Did You Know That All Evil Or Sinful Thoughts First Start With The 'image' Of An Idea?

Did you know that all evil or sinful thoughts first start with the 'image' of an idea?

Today’s scripture is about those that had an image in their minds of a tower so tall that they could escape any future flood, and thus the infamous Tower of Babel was conceived. Like those before the flood where “Every imagination of the thoughts of the people’s heart was only evil continually.” (Genesis 6:5) they also took that image in their mind of an inconquestable thing from Conception to Inception to Deception.

Likewise, when we start to imagine evil ideas that come into our mind, the next step is to give them life in CONCEPTION and once that thought is born it enters INTO our mind as an INCEPTION. Then, if left unchecked, it will always lead to DECEPTION.

Many people are mislead today by all the many 'voices' that bombard us through media, the Internet, and popular culture. If you also allow these evil seeds into your mind, they will spring to life and become part of you, and once that happens, you will be led down dark paths — and Wrong Decisions WILL Follow.

The apostle James put it this way when he wrote:

“But everyone is tempted, when they are enticed by their thoughts, and when that thought is conceived, what follows is sin, and the end of that is death.” James 1:14-15 (Paraphrased)

Friend, the gateway to your heart are your thoughts, and if you let evil thoughts move from Conception to Inception, then Deception is inevitable. As the Psalms says, we must always be on guard and diligent so “Keep you heart with all diligence, For out of it spring the issues of life.” (Proverbs 4:23)

God Bless Your Day Jesus Loves You

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My first job out of the Navy was working for a fine men’s store in San Francisco, and while our suits were  definitely of a very high quality and not inexpensive, they were not on the same level as the world-class couturier design houses of the ultra rich.

One of my favorite suits was a grey three piece that one of our tailors custom fitted to perfection for me, and although inexpensive compared to the best of Paris or Milan, it wasn’t inexpensive nor in the same league of Seville Row, London  — yet still looked terrific.

After college, I was a software engineer at AT&T and one of the great benefits of that job was traveling to take engineering classes. One of them happened to be in New York City, and being a 'clothes guy' I had always wanted to go into the famous men’s store at BARNEYS NYC.

On my lunch hour I walked in wearing my fabulous three-piece suit, shoes polished to the nines and even a stick pin in my lapel (hey…this was the 80’s!) and while browsing through the men’s clothing area, curiously, three nearby salesmen never approached to ask if they could serve me.  I thought that odd as that is what I would have done in their position, but shortly after this, two things hit me.

First, I got the nerve to turn over some price tags and was shocked! Compared to my old store in San Francisco where the average suit was $250 to $500, their suits started at $2,000 and went UP! I guess they sized me up in my $350 suit and looked down on me as someone that was definitely outside of their league, and I embarrassingly made a hasty retreat under their scorning eyes.

Today’s Bible verse speaks precisely to this judgment of appearances. People do indeed 'judge a book by it’s cover' — but that is not how God sees YOU. No matter where you are, what you do, what kind of car you drive, neighborhood you live in, how rich or poor or talented or good  (or not good looking) you are the LORD sees you for WHO YOU ARE and loves and accepts exactly as you are. Period.

Friend, it is easy to get caught up in the sin of comparison that either you place on others or they place on you, but in the grand scheme of things, it is how and where your heart is as a human being — and more importantly — how your heart attitude is towards God.

God sees the true you. See that in yourself and also see that in others, because that is all who all of us really are.

God Bless Your Day, Jesus Loves You

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The Gospel of Luke tells a story about a Roman Centurion that sought Jesus to heal his daughter, but it also tells us that he was both a dedicated soldier and had a love for country.

While that is a wonderful story of one man’s faith and service, it also points to the dedication that millions of people, both past and present, have given in performance to the service of our country. These Men and Women are our Veterans, and today is the day that we honor them for their service.

Some may have served a single tour of duty, while others spent an entire career, there were many more that paid the ultimate price and laid their lives down for their friends and country. In all cases, we owe a huge thank you to all those that serve and have served.

God Bless Your Day, Jesus Loves You

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Did you know that you know that you can have dual citizenship??

While we are all currently a citizen of the country in which we live, you can also be a citizen of another city and country after your life is over…it all depends on your 'political' affiliation - NOT your political party, but where - and to whom - you pledge your allegiance.

The word ‘politics’ comes from the Greek word ‘polis’ which means “city.” In ancient Greece, people lived and we members of a ‘city-state’ and realized the rights and privileges of being under that jurisdiction. While our governments are different today, we are all associated with the ‘city’ (country) where we live.

When you accept Christ as your LORD and Saviour, you get a Passport that not only enables you to travel to heaven but once there, you have the full rights and privileges of citizenship! This is vitally important because despite how much you love your country, at some point your time and citizenship here on earth will end!

So friend are you sure you have that Passport?? If not, you can! Find your direction - turn to Christ and ask Him to be the LORD of your life and pledge your allegiance to Him and your citizenship and passage to the city and country of heaven is assured.

God Bless Your Day, Jesus Loves You

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While many may not totally believe or embrace all parts of the Bible, there are many points on which many will agree. For example murder certainly is not good and neither is stealing, lying, and generally not following “ The Golden Rule.” All these are clear to grasp and easy to understand, but as Mark Twain infamously said, it is parts like today’s Bible verse that are a real stumbling block for a lot of people.

Here’s the thing about “God’s Word”...it is NOT an easy path through life, but a Difficult One. To follow what God says requires discipline, dedication, and determination to look past the temptations and distractions of this world and aim for the high goal of your calling to live a peaceable, productive, and prudent life.

As Twain points out, some of these injunctions to living — while straightforward to read and comprehend — are seemingly impossible to follow. For example in today’s verse on forgiveness, this is unbearable for many people due to their hurt, anger, or the injustice they received from someone, but here is how this is possible and what Twain did not understand.

As long as you try do this in your human strength it will always be either extremely difficult or nearly impossible, but once you receive the Holy Spirit of God in your life and totally yield to His direction, the Bible promises us that “With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.” (Matthew 19:26)

Are you struggling with unforgiveness? As today’s scripture says, if you do not forgive you will not be forgiven. That is easy to understand but impossible to follow unless you let go of your pride, yield to the Holy Spirit and start simply by making a conscious, mental decision to forgive. (Don’t worry about emotionally “feeling” forgiving..that will come in time...)

Friend, if you 'GO WITH GOD', All Things then Are Indeed POSSIBLE. Unlike Twain’s dilemma, it is not a matter of understanding, but of faith, trust and obedience to the one that literally wrote the book. Then and only then will it be possible to have victory over all the difficult parts that you DO UNDERSTAND.

God Bless Your Day, Jesus Loves You

NotesOnLife.org

There are certain professions where there is never a break in service.

At all times there are police on duty, soldiers manning a post, and fireman at the ready. All stations are manned because the dangers that are ever present are always at hand.

Ministry is exactly the same because like today’s verse, there is an evil adversary that seeks to destroy people, communities, and churches – and it is those in ministry that stand daily at the gates to recognize this threat and push back against this enemy to the people that they are responsible for.

While pastors and ministers of the gospel are often portrayed and conceived as “Wally Cox” kind of namby-pamby persons, the true ministers of God instead are Spiritual Special Forces that ‘fight the good fight’ every day and push back against the attacks of the devil on a battle field that is real but visible to the uninitiated:

“For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.” - Ephesians 6:12

Ministers and ministry never go on holiday, and while they fight these spiritual battles each day, we need to hold them up daily prayer to carry on the fight. Remember those in ministry and lift them up in prayer today - and every day.

God Bless Your Day, Jesus Loves You

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