I have Rights!

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.” These are some of the most famous lines from the United States Declaration of Independence.

Rights! We in the states even call the first 10 Amendments to our Constitution our “Bill of Rights.”

Rights! Our student handbook at Pine Forest High School carried the title, “Students’ Rights and Responsibilities.” Where my son attends we sign a Student/Parent/School Compact that includes the Rights he has a a student.

I have rights! And according to the US Declaration of Independence, some of them come from God. Recently in our Wednesday Bible Studies we discussed one of our God-given rights: the privilege we have to talk directly to God in prayer.

As God’s child, I do not have to have a religious power, an ancestor, or a decease religious figure as a solicitor to God on my behalf. I can talk directly to God.

Consider these scriptures:

Since then we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need. (Heb 4:14-16)

So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian, for in Christ Jesus you are all sons of God, through faith. For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And if you are Christ’s, then you are Abraham’s offspring, heirs according to promise. (Gal 3:24-29)

My gender, economic status, or ethnicity cannot and do not prevent my access to God. When I by faith put on Christ according to His plan (immersion into Him) than I am God’s child and can speak in the presence of God.

What a great God we serve!

- Scott

Have You?

“If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters, yes, and even his own life, he cannot be my disciple. Whoever does not bear his own cross and come after me cannot be my disciple. For which of you, desiring to build a tower, does not first sit down and count the cost, whether he has enough to complete it? Otherwise, when he has laid a foundation and is not able to finish, all who see it begin to mock him, saying, ‘This man began to build and was not able to finish.’ Or what king, going out to encounter another king in war, will not sit down first and deliberate whether he is able with ten thousand to meet him who comes against him with twenty thousand? And if not, while the other is yet a great way off, he sends a delegation and asks for terms of peace. So therefore, any one of you who does not renounce all that he has cannot be my disciple. (Luk 14:26-33)

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory. Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality, impurity, passion, evil desire, and covetousness, which is idolatry. (Col 3:1-5)

Jesus talks about the importance of it.

Paul repeats the same thing.

Abraham had to learn to do it.

Have you?

Have you fully surrendered your life to God?

• “I go to church.” – That’s not what I asked. Have you FULLY surrendered YOUR life to God?
• “I pray.” - That’s not what I asked. Have you FULLY surrendered YOUR life to God?
• “I am a member of _________ Church” - That’s not what I asked. Have you FULLY surrendered YOUR life to God?
• “I am a Christian.” - That’s not what I asked. Have you FULLY surrendered YOUR life to God?
• “I was baptized.” - That’s not what I asked. Have you FULLY surrendered YOUR life to God?

One more passage, “For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God,” (1Th 1:9).

So, have you FULLY SURRENDERED YOUR life to God?

- Scott

Mom – This is for you

Today I turn the blog over to YouTube – more specifically, Kid President and his shout out to Moms!

Driving Rant

WARNING!  I am about to go on a rant. I am stepping up on a soap box and I will not come down until I have my say. This is my prerogative - this is my blog – I will say what I want to say and then turn the comments over to you.

Christians, we need to be careful about what we allow to enter our homes on that TV.  I am going to give a list of current shows on TV and a list of new names for those shows and let you match them up:

1. The Big Bang Theory
2. The Bachelor
3. The Bachelorette
4. Dancing with the Stars
5. Pretty Little Liars
6. Scandal
7. Modern Family
8. Vegas
9. Revenge

• A) The Harem
• B) Diminutive Dishonest Divas
• C)  Immense Innuendo Hypothesis
• D) The Madam
• E) Mocking Family
• F) Sin SPIN
• G) Gambling Against Hell
• H) Lasciviousness on Hardwood with Has-beens
• I)  Returning Evil for Evil

Now match the answers and then decide if we should be watching.

- Scott

Marital Lies

Marital lies.  These are not the lies one might tell their husband or wife like, “I did not forget that tomorrow was our anniversary.” The marital lies I want to share are the ones we tell ourselves.  These self-lies are often the root of the arguments and irritants in our marriages.

1. My wife (husband) should make me happy.
2. My husband (wife) has to meet all of my needs.
3. My spouse, because they love me, knows my needs without my having to tell her/him.
4. I know how things should be done and my wife (husband) should be willing to do things my way.
5. No matter what I say or do, my husband (wife) should not respond in an irritable or angry tone to me.
6. My spouse should ask me about my day first.

I am sure that as you read the above statements you realized at least two things. 1) You tell one or more of these statements to yourself (or have in the past). And 2) You can see how unfair they are to your spouse.

Take a moment to look over these statements. If you see that you are telling yourself these lies, then learn to see them for what they are and try to think differently. Tell yourself that they are not true and try rewording them as truths. Take number 3 for an example. Tell yourself, “My spouse will only know what I need and be able to help fulfill that need when I communicate that need.”

Have a great marriage!

- Scott

Earth Day Backlink . . .

Happy Earth Day – Here is what I wrote 4 years ago on this day - http://scottmccown.wordpress.com/2009/04/22/happy-earth-day-to-you/

Haiku Deck

I am trying out Haiku Deck on my iPad as a presentation tool.  To test it out I put together (in less than 15 minutes) a presentation of an old blog post – Ten Commandments of Human Relationships.  Below is the Haiku Deck, click on the picture to see the presentation:

Check Haiku Deck out for yourself at http://www.haikudeck.com