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A Pocket New Testament 2007-06-19 23:54:00 For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it.Luke 9:24You know the kind of New Testament
. It is small enough to fit in a shirt pocket. Mine was given to me when I was born. In later years, I came to treasure it like an heirloom. Never really looking at in much detail in my busy live. One night I felt drawn to pick it up off the shelf where it had been sitting. Other Bibles I read sit by my bedside nightstand. This one stood out from the others. Not only had it been given to me at my birth, but what also made it unique was its exterior. My family's home had burned to the ground not long after my birth. Few things were salvageable from the fire. This lone New Testament was one of them. Just like me it had made it. And like me in life it was forever scarred by what life had done to it. The exterior was burned and though I was not scarred by the flames I forever changed. The fires I face like this book was trials by fire. The part that bu Read more:Pocket
The Purpose, The Cause- The Effect- of "The Life of Christ" 2007-06-19 20:39:00 For as by one man's disobedience many were made sinners, so by the obedience of one shall many be made righteous. Romans 5:19 Adam's creation-his life assignment,his success and failure-were all for known and contingencies in place-all because of one basic law,and blessing,that of "free agency of man",that even "God" in all "His" greatness,once established,could not,and most importantly,would not,violate.--All Adam's experiences,fore ran,or were foreshadows,or symbols of "Christ
's" purpose.Adam knew the greatness of God,the importance of his function,in the ongoing process of keeping,developing the creation of God;He had one "role model","God", yet,the opposites of that role model was Satan,Satan could never have invaded The Garden of Eden initially.Through his deception he had to have an inside contact,to open,or unlock the "door of rebellion",desire for power.The impulse for disobedience,the foreshadow of ,"do your own thing".All these things,with all their dire consequences wer Read more:Purpose
, Cause
Crosses Everywhere 2007-06-18 22:37:00 Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.Matthew 16:24The hope of my life you are. The love of my life you are. Oh, the wonderful cross. Would I embrace my cross or run away? I stared at the cross in the reflection in the dresser mirror. The depth of the cross seemed to sink into the mirror infinitely. This was brought to my attention by a sweet,little innocent child. You can find crosses everywhere if you just look. God's constant reminder of His presence."Daddy, do you see the cross in the mirror?" she inquired. The deep blue eyes staring up at me waiting on a response. Shaking my head I looked back at my daughter. I didn't see anything. "Look one more time," she begged with a look of belief. "Alright, but this is the last time," was my reply. As I stared into the mirror I thought of this week and the events preceding it. The Vacation Bible School that week and how excited she was about Jesus. Her Read more:Crosses
Inner Peace 2007-06-10 20:46:00 For he himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility,Ephesians 2:14All through the years of my distress,an inner voice gave me no peace-as this passage of scripture kept pestering me,"Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God."Even in my darkest moments,in the depth of despair, it never let me rest.I tried to stop my inner ears from even sensing this compelling voice but no,it always there.Then I began to question my part or worthiness to even consider this call to repentance and mission,once I had a ready and willing ally,Satan saying don't listen,don't heed,we've gone too far.Then as my real self began to listen,the impelling words of Revelation started to trickle into my consciousness.Not only was I withholding the Gospel and the keys of the mystery of the kingdom from myself,as well as the power of Godliness in practicing and administrating the ordinances from others.by James GargusTechnorati Profile Read more:Peace
Superficial 2007-06-10 19:13:00 So we fix our eyes not on what is seen,but on what is unseen.For what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.2 Corinthians 4:18Things in life we pursue often times can be and are "superficial."That is to say we may cast aside at any point,any one or more of these.And what would cause this particular change of character,or trait?Here we have as we had in the acquisition thereof,the interaction,or intra action.As, in anything that changes,there must be an initiator,and a receptacle.In other words , the object changed,has to be acted upon,before there's movement by it.So, where does this change get its initiator?And why does it succumbor lend itself to change?Mainly because some outside influence brought pressure to bear,i.e.: in case of "fear"it was discovered that fear was unjustified,proven false.And as a result of this change,what happens to the receptacle,or the place fear occupied?Every void,no matter how small,must be filled with something.So we have here an initiator Read more:Superficial
Prayer Lines 2007-06-10 18:31:00 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. John 16:13 Prayer
lines are open.God knows your needs,-pour out your heart,it melts the clogged arteries of communication,humbles the heart,makes tender the sensibilities,chains our honesty,implants sincerity,don't ring the wrong number.Know the voice on the other end of the prayer.Even tho he knows your innermost thoughts,He desires constant communication with his children.And the bonds of child, parent, God and man with love grows.This becomes a natural part of life.byJames Gargus Read more:Lines
Two Doves 2007-06-07 16:45:00 "Who are these that fly along like clouds,like doves to their nests?Isaiah 60:8 Doves
symbolize transcendence, eternity, timelessness, faith, and hope. The dove is universally a symbol of peace, purity, love and tenderness. Doves are timeless creatures. The dove has been a powerful human symbol since antiquity. In the biblical creation story, Noah sent a dove from the ark three times. When the dove returned with an olive leaf in its beak, there was hope in the midst of the treacherous flood. Later Christians used the dove to symbolize the Holy Ghost over the Christ's head, associating the dove with transcendence and compassion. Much later, the legendary artist Pablo Picasso used stylized doves to evoke peace, enlightenment, and immortality. The sighting of a dove is auspicious in every world culture. In China a dove seen at life events is a sign of longevity. In Japan, a dove along with a sword to represents the nation's commitment to peace. In all nations, two doves shown paired tog
The Precipice 2007-06-05 21:12:00 And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.Ephesians 6:4My grandfather was a complicated man. Life had hardened him toward most things including his family and children. Times were tough and life was tough. He tried to deal with the stresses of the times of a large family and utter poverty. To relieve this stress he turned to alcohol in hopes of some kind of release. He was not a bad man per se. But a lost man in trying to find strength in the bottle. He was just a man with failings and weaknesses as we all have. He didn't want to rely on anyone which regrettably included God. He didn't realize he was relying on alcohol as a crutch, and as a result was hurting himself and all those around him. Most importantly, a young son who was following after his footsteps. My dad was this young son who always wondered why his dad never returned the love and approval he craved. Here is a poem he wrote about his relationship as
The Untouched 2007-06-01 23:45:00 The fear of the LORD leads to life: Then one rests content, untouched by trouble.Proverbs 19:23I walk the pathway of life swiftly, As the breeze of time flows gently by. Never hesitating, in my quest for the new, needless of the ones passing by. For some,-somewhere, out there, over there,-there's adventure, something uniquely mine. The enthusiasm, joyful exuberance of youth,blissfully unaware of the shifting, changing, passing sands of time.I tread the road of life expectantly, sure, that the hidden treasure of a new experiencea new me world, is there for me to find--The pace, the pace---is more measured now,the high anticipation isn't quenched.As I stalk the untouched, be it even the unstoppable ever moving sands of time.I trudge the rugged, hilly, terrain of life,and now, often pause and gaze at the faces,of those I meet.As perhaps in their eyes I may see,the lost joy of friendship,the golden gem sublime;that I shunned,even as I hungered, unknowing,for someone to share with me,--a
Hope, Sorrow, and Despair 2007-05-22 23:00:00 The Lord is the everlasting God, the Creator of all the earth. He never grows weak or weary. No one can measure the depths of his understanding. He gives power to the weak and strength to the powerless. Even youths will become weak and tired, and young men will fall in exhaustion. But those who trust in the Lord will find new strength. They will soar high on wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary. They will walk and not faint.Isaiah 40:28-313 different co-workers in different situations of need. One preparing for his death, one disabled by an illness, and one faced with the loss of a loved one. Hope of overcoming a stroke, despair of one's impending death, and sorrow of the loss of a mother. Who has not faced one of these situations or soon will? How do we react to others in that stage in life? Do we show kindness or callousness? My father emphasized helping that brother or sister in need.How easy it is not care. For one to become desensitized by everything around you. S Read more:Sorrow
The Tensile Strength 2007-05-21 20:17:00 The tensil strength of a chain is wholly dependent upon each link.(Faith-Baptisms of Water and Spirit-Repentance-Laying On of Hands-Resurrection of the Dead-Eternal Life and Judgement)If we neglent, ignore, or phase out as has happened as with the pressures of social expediency, just one or more of these doctrinal principles then the remaider will soon follow. And we have seen it happen with the so called church spiritual structure that will collapse under dead works.Keep the principle chain intact and lay hold on eternal life. Now, for our salvation it is entirely dependent upon it.And like destruction, salvation is near.byJames GargusHow much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?Hebrews 9:14
Dear Ones... 2007-05-20 22:45:00 And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.Romans 8:28Dear Ones,I love you all very muchand I hate to leave you for sucha long time but I'm trying to dowhat the Lord wants me to do.All my love,I need your prayers.Dad-Jimby James Gargus
Soul Bound 2007-05-18 16:28:00 My soul is in anguish.How long, O LORD, how long?Psalm 6:3(New International Version)In the night while my soul sleeps,I realize where I am.All of a sudden my soul leaps,but these chains I start to slam.I am bound to the ground,I jerk my arms to the left and right.In frustration and anger I furiously pound,Here comes the night.The darkness closes in around me,My eyes struggle in the absence of light.I yell at the darkness trying to break free,And so begins the fight.I hear voices off in the distance calling out to me,What is that they are saying?So many voices shrieking like a banshee,These horrendous voices, my ears, is there no allaying?The odor that assaults my senses,It is something just putrid on the air.What is that in the distance preparing its offenses?It's coming to rip and tear.My mouth has the taste of something rotton in it,This I can't quite discern.This frightful place assaults my very senses,The restiveness makes my stomach churn.I await my fate peering into the void, Read more:Bound
Burden 2007-05-15 21:46:00 For my yoke is easy,and my burden is light.Matthew 11:30 Somehow life is a burden,an unseen burden,hanging either around your neckor around or inside your heart.These shadowy burdens lift, float,waver, wane, and bear down, asthe tides of life ebb and flow.Life takes on many colors, from a dark dreary grey, to a prismatic cartwheel ofgay colors varying in density and length,as life's situation shift, as emotions move, change, as inner and outer factors appear and move on, leaving whatever residue the beaches of my life accept or cling to.Somehow the effort seemingly is just too muchor useless to reject the waste of life,even knowing the disaster that submissionto the useless brings.Why is misery so easy to acceptand optimism so difficult to apprehend?Are the powers of darkness too intense,too alluring, to the soul that carries the burden of lovethat finds the fulfillment of that lovetoo elusive and too tangibly to get hold on it?Are the better things of life too hazy and intangible?Do Read more:Burden
Sunday Sunrise 2007-05-08 20:16:00 Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon withdraw itself: for the LORD shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.Isaiah 16:20After the long night, you are sunrise. This thought hangs in the back of my mind about that night. His soul ascending with the coming of the dawn that Sunday
morning. The shadows of darkness that surrounded him was evidence of the sun. He knew the midnight.He kept asking what time of day it was. Asking whether the sun was rising or setting. I couldn't understand in my ignorance what difference it made. But looking back I believe he was waiting for the comingof his Lord to free him from that frail body. His Lord was the only one that could make him whole again. He never complained about the load he had to bear in this life. He would keep on the same path he was on. Though he wandered from that path by trying to take shortcuts, they always seemed to lead right back to that path. The easy path would not have shaped Read more:Sunrise
Year One 2007-05-06 22:27:00 The Lord is my strength and my shield; my heart trusted in him.Psalm 28:7His blue eyes closed and a heart of gold stopped beating a year ago. we knew we would never see his smile again on this earth. God broke our hearts to prove He only takes the best. God knew you had to leave us but you did not go alone. For part of us went with you. To some you are forgotten, to others just a part of the past, but to your family and friends that knew you and loved you, your memories will always last. We love you very much.byLouise Gargus In loving memeory of our father James H. Gargus Sr. Died 5-7-2006.
I hope.... 2007-04-22 18:00:00 And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.2 Corinthians 12:9I hope I can go to my death with the same strength that Christ went to his. This is the words he said as I stopped to watch the last bit of Jesus of Nazareth. I said, "Dad, don't talk like that." He just seem to have a far off distant look after he had made the statement. I looked over at the man in the hospital bed that was my father. He had always been a strong man. His strength wasn't his own but something supernatural. His strength was tender and kind. Even the look he had in his eyes and concern you could see in his face for others could be felt. He didn't even want to let the Lord down in how he went to his death.Little did I know what all he would reveal to us in that last month of his life. The amazing and unexplainable things that happened. Let's say that
When people pray... 2007-04-15 21:53:00 When people
pray they pray to dirty looking downs-When "He's" up there above, I'm not on the ground-And when we're mean and angry we shake our fist at the sky-And swear aloud.Yet that boogie man's below, Grinning up at us for he's not in the clouds-(I guess).What is up?What is down?Copy this down!Write this down!Pick me up!Don't put me down!Take it up with him!That's a let down!Bottoms up, glasses down.Go up town, all down hill.What's up for heaven's sake?Down town that's what.Let me put you down for one.No, I won't put up with it.Who is up, who is down?When is up, when is down?byJames GargusI get out of this that we pray to God with a dirty, angry look on our faces. We should be on the ground on our faces asking for mercy. Instead we shake our fist at him in the sky and curse him. But the boogie man-the devil- is on the ground and is the one we should be shaking our fist at. So we live our lives running to and fro, up and down, side to side, with no general direction in whi
Big Boy Blue 2007-04-12 20:18:00 I listen closely with my mind,for fulfillment, of a promise you made,I can't quit now, believing in you.The price is too high to be paid.I listen closely with my heart,for the feeling that our love will prevail.For I wanta believe, I wanta know,my plans for us just can't fail.I can't quit now,I can't stop believing in you,I can't turn and go the other way,I don't want to start life anew.I feel keenly your closeness to me,I feel your soft hand on my cheek.The message of love we shared with our eyes,without the need for us to speak.I hear your laughter at something I said,echoing in my weary heart and soul.I see the blue of your eyes, the tilt of your head,your auburn hair shining like gold.Your memories, always return (come back) dear.Tell me my (dear) love why can't you?I won't ask darling why you left,just come back to your big boy blue.I love you.byJames Gargus Read more:Big Boy
Mortify 2007-04-09 21:48:00 Mortify therefore, your members which are upon the Earth are:Fornication-UncleannessInordinate AffectionEvil Concupiscence/ LustCovetousness- which is idolatry- Colossions 3:5These are the restraining lines that hinder- and they are not always inordinate- except in the lives of those we need to help.byJames Gargus
Idols 2007-04-08 18:53:00 Ye cannot serve God and mammon.Matthew 6:24If we aren't very, very careful, we set up idols unwittingly.Which is exactly what the adversary wishes! We may pursue goals unworthy of our efforts.We must have the medium of exchange, money or the equivalency thereof, but it must not be our idol.byJames Gargus Read more:Idols
Re-dedication 2007-04-07 01:53:00 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.Psalms 51:10Each, 1st Sunday represents, a new month, or the start or beginning thereof, in the sense, that we view this occasion as the re-dedication, of our lives in the service of The Lord. In other words, our correction or realignment of our priorities toward our fellow man-Our lives are always or should be at the growing edge. That is our strength, our resolves, always keenly aware of the needs of others. And at the peak of our ambition, sometimes, in fact oft times of sacrificial, so that we minister to the needs of others before we, ourselves are recognized-So in order to do so- we must mortify above problems if we be so incumbered.by James Gargus
Memories 2007-04-04 19:25:00 The memory of the just is blessed....Proverbs 10:7Some how memories don't leave,to allow the mind to rest,they linger, they grow,not dimmer,but flourishwith,present happenings, triggering those, thosethoughts, again, ofwhat was once,is now again.So real, yet so intangible, painfully so,always on the fringes of life's days, nights areshadowy, they flit here! Now they're leaving,absent, but a fleeting instant,returning, with companions.Each one as,a chain, linking one to another,their tensile strength, unbreakable,linking history.The wonderful past, with the now,causing pain, happiness, remorse, joy, sorrow,tears, laughter,memories,memories,oh, to shake off the years,as a burdensome cloak,to reenter for a moment,that page of time, now turned.byJames Gargus My dad hung a tire swing for my daughter 2 years before he died. She would play for hours on that swing. Sticking her body through the tire. She would twist the rope around and let it unwind with her in it. Spinning and laughing lik
The Compass 2007-04-01 19:50:00 There's so many things of which to write,of people I know,of things I've seen,of errors of wrong,and the good things of right.But time speeds by, opportunities flee,they don't pause,they don't look back,they both are constants,not bound by procrastinations, such as fools like me.Some sage may have said,"Give me the will, I'll find away"-to do the impossible,to think the positive,to right the wrong,to stretch my soul,to work while it's yet day.Ah! the Imagination of the active mind, the romance of the heart,leads to dreams,excites the fantasies,creates the adventurer.What matters whether a role, or "real life" part?If I feel my burden is too heavy to bear,I lay it down,I close my weary eyes,I really have small worry,I'll not be bound by the "passing life's" futile care.byJames GargusThou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory. Psalm 73:24The compass of my life is gone,will I ever find another?I search for my guidance among the many voices,in futility Read more:Compass
The Stones Will Cry Out 2007-06-24 17:20:00 And he answered and said unto them, I tell you that, if these should hold their peace, the stones would immediately cry out. Luke 19:40It's always the obvious and the simple things I overlook. These things are right in front of me. You, my God, are trying to give me a message. Isn't that the way life is? In front of your eyes, you miss the little things.My children continue to lead me in small ways. They help me to see the unseeable. The angels guide their hearts to always seek Him out in the world around them. Their eyes see the hidden treasures God has planted everywhere. Even in the worst, they find the light. Children who believe are God's secret weapon against the dark one.My daughter, after we were finished eating, was doing as she always does after a meal. She ran outside the restaurant along the river to explore. She sat down on the ground and proceeded to pick through stones. Searching ever carefully and discarding one after another. This quest was quite amusing to me. I h Read more:Stones
Tears Are Prayers, Too 2007-06-23 22:33:00 Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? Psalm 56:8 Are we afraid the tears won't stop falling down like rain? That we might drown as we fight our fears. God bottles every tear that we cry. Think about it. We have cried oceans and rivers of tears of grief and sorrow as well as tears of happiness and joy since time began. Tears
that travel to God even when we can't speak. These tears are prayers to God on the deepest level.It is a known fact that in Bible lands and other middle eastern countries there was a tradition that when someone died, tears of those present were collected and placed in a bottle. This bottle was considered sacred for it represented all the sorrow of the family and was buried with the deceased. Many of these bottles have been found in ancient tombs. In ancient Rome, mourners filled small glass vials or cups with tears and placed them in burial tombs as symbols of love and respect. Sometimes people were even paid to
Speak 2007-06-22 21:26:00 But if I say, "I will not mention him or speak any more in his name," his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.Jeremiah 20:9They close up their callous hearts, and their mouths speak with arrogance.Psalms 17:10How can we travel through this short life and not feel the pain of others? Why are we afraid to speak? We bottle up all that we think and feel. Except of course if it is anger. Then we turn this loose on all those around us. Sometimes silence hurts worse than the angriest curse. The silence of callousness. Some call it stuck up, snobbery, better than you, or even shyness. Look they say he has never cursed with his mouth. Neither had the Pharisees or Sadducee's. The people who walked by the man in the good Samaritan story never spoke either. The good Samaritan spoke to him and helped.To be friendly is considered to babble on by those who don't want to listen. Am I speaking to help that individual or to hurt s
Alive 2007-06-24 20:53:00 I am the Living One; I was dead, and behold I am alive for ever and ever!Revelation 1:18I am ... alonewearydisconnectedweakbroken.I feel ... turmoilpainlossgriefsorrowangerresentmentdoubt.I have ... questions..I lack ... patience...Through Christ I have ... wisdomtrusthumilitystrength.Through Christ's faithfulness I am ... safeprotectedredeemedreconciledALIVE! by Lance Gargus Read more:Alive
Flattery 2007-06-24 22:29:00 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ, but their own appetites. By smooth talk and flattery they deceive the minds of naive people.Romans 16:18As I have stressed many times before, superlatives, adjectives, or flattery without constructive behavior to support whatever we are promising or perhaps unthinkingly committing ourselves to verbally, we make vows superficially without thinking of the consequences of shallow words only.All the praise and flattery toward the Lord is useless, if we are attempting to bribe or bargain with Him. If we promise Him something and not validate, not only are we committing the sin of omission, but the sin of commission, lying and breaking a covenant, or contract sworn to-I'm almost certain that no one reading has been guilty of this consciously, I pray,; but may have inadvertently slipped into this trap. To those who have used this ploy so long, it has real appeal, also to ones they may wish to impress with many flattering phrases and superlati Read more:Flattery
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