Msg

Monosodium glutamate.  It took me 30 years to figure out that I was allergic to it.  For 30 years I suffered from frequent headaches.  Headaches that didn't respond well to over the counter pain killers, caffeine, or much else, and lasted 12 hours or so.  One day I'd get a headache, the next maybe not.  Some weeks I'd have a headache almost every day.  I didn't know what to think.  A few months ago I was praying about this and MSG popped into my head.  I followed through on that and did some research and found that MSG was in some of the foods that I ate regularly.  Campbell's soups for one.  I had been eating Campbell's soups multiple times a week for those 30 years.  I also discovered it was in a lot of chicken products...and I was (I thought) healthily choosing chicken sandwiches etc over beef almost every time I went to a restaurant.

Long story short....I stopped the Campbell's soups and anything else I noted that had MSG in it and NO MORE HEADACHES!  How ridiculous is that?  30 years of headaches!

There is a lot of information about MSG online and I would recommend anyone and everyone do their own research on it, especially if you are also prone to headaches.  Don't rely on the labeling of the products to reveal that they have MSG in them, though, as the industry has found ways of concealing it.  Do your homework.

Aware of the devils schemes

1 Samuel 16:14-15 ¶ Now the Spirit of the LORD had departed from Saul, and an evil spirit from the LORD tormented him. Saul’s attendants said to him, "See, an evil spirit from God is tormenting you.

I find this to be an interesting scripture and one that many have pondered but few have agreed upon. Personally, I’m considering the possibility that Saul’s experience is not entirely unique…that even you and I may occasionally experience something similar. First, I think the stage has to be set. Something, or someone, has to really cause you grief. The more personal, the more painful, the more frequent, the more likely that you could fall prey….that a seed of bitterness could find root. If you water that seed, if you allow it to grow, it can create an opportunity for the devil to take advantage of you. For that matter, the devil can remind you of the injustices, he can stir the pot. The next thing you know, indeed the Spirit of God has left you (after all, God is love), and an evil spirit is left to torment you.

I believe it is likely that the above scenario is not uncommon. What is the cure? Faithfulness. We have to take control. We have to submit to God…to resist evil…to forgive…to pray. We not only have to read what the Bible says, we have to understand it so that we can be aware of the devil’s schemes, and we have to do what it says (put on the full armour etc Ephesians 6:11).

Something I think we have to remember is that evil can spread. If one person is taken captive to do the devils’ will…what do you think the devil would have that person do? Break someone else down? The person that has been taken captive needs our prayers, not retaliation (Romans 12:20). Retaliation only feeds the fire.

Walking with God

If you posed the question to professing Christians…do you want to walk with God…and you told them what that meant first and foremost was obedience, I wonder how many would say they really wanted to walk with God?

Fellowship with God

To walk with God, you first have to walk to God.  

If you desire an increase in faith, try increasing your faithfulness.

James 4:8...Come near to God and he will come near to you.

Inspiring

I just wanted to post the links to a couple of sermons that I find moving and inspiring.

David Ring's life story

Paul Washer's shocking message

Name it, claim it.

How does that work?  Scripture tells us that we have to believe it first (Mark 11:24).  hmm.  I don't know about you, but I can't seem to control the degree of my faith just because that's what I want to be able to do.  I know I want to be all that God would have me to be, though.  At least I think I do.  Therein,  a theory is born.  It's a natural progression.  First you follow God's commandments (because you love them and you love Him)...or at the very least...try your very best (and I mean very best) to follow God's commandments.  Not short term, mind you.  Long term....committed.  Incrementally your faith is increased.  At that point, though, what do you think you would be claiming?  A new car?  Prosperity?  Somehow, I don't think so.  Surely, you'd be claiming things a lot more righteous than that.

Miracles

Matthew 17:24-27 ¶  After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax came to Peter and asked, "Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?"  "Yes, he does," he replied. When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. "What do you think, Simon?" he asked. "From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?"  "From others," Peter answered. "Then the sons are exempt," Jesus said to him.  "But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours."

I love that scripture.  I giggle when I imagine the collectors going with Peter to the lake, Peter catching a fish (the first one, mind you), opening it's mouth and pulling out the coin!  Can't you just picture the look on the collectors faces? 

Jesus did some amazing things (miracles).  Things that cannot be explained via the natural no matter how creative you attempt to get.  Miracles like walking on water (John 6:19), controlling the weather (Matthew 8:26), turning water into wine (John 2:7), raising the dead (John 11:43, Mark 5:35), giving sight to the blind (John 9:6), casting out demons (Matthew 17:18), feeding the five thousand (Matthew 14:15), etc, etc, etc. 

Jesus is Lord.

Hell

Can you imagine what the world would be like if God had not set eternity into the hearts of men (Ecclesiastes 3:11)?  If the human race believed that there were no rewards and no punishments and no having to give an answer to anyone?  If the human race believed that they only had this one life to live, and no matter how they lived this life, the only thing they could anticipate was the finality of death?  What kind of race would we be?  What kind of a world would this be?  Do you think the suicide rate would increase or decrease?  Do you think the murder rate would increase or decrease?  Do you think violent crimes would increase or decrease?  My Christian Interpretation would be that life on planet earth would take a nose dive.

Thank God that heaven and hell do exist!  Thank God that He has put that knowledge in our hearts, and given us His Word to help us in our understanding.  Thank God for the gift of His Son and the forgiveness of sins.

Favoritism

A few posts back I spoke a bit about the wisdom of God. God tells us not to show favoritism, that He doesn't show favoritism, and that showing favoritism is, in actuality, a sin. If you have ever been discriminated against, you probably understand why favoritism is a sin. It's a potential breeding ground for all kinds of negativity. It can cause division, hurt, anger, insecurity, depression, vindictiveness, bitterness, hatred, etc. Does God want you to suffer that? Does God want you to create an atmosphere conducive to generating those kinds of feelings and emotions? My Christian interpretation would be....nope...He sure doesn't.

I guess one question we have to ask ourselves is....are WE showing any favoritism? Do we treat one of our children a little better than another? Do we show one of our employees more respect? Do we treat a race or gender better than another? We may be making one person feel special, and without realizing it, causing someone else to feel insignificant and unloved.

The other question we might need to ask ourselves is....what is our responsibility if we are the subject of favoritism?  If showing favoritism is a sin, what about willingly, knowingly, accepting favoritism?

What is the purpose of life?

The writer of Ecclesiastes says:

Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 ¶ Now all has been heard; here is the conclusion of the matter: Fear God and keep his commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.

If the whole duty of man is to fear God and follow His commandments, then I suppose, my Christian interpretation of the purpose of life would be to learn that. The purpose of life, therefore, could be summed up by saying we are here to learn about God and have a relationship with Him (could it be that simple?).

God, therefore, designed us, life on planet earth, and for that matter, the universe, to be conducive to learning about Him.

Romans 1:20 For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Psalm 19:1 The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge. There is no speech or language where their voice is not heard.

So right off the bat, you are confronted with a mind boggling universe and an innate understanding that this was no accident. The stage is set, God exists.

As you observe life, as you live life, you begin to understand that those living are not in complete control of their destiny. In the world around you, you see mortality. At the same time, man does not see death as finality because God has set eternity into the hearts of men (Ecclesiastes 3:11). This understanding lends itself to the beginning of wisdom, the fear of God (Proverbs 9:10). After all, we are going to have to give an answer for the things we’ve done while in the body (2 Corinthians 5:10). This fear of God can motivate us to learn what we can about God, and potentially, come to the knowledge of Christ and a real relationship with God. And so it goes.