Family Ties--Ishmael

I have certain decisions to make and not knowing which way God wants me to go, it appears that I am to do nothing at this point but wait.  And so, as I always do, I checked in the Bible to see if an example of this (when one is confused about God's direction then do nothing) was there.

Of course it was.  The Bible leaves nothing to the imagination.  I found that when God Himself stopped Paul from preaching the Gospel (!) in Mysia, Paul went down to Troas to wait on the Lord (Acts 16).  And there are other instances where God tells us to wait on Him.

Well, I started thinking about Ishmael (because Abraham, as you know, could wait no longer), and wondered just what became of Ishmael's twelve sons (Genesis 25:9-18)?  I came upon these two websites and their family charts.  You might want to read them for yourself.

http://nabataea.net/foundingnations.html


http://nabataea.net/12tribes.html


You realize, once again, that we're all family and yet we fight so.  But then we don't need a history chart to tell us that we can't get along--it's in our own families!  So Stop Being A Christian Wimp and forgive your family member (or members). 

It takes more courage and power to forgive while it's easier to wimp-out and not forgive--don't you agree?

Laughter: the Dental Way

You know, we sometimes see God, or as like to call Him:  Daddy (that's what Abba means), as just waiting for us to mess up and then "BAM!"  He hammers us.  Now what kind of sadistic Father would that make Him out to be?

 ABBA Verses:  Mark 14:36, Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6

And then, we could even say Dad would also be schizophrenic:

1.) one minute He is stripped naked in front of people, then allows Himself to whipped with an instrument that takes his flesh off, is cursed and spat upon, is hung on a cross, barely being able to breathe, skin and blood sticking to the splinters in the cross, more cursing and all because he wants to save us and take us to be home with Him;

 BUT then next minute

2.)  God is waiting to clean our clock, to find reason to be angry with us?

C'mon!  Who you gonna believe:  God or satan?  Either Dad loves us to death (hey!) or He is against us.  Can't He make up His mind?  Are you gonna let the evil one convince you that you're so far gone that even God can't save you?  That your sin is so great that not even the blood of Jesus is powerful enough to wash that away?  And will you let the enemy tell you, "You just can't ask for forgiveness for that sin and expect that God will be immediately cool with you.  You've got to give it time."  Rubbish!  God is always quick to forgive:  Jonah 4:2 and Luke 15:30.  So don't wimp out, tell the enemy to get away from you.

And let's lighten up today, people.  Watch this video that will make you laugh.  And that's another thing, why would Dad create us with the ability to laugh only to want us to live a life where we're so pious we look like we've been sucking on lemons all day?

Remember, righteousness comes from the inside out, not the other way around!

Here's the video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xw0df0wNnVQ

Post some of your "laugh" videos here!