"Gay" Marriage: Are You Crazy?

     What are the possibilities for implosion in a society where the population has so veered from the norm as to tolerate, let alone, approve an abnormal union between same sex people, and call it a legal marriage? And when said society starts down that slippery slope and removes time tested and sanctified boundaries, what will the next step be? Who would have thought fifty years ago that our states would even consider such a slide? And if you are so foolish as to think perversion has limits you will not agree with me when I say that, given enough time, we will be talking about marriage between adults and little children (as do Muslims presently) but, just watch and see, some pervert will want to marry his cow!

     In the beginning God created Adam (man) and, from him God created Eve (woman) to be a "help meet" or fitted for the man (Genesis 2:7,22). And so, God created the man and his counterpart and blessed them (Genesis 1:28) to procreate. And so, for thousands of years marriage has been between a man and a woman! It matters not whether it is a civil marriage or a religious marriage, the only God blessed marriage is between a man and a woman, and I believe, not even ALL of those! But I will refrain from going there any further this time. The point is there can be no such blessing between same sex people regardless of whether it's done in a "church" or by a magistrate!

     We don't learn very well from history! Sodom was destroyed, partly because of such wickedness and there may have been no such "legal marriage" even involved there! Great nations, throughout history, have decayed from within by the adoption of homosexual lifestyles. Rome fell, from among other things through moral decline and Paul writes in Romans, "For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature: And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet." (Romans 1:27,28) The word unseemly means indecent and shameful. That's exactly what the states are approving, indecent and shameful acts, and calling it marriage.

     Now if you look up the word marriage in your dictionary you will find that the primary meaning has to do with the union of a man and a woman, and, when it is speaking of a union between people that primary meaning is understood. There can be a "marriage of ideas" or a "marriage of ideologies" or any kind of union can be called a "marriage" BUT, when speaking of joining two PEOPLE in marriage we know it MUST be a man and a woman!

                                                                                                            

    A question that occurs to me is, "Why, when we are having a national conversation regarding such things as health care, and economic distress, are we even giving the slightest thought towards creating an even greater problem by pronouncing people as married when it is biologically implausible?" Don't most of us think health insurance is way to high right now? And lots of us can't even afford health insurance! And have we considered the economic woes that will result from such unions? Are we crazy?

   And why, when our youth seem to be struggling with truth and error are we constantly feeding them error?

    The gay crowed shouts out, "We should be able to choose whom we love!" and I agree, BUT, are we really talking about love? Of course, I can choose to love whomever I wish and so can you, but that does not mean that we have the right to desecrate our bodies! And that doesn't mean we have a right to put a heavier weight on the society in which we live. What will you tell that future fellow who wants to marry his cow?

                                                  

   I for one believe this whole conversation is ridiculous and, any state that even considers gay marriage should be shamed! Common sense alone should tell us that there are basically two reasons for marriage. One is for the fulfillment of sexual needs and the other is for procreation. While any homosexual relationship may pretend at fulfillment of a sexual need there is no possible way for that union to procreate! Sexual organs are designed to fit properly. Any plumber or electrician knows that fittings are called "male" or "female". You can't put two "male" fittings together and you can't put two "female" fittings together without somehow bypassing the norm! What is wrong with a society that can't seem to figure this out? Why, after thousands of years of human procreation, and after numerous attempts at social engineering, cannot the judges of any state acknowledge that any "gay" union is outside God's design? I think perhaps King David, though he was talking about a different type of sin, calls it right when he said, "The transgression of the wicked saith within my heart, hat there is no fear of God before his eyes. For he flattereth himself in his own eyes, until his iniquity be found to be hateful. The words of his mouth are iniquity and deceit: he hath left off to be wise, and to do good. He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil." (Psalm 36:1-4) There is no real fear of the LORD with this person and he thinks himself untouchable, that there will be no retribution for his evil. He has forsaken wisdom and practices sophistry; he lays upon his bed thinking about new ways to carry out his rebellion and mischief. This is the real answer to "Why?"

   I'm 65 years old and I can remember when "gay" meant happy, joyful, merry, bright or brilliant. Now it means something else and I think a lot of those "gay" people are NOT happy or joyful! You can't be truly happy, joyful, or merry when you are of a rebellious spirit and no matter what is accomplished in society to ease the conscience; the truth is still there and that is difficult to deal with.

   I'm not trying to be mean or cruel; I'm just stating what I believe to be true. So what's the remedy? There is only one and that is belief on Jesus Christ, not only as Savior, but as Lord of your life as well! Remember what Jesus said to that Samaritan woman? She was NOT "gay" but she had been married five times and was now living in adultery. She was given a choice to go on in her life, trying to make herself feel better in her own way, OR she could drink of the Life Giving Water that Christ offered her. He said, "Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life." (John 4:13,14) Anyone who trusts the Lord Jesus Christ to be his/her Savior will drink of this fountain of life and He will help you to overcome whatever sin has overwhelmed you. Do so today!               

Why Not Religious Honesty From Candidates?

     One of the things I've noticed for several years now, and especially in this election year, is the media's preoccupation with the candidate's religion. This preoccupation is NOT so much about a candidate's specific faith as it is about his transparency regarding it. I mean, for instance, Rick Santorum has been asked over and over again about his stance on social and moral issues, and then attacked when he states what they are!

    Now, I don't know Mr. Santorum personally so I don't know anything that is not available for everyone else to see and it is perfectly fine, in my view, if Mr. Santorum wants to tell us where he stands on social and moral issues. Why is it somehow wrong to have a belief? Why is it wrong for a candidate to say, "I'm a Christian" or "I'm a Mormon" or "I'm a Quaker", or "I'm a Roman Catholic?"

I like to know who I'm dealing with and we are talking about a person who may end up as president of the United States! In fact, who can really say what President Obama believes? I would really like for him to come out and state his beliefs clearly. That way I would know absolutely what to expect from him. Instead he has been secretive in revealing his belief system while all the while working behind the scenes to be anything but supportive of our country's Judeo-Christian traditions.

    How is it that we demand to know all of the ingredients that go into the foods we purchase? It's because we're intending to consume those foods and we want to know what we're eating. Why are the ingredients on some cleaning supplies? It's because we want to know if they contain poisons or if they may be harmful if mixed with others. Why are warning labels placed on certain products? It's because we need to know the potential harm they might bring!              

Transparency is beautiful too!

                                                                                                      

     Frankly, I wish there would have been a warning label on Barak Obama for EVERYONE to see! So, when Rick Santorum speaks openly about his beliefs, I like it! I know where he stands and his reputation is one of consistency. I liked it when Newt Gingrich admitted to moral failure and said he sought forgiveness for it. That kind of honesty is helpful to understanding a person. I like it when Ron Paul says exactly what he believes. It helps me to recognize those places where I agree with him and those places I don't.

     Somehow the news media finds fault with honesty. How can this be? They seem to think that the candidates can believe anything they wish so long as they keep it a secret and that is somehow good. In other words, they would rather a person have a secret agenda, that can take us unawares, then to have a man that is open about his faith and leanings. That's why they hated Ronald Reagan, and that's why they hate Rick Santorum! I like honesty. I may not like a person, or I may not like his agenda, but I will respect his honesty.

   In fact, I really want to see more of it. It doesn't bother me when Rick Santorum or Newt Gingrich or anyone else talks about their mistakes and admits to them. And I'm not going to hold something that a man did 20 years ago against him because I know that NOW is different!

Restraint Is My Weakness!

                                                                                  

   This morning I wrote on Facebook, that the most difficult exercise for me is restraint! You see, I have been a minister of the gospel for over thirty years and I have been a Natural Health Advocate and Practitioner for about seven years. Now, I am fully convinced that my understanding of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is correct, and I also believe that I have been called to share that gospel. I also believe fully in a natural approach to health care and am of the opinion that everyone should be aware of the fact that there is a natural, sensible alternative to allopathic medicine. Therein lies the difficulty for me!

      I cannot help but share the gospel with those who I know are in need of the healing power of Jesus Christ. A troubled soul, to me, has but one recourse and that is to acknowledge Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord. Over the years I have seen many souls delivered from the bondage and consequences of sin, and brought into the liberty of soul and spirit that only Christ can bring. However, many reject this testimony and continue along the path that leads to destruction. Yesterday, for instance, I spoke to a young man who was having relationship troubles. I know he does not know Christ as his Savior but he has practised some "new age" religion and suffers from the effects of self-aggrandizement and self-worship. His ego is greatly in need of adjustment so I told him that he needed a vertical relationship with Jesus Christ before any horizontal relationships could be real and lasting. Will he heed my warning? I don't know but I was compelled to tell him!

"He came unto his own, and his own received him not. But as many as received him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name: Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:11-13);

"In whom we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, according to the riches of his grace;" (Ephesians 1:7) 

    When I see a posting on Facebook and a person is complaining of a health condition I often feel compelled to advise them on how to deal with it. I have treated my own family and friends for years with natural remedies and I find they work and without unwanted side effects. Sometimes people message me and ask for advise. I'm always thankful for the opportunity to help. But other times my advise is completely ignored and that's when I realize that I have a problem with restraint! I want to help but sometimes people just don't want to hear it! It is so very difficult to restrain myself!

    I have learned how to help people with almost immediate relief when it comes to things like earaches, sore throats, sun burn and so many other things and I know they are hurting. When someone speaks of a bladder infection I can tell them how to fix it! And, knowing what I know, the impulse to share it is sometimes overwhelming. To me, it has become a part of who I am and a part of my ministry.

    Why am I sharing this? It's not because I want to offend you; I want to help you. And though I can help others with various spiritual and physical I seem to have great difficulty in restraining myself from trying to help.

Boaz and Israel vs. Obama and His Socialist Left

                                                                          

     I am of the mindset that the Bible, God's word, is always correct and the imaginations and inventions of men are always wrong when they contradict God's word! There are many examples I could give of such contradictions but I will try to stick with one for today that is a major American problem. Our country has been toying with socialism for many years and as we have seen since liberals have owned the Senate and the White House, socialism is creeping into every aspect of our lives. And it seems the majority of Americans now want "Big Brother" or "Uncle Sam" to take care of their every need.

     But I would like to use a Biblical example to show how charity and hard work can compliment one another so that the poor can be provided for, yet, they get to earn their way at the same time. It comes from the Old Testament practice of leaving a certain amount of grain in the corners of the field so that the poor could come and, through the hard work of gathering the grain, provide for themselves. For instance, "And when ye reap the harvest of your land, thou shalt not make clean riddance of the corners of thy field when thou reapest, neither shalt thou gather any gleaning of thy harvest: thou shalt leave them unto the poor, and to the stranger: I am the LORD your God." (Leviticus 23:22). In the Book of Ruth we find Ruth going to the field of Boaz and gathering grain that was left after the reapers. This was the practice of those days and it worked well! The Bible says, "So she gleaned in the field until even, and beat out that she had gleaned: and it was about an ephah of barley." (Ruth 2:17).  The Bible does not repremand Boaz for being wealthy. In fact, it is Boaz' wealth that brough employment to his workers and charity to the poor!  What do we have here? Well, we have charitable action by the owner of the field and we have hard work by those who are in need! This is NOT a governmental social program; it is, to me, the same principle as a business owner who provides a job. All the land owner was required to do, not by government mandate, but by moral rule, was to leave standing grain in the corners of the field. They were not told how greedy and immoral they might be by acquiring wealth. They were not told exactly how much to leave for the poor, just to be sure to leave some! God was not taxing the wealthy field owners too much or too little; He was simply saying that to provide for the poor is the right and just thing to do! In the New Testament the Apostle Paul admonished "For even when we were with you, this we commanded you, that if any would not work, neither should he eat." (2 Thessalonians 3:10) Yet today's liberals would try to humiliate Boaz and they would attempt to take, at the very least, a large portion of his field, because, in their minds, he is just too wealthy! Now we know how charitable and kind Boaz really was but you can never satisfy a liberal! And Paul, if he were here today would say the same thing he wrote 2000 years ago.

    The Socialist Liberals of today have no such balanced program. Their idea is that nobody should have any more than anyone else, which, if this were put into practice would mean there would be no corners of the field from which to glean because there would be no field planted. There would be no field planted because there would be no field owners. There would be no field owners because the system would take away all that would be produced in the field and give it away to non-producers who simply wait on the socialist liberal to bring their ephah to them. This is what will result if the Obama Administration and his liberal cohorts have their way!    

                                               

    By the way, those poor who went into the fields and gathered their grain were not told how to cook it! They were not told who THEY could be charitable towards. They EARNED their epha! But let's suppose the Obama Administration owned the field. Not only would the private "land owner" not exist because the government would own the land, but the government would also try to mandate how much could be gleaned but they would also mandate how it must be stored, how it should be baked, and how much should be taxed! If this is what the American people want then go ahead and elect Mr. Obama again!

P.S. I encourage you to read the Book of Ruth.

 

Celebrities, Drugs, Money, Doctors

    

     Question: How many celebrities does it take to make a clear picture? It's the same story we keep hearing over and over again! Yet another celebrity has fallen into the use and abuse of drugs. How does this happen? Why does this happen? It happens, first, because of the substantial money that is acquired. It happens secondly because of unethical doctors who supply pharmaceuticals. It happens because of a society that promotes the idea that we need a drug for everything. It happens because we are under the delusion that death doesn't happen, especially to the young. It happens because of societies' emphasis on youth and beauty. It happens because of the pressure put upon these celebrities to always look their best, to be almost divine. It happens because they can't seem to find the happiness and contentedness that their money, their drugs, their fame, and their fans can't supply them. And, on occasion, it's because a gift was given for the glory of God, but was misused.

     When the Bible says, "For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows." (1 Timothy 6:10) it should be a warning of the possibilities of sin failure. Perhaps these celebrities don't start out with this love for money but over time it seems to take hold of them and they seem to seek after more and more of it. They live lavishly and recklessly while all the while piercing

themselves through with many sorrows till eventually it all ends in tragedy. There is something wrong with a society that creates these poor deluded souls. The words "all evil" means all kinds of evil and we see this being proven true time and time again.

     I heard Steven Tyler speak of this misuse of drugs as a disease. It is NOT a disease, a disease is something that you don't knowingly do to yourself. You may get emphysema or lung cancer from smoking and it is acceptably called a disease but it's really the result of poor choices and bad habits. Alcoholism is referred to as a disease but it's NOT a disease, it is a self-inflicted condition that is entirely preventable. The use of pharmaceutical drugs is a choice as well and the misuse of them is another self-wounding that is preventable. The Bible warns, "And the light of a candle shall shine no more at all in thee; and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride shall be heard no more at all in thee: for thy merchants were the great men of the earth; for by thy sorceries were all nations deceived." (Rev.18:23) The word sorceries is farmakia [Gk.] and it means medications or pharmaceuticals. We live in a society that promotes the idea that we need to be medicated for everything under the sun. But what you had better understand is that this is a money making effort by the merchants of the earth and they don't care if it kills you so long as the money keep rolling in!

                                                                                          

    But how does this happen? It happens because of unethical drug suppliers. They are generally called doctors! When you go to your doctor how often does he prescribe a pharmaceutical over say, a natural supplement, or a correct diet? Their money is NOT in food! Their money is NOT in natural supplements! Their money is in DRUGS! Yes, it is true that there are black market suppliers but what is interesting with most of the celebrities, as we saw in the Michael Jackson case, the drugs are supplied by doctors. By the way, the word doctor means teacher. But what are the teachers teaching? They are mostly teaching drug addiction! "Neither repented they of their murders, nor of their sorceries, nor of their fornication, nor of their thefts." (Rev.9:21) 

                                                                                                      

     The Bible teaches, "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment"  (Hebrews 9:27) Just because one becomes famous as a singer, musician, actor or whatever, does not make a god! It seems that so many times these people become deluded into thinking that they are special. That somehow they will overcome. In reality they will fall prey to their substance abuse and all that goes with it just like anyone else. It's so very sad!

     Last, you may think this is a bit judgmental but I don't mean it to be that way. When I think of a person like Whitney Houston and the wonderful gift she was given, how she started out in the church singing songs to the Lord, and then how she got swept out of that environment and into the world with all of its enticements, I think, there is a lesson to be learned here. God gives His gifts to bring glory to Himself, not to ourselves! When I think of what could have been, perhaps with far less glamour, perhaps with far less worldly applause, I can't help but wonder how many people she could have influenced for real good!

     So, another life is lost and the public still does not get it! But Satan does!

The Liberal Mind: How To Understand It And Protect Yourself From Acquiring It

Definately A Liberal!

    I've been considering all of those liberals in the media, in entertainment, and in politics and how they think and why they do the things they do. Liberals can be found everywhere but that makes perfect sense to me because "for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat:" (Matthew 7:13) On the other hand, relatively few enter the "narrow gate".

So, whether we are talking about religious liberals, social liberals, or political liberals, we're basically talking about the same mindset and their associations tend to cross over those genres. Social liberals will tend to be religious liberals and political liberals will tend to associate with religious and social liberals.

  Before I go further let me define the word "liberal". There is a good and wholesome liberality. For instance that which comes from God as found in the New Testament: "If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him." (James 1:5) Here the word is synonymous with bountifully. In fact in my Webster's New World Dictionary one of the descriptions of the word liberal is giving freely, generous. So, in that respect we should all be liberal in our giving. If, however you look at the other descriptions of the word liberal you will find things like open mindedness (which in the modern idea is limited), favoring reform or progress and not restricted. Basically a liberal, regardless of which kind you are talking about, is one who is progressive, does not like restrictions, claims to be open minded, and seeks a reputation as being generous.

  So, for instance religious liberals claim to be progressive, they hate Biblical restrictions and they rebel against the idea that God is Sovereign, that Salvation is by Grace, that sinners NEED salvation, and that all men are reprobate. Therefore, they claim to be open minded (which is just a covering for rebellion) and they seek a reputation for generosity (using other people's money of course) through various social programs, but giving it a religious connotation. They love titles like Reverend and Doctor while having little reverence for the LORD; and are teachers of false doctrine.

   Then you have the social liberals. These are the people who love to "save the dolphins" but demand abortion rights. These are also the people who promote "gay rights" issues and all of the other social issues. They are the ones who applaud the Wall Street Protesters. They are also progressive, dissatisfied with social norms, always pushing the envelope, and tend to be the first to yell fowl when it comes back to bite them in the butt! They claim to be open minded but only if you agree with them. They're always working to reform but they base their ideas of reform on a faulty notion that everyone deserves, by right of birth, a share in the wealth of others, a form of communism without dictatorship, and a welfare system that ensures one's ability to receive without earning.

    Next we have the political liberals, who are generally both religious, and social liberals. These are the worst kind of liberal because of their power and influence. They are progressive, by which I mean they HATE the Constitution of the United States, with its restrictions. They use it, or I should say mis-use it but all the while they have nothing but contempt for it. They believe that if the framers of the Constitution had only been as enlightened as they are, the document would be much different today and they despise the notion that they have to live with it. Like the others they claim open-mindedness but anyone who has followed their agenda knows that is simply NOT true! When a liberal speaks of compromise he means the other side adopts the liberal view! They pretend to be generous but it's with tax payer money.                                  

     They promote socialism but they dress it up in a gown of social justice. They, like the social liberals, believe in the promotion of class envy. They like that "class" word because they tend to be European in their thinking. They don't learn by their mistakes and because they hate the Constitution like the religious liberals hate the Bible, they cannot admit to their mistakes because their egos won't allow it.

      So when you come across a liberal don't expect to be able to reason with him/her because they are incapable of reasoning. They have given themselves over to the religion of humanism to the point that they, not God, are the sum total of all things. So instead of having a Biblical morality they invent their own. Their ethics are based upon the idea that the end justifies the means. What is truly righteous does not fit into their way of thinking because biblical righteousness defines the norms. They cannot accept those norms! Liberals have convinced themselves that they are on a higher plane than conservatives; they believe they are enlightened.

     It's NOT that they are ALL as evil as can be (though I could name a few). It's just that they have been deluded into believing in their own deity. If you don't believe me take some time to observe Barak Obama, Nancy Pelosi, or Harry Reid. Or watch News Anchors like Brian Williams and George Stephanopoulos in their reactions to people who disagree with them. If you can't see how they consider themselves god-like you have not observed closely enough!

     By the way, Mitt Romney who is trying to convince us all that he's a conservative has many liberal ideas and being a Mormon, providing he agrees with Mormon doctrine, believes he can become a god.

    When you hear a liberal claim to be a Christian you must understand it is nominally at best. There is no such thing as a political, social, religious liberal who is also a Christian! If you cannot identify them here and now, I hope you don't meet them on that "broad" way!
     Oh, I almost forgot to add something about protecting yourself from Liberal notions. First, make sure you are a Christian, this is your best defense! When you understand what God did to save you it will change your entire outlook on life. He wrote your name in the Lamb's Book of Life from before the foundation of the world, He sent out a call, regenerated you,  and gave you the gift of faith so that you could respond to the call. He secured your salvation by His Sovereign action and has secured your eternal future as well. It's all the work of a loving Heavenly Father who has promised to supply all your need according to His riches in glory (Philippians 4:19) You don't need to be envious of anyone!
   I could go on with more on that but let me make a second suggestion. I could suggest the Limbaugh Institute of Conservative Learning but getting familiar with the United States Constitution and especially the Amendments to the Constitution can be helpful. The biggest help though is to study God's word because therein is found the proper view of a Christian's responsibility regarding citizenship, relations toward others, and, of course, the proper reason for all we do and say, that is, "to the glory of God" (1 Corinthians 10:31)

God Knows Your Need Even If You Don't

                                                                            
"Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him." Matthew 6:8; "But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:19)

    One of the things I've been thinking about lately, and of which I have been teaching about as well is the difference between wants and needs. I am convinced that most of the time we don't really know the difference.

    You see, the Bible teaches that God is busy in the life of every Christian. In Romans 8 for instance the Apostle Paul writes, "And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God. 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. " (vs.27,28) Then he tells us what the purpose is in verse 29, "For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren."

So, God, by the Spirit, sorts out our prayer and conforms it to the will of God Who is busy working out those "all things" for good, meaning for the purpose of conforming us to the image of His Son Jesus Christ. In other words, God is molding us, shaping us, even preparing us, through those events He deems "good" because He is using those things to make each Christian more like His Savior!

     So, what does this have to do with the difference between a want and a need? Well, for one thing God is aware of our needs even before we ask Him. In fact, He is aware of our needs when we are not! Not only so, but He promises to supply all of those needs according to His riches in glory! The biggest need any human being has is that of eternal salvation which is taken care of by the LORD Himself, according to His will, and is supplied to everyone "Which were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God." (John 1:13) But for every one of these, our biggest need is to be conformed to the image of God's Son! Therefore, the "all things" that work together for good are what we need!

    Now since God knows tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, and my whole life, He sees my needs even when I do not. I may look at tomorrow and say, "I have this need or that..." but it may not be true at all since tomorrow has not yet arrived and the needs for tomorrow may change. I can say, "I need a new vehicle" but it may not be true! I have learned that there is a difference between wanting and needing. Perhaps my present vehicle will continue to serve me well for another six months or so. In that case my proposed need was not a need at all! A couple of weeks ago our propane ran out due to an oversight by the propane company, so no furnace, no water heater, no range. So I ended up cooking breakfast and lunch on a wood stove. Now I'm glad that the tank has been filled but I realized I don't need the propane; it just makes life easier!

     It's true there are needs of life. We need food, water, clothing, shelter and God promises to meet those needs. But He does not promise the dainties of kings, nor does He promise the latest in fashion. He promises to meet our needs!

    Someone recently asked me, "If God hasn't supplied the funds I need to pay my bills does that mean I don't really need to pay my bills and I just want to pay my bills?" to which I replied, "No, you need to pay the bills you probably did not NEED to establish in the first place!" The point being don't bury yourself in a hole and then blame God because he didn't dig you out! As Christians we are accountable to God and we are expected to follow His directions as found in the word of God.

     Another may ask, "Did I really need this cancer? If God is busy working everything out for good then how do you explain this?" Well, first of all I can't explain ever situation of life but I know a couple of things are true. I know that God is Sovereign and that He is ultimately responsible for either bringing the "all things" into my life, or, at the very least, allowing them to come into my life. So I know you cannot be afflicted without God, at the very least, allowing it to happen! What is the purpose? That's between you and God! You figure it out! I can tell you that I have known instances where having cancer or some other disease has brought people closer to God. Is that the need? You tell me! Nobody wants cancer, nobody wants heart disease, no body wants disease but it is possible, because of God's promise, that He sees an eternal need that outweighs a temporal need. Again, I'm only suggesting a possibility here.

     Most of my life I have been a very impatient person. In fact I once refused to go to McDonald's for twelve years because I had to wait in line too long. I have been known to spend a considerable time looking for a place to eat because of waiting time. I think God intentionally put me into situations where I had to learn patience. I didn't like it and I definately didn't want it...but I needed it!

     Getting back to my premise, God knows your need even when you don't is comforting to me, I hope it is to you as well!