Psalm 23 Explained

This is an eye opener… Some probably
never thought nor looked at this Psalm in this way…
even though they say it over and over again.


The Lord is my Shepherd
- That’s Relationship!
I shall not want
- That’s Supply!
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
- That’s Rest!
He leadeth me beside the still waters.
- That’s Refreshment!
He restoreth my soul
- That’s Healing!
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness.
- That’s Guidance!
For His name sake
- That’s Purpose!
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.
- That’s Testing!
I will fear no evil.
- That’s Protection!
For Thou art with me
- That’s Faithfulness!
Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me,
- That’s Discipline!
Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of my enemies.
- That’s Hope!
Thou anointest my head with oil,
- That’s Consecration!
My cup runneth over.
- That’s Abundance!
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.
- That’s Blessing!
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord.
- That’s Security!
Forever!
- That’s Eternity!

A Professor's Thoughts

"At a certain college, there was a professor with a reputation for being tough on Christians.At the first class every semester, he asked if anyone was a Christian and proceeded to degrade and make fun of their belief.
One semester, he asked the question and young man raised his hand when asked if anyone was a Christian.
The professor asked "Did God make everything, young man?"
"Yes he did sir," the young man replied.
The professor responded, "If God made everything, then God made evil, and if we can only create from within ourselves, then God is evil."
The student didn't have a response and the professor was happy to have once again proved the Christian faith to be a myth.
Then another man raised his hand and asked "May I ask you something, sir?"
"Yes you may," responded the professor.
The young man stood up and said "Sir, is there such thing as cold?"
"Of course there is, what kind of a question is that? Haven't you ever been cold?"
The young man replied, "Actually, sir, cold does not exist. What we consider to be cold, is really only the absence of heat. Absolute zero is when there is absolutely no heat, but cold doesnot really exist. We have only created that term to describe how we feel when heat is not there."
The young man continued "Sir, is there such thing as dark?"
Once again, professor responded "Of course there is."
And once again, the student replied "Actually sir, darkness does not exist.
Darkness is really only the absence of light. Darkness is only a term man developed to describe what happens when there is no light present."
Finally, the young man asked "Sir, is there such thing as evil?"
The professor responded "Of course, we have rapes, and murders and violence everywhere in the world, those things are evil."
The student replied "Actually, sir, evil does not exist. Evil is simply the absence of God. Evil is a term man developed to describe the absence of God
God did not create evil. It isn't like truth, or love, which exist as virtues like heat and light. Evil is simply the state where God is not present, like cold without heat or darkness without light."
The professor had nothing to say.

Funny Isn't It

Funny how a $100 "looks" so big when you take it to church, but so small when you take it to the mall.

Funny how long it takes to serve God for an hour, but how quickly a team plays 60 minutes of basketball.

Funny how long a couple of hours spent at church is, but how short they are when watching a movie.

Funny how we can't think of anything to say when we pray, but don't have difficulty thinking of things to talk about to a friend.

Funny how we get thrilled when a baseball game goes into extra innings, but we complain when a sermon is longer than the regular time.

Funny how hard it is to read a chapter in the Bible, but how easy it is to read 100 pages of a best selling novel.

Funny how people want to get a front seat at any game or concert, but scramble to get a back seat at church services. Funny how we need 2 or 3 weeks advance notice to fit a church event into our schedule, but can adjust our schedule for other events at the last moment.

Funny how hard it is for people to learn a simple gospel well enough to tell others, but how simple it is for the same people to understand and repeat gossip.

Funny how we believe what the newspaper says, but question what the Bible says.

Funny how everyone wants to go to heaven provided they do not have to believe, or think, or say, or do anything.

July 28, 2007 Encouragine Words From the Bible

Matthew 22:37-38 NLT

Jesus replied,`You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.


How To Put This Into Perspective

Instead of trying to be a good Christian by focusing on following rules. Try and develop a loving relationship with God and you will folow those rules naturally.

What's The Hurry

Everyone is in a hurry…hurry to eat, to work, to play, even to worship. We want our entertainment in quick, rapid sound bytes. If you are on the Internet what matters most is your connection speed and the time it takes to download whatever site you are on (thanks for waiting long enough to see this!) This is especially true with the holiday season. We can get so caught up in the hustle and bustle of the season. The danger is that we miss the whole point of living. If we don't slow down we can't absorb. If we can't absorb we can't benefit. Meaningful things take time. This hurried way of living is particularly distressing for us as believers.John Ortberg pinpoints this in his article, Taking Care of Busyness."For most of us, the great danger is not that we will renounce our faith. It is that we will become so distracted and rushed and preoccupied that we will settle for a mediocre version of it. We will just skim our lives instead of actually living them."


But I Can't Do Nothing!The flipside is a real danger that if we slow down, or even stop and do nothing once in a while we will become overwhelmed with guilt. It feels wrong to so many of us to be still or to stop "doing". So, we jump back into the race. We fall into the trap of activity being the point, rather than what our activity should result in. Take a lesson from the farmer. Time to plant, time to grow, time to harvest. This process cannot be rushed. It requires persistent, dedicated effort and if the necessary time is not taken it will not bear fruit. Or worse, we'll attempt to harvest before the fruit is ripe. Ugh, sour grapes! This hurried way of doing things has even infiltrated our evangelism. We rush people into accepting Jesus. You must get saved now-don't wait! It's unwise to delay, but the solution is not rushing a decision. We must take our time with the truly important things. Maybe we forget how powerful God's message is. Once it sinks in and is honestly considered most people don't hesitate to make a decision. If we do give them enough space let's be cautious not to rush them headlong into growth. Lead with confidence and God's timing.
Be Here Now A wonderful way to slow down and escape the "hurry trap" is to simply be in the now-the sacred present moment. Young children know how to do this. The older we get the more impatient we become. The desire for instant gratification swells within. We want more and more faster and faster.

For the rest of this article follow the link here http://www.livingthesolution.com/whatshurry.htm

Three Wise Fools

There were once three men who considered that they were very wise. They lived in a country that had only just been introduced to electricity.
One dark night, the men were invited by Edison Electric to see a demonstration of electrical power, because it was well-known that the three of them were skeptics when it came to electricity being a reality. The reason they denied its existence was because they didn't believe in anything that could not be seen. These men were rationalists, and electricity was said to be invisible1. They refused to believe in something that couldn't be scientifically demonstrated.

When they entered the dimly lit demonstration room, they were cordially met by a representative from Edison Electric. As they looked around, they saw that a large lamp sat on a table in the middle of the room. Also on the table were a candle and a leather-bound book called The Owner's Manual. It was published by the electric company.
The representative welcomed them and excitedly explained that the lamp had the power to light up an entire large room, with the simple flick of a switch.
He said, "Gentleman, electricity is a modern marvel. To see it demonstrated, simply flick the switch on the lamp. You will be amazed. It will light up the entire room. The manual on the table is to give further instruction to you, if you decide to purchase the lamp." He then left the room to speak with other interested clients.
All the men needed to do to see the miracle of electricity, was to flick the switch on the lamp.
Instead, they sat down at the table, and one of them opened The Owner's Manual and began to cynically look at its pages. It began with a short biographical sketch of the famous inventor, Thomas Edison.
The chapters were made up as follows:

A diagram of the position of the switch on the lamp

• Background information on how electricity was discovered
  
• Hydroelectric power, pictures of huge dams, and how they produce electricity
  
• Diagrams of copper wiring and magnets, explaining how they are able to turn raw energy from moving water into invisible electricity
  
• How electrical wiring carries the generated power to our homes
  
• Electrical sockets, power cords, and other accessories.
  

As the man continued to flick through its pages, it was as though the lamp that sat on the table in front of them didn't exist. Then they began to talk. The conversation went like this:

For the rest of the article go to http://www.crosswalk.com/spirituallife/11541598/

10 Principles For New Christians

1. Feeding on the Word -- DAILY NutritionA healthy baby has a healthy appetite. If you have truly been "born" of the Spirit of God, you will have a healthy appetite. The Bible says, "As newborn babes, desire the pure milk of the word, that you may grow thereby," (1 Peter 2:2). Feed yourself every day without fail. Job said, "I have treasured the words of His mouth More than my necessary food," (Job 23:12). The more you eat, the quicker you will grow, and the less bruising you will have. Speed up the process and save yourself some pain -- vow to read God's Word every day, without fail. Say to yourself, "No Bible, no breakfast. No read, no feed." Be like Job, and put your Bible before your belly. If you do that, God promises that you will be like a fruitful, strong and healthy tree (see Psalm 1). Each day, find somewhere quiet, and thoroughly soak your soul in the Word of God.

For the rest of this article follow the link below

http://www.wayofthemaster.com/10principles.shtml

Encouraging Words From the Bible

Matthew 22:37-38 NLT


Jesus replied,`You must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment.

Mercy Me Interview

You're known as an adult contemporary band. Why go the rock route?
Mike Scheuchzer (guitar): We've always been a rock band at heart. We've had hits that were not necessarily rock songs—like "I Can Only Imagine" and "Word of God Speak"—which are definitely part of who we are. But we really made this record for us more than anyone else. We wanted to write songs we wanted to sing, and hopefully others come along with us. So far people have been really excited about the change. We're taking a bit of a left turn, which isn't a drastic left turn. I mean, we're not Pillar.
It seems like an extension of your live show, which is very rock-based.
Scheuchzer: It's who we are, and I don't think we've ever necessarily gotten that on tape right. Who we are hasn't translated to [our albums] quite right. So I think this is the closest we've come. It's not going to scare away the fans that we've got because of "Imagine." We've got songs on there like that, too. It was a fun process.
Songs like "Imagine" and "Here With Me" have been huge hits. Might this album be too edgy for some radio stations?
Jim Bryson (keyboards): I don't think it's so far out there that it's going to frighten people away. For someone who buys the album, there's always something that people are going to like. There's such a variety of styles. There's a little bit for everyone. So if you don't like it, then you probably don't like music (laughs).
MercyMe has more landmark songs than landmark albums. Why is that?
Nathan Cochran (bass): It could be worse. I understand what you're saying. I think some of the albums have felt a little disjointed at times. Some of that has to do with the fact that our last few records we've had to "throw together." Like at the end of a tour we've had to drive straight from the last show to come in and record. There wasn't really time for us to dwell on a song for a while. It was kinda like cramming for a test at the last minute.
For this record, it was the first time we actually set time aside only for making the record. We went to upstate New York up in the mountains and kinda locked ourselves away. We were up there for no other purpose than to record. The studio we went to, Allaire, was a bed-and-breakfast also. You walked down the hallway into the studio after having slept in your room all night. You wake up, eat breakfast, walk in the next door and go to the studio.
Scheuchzer: And it was in the middle of nowhere, so there are no distractions. We weren't going to hang out. There's this studio in Manhattan we talked about going to [but didn't] because we were really inspired to go get pizza or go to music shops. Way too many distractions.
Cochran: This time we probably had a little more extensive writing time than we've had in the past.
Scheuchzer: And on our own. I think I brought more songs to the table than in the past. I think we got so used to budgeting our time. [Everything] has been such a whirlwind since "Imagine" took off. The first year was huge in Christian music and we were busy doing that. And the next year was huge in mainstream music, so we kept staying busy. When [guitarist] Barry [Graul] came into the band, he's like a songwriting workhorse. He's always building tracks for Bart [Millard] to write or to send to publishing companies. He's a juggernaut of songwriting.
Robby Shaffer (drums): To answer your original question—not that they weren't answering it—when you think of some of the biggest artists in Christian music [at] the peak of their careers, they went in other directions, and it worked, like dcTalk, Amy Grant, Michael W. Smith. [These artists] were loved the way they were. Music was changing, so they changed with it, and it worked for them. Those are albums you remember. You remember Jesus Freak. You remember Lead Me On. And hopefully you'll remember Coming Up to Breathe kind of in that same light. That's what we were going for. It's a turning point for us. Hopefully it won't be just the one song—hopefully it will be the whole album that people love.
The advent of iTunes is responsible for people embracing the "one song" rather than a complete body of work.
Shaffer: We wrote 30 songs for this album. We narrowed it down to 15 to 20 going into the studio. We wrote a couple more in the studio. We ended up with 16 or 17 songs that we love—all of them. It was like, "How do we narrow this down to 11 or 12 songs to put on an album?"
Bryson: When we did other albums, we had 12 songs and that was all we'd written. That was all we'd had time to do. Sometimes we'd written only nine.
In the past, it was easy to tell those "throwaway" songs.
Cochran: I totally get what you're saying. It's hard to make an entire album that you're really happy with. How people buy music nowadays, if they like a song, they'll buy that one song. I think the great thing with this record is that we felt like that with every song. We had so many songs to choose from. That's the first time that's happened for us.
Scheuchzer: This is the definitely the most complete record we've done. It doesn't feel like there's something missing or something that's just filler. I love it; I'm a fan of this record. I haven't necessarily been that in the past, and that's probably because [the albums] have been so hodgepodge, thrown together at the last minute. And all the experiences that went into making this record—being in Allaire, having the time, having the songs when we went in and already being excited about them—all the memories attached to this album just make it so special to me.
Barry Graul (guitar): All that to say, in today's "singles" mentality, we did save a couple of singles for exclusive releases. So I think that we really serviced a lot of the market, both sides of the market. We just re-recorded the whole record acoustically for video and audio. Doing that just drives home the record as a whole. You need to cover all your bases these days, in such a digital age.
Shaffer: Just from a marketing standpoint, because of iTunes and other downloading avenues, to sell an actual CD you almost have to get gimmicky in a way. "Buy this album at Wal-Mart and you get a special DVD." "Buy this album at Target and you get a song nobody else has." You know what I'm saying? You have to get creative to even sell a CD.
Scheuchzer: What's funny about this album is that it's probably the least thematic album we've done. Spoken For and Undone had a theme. This one, there isn't really one theme. The songs, content-wise and music-wise, are on all [sides] of the spectrum. "Last One Standing" is really heavy. "One Trick Pony" is this bluesy-country-rock swampy thing. "You're to Blame" is this emo pop-rock kind of thing. We really covered everything. But again, this album feels so much more tied together.
Columbia Records will push your new album hard in the general market. Ever felt a pressure to water down your songs?
Shaffer: Bart always seems to nail it lyrically. He hasn't really shown any pressure to write a mainstream song or an obscure song that doesn't really say "God" in it. On this album, he's really written some really clever lyrics. If you're a Christian, you really know what they're about. But if you're a nonbeliever, it might open up some discussion. [But] this is an all-out, wear-your-faith-on-your-sleeve album, and we'll continue to be that way because that's what God has called us to be. What he's done is really open the doors for us to share our faith without being forceful or pushy.
We can't say we didn't have mainstream in mind, but we're not writing for that purpose. Many [non-Christians] hear us use language that they don't understand, like "the blood of Christ." People don't have a clue what we're talking about. So for [Bart] is like, "How do I explain this in a language people can understand?"

for the rest of the interview go to the link below
http://www.christianitytoday.com/music/interviews/2006/mercyme-0506.html

The Bible In Fifty Words

The Bible in Fifty Words

God made
Adam bit
Noah arked
Abraham split
Joseph ruled
Jacob fooled
Bush talked
Moses balked
Pharaoh plagued
People walked
Sea divided
Tablets guided
Promise landed
Saul freaked
David peeked
Prophets warned
Jesus born
God walked
Love talked
Anger crucified
Hope died
Love rose
Spirit flamed
Word spread
God remained.

- Unknown

Through Me

THROUGH ME

Through me let there be kind words, a warm smile, and a caring heart.

Through me let there be a willingness to listen and a readiness to understand.

Through me let there be dependability, steadfastness, trust and loyalty.

Through me let there be compassion, forgiveness, mercy and love.

Through me let there be every quality I find, O Lord, in Thee.

-Unknown

How To Renew and Refresh Your Life

Psalm 51:10 NLT -Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.


How To Better Understand This

It is important to remember that we can only experience spiritual renewal from God and Him only. We cannot do it by ourselves. So remember to ask God to guide you so that you may change your heart to begin living a healthy, prosperous christian life. With the Lord as your guide.