Daily Devotional; formerly Chaplains Corner

[tcox4freedom]

Out of the mouths of babes comes the wisdom of God.

I too am sometimes amazed at the wisdom that comes forth from my two young children. When I experience these moments, I immediately recall the scripture:

Mark 10:14-15 (NKJV)
14 But when Jesus saw it, He was greatly displeased and said to them, "Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Assuredly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will by no means enter it."

[ampaterry]

Absolutely, Tim -

For today:

Some years ago Omni magazine carried an article entitled "When God Plays Dice With the Universe: Connoisseurs of Chaos." The title of this article was based upon a statement once made by Albert Einstein. He was dealing with Quantum theory, and a little thing called the 'uncertainty principle'. The adherents of this theory claim that many things in the universe are not fixed until some human observer checks them.

Schrodinger described this phenomenon this way. Imagine a box with a cat inside. There is no way to tell if the cat was alive or dead without opening the box and looking. According to the uncertainty principle, the cat inside is neither dead nor alive, but in some in-between state of existence until a person opens the box to take a look, and that action determines if the cat was dead or alive! To this very odd belief, Einstein said "God does not play dice with the universe", meaning that things WERE fixed, and man's checking them had nothing to do with it.

The article in Omni described a different field of scientific inquiry called Chaos Theory. The basic premise of this theory is that there is a randomness built into the universe. Not everything is as orderly or as mechanistic as has been assumed. Chance is a part of the universe and even if we had all the data, we could not always predict the outcome.

Whether the connoisseurs of chaos or the uncertainty principle adherants are right or not, certainly God does not play dice with the universe. He rules it.

The Word of God tells us of the TRUTH, as opposed to these man made theories:
2 Chronicles 20:5-6 (KJV);
"And Jehoshaphat stood in the congregation of Judah and Jerusalem, in the house of the LORD, before the new court, and said, O LORD God of our fathers, art not thou God in heaven? and rulest not thou over all the kingdoms of the heathen? and in thine hand is there not power and might, so that none is able to withstand thee?"

May the God who does not play dice with the universe bless each one of you -

[jack404]

from chaos we see a practical design , the more we see of the universe and how it was created the more folks become believers in Creation as opposed to a random series of events that made the universe

through chaos we get fractal some of these are bigger equations than we can handle but as we progress we see less uncertainty and more defined development parameters

and who set these Parameters?

Thank You for another day in Your creation Lord ..

cheers Terry

have a good one !!

[pipeman525]

Well paid scientists continue to show their stupidity. No matter what they say it is hard to imagine God at a craps table.

[ampaterry]

Fractals are COOL indeed, Jack.
What seemed to be randomness, we find order - Just exactly as Christians expect.

Pipeman, their reach exceeds their grasp.
When they DON'T have a naturalistic answer to a problem, they propose a hypothesis based on absolute naturalism, then rabidly defend it when evidence is shown to be against it.

For today:

I am an old man now.

I was young and idealistic during the marches and protests of the late 50's and early 60's, when the black people in this country were joined by many of us that are not black, working for their Civil Rights.

I was in the military service a bit later on when a number of the black people decided to use this unrest to their advantage, and would routinely fail to carry their fair share of the workload. Then they would start yelling about 'prejudice!' if any NCO or officer dared call them on it.

I am very happy all those days are, for the most part, behind us. The riots, the unrest, the injustice, the injuries, the murders perpetrated by BOTH races made this a horrid period in our nations history. Unfortunately, there are still areas of the country where prejudice is not at all uncommon, and there is SOME prejudice remaining in the hearts of some people all over the country. I now live in an area where it can still be seen, and I have stumbled across web-sites on the Internet dedicated to White Power with members scattered all over the country.

Today is Martin Luther King's birthday, and we have set this day aside to remember the work that he did back in the days when the Civil Rights marches were going on, and violence was common. He risked his health and his very life fighting for equal rights for the black people in this country, and ended up paying the ultimate price for his work; he was murdered.

I look forward to seeing him someday in our Fathers house.

I truly hope I can discuss when and how the prejudice in our country finally ended. “I have a dream”, brother Martin – and it is the same as your dream; that prejudice will end soon.

This should be the dream of every Christian.

God created Adam and Eve.

We all descended from them.

Red, yellow, black, white, brown – it makes no difference; we are all God's children, and need to love each other as He loves us.

Thank you, Lord, for loving us - and help us to ALL love each other as you would have us do.

[jack404]

Amen..

[Juker]

Amen, Terry.

[ampaterry]

I appreciate that support, guys!
And, just like a preacher in a pulpit, a few chimes of AMEN spurs him on to MORE!!

For today:

We are visually oriented. Studies show that one can remember visual images much easier than we can remember verbal descriptions. What we see and what we hear have a definite impact on how we think.

I remember going to a Drive In theater something over thirty years ago, and watching a rather senseless movie staring James Taylor (the singer) named Vanishing Point. It was all weird things and wild public road car races that really didn't have much of a point at all. The nude gal on the motorcycle riding through the desert was kinda cool - - but I digress. One audience member was obviously effected by this movie VERY strongly. We left the theater and entered I-74 along with most of the rest of the audience. At that time of night, the drive in audience accounted for MOST of the traffic right then. Suddenly, one of the cars swerved off the road, across the shoulder, and up onto those big sloped grassy areas that border the interstate in some places, raced along for several blocks there PASSING TRAFFIC, then swerved back down the slope, across the shoulder, and merged back into traffic. It was just like a scene from the movie!

Television may be responsible for doubling our crime rate in the United States, according to a study reported in JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association. An analysis of crime statistics both before and after TV was introduced in several communities was made. Those comparisons showed that prolonged exposure to violence on TV has increased the number of murders in the U.S. by 10,000 each year. TV was a "causal factor" in about 70,000 rapes and 700,000 injurious assaults annually.
I am not opposed to either movies or TV - but I have discovered something surprising. When I got laid off, we stopped our TV subscription and we found we don’t miss it nearly as much as we expected to!

The Word of God does not speak against TV or movies, but it does tell us to avoid evil:
Exodus 23:2 (GW);
Never follow a crowd in doing wrong. When you testify in court, don't side with the majority to pervert justice.

Micah 6:12 (KJV);
"For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth."

May God bless you, guys -

[pipeman525]

Good one Terry and a hearty AMEN. I think most of us as we walk with Christ find more programs and movies offensive and limit what comes into our house. Check this link out

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1XN5z...eature=related

This one is Steven Baldwin but there are other videos here that might pleasantly surprise you.

Thanks to all of you for your prayers on my Phoenix endeavor. After many strange delays I am leaving for Phoenix this afternoon.

[reflex1]

And speaking of evil Terry - I found this on facebook just before coming here to TFF -

1 Corinthians 10.12-13 Even if you think you can stand up to temptation, be careful not to fall. You are tempted in the same way that everyone else is tempted. But God can be trusted not to let you be tempted too much, and he will show you how to escape from your temptations. (CEV)

[ampaterry]

Pipeman, I pray for a safe trip for you, and will continue to until you tell me to stop.
Great video!
Yes, we HAVE noticed the decline in programming. We watch less TV all the time, actually.

Reflex, great verse! Very clear in the CEV, too.

For today:

How many times have you been honored in your life? Most people that are honored even once feel - well - honored! There are some, however, like repeat Oscar winners - that seem to be honored over and over for their achievements.

But how many times can someone be crowned King? Charles of Anjou, King of Hungary, was crowned three times. The first time he was crowned with an emergency crown because the historic crown of St. Stephen was not available. Some people said the value of the crown was the fact that it had been handed down from St. Stephen. Others said this crown was special because it had been consecrated by the pope. So papal envoy Cardinal Gentils consecrated a new bejewelled crown and Charles was crowned a second time. Finally, keepers of the original crown, the crown of St. Stephen, released it and Charles was crowned a third time on August 20, 1310.

There is another king that was crowned three times as well. Jesus Christ. He was crowned once with thorns at Golgotha. He was crowned again at the right hand of God after the ascension. And he was crowned once when you crowned him Lord of your life. "Crown him with many crowns, the Lamb upon his throne." In fact, he has been crowned again each time another believer accepts him as Lord, so he does indeed have 'many crowns'!

The Word of God tells us:
John 19:1-3 (KJV);
"Then Pilate therefore took Jesus, and scourged him. And the soldiers platted a crown of thorns, and put it on his head, and they put on him a purple robe, And said, Hail, King of the Jews! and they smote him with their hands."
Acts 5:30-31 (KJV);
"The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom ye slew and hanged on a tree. Him hath God exalted with his right hand to be a Prince and a Saviour, for to give repentance to Israel, and forgiveness of sins."
Colossians 3:1 (KJV);
"If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God."

May God bless each one of you, guys.

[jack404]

Cheers Terry , makes me think of this old scroll

On bended knee I come, With a humble heart I come;
Bowing down before Your Holy Throne.
Lifting holy hands to You, As I pledge my love a new,
I worship You in spirit, - I worship you in truth;
Make my life a holy praise unto You.

Lord of Lords, King of Kings

( theres a lot more but honestly i aint too sure of it all , heck it must be 20 years since i've sung that in any church.. pity .. )

[ampaterry]

I have not heard that one, Jack, but I like it!

For today:

This devotional is dedicated to my better half, Judy. Judy is more familiar with the definition of ‘tact’ than any person I know, because her grandmother made her look it up so many times!

Perhaps you heard the story about the man with delicate sensibilities, Mr. Myrick. He had to go to Chicago on business and persuaded his brother to take care of his cat during his absence. Though he hated cats, the brother agreed – just because that is what brothers do. Upon his return, Myrick called from the airport to check on the cat.

"Your cat died," the brother reported, then hung up.

Myrick was inconsolable. His grief was magnified by his brother's insensitivity, so he called again to express his pain. "There was no need for you to be so blunt," he said.

"What was I supposed to say?" asked the perplexed brother. “The cat is dead!”

"You could have broken the news gradually," explained Myrick. "You could have said, 'The cat is on the roof and can’t get down.' Then, later in the conversation, you could have said, 'He fell off.' Then you could have said, 'He broke his leg.' Then when I came to pick him up, you could have said, 'I'm so sorry. You're cat passed away during the night.' You've got to learn to be more tactful.
"By the way, how's Mom?"

After a long pause, the brother replied, "She's on the roof and can’t get down."

The Word of God tells us to use soft and gentle language:
Ephesians 4:15 (KJV);
"But speaking the truth in love, may grow up into him in all things, which is the head, even Christ:"
Proverbs 15:1(KJV);
"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous words stir up anger."
Proverbs 25:15(NCV);
"With patience you can convince a ruler, and a gentle word can get through to the hard-headed."

But if you want it hard, blunt, and true – ask Judy.

May God bless you, guys -

[jack404]

found this ,

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ewAmp5dT9Jg

lyrics http://www.higherpraise.com/lyrics/cool/o/3412.htm

the copyright is from 1988.

funny thing is we used to sing this when i was in my 20's ...

thats sad...

why does everything have to become someones property ??

mostly many years after it was written by someone else ...

[BlackEagle]

Thanks for that, Terry;
I try to think once, twice, three times before I speak, or reply to a topic on a forum...what will the effect of my words be. I always want my input to be constructive, not reactive or destructive. My attitude is something like, "God, please keep a watch over my mouth and don't let me say something that would be harmful or hurtful or that I would regret later." There are times I have to say something to correct someone, and I try to make those comments in a spirit of love and helpfulness.

Unfortunately I don't always succeed.

[Marlin]

Great advice, Terry. Wouldn't it be a much nicer world is all heeded that advice?????

[pipeman525]

really good one Terry that really strikes home. One of my many faults has been brutal honesty. I try not to offend people, but lying is not in my makeup. Thanks for reminding me that my honesty still needs work. It reminds me of when I became a single dad and I was instructed by my daughter about answering her question about her looks. I was told the right answer was that no matter what she was wearing it looked great. I told her that I can not lie to her if what she is wearing looks really bad. Wrong answer.

Thanks for your prayers again guys, Phoenix is a learning experience and I should be working by next week. I have had a few chances to witness to people and have run into some friends from Vegas.

[ampaterry]

Guys, I REALLY appreciate all that support for these daily devotionals. I am very happy they are of some value to you!

For today:

I am in many debates with people on the topic of Creation vs Evolution. One common topic concerns their belief that questioning Evolution in the public schools is introducing religion into the school system. I know that is not true, and you know that is not true, but it is their contention that if you are NOT a True Believer in Darwinism, you are a religious person. They will go to any length to keep any mention of anything even HINTING at religious belief out of public life entirely, even to the point of banning things that are NOT religious. I know we do not want the government to promote a particular denomination, nor to move against any denomination, but at the same time we must have some basic moral instruction for the sake of our nations future. We must have an acknowledgment of God in a non-denominational way in order to expose our children to what is important and true.

Leo Tolstoy wrote in Confessions; "My break with faith occurred in me as it did and still does among people of our social and cultural type. As I see it, in most cases, it happens like this: People live as everyone lives, but they all live according to principles that not only have nothing to do with the teachings of faith, but for the most part, are contrary to them. The teachings of faith have no place in life and never come to play in the relations among people; they simply play no role in living life itself. The teachings of faith are left to some other realm, separated from life and independent of it. If one should encounter them, then it is only as some superficial phenomenon that has no connection with life."

The Word of God tells us that real religion is not denominations and doctrine, but goes far beyond these:
James 1:26-27 (KJV);
"If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man's religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world."

There is unfortunately truth in that old expression credited to the hypocrite:
"Do as I say, not as I do."

We need to be striving toward "Do as I do"

May God bless each and every one of you in your daily struggle toward that goal -

[Juker]

Amen, Terry.

The verse I pray before teaching my Sunday School class is Psalm 19:14:

"Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be acceptable in Thy sight, O LORD, my strength, and my redeemer."

[RunningOnMT]

Truly evolutionists are men (and women)of great faith.

[ampaterry]

ROMT, our family Dr. says they require more faith than Creationists!

[RunningOnMT]

Absolutely.

One thing the evolutionists can't explain; if life evolves from one species to another, why isn't there an infinite number of examples of the mutations? For example if a zebra evolves into an elephant, there should be numerous examples of zebras becoming more elephant like in varying degrees.

I do believe in a type of evolution within a species over time. Probably a better word would be adaptation. But I would stake my life on the fact that man did not start out as an amoeba.

Occasionally you will meet someone you could swear descended from an ape or maybe a jackass, but that's a whole other subject.

[ampaterry]

EXCELLENT preparation, Juker!!

Indeed, ROMT, every farmer, rancher, gardener, breeder, is familiar with evolution WITHIN a species, and I also tend to call it 'adaptation' in it's natural state, or 'selective breeding' in the artificial state.

Yup. Met a lot of folks that make it hard NOT to believe they came from monkeys - -

[pipeman525]

When I run into evolutionists I tell them my Stew, Goo, and You theory. If they are right we all started from a primordial stew, then there was a random goo, and now there is you. Most evolutionists don't like it put that way. I always thought Darwinism was still an unproven theory not a fact. Yet almost all public schools preach it as a fact. If our educators cannot distinguish between theory and fact, how can they educate?

[ampaterry]

Pipeman, that is what I call the old "bait and switch" routine.
First, they say "evolution" is a fact.
Well, in ONE definition, "evolution" just means change over time.
Any FOOL knows that living things DO change over time, so using THAT definition, "evolution" is indeed a FACT.
Then there are half a dozen or so THEORIES of evolution, that propose how this change comes about. Darwinism, Punctuated Equalibrium, Steady-state, hopeful monster, etc.

Then there is something else altogether that is properly called "common descent" that is loosely and commonly called "evolution". This is not a fact, nor a theory, but is a mere hypothesis. THIS is the one that claims Stew, Goo and You!!

Now, the evolutionists, always wanting to reach beyond their grasp, have got the public used to thinking that "evolution" means common descent. Then they procalim that "evolution" is a fact, and NEVER HINT that they are talking about two entirely different definitions of "evolution."

Bait-and-switch.
Subterfuge.
Lying scum.

pick the term you like for this practice.