GOD or MYTH

GOD OR MYTH...

Posted: 08 Oct 2008 03:00 AM CDT

By Jon Walker

I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed: “O Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps his covenant of love with all who love him and obey his commands . . . .” Daniel 9:4 (NIV)

Sovereignty simply means God has the right to rule. Submission simply means we agree we have no right to rule.

Ignoring God’s sovereignty allows us to live within a mythological universe where we are lower-lords ruling feudal lands where independence and self-reliance are worshiped as gods (Judges 17:6).

Like junkies, we need our mythology-fix to hold the illusion that we can do what seems right in our own eyes while still saying we belong to God.

But truth cannot allow mythology to masquerade as reality, and so when we ignore the sovereignty of God, we’re swarmed with the locusts of worry and doubt. Fists of fear pound mercilessly at our door and, like chalk on the boards we used to call black, fingers of alienation and accusations scratch at our windows.

When we say, “I can make this happen without you, God,” we steal God’s right to rule, like Promethean protégés intent on outwitting the Almighty. We think we’re stealing sovereignty only to find out our mythology is a lie, one that smells of evil embers from hell.

We can’t do Jesus-life alone, independent of God. When we abandon our mythology and submit to the sovereignty of God, only then do we become fully human, energized by the Holy Spirit to face our fears and to bring comfort to the world.

If you live like God is a fantasy, a mythological power you can call upon in crisis or during mid-terms, then Yahweh won’t seem real to you (i.e., God is real; you’re just not living according to that truth).
Jon Walker

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EASter is EASY.. JUST say YES~

The Thief on the Other Cross: A Good Friday Monologue
by Dr. Ralph F. Wilson


I don't belong here, I really don't. Heaven is the last place I expected to end up after all I done. But I'll tell you how I got here.

I am -- I was -- an armed robber, I guess you'd call it. Me and the others would live in caves in the Judean hills near the road from Jerusalem to Jericho. We made our living on the people who came down the road. We wouldn't take people in the big groups that passed. They traveled together just on account of us. But a family might be an easy mark, as well as anybody fool enough to travel alone.

I carried a sword, took it off a soldier once, but usually a strong staff would do the trick. The threat of a beating and they would give up without a fight. I wouldn't hurt a person much if I didn't have to -- and never the women and children. But I've been known to break a few bones in my day, God forgive me. I don't think I actually killed anyone, but then I never stayed around long enough to find out.

We lived in the hills, near camps of the Zealots, those revolutionaries who were trying to overthrow the Romans. Even went on few missions with them, to tell the truth.

It was through one of my Zealot friends that I actually heard Jesus the first time. Ben-Rabbah knew one of the disciples, Simon -- not Peter, the other Simon, the one who had been a Zealot before becoming a disciple.

So we went together down to Jericho when Jesus was coming through. I was working the crowd. Rich Pharisees would linger near the edge, listening intently so as to find some teaching they could report him for. Miserable swine! I'd lift their fat purses as easy as pie. They never feel a thing in crowd like that.

After Jesus finishes his talk, Ben-Rabbah takes me over to met his friend Simon the Zealot. One thing leads to another and Simon introduces us to the Rabbi.

We shake hands and Jesus looks into my eyes for an uncomfortably long moment. It feels like he can see right into me, who I am, every black thing I have done. "You know," he says with a wisp of a smile, "there's forgiveness for you in my Kingdom. How about it?"

I drop my eyes, say something non-committal, and shuffle away. The next day I'm in the crowd again, but listening this time, not working. Jesus is talking about his Kingdom, comparing it to a mustard seed, calling it the Kingdom of Heaven. I so much want to go up there after he has finished and take him up on this forgiveness thing, but I just can't bring myself to do it.

It wasn't much later when me and my friend Jake -- the guy on the third cross -- get caught at night by a Roman patrol. The others run off, but they catch us, beat us silly, drag us into Jerusalem, and throw us into their stinking prison. No mercy for us.

And so it happens that the same day they crucify Jesus, they crucify me and Jake, one of us on the right, the other on the left. This ain't no normal crucifixion. Mobs of people are there because of Jesus. Those self-righteous Pharisee pigs come, too, making fun of Jesus, talking so high and mighty:

"If you're some kind of messiah, come on down from that cross," one shouts. "Savior, save yourself -- if you can!"

Jake begins cat-calling, too, if you can imagine that. I yell at him, "You miserable thug, don't you have any fear of God? Can't you see that we're going to die just like he is? Show a little decency. We're getting exactly what we deserve, but he ain't done nothing wrong."

Jake quiets down after that and the Pharisees lose interest. But I can't get Jericho out of my mind. I can't forget Jesus' eyes, his readiness to forgive, his invitation. And so I call over, though it's hard to breathe and talking makes it that much harder.

"Jesus!"

He turns his head towards me.

"Jesus, I was there in Jericho. Simon introduced me to you. Remember?"

He looks at me for a moment and then nods his head just a little. He does remember.

"I never forgot what you said. I wanted to say yes, but just couldn't. And now look at me -- look at us!"

He is in bad shape -- exhausted, in excruciating pain, back oozing, flesh laid open from the scourging, breath labored. He isn't going to last as long as me. I can see that. But somehow I can see beyond all that. He was the Messiah, is the Messiah, no matter what those priests and Romans and Pharisee pigs have done to him. And when he dies, he will be with God. I know it! In a few hours, maybe less, he will be vindicated. He will be reigning in this Kingdom he told us about.

"Jesus," I call, quietly now.

He opens his eyes again. They are the same eyes, the same piercing, loving, honest eyes.

"Jesus," I say, "when you come into your Kingdom, would you remember me? Please?"

His words are labored. He is parched, near death, but I can still hear him pretty good: "Truly, I say to you...." I can see in his eyes that he means it. "... Truly, this very day you'll be with me in Paradise."

His eyes droop and he is fading now. But I believed him. That's what got me through those next few hours until they broke my legs and killed me. I did believe him!

And then I find myself in heaven. Don't deserve to be here, but here I am. I guess that's what a man like me gets for accepting a King's pardon, don't you think?

This story is fictional, of course, though it is based on the account in Luke 23:32-43. The criminals described by the Greek word lestes, "robber, highwayman, bandit." Since Josephus used this as a derisive term to refer to the Zealots, some have thought that it might mean "revolutionary, insurrectionist, guerrilla" here. (lestes, BDAG 594; K.H. Rengstorf, lestes, TDNT 4:257-262). However, in this story I take the thief as a highwayman or bandit, like the one who had robbed the man in Jesus' Parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37).
Click here for more Easter articles and stories




The Thief on the Other Cross: A Good Friday Monologue
http://www.joyfulheart.com/easter/thief.htm




Currently listening :
The Passion of the Christ (Score)
By John Debney
Release date: By 24 February, 2004

WILD in th' SOUTH

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THE AFRICAN (hope u visit)

HI!
We're cool in SOUTH GA. (USA)!

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HAVE a great day and..

HAPPPPYYYY BIRTHDAY JESUS!!

Is There VICTORY in JESUS?!?

There is a price to pay to walk in victory.
If you want to experience God's best,
it's going to take some hard work.
In order to live the abundant life God has planned,
we must be willing to sacrifice acting on how we feel,
so we can act on the Word of God.
It's not easy to love people when they're not being nice.
It's not easy just to overlook an insult.
It's not easy to keep a good attitude and be patient
when things aren't going your way.
Sometimes it hurts to keep the flesh under,
and sometimes it's uncomfortable.

The seeds you sow today will bring a harvest in the future.
When you focus on the payoff of doing what is right
in the Lord's sight, you will find strength to obey His Word.
The Bible tells us that Jesus
"focused on the joy that was set before Him"
so He could endure the cross. Jesus knew the suffering
He endured on your behalf would bring Him the joy
of having a personal relationship with you–
and you were worth the price!

(From Joel Osteen Newsletter)

DECISIONS With IMPACT!

In Scripture, God says 331 times,
“If you do this, this is what will happen!”
The Bible is a book about decisions.
God rewards right decisions!

You must decide to respect the Holy Spirit.

Respect is different from love.
Loving someone means finding that person desirable,
while respecting someone means finding him or her valuable.

The proof of respect is always the investment of time.

You must decide to make your divine assignment your only obsession.
Challenges also decide your rewards in life. Remember Joseph?
The Pharaoh had a problem nobody could solve.
Joseph said, “I’m assigned for this.”
Not only did God give Joseph the wisdom and insight
to understand the Pharaoh’s dream,
but massive rewards were quickly poured out on the young Hebrew.
What is your assignment on this earth?
Your assignment is always to help people with problems.

You must decide to rename the moments of your life.

What is the first gift God gave to Adam?
He was allowed to name everything.
He could call a giraffe a giraffe.
What an amazing power Adam was given—to name the future!


What happened to the thief being crucified next to Christ Jesus?
One decided to accept the inevitable—he was being punished for his sins. The other one decided to rename the moment. He said,
“Lord, remember me when thou comest into thy kingdom” (Luke 23:42). What was the reward?
Jesus said to him, “Verily I say unto thee, Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (verse 43).

Renaming the moment means choosing another direction.
It means allowing God to bring people into your life,
and it means allowing Him to remove people from your life.

THEN: GET GOOD INSTRUCTION/ Mentors/ MEN & WOMEN of GOD that YOU DO RESPECT!


“The greatest secret is to sow a seed for a desired result,
to point that seed, to focus it, to give it an assignment.”

What a powerful principle! It is given throughout the Bible.
The widow in 1 Kings 17 had a little oil and meal,
but not enough to live for long.
Elijah helped her focus on what could happen.
She gave an offering, as seed,
and she began expecting an unusual harvest
from what she had in her cupboard.
As a result, she ended up with plenty.

SUMMATION (for now)- AND Always?--- God had a Son,
but He wanted a family. He gave His Son to create that family.
Jesus Christ came to earth with a specific assignment.
We know that heaven is filled with people
who joined God’s family through the death, burial,
and resurrection of Jesus Christ, God’s only Son.
God expected a worldwide harvest
from the uncommon Seed that He sowed,
and to Him be all the glory!

GOD Wants U BLESSED!

Are you ready to receive the full blessing the Lord has waiting for you?
The Bible says in Galatians 4:1 that WE MUST BE MATURE
in order to receive the inheritance of the Lord.

We show maturity by RULING OVER our EMOTIONS
and choosing to make decisions based on what is right,
instead of how we feel.
The Bible says in I Corinthians 3 that we are UNSPIRITUAL
when we are under the control of ORDINARY IMPULSES...

God wants you to EXCEL! He wants you to live in victory.
But you must do your part to mature in Christ.
The more you mature,
the more God will pour out His blessings
in your life.
Determine in your heart today
that you're going to rule over your emotions.
Learn to say no to your flesh and watch the Lord
promote and increase you in every area of your life!

A Prayer for Today

God, I have the power to exercise self-control. When I am tempted to overreact and do something I know I shouldn't, I will appeal to You and refrain from entering into the trap of temptation. I will do what's right, not what feels right. In Jesus' Name – Amen.

**Edited from JOEL OSTEEN

SelfESTEEM or SelfLESS?

Self-Esteem, Selflessness and Freedom

John J. Lombardi

Ever feel like a "spiritual dinosaur"
when you talk about self-denial
while everyone else is chatting "self-esteem"?

…Do you feel tired or trapped by the "feel-good movements"
in today's culture?
…Had enough of the psychobabble engendered
by the self-esteem movements
in schools?

There's hope; consider:
"Last year alone there were three withering studies
of self esteem released in the U.S.,
all of which had the same central message:
people with high self esteem pose a greater threat
to those around them
than people with low self esteem,
and feeling bad about yourself
is not the cause of our country's biggest,
most expensive problems."

Lauren Slater wrote the above in a
New York Times Magazine article (Feb 3, 2002),
entitled,
"What's Wrong With Self Esteem"
(notably, she's a psychologist and therapist).

Other excerpts:


"Self esteem is overrated and… it may even
be a culprit
(to poor social skills) not a cure."

"Sometimes self esteem may be bad for your health…
Some therapists may be cultural retailers
for the self-esteem concept…

Sigmund Freud never (even) claimed we should be happy,
and he never claimed confidence was the key
to a life well lived."

Self-esteem movements have nearly conquered America
and the world-and parts of the Church.
From public-school textbooks to Catholic retreat centers
to eastern mysticism movements,
self-esteem has become a marketable movement
subduing both America's mind and money.

Why?-- Consider:
if you were marketing a product wouldn't you
sell something everybody wants:
happiness, feel-good sentiments, meaning in life,
belief in self?

Translated:
referring things, events, and personal relationships
around the self
provides an endless mental and metaphysical market
for various perpetrators to harvest and manipulate.