Tim Tebow is a Patriot: God Teaches us Another Lesson

I was talking with my youngest daughters best friend, Madison
(we call her Bratty Maddie, she is like a daughter to Carey and

me), who is an avid soccer player.  Maddie has been into sports as long as we have known her.  During the summer, she plays on a soccer travel team to increase her skills and exposure for a potential scholarship. She tells me the level of play is as close to college teams while still being in High School.

Maddie loves Tim Tebow, and who doesn't? I told her if you don't like him there is something wrong with you.  We then had the following conversation and she said I should write about it.

I had boycotted ESPN since one of the announcers called Tebow a fake and literally spewed venom towards him last year.  I was just fed up with the attacks on this kid.  While sports players look more and more like gang members, and with the amount of players arrested, some for murder, you would think (that's part of the problem - a lack of thinking) we would embrace players of character.  Tell me fathers, who would you want marrying your daughter?

When it was announced Tebow was released by the Jets, I waited to see what God would do next.  You see, according to ESPN, Tebow will "not hurt you with effort", but is not NFL quarterback calibre material.  A different announcer asked; Why is he getting so much favor from teams, coaches or owners, since he is not quarterback material?  I told this to Maddy and said that personally I think Tim is much better than "they" want him to be, but, lets for a minute say that these "experts" are right - he is not NFL quarterback quality!?

WHY FAVOR
I told Maddie that I believe that God is teaching us something through Tim, and that God loves obedience more than our sacrifices (1 Samuel 15:22) and faithfulness is better than ability.  Although we all would love to be the "Michael Jordan" at whatever we do - most are not and for whatever reason, wont be. I believe God is telling us that when we are faithful to Him (those In-Christ / 2 Corinthians 5:17), He will make a way where there is no way (Matthew 17:20).  Tim Tebow can be one of the worst quarterbacks in football for three quarters, BUT GOD (do a study on those words), but when God shows His favor on Tebow, he becomes the biggest 15 minute miracle around and receives more attention for it.

Talent and ability are great, and we should always try to improve on whatever skills we have, HOWEVER;
Matthew 6:33
But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Maddie, it is like our lives, most of the time I am a failure for Jesus The Christ, BUT GOD (I'm crying right now), BUT GOD, BUT GOD finds favor (undeserved) with me and I am able to do more for Him, not because of me - BUT GOD...


Blessing Bratty Maddie & Tim Tebow
ernie

Deception Series: Fairness

In this segment of our Deception Series, we are going to examine something I believe most people misunderstand; fairness.  We hear it all the time: That is not fair. Whether it is us saying it our our kids, many people look at life and say it is not fair. Before we go further let us define fairness and then see how equality or being equal fits the definition.
fairness;
Synonyms: fair, just, equitable, impartial, unprejudiced, unbiased, objective, dispassionate
These adjectives mean free from favoritism, self-interest, or preference in judgment. 
Equitable implies justice dictated by reason, conscience, and a natural sense of what is fair: an equitable distribution of gifts among the children.  www.thefreedictionary.com

Notice, the word "equal" is not in the definition? The word "equitable" is but it is not the same as "equal".
equal;
(1) : of the same measure, quantity, amount, or number as another 
(2) : identical in mathematical value or logical denotation : equivalent
b : like in quality, nature, or status
c : like for each member of a group, class, or society  www.merriam-webster.com

We are all equal in creation (Genesis 1:26-28, 31):
Genesis 1:26-28 ESV  Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth."  
(27)  So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.  
(28)  And God blessed them. And God said to them, "Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth."

We are not equal in position however (Genesis 3:9), notice God calls out to the man - Adam.

Genesis 3:16-19 ESV  To the woman he said, "I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you."  
(17)  And to Adam he said, "Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, 'You shall not eat of it,' cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life;  
(18)  thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field.  
(19)  By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return."

Let us look at the two underlined parts of the previous verses and put it in perspective. First underlined says; Your desire shall be for your husband, and he shall rule over you. The word desire here is not for the husband physically but in his position as head of the home.  Look at all the messed up homes where the woman wears the pants or the men are not leaders and compare it to a biblical based home.  I don't care how strong of a leader you (men) are at work or how physically strong you are - if you don't or can't lead your home, you are weak and no leader at all!

The second underlined part says; Because you have listened to the voice of your wife,. Now God is not saying to not listen to your wife!  In fact, your Bride (if she is like mine) is better in tune to the Holy Spirit than I am most of the time.  Further, my wife is much smarter than I am also.  I tell Carey that I am just wiser!  God says that we are "one flesh" (Genesis 2:24).  God is saying that Carey and I are literally one person, that is how important we are to Him and should be to each other.  In this case Eve was deceived, Adam was NOT!  He knew exactly what he was doing when he ate the forbidden fruit.

This is how I explain equality verse equity;
Imagine we both home an identical home, both of us bought it at the same time and the purchase price was the same.  Two years later we both want to do a large addition because of our expanding families.  We both need $50K and both submit our loan requests.  We both have the same job, the same salary, the same tenure.  I am denied while you are approved?  Not fair I cry, we are both equal!  The difference is you put down 30% of the purchase price of your home and i put down 5%.  You have more equity in your home than I do.  It is that equity that gives you more options than me and rightfully so.

In closing LIFE IS NOT FAIR. WE ARE NOT ALL EQUAL IN ALL AREAS.  The sooner we can teach this to our children the better off they will be.  The deception in our present day is taking from the one's who have and giving to the ones that don't and calling it fair?  One, it is NOT and two, it is communism.

Blessings
ernie

Deception Series: Bible & Guns

This particular segment is written with the help of Jeff Deaver, XTREME Christian Outdoors founder, my Associate Pastor, my son's Father-in-law and most of all, my friend.

In continuing with our Deception Series, this is about two things every one should own; a Bible and a Gun!  Now before you start jumping on me for not excluding certain groups, the need for exclusion or inclusion should become apparent.  I am saying this world-wide and not just about our nation also.  Further, not just any Bible (although most will do) but preferably a Study Bible, and not just any gun (most will work) but an AR style rifle.  OH man I can hear the subversives now - AN ASSAULT WEAPON!  We will deal with your ignorance a little later.  

The Deception with a Bible and Gun is that owning them alone, is not good enough. The gun (whatever it is) needs ammunition, understand of how it works and training. The reason I picked "the most popular" (BATF) is because it is the closest to a military style weapon readily available to the public, at least our public still.  It is the governments job to protect the Country and our Allies.  It is law enforcements job to enforce the laws, however it is your responsibility to protect you, your family and your home.  Law enforcement does this indirectly, and as a former Law Enforcement Officer, as about as good as we can under the circumstances.  The more you want, whether federal or local, military or police, to take over YOUR RESPONSIBILITY, the more power you lose and the more power they gain.  The reality is that (and this is going to shock some of you) there are several within our government whom you need to protect yourselves from!  That's right, seemingly most show little to no character and several are just plain crooks or congressmen or whatever you call them.  You said president, I agree.

The reason for gun owner ship is so that an armed and responsible public posses a deterrent, a threat, or to instill fear, to the government - instead of what we have today (and many others have always had) and that is a government who posses a threat and is feared by the public.  My former supervisor and friend, Bill Testa says; Our job is to keep honest men honest.  I would add; And dishonest men no place to hide!

"The AR-15, which designates a rifle platform, not a specific manufacturer's model, remains a controversial weapon. Why? Many people mistakenly believe that "AR" stands for "assault rifle." In reality, the AR-15 is a semiautomatic rifle, which means it fires one round with each pull of the trigger. True assault rifles are fully automatic weapons, such as machine guns, that have been primarily restricted from civilian ownership since 1934."  (BATF)

Now for the Bible.  There is power in the book, but it is not in the book, it is within the book.  The Bible contains the word of God and the words of God.  It is a spiritual book, which means you must have the right ammunition to receive it's power.  The power starts with Salvation (Romans 8:5-11).  Once you receive the Holy Spirit, then you can begin to understand the Bible (1 Corinthians 2:5-12).  A society that exhibits ungodliness is the worst place to live, (Galatians 5:19-21) full of crime, lazy people, wrong doings, wicked leaders - sound familiar?  A society that exhibits Godliness is the best place to live (Galatians 5:22-26).  This also answers any issues about certain people owning weapons.  Look at the traits God has spelled out for us and you decide?

Have the government fear you (the public) or you fear them - time to choose...
Blessings
ernie

Deception Series: Theft

In our continuation of things that deceive us, we are going to look at one that might surprise you, Theft?  Now how in the world can we be deceived by theft?  I know it can hurt us both emotionally and financially, but what is the deception?  You always ask the best questions (your smart).  Let us look at what theft is according to Wikipedia;
In common usage, theft is the taking of another person's property without that person's permission or consent with the intent to deprive the rightful owner of it.

Now there are different types of theft from Burglary to Robbery usually involving other crimes such as assaults, threats or physical violence.  For our purposes those other crimes (if any) only support the deception caused by stealing.   The "deception" is not in the taking, but in the WHO and the WHY.

"WHO" and "WHY": Simple, Who is people.  Duh - I know that!  Is there anything these people have in common?  Of course, they don't believe God!  What?  That's right, they don't believe in God, that's the "WHY".  You thought I was going to say something like greed, need, or some mental disorder.  What about the person who says that they have a genetic predisposition towards stealing?  My answer is so does everyone else!?  that's why God tells us to exercise self-control (1 Peter 1:13) and not steal (Lev 19:11).

How does not believing in God relate to theft?  God, not allah, budda or bubba, tells us He desires to take care of us (1 Timothy 6:17) and knows us intimately and our value (Luke 12:7).  Your bald you say (lol), then He and only He knows our real needs (Matthew 6:8) even before we ask (or know them ourselves).

BOTTOM LINE:  When God is not honored in society, crime is!  If we believe in God and what He has done for us, and what He desires to do for us, we won't turn to ourselves to answer our problems.  Don't follow your heart (Jeremiah 17:9) guard it (Psalm 51:10).

Be Blessed not deceived for the Lord thy God is with you...
ernie