RUN WITH THE WORD – Barry’s almost daily blog

You can respond to this blog at any time by hitting COMMENT or email me at:  barry@barrymcarlos.com

 

Friday May 11^th 2012 

 

‘DO I TAKE THE CHANCE’?

 

When you separate yourself from an individual that is verbally abusive to you, it is very hard to lose those remembrances and the fears that accompany them.  I can certainly understand your hesitation in resuming a friendship with this kind of individual simply because they want it.  Nevertheless, as a Christian your reward is not based upon how the individual will react, it is based entirely on your own actions.

 

I believe every opportunity to do good is truly a blessing from God himself and we should embrace this gift whole heartily and stay the course no matter what diversions the evil one attempts to place down along the way.

 

In considering ending the estrangement you may cautiously ask, “Do I take the chance?”   In truth, you are never taking a chance when doing good, for I believe in God’s mind and judgment, good has no option for chance just as there is never a chance option in accepting Jesus, the Word as our savior.

 

What God’s Word is, is what Truth is… It is complete.   It is Ontic.

 

SUNDAY APRIL 8, 2012

HAPPY EASTER – RESURRECTION DAY

 

President Obama speaks at the Easter Prayer breakfast

 

It is times like this that make me take a step back and not be so questionable concerning  President Obama’s spiritual beliefs.  He either means what he is saying here in these video’s or he is an incredible liar and deciever.  It is really difficult, whether I totally, marginally or negatively agree or disagree with his political direction for our country, to say that his spirtual convictions are not Christian in nature.  I don’t think he could say these things and at the same time be of the Muslim faith.  That is unless he is a complete deceiver and I truly hope and pray for his sake and ours… he is not.

 

 

Here are two Easter video’s – check it out for yourself

 

 

 http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2012/04/04/president-obama-speaks-easter-prayer-breakfast

 

http://www.whitehouse.gov/photos-and-video/video/2012/04/07/weekly-address-easter-and-passover-greetings-president-obama

 

 

 

 

SUNDAY APRIL FIRST – 2012

    ATHEIST DAY  (?)

 

It has been rumored that in Florida , an atheist created a case against the upcoming Easter and Passover Holy days.  He hired an attorney to bring a discrimination case against Christians, Jews and observances of their holy days.  The argument was that it was unfair that atheists had no such recognized days.The case was brought before a judge.  After listening to the passionate presentation by the lawyer, the judge banged his gavel declaring,” Case dismissed!” The lawyer immediately stood objecting to the ruling saying,  “Your honor, how can you possibly dismiss this case? The Christians have Christmas, Easter and others.  The Jews have Passover, Yom Kippur and Hanukkah, yet my Client and all other atheists have no such holidays.”The judge leaned forward in his chair saying, “But you do. Your client, counsel, is woefully ignorant.”

The lawyer said, “Your Honor, we are unaware of any special observance or holiday for atheists.”

The judge said, “The calendar says April 1st is April Fools Day. Psalm 14:1 states, ‘The fool says in his heart, there is no God.’  Thus, it is the opinion of this court, that if your client says there is no God, then he is a fool.  Therefore, April 1st is his day. Court is adjourned.”

 

 TUESDAY FEBRUARY 28, 2012

‘I DON’T CARE!’

I came across this post on FB last night and was surprised on how many (I think at the latest count it is 450 or so) people ‘liked’ it and from their comments, strongly supported this view.

Hmmm… From what I have come to understand as a ‘follower-in-training’ of Christ, I am suppose to be nice to people even if they ARE NOT nice to me and believe me I know that can be very difficult because there are times when I want to be just like them… NOT NICE!

  Nevertheless, here I go again… Jesus taught:  “Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun to rise on the evil and on the good and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.  For if you only love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even unbelievers do the same?  And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others?  Do not even unbelievers do the same? You therefore MUST be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.”

Whoa, now wait a minute… Did Jesus just say that we MUST be perfect?  How in the heck can that happen when just about every preacher in Christendom says… “Hey relax, don’t worry about that because we can never be perfect or sinless in our lifetime?” 

Well folks, from what I have been taught, those preachers are either ignorant of the Word, ill-informed by their ‘so called’ teachers or just plain down-right liars.  Think about this for just a moment, if Jesus indeed came to not only forgive sin but to ‘take away’ and cleanse us from ALL unrighteousness, why do we keep sinning?  Why do we keep ‘missing the mark?   Do you think that just maybe it is because we have been blinded by ‘the evil one’ and thereby can’t even see the target.

I have some really good news for all who are ‘called’…You can be perfected and sin no more. In fact, to be ‘chosen’ you must be perfected.  There is no way around this and I do care that those phony preachers say the contrary. 

Jesus declared in a very serious way that there is only one sin that cannot be forgiven.  Do you know what that sin is and more importantly, why ‘that sin’ cannot be forgiven?  Why can’t even God – the all-powerful Creator of the universe, our loving Heavenly Father, forgive that one and only sin? 

Hint… The answer is a very personal one. 

 

Tuesday February 21, 2012

WILL GOD RECOGNIZE YOU?

I guess pretty much all of us feel proud of ourselves when the world       applauds our talents and abilities.  Let’s face it, we all have egos and love to be recognized by anyone and everyone who acknowledges our accomplishments. 

It’s really not different with many individuals who can only…’think’ of themselves as Christians.  I say, ‘can only think’ because these ‘christians’  are still under the power and lies of their ego but will swear that they are not (In Truth, only a Perfected or ‘ego-less’ individual is a true completed Christian).   Anyway, we will deal much more with that subject in subsequent postings.  

For now, let’s get back to the ‘christian’ individual who  spends a great deal of time happily telling a whole lot of people just how wonderfully spiritual they are.  They do this not only in the hope that they’ll be recognized but secretly plan everything in order to facilitate their demand to be recognized.

Having good intentions, they go about each day presenting their best calculated ‘spiritual moves’ in order to not only get recognition points from the world and fellow Christians but to also insure that when the time comes, God himself will recognize them and ‘their wonderful works’ when they stand before him in judgment.   

However, there is a real potential problem here; it seems the more that ‘WE KNOW’ how wonderful we are, the more we are in danger that on Judgment day… God will not recognize us at all.

I base this on the following short but far reaching teaching of Jesus…

Matthew 7: 22 – 23 

Many will say to me in that day. Lord, Lord. Have we not prophesied in your name and in your name cast of devils and in your name done many wonderful works?

And then I will profess unto them, I NEVER KNEW YOU; depart from me, you that work wickedness. 

Now that is very scary because it follows on another teaching of Jesus that is basically saying…   if what you see, think and believe as truth, is really a lie, then how great is that lie.   

Matthew 6:22 -23

   The light of the body is the eye: If therefore your eye is solitary, your whole body will be full of light. 

   But if your eye be evil, your whole body will be full of darkness.  If therefore the light that is in you be darkness, how great is that darkness!

I present this very important truth as a precursor to the subsequent writings I will be doing on the subjects of: 

THE KINGDOM OF GOD – What is it – where is it?

THE EVIL ONE:  Who, what and why is it? 

PERFECTION:  Is it necessary in the plan of  Salvation to attain it in our lifetime?

 

 

Saturday February 11, 2012

SIDEBAR:  Whitney Houston… A life wasted???

I noticed today that many people on Facebook posted the following similar opinions about Whitney Houston’s tragic passing… ‘What a life wasted’.

At first glance, given the circumstances of her recent personal difficulties, we do feel this type of human loss as not only tragic but a life wasted.  However, how could any persons life be considered ‘wasted’ when, if  only for a short time, they unselfishly shared with each one of us so much of themselves and their extraordinary talent. 

Perhaps we all should simply be very grateful

for what she gave us…  not what she didn’t.

TUESDAY February 7, 2012

SIDEBAR:  Life and the Santa Cruz coaster.

My Sister Deb and her husband Bill sold their small but profitable trucking business recently and she emailed me saying: “Bill sold the truck and trailer.  He got the price he wanted and poof!  No more truck, trailer or income!!!!   Oh well, hopefully things will be fine.”

I wrote back…  ‘As always, the important thing is to let go and hold on cause life with each new change is pretty much like that wild roller coaster ride at Santa Cruz.  We loved that thrill as kids and in a funny way we are still riding it.  When one ‘life-experiencing’ ride completes,  we catch our breath and notice that some of our riding companions have exited and new riders have boarded.  We faintly smile as we eagerly give the attendant another ticket so we can ’go around’ again.   Each new ‘go around’ experience starts by first having to go through the unknowing dark tunnel with all it twisting, turning and screaming… then suddenly we are out in the bright summer sunshine apprehensively ascending up the track.  When we reach the top, the cars seem to hesitate for just a moment and then we are once again in for the ride of our life.

    

MONDAY JANUARY 23. 2012

WHAT ARE THEY THINKING!

            I was rather taken back when I heard Newt Gingrich’s response to a question submitted to him at a South Carolina debate.  The person asked Gingrich about his ex wife’s disclosure that he would like an ‘Open Marriage’.  Well it sounded like he came unglued and shouted rather angrily back at the inquisitor … “What kind of a question is that to ask at a Presidential debate.”

Upon completion of his tirade, loud cheering and clapping broke out.  I was certainly surprised that he would receive such an ovation.  My thinking is that this is exactly the kind of question that needs asking of a Presidential candidate who is asking us to trust in his integrity and wisdom .

 Now I hear that Mr. Gingrich has won the South Carolina Primary.  Really?  I am astounded… ‘What are people thinking!’  Now, if Mr. Gingrich would have responded with sincere remorse for his often times unfaithful adulterous ways I would probably have a much different view of him. (At least on this issue) However, that didn’t happen.  Instead, his ego jumped out & lashed back, revealing (at least at that moment) who or what drives good ol’ boy Newt. 

Where do you think Newt’s response emanated from…The Kingdom of God or The Kingdom of the evil one?  In the next blog, I will continue to explore just where these two Kingdoms reside.  

 

SIDE BAR

MONDAY 01/16/2012

From time to time, I will take you off the present pathway and present what I will call a ‘Side Bar’.  Think of it this way, just like when you go to a zoo, a county fair or a convention of the latest electronic gadgets, you might be enticed to stray off the beaten path to watch or participate in a hands on demonstration.  These side bars might be a video or just a reference to some activity of the particular day.

So today, since we are observing Dr. Martin Luther King’s birthday,  we will venture onto our first ‘Side Bar’.  If you have never read Dr. King’s book, ‘Letters from a Birmingham Jail’, you have missed the driving essence of this remarkable man.  I shed many tears as I read his sorrowful tale about how his children could not join the others kids on the carnival rides because of their skin color.

Take a few moments and venture back… to the future?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s5Y-64GJT8E&feature=related

 SUNDAY JANUARY 15, 2012

WHERE IS ‘THE KINGDOM OF GOD’ ?

Well for sure we know that the Kingdom of God is not ‘OUT THERE’, somewhere external,  for when Jesus was asked by those pesky religious leaders when the Kingdom of God should come, he didn’t hesitate a second in telling them straight out that the Kingdom of God does not come with observation.  In fact, he went on to say we should not believe anyone who points and says ‘Here it is’ or ‘There it is’.  So where did Christ say the Kingdom of God is located.  His answer was right where you should expect it to be… WITHIN’ YOU.

Well now, that’s some good news!  You do not have to walk a single step or reach out and grab it… it is right there within you and has been from the very beginning.

Ok, I understand that you might be saying…

‘Hey Barry, I am not sure I know what the Kingdom of God is, let alone being able to recognize it.  Besides, I am not even sure I want it.  I can tell you this for sure, I cannot do any supernatural things as the bible says Jesus did.  In fact, since you said in your previous blog that God is light and in him there is no darkness at all, I figure that God’s kingdom probably doesn’t even reside in me because I’ve been told many times that I got plenty of darkness in me.”

You are correct about the darkness my friend but at the same time you are making a serious mistake in your hesitant acknowledgment that God’s Kingdom is within you.  In our corrupted state, we cannot see this Kingdom because the ‘evil one’ has blinded us.  Because our love for the darkness is more than our love for the light, most likely we have not even looked for it.  The real obstacle here is that we must see the Kingdom of God before we can ever enter into it.   Jesus said very plainly, ‘If you don’t see the Kingdom, you will never enter in’.

Before we go any further down this path, I should define ‘Darkness’.  In a smaller way, I am talking about sin or in a larger way, its definition… ‘Missing the mark’.  You see, the reason that there is no darkness at all in God is that He NEVER misses the mark.

Our Heavenly Father created each one of us Good or if you will… ‘Perfect’.  Now, because there is absolutely no darkness in him, it is impossible for Him to create anything but Good.   In our original created perfect state, our consciousness dwelt in the ‘Kingdom of God.’  When to our own detriment, we exercised our God given ‘Free-will’ and rebelled, we essentially told our Creator that we knew what was best for us and to ‘bug-off’.  It wasn’t long before we went our own not so merry way, abandoning our true natured consciousness in favor of our own self-created corrupted nature.   Nevertheless, our Creator knew that ‘Free-will’ could bring this corruption about and provided a way back home, so to speak.

In the next Blog, we will explore just where in us ‘The Kingdom of God’ resides and the necessary steps that must be taken so we can get back home.

SUNDAY JANUARY 8, 2012

It seems that a lot of people on this planet rush to judgement and blame God for the bad things that man actually does.  Or they may, out from their distorted logic say something like,  ’God must be both Good and Evil cause if he created everything, he must have created evil as well as good.’  Wrong…  God only creates Good.  Man creates evil.  To say it another way lets check out what John, a disciple of Jesus says in 1st John 1:5:

 ”This then is the message which we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all.”

Now, if God is only light, it stands to reason that God’s Kingdom must also be only a Kingdom of light.  All Good, no darkness and absolutely NO SIN!

Now Jesus emphatically taught that the ‘Kingdom of God’ is within you.  Think about what that is saying, really think on it and in the next post we will consider a real probability.

Friday January 6, 2012

Hello everyone;

My plan is to bounce different topics around the ol’ ball court.   Most likely each days entry will  include subjects that are most likely political or spiritual in nature as they both intrigue me.    Hopefully, I will be able to find a few words once and awhile that brings a chuckle or two for your well being.  So I guess I will start this blog out with a quote that I received today from my friend Chuck and my response to it.

Good Morning Chuck;

     Your statement… “Our government was set up to be for the people ……Not , just for some of the people”, says it all.  That quote should be carved into the entrance of every single Federal Building.

     I do not mind in the least that our President get Perks, he or she should, it can be a very tough job.  But these perks should come from the citizens as a show of overwhelming gratitude for a job well done, not from the selfish greedy wants of any public servant.  If any public servant steps over the line and puts his or her selfish self interests above the will of the people, they need to be removed before their greed infects the entire system as it has unfortunately done.   In this way we would not have legislators selfishly  voting themselves a different “Retirement package”  than what the rest of the citizens receive.  These wayward legislators have discarded their originally intended title… ‘Public SERVANT’ and donned on a new hat that says ‘Self-centered ELITIST’.  What is really bad about this is that they are not the least bit ashamed to wear this hat.

     Surely you have read George Orwell’s ‘Animal Farm’.  Remember what the pigs did soon after the animals took control of the farm, they changed the sign above the barn that originally read…  ”All animals are equal,” to “All animals are equal but pigs are more equal.”

     I think that there was a time far back when the legislators for the most part really cared about OUR country and perhaps the citizens did not mind that they received a little extra in the envelope for such things as retirement.   However that was a time ‘Far Back’ and sad to say… We don’t have those kinds of people in power any more.

     I fear that if your above quote was originally placed above every Federal Building long ago, by now it would have been changed to read:  ”Our government was set up to be for the people –  But for some people… MORE.”   Sadly there would only be a very few ‘Old Timers’ left who think they remember that something changed.