The Lines Are Always Open

Our Father answers prayer.  The phone lines are always open.  Its pretty plain and simple.  However Heaven doesn't have a direct dial phone system.  Jesus has to connect the call.

Matthew 21:18-22 says

Early in the morning, as he was on his way back to the city, he was hungry.

Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, "May you never bear fruit again!" Immediately the tree withered.

The Process of Truth

I picked up T. Tenney's "The God Chasers" on the discount shelf at Hastings this weekend.  Sometimes I just happen by and look for those special books that are hidden in the discount bin.  They always seem to have promise and insight.

I Couldn't Believe My Ears

The other night, I was with a friend and Joel Osteen of Lakewood Church in Houston was on television.  So we found ourselves listening to one of Joel's sermons.  As is usually the case, he was quite captivating and very smooth in his delivery.  I couldn't help but look at his smooth skin and giant smile and think, "Wow, what a nice looking, great sounding guy!"  As I settled in and started listening I found myself being carried along on his words which were extremely well designed and delivered with maximum punchiness.

Invisible Miracles

So I was delayed tonight on my way home from my mother's house.  I forgot my phone on her couch.  By the time I was almost home I remembered it, and turned around to go get it.  It was a 10 minute delay.  Not a big deal.

So what would have happened if on the way back, something amazing happened that I would have missed had I not turned around?  Well I would be here telling everyone how awesome God is for making me forget my phone.  I would have been extolling the virtues of coincidences, otherwise known as miracles.

First Book Requested for Review

Well my application was approved, and I've requested my first book.  Bennet & Leibsohn's "The Fight of Our Lives: Knowing the Enemy, Speaking the Truth & Choosing to Win the War Against Radical Islam". I hope it's good.  So far no one else has reviewed it, so we will see.

Romans or... Prehistoric Fiber Optics

We often hear talk of Rome and its greatness.  Usually it's this black & white conversation and you hear it in two parts.  First you hear about what a huge empire Rome was and how great it was.  Usually we hear this part just to preface to the second part, which is the brief story of its downfall.

So often we parallel Rome to the United States today.  We focus on the excesses, the political corruption, the focus on possessions, money, beauty, and "The Life".  God's word calls it "mammon".  Just for a minute though, look beyond

Why Obey Truth?

I saw it on Tiffany's shirt tonight, and I thought, "Hey, I like that.  It's catchy."
And in case you want a scriptural reference, her shirt referenced this verse.

Romans 6:16-17:

16 - Don't you know that when you offer yourselves to someone to obey him as slaves, you are slaves to the one whom you obey—whether you are slaves to sin, which leads to death, or to obedience, which leads to righteousness?

17 - But thanks be to God that, though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted.

But here is where it gets interesting...

Will I continue?

So in an effort to show myself that I want to start blogging, and start doing it for real, I have decided to become a BookSneeze book reviewer.  Yeah, so its free books for posting a review.  So that's pretty cool.  The neat thing is that they are books that I would be interested in reading anyway.  Most of them are Christian books.

So everyone cross your fingers and hope that my application is approved.  If you know me you know that I am always saying that I'm going to write.  Something.  Someday.  But have I ever?  Are there any books in my future?  Who knows.  I think so.  But maybe I'm just a stand-up speaker and not a very good writer.

Time will tell.

God Bless.
-Dan.