The Mannerism Tapes?

If you watched the Green Bay Packers upset the Kansas City Chiefs a few weeks ago you are probably familiar with Keisean Nixon and the interception he made off Patrick Mahomes to save the victory for the Pack. But what you may not know is just how he was able to accomplish it.

In a post-game interview, Nixon told a reporter, "We watched the mannerism tapes earlier in the week. He (Moore #24) tapped his knee." This was a signal to QB Patrick Mahomes that he was going to modify his pass route.

This signal was noted in the Packers' 'mannerism tapes' and Nixon recognized it on the field. He KNEW what play they were going to run. What an advantage!

Think about that for a moment. Humans studied their opponent's signs and actions  to take advantage of them.

Do you think Satan does anything like that with us? Of course he does. He's 'in our head' before even WE are. He plants thoughts in our heads and leads us in directions and actions that God does not want us taking.

"Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour." - 1 Peter 5:8

If human beings can trap us and take advantage of our thoughts and desires, Satan surely can as well. Be alert!

If someone analyzed OUR tendancies, what would they find? The hidden, secret desires we don't want anyone to know about? We need to examine ourselves (2 Corinthians 13:5), find our sinful desires, and purge the evil from within us.

The Book of Deuteronomy, the book Jesus quoted from the most, uses the phrase 'purge the evil from among you' nine times. Do you think that maybe God wants us to not have any evil within us?

What if we turned the tables on the Devil, studied HIS tendancies, and turned his evil plans into living for God's glory instead?

Game over!

Keisean Nixon Interview

Terminator-R-Us

[Today's story comes to you from my living room chair, written mostly at 1:00 AM, after being hatched in my night time thoughts while in bed. All without waking my wife.]

Background: The Ten Commandments. Specifically, commandments one, two and nine.

"You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself any graven image. You shall not bear false witness." - Exodus 20:3,4,16

#9 - Lies: Seemingly every day we hear and read news stories about Artificial Intelligence (AI). The CEO of Sports Illustrated just got fired for using AI-generated stories "written" by fake authors. That's just one story. 

#4 Image: Numerous companies are creating AI robots (humanoids, canine, etc.) The image above is just one of many.

#2 Gods: As AI becomes more powerful and more prevalent in our society, it will gain more power. It will take over jobs from humans (already happening) and begin making decisions faster than we humans can (also already happening). Soon, if not already, AI will be making decisions without our knowledge or input.

That brings us, and our species, to our conclusion and verse 23 of Romans 6.

"The wages of sin is death." - Romans 6:23

AI's "brain" is the Internet. It grows more knowledgeable every second. And with multiple articles published regarding man's role in "climate change,' like the one linked at the bottom, it won't be long before AI determines that WE are the problem. A plan will be formulated, put into action, and suddenly there will be another pandemic with an AI-generated "vaccine" already prepared for us. And the machines will rule.

But...

"Among the gods there is none like you, Lord; no deeds can compare with yours.

All the nations you have made will come and worship before you, Lord; they will bring glory to your name.

For you are great and do marvelous deeds; you alone are God." - Psalm 86:8-10

After all, Jesus said, "I'll be back," long before Arnold did (John 14:3).

UK Greenhouse Gas Study

The Act of Worship

Today's story is about worship. What it is, how we do it, what it has become, and what it is supposed to be. Let's begin with a passage of scripture.

Here we have Jesus talking with a man who was born blind, Jesus having healed him.

“Do you believe in the Son of Man?” He answered, “And who is he, sir, that I may believe in him?” Jesus said to him, “You have seen him, and it is he who is speaking to you.” He said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him." - John 39:35-38

What IS worship? The formerly blind man did not simply plug in his keyboard and start playing a hymn.

'Worship' is defined this way by Merriam Webster: to honor or show reverence for as a divine being or supernatural power.

Their definition continues: to regard with great or extravagant respect, honor, or devotion.

Worship is not a song. It is not simply singing. But it CAN be. Confused?

Let's go back to that scripture. What do you think the blind man did when he could suddenly see for the first time ever?

My guess is that he dropped to his knees and began praising Jesus for what He had done for him. Remember, Jesus had just told the man who He was - the Son of Man.

If we should find ourselves in the presence of the Son of Man, what would WE do?

Jesus told the woman at the well, “True worshipers will worship the Father in spirit and truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. God is spirit, and His worshipers must worship in spirit and in truth.” - John 4:23-24

Simply singing a song to God is not worship. But singing it with your spirit, with your heart, is.

Sometimes in church we are simply singing the words that are printed on the screen or in the hymnal. That's not worship. But if the words that we sing are sung with deep meaning in our hearts, and are directed to and for God, they become worship.

ANYTHING we do to honor God CAN be an act of worship. We must first ask ourselves WHY am I doing this?

Jesus MUST be part of everything we do or we are not honoring God with it. Right?

Example: Buying a meal for a homeless man is not worship. But, if the reason we are doing it is to glorify God, then it IS worship. Sit down with the man as he eats and tell him what Jesus can do in his life.

May we bring glory to God in ALL things as we rejoice in the celebration of His coming. Glory to God!

Glory to God Forever

Hold On Loosely

"I've learned to hold all things loosely, so that God will not have to pry them out of my hands." - Corrie ten Boom

Great words to remember from a Holocaust survivor. And just to prove that her words are timeless, here's a similar quote from the band 38 Special.

"If you cling too tightly, you're gonna lose control."

The point here is that if we cherish anything too much it will become an idol to us, and a stumbling block. And if we have any "idols" other than God it is a sin and He WILL take them away from us.

"Thou shalt have no other gods before Me." - Exodus 20:3

We must constantly examine ourselves and our habits. Are we consuming ANYTHING that God might consider an idol?

What about the Green Bay Packers? Their recent success has a lot of people excited. However, if we are praying that the pastor's Sunday sermon would end on time so that we can make it to a watch party before kickoff, we've got a problem. 

When I was younger I used to consume two 16-oz bottles of Mountain Dew every day. I am now Type 2 diabetic. Is that God's doing? To take away my idol?

How about my phone? My computer? The television? Relationships? Work? Our politics? Even church duties can take us away from God.

The only thing we are supposed to hold on tightly to is God Himself. Worship, praise, and devotion are to be His.

I am reminded of a song that we sing in church. It goes like this:

"Turn your eyes upon Jesus,

Look full in His wonderful face,

And the things of earth will grown strangely dim,

In the light of His glory and grace."

We need to remember that in our walk with Jesus, in our worship of Him, and in our daily lives, HE is the One who created us. And why did He do that? So that we would honor, praise and worship HIM, not "things of earth."

Hold on Loosely - 38 Special 

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus - Alan Jackson

Aliens

What I am about to tell you may seem a little strange. Many will not believe me despite all of the evidence, but here goes....

There are aliens living on earth. Right now.

And I am one of them.

Perhaps you're laughing at this news. "Oh, he's an alien alright." Lol! Well, I'M not laughing. And neither is the rest of our army.

We kind of blend in with the crowd but, if you watch us for a while, you can tell we're not like most Earthlings.

Our leader has given us very specific instructions about our mission here. We are not going to kill anyone, but many of you will die. Such is the way of war.

Our goal is to take as many of you captive as we can. We will not use force. It is not our way. You will actually come willingly, once your mind has been transformed to our way of thinking.

Resistance is futile. And though many WILL try, you cannot kill us. We have a power beyond death.

Our leader came to you people once before, but you wouldn't listen. Foolish people. That was two millenia ago. He came to earth with his life or death offer. You refused him then, you will refuse now.

Your chance to surrender is coming to an end. You have been warned! This is tiur final chance.

“Now therefore, our God, We thank You
And praise Your glorious name. But who am I, and who are my people, That we should be able to offer so willingly as this? For all things come from You, And of Your own we have given You. For we are aliens and pilgrims before You, As were all our fathers; Our days on earth are as a shadow." - 1 Chronicles 29:13-15

"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is - His good, pleasing and perfect will." - Romans 12:2

Philistia

I learned something new a few weeks ago that made this whole Hamas vs. Israel thing WAY easier to understand. History, it seems, is a great teacher.

If you Google the history of Palestine you will find this by Britannica.com

"The word Palestine derives from Philistia, the name given by Greek writers to the land of the Philistines."

Yes, the "Palestinians" of today are decended from the Philistines - arch enemies of Israel, long before even David and Goliath (11th century BC).

The Philistines were destroyed as a nation by Nebuchadnezzar (Persian Empire, aka Iran) in the late 5th century BC.

Palestinians were not called Palestinians until 1964.

God promised the land that the Palestinians claim today to Israel (Abraham) LONG before that (2000-1500 BC).

"Abram traveled through the land as far as the site of the great tree of Moreh at Shechem. At that time the Canaanites were in the land. The Lord appeared to Abram and said, “To your offspring I will give this land.” - Genesis 12:6-7

The Israel we know today was restablished back in 1948. The Palestinians of today weren't even labeled as such until 1964. So, who's land is Gaza?

There is much talk these days about a "two-state solution" - one for Israel and the other for the Palestinians. It will never work. A "two-state solution" is a dream created by politicians.

Hamas wants Israel wiped out and Israel wants the same for Hamas. Sadly, this battle has been going on for thousands of years and will likely continue until the Lord returns.

Still, let us pray for Israel, God's chosen people. May His will be done.

The Heart of The Matter

There is one single question that everyone must answer at some point in their lives. The answer we give determines our future. And that question depends on our beliefs about God.

And not just ANY god, but Jesus, and the God of the Bible.

You might say, "There are many gods. Why be so limiting? Shouldn't people be allowed to follow whichever god they wish?"

In America, we ARE allowed to follow whatever religion and god we wish to follow. All I am saying is that there is only one God, Jesus, that has a future worth living.

The heart of the matter, the question that needs to be answered, is what do we believe about Jesus. Was He the Son of God? Did He really die for our sins? And is His offer of eternal life a valid one?

If you listen to the song at the end of this story you will hear Don Henley sing this:

"I've been trying to get down to the heart of the matter, but my will gets weak and my thoughts seem to scatter, but I think it's about forgiveness."

Forgiveness. THAT is a huge difference between Jesus and all of the other "gods." To my knowledge, there is no other god who offers to do that. The heart of the matter is do you believe that?

"If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." - 1 John 1:9

The Heart of The Matter - Don Henley

To Be Chosen

When I was in high school gym class our gym teacher would pick two captains and let them pick the teams. They picked their friends and teammates first, then the guys they didn't know anything about. That was me.

It sucked, waiting to be chosen. Everyone picked before me was just a way of saying, "I think they're better than you."

With God however, there is no such feeling. Rather, there is a feeling of disbelief.

"Really? God chose me?"

This is not going to be a Calvinism vs. Arminianism story. Rather it is a telling of how God DOES INDEED chose people. Here's a few examples.

“You are a people holy to the Lord your God. The Lord your God has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession.” - Deuteronomy 7:6

"In these days He (Jesus) went out to the mountain to pray, and all night He continued in prayer to God. And when day came, He called His disciples and chose from them twelve, whom He named apostles." - Luke 6:12-13

God chooses people. Which also means that God does NOT choose others. And we interact with them every day. How do we handle that?

But God doesn't want anyone to perish.

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance." - 2 Peter 3:9

The question then becomes WHO is "anyone?" Anyone on the planet? Or any one of those He has chosen. I have no idea.

God is omnipresent. That means He exists outside of time. He knows what you're eating for breakfast tomorrow. He knows when your children will finakly come to repentance and place their faith in Jesus.

We should ALL be grateful . . . to be chosen.

Trees

I think that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree.

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the earth's sweet flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God can make a tree.

- Trees by Joyce Kilmer, 1886 -1918

Trees are amazing things. They produce oxygen for us to breathe. They give us shade to cool us in the summer. And birds nest in them, just as the poem says. Trees even power our cars. Bacteria and plants (trees) + time + pressure = oil. We refine oil into gasoline.

God also uses trees in the Bible to describe life and wisdom and knowledge. Trees existed before Adam and Eve - they were created on the third day (Genesis 1:11). Adam was created on the sixth day (Genesis 1:27).

Someone recently asked, "How God could send people to hell who have never heard about Him?" The answer to that question is found, of course, in the Bible. God's creation is the living evidence that He must exist. Somebody had to have made all this stuff!

"For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse." - Romans 1:19-20

Further tree thoughts: Did you ever notice how a trees' branches resemble the human lung? They both breathe air and live. Coincidence? God's creation is amazing. And tree's are only one example of God's handiwork.

The following link is to a website that contains many such stories about God's creation. Check it out and be amazed at all of the things that God has done.

Creation Moments

Postpartum Depression

I've been loving my new astronomy app. And I've noticed something. Something is about to happen.

When I first got the app a few weeks ago, I wrote a story about Venus and Virgo. You can read it here. Venus ("the bright morning star," aka Jesus) was in the constellation Virgo (from the Latin "virginus," aka virgin). Well Venus has been on the move since I wrote that story a few weeks ago. Venus is now in the birth canal.😳

Two weeks ago Venus was up by Virgo's shoulder and now.... well, it's about ready to leave Virgo's heavenly body. (FYI - this happens every fall)

After a mother gives birth there is a postpartum period that lasts an average of six weeks (according to my dictionary). Sometimes it lasts longer.

When Jesus returns to earth there will also be a "postpartum" period. The prophet Daniel wrote about this. It's referred to as "Daniel's 70th week." This 70th week is also referred to as The Great Tribulation, but for today's story I am calling it The Great Postpartum Depression. This Depression will last for seven years. Now that's some serious postpartum depression!

As I read my Bible and watch the things happening in Israel and the Middle East, then compound that with the signs in the heavens God told us about, I get very excited. And so should you be.

"The end will come like a flood: War will continue until the end, and desolations have been decreed." - Daniel 9:26

But there is good news for those who believe in The Messiah, Jesus.

"For God did not appoint us to suffer wrath but to receive salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Thessalonians 5:9

We who believe will not be here.

"When these things begin to take place, straighten up and raise your heads, because your redemption is drawing near.” - Luke 21:28

A Thanksgiving Onion

I hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving day. Thanksgiving is a wonderful time for families to get together and to eat way too much food. But underneath all of the turkey and stuffing, pumpkin pie with whipped cream, there is a concept that we often miss in all of our busyness. So today let us peel off the layers of this Thanksgiving onion and get down to the basics of the holiday.

Travel - Many people travel hundreds of miles just to arrive at their Thanksgiving destination. Why? The delays, cancellations, packing, unpacking and repacking can be overwhelming. Why do it?

Football - Football has certainly become a part of the Thanksgiving tradition. Thanksgiving meals are often planned around kickoffs and halftime shows.

Food - The Thanksgiving meal has certainly changed over the years. It used to be a turkey, corn and squash back in the day. Now we've added stuffing, mashed potatoes, green bean casserole, and pumpkin pie with whipped cream. 

If we removed all these things, what would be left? Okay, maybe leave in the travel. But if we removed all the layers of this Thanksgiving onion that we are dissecting today, what would be left?

Faith, family, and love.

It's possible to shrink the reason for Thanksgiving even further though. Think about it. Can't we reduce the reason for Thanksgiving into just one word?

God.

Thanksgiving IS really all about God. Or at least it used to be. Who are we giving thanks TO anyway? If we do not give thanks to God on Thanksgiving day, what are we even doing?

And why do we only designate a Thanksgiving Day? Yes, I know all about the Pilgrims. But I am quite sure they gave thanks EVERY day because  of their struggle just to survive. And so should we.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of love, and for Your grace and mercy. Thank you for Your creation and design of the family unit. Without You and what You've done, we wouldn't even be here. We give thanks and praise to the One True God, the Creator of heaven and earth. Amen.

"I will give to the Lord the thanks due to His righteousness, and I will sing praise to the name of the Lord, the Most High." - Psalm 7:17

"Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his steadfast love endures forever!" - Psalm 107:1

Innocent Blood

Do you remember this image? It was created for the 1968 movie 2001: A space Odyssey. Little did they know that 55 years later it would be a perfect fit for a pivotal issue of our time.

My wife and I have two kids and two grandkids. We love them all dearly. We remember when each one of them was born and holding them in our arms. There is nothing more beautiful and innocent than a newborn baby. God agrees.

"Children are a heritage from the LORD, offspring a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are children born in one’s youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them." - Psalm 127:3-5

"Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these." - Matthew 19:14

If God loves the little children, why do the majority of Americans (62%) support the killing of them?

This is not a political issue. It is a moral and spiritual one. God's will is to not shed innocent blood, yet we are disobedient. As a result, it will not go well for us.

God's first and greatest commandment is to love, not to kill. There are no qualifiers to His command. Old, young, black, white, male female. We are to love EVERYBODY. Even those in the womb.

"Do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked." - Exodus 23:7

"They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death." - Psalm 94:21

"He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord." - Proverbs 17:15

"Let us love one another for love comes from God." - 1 John 4:7