Saturday November 29, 2008
Stephen Porter - 8:21 AM AST
117 GOD’S WORD
Joh 1:14 And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth.
The bible says that God’s word became flesh and dwelt among us. Everyone knows that this was Jesus and that Jesus was God’s son so, how could He be God’s word too.
The words that we speak define us; the phrases that we use to describe things, the emotions that we put into words and even what we don’t say will tell people about our inner most thoughts and personality.
For every situation, action or circumstance there is over a hundred things that we could say and there are a number of ways that we could say it.
We could give praise with sarcasm or with genuine good feelings, we could give a kind word to someone in need and then walk away without physically helping them or we could ignore a sad situation in someone else’s life; passing it off with “Well, they deserved that.”
You see the bible also says that what is in our hearts will come out our mouths; we will speak in such a way as to reveal the true intent of our heart. People can see whether we are genuine or not just by watching us when we think that they are not but it is easier and faster to tell what we are like by talking to us for a while.
Most people are so eager to share themselves with us that they talk about themselves and fail to listen to you so they don’t really get to know you. Because this is widespread, we think that we can hide our true nature so no one can see it. [Then we open our mouths and show it to everyone.]
God sent His son to us to show Himself to us. God only speaks the truth so every word that comes out of His mouth is completely true in every form and fashion that there is.
Jesus, His son, also only speaks the truth, just like God. [I believe we call someone who looks exactly like someone else, the ‘spitting’ image of that person.]
However, Jesus not only spoke the truth, just like His Father, but He acted just like His Father. They are the ‘spitting’ image of each other; when you see one, you can tell what the other will look and be like because of the similarity.
Just like you and me, God’s word reveals His inner most thoughts and personality to all those that are looking and know what and how to understand what they are looking at. Because we can compare God’s word to Jesus’ life we can ‘see’ God.
You cannot be separated from your words because they are your words. Even though someone else spoke the same words at one time or another, you spoke them when you did and in the situation that you did for the people present to hear. That’s pretty specific and unique to you.
God is the only one of His kind, so His word is pretty unique. Jesus is also the only one of His kind; God’s son, but He has no personality of His own. He chose to have a personality that looks exactly like His father’s.
God has called us to be His children but He doesn’t want us all to be different; He wants us all to be the same, just exactly like Him and we can do this by being like His word, being just like Jesus and doing just like He tells us to be, so that we can look, act and be just like Him. Then, when someone looks at you, they will be able to see God.
Tuesday November 25, 2008
Stephen Porter - 7:06 PM AST
23 IT’S A TWO WAY STREET
The privilege of having a drivers licence and being able to drive was given to you after you proved to the driving instructor that you could control the car that you were driving and had the proper attitude to be a competent driver. He evaluated you because, to have a license to drive meant that you could take a dangerous weapon out on a fast busy highway and drive it safely and competently around other drivers. In giving you your license, he was telling the law officials that he thought that you could learn to do it properly.
Therefore, as long as you learn and do it lawfully, you get to keep your license; when you learn to drive in an unlawful manner, they will take their license back. [It’s only yours as long as you do it properly.]
The license that you have is only a card stating that you meet the qualifications to be allowed to drive; it guarantees nothing.
Everyone that is driving is supposed to have one of those ‘privilege’ cards and has just as many rights as you do to be on the road and doing what they are doing.
In other words, we are all doing the same thing or all in the same boat; whatever phrase you want to use makes no difference. Except for the different license graduations and classes, we are all equal.
Amide your busy schedule, you are driving down the road thinking about everything else but driving and you want everyone else to look out for you; to get out of your way, not run into you and not make you think about what you are doing while you are thinking about what you want to do. The trouble is, that is what everyone else is doing too.
This is a two way street here; a give and take situation. If you want others to look out for you then you must look out for them.
Sometimes driving is a very busy job and, even when everyone is paying close attention, things can happen; that’s why it takes all of us to keep all of us safe. We are a team but our goal is not to beat the other fellow and score but to help the other fellow so we all can score; if you win, he is safe and if he wins, you are safe.
On this ‘two way street’ the responsibility rests with all of us to be safe and keep the other drivers safe and this responsibility is shared equally among us all.
I try to drive as safely as possible wherever I am because my thinking is that, if I’m in your neighbourhood and can keep your children safe then I hope that, when you’re in my neighbourhood, you’ll keep my children safe; fair turnaround for a shared responsibility.
Saturday November 22, 2008
Stephen Porter - 7:03 AM AST
116 THE SAME
The church is not a bunch of different organizations and peoples all working for the same master; it is one master and one group of like-minded people all serving our heavenly Father together and at the same time.
The fact that many in the church go to different places and belong to different organizations does not mean that God has a bunch of different ways to serve Him or that He is diverse in His nature. It means that He has and is sending His people to all groups and all peoples to show them and teach them the one correct way to please Him.
When you accepted the sacrifice that Jesus made for you on that cruel Roman cross, [He paid the debt that you owed to your creator, His father, God so that you could have the opportunity to accept God’s righteousness for your life and live for God in a loving and serving relationship.] God adopted you into His family and is making you into a personality that will please Him, like Jesus. He has given to you the statues of His child, like Jesus, His son.
This does not only place on us the responsibility to think and act like a child of God but it also means that God will treat us like His child.
He will treat us like He treated Jesus; watching over us, sending angels to help and care for us in whatever situation and trouble we find ourselves in and loving and communicating with us at all times. When we talk, He is listening; when He talks, He expects us to listen.
He wants us to walk and act righteously, think Holy and love mercy; this is the outward signs that should tell those that don’t know God that we are Christians and love and serve our heavenly Father, God.
We are royalty in training to reign and rule with Jesus in His coming kingdom. He expects us to learn how it is supposed to be done so that we can do it to please Him.
Even though we have been given different gifts and different positions of authority, we are all the same; thinking and acting for the benefit of God and His kingdom first and the rest of the church second.
This is also a two edged sword; because we have chosen to accept Jesus as big brother and master and have chosen to love Him above all others, He and His Father love us and will be watching out for us at all times. They will see the blessings and dangers that will come into our lives before they happen and will be attentive to our requests and needs.
Think about that for a while; you are a son of God, whatever anyone does to you, they are doing it to your father in heaven. God is watching what, how and who does you good and does you bad and, even though He may not take immediate action for or against those people, He has seen and has recorded their attitude towards you in His book of records. [Yes, it’s in the bible. Revelations tells of the second book.]
What they do to you will be facing them in their final judgement, so, don’t get angry with them when they do you a hurt but, rather, feel sorry for them because they are creating their own judgement and punishment for their eternal home.
They will have a long, long, long time to regret what they did to God when they did that to you unless they repent and become your brother; which is what God, Jesus and the church hopes that they will do.
Wednesday November 19, 2008
Stephen Porter - 7:45 PM AST
22 TIS THE SEASON
It is the season when everyone is so busy and has so many things to do; work, buy gifts, plan parties, send cards and remember all the things that you are supposed to do. We have to do this while moving about with everyone else in our way because they are trying to do the same things.
It is a very stressful time of year and everyone is getting tired and irritated. With the shorter tempers is the urge to cut corners, take chances and push ahead; all the things that lead to highway crashes and parking lot fender-benders.
I am normally quite pushy about the correct way to drive and act but God has been cautioning me to be more tolerant and merciful to my fellow drivers because of the stress that everyone is under. Let a few more things go that I normally wouldn’t, be more patient with others and while waiting in lines and allow for more dumb mistakes because they will be made.
The thing is that I am now required to do this at the same time I am under that same stress and am pushing to do more, losing sleep to get more done and trying to find short cuts to save time. This means that I too am making more mistakes in my driving judgements and I am taking more and greater chances with my own life and the lives of those other motorists.
This is not something that we can just say ‘don’t do it’ and then stop doing it, because the stress is there continually and a few minutes later we forget and make that dumb mistake. It is something that takes more concentration when we are more tired, more energy when we are more exhausted and more diligence when we have more to take our attention away from the dangers.
It is a bad and dangerous driving situation and it happens about this time every year. I wish that I could just tell everyone to do better and it would happen but it won’t. I can just point out the situation and hope that that helps whoever is reading this and then work on my own bad attitude and try to do something about that while I am trying to be more careful and more tolerant. I cannot guarantee that I will be better all the time but I will try.
Drive safe everyone and live to enjoy the Christmas holidays; together maybe we can accomplish it.
Saturday November 15, 2008
Stephen Porter - 10:58 AM AST
115 SPIT
I do these blogs to help those that really want to know God better understand Him and to give them some idea how and what to look for. [And feel for; He made the physical, too.]
I’m going to give you some very intimate details about how God communicates with me and, also, some pointers about how He might communicate with you but, always remember, He is a personal God and wants a personal relationship with you.
As He deals with you and you feel after Him, you will notice touches, thoughts and voices that keep coming back every time that you get alone with God; that’s Him.
The devil cannot touch you unless God permits him to and him and his minions are also around you all the time, too. Nowhere in God’s word does it say that we can command him to leave us alone and he will obey us. He loves it when we believe this mistake because we relax and let down our guard when we think that he has left at our command.
Jesus said resist the devil and he will flee from you. That’s how you get him away from you. When he tempts you by sight, sound or feeling to think or do something that displeases and disobeys God, then it is up to you to resist. After enough resistance, the devil will see that he is wasting his time with you and move on to someone he can work with; but don’t be fooled, that someone he moves to might be some one that has a great influence in your life and will be a better tool for him to use against you. Study God’s word and seek Him, so you can be ready to drive the devil away with your resistance.
Now, about me; right from day one, when I believed the words that I saw in the bible and realized that Jesus was real, I have heard God talking to me. As I sat at my kitchen table growing more and more relaxed about apologizing to God and begging His forgiveness for ignoring Him and His son [repentance] and after about an hour of putting it off thinking that I could probably do it next week or next month, God spoke to me and said “Stephen, if you don’t do it now, you won’t do it.”
Scared the spit out of me and I realized that He was right and that from that moment on, I would be living my life as a lie; ignoring the truth. I rushed to my bedroom and fell on my knees but I didn’t know what to say so, I asked God to help me and He told me what I had to apologize for.
The bible says that after repentance, God adopts us as His children and I knew that I could pick up a phone and call my physical father and talk with him and hear him respond. If I can do that with my earth father then I should be able to do it with my heavenly father and I was right, I can. Believe this and you can, too.
As I spent more and more time talking and loving Him, my heavenly Father started touching me. I noticed that every time I turned my attention towards Him that the nerves in my left temple felt a slight pressure, like a tingle that, over time, spread down the left side of my face. There is no physical explanation for this occurring and it only happens when I focus on God.
I am also aware of a tapping on my right shoulder when He wants to get my attention to tell me something. Every time I have felt this tapping, He has had something to tell me for my instruction or to keep me from doing something that would get me in trouble.
He has touched and moved various parts of my body when they needed moving for my health; He has taken headaches away in an instant, when asked. I have been physically shaken and experienced the religious experience of being slain out. [Knocked to the floor with no control to stop it and absolutely no harm to me; He was showing me that He could do it and be trusted not to harm me.]
Tuesday November 11, 2008
Stephen Porter - 11:04 AM AST
21 THEY JUST DON’T KNOW
I see a lot of dumb and dangerous mistakes being done on the highways and I have thought about it as I watch those drivers deliberately do the things that they do. I have asked myself why would those people do something so obviously wrong and sit there as if they are good drivers and perfectly correct; it’s simply because they don’t know their mistake and are driving the way they see everyone else drive or are driving the way they want it to be, for their own convenience, or are driving the way they think it should be for them.
Instead of studying the driver’s manual, they learn to drive by following everyone else’s mistakes. This sets up a system of wrong habits in any one area because in ones area of driving, everyone is still trying not to hit everyone else so they compensate for each others mistakes with another mistake; creating small pockets of areas where habitual mistakes are made, on a regular bases. This is fine as long as everyone learns these mistakes and only drives around those drivers that also know and practise those mistakes. However, what normally happens is that someone from another area, that has learned a different set of mistakes to survive in their area, drives into the area and the two make their habitual mistakes at the same time and run into each other.
An example of two mistakes being made at the same time that I have seen is the drivers in my area will stop at an intersection at a right turn, merge corner. [a corner that they are not supposed to stop at] They teach and make everyone behind them stop also. The cars that are supposed to make a right hand merge into that lane [those coming straight through the intersection from the first driver’s left or those that are coming from across the intersection and making a left turn into the lane beside the first driver’s lane] have gotten used to the traffic stopping for them and, now, do not look when they are going into that lane but will even cross a solid line to get into that lane, thinking that they have the right-of-way. Two mistakes that are working locally because everyone is doing it; but when someone comes along that knows the correct way to drive through a merge intersection and does not stop, the drivers making the illegal lane change into that lane, get upset because their habits are violated.
The driving manual has the correct way to drive safely in any situation but most drivers do not want to take the time to study and learn it. We want to learn by being ‘hands on’ drivers and, when we have a crash, try to justify our ignorance with ‘I didn’t know’.
‘I didn’t know’ is not a legal excuse in a court of law because everything is available for you to know the correct procedure. ‘I didn’t know’ is only a beginning, dumb or lazy persons excuse for not learning the proper way to do something before they do it. [Much like us men when we are asked to put together one of those ‘assembly required’ items and ignore the manual thinking that we can do it on our own or a woman that relies on her husband to teach her all that she needs to know.]
You get the point; learning from anyone or anything other then the proper manual or those, that are following the procedure of the proper manual, is the dumbest and most dangerous thing anyone can do. I dare you to take a look in your back seat at those little gems that are your children and tell me that their safety is not that important.
Saturday November 8, 2008
Stephen Porter - 8:26 AM AST
114 OTHER POWERS
The most evident proof of God’s presence and power today is His church. This generally means pastors, faithful church attendees and those bible pounding religious fanatics.
The unbelievers look at those Christians and, because they are not harmed and there doesn’t seem to be any ill effects, scoff at or ignore the evidence that God has placed before their eyes. They have their own people and things that are much more sinister to be afraid of; like terrorists, wild animals, charismatic magicians, supernatural cult leaders, over powerful governments, storms and natural disasters and other people that can do them harm.
The real truth is that any force or power seen in the world today is allowed by and restricted by God. Jesus defeated even death by the results of His sacrifice on the cross. Jesus showed us God’s power over everything visible and invisible when He walked this earth in person. Creatures seen and unseen, the earth’s elements, spirits and demons and life and death were all obedient to His commands.
God’s prophets throughout history were able to command things around them. They travelled through the wilderness unharmed, they walked boldly into the presence of powerful kings and spoke harsh words of warning to them and called down fire from heaven to consume battle ready solders. They even got out of God’s way while he wracked vengeance on those that opposed His chosen leaders; watching as God killed hundreds and thousands of those that hated Him.
The early church had the knowledge and faith to exercise this power also. People that joined God’s church and went against its teachings died and, the church was so powerful that the people, who did not want to know God, were afraid to join it for fear of dieing.
Because of the charity of God’s people, these powers were held back and allowed to become dormant. Unfortunately this has created a lack of faith that God can still control these elements, today.
Witches, magicians, hypnotists, fortune tellers, cult leaders, demons and all manner of evil creations have been actively promoting their powers. Seeking importance as super beings and little gods; trying to and succeeding to some extent to frighten God’s people into believing them.
Don’t be fooled, God’s power is still in the church and available to His faithful. There is nothing that one can see or do in today’s world that God, through His people, cannot do or stop. Those familiar with God and the way He does things are in the church in today’s world; assisting pastors, teachers and the faithful in their Christian growth and strengthening. Mostly, unseen and unthought-of but they can be found in the prayer meetings, home in their prayer closets and at their daily routines, talking to their God about the problems of His people and the opposition that they encounter.
Christian; when the problems seem to gradually melt away, you are encountering this power asked for by those faithful servants of God for you.
Unbelievers; if you’re picking on one or more of God’s precious children beware; God has powers and beings at His control that will make death seem like a relief. If life for you is getting harder and scarier, check out whom you are abusing; if its one of God’s own and you do not stop, life, for you, will only get harder and death and hell might come sooner than you expected.
Saturday November 1, 2008
Stephen Porter - 8:19 AM AST
113 TO LOVE ONE ANOTHER
I have been picking at you for some time now; scolding, growling and beating at you to correct yourselves and get right with God, our creator. This is not only tiring for me but is discouraging for you; ‘I’m trying’ I can hear you say; ‘It’s hard’ others say and so on.
You are right; it is hard and you are trying and I am pushy and there are so many things and we’re so busy and on and on.
Now, for some encouragement; God is not looking for you to do everything exactly and meticulously right. He wants you to take the time to laugh with Him over some silly little thought that you found funny. He wants you to bring that shinny stone that you found and liked, to Him and tell Him what you like about it. He wants you to stop looking for the work that you think He wants you to do and relax; quiet your soul and rest.
Watch a little TV, go for a walk with your kids or just your dog, and sleep in late once in a while. In other words, realize that He IS in control and He can hold it together while we take a much needed break.
We love each other when we can put ourselves aside and do what others need without seeking any recognition for ourselves. Holding a door open for any other person; not just an elderly one but any other one, letting a napping person rest until they wake up instead of disturbing them, letting someone cut in front of us in a line up and smile at them [ouch, got myself with that one] and just making someone else’s day a little easier are things that God wants us to do, but He wants to do them for you, too.
Accept His love AND accept His help so you can relax. Let Him do for you so that He can be happy and enjoy what He is doing. He takes pleasure in making us happy as long as it’s not at another unwilling person’s expense.
When you are rested and relaxed, you will have the energy to lighten another’s load, lend a helping hand or communicate kindness to another.
God commands us to look out for each others needs in the perspective of loving them but we must also trust Him to look out for our needs as He loves us.
It’s not that hard; what are your needs? God knows before you even think about them and what you need is probably what someone else will need later. Don’t look for something different to please God, look for the same thing that you get and have.
What God can use in you is what you have; you don’t have to look any further than your own hands, heart, home or mind to help others and please God.
You see, you’re already doing it; being a normal kind, considerate and thoughtful human being, just like God wants you to be.
He is God and He does not want us to keep trying to compete with Him by being super people. He made us to be normal; your normal self and my normal self living together and respecting each others rights and persons naturally.
Our greatest problems come from trying too hard or thinking we have failed so often that we give up trying. You’re doing OK; keep trying because God sees and appreciates the smallest efforts. He doesn’t miss anything. His word promises that He knows them that love Him and He is near them.
You’re on the verge of another small act of love that is huge with God, don’t give up now, let Him help, He loves you and it will be worth it.
Tuesday October 28, 2008
Stephen Porter - 8:03 PM AST
20 TRACTION
When your tires spin faster or slower than the speed that your vehicle should allow then you have lost traction. Traction is the grip your tires apply to the surface that they are on so, when force is applied to the tires to make them turn, your vehicle moves.
There are many things that can make your tires lose traction; ice, slick tires, going too fast, turning too sharp and/or suddenly hitting rough bumps.
Not only should you have front and backwards motion traction but your vehicle should have side to side traction. Your tires are designed to grip when force is applied to them to rotate, then, as they start turning, the vehicle will start moving either frontward or backwards, depending on what gear you have the transmission in.
[The motor always turns the same way when you start it; generally clockwise when you are standing in front of it looking under the hood at the motor. The transmission changes the speed and direction via a multiple set of gears that mesh with each other and rotate against each other.]
A sudden acceleration by the motor can over spin the tires and they will lose traction and start spinning. When this happens on snow or ice, the tires heat up and melt the snow or ice in direct contact with the tires forming a thin layer of water on the snow or ice. When there is water on snow or ice, the tires will have a very difficult time getting any traction to move the vehicle.
Spinning your tires when you are stuck only makes the situation worse. Try stopping your tires from rotating and then gently pushing on the accelerator until you feel the tires start to put pressure on the snow; you will feel the vehicle try to move. Gently keep increasing the pressure on the accelerator until the vehicle starts moving ahead or back, then hold that pressure until you are out of the situation and on solid ground again. If you have to rock your vehicle to get it unstuck, us gentle pressure on the accelerator and stop between gears; don’t over rev the motor and spin your tires.
The forward and backward traction is not all the tires are designed for; they have side to side traction built into the tread to keep you from sliding off the road on turns. Each tire has a different design and is made for a different season and application. Snow tires have a very wide gap between the rubber to let the snow compact in the gap instead of collecting under it. It uses this compaction to help grip the snow and add more traction.
The different direction of the rubber tread and the gaps in the tread are designed to apply pressure in different directions; adding to the side to side stability of the moving tires also.
Summer tires do not work as well in snow because it does not allow enough snow to go between the tread to add any more traction to the moving tires and the snow cannot get back out of the narrow gaps fast enough to help move through the snow. The wide tread of the winter tires kick the snow out as soon as the rotation of the tire lifts that part of the tread away from the snow so they are ready to grip more snow when they contact it again on the next rotation.
My grandson is always bragging that more horsepower makes a car go fast but I tell him that, if it doesn’t have good traction then it’s going nowhere. Snow and ice is coming; slowing down maintains better traction and a safer drive.
Saturday October 25, 2008
Stephen Porter - 10:36 AM AST
112 OUR URGES
Every minute of every day, we get urges; it could be a simple thing, like craving potato chips or chocolate or it could be something more serious, like screaming out loud or roasting our boss over a slow burning fire. [Why am I hearing so many yeh, yeh’s out there?]
These urges are generated by the feelings we have for the emotions that come at us from the people or situations that are in our lives and can be boiled down to two basics; positive and negative.
Every single personality and event will, has or is happening to everyone else in the world, so how can that guy look so peaceful when his world is in tatters while I am plain blown away?
Two things;
First – The way we look at what is happening.
In today’s world, we are continually being told that we are the important element in any situation we are in. Things around us should not stop or hinder our schedule or impede our progress toward our goal. When this happens, we are told that it is wrong and that we should be upset at the originator of the circumstances; whether it is a person, creature or thing. [Did you see what that person did to me? And we proceed to tear their heart out in our mind; satisfying that urge to kill feeling but not actually doing it.]
Our focus is selfishly on what happened to us; our life, our pleasure and/or what we want.
This inward focus keeps us from seeing what really happened and generates these faults negative urges. Understanding what the other person, creature or thing is or had to do, sometimes just to survive, will calm our negative urges and may even generate enough positive urges to compel us to help them out of their situation.
Second – The rules that we are following to make the decision about what should be happening.
I have seen many car drivers stop, where they are not supposed to stop, to let another car go ahead of them, to satisfy an urge to do a kind deed to someone. They don’t realize that they have forced the line of cars behind them to needlessly stop too. This satisfies their urge to be kind to one person but they have added to the frustrations of many more people and have caused themselves and everyone else to do an illegal act; thus, breaking the law also.
Not realizing what they have done to satisfy their urge, they drive away content while the other drivers are, in their minds, tearing their heart out.
As we give in to our urges and do the things that are not healthy or lawful, we show others how to do the same thing; teaching our friends, neighbours and family how to give in to their urges and increasing unhealthy living and lawlessness.
Everyone has urges but controlling the bad ones takes a greater force than most of us possess. God’s word says that love is the greatest force; what or who you love will be seen by whose urges you give in to. Your own or Gods; love Him by obeying Him and teach your friends, neighbours and family how to control their negative urges by controlling your own.
True love is so rare today that, because it is so out of place, it is thought to be wrong and everyone’s urge is to stop it. Your urges; can you trust them?
