Someone may be watching.....

Amel and I exchanged messages on Facebook yesterday. I explained my two blogs to her. I told her that WIXY's Gone Bananas was more of a personal journal and Seek Him First is the blog where I try my best to glorofy the Lord. Amel then told me that she used these blogs as devotionals since she didn't go to Sunday School much as a child.

This got me to thinking that this is both an honor and a great responsibility. Since I don't have a site meter on this blog, I don't know how many hits I get here in a day, and I don't know where the hits come from. But what I do know is this: there may be someone in need when they come across our blogs, someone who may need a word of encouragement.

Shortly after I got saved in 1980, I asked the Lord to give me a ministry. In the past 27 years I have been a song leader, assistant choir director, sang solos in church, taught Sunday School, and preached a few messages. Most of these gave me a good ego stroke. When it hit home that one coming to this blog comes looking for spiritual food, that really humbled me.

Pray that I don't disappoint my friends who stop here. I will pray that those who minister here in the blogosphere can help feed those who are starving spiritually, and we all can maintain the sweet fellowship we have.

Dual Posts: Terry Pluto on Joseph

This being the weekend before Christmas, I want to share with my blogging family an article that Terry Pluto wrote in this morning's Cleveland Plain Dealer, and also available on Cleveland.com.

The article is about how churches sometime beautify and sanitize the Christmas story. Terry also writes that the story of Joseph should be an example for people of all faiths to follow.

It should be of interest to those who find themselves raising a child that they didn't bring into the world themselves.

Take some time to reflect on the very humble beginnings of the greatest man who ever lived.

From 1979- Billy Graham Christmas Special

This clip from the special featured Evie and George Beverly Shea.
Some of the related features include other clips from this special. Other Christmas carols include a clip from the Tonight Show of Sandy Patty singing "Go Tell it on the Mountain." As Johnny Carson introduces Sandy Patty he holds up her latest record album. Seems strange for him to hold up something so big as a 33-1/3 RPM album.

The "Christian" Blogosphere

This blog was originally started to separate some thoughts I would have about Christian living and to post prayer requests. This was to be my "faith based" blog. I have been very careful, as far as calling this a "Christian" blog. This blog is based on my walk with the Lord, but I like to consider myself a Christian with two blogs.

I hope you're still with me. The reason that I am posting this is because of a Christian publication that feels that there should not be "Christian" blogs. Their reasoning is that anyone can have a bad experience against some church or Christian college, which would be of their own doing, and are in the position to influence millions with their views.

What hurts is this reasoning paints anyone who wants to express their faith with a broad brush, and I take exception to this.

There are those who read these words that inspire me to do my best. There are also those, such as Kathy, who utilize their blogs to read like a good devotional. There are also those who I have learned to rely on as prayer warriors.

I am not going to give a link to the Christian publication which I referred to in the second paragraph, as I don't want to risk offending anyone who reads this. I didn't agree with the article, but the same ministry that publishes the paper also published the booklet I was reading over 27 years ago which put me under conviction that I needed Jesus in my life.

I just wish the folks who cast aspersions on the Christian blogosphere would read blogs like "Kathy's Klavier" or "This and That."

I had a burden

The Lord laid a burden on my heart this morning to pray for all my blogging friends. I have prayed for all those who either blog or have place comments on either of my blogs.

May God richly bless you.

About acting human

Amias had made a comment on my last post here:

"it's so refreshing to see someone who is a Christian, act like a human being."

There are times when I wonder why it's so difficult for a Christian to act human.

We put on our clothes the same way as others. We get tired at the end of the day. We eat . We sleep.
Just like those who don't claim to be Christians.

And just like Jesus when he walked the Earth.

This month we celebrate the birth of Jesus. Jesus is God in the flesh. when He walked the Earth, He showed mercy on those who would accept mercy, gave answers to those who inquired of Him, and love when others demanded judgement.

Jesus had human emotions. He got hungry and thirsty. He got angry when He needed to. His anger was towards the religious leaders, not those who those leaders looked down on.

We sometimes think WWJD- What would Jesus do. The only way for us to find out what Jesus would do id read His word. Be a student. Ask for God's love, agape love, to flow through you and read His word through eyes of love,

Owe no man any thing, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law-Romans 13:8

And notice in the above verse, it doesn't say love only Christians, but love one another. It's hard, but it's possible.

The voices in our head

This morning my church, the South Main Street Church of God, in Rittman, Ohio had it's monthly fund raiser, country breakfast. My job in this fund raiser is to deliver orders which are called in. Today, there was a lull in the action so I went home to deliver some breakfasts to my wife and sister. I took a small break and went to Cleveland.com to look at Terry Pluto's faith column, which was titled, "When dark thoughts creep in, hold them in." In this article, Terry tells you how to deal with the voices in your head.

With Christmas swiftly approaching, you may have some ideas about either wanting to avoid certain people or tell them what you think of them, neither of which is the Christlike thing to do. The voices in our heads may be telling us not to listen to others because their problems are their own fault. Or that person's testimony is always the same when they stand up.

Fact of the matter is, some folks only think of Jesus twice a year-Christmas and Easter. There could be a reason why. Maybe the voices in our heads are telling us to just have fellowship with those we know, or see more often. Maybe that's the reason. The voices in THEIR heads are telling them that there are no friendly people in church. Maybe the voices in their heads are telling them that they aren't good enough to have fellowship with the more regular church goers.

Remember, the only Bible some people see are how much Jesus we let shine through us.

I am going to end this post with a plug for my friend Terry Pluto. He is a sports columnist for the Cleveland Plain Dealer. He also loves the Lord and writes a faith column every other Saturday. Terry has written over 20 books on sports and some on faith. A great gift idea would be one of his books. Check out the selection at www.terrypluto.com.