Your Conscience

Your conscience...what a miracle.

Isn't it curious that we have a built-in information center which constantly provides feedback to our brain regarding the morality of any given situation? And, that we are the only beings on the planet that have such a device?

Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.
-1 Samuel 16:7

We are accountable.

Gabriel

Gabriel...that's me.

Now that I understand the blogosphere a bit more thoroughly, I thought the name-change wise.

It's still me, Sinner Saved. And I'm still a saved sinner. Praise God for that!

But I decided to stop using Sinner Saved as my name. I'm Gabriel. Nice to meet you.

-G

In God We Trust (Right?)

MSNBC is having a live vote on this topic:

Should "IN GOD WE TRUST" be removed from U.S. currency?

Vote here, before they take the poll down:

You* should voice your opinion!

*By "you", of course, I do not mean ExPatMatt :-)

Where are you?

Where are you right now, Christian friend? At home? At work? On a bus? At school? The library?

What are you doing? Drinking coffee? Running through your morning routine? Just about to get off work? Relaxing at home after a hard day? In between errands?

Chatting with your wife? Watching TV with your husband? Getting ready for dinner? About to go outside and clean your car? Go for a run?

Just got back from riding your motorcycle? From church? From your softball game?

Doing some homework, maybe? Just poured yourself a Coke?

Just changed a diaper?

Just took the garbage out?

Or maybe...just relaxing?

What are you doing right now?

Where are you right now?

We're all doing different things.

We're all in different places.

We all have something in common, though...

God is here with me.
God is there with you.

Say Hi. Tell Him you love Him.

New World

The world is changing. This New World is the result of many changes, technologies, and problems. And opportunities.

The number of "end-world-esque" events are clearly on the rise, and have been.

Daily, terrorist attacks kill innocent people.

I wonder how this hurricane season will treat us...

Wow, China is getting big and strong.

How many diseases are new to the human race within the past thirty years?

Does Ahmadinejad really mean what he says, or is he just bluffing?

Did you see that Chavez is our new friend?

And so on.

It's a NEW WORLD out there.

A New World.

The good news?

This New World is still run by God. And His promises are still the only sure thing in existence.

More good news?

This New World provides us with more opportunity than ever.

Most likely, everyone reading this has a blog on which they post their thoughts fairly regularly.

Do you know what happens if you or I post just the right thoughts at just the right time? Our blog would go "viral" and would spread across the blogoshpere and internet like wildfire.

I just read a story about these folks who created a huge bacon-bbq thing that you make on your grill. It was so out-of-the-ordinary that it was an instant sensation on the web, and their obscure little barbeque blog, within a day, had millions of readers.

Articles were written about them and they became semi-celebrities. Because they created some sort of bacon-explosion thing that probably didn't even taste very good. It was just the right bit of odd, with the perfect dab of unique.

Would this have been possible twenty years ago? No.

We now have resources and avenues that were impossible just a short time ago. This is just one example of a tool (the blog, not the bacon explosion) with which we can reach the world for Christ. If we say just the right thing, at just the right time. We have to think outside of the box.

We're in this world, but not of it.

While we're in it, let's live in the New It.

That Cross

It's really hitting me this Good Friday.

Oh, that cross!

We are so blessed that He went to that cross!

That wretched, terrible cross!

That beautiful, wonderful cross!

Without that cross, there is no hope for us.

Without His sacrifice, we are lost.

It was His plan, and He did it for us.

You and me.

What was it that maintained Him throughout the torture?

What was in His mind, that he could endure what He went through?

When he was dragging that cross, nearly lifeless, what motivated him to press on?

When He closed His eyes, hanging from that cross, bloody, bruised, humiliated, and splayed out...what was He thinking about?

You and me, friend.

He did it for us.

.
.
.

Wow.

Amen, Wayne Dawg!

So then Pilate took Jesus and scourged Him. And the soldiers twisted a crown of thorns and put it on His head, and they put on Him a purple robe. Then they said, “Hail, King of the Jews!” And they struck Him with their hands. Pilate then went out again, and said to them, “Behold, I am bringing Him out to you, that you may know that I find no fault in Him.” Then Jesus came out, wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said to them, “Behold the Man!” Therefore, when the chief priests and officers saw Him, they cried out, saying, “Crucify Him, crucify Him!” Pilate said to them, “You take Him and crucify Him, for I find no fault in Him.” (John 19:1-6 NKJV)

Just as many were astonished at you, So His visage was marred more than any man, And His form more than the sons of men; So shall He sprinkle many nations. Kings shall shut their mouths at Him; For what had not been told them they shall see, And what they had not heard they shall consider. (Isaiah 52:14-15 NKJV)

Surely He has borne our griefs

And carried our sorrows;

Yet we esteemed Him stricken,

Smitten by God, and afflicted.

But He was wounded for our transgressions,

He was bruised for our iniquities;

The chastisement for our peace was upon Him,

And by His stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray;

We have turned, every one, to his own way;

And the LORD has laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

(Isaiah 53:4-6 NKJV)