Laugh and the world IS better! Laugh for no reason, laugh till tears wash your blues away, laugh till you snarkle and gasp for air! Give others reason to laugh as you waltz through tuff times! WEAR a whacky T-SHIRT...BE A GOOF! Be ridculous and butcher a bad day with a bubbly banter when those weird WARNINGS pop up! Be honest about your silly struggles...Seek the bright side...Hunt for humor...Quip quotes that poke fun. Anyone who acts too seriously probably stands in judgement, while anyone who can admit their flaws, and laugh....will also confidently laugh with those who laugh at them! WATCH FOR FUNNY BUMPER STICKERS and signs along the path! When appropriate, when asked to do something, REPLY "did you want fries with that?" Skip down the hall rather than walk and count the smiles you collect. With a serious face, order a diet water at lunch. When money is dispersed from the ATM, loudly shout out "I WON, I WON". Collect cool bumper stickers and use them for wall-paper. Take time to craft a scene that may cause a hilarious giggle. If inspiration fails you, google laugh outloud and see what tickles you to hysteria! A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments with her six year old students. After explaining God's command to "honor thy father and thy mother," she asked, "Is there a command that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat one little boy answered, "Thou shall not kill!" ---- Because I am humored by the ridiculous, when I view the world, it's politics, policies, programs, prime time TV ---for me, well without super-natural intervention I can get lost in a parking lot --- so the world I perceive is as confusing as a giant maze of freeways without speed limits or exit signs! Have you ever driven in a daze? Have you missed your exit while paying attention? With heart pounding, racing forward to the nearest exit, hoping to just circle back on---then you panick am I going east or west? Did you ever hear a donkey speak? Historically, or hysterically, donkey's do laugh --- so they must think you are funny! Take a walk on the wild side of humor and share your greatest tale of woe with a twist that tickles you to laugh outloud at yourself! My mignight outbursts of uproar is comically a visual review of how ridiculous my daytime behavior must have appeared! Was it your nonsense that made this man gasp for mercy? WELL DONE my good and faithful servant! Make my day a FOND memory! Make me LAUGH like this!
The pleassure of a luxury spa day at a most elegant resort does not last. The cost does nothing to purify and cleanse the soul. We were chosen by God and regarded as His treasure, not for our exterior appearance, but because our interior soul is His precious dwelling place. Going to His word, is to take a free trip to God's spa. Last night I watched "One night with the King" A movie that vividly brings the story of Queen Esther alive. Esther was required to stay in a spa for an entire year before she was chosen. She was bathed for six months with oils of myrrh and another six months with perfumes(Esther 2:12). Preparing her to come into the presence of the King, she was made to wait an entire year while seven ministering attendants took care of her every need. Over a year Esther had time to think of what whe would say, and what she would wear when she was called before the King. In the movie it was clear that the King found her mind, body and soul attractive. Her true beauty, her captivating essence was deeper than her appearance. Esther was a Jew that recited God's word to the King and His choosing of her as his queen was a testimony to what she treasured most, her relationship with God. Becoming the beauty that God recognizes as a personal treasure is to discover the hidden treasures of His word. Inner beauty glistens in the presence of the Holy Spirit, who delights to find a soul willing to seek God's word as if it were rubies and gold. God chooses us as we were found, covered in fear, doubt, shame and He makes us new creatures in Christ. "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, (she) is a new creation," Paul wrote, "the old is gone, and the new has come!" 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Amazing Makeovers occur when we choose to spend a spa day with the indwelt Master makeover artist, the Holy Spirit - the one sent by our Father, as Jesus promised. Open 24 hours a day, the price of admission has been paid in full. Thank you Father! AMEN
"Powerful!" When was the last time someone used the word IGNITED, LIT UP or ON FIRE to describe you? God put His Holy Spirit in us so we could experience His power. Power over darkness, temptation, and above world knowledge. We need the power of the Holy Spirit in our lives to become the people of God we need to be, to accomplish the mission God has called us to do. We cannot be effective without the person of the Holy Spirit. "And I (Jesus, the Son) will ask the Father (One God), and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever - the Spirit of truth. (Holy Spirit) The world cannot accept HIM, because it neither sees HIM nor knows HIM." John 14:16-17 The Holy Spirit in the Word of God is described as a person, not smoke, mirrors or an invisible force ---but, as a person. The Holy Spirit has been described by intellectuals: "There is an indefinable mysterious power that pervades everything, I feel it though I do not see it. It is this unseen power which makes itself felt and yet defies all proof, because it is so unlike all that I perceive through my senses. It transcends the senses." Mahatma Ghandi The Holy Spirit defies all science. As a person who is stronger than all other power, the Holy Spirit has emotions. We are directed not to grieve, or insult the Holy Spirit. Attributes of God ascribed to the Holy Spirit: The Holy Spirit is: "Eternal" Hebrews 9:14 "Creates" Genesis 1:2 + 1:26 "All powerful" Luke 1:35 "All knowing" 1 Corin 2:10-12 "Present everywhere" Psalms 139:7 The Holy Spirit has emotions: "Do not grieve" Ephesians 4:30 "Do not insult" Hebrews 10:29 The Holy Spirit has intellect: "The mind of the Spirit" Romans 8:27 and 1 Corinthians 2:10 The Holy Spirit has a will: "He decides spiritual gifts" 1 Corinthians 12:11 "He chooses" Acrs 12:2 The Holt Spirit is a divine person: "But the Counselor, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you" John 14:26 WOW, the Spirit of TRUTH has a burning desire to be known by YOU! The Comforter comforts when we hurt. The divine Counselor sent by God, instructs, guides and teaches us. The Holy Spirit is everywhere we are. He reminds us of the Word of God. "Judge not, and to love thyself as we are loved, and to love others the same...unconditionally. AMEN
Our Father God, His Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit within us CELEBRATES our VICTORY over the many temptations of the world! Our Father lifts us up with His word. His Holy Presence makes Himself known to us by communicating His love to our spirit from His Holy Spirit. As we read His words, as we consider the beauty of nature that He created for our enjoyment, as we follow His commandments, and seek His wisdom as if it were the most valuable treasure, He is glorified. We want to honor God above all else, we desire to bring Him glory and praise. Filled with His love and truth, we are His vessels, His servants, and we ask daily for His forgiveness and mercy for our shortcomings, for as we are sinners by nature, and we can do nothing without Him. God is our coach, His word is our play book. We can run to catch the passage that He throws for our consumption, for our edification. He gives us the power, the wings to rise above adversity, and to turn off our ears to any negativity, to any temptation. We discern the fools that deny God exists. The mockers will gain their due as we leave vengence to our Lord God, the King of Kings. God is far from the fools. As the world throws a pass at us, we shall rely on our innermost Counselor, to follow His lead, to run in the direction He points, to speak the words He gives, to write the letters He inspires, and humbly submit with a willingness to serve the One who gave us new life. We accept the greatest treasure, His word, as our trophy and we store it in our hearts, in our souls, where moths cannot eat it, where rust cannot destroy it. AMEN From the very beginning, God loved us, He has a plan to prosper us, not hurt us, and we follow Him with courage and confidence that wherever we go, there He is, applauding our choices to honor and glorify Him. Thank you Father, Son and Holy Spirit. AMEN We have a Super Dad, He is who He is, the great IAM! Our Father in heaven holds all who believe that The Lord, the God of your fathers---the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob --- has sent Jesus to you to have VICTORY in Him! AMEN! "Now faith is being sure of what we do not see. This is what the ancients were commended for. By FAITH today, we understand that the universe was formed by God's command, so that what is seen was not made out of what was visible...and without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to Him, must believe that He exists and that He rewards those who earnestly seek Him." Read Hebrews 11:1-6 When someone asks you Who is God? We can direct them to read the answer God gives to this question in Exodus 3:13-15. Moses asked God what should he reply when asked What is God's name? God said to Moses "I am who I am." God also said to Moses "Say to the Israelites, 'The Lord, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.' This is my name forever, the name by which I am to be remembered from generation to generation." God IS who He IS, the great I AM! Halleluiah and AMEN!
Nicole Johnson serves up a cup of laughter. Sparkle Sista's rejoice and laugh heartily together. POWER OUTAGE At my recent assault trial, I offered a plea of "Guilty with an explanation." The judge asked me what my explanation was, so I told my story. "Your Honor," I said, "I had a mammogram appointment, which I actually kept. I was met with: 'Hi! I'm Nurse Nancy!' This perky clipboard carrier smiled from ear to ear, tilted her head to one side and crooned, 'All I need you to do is step into this room right here, strip to the waist, then slip on this gown. Everything clear?' I'm thinking, 'try decaf. This ain't rocket science.' Nurse Nancy skipped away to prepare the chamber of horrors. With my right ta ta squished to a pancake, Nurse Nancy flipped me (literally) to the left and said, 'Hmmmm. Can you stand on your tippy toes and lean in a tad so we can get everything?' 'Fine', I answered. I was freezing, bruised, and out of air, so why not use the remaining circulation in my legs and neck and just finish me off? My body was in a holding pattern that defied gravity (with my left ta ta tightly wedged between pieces of square glass) we heard a loud snap, I felt a zap! In complete darkness, the MAMO machine froze with me on my tip toes, the power went off! Nurse Nancy screeched at me in a shrill tone 'I will get maintenance, be right back' and she left me hanging there. 'Excuse me! was my polite blurt of shock! 'You're not leaving me in this vice alone are you?' Nurse Nancy's voice shouted from behind the closed door, 'Oh, you fussy puppy...I will leave the door open, the emergency hall lights will keep you from whining. I'll be right back.' Before I could shout 'NOOOO!' she disappeared. And that's exactly how Bubba the maintenance man xxtraordinaire, found me ... Half-naked with part of me dangling from the Jaws of Life, and the other part smashed between glass! After exchanging a polite 'Hi, how's it going' type greeting, Bubba asked, to my utter disbelief, 'did you know the power is off?' Trying to disguise my hysteria, I replied with as much calmness as possible 'Uh, yes, yes I did thanks.' To that Bubba replied 'Well that's not my department, I'll go get an electrician, take care' and he waved good-bye as though I was standing in the line at the grocery store. TWO HOURS later, Nurse Nancy breezes in wearing a sheepish grin. Making no attempt to suppress her amusement, she said, 'Oh I am sooo sorry!' The power came back on and I totally forgot about you! And silly me, I went to lunch. Are we upset?' And that, Your Honor, is exactly how her head ended up between the clamps....." The judge could hardly contain her laughter as she said 'Case Dismissed!!'
HAPPINESS is the common response to "what do you most want in this life?" Everyone wants to be happy, to be surprised with gifts, to vacation in paradise, to giggle and laugh with friends, to receive recognition from our family, loved one, and our peers. To gain happiness we seek education, a mate, a new car, losing weight, robust health, a home of our own. Happiness seems elusive as we find our degree is not sufficient, our mate dies, the shine of our car fades, our figure changes, our health deteriorates and our home decreased in value. Often happiness evaporates like rain dries up and we struggle during dry seasons to regain the energy for a new search. GOOD NEWS is found in God's Word, in Philippians, written by Paul while he was in prison. It is a letter of love and affection with an emphasis on the deep JOY only found inside a follower, a believer in Jesus Christ, who is connected and directed by the indwelt Holy Spirit! In contrast to fading happiness stands everlasting JOY! Joy is quiet, it flows through our veins, it is ever present, unchanged by circumstances outside of ourselves. Joy comes with the confident assurance of God's love, the truth of Jesus Christ, and the power of the Holy Spirit in us, and for us! The apostle Paul had abundant wealth, prestige as a Pharisee, followed by extreme poverty, ridicule, mockery and imprisonment. With all of his energy focused on knowing Christ, Paul was content in prison, as his inner sanctuary was undisturbed by his outside circumstance. Paul wrote "If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from His love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, then make my JOY complete by being like minded, having the same love, being one in Spirit and purpose. Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others. Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus. Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled Himself and became obedient to death, even death on a cross." THE TRUE JOY IN SERVING as written in Phillipians 2 - Being a servant for God, in the field, like Jesus --- "Then He (Jesus) said to them, “The harvest truly is great, but the laborers are few; therefore pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest." Luke 10:2.
Our Father, our coach in life, repeats what is considered important for us to know. "Be ye trans formed by the renewing of your minds" So it would be wise to pay a focus on what we read repeatedly in our play book for this life, in our bibles. The day that Jesus transfigured before witnesses was chosen to be repeated three times in the bible: "After six days Jesus took with him Peter, James and John the brother of James, and led them up a high mountain by themselves." (Matthew, a Jewish tax collector wrote chapter 17:1-3) Again the truth is told in the book of Mark, by the author John Mark who was not one of the disciples, but he travelled with Paul on his first mission. "After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them." (Mark 9:2) Then a Greek doctor named Luke and a close friend of Paul transcribes this miraculous event which took place four months prior to the cruxificition of our perfect Savior. "About eight days after Jesus said this, he took Peter, John and James with him and went up onto a mountain to pray." (Luke 9:28) Matthew, Mark, and Luke are the first three books of the new testament. WHAT purpose do these three seperate authors have in telling this story? "For the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45) Jesus, for the most part, led a life of humility and humiliation. He, being fully God, rarely showed His divinity, yet was steadfast to His mission to give His life for us. WHY did Jesus choose Peter, James and John? The true nature as the Son of God was clearly revealed at the Transfiguration, when these three completely different followers were allowed to catch a glimpse of God, in Jesus, in full divine glory. READ THE FULL CHAPTER of Matthew 17, Mark 9 and Luke 9 and ASK the Holy Spirit to reveal the importance of WHY this event was reported by three different authors. Consider HOW this might impact your FAITH, or transform your doubt to belief. All the apostles witnessed the almighty power of God as Jesus raised the dead, gave sight to the blind and restored deformities. Our Saviour did not come unannounced. He came as a servant so many did not recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus was always so humble and the transfigued Jesus gave these three men a moment outside of their reality. For a moment all doubt in Peter collapsed. Just as God revealed Himself to Moses on Mount Sinai, God revealed His Kingdom and Glory powerfully in Jesus, in front of Peter who later would deny Jesus three times. James who stammered in his belief that Jesus was Lord, was chosen to witness this historical occurence, why? Jesus spectacularly used Peter’s testimony in previous passages to shine a glaring light of hope for what was in store for all of us who are subject to doubt. A small glimpse of the coming Kingdom was given to the inner circle of followers. They came face to face with the law (Moses), the Prophets (Elijah), the Father’s pronouncement of blessing, and the Son’s coming work, all converging to fulfill it before their eyes. For the moment, any doubts about who Jesus was, ceased during this supernatural proof. God chose to show Himself to regular people who struggled to believe without seeing. No longer was Jesus just a great teacher that they admired, He became their Lord. Jesus represented the Law, the Prophets, and from what had already been written, He was the One to whom they were pointing. Why did'nt Jesus choose Paul? Remember on the road to Damascus, Paul was Saul who sought to kill Christians. Paul was also transformed and immediately began preaching the good news of Jesus. "After six days" Matthew was given this statement to make to connect to Peter’s confession found in the previous passage (Matthew 16 13-19). Which alludes to Exodus when God spoke to Moses (Ex. 24:15-18). Rarely is such a statement of time given in the Gospels or in Hebrew culture. They were “event oriented” people, whereas the Romans were “time oriented.” The usage of time meant this was preordained and important! This also meant a period of preparation. He was transfigured literally means to change in form. This was the revelation of Jesus’ divinity, as He prayed (Luke 9:29). This took place so the disciples could begin to fully comprehend who Jesus is and what was ahead for them (John 1:14; Heb. 1:1-4). God knew that their faith needed confirmation in order to enable them to recognize Jesus for who He was. This was necessary so as to remove any presumptions or false ideas they may have held. OUR all knowing Creator, knew them, and He knows our propensity to doubt. What patience, what understanding God shows us in HOW He helped the disciples come face to face with Jesus as God in such a reality show! God prepared them for Jerusalem, and the crisis of the confusing cruxifiction of our Lord. KNOWING THE FUTURE, the transfiguration gave them (us) a glimpse of Hope they (we) can use to carry them (us) through the troubled times ahead. How exciting for us to identify with the working of the Spirit in our "inner life" to transform us. (Rom. 8:11; 12:2; Col. 3:18). From a crawling, hungry catapillar, to the cocoon to withdraw and think, and to emerge as a butterfly that is free to believe! The transfiguration happens just before Jesus departs to Jerusalem and four months before His crucifixion. Doctor Luke gives all left brained analysts a chronological account. A “theophany” is a divine show of God to a person or people. "His face shone" refers to transformed glory, as in God’s glory. We are all GOING HOME, to the place that God has prepared for us. Our time here is temporary, eternity in glory awaits us as the Morning Star lights our way. In the account of Moses, his face also shone when he met with God (Ex. 34:29). Elijah was the greatest of the Prophets, and Moses was the law giver; both tie the old covenant into the new covenant of grace. Both communicated to God during a mountain top experience. Luke 9:31 records that they talked about the coming death of Jesus. When you doubt God exists remember Peter, and also remember that even Abraham doubted God's voice that said he would become a father in his old age. We all sin, we all doubt, and we are all transformed and renewed by the Holy Spirit in us. Let us praise Jesus for what He has done! AMEN
MEMORY VERSE for all souls who feel disconnected, alone or invisible. We have unity in Christ. "Grace and peace to you from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. Praise be to the GOD and FATHER of our LORD JESUS CHRIST, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing "in" Christ. For He chose us in Him before the creation of the world. to be holy and blameless in His sight. In love He predestined us to be adopted as His sons through Jesus Christ, in accordance with His pleasure and will ---to the praise of His glorious grace, which He has freely given us in the One He loves. In Him we have redemption (purchased)through His blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace that He lavished on us with ALL wisdom and understanding. And He made known to us the mystery of His will according to His good pleasure, which He purposed in Christ, to be put into effect when the times will have reached their fulfillment --- to bring ALL things in heaven and on earth together under one head, even Christ."
We give our premium time to listen to Leno, to watch Letterman, to get advice from Dr Phil, to wonder about Oprah, to be mystified by Hollywood, and we wonder what the truth is. Who is right, who is hot, who is divorcing who? The sad truth is that millions of people fill up their minds on what has been rated as important. Tell - A - Vision. What is your vision during your prime time years? Networks battle to solicit your viewing, your mind, with a silly sitcom, a talk show, a news broadcast, and with lots of color and moving pictures designed to drown your senses. Because ratings of Talk Shows are so very HIGH, we know that a massive amount of people TUNE IN to what someone has to say. Impressions are made, sounds infiltrate, and our beliefs are influenced by the confusion of many foolish ideas. We watch the visions that producers edit, we hear that Oprah is gay, that Letterman lied to his wife, that Phil beat his wife, that Leno and Conan hate each other. In our search for truth, to establish our beliefs, the postmodern age sells us the idea that truth is relative to the individual, to whatever we think is true. How do we distinguish our truth from their truth without making anybody wrong? What if we disagree? The story, the tale, the belief of the author is reflected in the books you read, the movies you watch. Will the vision impact you eternally? Will the moral of the story be incorporated in your life? Will any advice last forever? Will what you hold to be truth stand the test of time? ETERNITY? "The word of our God stands forever." "Stop regarding man, whose breath of life is in his nostrils; for why should he be esteemed?" (Isaiah 40:8 and 2:22) Will the movies you watch cause crime? Will the words you read in bestsellers give you the answers you seek? Do you read to be entertained, to exit your reality, to numb the pain of your emptiness? Is life as you know it all there is? PROVERB = a saying; a popular, common idea that rings true to life over a range of circumstances. "a penney saved is a penny earned" and another memorized proverb "a rolling stone gathers no moss". These sayings agree with a wide variety of experiences. "a rotten apple spoils the whole bunch". This advises to watch the company we keep. "Do not make friend with a hot-tempered man, do not associate with one easily angered, or you may learn his ways and get yourself ensnared."(Proverbs 22:24) "Do not be yoked together with unbelievers. What fellowship can light have with darkness? (1 Corin 6:14) One bad apple does spoil the whole bunch! Feel the mushy texture or rotten beliefs, the smell, the taste, the worm! A bad name and a poor reputation brings God dishonor. Jesus was perfect, man is incapable of being perfect, and that is the beauty of grace. What company do you hold as you watch TV? God's Proverbs are general principles and not universal promises. The book of Proverbs are TIMELESS principles to follow as our PRIME TIME PASSES in this life on earth. The Bible is a divinely inspired book, the words you read do not contradict or change, because it is the truth, given to you by God so you can know Him and His ways more intimately. "For to us God revealed them through the Spirit; for the Spirit searches all things, even the depths of God. For who among men knows the thoughts of man except the spirit of the man which is in him? Even so the thoughts of God no one knows except the Spirit of God." (1 Corin 2:10) Why is it that when people who have not accepted Jesus as Lord, when they pick up a Bible to read the word of God, they do not understand what they are reading? The truth to that question is found in His word. FLIP through the word of God and ASK Jesus to give you understanding. The Bible says that ALL of it is God breathed and "profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, for training in righteousness." (2 Tim 3:16) Have you spent time with others who do not believe in God and felt influenced to do wrong? "Let us not give up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but let us encourage one another --- and all the more as you see the Day approaching." (Hebrews 10:25) "FAITH is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see." (Hebrews 10:39)
Should we question the methods used to determine the truth before we sign up for surgery? The epistemology is the justification method used to arrive at a belief that what is presented is safe and true. What gives a new drug or a procedure validity? What if you go to your doc and he says he is going to perform a procedure that has never been tested or done before? With great enthusiasm the doc reports that the procedure came to him in a dream and he FEELS certain it will work? What if the doc says he conducted his own clinical testing would you agree to the surgery based on his subjective experience? What makes us comfortable enough to be persuaded by another? Is it when we can read what a witness wrote of the testing? If the tests are documented, and published in the AMA journal? After we validate the source, do we trust the method and believe it as truth? Reclaiming the Mind, offers a systematic method to establish a certainty in a belief in God, with respect for the reasoning mind. Epistemology Class #4 of Introduction to Theology. OBTAIN A FREE UPLOAD www.reclaimingthemind.org. FIRST COMMANDMENT of the postmodern world: "We are to tolerate each other" Whatever you believe is true for you, and whatever I believe is true for me. Subjectivism or relativity today does not welcome or allow any sort of intolerance. It is common among the churched and unchurched to believe that truth is not something that is transcendent, above our minds, BUT in the postmodern culture of today, truth is whatever we contain in our individual minds. Relativity is based on what we can see, what culture influenced our beliefs, what we were taught in school, or what feels right to the individual. Our unique, individual theology is based on our perceptions and our experience. The question is does whatever feels right to you make it TRUTH? EXAMPLE: A woman went to the doctor with concern over a single spider bite. According to the doctor, as far as he could see, according to his theology, what he was taught, he believed that the woman had nothing to worry about and sent her home. However, the woman felt itchy, and she believed that something was definitely wrong. She returned to the doctor the next day covered with tiny red spots. The doctor then could SEE that her whole body was infected, she had the measles. What was the truth? Regardless of her appearance, or in spite of the doctor's acquired knowledge, the truth was that her body was riddled with disease. One elderly man in the church was asked how he came to believe in God. He said "There is temptation all around us, and the desire to sin is within each of us. We want to lie to protect our name and our reputations. We desire to do whatever it takes to appear noble and good. We delight in gossip, we pride ourselves in what we know. We are thrilled to trespass beyond the gate where it is posted "do not enter" - it is our sinful nature to want to go where we are forbidden, to eat the candy even knowing it is not good for us. It is our nature to sin, to do that which we feel is not right. We all commit sin over and over again." My eyes were wide and I listened as this old fella continued about his belief! "God sent His Son to earth, so that we could see and believe. Jesus was the sacrificial lamb whose blood washes away the sins of those who confess Him as Lord. Thrilled by his certainty, I then asked "Do you think that Christ is the only way?" To which the old man replied, "No way, who am I to say my way is the only way!" Our modern culture is changing the way we come to know or hold onto truth. The exclusivity of Christ is not held as truth by all who attend church today. The study of theology begins by defining a vocabulary which will be used to help the discover our individual epistemology, how and why we believe what the truth is. These are some terms that will be used in the study. A gateway to understanding how we arrive at truth by our epistemology, our method. Let us walk this way.Epistemology = a study of the source, the method used to arrive at knowledge. It is our individual justification of knowledge. When asked "What is your Epistemology?" The response will be how I came to know truth. For a Christian, scripture is a PART of our epistemology, it is a PART of the way in which we acquire truth. Where does truth come from, and what is it's nature? Does truth only exist beyond us, or does truth exist within us? Relativism = The belief that truth is determined by a group, a society. Such as: This is the truth in America, but it is not truth Eastern countries. Texas truth is that the Cowboys are #1! Subjectivism = Truth not defined by a group, but defined by an individual. Truth is according to me or as it relates to myself. Skepticism = Truth cannot be known with certainty. Skeptics say truth is in limbo. They are swayed and remain uncertain.Perspecticism = Is the belief held by many that through many perspectives, by looking at all angles, they arrive at the truth. They believe that they only have a piece of the truth, and by adding the perspective of others they arrive at the whole truth. The landscape of truth as seen by your side of the mountain is different than my side of the lake. When we come together, the truth becomes a larger revelation because it has many facets. We come with a snapshot, our view, and an agenda to persuade others. Pragmatism = Whatever works for me to accomplish my goal to get happy. A divorce, a new home is obtained in order to get happy. The pragmatist justifies the end by the method. Objectivism = The idea that truth exists outside of the you, the human being. Whether we believe or not, whether we trust or not, truth exists no matter what. Which of the above describes the culture of your relationships today? Today things are not as simple, not as clear as they once were. When you say to someone "God loves you and He has a plan for you." In today's culture there is much confusion as a result of the many methods used to understand Who God is. Our society has changed to incorporate tolerance for all ways, for all paths, for all beliefs. When some people hear "God loves you and He has a wonderful plan for your life" To those that might mean the rocks and the trees because their "TRUTH" is that God is everywhere, in all things. Or some will say "Yes God is the force within me" The printed word has something to do with each epistemology of today's society. Many versions of written articles, or truth is found on the Internet. Heresy = any opinion contrary to the orthodox opinion. All condemned heretics interpretation of the truth was not acceptable. Joan of Arc was burned. Peter was beheaded. Martin Luther King was assassinated. How did you come to believe in Jesus, or not?
Laugh and the world IS better! Laugh for no reason, laugh till tears wash your blues away, laugh till you snarkle and gasp for air! 
Give others reason to laugh as you waltz through tuff times! WEAR a whacky T-SHIRT...BE A GOOF! Be ridculous and butcher a bad day with a bubbly banter when those weird WARNINGS pop up! Be honest about your silly struggles...Seek the bright side...Hunt for humor...Quip quotes that poke fun. Anyone who acts too seriously probably stands in judgement, while anyone who can admit their flaws, and laugh....will also confidently laugh with those who laugh at them! WATCH FOR FUNNY BUMPER STICKERS and signs along the path!
When appropriate, when asked to do something, REPLY "did you want fries with that?" Skip down the hall rather than walk and count the smiles you collect. With a serious face, order a diet water at lunch. When money is dispersed from the ATM, loudly shout out "I WON, I WON". Collect cool bumper stickers and use them for wall-paper. Take time to craft a scene that may cause a hilarious giggle. If inspiration fails you, google laugh outloud and see what tickles you to hysteria! A Sunday school teacher was discussing the Ten Commandments 
with her six year old students. After explaining God's command to "honor thy father and thy mother," she asked, "Is there a command that teaches us how to treat our brothers and sisters?" Without missing a beat one little boy answered, 
it's politics, policies, programs, prime time TV ---for me, well without super-natural intervention I can get lost in a parking lot --- so the world I perceive is as confusing as a giant maze of freeways without speed limits or exit signs! Have you ever driven in a daze? Have you missed your exit while paying attention? With heart pounding, racing forward to the nearest exit, hoping to just circle back on---then you panick am I going east or west? 
Did you ever hear a donkey speak? Historically, or hysterically, donkey's do laugh --- so they must think you are funny! Take a walk on the wild side of humor and share your greatest tale of woe with a twist that tickles you to laugh outloud at yourself! My mignight outbursts of uproar is comically a visual review of how ridiculous my daytime behavior must have appeared! Was it your nonsense that made this man gasp for mercy? WELL DONE my good and faithful servant! 
Make my day a FOND memory! Make me LAUGH like this!
