The Great Commission

[A.J. Holst]

13 hours ago, gregintenn said:

https://www.sinaiinarabia.com/

I found this video very interesting. I'm betting you will too.

Thanks for posting!

[A.J. Holst]

To all my Brothers and Sisters in this thing I call Creation, may the peace and love of the Lord Jesus Christ be with each of you.

I come you a beggar for your prayers that Almighty God will have mercy on this great nation of ours and that He would touch the hearts and mind of those who believe the concept that late term abortion is acceptable.

Up until the time of birth would indicate until the fetus is physically separated from the mother, it's not a person.

There are a few species lower on the food chain whose unborn have greater legal protection.

To save the life of the mother is as convenient as in cases of rape or incest.

I recently had an acquaintance ask me what would it take to get us back on track.

"A  great Christian Revival, except that many professed Christians have made it hard to fill the tent and recruit."

I pray the Lord blesses and protects each and everyone of you and that He showers you with with His unconditional love, mercy, forgiveness, and grace!

Edited February 2, 2019 by A.J. Holst

[A.J. Holst]

Happy Sunday!

May the peace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you!!

This is a wonderful statement from a man who experienced loss through the violence of murder:

Thompson continued, saying God "freed me, He freed my heart, He freed my soul and body of the burden of bitterness, rage, anger, and malice. He healed me from the inside out, and I’m here to tell you that He took away all my burdens and gave me peace, peace you can have tonight."

and his story

https://pjmedia.com/faith/echoing-jesus-this-black-pastor-forgave-the-white-supremacist-who-murdered-his-wife/

[A.J. Holst]

The sin of gluttony.

Not a popular sermon or talking point in today's church.

Still working through the Screwtape Letters and he mentioned it hadn't been popular for 40 years in 1942

Not being a theologian or scholar, just a a recovering sinner and young Christian, I think this is a good as a definition as any:

Reducing the simple pleasures of food through excess OR temperance with the avoidance of thought of how that behavior impacts your overall well being.

The excess piece is obviously, more intake for diminishing returns with thoughts on other things rather than long term health.

True for any pleasure granted by God, we just do a great job of turning them into vices; alcohol and sex come to mind.

I never considered the temperance and abstinence angle. It sounds almost spiritual,

Can this destroy the pleasure of food?

I only drink the mucho gusto, half frappe, low phat, gmo free, sustainable, mocha lattes.

(Screwtape calls this gluttony of delicacies)

Can you enjoy a cuppa joe? Is it ok for others to enjoy their Maxwell House and have the opinion, "that's what coffee is!" If you drink Maxwell House, is it ok for others to drink their preferred coffee drink?

Here is another subtle example:

I only eat at XYZ, because they are the only ones who can properly cook a steak.

Now I've got a little pride, vanity, and elitism entering my brain.

One I am guilty of is service and quality. I ran a restaurant or three, I'm patient to a point. My wife is a great cook, I dislike spending money and being disappointed.

I'm going to allow a pre judgement to influence and potentially ruin a spending time with my spouse when a whole lot of things will go right? 

Anyone have anxiety simply picking a restaurant?

All this over food; for the nourishment of our bodies and the pleasure of the experience.

I read an article from Australia (?) where the reporter was berating millennials over their coffee and avocado toast. Interesting, because Satan has further disguised "gluttony of delicacies" to a conversation on economic choices and how I spend the money I earn.

As a young man, replace Starbucks and avocado toast for beer, bread, and bolgna, and I made the same (unwise) economic choices, simply with different items.

Enjoyed the short term health benefits of alcohol gluttony and changed my behavior accordingly.

With all the different and wonderful pleasures God has given to us, enjoy in moderation!

[A.J. Holst]

I was exiting I-26 at Johnson City on Wednesday and noticed a guy; homeless, God bless, scribed in marker on a mostly square piece of cardboard.

I am the only car on the double exit ramp.

Professional panhandler, guy down on his luck with little to no hope, or someone else?

I had already decided to help, my duty is to serve, not decide who gets the service.

Dig into my pocket, President Jackson, Lincoln, and 2 Washingtons

Fold up Mr. Jackson, roll down my window, "hey buddy, I'd like to help you out."

I am pretty sure he's not a threat, no obvious weapons or tools, other than that piece of cardboard, first in line, so I can step on it if I misjudged intent.

As I roll down my window, I re-observe this guy. Appears to be oh-so-slightly shifting weight from left to right and his lips were moving and wasn't any close enough to have a conversation.

Slip the gift into his hand, "thank you, God bless you," with a smile.

As he is walking back to his spot, he looks down and discovers the denomination.

As he looks back at me, tears are beginning to stream down his face.

More vehicles are now exiting and approaching the red light, the man turns away from the road to gain his composure.

Lord, thank you for showing me how I made a difference in someone's life.

Thank you for answering my prayers to be your obediant servant and serve as your hands and feet.

Thank you for rewarding me in mind, heart, soul, and pocket for being a faithful steward of the blessings you place in my care.

Edited June 14, 2019 by A.J. Holst

[A.J. Holst]

The peaks and valley of life, also called undulation.

Well, I'm in a trough and I need help.

The problem is I'm discovering my patience and attempt at graceful living is being sorely tested on things not directly impacted by this specific valley of challenge.

I humbly ask that you pray for me:

for strength, courage, and patience.

For change to a better place.

That the Lord would continue to work on me to be His obedient servant.

And that He would have mercy on me, a recovering sinner, and increase my faith so that I can reflect the light of his Son.

[QuackerSmacker]

23 hours ago, A.J. Holst said:

The peaks and valley of life, also called undulation.

Well, I'm in a trough and I need help.

The problem is I'm discovering my patience and attempt at graceful living is being sorely tested on things not directly impacted by this specific valley of challenge.

I humbly ask that you pray for me:

for strength, courage, and patience.

For change to a better place.

That the Lord would continue to work on me to be His obedient servant.

And that He would have mercy on me, a recovering sinner, and increase my faith so that I can reflect the light of his Son.

I am praying for you.  And thank you for all you've shared in this thread.  Also, that video about Mt. Sinai being in Saudi Arabia is fascinating.

[A.J. Holst]

When all seems lost, praise God.

A series of coincidences stemming from a radio preacher I heard Saturday morning on the way to gun class.

Basically, he told me when I am in in those troughs and less guarded against Satan and all of his works, succeptible to the glamour and temptation of sin, or at the very least, bitching about my current lot in life.

He shared a story of a preacher who visited a severely physically handicapped girl, who was reported to be a radiant beacon of light.

When the preacher met her, he discovered the device used to strap her deformed body to resembled a coffin.

He asked her how she was able to be so cheerful, to which she responded,

"At night when I wake up, I see the stars are they are my blessings, one is for Mother, one is for Brother, one is for Father...but Pastor, I still have stars but have run out of blessings."

Perhaps an illustration of all that is seen and unseen? Those blessings that I am totally aware of?

Shared this story when I got home;  praise God that I have both feet on the ground, that I have a beautiful and supportive wife, roof over my head, food in the fridge, clothes on my back, decent income and a job, son just got promoted at work, I found an amazing support group on TGO, the peace of knowing Christ and certainty of eternal life 

Later that evening, my wife received a call from a friend, close but no longer local and infrequent contact.

She told my wife what a difference she made and continues to make in her life.

I think and discussed with my wife; all those things you did without strings attached, all those years ago, the blessing from the Lord is the knowledge that you did make a difference in someone's life.

Praise God!

[A.J. Holst]

Science and Christianity...

While I believe in creation, l have a hard time accepting the young earth viewpoint.

I think it's short sighted to limit what God could actually do during the measured 24 hour periods we call days.

Perhaps it's beyond comprehension; according to the Bible, He worked 24/6 and rested on 7. No indication of a union break during His shift.

What could God create and mould into it's final form in 168 non stop hours?

What got me started thinking about was this article and my perceived inconsistencies that theories of  evolution and the big bang are just that, theories.

https://amp.businessinsider.com/quantum-entanglement-einstein-first-picture-2019-7

Quotes from the article:

illustrate a strange phenomenon that rattled Albert Einstein so much that he died disbelieving it could exist

With current tech and testing, he probably would believe, thanks to the amazing human brain.

At tiny scales, the universe appears to play by different rules, many of which are paradoxical and defy reason

Chalk this up to another scientifically unexplained phenomenon? The last sentence of the above quote indicates in Quantum Mechanics there can be an effect BEFORE the cause.

This is my favorite quote

No one should be blamed for being confused by quantum mechanics, Davis said, since "we didn't evolve to understand" the theory and its counterintuitive ramifications

I guess Davis and those studying Quantum Mechanics did evolve to understand? As tech evolved to test, the brain evolved to understand? We evolved to figure out how math can be used to describe (most of) the natural world?

If Davis and his colleagues represent the next level of evolution, I'm disappointed. I'd rather be able to fly or shoot laser from my eyes than a math geek.

Do the folks who ARGUE their point of view think "proving" creation or evolution is winning converts to their cause? 

[dralarms]

Not sure how I missed this until today. But wanted to say that you are a blessing. God is using you in more ways than you can imagine. 

[A.J. Holst]

Oh, how God loves his creation.

After Adam and Eve ate of the tree, the Lord comes strolling through the Garden.

He rebukes and punishes.

The very first thing He does?

His righteous judgement is tempered with mercy and love:

He covers their nakedness.

I don't know about you, but if I was in charge and had only ONE rule, and you broke it, you might be lucky all I did was  throw your clothes in a muddy ditch when I kicked your sorry @$$ out.

Glory and Praise to the Lamb of the New Covenant, who washes away my sin and shame so I no longer need to cover it from the Lord.

Thank you for your sacrifice, so that I may be acceptable before God.

[A.J. Holst]

There was a man who cried out to God,

"Lord, I can no longer bear this cross."

And the Lord answered,

"This is your lucky day, it's trade in your cross day."

A open door appeared and the man ran through it.

Upon entering, he saw a room full of crosses, so many he could barely comprehend the sheer number. Some so big, their tops lost in the clouds.

As he looked around, he spied a cross by the door. It was the smallest, and certainly the lightest one of the bunch.

"Lord, that's the one I want."

"Are you sure?"

"Absolutely!"

"You can have it, but there is something I have to tell you..."

"...that's the cross you came in with."

Thank you Lord for fulfilling your promise of strength to bear my cross, for THIS daily bread to overcome THIS challenge.

Thank you for showing me the troughs and valleys are only temporary and while difficult, it does not prevent me from doing what I should do or what I like to do!

[A.J. Holst]

On 7/14/2019 at 9:22 AM, dralarms said:

Not sure how I missed this until today. But wanted to say that you are a blessing. God is using you in more ways than you can imagine. 

I told the above story to someone I met about 5 years ago. Saw her last week and she told me how much it helped her through that tough time and she has told the story to others for encouragement.

God's message to me, "keep it up!"

[A.J. Holst]

Good night sweet Princess

And let flights of angels sing thee to thy rest.

Please pray for the family of Michalla Danielle Sisson.

She was a beacon of light in this world of darkness.

She made a difference during her 24 years on this Earth.

She made an impact on me, and I only knew her for a year.

She was ready.

 I recall reading something in the Bible about being ready because you never really know when the Master will arrive.

 

[A.J. Holst]

As I navigate the current trough in my life, I picked up my copy Daily Inspiration for the Purpose Driven Life.

Coincidentally, I opened to the chapter 'When God Seems Distant'

My buddy Job is quoted quite a bit...

Then he fell to the ground in worship and said:

"Naked I came from my mother's womb and naked I will depart.

The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away; may the name of the Lord be praised!"

[A.J. Holst]

My 2020 Resolution.

Be more faithful in my prayer life.

Ensure the power of my example exceeds the authority of my position.

Worship and glorify God through the quality of my work; I was blessed and started my dream job 12/10/2019 thanks to all those who prayed, keep me in their thought, and God's  perfect timing!

Lastly, continue to accept with humility that God sees the potential in me to be an example of Christ in my thought, words and what I do.

I pray all of you have a safe and prosperous 2020!

 

[A.J. Holst]

I  humbled every day because God sees in me the potential to be a living image of my Lord, Jesus Christ.

"Lord, who me? I know I've come a long way, but I have a long way go. Other than my life experiences of doing some pretty stupid sh!t, I'm not that guy."

Then I heard this song and was set free from my doubts.

When Satan or world asks, "who do you think you are?"

My answer is simple

 

 

[A.J. Holst]

Martin Luther said there is no greater for of worship than to glorify God in song.

This one is pretty powerful and I crank it up as loud as some of my favorite 70s and 80s Rock-'n'-roll

 

[A.J. Holst]

Please pray that I courage to live my life to ultimately hear these words

 

[A.J. Holst]

As I go through a bit of rough patch, heart breaking vs. life threatening, I've been having a hard time praying.

This song found me, I hope it helps you when you're going through any difficult time!

 

Edited May 17, 2020 by A.J. Holst

[A.J. Holst]

Still going through an interesting season, prayer is still hard.

Yet, He gently reveals my cross is pretty insignificant when compared to the blessings He is pouring out into my life.

 

[A.J. Holst]

My rough patch has been resolved, simply figuring out how to communicate better.

Now I really need your prayers.

The next day when i returned to work, one of my prayer warriors stopped by office to check in on me.

With the strangest expression, he asked if I was ok (which I most certainly was)

He later revealed he detected the presence of the Holy Spirit when speaking with me.

Nope, not me, I'm not that guy.

However, in my prayer life I ask that God helps me be his obedient servant, wisely invest my time, talent and treasure for his glory and help me fulfill the potential he sees in me; to be a living image of Christ.

God says, "you've been asking, so I'll let you know you're on the right path."

It's quite an "oh ####" moment, be careful what you ask for, you might just get it.

Please pray that God continues to use me for his glory, that I make the right decisions to protect me from myself and tell Satan to eff off.

This gives me great confidence and eliminates my fears

Legions of Angels to send forth on my behalf in the cosmic battle for my soul.

God of Angel armies indeed!!!

[A.J. Holst]

Happy Sunday, I pray the peace of Jesus Christ is with you!

If the Lord's joy is my strength, how I can please Him?

Live today without anxiety about tomorrow and leave yesterday where it belongs, in the past.

Praise, worship and thank Him

Seek Him out for help

Ask Him for forgiveness

Oh so simple, if I could just overcome my selfishness which opens the door to the glamour and temptation of sin.

When the voices of the world or those in my mind start saying, "you can't, you're not good enough, it's nigh impossible..." 

I have to remember what I can, what is possible and where my strength comes from to get back in the fight.

 

 

[nightrunner]

Thank you for this thread.

[A.J. Holst]

On 8/10/2020 at 12:33 AM, nightrunner said:

Thank you for this thread.

Your welcome!

Today I made an error and arrived nearly an hour early for my appointment.

I was picking up breakfast for my client at a Chick Fil A I have never visited.

As I pull in, homeless guy, sign, shopping cart.

Automatically, "I've got to help this guy out."

Sat in the parking lot for a good 15 minutes trying to figure out what to do.

Normally, I have some cash in various denominations.

Not today, I had hit the ITM the day before to pull cash to make my mortgage payment. All Benjamins.

No where to break it, I don't think dude had change. 

Lord, really? Is it too much? $100 to someone with drugs or alcohol problems could buy enough to kill themselves.

"AJ, do you have another $100 for your mortgage?" 

"Yes, Lord."

"AJ in the time that you have known me and looking back before you committed to me, have I ever given you reason not to trust me? Have you not seen how I use all things for good?"

Put me in coach, I'm ready to play.

It simply didn't matter, the time, the place, what was in my pocket, it had to be done.

"Hey buddy, what's you name?"

A bit of a muddled speach.

"I'm sorry, I didn't catch that."

Another bit if muddled speach.

"Is it Max?"

The smile said it all.

I believe Max has some kind of mental disability vs.  drug or alcohol abuse. 40ish, perhaps he exited the juvenile support system at 18 or was living with an elderly parents or relative who passed.

Doesn't particularly matter because of what I witnessed next.

Max rolled his shopping cart around and pulled into one of mobile pick up spots and placed an order.

I'm waiting for my catering order, but his is taking forever.

Finally, out comes Max's order

Bag of ice, 2 or 3 bags of food, no drinks.

He bought $30 or $40 worth of Chick Fil A.

When I shared this with my wife, she said,

"he has a family or friends he was taking that to."

No way close to to fishes and loaves, but I now better understand the underlying message and lesson.

Thank you Lord for using me as your hands and feet and the giving me the wisdom of financial stewardship so I may glorify you through tithing.