Daily Devotional; formerly Chaplains Corner

[Woodnut]

AMEN!

Terry, I too am enjoying retirement. I do have a business (hobby) so to speak that I do at home where I can be near my wife. I work if I want and relax when I want.
So everything is working out really nice for me.
Thanks and May God Bless

[Popgunner]

1

[marlin795]

Thank you my brother in Christ and fellow patriot.

[Popgunner]

Thanks Marlin
we really felt the hand of the Lord on this trip. Every problem that arrose seemed to immediately get worked out, spirits were high & no accidents to speak of. We felt really blessed. There are many Christian groups who have built things there on the res. Makes me proud

[jack404]

Popgunner , good on you for acting when Inspired too

and for your "crew' too

cheers and well done eh

[ampaterry]

Thank you, Popgunner, for that warming news and the great pic's -
You are doing a GOOD work there!! My church has had two outreaches to the Native Americans, both on Pine Ridge reservation where the abject poverty is truly unbelievable to any that has not been there to see it.

It is not too surprising a coincidence that my devotional for today is along the lines of working together in peace with all inhabitants of the earth -
For it is not only all people of the earth that we shall get along with, but all living things will be in harmony -

When Tracy was a toddler, we took her to Reptile Gardens. There, in a huge enclosure full of plants and trees, there were all sorts of reptiles and birds which were free to move about at will. Along the outer perimeter, there were separate areas where they had alligators and other creatures too dangerous to allow in with the people. As we stood observing the jungle beauty around us, a large black bird flew down and lit on the railing beside me. I looked at it, and said “Hello, Bird!” The bird said “Hello!”, and my daughters eyes opened wide as she stared at it. For the rest of our visit, she said “Hello!” to every living thing we saw – alligators and all – for was a magical place where animals could talk!

Genesis 3: 1 (KJV);
“Now the serpent was more subtle than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?”

The conversation with the serpent is troubling to many people, but not to me. Animals today display a remarkable ability to know what their owners are thinking. When I returned from work every day, Judy tells me that my dog, Lucas, would often start whining and going to the door when I was still miles away on the road, and there was no possibility that he heard my vehicle approach. I believe this is a small remnant of the communication which man once had with all the animals when we dwelt together in perfect harmony and peace in Eden.
And there is going to be a time in the future when this ability is restored, both in the thousand year reign of Jesus, and I believe in the new heavens and the new earth which He will create after these present ones have been destroyed. This wondrous time is described in Isaiah:
Isaiah 11:6-9 (KJV);
"The wolf also shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the kid; and the calf and the young lion and the fatling together; and a little child shall lead them. And the cow and the bear shall feed; their young ones shall lie down together: and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. And the sucking child shall play on the hole of the asp, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the cockatrice' den. They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the LORD, as the waters cover the sea."

I sit here at my computer this morning and look out the window. There is a cloud of hummingbirds around the line of feeders hanging from the eave of the house. I have thrown out a few handfuls of corn, and soon there will be the wild turkeys in to feed, and some deer as well. I also threw out some stale breadl, so they will be joined this morning by crows. They will all eat together, as they do each morning, and I will watch them and think of the future time when this little peaceful microcosm outside my window will be the norm for the whole world - - -

God bless you, guys - -

[Woodnut]

AMEN!! Thanks

Popgunner, Job well done, and thanks for the pictures and story behind it. God Bless you and your family.

[lonewolf204]

Thank you for taking your time to write Gods word! I enjoy reading it!

[reflex1]

Terry - hope ya don't mind me posting the following here - received it from my cousin and thought y'all should see it!

AIN'T

He was just a little boy,
On a week's first day.
Wandering home from Bible school,
And dawdling on the way.

He scuffed his shoes into the grass;
He even found a caterpillar.
He found a fluffy milkweed pod
And blew out all the 'filler.'

A bird's nest in a tree overhead,
So wisely placed up high.
Was just another wonder
That caught his eager eye.

A neighbor watched his zigzag course
And hailed him from the lawn;
Then he asked him where he'd been that day
And what was going on.

'I've been to Bible School,'
He said and turned a piece of sod.
He picked up a wiggly worm replying,
'I've learned a lot about God.'

"M'm, very fine way," the neighbor said,
"for a boy to spend his time.
If you'll tell me where God is,
I'll give you a brand new dime."

Quick as a flash the answer came!
Nor were his accents faint.
"I'll give you a dollar, Mister,
If you can tell me where God ain't."


Have a great day

Life without God is like an unsharpened pencil......it has no point.

Live simply. Love generously. Care deeply. Speak kindly.

And leave the rest to God!

[ampaterry]

I like that poem, Reflex -

I'll give anyone a HUNDRED, if they can tell me where God Aint!!

[ampaterry]

Yesterday, I spoke to you a bit about the communication that animals once had with man, based upon the conversation between the serpent and Eve. Some say that because the serpent was in the control of Satan, this is not evidence that man and the animals once communicated easily.

In the story of Balaam's ass, the ass has spiritual vision that Balaam lacks. Three times, an angel of the Lord stands in their path to block them, and all three times the Ass sees the angel, and does NOT go that way. Not one of the three times did the human see the angel. Then, after Balaam beats the ass for not going where he tells it to;
Numbers 22:28-29 (KJV);
"And the LORD opened the mouth of the ass, and she said unto Balaam, What have I done unto thee, that thou hast smitten me these three times? And Balaam said unto the ass, Because thou hast mocked me: I would there were a sword in mine hand, for now would I kill thee."

Now, those who choose to doubt that animals once were able to communicate much better with humans than they do today may say that the ass only spoke because the Lord opened it's mouth. If that is true, why did Balaam not act surprised that his animal spoke to him? I have seen videos of dogs saying "hamburger", "run around", and "mama" - all reasonably clearly - and people go crazy over it. Let's say that you are sitting with your dog, who you have just swatted three times for chewing up your slippers, and instead of making a growl that sounds something like "mama", he clearly says "What is it that I have done wrong that caused you to strike me three times?" Would you calmly answer him, and tell him it was because he chewed up your slippers? You would freak!
Did Balaam freak? No, he simply answered the question his ass had posed to him, in a normal conversational manner, because the words of the ass were not a huge surprise to him. The only reason I can think of for this accepting behavior is that either animals could speak to people at that time, or there was clear knowledge of a time previously when they could do this.

This kind of speculation is fun, but it isn't a salvation issue! You don't have to recognize the intelligence of animals in order to be saved; you only have to recognize Jesus as your savior, and make Him Lord of your life!

God bless you, guys -

[Woodnut]

AMEN! Terry.
More words of wisdom, thanks for the daily uplift.

[lonewolf204]

Thanks, Terry!

[HunterAlpha1]

good point, Terry. i personally believe that certain animals, for example dogs, are sentient creatures. my mom's service dog, Shelly, will wink at you, at the appropriate moment, when she or someone else has made a joke. she will even laugh at jokes with a doggy laugh.

one evening, me and my family was watching a movie. Shelly was sitting next to my mom on the sofa, and i wanted to sit there, so i made her get off. she didn't want to move, but i ordered her to, so she did. she lay down on the floor for a few minutes, then raised her head, looked at the front door, pricked her ears, and woofed. being the household protector that i am, i jumped up to investigate, but there was no one there. when i returned, Shelly was back on the couch, in my spot, laughing, and i had to sit elsewhere.
there is no way i will believe that dogs aren't sentient, and i'm sure there are other animals that are as well.

[ampaterry]

Absolutely, Hunter!
I could tell some tales involving our Dobermans over the years that give further evidence of this -

[jack404]

frankly the Good Book tells me two things re this

there will be critters in heaven

and i must treat em right while here , ( not cruel not wasteful etc) and why i gave up bow hunting , i cant get a kill to be as instant with a bow as i can with a gun ...
as states a few times before i wish a critter i hunt to be eating grass one minute then just to notice the grass got a lot sweeter as its now in Glories own Pastures... if i cant do this i dont take the shot

feral or game critter , both deserve the best i can do .. as The Good Lord gave us Dominion over all the animals , that dont mean ownership , it means responcible in charge ..

[HunterAlpha1]

you still might wanna maintain your bowhunting skills though, because before too long it may be the only way you'll be able to hunt in Australia(here too!)

[jack404]

narr and why i've spent the last few years fighting it all , we are increasing gun ownership by 8000 a month averaged over the past 2 years .. we have got feral animals listed to be controled and shown the greenie way of poisoning kills more native animals than any other factor yet seen ..

shooting is here to stay , but if you have issues in your own nation i suggest you do what we did here , get off your butt go to your nation and explain in no uncertain terms , its your way or the highway ..

if that dont work then run your own candidates against them , when they lose to your folks , you win ..

http://www.shootersandfishers.org.au/

thats how democracy works

[HunterAlpha1]

unfortunately, democracy only really works if the majority isn't stupid

[ampaterry]

Mid day in Japan on August 15, 1945, Emperor Hirohito announced Japan's surrender in a radio broadcast to the Japanese people. They also sent a cable to President Harry Truman via the Swiss diplomatic mission in Washington, D.C. A nation-wide broadcast by President Truman was aired at seven o'clock p.m, local time in Washington, D.C. on August 14 which announced this fact.

Since the European Axis Powers had surrendered three months earlier, V-J (Victory in Japan) Day would be the official end of World War II. In Australia and most other allied nations, the name V-P Day was used.

On August 15 and 16 some Japanese soldiers, devastated by the surrender, committed suicide. Well over 100 American prisoners of war also were executed. In addition, many Australian and British prisoners of war were executed in Borneo, at both Ranau and Sandakan, by the Imperial Japanese Army. At Batu Lintang camp, also in Borneo, death orders were found which proposed the execution of some 2,000 POWs and civilian internees on September 15, 1945.

The history revisionists try to make the case that the Atomic bombs we dropped on Japan were not necessary to end the war. The fact is, ending the war sooner in this way saved countless lives on BOTH sides.
War is a horrid thing.
Often, though, it is better than the alternative.

But there will come a time when all wars will cease:
Isaiah 2:2-4 (KJV);
“And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the LORD'S house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it. And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the LORD, to the house of the God of Jacob; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the LORD from Jerusalem. And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people: and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more.”

I pray for, and look forward to, that time.

May the Lord bless each one of you -

[jack404]

Amen to that ..

[ampaterry]

Originally Posted by HunterAlpha1

unfortunately, democracy only really works if the majority isn't stupid

This is true, sadly.

Jack, I wish we had hunters like you here in West TN.
Thus far, I haven't found ANY.

[jack404]

they'll be there , maybe unsure that they should speak out , so pray that The Lord touches someone to do just that , to give them the gumption to do and act as needed for the best interest of the people

thats the best bet of all , betting on God to get someone to do whats right ..

[Woodnut]

AMEN! to both Terry and Jack.

[ampaterry]

It's really hard to pray for some folks, Jack -

But then I remember all the folks that prayed for me, back in my Atheist, agnostic and pagan days, and it gets a lot easier - -