Hebrews 4:1-2

Can we fall short of the promise of eternal rest in Christ? Sure we can, but how?

One of Hebrews' central themes is that we can lose out on our Sabbath Rest, which is not a Saturday but Heaven forever. It is because of unbelief, either the loss of or never obtaining a kind of faith that saves. In other words we can hear the truth of the gospel and then reject it.

Romans 10:17 tells us the faith comes by hearing, but only by the Word of Christ. If we hear but then don't hear, we fail to grasp faith. Without faith, we cannot please God. Even if we were once saved and that salvation is eternal, Hebrews tells us we can harden out hearts, as the Hebrews did in the Sinai desert. Praise be to God that he is patient and willing to wait 40 years or more for us to repent and turn or return (whichever is the case with you) to Him.

Amen.

Ready to catch some fish

Spring fever is setting in with a few 70 degree days. Can't wait to go out and catch some fish. Fishing is a great Christian exercise. You interact with nature, you relax, you enjoy small talk or serious talk with a friend or time to pray or meditate alone. Personally, I love panfishing or bass fishing on a warm spring day when the spawn gets going. It won't be long. I better get my license. If you are a Christian, I encourage you to fish, too. No better way to reduce stress and refocus while outdoors on a warm day.

Mark Martin off to a bad year in 2009

Started 2nd and finished 16th in Daytona 500
Started in top 15 and finished 40th at California due to blown engine
Started in top 15 and finished 40th at Las Vegas due to blown engine
Started 1st and finished 31st due to crash caused by his own blown tire.

Is 34th in points :(

Next race is in two weeks and we hope for a top 5 finish.

Hebrews Chapter 1-2

Hebrews is a very rich book, even for the most Gentile of Christians. We are reminded how God in Christ is such a powerful and majestic God who became man. When reading this, how can one not wish to have a personal relationship with the one who created us. He is higher than the angels. He ministers to us. He created the angels to minister us. He calls us to him as heirs of a mighty throne and as brothers, sisters, and sons. He humbled Himself to allow us to be close to His perfection despite the fact that all of us sins. He knows our nature and fellowships with us despite the fact that He is God.

For an atheist, there is no relationship with any God.
For a Hindu or Buddist, there is only ceremonies and not relationship with God.
For a Muslim, you die for your god.
As a Jew, you serve a God who has moved on to a better relationship. Your relationship is through a goat or lamb.
For a Christian, your God dies for you so you can live with Him forever.

Abortion to expand greatly under Obama Administration

To date, with little real criticism, Obama has overturned three Bush policies that will cause abortions to explode in America:
1. Ended the Mexico City policy, one that uses tax dollars from US persons to pay for abortions overseas. This is both murder and unconstitutional.
2. Signed an unconstitutional executive order to remove the rights of doctors and others in the medical community to refuse abortificative treatments on the grounds of conscience.
3. Overturned the Bush policy forbidding the use of taxpayer money on embryonic stem cell research. Also unconstitutional use of tax funding. Can't the private sector fund this. What is the cancer fundraiser funds being used for?! Adult stem cells are easy to get and we don't want to fund them. This is a political ploy by the pro-abortion community to get funding for abortions. Why do we throw away the umbilical cord and placenta rather than save that! Govt funds can help us preserve these things.

We watch while abortion explodes and we stare at our checkbook and paycheck and stock report. Not I. We need to fight against these things and pray to our God!

Proverbs 6:23: God hates the shedding of innocent blood.

Dan Smith Revival

Our family was blessed to have Dan Smith, evangelist from Ottumwa, over to our home for two nights for a mini revival meeting focused on working in unity under the leadership in the ministry of Christ.

It was a great blessing to have Dan over and learn from him both at church and while he stayed at our home. His messages were both uplifting but also very thought provoking and convicting.

Being a Christian means thinking more than about myself, my job, my family. Dan helped me focus on what it means to be a minister and servant in the Lord's church. Only when we work as a team can we grow into the bride of Christ He deserves.

Topics came from Ephesians: What we have from the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; Unity of the Spirit and Body; and Working the Ministry God has given us.

Thanks, Dan and God.

Pro Choice?

President Obama intends to or may already have signed a law or some document overturning Bush's policy commonly called the "conscience doctrine." This doctrine allows a doctor or other health professional to deny any type of medication or treatment related to or potentially causing abortion. It gives the doctor a choice to say, "No I will not prescribe this pill or that procedure, but you can go to another caregiver that will." Obama's plan will take this right of choice away from the doctor.

Now tell me, how can the pro-abortion side say they are "pro-choice." Pro-choice is okay as long as abortion at the whim of the woman is the only choice. Let's see how the "pro-choice groups in the nation stand on this. They don't care about the doctor's choice.

What hypocrites!