November 9, 2008

The Original High Speed Communication Device

Posted by Allen Scott under Bird's Eye View, Insights on Scripture | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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Insight for your “Journey across the Sky”

A View from the Nest www.eagleviews.org

And it shall come to pass That whoever calls on the name of the Lord Shall be saved.’ Acts 2:21Open Link in New Window (NKJV)

 

Holy Spirit Jesus God Trinity

Image by TheChristianAlert.org via Flickr

The Holy Spirit is the original High speed communication device. Instantaneously we can have contact with the Father via the prayer line to heaven. It is initially installed in all new believers in Christ. This high speed connection is always on and never gets a busy signal. There are no traffic congestions on the highway to heaven. There are no stop signs and traffic lights to hinder your call to heaven. There are however many obstacles to constant connectivity. Our wiring can get rusty from lack of use. We can cut ourselves off from this holy hotline by refusing to listen to the advice offered on the other end. Sin and deception in our lives brought about by the enemy of our souls can cause us to doubt in the usefulness of this heavenly hotline. Our own actions can cause the line to heaven to be severed. If we grieve the Holy Spirit it is possible to hinder our access to the heavenlyhotline. It is a toll free call but it does cost you the time and effort it takes to place the call. Jesus promises that anyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be heard and a answer will be dispatched.

 

I have had times in my life where that high speed hotline seemed to have been blocked or otherwise rendered ineffectual. During those times it was difficult to remain fearless in waiting on that line to be connected again. I know from personal experience the angst that is present when the heavens seems like brass. When we are waiting for an answer it is hard to wait patiently. The enemy of our souls would have us think that God does not care and is ignoring us. The devil would have us doubt the love of God and His ability to help us in our time of need. The devil would have us think that when we need Him the most God is going to turn His back on us and leave us to struggle on our own.

All these are just static on the hotline to heaven. It is nice when we have a constant clear connection but at times there is a great deal of static on the line we must sift through. The noise and distractions brought on by this static can be very unnerving. God does care. He promises to be with us even until the end of the age. There is no where we can go to escape the presence of God for He is everywhere. Therefore we have confidence when we pick up the hotline to heaven that we will always have a connection.

Anyone who has had a high speed internet connection for any time knows that there are times when the connection is not available. Service outages are common, although infrequent they do occur. Service outages are common in the life of a Christian as well. Although God is always present we are also bombarded with the fiery darts of the evil one. These darts are meant to cause us to doubt God and His word. We need to rely upon the validity of God’s word which is our guarantee of His faithfulness. He gives us a service guarantee when He sends us His Spirit. The presence of God’s Spirit in our lives is our service guarantee from heaven. As long as the spirit is active in our lives then we have the assurance of heavenly protection.

Therefore do not disconnect yourself from the Spirit of the living God for He is your hotline to heaven.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

 

 

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November 4, 2008

Beware the tax man cometh

Posted by Allen Scott under All Articles | Tags: , , , , , , , , |
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Insight for your “Journey across the Sky”
A View from the Nest www.eagleviews.org

When someone makes you slaves, consumes your wealth, seizes your property, orders you around, or slaps your faces, you put up with it. 2 Corinthians 11:20 (GW)


How better to describe the current state of our political affairs. Congress keeps enacting laws that are enslaving the population once again and it appears we the people tolerate it.

Why is that?

Could it be that we are so fearful of self-rule that we would much rather put up with those who tell us what to do and how to do it, when we can do it, for how long we can do it, and for how much?

Is the thought of freedom that frightening that we prefer the government enslaves us with burdensome taxation and regulation?

Are we no longer the land of the free and the home of the brave? Why is it we allow our potential political leaders to slap our faces and ridicule our way of life and make us feel guilty for living in such a great nation? They hold us up to national disgrace when they march on the world stage and belittle the American way of life. And we the people sit back and take it.


But the people refused to listen to Samuel. They said, “No, we want a king! Then we, too, will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us, lead us out {to war}, and fight our battles.” 1 Sam 8:19-20 (GW)

I feel our nation like Israel before, has also rejected the guidance and direction of God, and has instead substituted the rule of the government in place of the rule of God. Listen to what Samuel told the Israelites the rights of a king were. What they had to look forward to by choosing to be ruled by a king. Does any of this sound familiar?

The Lord told Samuel, “Listen to everything the people are saying to you. They haven’t rejected you; they’ve rejected me. They’re doing just what they’ve done since I took them out of Egypt—leaving me and serving other gods. Listen to them now, but be sure to warn them and tell them about the rights of a king.” Then Samuel told the people who had asked him for a king everything the Lord had said. Samuel said, “These are the rights of a king: He will draft your sons, make them serve on his chariots and horses, and make them run ahead of his chariots. He will appoint them to be his officers over 1,000 or over 50 soldiers, to plow his ground and harvest his crops, and to make weapons and equipment for his chariots. He will take your daughters and have them make perfumes, cook, and bake. He will take the best of your fields, vineyards, and olive orchards and give them to his officials. He will take a tenth of your grain and wine and give it to his aids and officials. He will take your male and female slaves, your best cattle, and your donkeys for his own use. He will take a tenth of your flocks. In addition, you will be his servants. “When that day comes, you will cry out because of the king whom you have chosen for yourselves. The Lord will not answer you when that day comes.” But the people refused to listen to Samuel. They said, “No, we want a king! Then we, too, will be like all the other nations. Our king will judge us, lead us out {to war}, and fight our battles.” When Samuel heard everything the people had to say, he reported it privately to the Lord. The Lord told him, “Listen to them, and give them a king.” Then Samuel told the people of Israel, “Go {back} to your own cities.” 1 Sam 8:7-22 (GW)

In spite of all these warnings the people still wished to be ruled by a king. Their reasoning was the king would fight all their battles for them so they would not have to. Is that not the state of America today? Is it not true that far too many are seeking HELP from the Government, too many rely on the king to fight their battles for them. They reason they should not have to face any adversity because it is the government’s job to take care of us. Too many feel that the government should take care of all their concerns. This comes at a great cost, that of enslavement and lose of identity. We are fast becoming a dependent nation, a slave nation, and not an independent one. Just like the Israelites of old we too are starting to look like all the other nations around us. Instead of being that beacon of hope for the world, our light is fading fast and growing eerily dim.

Our problems are not because he have an elected government. Our problem is we have elected to be governed by a king and not the King of kings and Lord of lords. We have elected to reject Christ and God’s ways for an established kingdom made in the image of other nations. We have gone the way of Israel of old. In forgetting God, we have chosen instead to be governed by the dictates of man and thus we have reaped what we have sown. We have forced God out of our political process and in the process we have replaced Him with those who have no moral compass, who seek to enrich themselves as they enslave the populace.

However, if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves, pray, search for me, and turn from their evil ways, then I will hear {their prayer} from heaven, forgive their sins, and heal their country. 2 Chronicles 7:14 (GW)

There is hope however. If those of us who are Christian, and have a relationship with God, would repent of our disinterest in governmental affairs, acknowledge that our nation has strayed from God, sincerely seek once again to be ruled by God and involve Him in our life and decisions, turn from our wicked ways, then God will hear from heaven and forgive our sins and heal our land. It is up to those of us who believe God and His word. We have for too long remained silent while the nation’s moral fiber continued to decline. Slave or free, rich or poor, life or death, the chose is ours to make or forsake. Either way we make a choice. Choose to do nothing and we become as nothing. Choose instead to obey God and seek His face, and desire to do things His way, and we reap instead life and health, blessings instead of curses, hope to replace despair.

Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Psalm 33:10a (GW)

And if it seems evil to you to be the servants of the Lord, make the decision this day whose servants you will be: Joshua 24:15a (BBE)

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

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November 4, 2008

Get Out and Vote

Posted by Allen Scott under Current Events
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November 3, 2008

Pay No Attention to the Man behind the Curtain

Posted by Allen Scott under Bird's Eye View, Current Events, Insights on Scripture | Tags: , , , , , |
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Insight for your “Journey across the Sky”
A View from the Nest www.eagleviews.org

“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men‘s bones and everything unclean. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.” (Matthew 23:27-29)

“[When] the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men‘s hearts… What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs.” (1 Corinthians 4:5b; Luke 12:31) (See Romans 12:6; 1 Corinthians 14:25)

Many times I have watched the “Wizard of Oz” and I still find the story enjoyable. A girl gets lost in a strange land and only desires to go home. She runs into others who are seeking something they feel is missing in their life and in the end they find out that the missing piece was inside of them all along.

 

It is what is inside that matters. That was the message that I took away from the film. Although our outward circumstances may appear to be less than satisfactory, if we possess a sense of self and a good moral fiber inside, then we can weather any storm that life may throw at us. We can rise above all obstacles if we possess an ‘inner man’ of character. This is what the kind man behind the curtain taught the wandering travelers in their quest for significance.

That being said, there is a scene in the “Wizard of Oz” that I have especially enjoyed—the scene where Toto reveals the man behind the curtain.

A kind elderly gentleman has gone to elaborate lengths to hide his true-self behind a projected image he wanted the world to see. He had even gone so far as to build an entire kingdom around the image of the ‘Great and Powerful Oz’ when all along he was just a kindly old gentleman behind the scenes.

We all wear masks of some sort, putting our best foot forward when we are attempting to persuade others to follow our plans or objectives. It is really evident when applying for and interviewing for a new job or position. We dust off our resumes and make every attempt to put the best face on our past failures while underlining our accomplishments. We want others to see us favorably, regardless of who we really are.

Some people hide behind masks all the time. Some who are less than ethical in their business practices or political dealings, want to keep all the ‘behind the scenes stuff’ hidden from view. They go to great lengths to keep secret the double dealing and dishonest practices they employ to promote their own agendas. It is to this type of people the bible speaks so specifically.

No matter where we go or what we do, the Lord is always watching. He knows all and sees all. There is nothing hidden that He is not able to uncover. No matter how well we hide from ourselves and others, we are unable to hide from God. When the time comes, God will reveal all hidden agendas and motives of our hearts and we will no longer be able to hide behind a mask of piety while we live a life of sin and deception.

We are currently in the last mile of a marathon political campaign and there is one candidate who has gone to great lengths to hide behind one curtain after another, in a concerted effort to hide his true self from the world. While he prances around the world’s stage pretending to be a messenger of change he is masking his true incentives and motives. He is going overboard to convince others that he is not who he would appear to be behind the scenes. Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain is his cry. Look instead at this huge image I have manufactured for your adoration and praise. Look instead on the outward and not what really lies on my heart.

But just like the word reveals, when the time comes, EVERYTHING that is done in secret will be revealed from the housetops. Isn’t it interesting that in today’s high tech world there are hardly any secrets anymore? A whisper can be heard around the world in nanoseconds. What was said in California can be heard in Pennsylvania. What you attempt to keep secret can be uncovered with a few strokes of a computer keyboard.

All efforts to hide one’s self behind a curtain is futile. Just like in the ‘Wizard of Oz‘, a small dog can pull back the curtain and reveal one’s true self. Even a child can see behind a curtain. All those attempts to cover-up can easily be revealed.

Wouldn’t it be far better and a whole lot less work to just be who you are? Wouldn’t it be more profitable to be your true self rather than attempting to live a lie? It takes far less effort to just be, rather than to pretend to be. Maintaining an appearance, takes far more effort than just being true to yourself and to others.

When it comes to those who seek to lead others there is a stern warning in the ‘Word of God’ for those who wish to hide behind curtains. God will reveal to all, who we really are, and if like Dorothy, the tin man, the scarecrow or the cowardly lion, He finds goodness inside, He will reward you according to what lies inside, not on what you build around yourself.

So it is wise to pay attention to the man behind the curtain and not get caught up in all the pomp and circumstance, the smoke and the mirrors, the huge stage production with all it’s theatrical sound and lighting. It is wise to take time out to look behind the curtain and see what lies inside a man before you hitch your wagon to their leadership. After all, that is what God is going to do. Shouldn’t you do the same? I challenge all of us to spend more time working on “the man inside”, rather than the curtains we craft to hide our true selves.

But those who are waiting for the Lord will have new strength; they will get wings like eagles: running, they will not be tired, and walking, they will have no weariness. Isaiah 40:31 (BBE)

 

 

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November 2, 2008

Petrified from Greed

Posted by Allen Scott under Insights on Scripture, Where Eagle's Soar | Tags: , , , , , , , |
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A comment from the Eagleman:

There are times when I read something that says so well what I have vainly attempted to say so often. Because of this I feel I must pass on the article so others can be blessed as well. I have been a regular reader of the Worthy News briefs for a while and there are many that speak to my spirit. I felt with all the unrest in the  financial markets this article is a worthy read for anyone who has suffered any anxiety during these rough times. I do wish to encourage my fellow travelers that the Lord knows how to rescue the righteous from any situation. Hold tight to Him and He will lead you beside still waters and cause you to lie down in green pastures. If the Lord is your Shepherd then indeed you have nothing to fear.

Now then on with the article.

1 Timothy 6:6-10 But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. But they that will be rich fall into temptation and a snare, and into many foolish and hurtful lusts, which drown men in destruction and perdition. For the love of money is the root of all evil: which while some coveted after, they have erred from the faith, and pierced themselves through with many sorrows.

As I write, it seems the prevailing concern among people everywhere is – what’s going on with the economy? I’ve probably been asked more questions about the economy in the past two months than in my entire lifetime. People are watching their wealth dissipating and dwindling away. Reflecting on these material losses reminds me of a story about a lady who perished in Pompeii in the first century.

A computer-generated depiction of the eruption...

Image via Wikipedia

Pompeii was a flourishing city in Southern Italy until 79 AD. Suddenly, for two days Mt. Vesuvius erupted and completely destroyed Pompeii in all its pomp. The city was covered in meters of ash and pumice for 1700 years until it was accidentally discovered in 1748. When archaeologists began excavations in 1910 they uncovered a petrified woman clutching some of the finest jewelry ever recovered from the ancient world. She was apparently attempting to flee the doomed city, and in her haste, holding desperately onto her valuable possessions – she lost her life.

During its time Pompeii was a magnificent city, yet it’s destiny was destruction by a nearby volcano –- and so it is with our world today. There’s so much beauty on our planet earth –- yet its destiny is certain! The day is soon coming when it’s elements will be destroyed with fire, the earth and everything in it, laid bare, [2 Peter 3:10] –- and our earthly possessions will not come with us into glory, (only what we have done with them).

As the Apostle Paul said, we came into this world with nothing – and when we leave this world, we take nothing with us. We can make the mistake of holding too dearly onto our earthly possessions, making them our “treasure”, (rather than storing treasure where moth and rust do not corrode etc.) – but this is a costly error, as illustrated by our “petrified lady”. Instead, let’s remind ourselves that we are stewards of God’s possessions, responsible to use them with His interests in mind, to further His Kingdom with the things He has entrusted to us. With so much work to be done, let’s never allow our earthly possessions to petrify us with greed or fear thus preventing the eternal work we were preordained for, and stealing our eternal rewards.

Your family in the Lord with much agape love,

George, Rivka, Elianna & Obadiah

*** If you’d like to have a listen and/or purchase Rivka’s cd, go to www.lazmanhazeh.comEach cd you buy will enable us to give away five in Israel. 100% the proceeds will be used to encourage and bless Israel.

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