23rd Psalm

Coldfingers · Post by **Coldfingers** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 10:05 am

As election day nears, and we get our tails all knotted up, let us not forget who has the final say in all matters concerning our lives.

I admit to getting in a bit of a tither myself these last few weeks. My wife had a total knee replacement a week ago, work has been excruciatingly slow (not one trip to Prudhoe in over two months...prolly forgot how to shift the KW!) and the long winter darkness setting in.

Being pretty much stuck in the house, trying my hand at nursing, cooking, and cleaning, I spent alot of time watching the political mess. I certainly got my "fret" glands worked up!

I awoke this am, stoked the fire, gave my wife her meds and a nice little breakfast and just felt pretty much at peace.

The 23rd Psalm was running through my mind.

NO matter what happens, all is going according to the Masters Plan. Evil, in any form, is a tool in the Masters hand. The devil himself is on a pretty short leash in the Grand Plan. My part is simply to trust My Lord and attempt to live with some measure of Integrity while doing my best to be dilligent in preperations so that I not be a burden to my neighbors if times get tough. Perhaps even give consideration to a little extra in case my neighbor finds himself in need.

Just my thoughts today...

All my best,

Scotty

Bill in Oregon · Post by **Bill in Oregon** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 10:33 am

Scotty:
Very well said. TV can make you crazy. Politics, like sausage-making, is a grubby affair of human culture, so far beneath the spiritual realm. Let us hold our noses and render unto Caesar that which is Caesar's and render unto God that which is God's and not confuse the two.
Bill

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 10:43 am

to say that God is sovereign includes at least four ideas:

First, that God has the power to do whatever He wants to do

Second, that God has the knowledge/wisdom that will correctly guide Him in doing whatever He wants to accomplish

Third, that God has the will to exercise his power in doing what He believes is right and good

Fourth, that God has the authority to do as He plans and that no other authority can ultimately challenge or nullify what He does.

This makes all the difference for how we live.

God is sovereign, even over the rulers of the earth and his will and purposes can not be thwarted.

Grizz · Post by **Grizz** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:21 am

thanks for the reminders men, it's edifying to reflect on the actual Truth.

donw · Post by **donw** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 11:23 am

we have to accept what happens nov 4th, like it or not...The Good Shepard has decided long ago, which path America will take.

Rod WMG · Post by **Rod WMG** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 12:15 pm

This is the right way to look at things, men. The Lord doesn't have to watch TV or read a paper to know what is going to happen, He has decided it already to work His will for His own good purpose.

That doesn't mean we can't or shouldn't do all in our power to influence the outcome of an election or other events, just that we should rest in Him concerning the results.

slimster · Post by **slimster** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 1:31 pm

Coldfingers, thanks for a ray of sunshine in the otherwise dreary days of late.

TedH · Post by **TedH** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 2:13 pm

slimster wrote:Coldfingers, thanks for a ray of sunshine in the otherwise dreary days of late.

+1

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 3:45 pm

Thank you for the reminder Coldfingers. Very appropriate!

marlinman93 · Post by **marlinman93** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 6:47 pm

Great post Coldfingers! Can't agree more!-Vall

ursavus.elemensis · Post by **ursavus.elemensis** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 7:59 pm

Wait...are you trying to say that He is voting for Obama?

Bullard4075 · Post by **Bullard4075** » Wed Oct 29, 2008 9:36 pm

Romans chapter 13 verse 1 :
Everyone must submit himself to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except that
which God has established. The authorities that exist have been established by God.

Kinda says it all.

dwight · Post by **dwight** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 7:26 am

Coldfingers, Bill in Oregon, rjohns94, donw, Rod WMG, Bullard4075 (and others)

Thank You!

--Dwight

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 9:23 am

ursavus.elemensis wrote:Wait...are you trying to say that He is voting for Obama?

Here's my take Ursavus ,and I'll no doubt be raised to the level of heretic by a few more folks, but here goes. The way it works in scripture is, sometimes when we go astray as a society, God sets up an alternative which is not how He would have done it if we not gone astray, but because of our own sins, it is allowed to happen. Biblical examples would be the fall of Jerusalem and Jewish nation to Babylon, Assyria, the Macedonians, the Romans...etc. Every time they pulled away from God, He used other Nations/leaders to bring His people back to a valued relationship with Him. He uses these times of persecution to build up His people. I'm not saying the Republicans are good and Democrats are bad in the case of this election. All of us have tremendous shortcomings, and it is only through Christ Jesus, who paid the ultimate penalty, they we are made right. It is the sins of all, not just the secular progressive Liberals.

Human nature seems to fit into this pattern as well. When times are good, we should give thanks to the Lord right? Instead, when times are good and when we are living fat and happy, we start to think that we are running the show and all of these good things are because we are good people, because we are smart or this or that. We start to get proud that we have a nice house, nice big SUV in the driveway, (big levergun collection

), proud that we don't act like those other "sinners"....etc. We set up little idols for ourselves with which to feel powerful and important. We forget about those who truly need help: sinners(which we all are), the aged, those poor all around us, the fatherless, the mentally and physically challenged, etc. Even many the people who look good and profess the Lord have gone astray in their hearts and are living false, shallow lives. I believe many of us have done the above, and there are large scale sins that we let go on as a Nation which we never talk about: abortion and pornography being just a couple. How long can we do all of this before God allows persecution?

So, if Obama is elected what will it be? Only the Lord truly knows, but I suspect it will be a time of persecution for Christians and a victory for those who want God taken out of all public society. To them, we are intolerant, uneducated and perhaps dangerous. The irony is that their Mantra is tolerance...and they will tolerate anyone except Christians and Jews(the latter may sound farfetched, but almost without exception, those in the hard core left detest Israel and Judeo Christian thought). Yes...persecution will probably be the outcome if the secular progressives run the White House and Congress, but to what extent only the Lord knows. But look at Chinese Christians. These folks have been persecuted like the early Church...have been tortured,imprisoned, harrassed and murdered for believing in Christ. At one point they were running people over with steam rollers if they did not recant their Faith. The body of Christ has grown there under such persecution much like the early Church grew directly after the time of the Crucifixion. Sometimes you have too miss what's important to value it, and that is what He does when we come under persecution and rulers who are not what He would have wanted for us had we not strayed. His ultimate goal is not our comfort and prosperity, but for to be Saved through Christ and come to Him. It's eternity that He's worried about. Probably, none of any of this makes sense the way I've explained it, but there you have it ....explained it the best way I know how. Hope it helps.

brucew44guns · Post by **brucew44guns** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:14 am

The people of Ancient Israel (12 tribes of people and only one tribe being Jews) seemed to always have decent and good rulers when the people obeyed their God, kept the 10 Commandments, kept his Holy Days and Sabbaths, treated their neighbors in right ways. But when they strayed from Gods laws and lived unrighteousely, then God in his own way saw to it that the people got terrible rulers over them. When they repented and changed, and cried out to God again to deliver them, God was faithful to restore a righteous king to rule.

With several hundred thousands of abortions every year in our America, and the open and blatant mockery of so many in authority as to Gods place in our society, taking God completely out of the school, the public arena, would it be any wonder that a Just and Righteous God would turn his back, and let the chips fall to those who scorn Him and attempt to prove that he doesn't even exist? The motto on our coins says "In God We Trust", but it isn't that way with the nation as a whole. Thankfully, many on this forum are not living as most of the nation does, at least in their acknowledgement of God in their life, and their thankfullness for His hand in their personal affairs. All that is good, but our nation has strayed tremendousely, and the grim reaper may not be far off from doing his work. If Obama loses, I would say that we have a little time as a nation to get some things right again. If he wins, I fear time is closing in on us, at least as a nation such as we have always known. Things are going to change fast, in my opinion. An Obama in command, who will be influenced by extreme, ungodly characters, with no regard for the spiritual heritage of our country, does not bode well for anyone living here.

O.S.O.K. · Post by **O.S.O.K.** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 10:51 am

Another thought here. And I appolgize in advance if I offend anyone - I do not mean to. I have only the highest regard for the owners and membership of this board.

Our founding fathers were God-fearing men.

Yet, they took it upon themselves to fight the established authority at that time, and formed a new authority. Did they accept their rule and abuse by the hand of King George as the will of God? No. Most certianly they did not. Or, they saw it as God's method of guiding them to the new way? Or Satan's influence?

One can accept that the Lord is the supreme authority and also realize that he works in mysterious ways unknown and unrevealed to man.

No man can make a statement that this or that is God's will and must be accepted. Not the way I see it.

What if obamination gets elected and then declares that Islam is the new national religion? Redicuous of course, but what if? Would that be God's will then? And if so would it be God's will that we accept this? Or would it more likely be that he'd cause that to lead us?

Perhaps it's God's will for BHO to be elected and for the country to enter into a violent upheaval over the consequent actions taken by him and his willing accomplises? I hope not! But these kind of events have happened throughout history! What makes anybody think that they can't happen today? Or that it's not God's will that they do?

Things happen in my life and I accept them as God's will, yes. But then I make the most out of what is given and view it as a lesson - try to do the right thing. Not be angry with God that misfortune has fallen on me. Rather, I look at my own, flawed self and try and see the right way.

I am seeing like all of us mass election fraud being perpetrated on our country by unrepentant communist organizations like ACORN who are under indictement in 12 states for said fraud. I am hearing lie upon lie from the obamination and his minions. I am witnessing the free press working hard to get him elected - skewing their reporting, reporting blatantly false information and ignoring and not reporting important facts and relationships. I am witnessing the flow of money to him from "undisclosed" sources - many of which are known to be of dubious origin. He's using this to inundate the airwaves with his "message" - using every trick in the book to convince us he's something that he's not - to cause us to ignore the things that would cause us to fear him. And it looks like its working to some level.

Is that God's will? Perhaps it is, but it may also be his will for the good people of this country to react as they should to this - with outrage. How else does one react to evil? We are intellegent people - we know where this leads.

I pray to Almighty God for guidance in these trying times.

I also pray that John McCain and Sara Palin win the election.

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:08 am

I think your on it OSOK. I don't believe God expects us to sit idly by while injustice reigns, or to submit to the immoral directives of a leader. We are never bound to what is immoral or against God's word. Turning the other cheek is about personal 1:1 relationships, and not about letting others get hurt while we sit and watch. We must pursue justice.

O.S.O.K. · Post by **O.S.O.K.** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 11:43 am

C. Cash wrote:I think your on it OSOK. I don't believe God expects us to sit idly by while injustice reigns, or to submit to the immoral directives of a leader. We are never bound to what is immoral or against God's word. Turning the other cheek is about personal 1:1 relationships, and not about letting others get hurt while we sit and watch. We must pursue justice.

Much more succinct than my ramblings.

Coldfingers · Post by **Coldfingers** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 12:45 pm

OSOK, CCash, BruceW and all...

Spot on!

Praying for guidance, wisdom, courage.

I am greatly angered by the lies and decit. Just trying not to sin in my anger. Perhaps we get a little taste of how the founding fathers must have agonized prior to the great decision.

It is just my opinion, but the Church does need to awaken. Once the "Government" stepped into the charity business, the church got pretty complacent. The "Salt" has been pretty content to hang out in the shaker under the pretense of doing good. Perhaps this was the idea behind "seperation of Church and State" eh?

All in all, interesting times and I appreciate the thoughtfull posts as I try to wrap my mind around the goings on here in the USofA.

One last thought...A Democratic win is certainly going to blow holes in the "Prosperity Message" that has slunk it's way into the Church.

Scotty (who ramians a strong supporter of Mrs.Palin and her running mate)

ursavus.elemensis · Post by **ursavus.elemensis** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:35 pm

But what if the reality is something more like this:
God gave us this great country, that He helped to create and He helped to secure with blessings of liberty that come from Him but were nonetheless unknown to mankind before we became an independent nation. And, what if God said, "Here's this country that I am giving you, and here is this liberty and with that comes responsibility, and now go forth and don't screw this up." And, what if it is not even an issue of whether or not it is God's will that Obama wins but instead it is actually His purpose that it is an issue of whether or not it is the will of the American voters that Obama wins? In other words, what if the will of the voters IS what God wants since that will of the voters is being exercised via the democratic process that He allowed us uniquely to have while other peoples in other lands still labor under the bonds of slavery to their government? And, what if it is the will of the American people that Obama wins because the Republican candidate is such a loser who would be such a bad President, incapable of leadership and incapable of managing the country? What then? What makes you think God gave us the exclusive priviledge to be citizens of this country, gave us this Nation of freedom, gave us rights that no other peoples have enjoyed, and gave us the framework of our Constitutional system which includes a detailed mechanism of selecting the President all so that in the end it is God that has to weigh in on deciding the election? I say that's what He sent US here to do, and that's why He gave us the system and the ability to do it ourselves. He's counting on us not to screw things up by selecting unqualified candidates like John McCain. Why do so many people feel it necessary to discount and minimize that which God created (our fellow Americans) and that which He has asked us to do (use the Constitutional system and its mechanisms to select our own leaders)? I think He worked pretty hard to provide for us a system so that it can be the will of the American people to decide who will be our leaders. Isn't the whole entire point of our Nation and our system that we have a God-given right to decide who will lead our country? And if it is our right, given to us by God, then isn't it our will that is important here, and isn't it OUR will that will be responsible for the outcome of the election? There were 25,000 brave Americans who died to win our freedom in the Revolutionary War so that we could exercise our God-given right to choose our leader. Don't discount what they sacraficed for by saying that the whole election result is all in God's hands as part of some big plan of His when in fact it is His plan to WE have to take the responsibility to run our own affairs. There were 3,000 Americans who were tortured and starved to death by the British in the Walnut Street Prison in Philadelphia. There were more than 2,000 Americans who starved and froze to death at Valley Forge. These people suffferred here on earth so that YOU and I can be free. Don't trivialize what they did for us by taking the cop out that this is all up to God anyway. No, He wants it to be up to US. The Declaration of Independence closes with this phrase, "And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor." Yes, God guided our forefathers and He provided "the protection of divine Providence" but He also saw US fighting for OUR freedom and He saw 25,000 dedicated Americans give their lives so that we can enjoy the liberty that He wanted us to have. The outcome is up to US and that is His true will.

In summary, if my party puts up lousy candidates and those candidates couldn't lead a mouse while holding a piece of cheese, (let alone lead a nation of men), then what on earth or in Heaven makes you think for even one moment that God wants us to actually vote for those lousy candidates? I do believe that our COUNTRY is God's will, which is one reason why it bugs the heck out of me when I see ying-yangs glorifying the Confederate traitors who tried to rip apart what God helped create. But the elections for President...He is counting on the American citizens that He created to use the system He inspired and exercise the right He gave to us to choose our own leaders. He created our right to choose, now let's make our choices and blame our candidates and ourselves for whatever results, but please don't blame God.

For the record, I am, and always have been a registered Republican and as long as I have been old enough to read and comprehend, I have been a Barry Goldwater/Ronald Reagan Conservative. I'm no liberal. I'm no Democrat. I don't think Obama and I would agree on much of anything, probably not even on the day of the week. It might kill you to have to accept that there are some Ronald Reagan Conservatives (tons of us, actually) who refuse to drink the John McCain kool-aid, but it is an absolute fact and our numbers are in the millions and we vote. You can dismiss us as "not real Republicans", or call us traitors, or whatever (I do not recognize your right to judge me), but come election day, you certainly will not have the right nor the priviledge to dismiss the election results. I predict that John McCain is going to lose Pennsylvania, Virginia, North Carolina, Florida, Ohio, and I predict he will lose Arizona. Those are predictions, but I know one thing to be absolutely certain: John McCain is not qualified to be this country's President. Deep down inside, you know that too.

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 1:57 pm

good conversation. I believe that we need to do all we can do and in the power of the Holy Spirit (wisdom, discernment, etc) partner where God is working. I'm not suggesting that we don't do anything, but on the contrary I am saying we need to do everything we can. If O-man gets elected, it may not be God's will, but he is Sovereign and his eternal will be accomplished, whether we help our or not. God allowed Isreal, his people, to be enslaved for generations upon generations. Can he cause our favor to wilt - you bet. His perfect will shall come to be. With or without us.

Bruce - 12 tribes of Israel, and only one was Jewish? As I understood it, the twelve tribes of Israel, named after the sons of Jacob formed one Israel. Later, the 10 northern tribes, after they split from benjamin and judah were referrred to as Israel. I believe they all were/are Jewish. I could be wrong.

505stevec · Post by **505stevec** » Thu Oct 30, 2008 6:39 pm

O.S.O.K. wrote:Another thought here. And I appolgize in advance if I offend anyone - I do not mean to. I have only the highest regard for the owners and membership of this board.

Our founding fathers were God-fearing men.

Yet, they took it upon themselves to fight the established authority at that time, and formed a new authority. Did they accept their rule and abuse by the hand of King George as the will of God? No. Most certianly they did not. Or, they saw it as God's method of guiding them to the new way? Or Satan's influence?

One can accept that the Lord is the supreme authority and also realize that he works in mysterious ways unknown and unrevealed to man.

No man can make a statement that this or that is God's will and must be accepted. Not the way I see it.

What if obamination gets elected and then declares that Islam is the new national religion? Redicuous of course, but what if? Would that be God's will then? And if so would it be God's will that we accept this? Or would it more likely be that he'd cause that to lead us?

Perhaps it's God's will for BHO to be elected and for the country to enter into a violent upheaval over the consequent actions taken by him and his willing accomplises? I hope not! But these kind of events have happened throughout history! What makes anybody think that they can't happen today? Or that it's not God's will that they do?

Things happen in my life and I accept them as God's will, yes. But then I make the most out of what is given and view it as a lesson - try to do the right thing. Not be angry with God that misfortune has fallen on me. Rather, I look at my own, flawed self and try and see the right way.

I am seeing like all of us mass election fraud being perpetrated on our country by unrepentant communist organizations like ACORN who are under indictement in 12 states for said fraud. I am hearing lie upon lie from the obamination and his minions. I am witnessing the free press working hard to get him elected - skewing their reporting, reporting blatantly false information and ignoring and not reporting important facts and relationships. I am witnessing the flow of money to him from "undisclosed" sources - many of which are known to be of dubious origin. He's using this to inundate the airwaves with his "message" - using every trick in the book to convince us he's something that he's not - to cause us to ignore the things that would cause us to fear him. And it looks like its working to some level.

Is that God's will? Perhaps it is, but it may also be his will for the good people of this country to react as they should to this - with outrage. How else does one react to evil? We are intellegent people - we know where this leads.

I pray to Almighty God for guidance in these trying times.

I also pray that John McCain and Sara Palin win the election.

God's will always lines up with his Word. Anything else is our will. Whatever happens will happen in God's will. The bible says that God even raises up nations to judge other nations. The most wonderful thing about our form of Republican Government is that if a revolt happens to preserve our Constitution (which is our supreme law of the land) than we are in God's will and not being rebellious toward our authority. This is true because every politician, serviceman, police officer swore an oath to up hold and protect that document. If they pervert it than they are the ones who should be judged. know this will anger alot of Southerners but I believe that this is why thier sessesion failed. If there are any Pastors here please tell me if i am wrong on this. thanks

dwight · Post by **dwight** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 10:21 am

Even though this drifted a bit from being "just a devotional"... On this day before our national election... I think it needs a BTT.

(please forgive if I offend anyone by doing so, that's not my intent)

--Dwight

C. Cash · Post by **C. Cash** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 10:30 am

+1 and my apologies for taking it OT. I won't do so further, as the original message was what was important.

SharpsShooter · Post by **SharpsShooter** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:30 am

Proverbs 3:5-6 (King James Version)

5-Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

6-In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

This will get ya through it too! Great thread gents.

SS

Coldfingers · Post by **Coldfingers** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 11:51 am

C Cash...Was not a bad drift. Not bad at all. Inspiring and informative. You guys are top notch.

Gods Grace to all.

Firmly In His Grip,

Scotty

Rogmatt · Post by **Rogmatt** » Mon Nov 03, 2008 2:15 pm

God is omnipotent, and can & will perform miracles today.
I am fasting & praying.

May God bless us all.

23rd Psalm

23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm

Re: 23rd Psalm