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Uncle Buddy:  Chapter Four:  Lazarus - The Entombed Man

5/21/2017

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We have come to the fourth chapter of the history of this remarkable man and we have seen Lazarus, the sick man, Lazarus, the dead man, Lazarus, the bound man, and now we have before us Lazarus, the entombed man. Just think of it -- sick, dead, bound and buried -- a type of the lost and ruined sinner. 

Lazarus, the sick man, is a type of the child that is born with the carnal mind in its heart. 

Lazarus, the dead man, is a type of the child when it comes to the years of accountability and chooses sin and dies and becomes dead in trespasses and in sins. 

Lazarus, the bound man, is a type of the child when it goes into a life of sin and is bound by its habits and the devil leads him captive at his will.

Now, Lazarus, in the tomb, is the type of every sinner when he gives up all hope as you have seen them. Oh my, I have seen sinners by the thousands give up all hope and go into the tomb of despondency, and, spiritually speaking, they were as much in the tomb spiritually as Lazarus was physically. All hope was gone and at a glance you could see that they had gone into the tomb of despair; and if a lowly Nazarene doesn't come by and call them out they will stay there forever and forever. The land is loaded down with men and women who used to have hope and the devil has swept them off their feet so often that today they are in the tomb of despair and every hope has fled, every friend is  dead; they have an empty purse, an aching head, and an empty stomach, with no Christ, no God, no salvation, and no hope of heaven. Where are they today? Oh, my friend, you can answer in the tomb of despair. Look at them and hear their sad wail as they march through this world without one ray of hope, homeless, friendless, and penniless, without one ray of sunshine over their door.

You remember when Lazarus went into the tomb Mary and Martha lost all hope, and when Jesus appeared on the scene their hopes were as completely buried as Lazarus was, and there are millions today with every hope in the tomb. The burial has already taken place, and despondency has settled down over them and they are ready today to take their own lives. They are doing it by the tens of thousands. Why do they do such a thing? somebody may ask. Because they have given up all hope, and when hope goes there is nothing to build on. But, somebody may ask, why don't they get up and get a move on them? Well, just simply because a dead man can't get up, a blind man can't see, a dead man can't hear, a bound man can't walk, the man in the tomb is a hopeless man, and so we can just make up our mind that if a Christ doesn't come along. Lazarus will never get out of the tomb, and the sinner will never awake out of his dead state of guilt and condemnation. I have known some men to be converted and start off well and run for a while and then the devil would sweep them off their feet. In a few months they would get reclaimed and make a fresh start and run pretty well for a while and finally backslide again; the next time it was several years before you could get them to make another start but their friends would plead with them and pray for them and by and by they would make another start and run for a while, and to their surprise they find the same old enemy in their heart; as they struggle with it they almost give up hope and finally go to their pastor and consult with him and ask him if they can be delivered from that awful uprising in their breast. He tells them that they cannot; that he, himself, has the same kind of struggles that they have; that there is no remedy and, that if they will be faithful till death the Lord will give them a crown of life.

While they fight the beast on the inside the devil laughs at them and tells them that they had just as well give it up at once and be done with it forever, and about this time he comes up to the fellow and tells him he had just as well take a dram, for he can't hold out anyhow and the poor fellow yields to the tempter and gets on another big drunk. When he sobers up and sees his condition he gives up all hope and goes down into the tomb of despair, and he is as much in the tomb as Lazarus was. He was sick, he died; he was bound, he went into the tomb of despair, and there he will stay until some outside power calls him out.

Again I have met people, by the tens of thousands, who, at one time hoped to be well off some day and they have fought poverty and low wages and high prices and their hardships bravely, and each year they have run behind a little and maybe could not pay their bills; they would almost give up all hope, but they would take fresh courage and buckle down to it a little harder and think that they would come out ahead next year. Sure, but to their surprise the next year they were further behind than they were the year before, and finally they gave up all hope of ever owning a home of their own, and they have settled down to the idea of living in a little rented cabin all the days of their lives. Today their names are legion that have given up all hope of ever being anything but a cheap day laborer. Their wives are half dressed, their children are uneducated, and they are American white slaves and their hopes are in the tomb. Their prospects in life are as completely buried as Lazarus was.

Again, I have seen people who were on their beds of affliction and for weeks and months and maybe for years they were in great hopes of some day being well; they fought pain and suffering with a brave heart. In the face of afflictions they would see themselves well and out in the fields, in the woods, on the creeks, and on the mountains, as they used to be. They hear of a great medicine that is supposed to cure all diseases that are known to the human family, and of course they send for it and take it according to directions. To their sad surprise they get no relief, and then they hear of something else that cures all of the human ills. They send for that and take it in great hopes of soon being well again, but find no relief whatever, and after a while hope, that blessed hope, the stay of life, takes its everlasting flight, and today they are on their beds by the tens of thousands and they never expect to get off of that bed until they go into their box. All hopes have gone into the tomb and they are as completely entombed as Lazarus was. No more of this world's pleasure for that man; no more days out in the beautiful sunshine; no more days to sit out on the porch and feel the soft wind play on his withered cheek; no more days to spend at the house of God; that poor man is bound by the cords of afflictions and he is in the tomb of despair. Every hope has left the country where that man lives. Yonder he lies on his couch, helpless and hopeless, so far as this world is concerned, and he may be friendless and homeless and penniless also. Thousands of them are, and they lie in the hospital up and down the land by the thousands. How sad!

Robinson, Reuben A. (Bud) (2015-03-31). The Collected Works of 'Uncle Bud' Robinson (Kindle Locations 5742-5789). Jawbone Digital. Kindle Edition. 



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The ministry of absence

5/20/2017

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It is good to visit people who are sick, dying, shut in, handicapped, or lonely. But it is also important not to feel guilty when our visits have to be short or can only happen occasionally. Often we are so apologetic about our limitations that our apologies prevent us from really being with the other when we are there. A short time fully present to a sick person is much better than a long time with many explanations of why we are too busy to come more often.

If we are able to be fully present to our friends when we are with them, our absence too will bear many fruits. Our friends will say: "He visited me" or "She visited me," and discover in our absence the lasting grace of our presence and the blessed presence of our Lord.

Reflection:  Nevertheless I tell you the truth; It is expedient for you that I go away: for if I go not away, the Comforter will not come unto you; but if I depart, I will send him unto you. John 16:7

This post was written by Henri Nouwen.  
​You can find his site here:  www.henrinouwen.org




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Just one more

5/19/2017

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I can only imagine how the disciples and the extended family of Christ followers felt sitting in a poorly lit room 7 weeks after Jesus ascended into Heaven. They probably felt defeated and completely drained of all hope. When you think about it, the only instruction they had was to “go back to Jerusalem” and pray. This would have naturally seemed counterproductive, but then again they have seen amazing things happen because of time spent in desperate prayer. But…Jesus was gone now…and it seemed unlikely that anything memorable was going to happen.

They remembered the good ‘ol days when just 12 disciples and their supernaturally gifted rabbi healed, preached, and interacted with individuals with the obvious power and authority of Yahweh. 12 followers grew into thousands of families who longed to be affected by this man who seemed to fulfill all the requirements of the long-awaited Messiah.

The remnant of followers reorganized themselves and scraped together the last set of believers to pray as instructed. Then, something amazing happened. The Holy Spirit came and empowered this marginally talented bunch of commoners and the masses came to faith in Jesus. They simply prayed and then were faithful to what God led them to do. Each person had a role and a small amount of people impacted the world. The events of Pentecost in Acts 2, created a domino effect that has changed the course of history. God’s power was shown and people repented of their sin. The world was beginning to reconcile with the Creator; one person at a time.

There have been 2 movies lately that have impacted my view of God’s call on my life. They have been used as an illustration for my divine purpose.

The first movie is Schindler’s List. If you have ever seen that movie, you know that the main character, Oskar Schindler saved the lives of 1,200 Jews during the brutal reign on Adolf Hitler in World War II. He spent all of his wealth to employ these men, women, and children from death at the hands of the Nazi party. At the end of the movie, Schindler was stricken with grief because he realized there were still things he could have sold to have the money to rescue more Jews. He could have sold his car, his gold lapel pin, etc.

The second movie is a newer one; Hacksaw Ridge. In this movie, Desmond Doss (who was a conscientious "participator" in World War II) was a medic who saved many men who were injured on the battle field. He single handedly dragged these men and lowered them down a cliff face to safety. Some estimate that he saved over 100 people (true story). While his hands, back, and arms ached heavily as he lowered them to where they needed to be, Doss kept repeating a simple prayer to help him gain strength. “Lord, just one more”, he said over and over. He wanted to save people so desperately, and he knew he didn’t have the strength to do it on his own. He wanted to rescue “just one more”.

There is a theme running through these scenarios. God has shown me that my purpose in life is not to put more butts in church seats, but to help create a traffic jam at the gates of Heaven. I have fervently prayed that God will give me “just one more” person to minister to, and impact for the gospel of Jesus Christ. My heart’s desire is to see people transformed by Jesus. I know I can’t do this on my own, but I can do what I have been told to do.

Can you pray that prayer with me? Can you pray that God will continue to put people in my path to love, serve, and grow with?

If you follow Jesus…I will pray the same for you.

This post was written by Rev DeCrastos.  
​You can find his blog here:  www.ministrysauce.com




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Faith despite life

5/18/2017

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It can be so hard
Waiting in my boat
Being tossed by the waves
Barely able to float

The thunder roars
And the winds overwhelm
My fear overrides
With no captain at the helm

Suddenly I remembered
At the apex of my fright
I am supposed to live by truth
And not by sight

As a child of God
I learned to obey
And anticipate miracles
When I fervently pray

So I will bow my head
And do more than survive
With trust in my heart
As long as I am live

I make the choice today
To not worry about my strife
And live every day in faith
Despite what happens in life.


This poem was written by Rev DeCrastos.  
​You can find his blog here:  www.ministrysauce.com

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How to prevent an affair from happening

5/17/2017

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Today, we will make a few pointers about fighting the temptation to stray from our marriages and families:

1.  Build the marriage relationship - Communication is the key here.  Staying in touch with each other's feelings, pressures and tensions will keep you focused on where your relationship needs work.  Caring enough to meet these mutual needs in your marriage will help make your relationship a meaningful one in which to be involved.  This kind of communication takes time.  Make time for each other.

2.  The affair process.  Read thru again the 12-step affair process.  Then read it with your spouse.  Come to mutual agreements about how to relate to the opposite sex.  The most important idea to remember is that all sin starts in the mind.  If we control it there, it cannot grow.  Turn your sexual fantasies toward your marriage.  Control your thoughts.  Pray for good dreams.  God will help you manage this sexual dimension in your life.

3.  Walk with God together.  Be regular in fellowship with Christians.  Be regular in worship.  Be regular in your devotional life.  Pray together as a couple.  Go to meetings for men at your church.  Men need to have a place where they can discuss openly and honestly with other men about the tensions and problems they encounter in life.  Find a place of ministry in your church.  Talk to your pastor, let him know your weaknesses and have him pray for you.  

4.  Count the cost.  It helps us to keep our heads in the real world if we think about the consequences of infidelity.  Think about how quickly your credibility and Christian witness would be compromised.  Don't think temptation will never happen to you.  No one is immune.  Think about the fact that sin grieves our Lord.  Think about how much it would hurt your wife, kids, parents, and in-laws.  Even though thinking of the consequences of our sin can help us resist temptation, we are only truly moral in a biblical sense when we refuse to sin primarily out of our love for God.

Our goal in developing moral character is to get to the place where we act faithfully and consistently simply because to do otherwise would bring harm to the person and cause of the God we love.

Only a real and lasting love for God will guard and buttress our fight against the enemy.  

This information is taken from TEMPTATIONS MEN FACE


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Consequences after an affair

5/16/2017

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The consequences of an affair are profound.  

Dr. Dobson states, "the grass may be greener on the other side of the fence but it still has to be mowed."  Once the excitement of the early stages of the affair wear off, the new couple is forced to live real life again, life in the common place.  The man and woman suddenly have to face work thru personality adjustments.  They discover spiritual, emotional and physical imperfections in each other they have never noticed before.   Someone has to fix the cars, cook the meals, clean the house, run errands, mow the lawn, struggle with the finances.  

There is also a layer of distrust in the new relationship.  "If he cheated before, he can do it again..."  The trail of pain eats away at the new relationship.  Kids have been hurt.  A wife and a husband have been abandoned.  The complex and difficult relational network is hard to manage.  

Like wide-eyed children we enter into extra-marital affair.  Our eyes are wide open but for some reason we are blind to many of the realities that will become devastatingly  apparent later when the glitter fades.  It is OK to be childlike in some of the areas of our lives.  But we have to live in the real world.  Yes, we desperately want for the new relationship to work, to give us pleasure, the romance, the affirmation we felt was lacking in our former marriage.  But we have bought the lie, the hype, the brightly lit illusion, the propaganda that says we can gave everything we want simply by changing partners mid-stream.  It is very American to seek the quick fix; we are looking for the easy road to the real thing.

It is truly a tragedy.  Men and women change partners again and again chasing the illusion.  Many die lonely, empty people, lacking the love that they chased all their lives.  

The information from this post is taken from TEMPTATIONS MEN FACE

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Steps that lead to an affair

5/15/2017

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There are twelve common steps that usually occur in sequence as a relationship moves toward an adulterous affair.  These steps often occur over a long period of time, but a man and a woman can move thru these stages of an affair in a single evening.  Becoming aware of the steps helps us to recognize what might be happening to us so we can stop the process before we are in over our heads. 

Our two main enemies are rationalization and denial.  We rationalize when we give acceptable reasons for unacceptable thoughts, feelings and behaviors.  Denial is our often intense refusal to recognize the truth about our thoughts, feelings and behaviors.  Sin can harden our hearts and darken our understanding, turning us away from God.  "Encourage one another daily, as long as it is called Today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin's deceitfulness."

For example, a woman  rationalizes that God understood and accepted her numerous affairs because, after all, it was He who created within her this "need for other men."  A man lives in denial about his affair, "it's OK, because each time we have sex we end by praying together."

 I will briefly list the 12 steps here and in the subsequent post.  For a more complete understanding, you will need to read the book, TEMPTATIONS MEN FACE, from which this information is taken.

1.  Readiness - The first step is emotional readiness.  Something is occurring in a man's life that has him leaning away from the marriage.  This is a vulnerable time.  He needs to learn to recognize this and turn his energy toward regaining the full health of his marital relationship.

2.  Alertness - The second stage in the affair process is a growing awareness of a particular person in our web of relationships.  He begins simply by thinking occasionally about the other person.  The innocent thoughts turn to fantasy.  As she becomes more present in his conscious thoughts, she may begin to appear in dreams and the dreams are often filled with sexual fantasy.  Masturbating while fantasizing about her is common.

3.  Innocent meeting - Truly innocent, chance meetings, often legitimate business contacts can potentially build the relationship.  This is the stage where some flirtations can develop, prolonged eye contact, harmless sounding sexual innuendo, enticing body language, etc.

4.  Intentional meeting - Meetings occur frequently which appear to be by chance when in reality one person has acted in such a way as to increase the likelihood of the meeting.  He will hang out for extended periods of time hoping for the chance to "surprisingly" meet her.  The excitement of sexual attraction overpowers his rational side.  At this point, he has entered a real danger zone.

5.  Public lingering - The man & the woman now spend time together while in group settings.  They will tend to shut others out by turning away from the group and avoiding eye contact with others.  Observers know something is happening.  However, they would still deny any suggestion that this was more than normal adult relating.  The public setting help them to rationalize:  "It's fine to focus on her.  Nothing can happen.  We are with others."

6.  Private lingering - Soon the man & the woman find that they are still together long after the others have left.  Conversation shifts from ideas to feelings.  Caring is shared.  Conversation drifts into private and personal areas.  They still feel fine about the relationship because the meetings begin in public.

7.  Purposeful isolating - Now the man & the woman begin to plan times alone for "legitimate" purposes.  They may request the other to work on special projects at work that require them being alone or work late together.  He may ask her to help him sort out his marital problems.   They still deny any suggestions that their relationship is not completely appropriate.  At home, his wife notices a decrease in verbal & nonverbal communication.  He seems suddenly detached, cool, almost formal in his relating.  There may be uncompleted phone calls.

8.  Pleasurable isolating - Now the man & the woman are planning times alone with each other for the sheer enjoyment of being together.  The relationship takes on a youthful euphoria.  There is a shared experience of excitement and adventure with more intimacy occurring.  There is more touching.  His spouse notices that there are long blocks of time that are unaccounted for.  There is a noticeable decrease in pleasurable times in the marriage.  The relationship is still rationalized:  "It's OK to have good friends of the opposite sex, there is nothing wrong with being close friends.  After all, she understands me better than my wife."

9.  Affectionate embracing - There is embracing without letting go.  There is increased touching and playful caressing.  Childish games like tickling and wrestling are often played at this stage to increase physical contact.  The rationalization is that there is nothing wrong with physically expressing support for one another.  At the same time, affectionate embracing and physical contact decreases with his wife.  

10.  Passionate embracing - Affectionate touching and embracing lead to passionate interchanges.  The couple will still rationalize and say that it is fine to get aroused because it is innocent and unplanned, "Besides, my wife no longer makes me feel this way."

11.  Capitulation - The couple gives in to sexual intercourse.  Denial is eliminated at this stage.  There is no way to deny the reality of what they have done.

12.  Acceptance - Here they finally admit to themselves that they are in the throes of an affair.  If they continue, it is definitely a conscious choice.  The emotional investment in the affair is at its peak and the emotional investment in the marriage is at its lowest.  The man may find creative ways for his wife to discover the affair.  The tension of living a double life is usually too much for someone to bear for very long.

Is this the end of the story?  Do the man and woman live happily ever after?  Nope.  The story of an affair is not a comedy.  It is a huge tragedy with unbelievable fallout and consequences.

Much of this information is taken from the book, TEMPTATIONS MEN FACE


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Uncle Buddy:  Chapter Three: Lazarus - The Bound Man

5/14/2017

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Now, reader, we have noticed Lazarus the sick man a type of the child born into the world with the carnal mind in it, and we have noticed Lazarus the dead man a type of the Child when it comes to the years of accountability and chooses sin and dies and becomes dead in trespasses and in sins.

Now we have before us Lazarus, the bound man. We see from the case of Lazarus that it was the custom in the Oriental world to bind a corpse when they got it ready for burial. Just why they would bind a dead man is a mystery to me It doesn't look reasonable, but we see that it was done. It may be possible that the Lord allowed them to do it in order to teach us some spiritual lessons that would be profitable to us in our day, for we know that sin will not only kill the man but we know that it will bind him after he is dead.


Just as truly as Lazarus was bound, the sinners in our country are bound also. We read that Lazarus was bound hand and foot, and we see that the sinners of our day are bound hand and foot also. Lazarus was helpless and the sinners are helpless. Lazarus had no power to deliver himself from the cords that were around him, and the sinner has no power to deliver himself from the cords that the devil has put around him. We read in Psalms 107: 10: "Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron." That, of course, is the picture of the sinner as King David saw him and he says that the fellow is bound in affliction and iron. In the next verse he tells us why the fellow was bound. He says it was "Because he had rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the most High." How much like the twentieth century sinners that is. You can see them if you will look.

Now reader, we want to read a verse in 2 Tim. 2: 26: "And that they may recover themselves out of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his will." You will notice that somebody here is described as being in the snare of the devil, and not only in his snare but taken by him captive at his will, and don't you see that if the devil has a fellow in his snare and is taking him captive at his will, that he has the fellow bound? How could he take him captive if the fellow was not bound by the devil? Of course you know that you meet sinners every day that are as completely bound by the devil as they would be if they had chains on them. I have seen sinners that were afraid to try to escape from the devil, they were so completely overpowered by him.

​I have heard people say, How does the devil bind a fellow? Well, he begins by first putting the carnal mind in the human heart, and the child is born with depravity in its heart. The carnal mind leads him astray and he chooses sin, and now he is dead in trespasses and in sins. After he is dead morally the devil begins to put the cords on him and bind him. One of the first cords that the devil puts on him is the cord of disobedience. Two or three years ago you had a sweet baby, but today you have a stubborn, hard-headed disobedient boy.  You are surprised to see him as stubborn as he is and wonder who he takes it after. The next thing you know, your boy is a profane swearer and it almost breaks your heart, but the devil has put another cord on him. Don't you see Lazarus bound and don't you see your own son bound also?

The next string that the devil puts on him will be tobacco; now he is a cigarette fiend and will smoke and lie about it, and tell his mother that he never smoked in his life. When she catches up with him and he has to own up he will get mad and swear right in the presence of his old mother, and she is afraid to say a word. He begins to threaten to leave home if he can't have his way, and his mother thinks it is all because he has been keeping bad company. Well, of course, he has. The devil has been after him ever since he was born and is still on his trail; and the devil may take that nice boy of yours and put him in the chain gang, and finally in the state prison, and finally in an awful hell.

Don't you see that the young man is bound by the devil and led by him captive at his will?

When your boy was a babe and kicked and screamed and fought and bit and turned over chairs and threw things off the table, it was so funny that everybody laughed at him, and even his mother thought it was cute in the little fellow. When he takes one of his spells now it is not as funny as it used to be. His mother sits down and weeps by the hour. What is the trouble now? Well, Lazarus is dead and they have bound him for the burial and his friends are weeping over him. Your babe is no longer a smiling babe; he is a great rough sinner and bound by the cords of disobedience, profanity, tobacco, strong drink, Sabbath desecration, lust and anger; and many of them are bound by the cords of theft and murder. Oh my, how different he looks now to what he did before the devil put the cords around him! You see, reader, that the devil laid his plans in the garden, and he is working out hiss plans in the field. Yes, in the fields of life. How busy he is; not a moment to lose. His victims are driven by him just like they were beasts.

Again the devil not only has power to bind the souls of men but he seems to have power to bind their bodies. In proof of that fact I offer you the following Scriptures:  Look at Luke's gospel, 13: 16: "And ought not this woman, being a daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bound, lo, these eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Sabbath day?" The Master Himself said that this woman was the daughter of Abraham, and He also said that Satan had her bound for eighteen years. How many have I seen that Satan had bound and put them on their beds of affliction. I have seen them all over the United States as completely bound by Satan physically as they were morally. He is an awful devil and he hates Christ and wants to defeat Him and he wants to rule this country. I have seen some people that I think the devil knew he never would get their souls and he seemed to afflict their bodies to hinder their life's work. I as much believe the devil tried for years to kill me as I believe that I am alive today.

Now we will turn and read Acts 10: 38: "How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power; went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him." Here the reader will notice that Jesus was to heal all that were oppressed of the devil, so we see that he (the devil), had power to bind a woman for eighteen years and here he has power to oppress or to afflict mankind. We also see that Jesus had power to heal all that were oppressed of the devil, for God was with Him. You may take a man or a woman that has a fine mind and a fine, strong body, and a soul all on fire for God, and they can do much to the kingdom of the devil; he knows it as well as we do and he hates such people.

I will only speak of one other case of binding, and that is the case of the man in the tombs recorded in the eighth chapter of Matthew, the fifth chapter of Mark, and the eighth chapter of Luke.

Saint Mark says of this man that, no man could bind him; Saint Luke says that he was driven of the devil. Mark you, he doesn't say that he was led or tolled of the devil, but that he was driven of the devil. They also tell us that he wore no clothes, that he made his dwellings among the tombs and that he cut himself with the stones. There was a man that the devil had bound mentally, morally and physically, and if it had not been for the fact that Jesus of Nazareth went by that man would have stayed in that awful condition until the day of his death. What would we do without a Savior? Just think of a world with a devil in it and no Christ in it.

If we did not have the Holy Spirit in the world to restrain and check and drive back the devil, what is it that he would not do? My, man, it almost makes your blood freeze in your veins to think of living in a world without a Savior in it. I believe (that the sinners of the country are restrained by the grace of God, and while they may not know it, yet I believe it is true, and we cannot tell what they would do if it were not for the grace of God. Just look at the man In the tombs and you have the human family under the dominion of the devil instead of under the dominion of the son of God. Now, reader, if you can see one ray of hope there I wish you would show it to me, for I am frank to say that the picture is as black as the midnight hour to me. When I see men and women going on in sin and rejecting the Savior I wonder if they want to go to the tombs.

Robinson, Reuben A. (Bud) (2015-03-31). The Collected Works of 'Uncle Bud' Robinson (Kindle Locations 5680-5740). Jawbone Digital. Kindle Edition. 




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Sharing our knowledge freely

5/13/2017

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Often we think that we do not know enough to be able to teach others. We might even become hesitant to tell others what we know, out of fear that we won't have anything left to say when we are asked for more.

This mind-set makes us anxious, secretive, possessive, and self-conscious. But when we have the courage to share generously with others all that we know, whenever they ask for it, we soon discover that we know a lot more than we thought. It is only by giving generously from the well of our knowledge that we discover how deep that well is.

For further reflection...

"For God did not give us a spirit of cowardice, but rather a spirit of power and of love and of self-discipline." - 2 Timothy 1:7 (NRSV)


This post was written by Henri Nouwen.  You can find his site here:  www.henrinouwen.org

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Sharing responsiblity

5/12/2017

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If my people who are called by my name will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sins and restore their land (2 Chronicles 7:14).

In 2013, a jet crashed in San Francisco, resulting in three tragic deaths. One young woman died not from injuries caused by the crash, but from being run over by a rescue vehicle that rushed to the scene. City authorities conducted an investigation and determined that the death was accidental and that the driver would not face criminal charges. But the board of the airline involved took a very different approach to this tragedy: They called a public press conference and bowed low in apology. Even though they may not have been individually responsible for the girl’s death, they felt they shared responsibility as the leaders of the company.

This sense of collective responsibility is also found in the book of Hosea. The prophet was called to marry an unfaithful wife as a metaphor for the nation of Israel’s repeated unfaithfulness to God (Hosea 1:2). God is surely grieved by our individual sins, but His heart breaks for the sins that we commit as a larger group of people, as a church, or even as a nation. This is a common theme found throughout Scripture (Genesis 6:6; Psalm 78:40-41; Isaiah 63:10; Ezekiel 6:9).

The more isolated and individualistic the world becomes, the less we might feel responsibility for the actions of others. We can think, That wasn’t me! I didn’t do that! I’m not to blame! And while true, we need to remember that we’re not simply responsible for ourselves as Cain wrongly thought (Genesis 4:9).

As part of the body of Christ, may we live in a way that honors Him and blesses our brothers and sisters. And, when necessary, may we lovingly confront—by God’s wisdom, strength, and guidance—sin and anything that negatively affects our community. 


Read Luke 19:41-42 and see how Jesus wept for a people who had collectively turned from Him.

This post was written by Peter Chin of Our Daily Bread:  
www.odb.org



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