The Lord is so amazing! His blessings endure forever and the favor He has for His people is wonderful! Blessed be the name of the Lord!
Just Me and My Thoughts for The Day
How Can I Pray For You?
November 2, 2011
Life is so great right now!
October 28, 2011
September 7, 2011
How I long….
Borders, state lines, district boundaries, counties, and personal property lines. The world that held such great adventure has been divided, chopped up, and sectioned off into tiny boxes on pieces of paper. Sad to think that when one now looks at the horizon they no longer see the great mysterious unknown. I can’t help but feel that in our fight for freedom and liberty we have created our own confinements. Americans once dreamed of a place where the possibilities far outstretched their own imaginations and ambitions. Their descendants have come to find that the place they longed for does not exist outside of heaven. How I long for a place with no lines, no boundaries, no cultural norms to cage the free expression of my soul and the roaming of my heart. How I long for heaven.
August 27, 2011
Thoughts for the Day
~ Many have gone to their graves desperately wanting their lives to be different, but insisting that everyone and everything else must change instead of themselves.
~ The world tells us to take a look at the world and do our best to make a positive change in it, but the change that we have most control over is the one that happens within ourselves. So we should all look inside more often than outside ourselves. This is how the easiest change will happen in the world.
~ A man can not inspire change in his neighbor without first allowing change to happen in his own life.
~ If you wish for the world to be a better place look first to your own flaws. Change will happen when the love and grace of Jesus Christ is pouring from us all.
~ To point out your neighbors flaws incites war; to point out your own envokes change. A man can not force change on others; only do always what is right in the eyes of the Lord.
August 16, 2011
The State of Our Patriotism
The thing is our government is broke. I am sure I didn’t need to tell you that. Yes, we charge one of the lowest income taxes in the world. However, we do that so that the American people can live free lives and not worry about whether the government is going to take care of something for them.
Our money should be in our pockets, and if we want insurance of any kind then we can pay for it out of our own pockets. One of the main reasons Americans get so upset with their government is because they don’t agree with how their money is being spent. Our government does not need to create more committees or think-tanks to give people a better quality of life. If we are to have a better quality of life in this nation it will come through private sector growth and less regulation by government. When the free market is allowed to shift and move on its own that is when we see real and lasting growth. Americans need to remember that we are not promised happiness, but the free pursuit of happiness. It is up to each and every one of us to pay for the services we use, and to make our lives what we want them to be. It is up to us as Americans to do what is right, and to stop asking for free handouts.
As Americans we must come to understand that there is no such thing as a free lunch. The insurance that we receive from the federal government must be paid for by our income tax, and our childrens income tax. However, if the taxes are not enough then they must be raised to cover all of the medical costs. If the taxes are not raised then the bill will be pushed continually on to future generations of Americans. This will continue until the day that Americans are giving the majority of their paychecks to the government, and the government is giving the majority of that to another government and we will no longer be the America we once were.
Over the last several decades we have been running to the government to solve our problems, like a rich grandparent with loose purse strings. Some Democrats are trying to regulate everything under the sun, and enact social agendas to try and create the incredibly elusive “equality” that they dream about. Some Republicans have been so caught up in oil money and war money and keeping the favor of the ones that got them into office that they have forgotten that they once stood for something decent. Meanwhile, the American people have generally been ignored until election year when the hands are opened wide and the smiles are pasted on and beautiful speeches are written to tickle the ears of America. The Tea Party is the American peoples response to all of this and seems to be only present as a means to an end. Which is to show all political parties just how far they have gone in the wrong direction. The Tea Party might not last, but it could very well serve as the thing that puts a lot of people back on track, and that is what I am hoping for.
However, there is one thing that the Tea Party can teach to all of us. It can teach us that our indifference to the issues at hand will not solve any problems. Turning our backs on the issue and trying to live in ignorance will not make the problem go away. Yes, political talk creates confrontation and yes there has been enough arguing and hateful talk in our nation already. However, it is our responsibility as the caretakers of this amazing nation, to fight for what we believe in and care for. A passionate few are not going to win this fight. The opinions of individuals in Congress and on Pennsylvania Avenue will only be swayed by the voices of the masses.
So I ask you, what is the state of your patriotism? Do you know what kind of nation you live in? Do you care what kind of sacrifice it took to make our nation great? Do you understand the important aspects of our country that must remain in place in order to assure that our nation is always a great nation? Small government, free trade market, freedom, liberty, and the freedom to PURSUE happiness. Do you understand why these things are important? Do you care enough to find out? Please, analyze the state of your Patriotism. You may discover that what you thought was right, is actually very wrong.
July 27, 2011
A Reason For Living
In this day and age many Christians are in the retirement home. A poll from the Barna Group indicates that only 5% of people who claim Christianity actually witness to others about God. Many of us have purchased our ticket to the promised land, and now we are just making ourselves as comfortable in this life as we can until we get to heaven. I know this because I am guilty of it myself. The difficulty with this is.
___________________________________________________
For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.
__________________________ Luke 19:10_________________________
Jesus Christ did not die on the cross to hurry up and be with His father in Heaven. Yes, I am sure that like all of us here Jesus was ready to be reunited with His father. However, Jesus did not came to do the will of God, not the will of man. During His lifetime Jesus sought out the lost and lonely, the broken and poor, the rich and unhappy. All of those lonely and lost lives that were begging for the touch of the Savior. Jesus didn’t just witness to those around Him. He went out of His way and made reaching those people His life’s calling. So I ask you church, What is OUR problem? The truth of the matter is this. We don’t love Him. Not the way we should. When our religious freedom is threatened we get on our high horse and ride to it’s defense, but in all reality, if things did not threaten our relationship with God we would be stagnate our entire lives. We see people on the front lines of government, riding to the defense of Christianity, trying to protect its most cherished beliefs. However, if we had been seeking the lost as our Lord intends, the ones fighting against our religious freedoms would not be so great in number. The moral decline of the nation and the world is not the fault of government or television or the internet. It is OUR fault. It is yours, it is mine, it is the fault of the church as a whole. If we don’t keep the main thing the main thing are beloved rights will be gone, as well as the country we loved so much. In order to produce good fruit you must nurture the roots. Here is how this is done.
GOOD SOIL: A good church that will help you grow in your walk. A loving, supportive, Christian atmosphere in your home. Supportive and encouraging people in your life. Movies, music, and media that do not challenge your walk.
PLENTY OF WATER: A close and personal relationship with Jesus Christ. A prayer life that mirrors Jesus, going to God in prayer as often as possible and enjoying comunication with Him. Time seeking out the wisdom and majesty of God in His holy Word. Praising and worshipping Him as our Savior and Lord.
PRUNING: In our lives we need to trim the fat off every once in a while. This includes music, movies, internet, books, certain relationships, certain foods, or whatever it is that you feel is starting to define your life besides God. Yes, this is fasting. To go without certain things for a period of time in order to put your priorities back into focus.
THIS IS A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS NOT ONLY IN OUR LIVES, BUT IN OUR NATION AND OUR WORLD! IF WE NURTURE OURSELVES AND OUR SPIRITS, IT WILL PRODUCE FRUIT IN THE ENVIRONMENT SURROUNDING US.
LET’S LIVE OUR LIVES AS IF WE ACTUALLY WANT TO.
LET’S LIVE OUR LIVES FOR HIM.
April 11, 2011
Random Thought
If you find your identity in anything but Jesus Christ you have been compromised.
Nothing in our lives can rightly define us, only our Lord and Savior.
April 1, 2011
To Worship The Flesh
If you read this I will give you five dollars……
Lol just kidding! Since your already here you should read anyway!
Welcome one and all to my new blog and thank you for gracing me with your presence. Since my last entry I have written two creative nonfiction pieces, one ten page essay on religious hiring rights, and a few random thoughts from my mind. However, today I will delve into several verse concerning the flesh, and make an assertion that some of you might find crazy, but probably very few. I hope you can take my perspective of these verses and relate to it. Maybe even use it to tweak your own perspective. Anyways here goes!_____________________
Col. 1:22
22 But now he has reconciled you by Christ’s physical body through death to present you holy in his sight, without blemish and free from accusation—
1 Peter 2:24
24 He used his servant body to carry our sins to the Cross so we could be rid of sin, free to live the right way. His wounds became your healing.
John 1:14
The Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us. We have seen his glory, the glory of the one and only Son, who came from the Father, full of grace and truth.
2 Cor. 5:16
16 From now on, therefore, we regard no one according to the flesh. Even though we once regarded Christ according to the flesh, we regard him thus no longer.
_______________
Jesus Christ became flesh because a sacrifice was needed by the flesh. It is the flesh that sinned, therefore, the flesh needed to pay. We tend to think of Jesus in physical form. We see representations of him in paintings, statues, or hanging on a cross in most catholic churches. (sometimes I wonder if they forget He got off the cross) However, something has begun to bug me and I think I see it here in these few passages. The one who knew no sin, became sin. But in order to become sin He had to be born of the flesh. We tend to think of Jesus as the person in these paintings. Even though we know that they aren’t really Him. When we are praying or praising God some of us even think about the picture of Him. (I am guilty of this myself which is why I bring it up.) The point is. Jesus is not flesh. He is not the picture on the wall or the statue on the mantle. (and He surely isn’t on the cross) Jesus is the son of God, but He is not in the physical form that we would think of Him as. So when praying to the picture of Jesus doesn’t that really mean that we are praying to a false idol? Not only that, but didn’t Jesus come to earth to crucify the flesh? Didn’t God tell mankind not to make images of things?
Deuteronomy 5:8 (New International Version, ©2011)
8 “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below.
That makes me wonder if He meant this verse for alot more than just for an idol. If we had a good painting of the real Jesus in the flesh should we even pray to that? God is omnipotent. God is omnipresent. God is all powerful. Is flesh capable of any of that? Not the flesh we know. When you worship try thinking of nothing at all. Just worshiping God. We don’t have to have an image of God in our minds to worship Him. That is the entire point of faith. To believe without seeing. The false representation of Jesus seems to me like a cheap way for us to picture God. To see Him face to face so that we can know who and what we are dealing with. And this leads to doubts. Because if we can imagine God then how powerful is He? When you look at a picture of Jesus you raise questions about Him as if you could hold a conversation with Him and hang out. In the picture He seems like your standard individual in a robe. So how powerful could He be? This is the kind of thing that can lead to a real crisis of faith. (not will but can) I would argue that we need to put away all of the images that we have that represent God. It would seem that they could only lead to crisis. I am not saying that I am absolutely correct on this issue. I am just offering a thought on the matter that I have yet to settle in my own mind.
One more thing to chew on. Would our world be a better place if mankind had never made any image in the likeness of anything else. (i.e. pictures, video, paintings, drawings, mirrors) Sure we get some entertainment and usefulness out of these things. But, if we are being honest, can’t we find most sin useful and entertaining? Just spiritual food for thought.
This is my rant for today. I don’t know how you feel about the issue, but I would love to! Please, leave your comments and thoughts on the matter. Please, sign up to follow my blog! All new blog posts will be delivered to you the day that I post them. This procedure is guided by the privacy agreement on posterous.com so your emails stay completely confidential. If you want to send me a message you can reach me on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or EMAIL. I love you all and I am praying for you. Please remember that we are only on this earth for a few short years compared to our eternity. Do what you can to let people know the wonderful grace of Jesus Christ while you are here. Just a few words could change someones eternity! God Bless You All and have an amazing day!
~ Rion P. Jacobs
March 22, 2011
Opening Up To Change
Welcome one and all to the revamped dailyRion page! I have my own personal webpage now @ www.dailyrion.com so you can find some nuggets of knowledge, some widgets of wisdom, or some pure randomness from my life. Whichever you prefer. During this month I will be exploring the book of Colossians and diving into how we should apply it to our lives. The book of Colossians is full of beautiful biblical wisdom and knowledge so if you haven’t sat down with it in a while I highly recommend it! Catch me after the break to check out my opening study on this great book!
__________________________________________
Colossians 1:3-10 (NIV)
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—
5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel
6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.
7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant,[c] who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[d] behalf,
8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[e]
10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
__________________________________________
There is a saying that is extremely popular in our culture today that can be overheard in many random conversations every day. The saying is, “that is just the way I am.” There are many different variations of this saying but essentially they all mean exactly the same thing. “How I am is how I am and no one is going to change me.” This is the primary attitude of the person speaking the words. However, we are called to be constantly changing.
Possibly the most important part of this section of Colossians is where Paul says, “growing in the knowledge of God.” The simple truth is that we can not obtain a higher level of the knowledge of God unless He Himself unlocks it to us. And the only way for that to happen is to come closer to Him in our personal walks. Unfortunately, our culture as of late has spread the great lie that “we are the way we are because that is the way we are.” Taking all ideas of a sinful nature and tossing it out the window. But our sin is deeper and greater than any of us might imagine. Our sin is ingrained in the words we speak, the clothes we wear, and the media we consume. I have come in contact with so many Christians who believe they are godly enough and do not wish to progress in their walk with God. (They will never admit to this of course, but it is apparent in their words and actions.) God never promised us an easy existence, but He did provide for us salvation from our hardships.
Paul is asking God to help his followers to grow in their walk with Him, but this isn’t just a mystical occurance. In order for them to grow they must be willing to admit that they aren’t complete. Just like every Christian had to admit before they gave their lives to Jesus Christ. Our lives are not complete without accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and our lives are not complete until they mimmick exactly the life of Jesus Christ. His attitude, His heart, His willingness to sacrifice, and His devotion to God the Father. None of us are there yet and we will never be there because only Jesus is perfect, but our struggle still must be, to become that image of Jesus. Both inside and out.
When you take a moment to ponder the reality of life everything can become more clear. We (humans) are the reason that Jesus had to sacrifice His life. If we had not sinned it would not have happened. So we, collectively, are guilty of the murder of the Son of God. It does not matter if we said a curse word or murdered innocent people or even committed a horrendous sexual crime. We are all guilty of the same thing. The death of Christ Jesus. And all of our sins will be treated equally. So to understand it in that way. To understand that liars and gossips and murderers and rapists are all seen as equal sinners in the eyes of God is a sobering revelation.
With this in mind it is easier to understand the reason that we must continue to grow and change and be open to change. Only God can see the heart of man, and His judgement is righteous and beyond reproof. So we must accept his judgement of us and continue to be humble and admit that we are only sinners saved by grace, and that in order to advance we must seek His holy face always.
I love you all and I pray that these words might soften hard hearts. God is here for us all, as each of us should be, and He is ready to comfort the broken hearted. Please, continue to open your hearts to one another and to our Father in heaven. He is the only one who truly knows the kind of heartache we endure.
I pray that this study has touched your hearts in some way and opened up a new way of thinking for some of you. Always remember that none of us are perfect, but we are all sinners. So cut people some slack if they offend you or treat you wrong. Remember, the sinful nature that causes others to sin is the same nature that you have. If you ever need anything at all please get in touch with me on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or email me @ dailyrion@gmail.com. I am praying for you all.
~ Rion
March 22, 2011
Opening Up To Change
Welcome one and all to the revamped dailyRion page! I have my own personal webpage now @ www.dailyrion.com so you can find some nuggets of knowledge, some widgets of wisdom, or some pure randomness from my life. Whichever you prefer. During this month I will be exploring the book of Colossians and diving into how we should apply it to our lives. The book of Colossians is full of beautiful biblical wisdom and knowledge so if you haven’t sat down with it in a while I highly recommend it! Catch me after the break to check out my opening study on this great book!
__________________________________________
Colossians 1:3-10 (NIV)
3 We always thank God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, when we pray for you,
4 because we have heard of your faith in Christ Jesus and of the love you have for all God’s people—
5 the faith and love that spring from the hope stored up for you in heaven and about which you have already heard in the true message of the gospel
6 that has come to you. In the same way, the gospel is bearing fruit and growing throughout the whole world—just as it has been doing among you since the day you heard it and truly understood God’s grace.
7 You learned it from Epaphras, our dear fellow servant,[c] who is a faithful minister of Christ on our[d] behalf,
8 and who also told us of your love in the Spirit.
9 For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives,[e]
10 so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,
__________________________________________
There is a saying that is extremely popular in our culture today that can be overheard in many random conversations every day. The saying is, “that is just the way I am.” There are many different variations of this saying but essentially they all mean exactly the same thing. “How I am is how I am and no one is going to change me.” This is the primary attitude of the person speaking the words. However, we are called to be constantly changing.
Possibly the most important part of this section of Colossians is where Paul says, “growing in the knowledge of God.” The simple truth is that we can not obtain a higher level of the knowledge of God unless He Himself unlocks it to us. And the only way for that to happen is to come closer to Him in our personal walks. Unfortunately, our culture as of late has spread the great lie that “we are the way we are because that is the way we are.” Taking all ideas of a sinful nature and tossing it out the window. But our sin is deeper and greater than any of us might imagine. Our sin is ingrained in the words we speak, the clothes we wear, and the media we consume. I have come in contact with so many Christians who believe they are godly enough and do not wish to progress in their walk with God. (They will never admit to this of course, but it is apparent in their words and actions.) God never promised us an easy existence, but He did provide for us salvation from our hardships.
Paul is asking God to help his followers to grow in their walk with Him, but this isn’t just a mystical occurance. In order for them to grow they must be willing to admit that they aren’t complete. Just like every Christian had to admit before they gave their lives to Jesus Christ. Our lives are not complete without accepting the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, and our lives are not complete until they mimmick exactly the life of Jesus Christ. His attitude, His heart, His willingness to sacrifice, and His devotion to God the Father. None of us are there yet and we will never be there because only Jesus is perfect, but our struggle still must be, to become that image of Jesus. Both inside and out.
When you take a moment to ponder the reality of life everything can become more clear. We (humans) are the reason that Jesus had to sacrifice His life. If we had not sinned it would not have happened. So we, collectively, are guilty of the murder of the Son of God. It does not matter if we said a curse word or murdered innocent people or even committed a horrendous sexual crime. We are all guilty of the same thing. The death of Christ Jesus. And all of our sins will be treated equally. So to understand it in that way. To understand that liars and gossips and murderers and rapists are all seen as equal sinners in the eyes of God is a sobering revelation.
With this in mind it is easier to understand the reason that we must continue to grow and change and be open to change. Only God can see the heart of man, and His judgement is righteous and beyond reproof. So we must accept his judgement of us and continue to be humble and admit that we are only sinners saved by grace, and that in order to advance we must seek His holy face always.
I love you all and I pray that these words might soften hard hearts. God is here for us all, as each of us should be, and He is ready to comfort the broken hearted. Please, continue to open your hearts to one another and to our Father in heaven. He is the only one who truly knows the kind of heartache we endure.
I pray that this study has touched your hearts in some way and opened up a new way of thinking for some of you. Always remember that none of us are perfect, but we are all sinners. So cut people some slack if they offend you or treat you wrong. Remember, the sinful nature that causes others to sin is the same nature that you have. If you ever need anything at all please get in touch with me on FACEBOOK, TWITTER, or email me @ dailyrion@gmail.com. I am praying for you all.
~ Rion
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