<?xml version='1.0' encoding='UTF-8'?><?xml-stylesheet href="http://www.blogger.com/styles/atom.css" type="text/css"?><feed xmlns='http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom' xmlns:openSearch='http://a9.com/-/spec/opensearchrss/1.0/' xmlns:georss='http://www.georss.org/georss' xmlns:gd='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005' xmlns:thr='http://purl.org/syndication/thread/1.0'><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566602998075708342</id><updated>2011-08-31T08:37:00.225-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Quest For Destiny</title><subtitle type='html'></subtitle><link rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#feed' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/feeds/posts/default'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default?max-results=100'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/'/><link rel='hub' href='http://pubsubhubbub.appspot.com/'/><author><name>Steve Dyson</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07613828666832614017</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='16' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LprTq-M_iUQ/Tl5VEEbjXfI/AAAAAAAAAC8/m3TauOWCZnY/s220/08%2BVacation%2Bfile%2B1%2B038.JPG'/></author><generator version='7.00' uri='http://www.blogger.com'>Blogger</generator><openSearch:totalResults>14</openSearch:totalResults><openSearch:startIndex>1</openSearch:startIndex><openSearch:itemsPerPage>100</openSearch:itemsPerPage><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566602998075708342.post-4552584766275236979</id><published>2010-04-22T18:48:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2010-04-22T19:24:48.435-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Is Fame Really Worth All That</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: arial;"&gt;      I have been watching the 2010 NFL Draft on ESPN. All of these young men being picked to play the game of football at the highest level. All around the first picks are the players families and girl friends and wives and of course, their agents. The prospects are all decked out in the finest suits with diamond earrings, expensive watches. All looking very prosperous. Prospective advertisers have opened the door to these men with these expensive gifts. Parents, who have sacrificed over the years, are finally going to be repaid for their giving. A lot of these boys have come from poor families and neighborhoods and this is, in their minds, the only way out of that life.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;      The only thing that hasn't been  done for these young men is someone to teach them how to act with this new found status. Sadly, some of them will go down a very worldly path and make some very poor decisions. What they really need is someone to teach them how much better their lives would be if they had their spiritual lives together. Granted, some of them already have made that decision and kudos to them. However, many others will be caught up with the limelight and have their egos stroked and once again will be spoiled rotten by their agents and their future coaches. So much emphasis on self and the exaltation of self and God is left out of these men lives. The Bible states that is Jesus is lifted up, he will draw all men to Him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;      All throughout history, mankind has worshipped the human body and the exploits of super-human athletes. The Greeks and the Romans were the biggest nations that exalted the human body and we have history to document their failure because of the immoral structure of their societies. The United States is headed in that same direction. We have watched prayer removed from our schools, the Ten Commandments removed from our public and government buildings. Now we have a President who has stated that the United States is no longer a Christian nation. I have to heartily disagree. He may wish that we are not a Christian nation, but at the heart of this country, WE ARE CHRISTIAN. When you see these young men touted for their athletic prowess, take some time and pray for them. Pray for godly men to take them under their wings. Pray for them to find a relationship with Jesus Christ before they are too far gone in the deceitfulness of riches and fame.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;      America, you need to fall to your knees and ask the Lord to forgive your sinfulness and do a one-eighty turn from this fixation with wealth and fame.  Our lives on this earth consist a very short time compared to the facing of eternity. We will all find ourselves in eternity and all we had on this earth will do absolutely nothing then. America needs to get the priorities in order. Find Jesus, find life. Don't find Jesus, find hell's fire.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4566602998075708342-4552584766275236979?l=questfordestiny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/feeds/4552584766275236979/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2010/04/is-fame-really-worth-all-that.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/4552584766275236979'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/4552584766275236979'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2010/04/is-fame-really-worth-all-that.html' title='Is Fame Really Worth All That'/><author><name>Steve Dyson</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07613828666832614017</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='16' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LprTq-M_iUQ/Tl5VEEbjXfI/AAAAAAAAAC8/m3TauOWCZnY/s220/08%2BVacation%2Bfile%2B1%2B038.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566602998075708342.post-4100500023818435829</id><published>2009-11-22T19:06:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-11-22T19:59:06.916-08:00</updated><title type='text'>The Blessings of Obeying</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="color: rgb(0, 0, 153);"&gt;&lt;span style="font-family: arial;"&gt;Where is this country headed? That question has been on my mind and heart a great deal lately. I see the center of our society falling further away from the biblical base it was established upon. The only religious reference I hear today is one of new age and self-deification. God no longer can be mentioned in the public school systems across the country without hearing from the representatived of the ACLU. One yelling voice in the 1960's had prayer taken from our children in  school. Only a few voices have trumpeted the separation of church and state issue, which by the way was never said my Thomas Jefferson in a policy way. The squeaky wheel seems to get the grease in this country today rather than the majority that is supposed to rule in our nation. All of this is just a symptom of a great problem. Immorality is in the rule in this country and its evidences are everywhere. Its in our middle schools. They are the most sexually active group in our society today. The push of society is to not marry, but to live together so that there is an easy way out if one is not satisfied. Profanity dominates the vocabularities of our business world, even in our women and unfortunately in our young girls in high school and college. Respect for each other is no longer the ruling attitude. Rebellion now is seen in every situation of our society, even in the Church.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;     What this civilization needs is to go back to the principles that have made nations great from the beginning of time. The Laws of God must be re-instituted into the societies. My greatest concern is in the United States of America. Thousands of people fought and died in the formation of this great country that we have the privilege to live in today. But  freedom breeds apathy and apathy is the recipe for slavery and the loss of the freedoms we have.  When the people become apathic and turn over the administration of our lives to the central government of our country, we will lose our freedoms. But this too is still a symptom.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;     The Father, in His wisdom, centuries ago set in motion the principle of sacrificing our own wants and desires to do His will so that we could be free. It is faith that keeps us on the right track. When God knows that He can count on us to do His will, He will shower every blessing of the Word of God on us. My example is the patriarch, Abraham. God saw the faith of Abraham and loved him because of it. He even gave him a son when he and his wife Sarah were well beyond the years of bearing children. The reason that was made possible was because of the faith that Abraham had demonstrated for 25 years. At age 100 God gave Abraham  his son, Isaac. Some years later when Isaac was a man of accountable age, God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son to prove his faith and commitment to God's word to him.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;     If you have ever attended a church in your past, you know this story and its outcome. God spoke to Abraham just as he was about to kill his son and told him not to do it. Furthermore, God provided a ram for the sacrifice, so that Abraham could still offer a sacrifice upon the altar that he and his son  had build. The moral here is that God requires us to be willing to sacrifice everything we have in order to prove our allegiance and faith to Him and His Word. It is in obedience that we find the blessings of the Father. It is written in the Bible that we can never regain through sacrifice what we lost by disobedience. If we are obedient we will never have to sacrifice. You see, that was done once and for all by Jesus Christ when He died. In the Old Testament, Isaac was a type of Jesus Christ. He was willing to have his father, Abraham, sacrifice him in order to be obedient to the word of God. Isaac is also a type of each of us. We should be dying for the sins we have committed, but God has provided a willing sacrifice for us through Jesus Christ, so that we don't have to die in sin and be separated from God and His goodness for eternity. All it takes is obedience to the call to repentance from our sinful lifestyles and a willingness to turn our lives over to the Father to live out his will in our lives in order to receive His blessings.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;       If you really want to see the greatness return to this country, then its time to come before the altar of God and repent of our ungodliness and immoral lifestyles and ask the Father to forgive us for trying to run our lives without Him, and turn our lives over to Him and His wisdom and ask Him to show us what we need to do in America to once again be respected in the world. Its time to return to a Judeo-Christian ethic in this country that throws off apathy and becomes proactive in society once again and not let a few very small interest groups run this country.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;      Christians, you can no longer sit on the sidelines and let someone else do it for you. That is what we have done and you can see what our country has become; Godless and lifeless. Now other countries hold the reins of our economy. We have government officials apologizing for our country and our desire to protect our way of life. How long will we sit on the sidelines and allow our neighbors to be enslaved by Satan and his society. How long will we allow our freedoms to slowly bleed out leaving us under the thumb-hold of an entitlement government mentality that wants to take away our rights that men and women have died for so that we can live a life of freedom from oppression. It really comes down to OBEDIENCE. Are you willing to be obedience to the Word of God and His laws? Only you can make that decision. I recommend that you do it today. Don't wait any longer.&lt;br /&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4566602998075708342-4100500023818435829?l=questfordestiny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/feeds/4100500023818435829/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/11/blessings-of-obeying.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/4100500023818435829'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/4100500023818435829'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/11/blessings-of-obeying.html' title='The Blessings of Obeying'/><author><name>Steve Dyson</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07613828666832614017</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='16' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LprTq-M_iUQ/Tl5VEEbjXfI/AAAAAAAAAC8/m3TauOWCZnY/s220/08%2BVacation%2Bfile%2B1%2B038.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566602998075708342.post-2178063826501802290</id><published>2009-08-22T10:54:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-08-22T11:56:22.297-07:00</updated><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"&gt;I grew up in a time when things moved a little slower, family was extremely important, and distances traveled were very short. For me, it was a big treat to go to town on weekends. There was the 5 and dime store and the drug store with the soda fountain and of course the candy store where you could overdose for only a nickel. By the way, you could walk the streets without any fear of being mugged or intimidated by gang groups. Everyone took the time to say hello and for the most part you knew most of the people you saw. Every year there was a Christmas Parade that was the most important thing going on during the holiday festivities other than being at church and participating in the celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;But there was one thing that I remember, that wasn't so good. People were very superstitious. Don't go under a ladder, it was bad luck. If a black cat crossed over your intended path that was back luck. Break a mirror and be domed to seven years of bad luck. If you spilled salt at the table, you had to shake salt over your left shoulder. If you came in the front door, you had to exit out of the same door. And my favorite, if you were left-handed, you owed the devil a day's work.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;However, the devil was not an actual entity. He was this character all red with horns and a pitchfork, and wearing a red cape. He was more mischevious than evil. There was a difference between white lies and black lies, so don't be too hard on those who told such lies, it really wasn't too bad of a thing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;I have to tell you a deep dark fact. The devil is real. His name is Lucifer or Satan. At one time he was an archangel and led the worship in heaven. Somewhere along the way, I don't know where, and independent and self serving spirit entered into him and he tried to usurp God's authority and take God's throne. It cost him his position in heaven and he was casted out of heaven, along with the angels he was able to corrupt and was confined to earth. When God created man he gave him the responsibility of ruling over Satan. In a coup documented in the Book of Genesis, Satan took that authority away from man and set up his kingdom here on earth and changed his prison into a place for his throne. He has made it his purpose to steal every human he could away from God and enslave them under his power, thereby robbing man from the authority that he is supposed to have. In doing so, he has convinced this world that he isn't a threat and that we can co-exist with him. He has even set up his own religion. A religion based in fear and superstitution.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;We have been lulled into a trance and have been hypnotized by Satan's devices. He has possessed man with a self servicing attitude that has no limits on what he is willing to do in order to fulfill the lusts that has been implanted by a devious slave lord. Satan's mantra is "if it feels good do it, there are no limitations." Satan requires no accountability or responsibility. Man is the center of his own universe and of course there is no God. Everythhing in the universe is just a big bang of happen stance.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;May I tell you that if you are of this ilk, you are sadly mistaken and misinformed. Number One, there is a God and He made everything that is made and He has authority over all of His creation. Number Two, God holds us accountable for everything that we do, both good and bad. Number Three, Satan is a liar and has no authority unless you give it to him. He is a prisoner here and we are supposed to be his jailers. Number Four, Jesus Christ, God's only Son, left heaven and his place of authority and submitted himself to human frality to become a perfect sacrifice for the sins of humanity and restore our place in God's order of things here on earth. Jesus gave us back our eternal life in the presence of the Father in heaven. One lie Satan has been successful in spinning is that when we die that's the end of it. However, the truth is that eternal life is a constant. Where you spend eternity is the variable. Satan didn't tell you that little tidbit, did he? We have the choice to choose heaven and eternity with the Father and His Son. We also have the choice to choose eternal damnation with Satan in the Lake of Fire.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;My question to you is, Where do you want to live out eternity?  Do you want to be blessed beyond measure or do you want to be cursed separated from those blessings. There is no other choice. God doesn't give us a third option. You must make you choice. You must choose one or the other. If you don't take the time to choose, you will be ushered in with Satan and his fate. You see, choice requires responsibility. Responsibility requires accountability. Accountability leads to God's acceptance because we accepted His Son's sacrifice. Obviously, the problem is that people don't want to be accountable and they somehow have gotten the notion that denial of accountability will make all their problems go away. Don't be fooled into that mindset. I ask you to look around you in nature and see if you can still hang on to the notion that you don't have to be accountable. We have a nature law in this world that whatever you do caused a like response. It's called the law of cause and effect. In common words, what you sow is what you will reap. Everyone is responsible for what he does and will  reap accordingly. There is only one variable. When you realize that you are not in control and decide to accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ as payment for your sins, you receive grace and mercy from a just God. It is the only way to beat the "law of cause and effect." &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;Do it today if you haven't already. If you have, then be sure to live a life of giving to others as a response to the favor of God in your life. OK?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4566602998075708342-2178063826501802290?l=questfordestiny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/feeds/2178063826501802290/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-grew-up-in-time-when-things-moved.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/2178063826501802290'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/2178063826501802290'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/08/i-grew-up-in-time-when-things-moved.html' title=''/><author><name>Steve Dyson</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07613828666832614017</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='16' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LprTq-M_iUQ/Tl5VEEbjXfI/AAAAAAAAAC8/m3TauOWCZnY/s220/08%2BVacation%2Bfile%2B1%2B038.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566602998075708342.post-6419924181627873160</id><published>2009-07-15T10:42:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-07-15T11:35:22.516-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Who are you offending?</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;I see a pattern redeveloping within the Body of Christ that is somewhat disturbing and somewhat expected also. In the 1970's there was a renewal in this country of its people turning their lives around from the promiscuous attitude of free sex ushers in by the Woodstock era. There was a revival in this country. There was a turn back to the conservative ideals even in the political realm. God began to once again pour out the latter rain He promised in the Book of Joel. Churches, once again, began to bulge at the seams and a higher standard of holiness was seen in the lifestyles of those who called themselves "Christians." Everything was right again in Christian Camelot. We marched on Washington with an attitude of prayer and filled the lawn between the Washington Monument and the Capital with hundreds of thousands of Christians who interceded for this country in repentance. I was a part of that event and it changed me and those around me for life. We saw what could happen when the Body of Christ comes together for the one purpose of repentance as a country. Not long after that time, we elected &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;Ronand&lt;/span&gt; Reagan as President and saw our country as well as the world change for the better. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;Well that was almost thirty years ago, and as has happened in generations past, we have slumped into an attitude of compromise and a cry of tolerance. In this post-modern period there is nothing new. It is an attitude that has been here before and will probably be here again if we don't recognize the signs this time.  The difference between the world and the Christian have begun to blur. Where there was a wide avenue between the heathen and the Christian twenty years ago, now its hard to tell the difference the gathering of our communities. I have attended weddings and graduations where alcohol has flowed and both non-believers and believers have given themselves over to the personality changes that comes with drunkenness. Christians are attending movies with questionable dialog and scenes of sexual promiscuity and extreme violence. The clothes that the Christian wears only identifies them with the slack attitude of the world, girls showing entirely too much of their bodies and boys and men taking on the dress code of the street gangs and the sloppiness of dress as a whole. Within the church, young girls and boys are giving into the pressure of oral sex, offering the statement that they are still virgin, to fit in and not be labelled as some sort of prude. W A K E  U P  P E O P L E !!!!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;If our Christian morals are to survive in this 21st Century, then the church is going to have to be the church. Christians are going to have to stand out as a different lifestyle. A lifestyle that promotes &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;abstenance&lt;/span&gt; and morals fitting a Christian. The biblical expression of the family unit must become more pronounced and we must draw a much wider line in the sand of what it means to be a Christian and separate ourselves from the attitudes of the world.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;Remember the words of the Apostle Paul as he dealt with compromise in the church in his days. He reminded us that we are to flee from the appearance of evil. We are to prefer the weaker brother and not do things that will cause him to stumble. Make sure that your motives are pure and you do what uplifts the church and the Body of Christ. We need to live our lives as someone who is looking in a mirror that show our every flaw and act according to the Word of God in all that we do.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;The changes that need to be made are not going to be made at the political&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"&gt;level. That appears to be where some of the problems have their base. Political correctness has stripped our country of its &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2"&gt;Judeo&lt;/span&gt;-Christian heritage and has tried to make us basically a godless society where everyone does what is right in his own eyes. Does that sound familiar? It should. Its the same mindset that caused God to destroy Sodom and &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3"&gt;Gomorah&lt;/span&gt;. I have heard this said by others and I agree with the &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4"&gt;statment&lt;/span&gt;. "If God doesn't bring judgment on the United States of America today then He will have to apologize to Sodom and &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5"&gt;Gomorah&lt;/span&gt;." The change that must take place is at the grass roots arena. Each of us is going to have to stand up for what is right, pure, and moral. I leave you with a quote from the Book of Philippians. It comes from the 4&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6"&gt;th&lt;/span&gt; chapter, verses 8 through 9.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;"And now, dear brothers and sisters, let me say one more thing as I close this letter. Fix your thoughts on what is true and honorable and right. Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise. Keep putting into practice all you learned from me and heard from me and saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you." (&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7"&gt;NLT&lt;/span&gt;)&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;If this country is going to regain its place of prominence in the world, we must get back to the Christian principles that it was founded upon and each of us who calls him or herself a Christian must once again establish that wide gap between ourselves and the world. Remember people are drawn to light over darkness when light shows itself in the presence of darkness. The more light that is in your life, the more lost souls will be drawn to you. They are hurting and are looking for something that is stable. The Christian lifestyle is the only lifestyle that will change their lives and change this country back into a Christian nation. Think and act on things that are pure, true,noble, just, lovely and of a good report. Meditate on things of virtue and things that are praiseworthy and you will not go wrong.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4566602998075708342-6419924181627873160?l=questfordestiny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/feeds/6419924181627873160/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/07/who-are-you-offending.html#comment-form' title='1 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/6419924181627873160'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/6419924181627873160'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/07/who-are-you-offending.html' title='Who are you offending?'/><author><name>Steve Dyson</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07613828666832614017</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='16' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LprTq-M_iUQ/Tl5VEEbjXfI/AAAAAAAAAC8/m3TauOWCZnY/s220/08%2BVacation%2Bfile%2B1%2B038.JPG'/></author><thr:total>1</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566602998075708342.post-3306488658315651707</id><published>2009-06-09T07:05:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-06-09T07:41:41.947-07:00</updated><title type='text'>The Church Fell Down</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;      The Word of God, the Holy Bible, from the words of Jesus Christ commanded that we, as churches, are to take care of the widows, the fatherless, and the orphans. When our country was established, the founding fathers adhered to that premise. It did not make provision for our government to have to take care of that need. Why, because the church did what they were supposed to do. Everyone else not mentioned in the above people groups were responsible for their own livelihood and they didn't leach on our society. They did what was necessary to live and provide for their families. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;      God has always mandated that His people be responsible for those who are unable to take care of themselves and it appears that our society has forgotten what our Heavenly Father has taught over the centuries to His prophets and religious leaders. When the United States began, it was the responsibility of the churches to teach our young people their education. It was Bible based and was extremely effective. Just take a look at our history and you will see the positive results. When the church abdicated its role in welfare and education, our government was all to eager to take over and did so. For many years because of the established &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0"&gt;curriculum&lt;/span&gt; in our schools education continued to be successful. However, as the moral fiber of our country began to &lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1"&gt;deteriorate education followed suit. When prayer was removed from our schools, the new order was well on its way. The liberals and the progressives finally were getting their teeth in the mallibel minds of our young people. They have filled their heads with principles that have accelerated the moral decay.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"&gt;      Look at where we are today. We have the largest welfare state in our hemisphere, crime is at an all time high, illicit sex is rampant, sexual disease is out of control, and alternative lifestyles diametrically opposed to the Bible are being advertised as viable lifestyles. You know what? If God doesn't bring judgment on the United States, then He needs to apologize to Sodom and Gomorrha. How low do we have to stupe before the church rises up and begins once again to take responsibility to elevate the moral base of our nation. America needs the Lord badly. What an oxymoron, but true. II Chronicles 5:17 has stood as a standard over all generations to give us the agenda that we must follow to be restored to the graces of the Father. "If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven....." This is the only way we will ever see our country return to the prominence it has enjoyed on the world scene in years past. This is a Christian nation. It was founded on Judeo-Christian principles based on the Ten Commandments and the Words of our Lord Jesus Christ.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"&gt;      America, W-A-K-E  U-P !!!! The government is not the answer. Living off of other peoples' hard work while you live a lazy non-responsible life is a major sin. Even the insect world knows better than that. Why we dumber than the insects? I admonish and advise you to go to the Book of Proverbs and not only read but study them and learn how to live and have the blessing of the Lord in your lives. Then teach others around you to do the same.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;span class="blsp-spelling-corrected"&gt;      Father, may your Word come alive in all who read it and may you give them the courage to put your Word in action in their lives. Amen!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4566602998075708342-3306488658315651707?l=questfordestiny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/feeds/3306488658315651707/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/06/church-fell-down.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/3306488658315651707'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/3306488658315651707'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/06/church-fell-down.html' title='The Church Fell Down'/><author><name>Steve Dyson</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07613828666832614017</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='16' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LprTq-M_iUQ/Tl5VEEbjXfI/AAAAAAAAAC8/m3TauOWCZnY/s220/08%2BVacation%2Bfile%2B1%2B038.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566602998075708342.post-7785944555981966899</id><published>2009-05-05T06:41:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-05-05T07:36:21.824-07:00</updated><title type='text'>The Founding Fathers</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"&gt;I took the time last night to read the Constitution and the Bill of Rights for the United States of America. It's been a while since I did that. It was good to go back and read the wisdom of the framers of our Constitution. Every American should take the time to read this document. Without it we would not have the freedoms we have today. However, there are some that would prefer that the constitution would just go away. Their personal agendas don't line up with its principles. My first response, speaking from a rigteous indignation somewhat, is get out of my country and move to one of the countries in Europe or Asia that ascribes to your agenda. That isn't really the right attitude on my part, but it does make me mad that someone who lives in this great country and has the freedoms that citizenship allows has the audacity to question our Constitution and think that it should be changes to fit their eschewed opinion. It is an opinion, by the way, that has been shaped by the liberal talking points of a college education that no longer teaches proper education but comes from idiot professors that only have an agenda of spreading their liberal garbage, and I say that lovingly. Right!!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;      One of the founding fathers has been quoted that our Constitution does not work if there isn't a foundation of the Word of God and its principles adhered to by the citizens. It is what makes this nation so strong. We have a belief in God and have faith that He is faithful to us as long as we stand on our commitment to His covenant with these United States. When the colonists first stepped foot on the soil of this new country, they knelt and prayed to God and dedicated America to Him. Every event and deed done by those first settlers was bathed in prayer. The United States of America was founded with the design to not make the same mistakes that they saw in Europe. Those laws and principles they left have proven over the span of time to be failed principles and our Constitution is still standing the test of time. Why, by everything that is good, do these idiots want to return to a failed system. There can be only two reasons; money and power. There are those in this country that don't like the idea that one can rise to wealth from hard work and not give it away to those who are not willing to work just as hard to make theirs. The Bible itself tells us to go to the ant and learn from it what we should do to prosper. I think that a lazy spirit has attached itself to some of our people and the liberal side of our government has facilitated that laziness with all the programs it has made available to their laziness. The Bible also says that if a person will not work, they should not eat. Where has that principle gone?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;      Now I lay some of the blame on today's church. Welfare should be laid on the shoulders of the church. That is what God requires of us. That is what Jesus preached when he was on this earth. But our churches in times past and in some instances today, have abdicated their responsibility in this area. Churches were never supposed to turn into itself and become a social club. God designed the church to turn out and reach out to the lost, the lame, the poor, the widows, and the orphans. When our churches refocus their attention to that purpose, most of our welfare problems will be fixed. How can I say that? When Christians&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"&gt;seek the Lord to do His will, He will lead them to reach out and help those around them to not only find the Father for themselves, but also help those in their community that need help. That help will include teaching them to be self-sufficient. The human spirit is amazing. When shown how to take care of himself, the human will press forward to achieve. That is the way God made us. We are not descended from some lower form of life, we have been made in the image of God and we have His design and drive to succeed. Through Jesus Christ, we have received the faith that we need to be able to do anything that we put our hands to.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;      Our founding fathers understood this, that is why they based the constitution on the Judeo-Christian principles found in the Word of God, the Bible. No other writing has stood the test of time and proven to be the absolute truth in every situation. What we see today is a segment of our society that doesn't want to be accountable to a higher power. They want to be their own god. They want to please only themselves and be able to do whatever they want without any condemnation or conviction. But you know what, they can't escape their guilt. That's why they want to do away with the teachings of the Bible. No other writing brings that guilt to bear. No other religion requires accountability for one's actions. The words we hear today are politically correct and tolerance, but that is only from the Christian's responsibility. When we require tolerance from them there is none. Its only one-sided. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;      I have a warning for these numbskulls. You may escape the wrath of God in this life, but you will not escape it in eternity. There is a higher power, the Almighty God, and he is not blind. You will give account for your life and actions. I have a great principle to live by. " Serve the Lord. Find someone who can tell you how to serve Him. Then serve Him hard and it will be easy, but if you serve Him easy it will be hard."&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;      Our founding fathers has tremendous wisdom. They have laid a great foundation for this country to continue to be build upon. Those of us who understand just how great this country is have a responsibility to preserve what we have. Get involved in your local political scene. Spread the word  about the greatness of our system and the conversative principles that have made us great. Our country is on a very dangerous ledge and we need to pull it back from the edge and get us centered again on the greatness of America and its sovereignity. Please do your part. Some of you are called to get involved politically and serve this great land. Others are called to defend it. Still others are called to spread the Gospel that this country was built on. Get clicking and get going.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4566602998075708342-7785944555981966899?l=questfordestiny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/feeds/7785944555981966899/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/05/founding-fathers.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/7785944555981966899'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/7785944555981966899'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/05/founding-fathers.html' title='The Founding Fathers'/><author><name>Steve Dyson</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07613828666832614017</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='16' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LprTq-M_iUQ/Tl5VEEbjXfI/AAAAAAAAAC8/m3TauOWCZnY/s220/08%2BVacation%2Bfile%2B1%2B038.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566602998075708342.post-2614238177475850660</id><published>2009-03-22T18:11:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-03-22T20:03:00.753-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Jesus-No Weakling</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:arial;color:#000099;"&gt;John 8:31-59&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;If you are one of those people that ascribe to the notion that Jesus was weak, I must send you to this passage of Scripture. This was recorded during the ministry time in Galilee. His brothers has just left Him to go to Judea to celebrate the Feast of Tabernacles. Jesus was not ready to go there and stayed in Galilee a little longer. A little later, He did go up and went into the Temple and began to teach in His usual manner. The Bible states that there were many Jews that believed his message and believed on Him, but knowing their hearts, he accosted them and began to speak to their sins and called them slaves to sin. There became a loud discussion between Jesus and some of the Jews that they were free men, sons of Abraham, and were never slave to any man. This is where it gets interesting. Jesus basically calls them liars. He calls them slaves to Satan, who He states is their father, not Abraham. The reason Jesus said that is that they did not accept Him as the Messiah. There had been an allusion to this fact earlier in the 7th chapter of John, but he was not accepted for the Messiah. His own brothers did not even believe Him. Jesus didn't back down from his asertion that of who the Jews really belonged to. The truth of the Word was on His side and from that position of strength, He was able to debate with these Jewish men to prove their lack of knowledge of the Law and the Prophets. They were considered elders in their community and exacted their dominance on the people and were leading people astray, eventhough they may have been earnest in their assumptions. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;A lesser man would have backed down and run away from what was certain to lead to nothing good for a man who was claiming to be the Messiah. I wonder how many of our so called strong men today would have been so bold to stand up to these men, knowing that the end of this confrontation could lead to being stoned. I tell you that takes a strong, powerful man that has no fear. Jesus challenged their authority. He challenged their right to be where they were. He exposed their lack of knowledge of the truth of the Word. And He opening showed the fraud that they perpetrated. This is not the act of a spineless human. Don't forget that Jesus was taught the trade of carpentry by his earthly father. He obviously practiced his trade prior to His start of His earthly ministry. The last time we hear about Him in Scripture was when He was approximately thirteen. The next time we see Him is at the age of thirty when he appeared in Galilee and was baptized by John the Baptist. That's seventeen years that are not accounted for in Jesus' life. It was during that time that He did the work of a carpenter with His father, Joseph and honed his relationship with His Heavenly Father and accepted the ministry He was born to complete. He also built the body that would be needed to carry out His trade. His hands no doubt were callosed and rough. His arms powerful and most likely ripped and cut. His legs were strong and muscular. This was no man to cross swords with. Its possible that he was around six feet tall, which would have made Him as much as one foot taller then most. That in itself would have made Him intimidating to stand against. No one man would have dared approach Him without the help of his buddies. (This is conjecture on my part, but I have my opinion and I'm sure you have yours) &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;Jesus was not weak. He was committed. He was armed with the knowledge of who He was and the authority that had been given Him by His Father. He knew the hearts of men and He knew how to deal with them. Here is where I turn this story toward my readers. Do you really know to whom you belong? Are you convinced that you have been given the power of the Holy Spirit to be more than conquerors in this life? First of all, if you have not taken the time to accept Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior, you are still of your father the Devil. Regardless of what the world will tell you today, there isn't any good thing in the unregenerate man. If you doubt that just watch a two year old and see how quickly he or she will lie when caught doing something that is wrong. Then move your thoughts to your so called good people co-workers who will lie, cheat, and steal to cover themselves when they are caught in some devious act. Man is inheritantly evil in nature and that nature must be changed before he will ever be ready for God to use. No man in his own strength can stand against the Satan of this world or the people who serve him. Just as Jesus could not answer the accusers in His own flesh, we are no better. Jesus moved under the power of Almighty God. He was thoroughly engulfed by the Holy Spirit and only did and said what the Spirit led Him to do and say. Jesus is our example and when we approach situations like He did, if we totally lean on the power of the Holy Spirit, we can be as bold as our Lord. Truth gives you power. Truth gives you leaverage. When you stand in truth you can stand against any foe, especially when they are only armed is a lie. The men that tried to stone Jesus could not get it done. The Bible says that He hid Himself from them and just went out of the Temple. If you look at the construction of the Temple in Jerusalem, you would see that there was no place for him to hide. The Holy Spirit just made Him invisible to the men and He was able to just walk away from them with without problem. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;Armed with this information, I don't understand why we have problems being a witness today. We are indwelt by the power of Jesus Christ through the Comforter that He sent to us when He ascended. What more could you ask for? Could it be that you are lacking the baptism of the Holy Spirit with the evidence of speaking in tongues? I have known people who try to be a witness for the Lord and fail, because they are operating in their own limited power. They do have a small percentage of success, but if they had been empowered by God through the gifts of the Holy Spirit, their witness would have been so much more successful at reaching the sinners and transforming them into people of the Kingdom of God. Earthly wisdom cannot stand against the wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Read the Gospels. Read the Epistles. You will find men and women who moved in the power of the Holy Spirit as they spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ over the then known world. Today we have the same Holy Spirit coursing in our spirit that they had, therefore we can expect the same results today that they had. So, what's holding you back?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;What's holding you back is your lack of commitment. Does that sound hard to you. Well, its the truth. You will never be a success in anything that you are not committed to. Do you believe that Jesus was committed. I'll tell you He was committed. There was no turning back for Jesus. He had one plan and He expected that plan to succeed. If you want to succeed as a witness and a soul winner, then you better be committed. Committed to the Lord. Committed to the consistent study of the Word of God and hiding that Word in your heart. Committed to be bold and relying on God to produce what His Word says it will produce. When you are armed with the knowledge of the Bible, having it memorized in your spirit, there aren't any people who can prevent you from enlarging the Kingdom of God in your community, city, state, and nation. No matter where you go, God will be with you and before you to make sure that you win. Write your own life for others to follow. You can be an epitath read by others. You can stand no matter who comes against you. Oh, and by the way, you will be able to see just how insignificant Satan really is.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4566602998075708342-2614238177475850660?l=questfordestiny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/feeds/2614238177475850660/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/03/jesus-no-weakling.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/2614238177475850660'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/2614238177475850660'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/03/jesus-no-weakling.html' title='Jesus-No Weakling'/><author><name>Steve Dyson</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07613828666832614017</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='16' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LprTq-M_iUQ/Tl5VEEbjXfI/AAAAAAAAAC8/m3TauOWCZnY/s220/08%2BVacation%2Bfile%2B1%2B038.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566602998075708342.post-1035509659472589244</id><published>2009-03-17T07:05:00.000-07:00</published><updated>2009-03-17T08:02:52.179-07:00</updated><title type='text'>Do You Really Pray?</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;IT'S TIME TO PRAY. This has been a mantra call for Christians for a long, long time, but something that is seemingly seldom actually done. How many times have you had some good intentioned person say to you that they will pray for you and never does. How many time have you said the same thing to others. It's so easy to say those words, but it takes effort to follow through. Well, its time to pray. The state of our nation is critical. It has waffled further away from the biblical principles that it was founded upon, to the point that we can't even recognize a Godly horizon. We see violence increasing nation-wide. There are more and more teenagers being involved in pre-marital sex, even within what I call committed churches. We see an increased level of child rebellion and a courts system that wants to punish parents at the drop of a hat. The family unit has been de-valued and now the homo-sexual community wants to redefine what a marriage is. My government has gotten out of control trying to explode the spending limits and putting the tax burden on us. The truth be known, our representatives aren't even coming to our defense. I know this to be true. I have written my senators several times only to be told that what the government is doing is for my own good. To that statement I say, "bologna."&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;I say again, "It's time to pray." We don't need some influential Christian figure to call a national prayer assembly on the Capital steps. What we need is every Christian taking time every day to pray for our country and cry out in repentance. Repentance for our lack of biblical guidelines in our lives. Repentance for not being the godly responsible parents that we should be to teach our children the values of family and showing them what true love and respect is all about. Repentance for not teaching our children why pre-marital sex is wrong and above all a SIN. At the root of all the problems in this country today is the disappearance of the family and that family worshipping in a church that preaches the pure Word of God and live a Godly example before the community.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;We have allowed the world to slip into our churches and it has eroded the teaching of Godly principles to a level of tolerance rather then separation from worldly compromise. Some may not like my next statement, but I have formulated my belief over the 30 plus years of my Christian life and years of ministry. "If you see children of Christian families that are rebellious and being involved in illicit sexual activity, running with other young people that have questionable morals and are involved in the use of alcohol or illegal drugs, the problem is with the father and mother. The family is disfunctional and has not truly taught their children what love and family is all about." The family unit is held together on four things. They are: a feeling of acceptance, a sense of self-worth, discipline, and a sense of protection. If these are lacking in the fiber of the home, the children will find it somewhere else. This is one of the reasons that gangs work so well. It is distorted, but they get that in the structure of the gang. Parents your children need to be loved and see that attitude of love in the parents in their relationship. I'm talking about open embracing and show of affection. They need to be disciplined when they are disobedient. None of the time out scenario. For goodness sake, take them to their room and span them. The buttocks have been created with plenty of padding and will not damage the child. They need to understand what behavior is acceptable and what is not acceptable. Also, in the administration of the discipline, always end the punishment with an outward sign of love. HUG YOUR CHILD AND TELL HIM THAT YOU STILL LOVE THEM YOU JUST DON'T CONDONE THE ACTIVITY.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;Its time to pray. We need to pray for our elected officials. They are bombarded daily with decisions that must be made within our government process. We need to lift them up in prayer asking for God to lead them in what they decide. Pray that godly men and women will come around them to give them true godly information and not be wolves in sheep's clothing. Pray for the President of the United States. We may not like his policies, but we must keep him in prayer. The Word of God commands us to pray for those who are in authority over us. Pray that he will be open to the leading of the Lord in his decisions. Pray that God will shut the mouths of those who are only looking for self gain and would destroy the framework of the work of our founding fathers. Pray that the President would appoint godly men and women to our courts that will judge according to our Constitition and not try to change or water down our Constitution. We do not need someone who will attempt to legislate from the bench. Pray for our troops that are in harm's way overseas protecting our freedom everyday. Those men and women are there of their own free will willing to put their lives on the line to keep the evil of groups like the Taliban and other radical groups from trying to take away the freedoms that we enjoy in the U. S. Pray for your family each day. Thank God that they are serving the Lord and will be the next godly generation. Pray for our policemen that they will be covered and protected. I'm sure that you can come up with other areas that need to be covered in prayer. The important thing is that we actually pray. Don't allow yourself to flippantly say, "I'll be praying" if you don't mean it. And if you say that you will pray, by golly PRAY.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Arial;color:#000099;"&gt;Finally pray for the restoration of the family in our society. The biblical standard of family, one man and one woman. Pray for our country to return to the biblical principles that we established at the birth of the great nation. We need them now more than ever.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4566602998075708342-1035509659472589244?l=questfordestiny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/feeds/1035509659472589244/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/03/do-you-really-pray.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/1035509659472589244'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/1035509659472589244'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/03/do-you-really-pray.html' title='Do You Really Pray?'/><author><name>Steve Dyson</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07613828666832614017</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='16' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LprTq-M_iUQ/Tl5VEEbjXfI/AAAAAAAAAC8/m3TauOWCZnY/s220/08%2BVacation%2Bfile%2B1%2B038.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566602998075708342.post-5037743918538949738</id><published>2009-02-18T06:56:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-02-18T08:11:05.658-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Do Good and Live</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;King Solomon is credited with the writing of Ecclesiastes. He is also acclaimed as the wisest man ever to live. We have recorded in the Book of Proverbs, 31 chapters of the wisdom that he received from Almighty God. The writings of Ecclesiastes is sometimes looked upon as very negative in its approach to life, but when you study this book, you find the great wisdom in its writing. Solomon calls himself the "Preacher" and so he is. It is his last words in this book that I want to focus on. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;Here are his words:&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;    "Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God and keep His commandments, for this is the whole duty of man. For God will bring every work in judgment, including every secret thing, whether it is good or whether it is evil."&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;As we look at the events playing out in our country and the world today, we see the signs of an ending world on the horizon. The Bible foretells of this impending doom, as it is called by many who don't understand. The end of this world is not the end. It is the beginning. It is the beginning of what God intended from the very beginning in the Garden of Eden. It is eternal life with the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. These three beings of the Godhead have longed for the communion that they had with man in the Garden to be restored again. We have seen the plan unfold  over the centuries of time with the final victory coming with Jesus' defeat over death, hell, and the grave. Our salvation has been purchased and awaits for our reunion with the Father  in eternal life. This is not a pipe dream. It is truth stated and proven in the Holy Scriptures. This is the most important thing we must understand and believe.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;Our country has recently been launched into a new era of politics. The new President, Barack Obama, has been singled out as the problem or the cure, depending who you listen to on the the subject. There is enough blame to go around on both sides of the issues, but the issues of economy and government are not where we will find the answers. The answers are found in the Word of God and our adherence to its principles. "Here O Israel, the Lord your God is one God and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength." "Love your neighbor as you love yourself." These two commandment of the Word of God are the one that Jesus Christ told us were the most important. These are the one that we must put in the forefront of our life. The problem in the United States is that we have turned away from these two commandments as a country. Politics has forced prayer out of our schools. It has a campaign to have "In God We Trust" removed from our money. No longer can the Ten Commandments be displayed in the court houses of our land. And the norm today is to find out how you can sue your neighbor rather than to love and prefer him.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;Our nation rotates around greed. The capitalist system that has made our nation the greatest in history has worked over the centuries because it was built on the liberties of every man. The profit motive was was there, but was held in check by the biblical principle of treating the other fellow just as you would like to be treated. Our constitution speaks of life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness, but not at the expense of someone else's same liberties. Yes, today our nation moves under the banner of greed. Government is not the answer. Conservativism is not the answer. The answer is found in the Word of God and a return to moral values. The values on which our founding fathers established this country. Our people need to return to earning a wage because of a day labor, not from a government that seeks to keep the poor in slavery to the government. Welfare was never meant to be a source of income, it was meant to provide a stop gap in times of trouble beyond an individual's control. However, politicians over the last generation have found it advantageous to keep people dependent on welfare as a way of increasing their votes for re-election. That's what I said. By making it possible for people without initative to receive benefits and income from the welfare programs in this country, they build their coffers of votes. They campaign on the promise of making more funds available to these people to keep them in their poor and needy lifestyle. President Reagan, during his term in office, worked very hard to reduce the welfare rolls. He tied welfare to an individual's work habits. They had to have a job to be qualified to receive welfare. Interesting enough the people on welfare went down during his tenure. Imagine that!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;Our country will always go through cyclical progressions. Its the nature of the free enterprise system. There will always be ups and downs. Economy rises and falls on the principle of supply and demand. That will always waiver. Profit will follow this principle. Government will never be able to prop up business because they don't provide demand and supply. Government intervention will never be anything but a bandaid. The sore beneath will still have to heal on its own. We the bandaid comes off, the problem will still be there until the wound is allowed to heal on its own. Businesses that don't provide a viable product or service that is needed by society will fall by the wayside. Businesses that make bad decisions and over-extend their finances in unsound products and services will soon fail. The only way they can stay in business is through government subsidies and if you look at history in this country, businesses that operate for profit never succeed when they have had to rely on government money to keep them afloat. The downside of the government funding a business is that they want to control how that business does their business and it is well documented that government doesn't know how to do that. Today, we have career politicians that have never been involved in business and know nothing of how to manage such. It is my belief that politicians today are the ultimate leeches of society.  If it were up to me, I would limit the term of congressmen and congresswomen to two terms. After that they have to return to society and earn their income from a chosen profession in the marketplace. I would also put them on their own retirement plan and medical insurance that they have to raise just like everyone else, not one provided by the government that they instituted and voted into existence. By the way, where is the mindset to sacrifice in our congress. They recently voted themselves a pay increase in an economy where these same people are requiring the rest of the country to sacrifice and by the way, having to pay increase taxes. So much for my soapbox.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;I adjure everyone who reads this blog to really search themselves to see if they truly are living by the golden rule and truly are involved in a committed relationship with our Heavenly Father. If you find any small percentage of doubt in your mind, drop to your knees and ask the Father to forgive you and come into your heart. Then pray that the Father will show you how to love Him and love your neighbor as yourself. Return to the study of the Bible and fellowshipping at a church that believe the Bible as its only source and works hard to care for its members in time of crises. This is the only answer. If you will do this and diligently seek the Lord in your life, then you won't have to look to some government program to bail you out. God will provide all your needs according to His riches in glory and He will give you the desires of your heart. Selah!!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4566602998075708342-5037743918538949738?l=questfordestiny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/feeds/5037743918538949738/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/02/do-good-and-live.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/5037743918538949738'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/5037743918538949738'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/02/do-good-and-live.html' title='Do Good and Live'/><author><name>Steve Dyson</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07613828666832614017</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='16' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LprTq-M_iUQ/Tl5VEEbjXfI/AAAAAAAAAC8/m3TauOWCZnY/s220/08%2BVacation%2Bfile%2B1%2B038.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566602998075708342.post-950663867129025592</id><published>2009-02-13T09:08:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-02-13T09:43:06.471-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Out of Control Government</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;Our government is out of control. Both the Senate and the House of Representatives are drunk with their new found power and they are trying to ram through every bit of legislation they can before the people of this nation see just how fraudulent they are. They have shut out all Republicans from any consultation on the Stimulus Bill that is about to be voted upon. Not only that they are trying to push this bill throughby 6:00pm tonight, Feb. 13th, before Nancy Pelossi, I hope I mispelled it, goes on an eight day trip to Europe. The arrogance of these people. President Obama promised us that no bill would be voted on until the American people had a change to read the bill, that would be made available to us on the internet for 5 days. Here is this Stimulus Bill that has 1400 pages, plus hand written notes added, that will take more than a week to read, reading 8 hours a day, that will be voted on tonight without anyone having the time to read it, let alone the American people. The President once again has lied to us. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;Is this the change that people voted for? Everyone that voted for Obama should be furious. He promised you the world and you won't even see a square foot of terra firma of promise. The Democrats have become so drunk on their new found power that they can't seem to reframe themselves from putting you in debt that your great, great, great grandchildren will have to pay taxes for. Are you really so ignorant and blind that you will let your elected officials get away with this fraudulent ploy? Its time to revolt. Its time that we learned to use the tools that we have to bring a peaceful overthrow of these gold-diggers. The internet is our gun and we need to be sure that we fire as many shots as we can to bring these idiots to defeat.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;Chris Dodd, Barney Frank, Nancy Pelossi, Harry Reed, any many more are the ones that have put us in the recession and financial crisis and they send up smoke screens by pointing the finger at our financial institutions and major corporations. It was government that forced our banks and mortgage institutions to take questionable mortgage loans telling them that the government would back them, which we find out they didn't. It was the government that told us that everyone should have the opportunity to own a home when it is not an entitlement that everyone should have. To own a home, one should be able to afford it, not only the home but all the expenses that come with a home and the responsibility to maintain that investment for future resale. Now we have slums showing up all over the place, because these same people that were basically given these houses have abandoned them and left them to deteriorate and become an eyesore. Thank you, you left wing, radical Democrats that are nothing more that lemmings being told to run over the cliff by special interest groups that are set on making as many people as they can become dependent on government for everything they have. We are looking at our free enterprise system quickly being thrown away for a fascist Socialistic Society where the only people who will be free are the politicians who are in power. If that sounds familiar it should. You're looking at Communist Russia, France, and their neighboring countries. How long with it be before we see the crowning of a ruling party and a king being put in place. I thought that is why we left England and came to this land to establish a new free society where every man has life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Its going away people. When are you going to wake up and make a difference by opening your mouth and complaining to your congressman. When are you going to engage and become vocal in your county, city, and state letting people know what going on?&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;I have opened my mouth and it will stay open until I see the return of this country to the principles that it was founded on and once again we see statesmen and stateswomen in our government houses who are part time politicians and not career moochers on our taxpayers. Join me in taking this message to the masses. Do it today, we can't wait.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4566602998075708342-950663867129025592?l=questfordestiny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/feeds/950663867129025592/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/02/out-of-control-government.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/950663867129025592'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/950663867129025592'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/02/out-of-control-government.html' title='Out of Control Government'/><author><name>Steve Dyson</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07613828666832614017</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='16' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LprTq-M_iUQ/Tl5VEEbjXfI/AAAAAAAAAC8/m3TauOWCZnY/s220/08%2BVacation%2Bfile%2B1%2B038.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566602998075708342.post-7358376009855277354</id><published>2009-01-15T19:55:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-01-15T21:02:32.649-08:00</updated><title type='text'></title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#000099;"&gt;Proverbs 14:12, “there is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.” Have you ever wondered about this scripture? I have. King Solomon was and is known as the wisest man on earth. God gave Solomon tremendous wisdom to rule the nation of Israel. Obviously that wisdom carried over into life in other cultures. His fame was widespread and heads of state from other countries came to sit under the wisdom under this man. But I digress. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;As I was thinking about this scripture, the picture of the story of the prodigal son came to mind. There were two brothers in that parable, the prodigal son and the elder brother. The path that the prodigal took initially is the obvious wrong path. Many commentaries and expositions dwell on the pitfalls of wasting a life on self-indulged living, squandering one's wealth and inheritance. That is an important story to hear and teaches us many good lessons. But the story of the elder son is the one that we should learn from also.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;In the dialogue between the father and this elder son, we see an attitude of jealousy and greed. He was the heir of all that the father had. His only responsibility was to be faithful to the father to do his will and all was his. But he got all out of joint because the prodigal came home and was given such a great feast. He couldn't see the forest for the trees.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;As Christian individuals we are influenced by two kinds of love. One kind is a love that is centered in the Father. A love that has no agenda other than to give all that he  has without ever expecting anything in return. In other words a love without any hooks. The other type of love is based in self gain, giving one's love in an agenda of getting something in return. In the Greek, this word is "eros." The picture of this word as depicted in Greek writings is one of a snake eating its own tail, which will eventually cause it to consume itself.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;Both of these brothers had love for their father. The younger brother probably understood that his older brother was going to inherit all that his father had and he would be subservient to him. It was the custom in Israel in biblical times that the eldest son would receive the father's blessing. The younger brothers, whereas they would have an inheritance, would be under the leadership of the oldest brother. I can see the wheels turning in the prodigal's mind. "I'll get my father to give me what I've got coming to me and I'm get out from under my older brother. There is no way I want to live the rest of my life being told by him what I can do and what I can't. I'm going to make my own way. I'll show father how it should be done. Just because he's older doesn't mean that he knows what best to do." I know that you've known men just like this. I know I have. Well, along the way to his destruction, the prodigal came to his senses and came home. That's the obvious lesson of the parable. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;The elder brother was just as eaten up with eros as the prodigal was. The only difference is that he stayed home because he knew if he just hung around it would be all his. He had an agenda all of his own. He didn't serve his father out of an attitude of love, love that was the God kind of love. That love in the Greek language is "agape'." This is the love that has no hooks in it. The total purpose of those that exhibit agape' love is to give solely for the purpose of giving. There is no thought of what could be received in return for their giving. This elder brother loved his father only because of what he was going to get when the father passed away. This is the way that seemed to be the right way, but its en&lt;/span&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;d is death.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;If we serve the Father because of what He can give us in return, there will be nothing laid up for us in heaven. We will receive reward only here on earth. However, if our intention is only to do the will of the Father without any thought of what we could receive in return, the Father tells us that no only will we receive reward in this life, but also in the life to come. The elder son, was upset because he didn't have a party thrown for him like the one the prodigal got. He couldn't see beyond his own nose. His love had all kinds of hooks attached. The interesting thing is that the prodigal came back with the understanding that even if he had to live as a servant in his father's house he was satisfied to do so. Now he had no hooks. He knew that he had already blown his inheritance and had nothing else coming. He still came back to serve.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;All of us have two paths that we can follow as a Christian. We are wooed by the television evangelists that promise the hundred-fold return if we would serve their ministries by supporting them financially. They appeal to the eros nature in us the give so that we can receive. Not all public ministries are like this, unfortunately there is a percentage out there that gives the rest a bad name. I want you to understand that kind of ministry is not the pattern that we see in the Bible. The evangelist is supposed to be under the accountability of the local church and submitted to the local church when they come into a town to win souls. The men on the TV are trying to build their own ministries. They basically have established a mobile church. The bad news is that if you become a member of that church, you will not have a pastor that will come to you home when you need him to pray with you and wipe your tears away. The only thing that TV pastor wants from you is money to keep him on the air, or promote a book that he has written. He has hooks.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;The path that the Father desires for us is one that will give us an eternal reward. When we can give to the kingdom without expecting any return, we are walking in the will of the Father. The Father is looking for servants. Servants have no other agenda than to please the Master. Bob Dillan had it right in his song, "You Got to Serve Somebody." We are made to serve, but the Father is looking for servants that will serve of their own free will. The father of the elder son was looking for free will service from him. What he received was a servant that had an agenda to outlast the old man to get what was coming to him.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;Make it your goal to serve the Lord out of your agape' love for Him. Don't look for a return. Do your service for your reward to be laid up in heaven. That's where it will do the most good. This life in years in a mere drop in the bucket compared to eternity. Oh, by the way, when you give out of an agape' heart, you will receive reward in this life too, but please understand that what you receive in this life is not for your consumption only. God expects the blessings that He give to you to be given to those that are in need. That's why he prospers us.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="font-family:Trebuchet MS;color:#000099;"&gt;Stay tuned. There will be more!&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4566602998075708342-7358376009855277354?l=questfordestiny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/feeds/7358376009855277354/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/01/proverbs-1412-there-is-way-that-seems.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/7358376009855277354'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/7358376009855277354'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/01/proverbs-1412-there-is-way-that-seems.html' title=''/><author><name>Steve Dyson</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07613828666832614017</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='16' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LprTq-M_iUQ/Tl5VEEbjXfI/AAAAAAAAAC8/m3TauOWCZnY/s220/08%2BVacation%2Bfile%2B1%2B038.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566602998075708342.post-6796559462343277890</id><published>2009-01-13T06:50:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-01-13T07:22:00.678-08:00</updated><title type='text'>No Substitute For Character</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;It really gets under my skin to see how people with character seem to be disappearing from our elected officials. It appears that they have sold their souls for position and power. I'm sure there are many out there that would agree that the founding fathers of this country would turn over in their graves if they could see the low level of integrity that is accepted all levels of government in America. First and foremost, this country was founded on the principles of the Word of God, the Holy Bible. They wanted this country to be a place that integrity reigned. They wanted to see this country founded on whatsoever was pure, true, trustworthy, and of a good report to mention a few. Too many today are basing their public lives on whatsoever works to serve their own desires, not to serve the people that voted them into office. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;At the founding of our country, politicians laid aside their personal endeavors to handle the necessary things of a government by the people, for the people, without the view to personal gain. Once the necessary was done, they took off their political robes and returned to private life to carry on business. Those of you that have read about our history will remember that when George Washington was voted our first president, there were those that wanted to make him our king, making his election permanent for life. George, himself, nixed that idea and helped set the term of the president at a four year term with elections at the end of each term to vote for a new leader of our country. The center focus was not to be a professional politician. It was to be a temporary statesman to steer this country in the direction of our constitution and bill of rights. I wonder today if our congressmen and congresswomen even know what our constitution and bill of rights even say. They get elected, take their seat in their respective houses of government and immediately begin to campaign for their next term in office. All of their decision seem to be made around what will return them to their seats. What their constituents have voted them into office to accomplish for them has been put aside. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;I think its time to limit the number of terms that a congressman get serve in our government houses at all levels. Let them serve two terms and then be required to return to private life and required to stay out of office for at least two terms. This country needs to have integrity returned to the halls of government and I believe that this would be a good start.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;Christian men founded this country. They based our government from the Word of God and it needs to return to the principles of the Word of God if we ever want to return to the blessed nation it has been in the past. American is a mere shell of what she used to be because she has turned her back on the Lord, God Almighty. Let's return to prayer in public places. Let's return to Christian values in our schools. Let's return to the church taking care of the needy instead of our govenment having to set up welfare programs. Let's return to becoming self-reliant and trust-worthy. Let's return to the Lord and lean of His wisdom and word to lead us into the future. Its time people. Its time.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;Stay tuned for more...........&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4566602998075708342-6796559462343277890?l=questfordestiny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/feeds/6796559462343277890/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/01/no-substitute-for-character.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/6796559462343277890'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/6796559462343277890'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/01/no-substitute-for-character.html' title='No Substitute For Character'/><author><name>Steve Dyson</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07613828666832614017</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='16' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LprTq-M_iUQ/Tl5VEEbjXfI/AAAAAAAAAC8/m3TauOWCZnY/s220/08%2BVacation%2Bfile%2B1%2B038.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566602998075708342.post-2641796100912395318</id><published>2009-01-05T07:11:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-01-05T07:55:28.310-08:00</updated><title type='text'>Competition</title><content type='html'>&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;It's a good thing to be competitive. Competition raises our level of achievement. It pushes us to excellence. Remove competition and we all fall into mediocrity. I am amazed at the opposition I hear and read about from the more liberal Americans, especially in education circles, wanting to eliminate competitive activities in our schools. Their excuse is that some children will experience rejection and develop a poor self-image. What a ton of hogwash. Can you imagine a school with no grading system so that no one will have to endure failure. What a crock. I believe that comes from someone who never wanted to compete and probably didn't have the ambition to achieve anything.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;We are challenged in the Bible to compete. The Apostle Paul said that he pressed toward the prize of the high calling in Christ Jesus. He competed. He also wrote from the approach of the athlete running a race for a prize. His point was that the runner didn't enter the race to be an also ran. He entered to win. Our Heavenly Father put the competitive element in our makeup and He expected us to win. He gave us dominion over the earth to rule and subdue it. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;If you look at the world when God gave that command, there wasn't anything to rule over, except one being. Satan! The Father had banished Satan to earth as his judgment for trying to exalt himself over God's throne. When he was sent here it wasn't to be the ruler of the earth. Adam, after his creation, was told to rule over Satan and keep him subdued in his personal prison. The reason we have so much problem with Satan and his kingdom today is because Adam was not obedient to the Father and did not rule his household well. His wife, lured by the Serpent, convinced Adam that to partake of the fruit of the forbidden tree, The Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil, against the command of God. In eating the fruit, Adam allowed Satan to surplant God as his Father and became enslaved to his own will that was ruled by a sin nature, placed there by Satan when he took authority over man.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;The only way that this dominion, that was taken through deceitfulness, can be restored is through the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. The reason that God chose this method is far beyond my comprehension. However, I don't question my God who through His knowledge, power, and presence was able to create all that we see today in the universes. He chose that method to return Satan to the place of his imprisonment. Satan held the keys to death, hell, and the grave. No one had ever been resurrected from the dead without the intervention of a prophet, according to the Bible and its comtemporary writings. When Jesus raised himself up, he took the keys from Satan and returned him to his place of prison. He also gave us back the authority over Satan and the earth that was given to us at creation.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;I am well aware that there are those in our world that think that this is idiot logic, but I don't think it has anything to do with logic. The Bible, written by anointed men over the centuries, has never been proven false. Not one verse has ever been disputed so that it could be removed from its writings. Of the over 500 prophecies accounted in the Scriptures all have been fulfilled or yet to be fulfilled without error. The cities of the world that have been chronicled in the Scriptures have all been verified as existing. No other spiritual writing can make that claim and back it up with evidence. Its not logic, it is verified fact. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;I challenge anyone to take the time to read the Bible and try to dispute it. You can try, but you will find not only is it true, but you will probably find that you need Jesus Christ as your Savior. Notice that I challenged you. That's a competitive word. You will have to compete to try and discredit the Word of God. I will tell you that you will loose, but in loosing there will be a great transformation. You will find the Lord and you will win, but your win will be found in eternal life with the Lord through the salvation provided by the blood of Jesus Christ.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt;&lt;br /&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;Don't ever stop competing. Compete in your job. Compete in your play. Compete in your destiny. Never give up even if you fail. Remember that failure only sets you up for the next success. The Bible says that a righteous man falls seven times, but get back up and continues to compete. We are fortunate today that we don't have to compete to the death to share our convictions like the Apostles were subjected. We have the freedom to share without the fear of death. We may experience some rejection, but that is a small pitance in comparison. Make this your motto: "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." The only thing that is impossible is nothing.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4566602998075708342-2641796100912395318?l=questfordestiny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/feeds/2641796100912395318/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/01/competition.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/2641796100912395318'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/2641796100912395318'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/01/competition.html' title='Competition'/><author><name>Steve Dyson</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07613828666832614017</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='16' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LprTq-M_iUQ/Tl5VEEbjXfI/AAAAAAAAAC8/m3TauOWCZnY/s220/08%2BVacation%2Bfile%2B1%2B038.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry><entry><id>tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4566602998075708342.post-8253641207059815930</id><published>2009-01-04T18:20:00.000-08:00</published><updated>2009-01-04T18:59:19.631-08:00</updated><title type='text'>The State of Our Nation</title><content type='html'>&lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;Like most Americans, I have been heavily involved watching and listening to the political rhetoric that last several months. I am totally amazed at the bombardment of commericals and PDAs we have be subjected to. If we took half of the money the candidates and would be candidates spent, we could have baled out GM and Chrysler. Its been quite of ride to our new President. It is my belief that all Americans need to pray for President Obama as he leads this great nation. He will need those prayers to be guided to make the proper decisions for our nation and economy. I invite my readers also to pray. Pray not only for our President, but also our Congress-men and Congress-women to make the right choices, but that they will take the time to pray and seek the Lord for the decision that they make.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="justify"&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;It is also apalling to see the depth of debt in this country today. We have truly become slaves to the credit gods in America. We have also become slave to our every desire, whether we can afford it or not. Others have it so we want it, no matter the costs. We have been sold a bill of goods that everyone is entitled to own a home. That is a deceitful lie. We are not entitled, we must earn the right to own a home. Unfortunately too many people have bought into that lie and now we can see the reprecussions&lt;/span&gt; &lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;of those decisions. Our citizens are in foreclosures and bankruptcies. They have lost their credit rating, effecting their ability to purchase again in the next 7 to 10 years. We can thank our almighty Congress and greedy mortgage lenders for this mess, along with the people who did not do their due diligence before they got involved.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;This is the reason that I began involved in my present business. The government is not going to get thesee people out of debt. It is only going to make it possible for them to get further in debt and be under the control of our government for every facet of their lives.  The company that I represent has developed an online software that can get just about everyone out of this strangling debt. It works 24/7/365 to get people out of debt and save them thousands of dollars in projected interest cost and can accomplish this in as little as 1/3 to 1/2 the normal scheduled time. Our country needs to get out of debt. I believe we can achieve that goal one person at a time and I am making it my goal to see as many people reach that goal in the years that I have left in this earth, which I pray will be many. &lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;If you would like to know more about this product you can go to my website: &lt;a href="http://www.u1stfinancial.net/save1000s"&gt;www.u1stfinancial.net/save1000s&lt;/a&gt; and then send me an email message telling me how I can get in touch with you.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;There's another thing I'd like to add. Learn to live on a budget. It doesn't matter whether you have all the money you want or not. We have been put here on this earth by God to be good stewards of what we have and be able to help others along the way.  If you don't know where your money is going, how will you be able to determine whether you have anything to help others. When this country was founded, it was established on Judeo-Christian principles that sets as one of its standards to help the widows and the motherless and poor. We have neglected that responsibility over the centuries and now we look to the government to do our job. They don't do a very good job of it. Their help enslaves the people that they purport to help and will never give them an opportunity to become free from the welfare lists they become a part. If everyone would select one or more persons and see that their needs are met when they don't have the means to do it themselves, we can instill a new confidence in them that they can get back on their feet. We don't have to make a lifetime commitment to these people. Just help them temporarily. Then take the time to speak into their lives how they can improve their situations. If you have businesses that employ workers, hire them. Maybe take the time to help them find employment. It really doesn't take that much time to help, probably less time than you spent in front of that TV right now, and I know you spent entirely too much time there.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;We can all help. When we do, we will lift some of the burden from the government and might even get our government the opportunity to shrink in size instead of increasing in size. We must remember the words of Ronald Reagan: "We are a nation that has a government, not a government that has a nation."&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;&lt;/span&gt; &lt;/div&gt;&lt;div align="justify"&gt;&lt;span style="color:#000099;"&gt;This is Steve signing off for now. Stay tuned for future disertations.&lt;/span&gt;&lt;/div&gt;&lt;div class="blogger-post-footer"&gt;&lt;img width='1' height='1' src='https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/tracker/4566602998075708342-8253641207059815930?l=questfordestiny.blogspot.com' alt='' /&gt;&lt;/div&gt;</content><link rel='replies' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/feeds/8253641207059815930/comments/default' title='Post Comments'/><link rel='replies' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/01/state-of-our-nation.html#comment-form' title='0 Comments'/><link rel='edit' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/8253641207059815930'/><link rel='self' type='application/atom+xml' href='http://www.blogger.com/feeds/4566602998075708342/posts/default/8253641207059815930'/><link rel='alternate' type='text/html' href='http://questfordestiny.blogspot.com/2009/01/state-of-our-nation.html' title='The State of Our Nation'/><author><name>Steve Dyson</name><uri>http://www.blogger.com/profile/07613828666832614017</uri><email>noreply@blogger.com</email><gd:image rel='http://schemas.google.com/g/2005#thumbnail' width='33' height='16' src='http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-LprTq-M_iUQ/Tl5VEEbjXfI/AAAAAAAAAC8/m3TauOWCZnY/s220/08%2BVacation%2Bfile%2B1%2B038.JPG'/></author><thr:total>0</thr:total></entry></feed>
