice, in love and compassion. I will betroth you in faithfulness, and you will acknowledge the LORD.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; (Hosea 2:19-20, NIV) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;', '1210947892', '1210947891', '2008-05-16')

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It teaches me that &lt;/span&gt;my personal happiness is not God&#39;s paramount purpose&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;.&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; In my American mind, which values &lt;/span&gt;personal fulfillment&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;, &lt;/span&gt;the thought that God might allow us to suffer as He works out His plan is very, very hard to accept!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Here&#39;s a thumbnail sketch of Joseph&#39;s story, which is recorded in the book of Genesis. &lt;/span&gt;His father loved him, perhaps too much&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;, and set him apart from his brothers with expensive gifts&lt;/span&gt;. God&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;, in His own purposes,&lt;/span&gt; chose him and &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;gave him dreams about a time when he would rule over his family, enjoying unheard of prominence despite being far down the line in the family order. &lt;/span&gt;His brothers hated him because he was favored by their father and God. &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When they had the chance, those jealous siblings&lt;/span&gt; got rid of him by selling him to slave-traders&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;. They took &lt;/span&gt;him hundreds of miles from his home to&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; Egypt. &lt;/span&gt;So much for dreams of destiny, or so it seemed; but, he didn&#39;t surrender to despair.&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Sold to Potiphar, a nobleman&lt;/span&gt;, he worked hard and was soon &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;appointed to manage &lt;/span&gt;the household.&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;Then, &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Potiphar&#39;s wife took an unhealthy interest &lt;/span&gt;in him&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;. W&lt;/span&gt;hen he wouldn&#39;t cooperate with her, &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;s&lt;/span&gt;he &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;made up a charge of r&lt;/span&gt;ape and &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;he was &lt;/span&gt;jailed. &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; Faithful again, Joseph soon was made a trustee and was running &lt;/span&gt;the jail! Years pas&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;sed&lt;/span&gt; and two men from the king&#39;s court were jailed with him. They had dreams and he &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;interpreted them for them&lt;/span&gt;. He asked the man who was going back to serve &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Pharaoh &lt;/span&gt;to please remember him. He &lt;em&gt;didn&#39;t &lt;/em&gt;-at least for a few years - until &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Pharaoh &lt;/span&gt;had a nightmare that defied understanding. Then, the man remembered Joseph and Pharaoh sent for him. After decades of disappointment, Joseph &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;finally &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;came to the place &lt;/span&gt;that God&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; promised to &lt;/span&gt;him whe&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;n&lt;/span&gt; he was a teenage boy. He became the Prime Minister of Egypt.&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;W&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;hew! That&#39;s a long route from promise to blessing, isn&#39;t it? Joseph &lt;/span&gt;must have been tempted to wonder, &quot;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;W&lt;/span&gt;hat&#39;s going on?&quot; Has God forgotten me? Why is all this happening to me?&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;&quot; &lt;/span&gt; But, he had faith and &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;his God-given&lt;/span&gt; dream of destiny &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;to &lt;/span&gt;which he held tightly..&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;. &lt;/span&gt; &lt;em&gt;waiting, trusting,hopeful&lt;/em&gt;! &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;How do I know that? Because of his own words. When Joseph was at the pinnacle of power and his poor brothers came into his court seeking food and favors, not knowing they were standing in the presence of the person they sold to slave-traders years before, he told them this: &lt;em&gt;&quot;But don&#39;t be angry with yourselves that you did this to me, for God did it. He sent me here ahead of you to preserve your lives. These two years of famine will grow to seven, during which there will be neither plowing nor harvest. &lt;strong&gt;God has sent me here to keep you and your families alive so that you will become a great nation.&lt;/strong&gt; Yes, it was God who sent me here, not you! And he has made me a counselor to Pharaoh-manager of his entire household and ruler over all Egypt.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Genesis 45:5-8, NLT) God used the circuitous route that led through slavery and prison to produce a man that would save a nation and his own family.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If God loves me (and He does, very much!) how could he ask me to suffer?&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Because He is perfecting us for His purposes, purposes which reach much more widely than we can see, given our finiteness. God is amazingly at work to bring all circumstances- good and bad- to a place where His will is done. &quot;W&lt;em&gt;e &lt;strong&gt;know &lt;/strong&gt;that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. For those God foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the likeness of his Son,that he might be the firstborn among many brothers. And those he predestined, he also called; those he called, he also justified; those he justified, he also glorified. What, then, shall we say in response to this?&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;If God is for us, who can be against us?&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Romans 8:28-31, NIV) &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Living in that truth requires a great faith- &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;which God will provide to us, if we ask!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If you&#39;re in a place where you&#39;re asking, &quot;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;W&lt;/span&gt;hat&#39;s going on?&quot; &lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; read the &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Psalm of Patience &lt;/strong&gt;(&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Psalm &lt;/span&gt;37). The lead verbs in that Psalm pointthe way to endurance, the way to let God&#39;s will emerge from the pyre on which self is offered up to His purposes. &lt;br /&gt;&quot;&lt;strong&gt;Trust &lt;/strong&gt;in the LORD. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Delight &lt;/strong&gt;in the LORD.&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Commit &lt;/strong&gt;you&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;r&lt;/span&gt; way to the LORD. &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Be still &lt;/strong&gt;before the LORD. &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Wait &lt;/strong&gt;on the LORD!&quot;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Take this word from the Word to heart and let God love you today:&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;I waited patiently for the LORD; he turned to me and heard my cry. &lt;br /&gt;He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire; &lt;br /&gt;he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. &lt;br /&gt;Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD. &lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Blessed is the man who makes the LORD his trust, &lt;br /&gt;who does not look to the proud, &lt;br /&gt;to those who turn aside to false gods.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; (Psalm 40:1-4, NIV) &lt;/p&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;__________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;The Lord&#39;s our Rock,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;In Him we hide,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;A shelter in the time of storm,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Secure whatever ill betide,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;A shelter in the time of storm.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Oh, Jesus, is the Rock&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;in a weary land, a weary land, a weary land,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;Oh, Jesus is the Rock in&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt; a weary land,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;A shelter in the time of storm.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;031024210-14052008&quot;&gt;- public domain&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;', '1210947892', '1210947890', '2008-05-16')

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INSERT INTO wp_bdprss_items_v3 (item_feed_id, item_url, item_name, text_body, item_update_time, item_time, item_date) VALUES ('37', 'http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-vQwmRz07frSd2czSBsr_eQ--?cq=1&amp;p=646', 'Entry for May 13, 2008', '&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Ambition- Keep it and Curb it!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;In a mistaken idea about contentment, some Christians aspire to wanting nothing; to living mediocre, undistinguished lives. They do nothing well, never break a sweat, and resent anyone who presses them to own a bigger vision! In truth, those who are filled with God&#39;s Spirit are equipped with gifts to change the world and since we will all stand before the King of Glory to give an accounting of how we lived, we should be full of earnest desire to achieve great things with the gifts He&#39;s given us. My dictionary defines ambition as &#39;the earnest desire for achievement or distinction.&#39; Is that compatible with humility in the service of Christ? I believe it is. W&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;em&gt;e need ambition &lt;strong&gt;and &lt;/strong&gt;we must keep it on a short leash.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt; &lt;ul&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;Jesus had a calling to &lt;strong&gt;save the world&lt;/strong&gt;! Nothing, not even a cross could stop Him. He was amazingly ambitious, yet always submitted to God and loving. &lt;em&gt;&quot;For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve others and to give his life as a ransom for many.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Matthew 20:28, NLT&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt; &lt;li&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;Paul was called by Jesus to take the Good News of the Kingdom to the world. He was a man of great ambition, whose vision pulled him through all kinds of deprivations and difficulties.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span&gt;Paul&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt; repeatedly &lt;/span&gt;commends those who are willing to stick with hard work. In the book of the Revelation, Jesus praises those who keep the faith saying, &lt;em&gt;&quot;I know all the things you do. I have seen your hard work and your patient endurance.. . . You have patiently suffered for me without quitting.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Revelation 2:2-3, NLT) The Word adds a qualifying word to ambition that makes all the difference. That word? &#39;&lt;strong&gt;S&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;elfish&lt;/strong&gt;.&#39; &lt;em&gt;&quot;Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Philippians 2:3-4, NIV) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;A person who lacks ambition will drift through life taking what falls his way, looking for minimal ways to keep his job, settling for the easiest rather than seeking the best! Solomon&#39;s proverbs say that &lt;em&gt;those who are lazy want everything but get nothing&lt;/em&gt;. (13:4) He also says that a lazy man is like &lt;em&gt;vinegar on our teeth and smoke in our eyes&lt;/em&gt;. What a turn of phrase. The lazy man talks a great game but proves to be a great irritant to those who work with him because he never gets the job done. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;An overly ambitious person is equally difficult to work around because he will not cooperate, has little sense of team-work, and is always seeking center stage. Consequently, what he does, no matter how well it is done, is tainted with self-interest. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;Ambition can be dangerous because it can lead to a misplaced love of work over love for people! An ambitious person warms to the process that &#39;gets things done,&#39; and may become blinded to what his drive for the goal is costing those around him. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Who are you living for - self or Christ? &lt;br /&gt;Does an ambition for the work of the Kingdom own you, calling you to excel in the service of the King?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Check your vision! If you lack a reason for living, pray &#39;til you hear His calling! If your vision is clear, but you are motivated by approval of others, or are building something bigger on which to hang your name, take it back to the feet of Jesus. Lay it there and ask Him to refocus you, not away from the desire to make a difference or distinction, but around a genuine desire to make His name glorious.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt;_____________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;484523710-13052008&quot;&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Wake up, O sleeper, rise from the dead, &lt;br /&gt;and Christ will shine on you.&quot; &lt;br /&gt;Be very careful, then, how you live—&lt;br /&gt;not as unwise but as wise, &lt;br /&gt;making the most of every opportunity, &lt;br /&gt;because the days are evil.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; (Ephesians 5:14-16, NIV) &lt;/p&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;', '1210947892', '1210947889', '2008-05-16')

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INSERT INTO wp_bdprss_items_v3 (item_feed_id, item_url, item_name, text_body, item_update_time, item_time, item_date) VALUES ('37', 'http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-vQwmRz07frSd2czSBsr_eQ--?cq=1&amp;p=645', 'Entry for May 12, 2008', '&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Remembering the Good Stuff!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In my memory, it often the bad days that claim greater prominence! Like it was yesterday, I can recall the puzzlement that turned to fear on September 11, 2001. I can remember the phone calls from my kids, the meeting that I was attending that was cut short as we Pastors scattered to return to our churches and families. I remember, with crystal clarity, the awful morning, March 23, 1985, when I found the lifeless body of our foster son, then a toddler, who had wandered into the farm&#39;s pond and drowned, or so we thought. In between frantic efforts at resuscitation and desperate prayers to Heaven, God restored that child to us, but I&#39;ll never forget the horrible 24 hours between finding him in the water and when he regained consciousness in a pediatric intensive care unit. Though we so&lt;strong&gt; easily recall the hard days, the fearful moments, the tragedies, we need to make the choice to recall the good stuff!&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Recently I sat with my Dad for an afternoon. Despite his critical illness, together we remembered... good things, fun things, happy days, and the blessings of God. We dug back through our memories, one story leading to another. We recalled changed lives, celebrations, milestone achievements, God&#39;s wonderful works. In &lt;strong&gt;remembering &lt;/strong&gt;my faith was strengthened. It is important to mark the moments; both ordinary and stupendous, that God answers prayers, gives assurance, touches us with His joy. Many times in the Scripture, we read of memorials being built, records being written - just for the purpose of reminding future generations of the goodness of God. Take a look at what the Bible says about one of those times. &lt;em&gt;&quot;Now choose twelve men, one from each tribe. Tell them, ‘Take twelve stones from the very place where the priests are standing in the middle of the Jordan. Carry them out and pile them up at the place where you will camp tonight.’ ... We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’ Then you can tell them, ‘They remind us that the Jordan River stopped flowing when the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant went across.’ These stones will stand as a memorial among the people of Israel forever.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Joshua 4:2-7, NLT) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;As you face a new week perhaps you&#39;re also feeling overwhelmed by a challenge. Maybe it seems today that God is far away, that some difficulty is too big to overcome. Perhaps you&#39;ve been in the fight so long you&#39;re weary even today on a Monday morning. Take a few moments for a memory review. Bring to mind a victory or two from your past and thank God! If you can&#39;t remember one from your own &#39;faith story,&#39; then borrow one from some Christian&#39;s biography and thank God for His faithful to them. Or review a story from the Bible - Daniel in the lion&#39;s den when God showed up and closed the lion&#39;s mouth; young David on the field of battle confronting Goliath in the name of the LORD of Israel; or Paul and Silas in the jail in Philippi singing worship songs at midnight until God rocked the house!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Through Jesus, therefore, let us continually offer to God a sacrifice of praise—the fruit of lips that confess his name.&quot; &lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;(Hebrews 13:15, NIV) &lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;Let&#39;s not misunderstand this directive of the Word. It is not just an encouragement to optimism as powerful as positive thinking is! We are reminded to praise God for His greatness, to remember our inheritance as children of God, an inheritance given to through Jesus Christ, irrevocably and freely. We bring our worshipful praise to Him as a sacrifice, which He finds deeply pleasing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Go ahead, offer a sacrifice of praise right now. Make it sincere, even if it&#39;s simple. Then, add another and another. Soon, you will have discovered the amazing power of praise, for praise ushers us into the Presence of God, where &quot;&lt;em&gt;we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most&lt;/em&gt;.&quot; (Hebrews 4:16, NLT) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;___________________________&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;To God be the glory,&lt;br /&gt;Great things He hath done.&lt;br /&gt;So loved He the world&lt;br /&gt;That He gave us His Son,&lt;br /&gt;Who yielded His life,&lt;br /&gt;An atonement for sin,&lt;br /&gt;And opened the Lifegate,&lt;br /&gt;That all may go in.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,&lt;br /&gt;Let the earth hear His voice!&lt;br /&gt;Praise the Lord, praise the Lord,&lt;br /&gt;Let the people rejoice!&lt;br /&gt;O come to the Father,&lt;br /&gt;Through Jesus the Son,&lt;br /&gt;And give Him the glory,&lt;br /&gt;Great things He hath done.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;1&quot;&gt;Crosby, Fanny J. / Doane, William H.&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;© Public Domain &lt;/font&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;421072402-12052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt;', '1210947892', '1210947888', '2008-05-16')

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INSERT INTO wp_bdprss_items_v3 (item_feed_id, item_url, item_name, text_body, item_update_time, item_time, item_date) VALUES ('37', 'http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-vQwmRz07frSd2czSBsr_eQ--?cq=1&amp;p=644', 'Entry for May 09, 2008', '&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Deceived!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;Wayne Bent, a.k.a. Michael Travesser, leader of the &lt;em&gt;Strong City Lord, our Righteousness Church &lt;/em&gt;in New Mexico, is a winsome man, gentle in demeanor. He speaks thoughtfully, is outwardly loving towards the small group he leads, and &lt;em&gt;claims to be the Messiah returned to earth, Divinity embodied!&lt;/em&gt; Over the last fifteen years, this former pastor in the 7th Day Adventist church, became increasingly bizarre to observers outside the cult sect he leads. He is obsessed with prophecy, setting dates for Christ&#39;s return, and using the symbolism of apocalyptic texts to support his own ends. He insists that his followers live in close communal relationships, giving up privacy, possessions, and even personal relationships to him. In 2000, he declared himself Messiah and asked those in the church to marry him. He took seven wives, including his own son&#39;s wife! He is now jailed on charges that allege inappropriate sexual contact with minors. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;Is he insane, deluded, or just a self-serving manipulator of people? According to a secular journalist who produced a National Geographic documentary, &lt;em&gt;&lt;a href=&#39;http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/series/inside/3401/Photos?#tab-Overview&#39; target=&#39;_blank&#39; rel=&#39;nofollow&#39;&gt;Inside a Cult&lt;/a&gt;,&lt;/em&gt; Bent is all of the above! Bent&#39;s son, age 44, a former police officer, continues to defend the validity his father&#39;s visions, despite any and all evidence or argument to the contrary.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Believer, accounts like this must sober us. It is no laughing matter that deeply devout people, who are earnestly seeking to know and serve God can be led into such error. The root of this kind of &lt;strong&gt;deception &lt;/strong&gt;is a misplaced focus from Christ Jesus to man. It flourishes when a person separates himself or herself from the larger Body of the Church, claims &#39;inside&#39; information or private revelation, and asserts that his &#39;truth&#39; supersedes that of the Scripture and the Church! The moment you hear any church leader say, &quot;God revealed to me...&quot; &lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;great &lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;caution is in order. Yes, I do believe that the Spirit speaks to us. He leads us, shows us His ways, and guides us; but not outside of the boundaries of the Scripture, nor as a singular voice, without accountability to His greater church. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Devotion and longing for spiritual assurance in the turbulent times in which we live must never relieve us of the need to discern, to critically consider the truthfulness and the source of revelation offered by anyone claiming to speak in God&#39;s Name&lt;/strong&gt;. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;Jesus left this warning for all of us. &lt;em&gt;&quot;Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Do not follow them.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Luke 21:8, NIV) Any prophet (someone who speaks for God or claiming God&#39;s authority) that uses that role to attract privilege, wealth, or attention to himself must be spurned. Even if the error is not so obvious as the one referenced above where the prophet now asserts that he is the messiah, Believers must be discerning to avoid being drawn into an ultimately destructive &#39;spiritual&#39; experience. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;The Word of God is not gentle nor kind to those who falsely claim to speak in God&#39;s name. Consider these words today and become a wise, Spirit-filled, discerning Believer, secured by Truth and Spirit against error.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&quot;They brag about themselves with empty, foolish boasting. With an appeal to twisted sexual desires, they lure back into sin those who have barely escaped from a lifestyle of deception. &lt;br /&gt;They promise freedom, but they themselves are slaves of sin and corruption. For you are a slave to whatever controls you. And when people escape from the wickedness of the world by knowing our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and then get tangled up and enslaved by sin again, they are worse off than before. It would be better if they had never known the way to righteousness than to know it and then reject the command they were given to live a holy life. They prove the truth of this proverb: &quot;A dog returns to its vomit.&quot; And another says, &quot;A washed pig returns to the mud.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; (2 Peter 2:18-22, NLT) &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;828054010-09052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Amen!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;', '1210947892', '1210947887', '2008-05-16')

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INSERT INTO wp_bdprss_items_v3 (item_feed_id, item_url, item_name, text_body, item_update_time, item_time, item_date) VALUES ('37', 'http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-vQwmRz07frSd2czSBsr_eQ--?cq=1&amp;p=643', 'Entry for May 08, 2008', '&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;Tremble Before Him!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;While watching a recent docu-drama created around the life of John Adams, 2nd President of the US, I saw a scene that helped my prayer life! Really! At the conclusion of the Revolutionary War, the American government appointed Adams as ambassador to Great Britain. He had to go through elaborate coaching about the protocols involved in meeting the king of England, including a deep bow in greeting that deeply offended Adams at first. When he finally was ushered into the throne room, the king stood regally at the end of a very large room. Adams was shaken by the majesty of the encounter and came to understand the power of symbols of power in a new way. For one of the few times in his life, the man who always had a ready answer found himself nearly speechless with awe!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Which scene better describes your attitude in prayer - having a chat over a cup of coffee with a friend or an audience with a king? The answer has a lot to do with your theology and spiritual experience; and is somewhat related to your personality. For those of us who grew up in the informality of evangelical churches with no liturgy, spontaneous prayers, and a theology largely shaped around the 2nd Person of the Trinity, prayer is mostly conceived of as a conversation with a Friend. The result is that our spirituality can be limited by a deficiency in the &lt;em&gt;&#39;majesty&#39; &lt;/em&gt;department! &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;It is wonderful that we as Believers know that God is accessible, that through Jesus Christ, we are invited near to find help in time of trouble. However, the Holy Trinity is not just Jesus, the son of Mary. God, the Father, the Awesome King of Glory is the head of that mysterious Being. There is a time when our mouth must be silenced by an encounter with the Lord of the Universe; when we grasp that He is Wholly, Holy Other- that He is not a man. When that image accompanies our love of Jesus, our Friend and Brother, we will find a better balance between awe and familiarity. This is important for the cliché is true - &#39;familiarity breeds contempt.&#39; If we make God too small in our eyes, we will too easily argue with His will, disregard His call, and disobey His commands. Isaiah&#39;s encounter with His Majesty scared him nearly to death and made him realize, anew, the depth of his sinfulness. He cried, &lt;em&gt;&quot;It’s all over! I am doomed, for I am a sinful man. I have filthy lips, and I live among a people with filthy lips. Yet I have seen the King, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.&quot;&lt;/em&gt; (Isaiah 6:5, NLT) And God made him clean!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;When God was shaping Israel into His people, when He was about to give them the Law; He brought them to Mt. Sinai. Strict regulations were put into place to prepare the people to hear the Words of God. To help them prepare their hearts, they went through symbolic cleansing, ritual consecrations, and were forbidden even to be intimate with their spouses for three days! God was coming with His Word. They needed to be ready. &quot;Oh,&quot; you say, &quot;but that so Old Testament.&quot; As you go your way today, ponder these words from Hebrews that apply that story to our Christian experience. And, may we learn to tremble before Him!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt; &lt;p&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&quot;You have not come to a place like Mount Sinai that can be seen and touched. There is no flaming fire or dark cloud or storm or trumpet sound. &lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;. . . &lt;/span&gt; &lt;br /&gt;You have now come to Mount Zion and to the heavenly Jerusalem. This is the city of the living God, where thousands and thousands of angels have come to celebrate. Here you will find all of God’s dearest children, whose names are written in heaven. And you will find God himself, who judges everyone. Here also are the spirits of those good people who have been made perfect. And Jesus is here! He is the one who makes God’s new agreement with us, and his sprinkled blood says much better things than the blood of Abel. &lt;br /&gt;Make sure that you obey the one who speaks to you. The people did not escape, when they refused to obey the one who spoke to them at Mount Sinai. Do you think you can possibly escape, if you refuse to obey the one who speaks to you from heaven?&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Hebrews 12:18-25, CEV) &lt;/p&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;__________________&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Welcomed in &lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;to the courts of the King!&lt;br /&gt;I&#39;ve been ushered &lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;into Your presence&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;+0&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;Lord, I stand on Your merciful ground;&lt;br /&gt;Yet with every step tread with reverence.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Who is there &lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;in the heavens like You?&lt;br /&gt;And upon the earth&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;who&#39;s Your equal?&lt;br /&gt;You are far above&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt; &lt;/span&gt;You&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&#39;&lt;/span&gt;r&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;e&lt;/span&gt; the highest of highs.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;We are bowing down &lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;to exalt You!&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;And I&#39;ll fall face down!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;As Your glory shines around;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;Yes, I&#39;ll fall face down!&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;As Your glory shines around.&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;So, let Your glory shine around&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Let Your glory shine around&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;King of glory here be found&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;,&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;King of glory&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;1&quot;&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;Facedown&lt;br /&gt;Matt Redman&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;CCLI License No. 810055&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/font&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;250363310-08052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt;', '1210947892', '1210947886', '2008-05-16')

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INSERT INTO wp_bdprss_items_v3 (item_feed_id, item_url, item_name, text_body, item_update_time, item_time, item_date) VALUES ('37', 'http://blog.360.yahoo.com/blog-vQwmRz07frSd2czSBsr_eQ--?cq=1&amp;p=642', 'Entry for May 07, 2008', '&lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;em&gt;It really is Good News!&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;Good parents create appropriate boundaries for their children. Those guidelines are not for the benefit of the parent. They exist to protect the child. If a parent makes rules just to make life easier for himself, he makes his child a rebel! However, if he guides the growth and development of his child with a firm, loving hand putting behavioral fences in place that are required, his child will eventually thank him for them. Of course, those fences are moved as maturity sets in. Imagine an overprotective parent telling a 16 year old son, &quot;You have to play in our backyard!&quot; That would be foolish, a rule that would give a sense of control and peace to the parent perhaps, but one that is not in the best interest of a teenager. Some parents &lt;em&gt;mistakenly&lt;/em&gt; do enforce rules just to be the boss or because they allow their own fears to take over. But, the best parents use their godly authority to bless and guide the development of their children.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;strong&gt;&lt;br /&gt;God, our Heavenly Father, has given us boundaries in life - and they exist for our protection&lt;/strong&gt;. He is not arbitrary, making rules just to show us that He is boss! He wants you and me to live in a way that maximizes our joy, that keeps us from hurting ourselves and others, so He tells us how to live. &lt;em&gt;&quot;Don&#39;t lie. Don&#39;t sleep with another&#39;s wife. Don&#39;t steal. Love Me. Love others.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;Jesus makes it clear that the boundaries are a blessing when we regard them as a gift to us. One illustration is this statement, &lt;em&gt; &quot;The Sabbath was made to meet the needs of people, and not people to meet the requirements of the Sabbath.&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Mark 2:27, NLT) God teaches us to set aside a day each week for worship and rest. &quot;Take a break and look up,&quot; He says. Why? Does He need our attention? Is He just trying to complicate our lives? Not at all. God gave the gift of Sabbath because He knows our tendency to get wrapped up in the business of making a living. He knows that we are not at our best when the spiritual is neglected, so He gave us the gift of the Sabbath principle.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Thoughtfully read this passage. &lt;em&gt;&quot;We respect our own parents for training and not spoiling us, so why not embrace God’s training so we can truly live? While we were children, our parents did what seemed best to them. But God is doing what is best for us, training us to live God’s holy best. At the time, discipline isn’t much fun. It always feels like it’s going against the grain. Later, of course, it pays off handsomely, for it’s the well-trained who find themselves mature in their relationship with God. So don’t sit around on your hands! No more dragging your feet!&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Hebrews 12:9-12, The Message) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;In another translation, part of that passage says, &lt;em&gt;&quot;We &lt;strong&gt;submit to&lt;/strong&gt; the Father of our spirits and live!&quot; &lt;/em&gt;(Hebrews 12:9, NIV) It was so wonderful when my kids became more mature and started doing what I asked without whining and crying. When children are two and Mommy tells them to pick up their toys, they might cry and have a fit. No amount of reason can convince them that what Mommy wants them to do is training a good pattern of responsibility into them. So Mommy just puts up with their tantrums and firmly insists that they get it done. She doesn&#39;t take their mini-rebellions personally (unless she is really tired). With maturity, comes the expectation that the child will comply more readily, understanding that their parent guides them with love for their own good.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Do you truly love and trust your Heavenly Father? &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;left&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;Are you choosing to &#39;&lt;em&gt;submit and live?&#39; &lt;/em&gt;Grow up and stop resisting, rebelling, whining, and complaining. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;Believe the Word&#39;s promise that God is loving, good, and working for your good. Then, you will agree that &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;His Word and His ways are really Good News! &lt;br /&gt;________________________________&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt; &lt;/div&gt; &lt;div align=&quot;center&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;2&quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;I&#39;ll say,&quot;Yes, Lord, yes,&quot;&lt;br /&gt;To Your will and to Your way.&lt;br /&gt;I&#39;ll say,&quot;Yes, Lord, yes.&quot;&lt;br /&gt;I will trust You and obey.&lt;br /&gt;When the Spirit speaks to me,&lt;br /&gt;With my whole heart I&#39;ll agree.&lt;br /&gt;And my answer will be,&lt;br /&gt;&quot;Yes, Lord, yes.&quot;&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;em&gt;&lt;br /&gt;If I never knew the fullness&lt;br /&gt;Of living in Your will,&lt;br /&gt;I would never know how rich&lt;br /&gt;My life could be.&lt;br /&gt;Lord, my willingness to serve&lt;br /&gt;Is the least that You deserve,&lt;br /&gt;For the blessings&lt;br /&gt;You have showered over me.&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;/font&gt; &lt;div style=&quot;text-align:center; &quot;&gt;&lt;font size=&quot;1&quot;&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;&lt;br /&gt;Yes, Lord, Yes&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span class=&quot;515362810-07052008&quot;&gt;Lynn Keesecker&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;© 1983 Mann