In Perspective

https://pixabay.com/en/users/geralt-9301/ An opportunity to talk about the Gospel doesn't always come. For some it's hard to bring the Gospel into conversations and gatherings. Some may be gifted with creating their own openings and opportunities, others are not. I am like that. I am an introvert. I tend to wait, and wait, and wait. Over the years I've learned to be more accepting of my weakness and depend on the Holy Spirit to create opportunities for me. If you pray, the answer will come. God always says YES to prayer requests that fulfill His will on this earth. So, start praying for opportunities. Depend on God to help you live a life that will bring curiosity to the lost. And remember these important points you must cover when you talk about the Gospel: Explain one's need for Christ and Explain that Christ is Enough. People want to change their lives, to better their lives. People want excitement. People want to do good with their lives. Having Christ and...

by http://darkroomist.com/ On January 31, we will get to see a Blue Moon rise in the sky and it's not just Blue Moon sighting that will take place. Asia, Australasia, North and Central America will get the best view of a total lunar eclipse that coincides with a blue moon and a supermoon. Supermoons are sighted when the moon is closest to the earth. The moon also seems larger when it is viewed close to the horizon. Countries like the Philippines need supermoon events to see large moons but in countries like Australia, the moon actually seems quite large all the time. One informative article comments that this is the first time to happen in 150 years. Check it out for more info: Super Blue Blood Moon To Grace The Sky, Here's What We Could Learn From It Article author Tim O'Brien clarifies that although it's called a blue moon, you won't actually see blue. Instead, you will get to see a dusky red moon on January 31. Moongazers will catch it at these times:...

https://pixabay.com/en/users/Counselling-440107/ Here is a piece I wrote for Godinterest.com: The Pain of a Prodigal: Why Children of Christian Parents Abandon the Faith

Recapture the Wonder is a book authored by Ravi Zacharias . He's faced a controversy quite recently, being accused of having an inappropriate electronic communication he privately had with a married female. It's been resolved and nothing was proven to judge him guilty. Here are some good insights from the book: Attainment and fulfillment are not the same. There is  in man that seeks a state of mind that attainments can never fill. The greatest pursuit of every life is often traded for something less, something daily. Tragedy is the absence of God in the human experience. A child gives reason and emotion its due and still seeks for wonder...childlike sight and faith.... Wonder is that possession of the mind that enchants the emotions while never surrendering to reason. Wonder is a grasp on reality that does not need constant high points in order to be maintained, nor is it made vulnerable by the low points of life's struggles. Wonder sees the the ordinary in ...

https://pixabay.com/en/users/KasunChamara-2976103/ Bible Reading:  Job 2 Meditation: In Job 2 we learn that 1. Job kept his integrity in spite of all the pain and loss. By his testimony we know that it is possible to respond rightly in times of extreme pain and hardship. If Job can remain unclouded by the darkness, we can too. We can keep seeing that God is good and that He loves us; that even when we can't make sense of our situation, we can trust God to be working things out for our good. Romans 8:28 2.Satan believed that self-preservation would cause Job to forsake God and abandon his faith. v4 Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “Skin for skin! All that a man has he will give for his life. 5 But stretch out your hand and touch his bone and his flesh, and he will curse you to your face.” Self-preservation is a powerful basic instinct that man and animals have. The protection of oneself (and of one's possession) from harm or death is natural. It automatical...

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ajinomoto_msg.jpg After 210 years of kitchen use, authorities have yet to find hardcore evidence that warrants the banning of MSG. Glutamates (the main component in MSG) are not at all foreign or invasive to the human body.  Glutamates naturally present in food. Concentrations are very high in tomato sauces and pastes, sharp cheeses like Parmesan, black beans, kelp, seaweed, dried mushrooms, Vegemite, Marmite, fish sauce, soy sauce, oyster sauce, foods containing added Hydrolyzed Vegetable Protein (HVP), stocks cubes and concentrates, and more. Note that the body processes free (natural) glutamates and MSG the same way. Glutamates in the body are mostly resident in the human brain , which releases these neurotransmitters. Glutamates are responsible for sending signals between nerve cells. Glutamates aid learning and memory. That may very well be the reason why Glutamate Toxicity can result in headaches and even brain cell damage...

https://pixabay.com/en/users/StockSnap-894430/ Bible Reading: Job 1 Meditation Job was steadfast. He was resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering. He was loyal and committed, two qualities which are hard to find in the world we live in today. To be loyal and committed is to stay true and single-minded about someone. It is to think and feel consistently towards someone regardless of his disposition. It is to be unchanging in your regard and affection towards someone even at their lowest points, even at your lowest points. His wife was blessed to have him for a husband. She wouldn't have had any headaches for Job was faithful. He did right by her. He would have nothing to do with evil practices. He was blameless. No one had anything to say or hold against him. His children were blessed to have him for a dad. Verse 5 says that each time his kids had a party, Job constantly gave consecration and burnt offerings for each one afterwards, in case they had committed sin aga...

https://pixabay.com/en/users/qimono-1962238/ Here is a piece I wrote for Godinterest.com: Is our Creator God Still Creating Today?

https://pixabay.com/en/gerbera-pink-flower-blossom-bloom-1250287/ Here are some first mentions and other facts in the Bible: First Mention of the Trinity- Genesis 1:26 First Sabbath- God. Genesis 2:1 First Marriage- Adam & Eve Genesis 2: 23 (24,25) First Sin- Disobedience. Genesis 3:6 First Mention of Cherubim: Genesis 3:24 First Mention of Pregnancy & Childbirth- Eve with Cain. Genesis 4:1 First Parents- Adam & Eve. Genesis 4:1 First Death- Abel. Genesis Genesis 4:8 First Murder- Abel. Genesis 4:8 First Exile- Adam & Eve from the Garden of Eden or Cain from God's presence and home base? Genesis 4:1,16 First Mention of Polygamy- Lamech to two wives (Adah, Zilah) . Genesis 4:19 First Mention of Worship/Religion. After the birth of Seth. Genesis 4:26 How Long Adam, the first man, lived- 930 years. Genesis 5:5 First Human to be brought to Heaven- Enoch. Genesis 5:24 First Limiting of Man's LifeSpan. 120 years. Genesis 6:3 First Rain, First St...

https://pixabay.com/en/users/Kaufdex-2137215/ Bible Reading: Genesis 12 Marked: Genesis 12: 1-3 1 Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. 2 And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. 3 I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.” We officially call it the "Abrahamic Covenant" today but it was simply God exercising His Sovereignty and innate right to choose from among His creation. In generosity, God chose Abraham to inherit a land. He chose Abraham to be most especially blessed. He chose Abraham to father a nation that will be blessed because of him. He chose Abraham and his descendants to be channels of blessing in which all others will share in his blessing and will be granted blessings because of him. He chose Abra...

https://pixabay.com/en/users/Tafelsuesse-7650976/ "We meed to be in a faith environment with people like us." #ColorConference From Brian Houston of Hillsong God has enough for all we need. When it comes to hunger, you'll truly know what it means to be filled with the things of God. Pain causes you to dig deeper and eagerly find God. Pain teaches us dependence on God. God shows up in pain and pain becomes power. The thing with continued success is, you tend to pull away from things that caused God to bless you in the first place. If we trust God in pain, we become a better person.

https://pixabay.com/en/mushrooms-brown-mushrooms-herbs-3069811/ Meditation: Genesis 1:29-30 And God said, See, I have given you every plant yielding seed that is on the face of all the land and every tree with seed in its fruit; you shall have them for food.  And to all the animals on the earth and to every bird of the air and to everything that creeps on the ground—to everything in which there is the breath of life—I have given every green plant for food. And it was so. AMPC Thoughts Before sin entered the picture, both man and creatures were vegetarians. There was no killing nor was there any desire to kill for meat. I can't imagine myself not eating meat and would sort of feel a loss if I had never tasted meat. Grilled meat is a favorite of mine. But this appetite for meat, this practice of killing for meat was not God's original plan. God meant for man to rule over all the earth, but not harm His creation.

https://pixabay.com/en/autumn-fall-ground-leaves-man-1869160/ Meditations Genesis 2:7 Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath or spirit of life, and man became a living being. AMPC Thoughts God is a creative creator. With His Word He can make wonderful things. With man, He chose to be even more creative and demonstrative, perhaps, to bless His creation with a chance to witness Him creating something. How greatly awed must all of His creation be, including the animals (they were created before man was) as He fashioned man from the ground and breathed into His very nostrils the breath of life. What man only imagined years and years later to depict in Sci-Fi movies, Genesis 2 has already described and told us way, way ahead! Genesis 2:15, 19 And the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and guard and keep it. AMPC And out of the ground the Lord God formed every [wild] beast and...

https://pixabay.com/en/constrictor-snake-close-danger-boa-2808200/ Meditations: Genesis 3 (AMP) Genesis 3:1 And the serpent (Satan) said to the woman, “Can it really be that God has said, ‘You shall not eat from any tree of the garden?" Thoughts: Sin and temptation always challenge the truth and reliability of God's Word and His plans. The Devil is always out to get us to doubt and deny what God says and wants in our lives. Once we begin the path to doubt, sin is never far off. Genesis 3:4-6 But the serpent said to the woman, “You certainly will not die!  For God knows that on the day you eat from it your eyes will be opened [that is, you will have greater awareness], and you will be like God, knowing [the difference between] good and evil.” And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was delightful to look at, and a tree to be desired in order to make one wise and insightful, she took some of its fruit and ate it...

https://pixabay.com/en/enpi-adam-abel-cain-1317747/ Bible Reading: Genesis 4  AMP Genesis 4: 3-7  And in the course of time Cain brought to the Lord an offering of the fruit of the ground. And Abel brought of the firstborn of his flock and of the fat portions. And the Lord had respect and regard for A bel and for his offering,  But for [a]Cain and his offering He had no respect or regard. So Cain was exceedingly angry and indignant, and he looked sad and depressed.  And the Lord said to Cain, Why are you angry? And why do you look sad and depressed and dejected?  If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin crouches at your door; its desire is for you, but you must master it. Thoughts T he matter here may be whether Cain gave His best for his offering or not. The matter here may also be whether Cain gave the right offering God would take pleasure in or not. In a number of Scripture translations like that in the NIV, it doe...

https://pixabay.com/en/father-and-son-happiness-love-2258681/ Bible Reading: Genesis 5  AMPC Meditations: Genesis 5: 5 Adam lived 930 years, and he died.  8 Seth lived 912 years, and he died. Adam reached 930 years and after him, the years have slowly gone down. It may be due to a number of factors. Environmental changes would be one, nature like man was slowly wasting away and the earth was no longer in a prime condition as it was during the immortal days of Adam and Eve. Stress factors also contributed to physical degeneration. Man was no longer in control and animals, especially the wild ones no longer answered to him. The era of hunting began. Animals witnessed the first of their kind slain for Adam and Eve's clothing. Fear and mistrust already began, and surely, hostility. Man now faced danger from large, powerful, wild animals who would no longer submit to humanity. Who really became the first predator? That's one interesting thing we can only speculate on. ...

https://pixabay.com/en/users/eroyka-3731342/ Let me say upfront that the healthiest and most excellent peanut butter you can ever have is one that you make right in your kitchen. A friend shared with me how she makes it; no oil and no sugar. She buys high quality, unsalted peanuts. She slow pulses them until they oil up and smoothen out. I used to like the Goober  's Strawberry Peanut Butter and Jelly Stripes. But in recent years I started rejecting the taste.  I don't know if the makers made changes or if I just outgrew the smell and taste of it. I consumed Peter Pan's Natural Honey Roast Peanut Butter for a while, it was yummy. But I decided to go Peanut Butter tasting and have been trying a number of good tasting ones as well. Here are some more yummy Peanut Butter Brands. 1. Bramwells American Style Peanut Butter , available at ALDI stores. 2. Macro Organic Crunchy Peanut Butter  at Woolworths Stores. All natural ingredients. 100% Organic Roasted Pean...

https://pixabay.com/en/adult-adventure-backpack-male-man-1850181/ In speaking to Hillsong Church of Noosa yesterday, Global Senior Pastor, Brian Houston, shared about expectations. Though I do not subscribe fully to the teachings and practises of the group, I do appreciate the insights shared from time to time. Here are some personal thoughts about expectations. "God wants us to live our lives expectant." B.H T o live a purposed life is to live an expectant life. Romans 12:2 talks about proving what God's good, acceptable, and perfect will is for our lives. This talks of a progression in one's life, of an adventure. It talks about living our lives in a developing way. Discovering all that is good, moving on to what is more acceptable, until we reach that perfect spot, that perfect state God so desires for us to take hold of or accomplish in this life for His glory and for our blessedness. "At times, expectation can be a self-fulfilling prophecy. L...

https://static1.squarespace.com/static/55279e80e4b09173e4ad5c63/552e5806e4b01b3a809ac6a3/571f266e8a65e27f818140fd/1461659632733/Wast+Water+Rainbow.jpg?format=1500w Bible Reading: Genesis 9 Marked: Genesis 9:12-15 And God said, “This is the sign of the covenant that I make between me and you and every living creature that is with you, for all future generations: 13 I have set my bow in the cloud, and it shall be a sign of the covenant between me and the earth. 14 When I bring clouds over the earth and the bow is seen in the clouds, 15 I will remember my covenant that is between me and you and every living creature of all flesh." Meditation: God is visual, He is demonstrative. With nothing to see but devastation, the 7 survivors of the Great Flood witnessed the first-ever appearance of a beautiful rainbow in the sky. It must have been a very welcome sight to Noah, his 3 sons and their wives, and the animals who survived with them. Man needed this humungous, physical sign...

https://pixabay.com/en/users/WikiImages-1897/ Bible Reading: Genesis 10 Marked : Genesis 10:25 " To Eber were born two sons: the name of the one was Peleg, for in his days the earth was divided..." Meditation:  In just 7 generations we read that the earth was divided and a son was called Peleg as namesake of that event. Tracing the roots of Peleg, we see this line: Noah-Shem-Eber-Arpachshad-Shelah-Eber-Peleg. Does this division talk about geographic separation because of the waters? Does this talk about separation of Noah's descendants into less larger families? Does this talk about a simple division resulting from differences in thinking and in way of life? Does his birth come close to the event at the Tower of Babel, when people lost their one, identical language? Commentaries can't say for sure but these are presented as possibilities. What we can say for sure is that Peleg's children saw a segregated earth. They grew up in a world where not ever...

http://makechurchsafe.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/01/Screenshot-2018-1-7-Pastor-Andy-Savage-Faith-Story-The-Church-at-Schilling-Farms.png After Jules Woodson went public and gave her #MeToo account of a perceived sexual assault committed against her by Andy Savage, he gave a public confession to the congregation of Highpoint Church regarding a sexual offense committed back in 1988. He was 22 years old then and a youth pastor at Woodlands Parkway Baptist Church (now Stonebridge Church). Jules Woodson was 17 years old at the time. This came to be a high profile issue since last week mostly because video coverage showed the people of Highpoint Church (where he now serves as Teaching Pastor) applauding and giving Andy Savage a standing ovation after his public confession during a service held on January 8. Read  2 things the church should learn from this. Read Jules Woodson's account of what happened. Listen to Andy Savage's interview with Ben Ferguson of iHeart Radi...