How many gods do you have on the throne?

Today's study takes me to 1 Samuel 5:1-6. And of course my mind wanders as always.

Verse 5 says because Dagon's statue fell on the threshold and busted apart (in front of the Ark) his priest would not step on the threshold. At first I get real judgemental and I think "the priest honor the threshold"? Really. They fail to see that Dagon had fallen because he was in the presence of the most high God (the ark).

Instead of choosing to honor God they choose to honor the threshold instead. To me that's crazy.  But, really how many times do I honor the thing instead of God who created the thing.

Example:  Maybe in 1912 God showed me something while I was down at the river. So now instead of honoring God I choose to honor the river as a holy place, going there to sit and meditate.  Maybe God gave me something, showed me a thing, made a way, or did something really unique (as He has so many times for all of us) yet instead of honoring God, I began to unconsciously honor God's act, deed or gift.

This is crazy, yet I am guilty.

There is only room on the throne for one God.

God ain't mad it you!

Micah 7:18
Who is a God like You, Who forgives iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His heritage? He retains not His anger forever, because He delights in mercy and loving-kindness.

Never fold, Never give up.

Life is often like a game of cards. You can choose to stay, draw, fold, ante up, or just quit. Quitting has never been an option for me. Many times the stakes have been very high. Many times I have lost. Sometimes the loss so great, continuing to play, was done on auto pilot, just going through the motions. I have, at times, thought long and hard about folding. However, it never was in me to do so. Though I'm really not a gambler, I've always felt like I must continue to play. Sometimes the hand dealt can be a flush or even a full house, Love, Marriage, birth of your children and even grandchildren are included in those hands. Sometimes you must draw, failures, mistakes, human error. Sometimes the mistake was to draw, when I should have stuck with the original hand. But more than often that lesson was learned after the mistake was already made. Sometimes you must bluff yourself convincing yourself that the hand is good, even when it looks like you must fold. After the hand is played you will see that you played correctly all along. Sometimes the hand dealt leads to sudden death, but you must continue to play anyway, (sickness, death, and human loss). Quitting is never an option. Choosing to quit is never a good move. Even though it looks tragic, and many times it is, don't stop playing, the very next hand may be a good one.

Continue On

Hebrews 13:1-3
1 Let brotherly love continue. 2 Do not forget to entertain strangers, for by so doing some have unwittingly entertained angels. 3 Remember the prisoners as if chained with them—those who are mistreated—since you yourselves are in the body also.

As always. But even more so this time of year. Christmas is a happy sad. Some people are rejoicing while others are in turmoil. As I left a family party I rode by a cemetery, and grieved as someone was laying a love one in the ground. Remember Christmas does not stop the world's hurting. Be extra kind. Even to that nasty mouth person standing next to you. For we do not know what they are having to contend with. And when Christmas is all said and done continue.

The thou shalt not, god

Why do folk make God out to be such a tyrant? You know the "thou shall not" god.  The one that will zap you with an evil plague if you are late to Sunday School god.
I was never really taught that, but some how grew up believing that.

That Christianity was all about these rules.  God is not about rules. Religion is about rules.

All those "thou shall nots" are man made, tradition.

If church/Christianity is making you feel oppressed you need to look a little deeper. Don't look at what people tell you.
* You need to give up that
* change the way you do this
* cut it, grow it, shave it....
* polish it, wash it, dump it...

If there is something God isn't pleased with, He will grow you, nurture you, love you into what He wants you to be. Not what Sue or Bob think you ought to be.

God is a loving God.  Get into the word for yourself. You will not come up empty.

Ministering or Loving Unconditionally

Love unconditional. Have you ever thought you were better than someone? I remember at my Aunt Zid's (a Godly women) funeral there were "some people" there that she had ministered too. No let me change that, people she HAD LOVED.

Now talking about Rhonda, she would have "ministered" to "these people", (see even my tone shows it) the homeless, the down and out, wine-os, people who needed to shave and take a bath. Yes oh yes I would surely minister, because that is what God has told me to do, RIGHT?

You know the ministering stuff. Feed the hungry, give your cloak, yeah yeah that stuff. I would surely help any one who needed it. Wouldn't I?

What if it isn't a bath they need? What if it really isn't a meal they need? What if it isnt my little monetary pius sacrifice they need at all. What if all they REALLY need is to once again feel loved, to be assured no matter what someone, somewhere really and truly cares?

What if it isn't the wine-o? What if it's your neighbor? You know the one, that snoody so and so that thinks they are so much better than you. Maybe they don't think that way at all. Maybe it is you. Maybe you have a bit of "you will never be good enough" syndrome. Maybe it's someone in your past who you felt did you wrong, so you walk on the opposite side of the street. Ok here you are, those that are just a tad bit thrown off, so you purposely dart down the other aisle.

Maybe God sent them to Wal-Mart just to meet up with you that day.

Rhonda have you had enough? Do you really understand what LOVING UNCONDITIONALLY MEANS? Love + no conditions, no, none, zip.

Guilty as charged.

Wonder who will be at my funeral?

How would one describe you?

I Samuel 16:18

Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son of Jesse the Bethlehemite, that is cunning in playing, and a mighty valiant man, and a man of war, and prudent in matters, and a comely person, and the LORD is with him.

This description of David amazes me.

He is called:
Mighty
Valiant
Man
Man of war
Prudent
Good Looking
and a person God is with.

Why does this amaze me?
It amazes me because David was about 12 to 14 years old at this time.
I think wow. I am 4 times David's age, when this was written about him.
Honesty can any of those things be said about me? Really.

Then I think of all the people who say "God can't use me, I'm just a kid".
Not only those who are young, but also those who are spiritually young. Maybe you you've only known God a short while.

It doesn't matter what your age God will use you.

This blows me away. A KID. Yeah that one sitting behind the PS4, The one with that weird hat shoved on his head. The one wearing two different socks that don't even match what she has on. And what is with all those pieces of hair going ever which way. And men with a bun?

Yeah that one. Adults you better wake up. There are some youth in your life that could blow you away with what God is doing with them. If you would only take time to listen.

Back to me, time for me to stop making excuses. God can use ANYTHING, even a rock.