Month: October 2018

It occurs to me that every waking part of our day is full of choices. We can choose to get out of bed early or lounge in bed for hours. We can choose to eat nutritious food or stuff ourselves with junk then complain why we are so fat. We can choose not to vote then complain for years why your favorite candidate did not get in or you can go vote and at least make you vote count. Your person may not win but at least you did something in the affirmative. You can choose to be a jerk and join the protestors or you can choose a more positive approach to life. You can choose a good career by taking the actions to ensure a good education that will make your chances of success much greater. You can choose to complain for the rest of you life why you did not obtain that good career blaming everyone but yourself. You can choose not to go to exciting placing on vacation for what ever reason or you can take action now to enjoy your discretionary time. You get the picture right?

One more choice you can make to me that is more important than all of the above. Who do you choose to worship? We have two choices, in my opinion. The first choice is temporary. Take food for example. We can worship what we eat until we become so overweight that disease takes over. The World Health Organization estimates that 80% of all heart disease, stroke and type 2 diabetes along with 40% of cancer, would be prevented if Americans stop abusing their bodies. Read “Chronic Disease: A Self Inflicted Pandemic?” at www.mphprogramslist.com.

The alternative choice to the above is explained much better than I could ever explain in Hebrews 7 starting at verse 23. Shall we concentrate our daily lives into worship of one who is holy, innocent, incorrupt, separate from sinners, and raised high above the heavens? Perhaps, this choice may cause us to work a little harder to make right daily choices. In the end, I believe will lead us to ultimate victory.

Hear my audio recorded way back in October 25th, 2015 below if you have time.

T

The word call has many synonyms. The list includes cry out, shout, yell, roar, and my favorite slang, holler. When you cry out in order to get attention, you call. We used to make a call on an old fashion telephone. Instead, we use more sophisticate devices like smart phones or hand held computers. The call may not even be verbal as many of us prefer to simply text or email to get someone’s attention. It is scary how communication has moved from verbal one on one to a group call. That may be a good thing, but I fear may become a point of contingency in years to come.

The past tense of call is called. Do you believe God has called you? Back in April of 2016, I asked the question, “Have you ever considered you path in life?….Life can be good but it can be difficult also. What keeps you strong and on the right path?… How were you called?”

Perhaps a more direct question would be, do you know if you have been called? In Hebrews 5 starting at the first verse, we learn that even high priests are chosen from the people and put in charge of things related to God for their sake. If the priest is truly called, then they are empathetic to the people and able to deal with people since they also have similar challenges. They are merely reflective of the current human existence. Aaron was called by God and created the lineage of the priesthood under the Law of Moses. Jesus did not qualify to be a priest according to that law. Instead, he was consider a priest in the order of Melchizedek because he too was not a descendent of Aaron. Aaron and Melchizedek were called by God. I believe Jesus was set apart from a mere priest.

Can we be called by God and not be considered a priest? I believe without a doubt we are all called to a purpose revealed when we are ready. How do you know right from wrong? I believe you are on the right path when you meet resistance, but feel compelled to keep moving. Likewise, you may be on the wrong path when things are so easy no one or no thing causes you any challenges. But, here is the miracle of being on the right path, in my opinion, the resistance begins to break off and you begin to see a higher purpose. Keep moving resisting fear until your faith prevails.

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Way back in the fall of October 2015, I posted a blog on sharpness. Now that we are approaching cooler weather as fall tries to overcome summer in 2018, I am reminded of the same theme. I said in 2015 that we stay sharp by our actions not our words. By our love not hatred. By our compassion not intolerance. By our thankfulness not regret. Three years later perhaps I need to amend my words to say that sharpness is a two-edged sword. Actions can go both ways with positive or negative results. We can choose to be intolerant to another perhaps easier than being compassionate. 

By definition, to be sharp means, to have an edge able to cut. Do we cut away the fat and keep the good meat or do we just slash out with no regard for our actions? Sharpness is the quality or state of being sharp. Is our degree of sharpness bordering on becoming a real “A Hole”? Sharpness should be a quality within our traits that separate us from animals and defines humanity. But, are we sharp with our tongue to cut into another with verbal abuse? In these days of instantaneous opinions based on assumptions, is there still a chance to be sharp in a positive way? I believe that if we choose the dark side, we will be found out in due course. In my opinion, there is a day of reckoning for us all. No matter how much we think we can hide, our true selves will be found sooner or later.

“God’s word is living, active, and sharper than any two-edged sword….No creature is hidden from it, but rather everything is naked and exposed to the eyes of the one to whom we have to give an answer.” (Hebrews 4:12-13)

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What is humanity? Is it demonstrated with reason, compassion or with contempt? In this day of opposing camps, contempt is all that we see. I just listened to a logical speech from a US Senator that helped me understand why opposing camps draw their battle lines. It is not about reason, compassion or contempt. It is about control. Those who do not have control become the opposing side, period. What they are opposing and who they destroy is not in their algorithm. What is humanity? According to Quora, it is a term referring to the human species and sets of qualities which define human nature.

An algorithm is a process or set of equations based on certain parameters which can be built into a computer model to predict results. Did you know social media has advanced to the point where elections could be decided without the need for human voting input? Our brains have already been tapped into to predict our behaviors. If you do not believe me, just go anywhere and do anything where your hand held device is used or you are programmed into a computer. For example, when you go to a doctor, you may spend more time with the receptionist filling out insurance to prove you can pay than actually seeing the doc. Later that day, you are targeted for some other unsolicited medical advise. How about taking a cruise. You are suddenly on a database for other cruises. Even charities share your information so you are targeted for multiple charities you may have never heard. And so it goes…

I recently read a book by Yuval Harari called “Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow.” where data-ism is all about the convergent of biological and software algorithms. He says “As we become increasingly skilled at deploying artificial intelligence, big data and algorithms to do everything from easing traffic to diagnosing cancer, we’ll transform into a new breed of superhuman…” The book is his interpretation but seems on track to suggest data-ism is more than just a philosophy. Humans as we know ourselves will become extinct. We will be replaced and data-ism will totally control us thus becoming our higher power source. You buy that?

Hebrews 1:2 says that God did not put the world under the angel’s control. Someone declared “What is humanity that you think about them?… You put everything under their (Angels) control.” Now we see Jesus who was lower than the angels for a while, but now is crowned with glory. He suffered death to taste it for us all through God’s grace.

The dispute continues. Is there a living God and was Jesus sent to us to restore humanity with greater qualities than if left on our own? I say Yes!

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