Monday, August 17, 2009

Why the iPhone


I was asked today why I had an iPhone, or was it "what's so special about the iPhone?"? What ever the case it boiled down to the same thing.

I asked the same question while I was still debating whether to buy one. In fact, I am constantly asking myself that question.
The most obvious always tops the list. "'cause it's cool and it's all the rave" but I find that the iPhone is much more that just a shinny bauble. It has grown from a simple phone into a portable office and communication center.

I can make a multiple user phone conference, text and receive SMS responses in ordered fashion by contact or contact group, present keynote and/or PowerPoint presentations by wifi, record audio memos or conversations and email them to myself or some other interested party.
Besides the business related things mentioned above, I can also listen to a day's worth of mp3's and several movies, while playing a game and doing what I'm doing now.... Writing this blog while being bounced around in a Peruvian taxi cab.

An iPhone puts me far ahead of my competition and in a favorable place to serve those who rely on me.
-- Post From My iPhone

Sunday, August 16, 2009

Two Children

I wish the blessing of children on all. They don't come with a hand book, which would greatly help, nor do they come with fear. This combination can keep any adult on their toes. But what makes childhood so wonderful is their trust and unwavering faith in their parents.

I constantly learn from my 2 about how my relationship with my heavenly father should be like. The issues of trust, patience, promises, my word all come to bear.

What saddens me most is when one or the other doesn't believe me. I ask them why or who told them that I wouldn't do this or that.

That's when I see myself receiving the same chidding from my heavenly Father when I doubt Him.

I should never forget that my Father can not lie and can not change Him mind. His promises are YES and AMEN.

Thursday, June 25, 2009

Last Words

As we sit here after watching three celebs pass away it should make us think about what it is that we are doing and how will we leave this world. Our lives will not be forever and with every breath we are approaching that final day. Will we look back and say, "I wish I hadn't watched so much TV." "I wish I had been diligent in my work." "I wish I had loved my family more." "I wish I would have left a legacy."
What will people be saying about you as they say "good bye"?

"He was generous, kind, loving, always had a kind word, and giving. He built, He created, He mended fences, and built bridges. He was so to anger and quick to forgive."

Don't wait another day to start building the legacy you want to leave behind.

Gabriel G

Saturday, April 11, 2009

You are the Redeemed


In 30 some odd minutes it will be resurrection Sunday where I am sitting at this computer hammering at it’s keys with excitement. After that day 2,000 years ago every day is an exciting day but of the 365 of them, we have chosen this day as the memorial day when Jesus was resurrected from the dead.

We celebrate his victory over death, hell, and the grave. And with out a doubt we celebrate our redemption which He bought for with His blood.
So what is redemption exactly? It sounds like a religious word but we still use it today in our everyday English. Have you ever pawned something? If you ever do, the clerk gives you a slip of paper that you can use to redeem the item you just pawned. It means to pay an amount to get something of value back. Jesus redeemed us from the curse of the law. (Galatians 3:13)

He saw value in us and paid the price so that you and I could be brought back to right-standing with God. (Colossians 1:20) With what Jesus did those 2,000 years ago you and I have been given the right to stand boldly in the throne room of God (Hebrews 4:16) We have been given the right to ask of Him ANYTHING (John 14:13 and 14 and John 15:7) We have been set free from the works of the enemy (1 John 3:8)

Jesus summed it in two places. The first was when He declared that He was to preach the Acceptable Year of the Lord. That year is call the year of Jubilee. I'ld rather not get into all the specifics but in that year all debts were canceled and slaves were set free. Everything returned to it’s original state. (For us, it means the original state when God made Man.)

The second was when He prayed, what we now call, the “Our Father”. The second verse of the prayer is “Thy Will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.” That has to be the most powerful prayer ever. Tell me. What is God’s will in heaven? Is it death, sickness, disease, lack or death? No! On the contrary His will is Life, Abundance, and Health. In fact it may even be opulence. He does have streets made of gold. Can you imagine if God’s will were done here on earth as it is in Heaven?

We have been redeemed so that we can enjoy the life He has always wanted to give us. It is the enemy that pulls up the past and reminds us of what we did or haven’t done. But when he does just remind him of...
Colossians 2:13-14 And you, being dead in your sins and the uncircumcision of your flesh, hath he quickened together with him, having forgiven you all trespasses; Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;
What all that means is that Jesus not only paid for your sins and errors and screw ups, and rebellion and all the other stuff, but He has “blotted out” the handwriting of those acts. In other words you can’t find anywhere any document of your mistakes, sins etc. No one can find them.

So turn to that liar, the devil, and point out the fact that you don’t have anything to be ashamed of. You are a redeemed child of God, enjoying full birthright privileges, and there is nothing he can do or dig up that can change that.

Praise the Lord we are Redeemed!

The Redemption Plan

It all started many years before the cross. It was before the wise men and the shepards on the hill. It was before Babel and several centuries before the flood. To really know when it all started you have to go to beginning. . . Genesis

God is Love

In His love He created all but in particular He created Man. It was no ordinary creation but the greatest creation, since He create it in His image. He created Man a speaking Spirit. That doesn’t refer to Man’s ability to make noise or communicate with each other or with Him since all creatures communicate in one way or another. Man was created unique in that God created Him to be able to speak as God speaks. God created a creature that could create with it’s words.

He had created an entire universe for Man but especially the planet that He placed Man on was given over to Man to have dominion and prosper. God had given Man authority over the animals in the sea, those who flew and those who walked the earth. God held His first lesson in teaching Man how to use His words by telling him to name the animals. Man didn’t name the creatures with Cow, Horse, Elephant, Robin, Trout. His names gave the animal purpose and a reason for being just like God had done when He created Man. Under God’s supervision Man was the overlord of earth. That was the Beginning.

God called the beginning “Good”, which means complete, whole , not missing or lacking anything. And it was.

After the beginning an undesirable creature made its’ presence known and challenged God’s Word. The creature injected doubt that the Word of God wasn’t ultimate and final, and that there was something more. It asked Man to chose its’ word over God’s.

Man chose to take the word of the creature over that of God’s, and by doing so Man unwittingly gave his authority of the planet, the creatures, even his own life over to the creature. A new overlord of Earth was promoted and the Fall of Man happened in that instant.

There was no turning back. man was cursed by his own action. The payment for the curse is Death. But since there was no other man to pay for the curse and the curse lies in the blood then the rest of mankind was cursed forever.

The Plan

God’s mercy endures forever. His love knows no failure. So a plan was born to redeem mankind, a plan that would not fail. The plan was simple enough, as the best plans are. But God needed man for the plan to work.

In the beginning God had given all authority to man, who had in turn passed authority to the creature by putting faith in what it had said over God. God actions were bound to the authority He had given man. God needed man.

Throughout history God asked man to have faith in Him. For those who listened and believed He was able to work in their lives. And in their lives He was able to show man the blueprint of His plan. A perfect, Good Man had to die to pay for the curse. God spoke of the plan through prophets, kings, and even celebrations. God couldn't ask a man born of man to make this sacrifice, because every man was born already cursed and therefore not perfect. It had to be a Man created as He had created the first one...with His Word.

The creature had been warned by God that the plan would work and that man would be redeemed. And from that moment the creature sought to kill or undermine all those who showed promise of being the perfect Man, born of God.

Many years of oppression past and man was no better off. Sickness, disease, poverty, slavery and death reined on the world God had once called “Good”.

But the day arrived when a woman was asked to participate in the plan. God spoke His Word, and when she accepted His Word took form. The child was born of faith and the Word of God. (John 1:14).

From a very young age, the Word made Man, spoke of what He was ushering in. A redemption, and the kingdom of God. It wasn’t to frighten man but to prepare man to accept their redeemed birthright.

The creature took notice of the Man and did all in his power to destroy Him, but the creature was thwarted at every turn.

When the time was right the Word made Man allowed himself to be taken. The creature thought he had outwitted God and quickly took the Man to die on a cross. But when he did he unwittingly exposed himself and had to relinquish the authority he had coned Man out of in the Beginning.

You see, since all those born were born in the curse they all deserved to die, but the Man born of God’s Word was not born in the curse. He was perfect and the creature had no death-right over Him.

When the Man gave His spirit up, the price for for mankind’s redemption was paid.

The creature had to relinquish the authority back to the Man who had paid the price. And on the third day the Man was reborn with all the authority.

God’s plan succeeded and Man had the authority they once had in the beginning. The relationship between God and Man was restored. Death, sickness, poverty, and slavery were no longer linked to man, as long as they accepted the gift of redemption they were free of those tools of the enemy.

Saturday, December 6, 2008

How is your cup?

As I look at my life and see what my wonderful Lord has blessed me with I am happy to say that "my cup runneth over".

Join me in celebrating the goodness of our God. For He is good and His mercy endures Forever.

Wednesday, November 26, 2008

Thanksgiving Proclamation

As we prepare the traditional turkey and thanksgiving pumpkin pie, I think it is only right to remember where this day comes from. In elementary we were taught that the first Thanksgiving Day started with the pilgrims when in reality they didn’t celebrate a Holiday named Thanksgiving Day. The other thought that is being promoted is that the thanksgiving that the pilgrims had was towards the Native Americas for their assistance. That too is wrong. They were thankful to their Lord God who had helped them in the new land.

On this very special day, let’s follow suit and remember the greatness of our God, His Majesty, and His powerful but merciful hand.

Thank you God.

May He bless and keep you.
------------------------------------------------------------
General Thanksgiving
By the PRESIDENT of the United States Of America A PROCLAMATION

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houfes of Congress have, by their joint committee, requefted me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to eftablifh a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and affign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of thefe States to the fervice of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our fincere and humble thanksfor His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the fignal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpofitions of His providence in the courfe and conclufion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have fince enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to eftablish Conftitutions of government for our fafety and happinefs, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are bleffed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffufing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleafed to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in moft humbly offering our prayers and fupplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and befeech Him to pardon our national and other tranfgreffions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private ftations, to perform our feveral and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a bleffing to all the people by conftantly being a Government of wife, juft, and conftitutional laws, difcreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all fovereigns and nations (especially fuch as have shewn kindnefs unto us); and to blefs them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increafe of fcience among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind fuch a degree of temporal profperity as he alone knows to be beft.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand feven hundred and eighty-nine.


(signed) G. Washington

Source: The Massachusetts Centinel, Wednesday, October 14, 1789