The Three Rings of Love

The Three Rings of Love

My wife and I wear matching wedding rings which we had designed for us before we were married years ago. They are not as shiny and new as there were before. I actually had to have mine enlarged as my fingers got fatter. Can't imagine how I grew so much in that ring finger.

The rings are each made from a different type of gold. The two outer rings are 1/2 the size of the inner ring. Each ring holds a significance to us to remind us of who we are and what keeps us together. We wanted a memorable way of being reminded and so we put some thought into the construction of the three rings of love.


Ring # 1 is made of white gold. Ring # 3 is made of rose gold. Ring # 2 is yellow gold. Ring 1 represents the husband. Ring 3 represents the wife. Ring 2 represents our unity. Since ring 1 and 3 are half the size of ring 2, out unity is twice as big as we each are individually. We are made for each other and together we are transformed into the unity of our marriage.

There is much more to these rings and the symbolism of them separately and together.

Separately, Ring 1 represents me, the husband. The individual strength of the husband to care for his wife, lead her and love her with all he has. It is a much harder metal than the rose ring, Ring 3. Ring 3 represents my wife. Her softness and tenderness is a quality of the rose gold metal and shows her willingness to be led and shaped by her husband. Ring 2 is representative of God. He stands between us at all times. He is what brings us together as one. We must go through Him to touch the other. Ring 1 and 3 are completed by ring 2. He is the middle ground between all our doings and goings.

Without God we are not united. He himself is made of three. The Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. each part of God is also represented by the Three Rings of Love. There is unity in of the three into one love for His creation.

Ultimately there is only one ring made of three parts. Just as God is made of three, we are made of three. Body, soul and spirit. We are made complete only by the life of God dwelling our spirits and making our spirits alive with His Life. Without His life there is no hope for eternal life. So our spirits must be renewed, born again.

My wife and I wear our rings differently. I wear mine with the white gold ring farthest out and she wears here with the rose gold ring farthest out. Each of us wears the representative ring of the other closest to our hearts. Where we want to be in each others life. We want to think of the other as more important than ourselves.

So as the years move on in our marriage, we have come to find new and renewed symbolism's in our three rings of love. Today we have three children together. Each is a reminder of unity in not only our marriage but in our family. Our sons are a part of us and will always be in the image of us. Just like we are the image of God. Body, soul and spirit. Father, Son, Holy Spirit. Husband, Wife and God. We are made one. The Bride and the Son become one in this marriage of love.

Now we live in a whole new way. We are united with the church. Each member is a unique individual of the whole. Many lives, bound together by God into the representation of the Bride of Christ. So we have another symbolic representation of those three rings of love. We are one with God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour, filled with the Life of His Spirit.

Since this is the season of love and we symbolically celebrate the birth of our Lord, Jesus Christ, it seems only fitting to look at those three rings of love in a fresh way. Look for the love of God in the eyes of those around you this year. See that God loves each and every person you know or meet.

There is a ring of love that God asks each of us to wear. We are his children and we are desired of our Father to be in fellowship with him. He desires to receive from us the relationship of trusting and grateful children. He has given His all for us. He asks us to love and obey Him. His kingdom is in us and on the earth. He reigns forever and ever. He is now our King.

Merry Christmas

How to Donate to Your Favorite Missions or Non-Profit for FREE!

Are you the type of person who wants to support missions, your favorite non-profit or some worthy cause? Do you struggle trying to write a check or set aside funds for donating? Do you want to but just don't think about it until someone posts a message like this? Do you want to but just don't have the extra money to donate each month?

Well, all those reasons for not donating can be resolved in a couple minutes by installing GoodSearch  as your default search engine and GoodShop for your background donation interface.



Whenever you want to search a word, place, thing or anything else, GoodShop will pay a penny for every legitimate search you enter in. This penny goes towards your selected mission of cause. Every search earns a penny, every time you search for something. Think about how much that could accumulate each day, week, month and year. It's like taking a penny and dropping it in a jar every time you do a search. It just keeps adding up.

This background application is so easy to install and so easy to use. It doesn't take over your computer and it doesn't slow it down. It just sits there and becomes your default search engine for when you want to search for something. You don't have to do anything different.

So you may say. "I like Google or Bing or Ask or some other search engine." That's nice. But do they donate a penny every time you do a search to someone other than themselves? I can tell you that they do not. They don't care about your missions or worthy cause.

So, you may say, "I prefer to use Google search or Bing search cause it finds what I want." Really?! Are you that stuck on those search engines? And would you really not want to help someone else besides yourself and the big guys of the Internet search engines? GoodSearch's engine is provided by Yahoo and provides you with plenty of information  to find what you are looking for. If you can't find what you're looking for then go do the same search on Google. The half-minute you spent looking on Goodsearch earned a penny. But you will find what you are looking for most likely as quickly if not quicker than the other engines.

Not interested in giving 5 minutes of your time to load GoodSearch or search on the only search engine that donates money to your cause? Are you really that self-serving and inconsiderate of others? I don't think you are, but you might be thinking that it's more work than you want to do.

When is the last time you got online and spent 5 minutes chasing Internet rabbits and didn't get what you really wanted or wasted time browsing your Facebook dashboard looking at posts from people till you fell asleep at the keyboard? You can't spare 5 minutes to perpetually help someone without even trying? It is earning your charity or worthy cause money and all you are doing is what you normally would do.

This process is really simple. And once installed you don't have to do anything different, just type in the search word or phrase and hit enter. The results are the same. Well, not really. You are earning money on GoodSearch and not on the other search engines.

How Goodshop works

• Goodshop works with more than 5,000+ stores to provide the best deals and coupons and the top stores also donate up to 20% of their purchase back to your cause.
• This really works! Goodshop has already raised more than $11 million!
• Our supporters (Rose Creek Village Missions) will be contribute to our Africa, India and stateside mission projects every day. We use the money that’s raised for supporting the work that goes on in those places. We never take any donated moneys for ourselves. Every penny goes directly to missions.
• We suggest you download and set up the background application from to www.goodshop.com for 1-click shopping access.
• You can go right to the stores offers on the GoodShop site by simply searching for the store on Goodshop.com. Click through to the coupon page and grab that offer.
• You can also shop your favorite stores, get the best deals at each, and give back to your cause ON THE GO, with the Goodshop app for iPhone and iPad.
• You can automatically donate to your cause by installing the browser addon by clicking here. GoodShop Browser Addon.



Here are some examples:

• 1800 Flowers – 15% off of flowers and 7% donated to us
• Sears – Save $5 on purchases of $50 or more + 4% donated to our cause
• Vistaprint – 20% off and Free Shipping on orders of $25 or more + 4% donated to us
• PETCO – 20% off purchases + 4% donated to our cause

So, what do you need to do to set up the GoodSearch or GoodShop interfaces on your computer?

How do I start raising money for my nonprofit or school with Goodshop?

• Visit goodsearch.com and Sign Up then select a cause from the hundreds of thousands of participating organizations or add a new cause by filling out the application here.
• Register and create a user profile which will allow you to keep track of your individual amount raised.
• Use the Goodshop tab at the top of the homepage or go to Goodshop to visit our online shopping mall and browse through thousands of partner stores, including top brands in clothing, office supplies, gifts and more.
• Click through to the store and shop as you normally would. You pay nothing extra, but a portion of all qualifying purchases will go to your cause.
• 100% of the donation amount displayed on merchant’s Goodshop page will go to the charity or school of your choice!

Take 5 minutes right now to go to GoodSearch and GoodShop and sign up. Pick the charity of your choice to support . (Rose Creek Village Ministries) is the one we support for missions. Especially the missions in Kenya. You can also go to the Kenyan site Stonehouse Ministries International and donate there, directly. With just a few minutes of your time you can be giving of yourself everyday, automatically, by using these interfaces. Why not start right away.

Thank you from all of my missionary friends and I for giving of yourself.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

The Woe's

The word "WOE" is found in the major prophets, 24 times in Isaiah, 12 times in Jeremiah, 1 time in Lamentations,  and 9 times in Ezekiel. In the minor prophets 2 times in Hosea, 2 times in Amos, @ times in Micha, 1 time in Nahum, 5 times in Habakkuk, 2 times in Zehaniah and 1 time in Zechariah. In the New Testament it is found 14 times in Matthew, 2 times in Mark, 15 times in Luke, once in 1 Corinthians, once in Jude and 13 times in Revelation. 107 times all together. You can find these by searching for the word "woe" in your favorite bible program. Or if you are "old school" you can look it up in the Bible concordance.

The word "WOE" means "ah! expressing grief or alas!, (in the sense of crying out after); lamentation; also interjectionally, Oh!: - alas" in the Hebrew language and "A primary exclamation of grief; “woe”: - alas, woe." in the Greek.

It's not a word that we use as an expression of joy and exuberance in a happy way. It is a word the proceeds impending doom.

Speaking of impending doom . . . Andrew Strom shared a good post that should get all of our attention. It is a picture of an impending doom we should be aware of. We are not in Kansas any more Toto! 

"WOE to THOSE WHO CALL EVIL GOOD"by Darren Smith

I am sickened at the state of this country and truly sad that it's ata point of no return. The tide has turned and those who seekjustice and righteousness are no longer the majority. Now we areat the time to confess that we let America and what she stands forslowly slip away while we sought after comfort and prosperity andself fulfillment.

Our land has become a place of greed and self promotion, shallowand spiritless. I know as soon as I send this out many willsay to "remove me from your list" or call me unpatriotic, but I'mbeyond the point of restraint and holding back words because theyare controversial and offensive. Political correctness means nothingto me and I will not be quiet any longer.

Isa 5 is a perfect picture of America today - a nation that lost it'ssoul. We need to admit where we are and what we have becomeand quit walking in step with the false notion that we are a "justnation". I want to start with the gay issue that dominates our mediatoday. The very fact that you can't say that being gay is againstGod's Word is ridiculous, but now as a nation we call - in fact wepromote homosexual activity - call it good. Woe unto a nationthat calls evil good!

I don't hate homosexuals at all. In fact we reach out to them withChrist, but I cannot condone their behavior and I will never call itgood when God says it is wrong! Lets move on down the list ofindictments.

Abortion is considered birth control, not murder. Again - ournation calls it good for women to be able to choose whetherto have a child or to kill it. The argument is that a womanshould have a right to have control over her own body. Butthe very reason they use is faulty at the core. If a womanhas a right to choose what she does with her own bodythen why does this nation's laws have her arrested for beinga prostitute? Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying prostitutionis not wrong, but if you are going to hold the position that awoman has the right to control her body, then be consistentwith what you believe.

The sad truth is that abortion is a several billion dollar industrythat has bought our leaders and they have spent billionsspreading lies with their partners in the media to numb yourminds. Abortion is murder, cut and dry, and its effect on devaluinghuman life cannot be reversed. I have met and prayed with scoresof women that themselves were victims of abortion. I have nevermet one that was glad they chose to abort, yet as a nation wecall abortion good. Woe unto a nation that calls evil good!

We still say that we are a chosen nation, even though wehave the highest rates of drug use in the world, the highestalcohol abuse rates in the world, and the highest crime rates.Do you realize that you are more likely to be killed in Chicagoand many other major cities than you are in a war zone?
What we are seeing is the breakdown of society playing outbefore our eyes. The cheapening of life and the increase ofpeople with no compassion for others multiply at a mindblowing rate. Why? Because we call evil good and woe isbefalling us as we speak. Yet we as a people are too busyseeking comfort and entertainment to open our eyes. Weare far more concerned with sharing our opinion onFacebook, while we post selfies and try to make our lifelook interesting to others.

How did we ever come to a point where selfie could everbecome a word - much less an action - we take pride in?Jesus tells us to be selfless and not to promote our selfwith things. People should find us interesting, if we belongto Christ, because of our love and our actions. We are at apoint in our land where you can't hold a conversation with aperson because they can't look at you for looking at theirphone.

We celebrate bad behavior by making people famous and wealthybecause we like to watch their bad behavior on TV to entertainourselves in a righteous land. Could the Kardashions or Pdiddy orany others of the hosts be a role model? Would Jerry Springer orany of the other freakshows get any airplay?... Woe unto a nationthat calls evil good!

We celebrate greed in our nation by our fascination with thewealthy. Would you trust Donald Trump with your kids? Wegive the greedy a prominent position in society because ofwhat they have and because we are jealous and want or eventhink we deserve to have it too.

We have gone so far that we have modeled our churchesafter the world and the world's business plan - the bigger, thebetter, the more comfortable, the more holy we are. But truthcan't be found in this model, nor can courage, just moreentertainment. We even treat the rich better than others sowe can gain from them. Jesus said in Luke that you cannotmeasure a man by the abundance of his possessions. But westill do.

As a nation, we try to tell the rest of the world how to actwhen we are a total mess ourselves. We even export ourgreed as well as our false doctrines to anyone who will listen.I will close with this last point. If God's people would stand fortruth and justice, no matter what the personal cost, we wouldmake a difference. If men who say they are called to preachwould preach truth instead of feel-good humanism andprosperity, a fire would ignite that could not be contained.
What has brought us to this point is conforming to the worldinstead of conforming to Christ. There is no difference in themodern church and the world. They are one in the same. Themodern church just feels better about itself after hearing themotivational speech and the upbeat music a couple times aweek. A real preacher - preaching and living the Gospel - willcause a stir every time he speaks, instead of not rocking thecomfortable boat he is cruising in.

I really don't care if you think I'm too radical or that I'm unpatriotic.I cannot yield to this false system any longer. I will not defendthe actions of a nation and government that has turned it's back onGod, nor will I defend a church system that has done the same. I'mlooking for people who feel the same way and are willing to stand,take action and live the Gospel. We can't wait any longer to actbut nothing good comes without a fight. We need to networktogether and make a difference.

-PLEASE COMMENT on this topic at the following website-
http://www.revivalschool.com/ 

Spiritual Mechanics

When the car breaks down you go to a mechanic to locate the problem and fix it. (Except for those of you who are mechanics or DIY's) He locates the problem and fixes it, then you are back on your way till something else breaks down. So goes the automobile industry.

Tozer takes a look at our spiritual lives in the same way. How do we fix the problems that arise in our spiritual lives? Individually and corporately. What happens when the breakdown becomes a point of contention and impending destruction of the church God is building? God takes measures to fix it.

History records the actions and words of the prophets for us. If you are not familiar with those records you can find them in the old testament. None-the-less, the people of God are still in need of direction and correction. God deals with his people because he cares about them. We need correction and direction to stay on course with his adventure in life. 

We have access to the throne of God, salvation from sin and direction from the spirit of God at all times. What we decide to do with all that is up to you and I. When we refuse to follow God he corrects as his children. Nothing unusual about that process, I believe, since I do likewise with my children. He does it because he loves us. So, we need everything that God has for us and that includes fixing when we get broken or off track.

Consider reading Tozer's "Why Revival Tarries". It's a great book. Here is snip of the Foreword I received in my email today. You can find his other writings and information by clicking on the link HERE.

CLASSIC WORDS from A.W. TOZER
[-From the foreword to the wonderful book 'Why Revival Tarries']-

Great industrial concerns have in their employ men who are needed only
when there is a breakdown somewhere. When something goes wrong with
the machinery, these men spring into action to locate and remove the
trouble and get the machinery rolling again.

For these men a smoothly operating system has no interest. They
are specialists concerned with trouble and how to find and correct it.
In the kingdom of God things are not too different. God has always had
His specialists whose chief concern has been the moral breakdown,
the decline in the spiritual health of the nation or the church. Such
men were Elijah, Jeremiah, Malachi and others of their kind who
appeared at critical moments in history to reprove, rebuke and exhort
in the name of God and righteousness.

A thousand or ten thousand ordinary priests or pastors or teachers
could labor quietly on almost unnoticed while the spiritual life of
Israel or the church was normal. But let the people of God go astray
from the paths of truth and immediately the specialist appeared almost
out of nowhere. His instinct for trouble brought him to the help of
the Lord and of Israel.

Such a man was likely to be drastic, radical, possibly at times
violent, and the curious crowd that gathered to watch him work
soon branded him as extreme, fanatical, negative. And in a sense they
were right. He was single-minded, severe, fearless, and these were the
qualities the circumstances demanded. He shocked some, frightened
others and alienated not a few, but he knew who had called him and
what he was sent to do. His ministry was geared to the emergency, and
that fact marked him out as different, a man apart.

To such men as this the church owes a debt too heavy to pay. The
curious thing is that she seldom tries to pay him while he lives, but
the next generation builds his sepulcher and writes his biography, as
if instinctively and awkwardly to discharge an obligation the previous
generation to a large extent ignored...

-A.W. Tozer.

Do Not Judge

Very Simply put; "Do Not Judge!"

Beware of Criticizing Others

06

17

2014

Judge not, that you be not judged —Matthew 7:1

Jesus’ instructions with regard to judging others is very simply put; He says, “Don’t.” The average Christian is the most piercingly critical individual known. Criticism is one of the ordinary activities of people, but in the spiritual realm nothing is accomplished by it. The effect of criticism is the dividing up of the strengths of the one being criticized. The Holy Spirit is the only one in the proper position to criticize, and He alone is able to show what is wrong without hurting and wounding. It is impossible to enter into fellowship with God when you are in a critical mood. Criticism serves to make you harsh, vindictive, and cruel, and leaves you with the soothing and flattering idea that you are somehow superior to others. Jesus says that as His disciple you should cultivate a temperament that is never critical. This will not happen quickly but must be developed over a span of time. You must constantly beware of anything that causes you to think of yourself as a superior person.

There is no escaping the penetrating search of my life by Jesus. If I see the little speck in your eye, it means that I have a plank of timber in my own (see Matthew 7:3-5). Every wrong thing that I see in you, God finds in me. Every time I judge, I condemn myself (see Romans 2:17-24). Stop having a measuring stick for other people. There is always at least one more fact, which we know nothing about, in every person’s situation. The first thing God does is to give us a thorough spiritual cleaning. After that, there is no possibility of pride remaining in us. I have never met a person I could despair of, or lose all hope for, after discerning what lies in me apart from the grace of God.

http://utmost.org/beware-of-criticizing-others/

WOULD the EARLY CHURCH RECOGNIZE the AMERICAN CHURCH?

I haven't been online to publish any blogs lately but I thought this article was worthy of consideration. Please respond as you consider where you are right now and what your part of the church is or needs to be.

WOULD the EARLY CHURCH RECOGNIZE the AMERICAN CHURCH? by Marcus Yoars

Would the modern American church even be recognizable to early
followers of Jesus?

By today´s standards in the American church, Jesus wasn´t cut
out to be a pastor, nor would His ministry be highlighted as a
model for church planters. Consider these facts:

Jesus had the greatest preaching, teaching and healing ministry
in history. Thousands came to hear Him, followed His every move
and lined the streets to get a glimpse of Him or simply touch Him.
Yet amid His rock-star popularity, He intentionally offended
religious leaders, challenged potential mega-donors and weeded
out casual followers with tough teachings. Not exactly the
textbook strategy you´d find today to grow your church, much
less your Facebook likes and Twitter followers.

After Jesus spent three and a half years ministering to thousands,
His church consisted of only 120 disciples gathered in the upper
room. And even that was a low turnout, considering He had
appeared to more than 500 people after His resurrection (1 Cor. 15:6).

But we know the rest of the story: how the 120 quickly became
3,120 and grew daily to where even unbelievers credited Jesus´
followers as those "who have turned the world upside down"
(Acts 17:6). The truth is, we know that Jesus´ divine church-
growth tactics surpass all others-with the proof being a global
church that, 2,000 years later, refuses to die while it works to
fulfill His Great Commission.

Why, then, do we in the 21st-century American church focus
on all the elements that Jesus didn´t? He focused on training and
equipping 12 disciples; we focus on growing our crowds and
spheres of influence, regardless of whether those people follow
Jesus. He preached an uncompromising message of truth; we
sugarcoat the gospel until we´re saccharine-high on deception.
He walked among His enemies in love; we ostracize our
enemies by blasting them for all their sins.

Indeed, most of the U.S. church is enamored with size over
substance and microwave growth over true reproduction. Research
shows that while 235 million people call themselves Christians,
only 40 percent of those meet regularly with fellow believers and
only a fourth (at most) read the Bible on a regular basis. It´s time
we discovered the marks of the real church, measured by Jesus´
standards rather than our own trendy metrics. So what are those
elements? Here are just a few.

1) Love.  Jesus defined a premier characteristic of His church in
John 13:35: "By this all will know that you are My disciples, if you
have love for one another." If we can´t even love fellow believers-if
we skewer each other over theological differences and cultural
preferences-how can we expect the world to want what we have?
Transforming the world with God´s love starts right where we are,
on the home front, as we learn to love each other as Christ loved us.

2) Prayer.  Jesus was constantly communicating with the Father,
listening for His thoughts and seeing where He was already moving.
Luke´s Gospel shows that little happened in Christ´s life without
Him first praying. Why, then, do most church gatherings today focus
so little on prayer? In trying to be culturally relevant and seeker-
sensitive, we´ve conveyed that this essentiality of our faith-both
individually and corporately-is secondary. That can´t be if we want
to mimic Jesus.

3) Persecution. We in the West equate religious freedom and the
lack of persecution with blessing. Yet when you look for the most
powerful churches in the world, where the Spirit moves freely and
in fullness, you´ll always find persecution. It´s time we wake up
and realize that persecution galvanizes and unifies the body of Christ
like few other pressures. Remember, Jesus promised persecution to
those who truly follow Him (Matt. 5:11-12; John 15:20). When was
the last time you saw this promise fulfilled in your own life or church?

4) Power. Jesus also promised that His followers would do greater
works than He did (John 14:12)-a promise sealed by the gift of the
Holy Spirit to empower us. Wherever the early apostles and church
went, the miraculous followed. Though there have been seasons of
Holy Spirit revival in our nation, even charismatic churches today are
de-emphasizing such things as praying for the sick, demonic
deliverance or the prophetic. Making room for the Spirit´s
supernatural movement isn´t an option; it´s the mark of those
who truly follow Christ.

-Source-

http://www.charismamag.com/spirit/church-ministry/20299

Genuine Change

Every day we are changing into the fashion of something that has influence in our lives. The world demands that we change into what is acceptable. Dress like the latest fad, listen to the coolest music, watch the latest movie or TV show, drive the latest model car, keep up with the newest electronics and so on and so on.

What does that look like for you? 

What is influencing your life? 

Whatever that influence is, it is changing us because we want to be like what we see and hear. 

What do you see and hear?

David Wilkerson wrote about repentance being the first message that Jesus preached. (click here for his article) We have to ask the question, "Repent from what?" What was it that Jesus said after that? He said. "The Kingdom of God is at hand." So in order for us to enter into the Kingdom of God we would need to exit wherever we are.

Jesus called people to repent before He even called them to believe.Mark writes, "Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of thekingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdomof God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel" (Mark 1:14-15). Ref.

What is the Kingdom of God? 

Is it a physical location in the heavenlies? 

Is it a state of mind? 

What does that phrase mean?

John the Baptist said the same thing that Jesus said later. He was ushering in the appearance of Jesus.

John the Baptist also preached repentance, to prepare Israel forthe coming of Christ. John´s message to the Jews was simpleand straightforward: "In those days came John the Baptist,preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent ye: forthe kingdom of heaven is at hand" (Matthew 3:1-2).  Ref.

John knew that there was a change needing to happen in the lives of the people of that day. They could not enter into the Kingdom of God unless they exited where they were. 

People came from everywhere to hear John preach. And he toldthem in no uncertain terms: "The Messiah is soon to appear inyour midst, so you´d better get ready to meet Him! You may feelexcited that He´s coming, but I´m telling you, your hearts are notprepared because you´re still holding on to your sins.  Ref.

John was not a softie when it came to telling people the way life was or what they needed to do. He said to the Pharisees and the Sadducees, 

"Outside you appear clean and holy. But inside, you´re full of deadmen´s bones! You´re a generation of vipers, snakes, with absolutelyno fear of God [see Matthew 3:7-12]. Yet you have no concept thatyou´re even sinners. I warn you-you must deal with your sin beforeyou can believe on the Savior and follow Him. So, repent, turn fromyour sin and live in a way that reflects genuine change!" Ref.

So, he said there needed to be a change, a genuine change, not a half-hearted, wishing I was different, but maybe tomorrow attitude of the mind. He is talking about the "real deal". He is talking about repentance, which means to "go the other way", exit and flee where you are at.

The Kingdom of God is the place where God is on the throne and in control of His kingdom. His Kingdom is wherever He is and dwells. His Kingdom is filled with His subjects, those that recognize and submit themselves to His rule. They follow His orders and do the will of Him. They desire to please Him.

The kingdom of man is the place where man is on the throne and in control of him kingdom. His kingdom is wherever he is and dwells. His kingdom is filled with those who are subject to him and submit themselves to his desires and rule. Man's will is to do whatever pleases himself and subject those around him to the effects of his actions.

Until we are willing to exit the kingdom of man we cannot enter into the Kingdom of God. We cannot hold on to one and have the other. It is either our way or His way. It is not both. So, when John and Jesus said "repent" they were simply saying to go the other way. Go away from our way of thinking and acting to enter into the way of thinking and acting in regard to God's Kingdom.

Think about what you fill your time with and what interests you the most. Are they things that are in the kingdom of man? Are they interests that fulfill your desires to be consumed by you in regard to your desires? Do you think and do the things that satisfy you for the moment and then go on to the next desire?

If so, you may fall into that category of person that John and Jesus were talking about. You may need to consider a change. A genuine change. A change that departs from you and enters into God. You may be the person who thinks that you have it all together and are doing everything right but in reality you are the exact person John and Jesus were talking about needing repentance and salvation.

Just because you think you are saved and going to heaven, just because you go to church, Sunday school, bible studies or live in a Christian community or rub shoulders with Christians every day doesn't mean you are living in the Kingdom of God. It doesn't even mean you are saved. Unless there is a genuine change in your inner-most parts that motivates and leads you into the reality of God, the Kingdom of God, you may just be fooling a lot of people around you, even fooling yourself.

I leave you with the words of Jesus and John,

"The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent, and believe the gospel"

"Produce fruit in keeping with repentance."

What Does Your Daily Schedule Look Like?

If your daily schedule isn't working for you, then maybe some old-school advise will help. I found this on the internet and appreciate the simpleness and wisdom of this schedule. It doesn't speak about which days to use it with but I can believe that it was most likely everyday. I'm not sure that "weekends" really meant the same to people in Ben's day as they do today. Certainly church goers were aware and invested in godly practices of worship but I can see where in other countries, people work every day of the week, without weekends off. Let me know what you think.

You can find the original post for this information on LifeHack.org at this address: http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/what-you-can-learn-from-benjamin-franklins-daily-schedule.html?ref=fbp&n=1

What You Can Learn From Benjamin Franklin’s Daily Schedule

http://www.lifehack.org/articles/productivity/what-you-can-learn-from-benjamin-franklins-daily-schedule.html?ref=fbp&n=1We like to see our forefathers as these mythical superheroes who were larger than life and accomplished more than we are capable of ourselves. Fact is, they’re just simple men and women, like us, who ate, slept, pooped, and thought, just like we do. One such man, Benjamin Franklin (the old guy on the $100 bill), kept a documented daily schedule which you can view below:

Benjamin Franklin’s schedule teaches us a lot of valuable lessons. Here are a few things you can learn from this founding father’s routine:

1. Steady as She Goes

This is Benjamin Franklin’s actual daily routine. This is how he lived his life every day. Whether inventing bifocals, freeing the American colonies, or negotiating with foreign diplomats, Franklin followed the same routine as often as possible. This steady regimen provided the balance necessary in his life to accomplish all of those other great things we read about, and praise.  If you aspire to have your praises sung like Benji, you need to find a balance.

2. All About the Benjamin's

Money and time are resources you spend to accomplish things in life; you spend one, the other, or both. Understand, however, that you must budget both. Your budget needs to be tangible and in your face. Remember when deciding whether to spend time or money that it took you time to earn that money. Your time budget, or how you allocate the hours in each day, is much more important than your financial one. Plan accordingly.

3.Work Like It Doesn't Matter

You’ll notice nothing in Franklin’s schedule is job-specific; you can’t even tell what he does for a living. He drafted a simple schedule that any human being can follow. Even if you can’t hit the same hours because of work, family, and other obligations, you can simply shift the hours in the schedule. The point is to ensure a separation of work and self that’s much more important than church and State.

4. Make Time for Yourself

Nearly everything on Franklin’s list is selfish. The foundation of his daily schedule is himself. It’s only after he takes care of himself that he focuses on work and doing a good deed for others. If you’re not taking care of yourself, you’re likely not doing as much good as you think. You can’t disconnect from yourself, so make sure you keep you up and running at all times.

5. Life Is Easy

I know there are bills, stress, work, school, annoying bosses, coworkers, classmates, traffic, lines, and blah blah blah. I get it; it’s not like I live is some alternate reality that’s completely separate from you and your life. I’m 33, have no car, and sleep on a floor. I still smile because life really is easy. It takes hard work, but I treat my life like Ben Franklin does. By shifting my focus, I don’t think about the days I walk 20 miles or stay in bed because I don’t have much enough money to buy food. No matter what’s happening in my life, coping and succeeding are both a matter of routine.

6. Learning Something New Every Day Is a Goal, Not an Epiphany

I hear a lot of people say, “you learn something new every day,” when surprised by some random new fact. This always made me chuckle, because those people don’t say that every day. In reality, they’re learning something new 3-5 days a month. Benjamin Franklin made a goal to learn something new every day, and he didn't even have the Internet. Whether at school, home, work, or through friends, you have access to the combined knowledge of the human race at your fingertips. You should be learning 1000 new things a day, minimum.

7. Organization Is King

Budgeting your time and money is important, and organizing where everything goes is essential to sticking with that budget. At the end of every day, Ben Franklin put his toys back in their box, just like your mom made you do as a kid. This is because a messy work space is counter-intuitive to actual work. When you keep your things organized, you feel less flustered, and you’re less likely to make impulsive decisions.

8. Exams Are Mandatory

Question everything; just don’t over-think yourself or you’ll end up never doing anything. Franklin asked himself every evening whether or not he accomplished his goals. By keeping track, he holds himself responsible. There are no excuses. Be accountable for your goals. The cigarette you sneak, the candy bar you don’t tell people in your Zumba class about, it’s all hurting yourself and no one else. If even you won’t listen to you, who else will?

9. Peter Plan

Plans are essential to accomplishments, and Franklin’s schedule is the perfect plan. It’s detailed enough to begin following as a guide, yet basic enough to be easily adapted to a variety of situations and scenarios you’ll likely find yourself facing in real life. You never know what life will hand you. Don’t be so rigid in your plans that you do nothing, but have one like Franklin’s, so no matter what happens, you have a point to start over from.

10. Do Good, Give Good

Katie McCarthy has an amazing podcast called Give Good; in it, she profiles people who dedicate their lives to enriching the lives of others by seeking justice, providing charity, and helping others that need it. Listening to the podcast is a great way to see what others around the world are doing to contribute good deeds to the world. If you want to use Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule as your own, and I highly recommend you do, find a way to do something meaningful for someone else.