The world system vs. God

Have you noticed lately that not only is our present culture drifting farther and farther away from God but it seems to be saying and espousing things that are in direct opposition to what God says. I've formulated a list below. See what you think.

 

• The world says it's all about you.   God says it's all about Him
• The world says elevate yourself.    God says to put others ahead of yourself
• The world says grab as much power as you can.  God says be a servant
• The world says eat, drink, and be merry for this is all there is.  God says you are an eternal being so be wise with your time
• The world says the ends justify the means. God says the means will be judged at the end.
• The world says outward beauty is everything. God says those with inner beauty will shine at the end.
• The world says gather as many things as you can. God says only your treasure in heaven will last.
• The world says death is the end. God says death is only the beginning.
• The world says truth is relative. God says I am the truth
• The world says man is good at heart. God says the heart of man is wicked all the time.
• The world says there are many pathways to heaven. Jesus says No man gets to the Father, but through Me.
• The world says to be tolerant. God says to call evil, evil.
• The world says it's all about personal happiness. God says it's all about personal sacrifice.
• The world says it's better to receive. God says it's better to give.

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, love for the Father is not in them.  For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.The world and its desires pass away, but whoever does the will of God lives forever. 1 John 2:15

 

Incredible list, huh?  Can you think of any to add?

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Where do you stand on Israel?

Will you stand with me?  I've copied two great videos below. The first one is a brief history of the region and how it came to be like it is today.  If you don't know much about Israel and Palestine, I encourage you to watch the entire thing.. it's about 6 minutes.
The second video is also a fantastic explanation as to why Israel would cease to exist should they be forced to return to their 1967 borders.  I hope you'll take the time to watch both videos and educate yourself. God is not done with His Chosen people! He loves them very much. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem! 

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Wordless Wednesday!

By the time you see this, I'll be on a plane heading east!! Guess where I'll be landing! One of my favorite cities, Baltimore!! However, I won't get to see much of it as we are immediately driving down to Annapolis for my daughter's graduation from the Naval Academy. I will be back home late Sunday
Anyway, enjoy this picture! This would make a great cover for my reprinting of The Redemption!

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The power of Praise!

What is praise? The Dictionary defines it as the act of expressing admiration, approval or laudation. It is the offering of grateful hommage in words or song. Why do we praise God? More importantly, when do we praise God?

Do we praise Him only when things are going well? Do we praise Him only if He answers our prayers the way we want to? How easy is that? But what about when you get that dianosis of cancer or your husband leaves you or someone you loves die or you lose your job or you don't find a job for months. Do you praise God then?

Apparently, most of the crowds who followed Jesus here on earth were much like that. They praised God and followed Jesus because they either wanted him to heal them, feed them, or they wanted Him to overthrow the Roman rule and free them from enslavement.

Though Jesus did heal and feed many, He did not come to free them from earthly enslavement. He had something much more eternal in mind. Yet when they realized that, they turned on Him. They went from praising Him one day to crucifying Him the next.

I see so many Christians turn on God when He doesn't preform like they want him to. When He doesn't get them that job, save their marriage, get them that relationship, fulfill their dream. They get angry and claim God doesn't love them. That He's against them. It really saddens me.
Because if God doesn't answer your specific prayer the way you want, chances are He has something far greater in mind for you.

Why do we praise God? Because He is worth of praise. Plain and simple. We praise Him because that's what we were created to do. I used to think that God's demand for praise made Him sound rather narcisistic. But He doesn't need our praises to feed his ego. He longs for our praises because He knows that only by our worship of Him will we ever find fulfillment, peace, joy, and love. In other words, our praising God meets all of our needs in this life and the next. It's for our benefit, not His.

• Praise defeats the enemy
• Praise is an act of faith
• Praise connects you with a loving God
• Praise focuses on God not on you, which leads to joy. Have you ever met anyone whose primary focus is themselves? They aren't very happy are they?
• Praise releases the bounty of Heaven
• Praise pleases the Holy Spirit, releasing His power and provision
• Praise sends demons packing
• Praise defeats depression

Don't believe me? Check out these Scriptures.

Our purpose
But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; 1 Peter 2:9

Our salvation
I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praised;So shall I be saved from my enemies. Psalm 22:4

Praise unleashes power and provision
And the Levites who were the singers, all those of Asaph and Heman and Jeduthun, with their sons and their brethren, stood at the east end of the altar, clothed in white linen, having cymbals, stringed instruments and harps, and with them one hundred and twenty priests sounding with trumpets—indeed it came to pass, when the trumpeters and singers were as one, to make one sound to be heard in praising and thanking the LORD, and when they lifted up their voice with the trumpets and cymbals and instruments of music, and praised the LORD, saying: “For He is good, For His mercy endures forever,” that the house, the house of the LORD, was filled with a cloud, so that the priests could not continue ministering because of the cloud; for the glory of the LORD filled the house of God.
 2 Chron 5:12-14

Defeat your enemies
And when he had consulted with the people, he appointed those who should sing to the LORD, and who should praise the beauty of holiness, as they went out before the army and were saying: “Praise the LORD, For His mercy endures forever.”  Now when they began to sing and to praise, the LORD set ambushes against the people of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir, who had come against Judah; and they were defeated.   2 Chron 20:21-22

But You are holy,  Enthroned in the praises of Israel. Our fathers trusted in You; They trusted, and You delivered them. Psalm 22:3-4

Praise is an act of will
I will bless the LORD at all times; His praise shall continually be in my mouth Psalm 34:1

Enter into God's presence
I will Enter into His gates with thanksgiving,And into His courts with praise.  Psalm 100:4

Praise is a weapon
Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,And a two-edged sword in their hand, Psalm 149:6

Cure for depression
The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; Isaiah 61:3

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Pirates of the Caribbean - On Stranger Tides

For just over two hours today, I was once again immersed in my favorite world. Pirates, Tall ships, the Sea and History!  Add a small buttered popcorn, and you might as well have carted me off to Heaven right then and there.  Yes, I am a certified pirate maniac, freak, lover, whatever you want to call me. I have the bumper stickers and the published novels to prove it.

My impressions.  Loved it! Loved it! Loved it!  I realize I may be a bit biased to love anything piratical, but there wasn't a single moment when my eyes, mind, and heart weren't engaged. I didn't miss Orlando or Keira at all. Captain Jack Sparrow stole the show as usual anyway. In addition,  I must say I was most pleased not to see any of the undead or fish people in this sequel.  They did have one zombie, but he was fairly innocuous. And of course the mermaids. Beautifully done. A bit frightening in their nature, but upon deeper inspection, we see they have hearts as well.  I have to say, watching them only added to my zeal to write that mermaid story someday!  They added some characters and brought some old ones back.  My favorite new character is a man called the cleric. He's a godly man who believes in good versus evil. And the best part about him was that Hollywood didn't make him a dork like they tend to do most religious people. In fact if you pay attention, you'll see a real theme of good versus evil running through the entire movie. As well as the theme of sacrificing oneself for another. Ah, good stuff!

The movie starts in London with great scenery and costumes.. then heads out to sea in search of the fountain of youth. The real historical figure of Blackbeard the Pirate plays a huge part and from what I know of him, the writers did a great job of making him as vile as he truly was.  I wasn't sure how they were going to end the story, especially as it dealt with eternal life, but I was very pleased with the outcome. They left a few loose threads at the end which indicate at least one more film, making this pirate lover a happy sailor!  All in all, a fabulous addition to the pirate saga and well worth your $10 and a bag of popcorn (which almost cost as much as the movie)

So, grab your cutlass, put on that head scarf, and sail to your nearest theater for a truly enjoyable foray into the wonderful world of pirates.

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Announcements

First and most importantly, by the time you read this, I may be sitting in a dark theater next to my fellow pirate in crime (my eldest daughter), munching on popcorn, and watching the fourth installment of the Pirates of the Caribbean movies--the movies that inspired me to write my first published books, Legacy of the Kings Pirates.!!! Tune in tomorrow because I promise to write my thoughts on the movie.

Second: I hope to get my newsletter sent out the first week of June, but for those who don't subscribe, you might like to know that July will be Surrender the Dawn month!  Each Friday, I'll be posting something cool about the book, characters, sneak peek at the plot, snippets of chapters, video trailers...etc. But the best part, I'll be giving away five copies of the book!  So, if you're not on my Motley Crew, you may want to enter to win one.

Lastly, I'm traveling to Annapolis, Maryland next week. (Wed-Sun) to attend my step-daughter's graduation from the Naval Academy!!!  The entire family, including my mother who lives in Tenn, will be converging on the quaint port town for four days of celebration and all sorts of naval activities. My kind of party!! So, I don't expect to be online much. Pictures will follow. By the way, you should see the naval sword we got her for a graduation gift!

So, on those happy notes, I'll leave you with my blessing for your weekend and blessings on your family.
God Bless Israel and God Bless America!

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Wordless Wednesday!

In honor of the new pirate movie, check out this picture. It's a pirate ship being chased by a navy frigate! Click to get a bigger view.   Apparently this was created by a designer. Here's the website. Just want to give credit where credit is due. http://www.povcomp.com/entries/98.php

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In honor of the Pirate movie releasing this Friday....

I thought you'd like to see this description of some of the items found on Captain Jack Sparrow's costume.
http://popwatch.ew.com/2011/05/14/capt-jack-sparrow-pirate/

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Do you think God can't use you?

I saw this online somewhere and thought it would be a great encouragment to many of you out there. (It was to me)  Too often we feel attacked by the enemy who wants to tell us that we aren't worth anything.. that we've made too many mistakes, that we still make too many mistakes. That we are nothing but self-loving,dishonest, stupid, ugly,  and evil at heart. Well, that may be true!  But look what God did with people just like you and me. See if you can find yourself among these spiritual giants.  And if not, add one of your own at the end.

Noah was a drunk
Abraham was too old
Isaac was a daydreamer
Jacob was a liar
Leah was ugly
Joseph was abused
Moses had a stuttering problem
Gideon was afraid
Samson had long hair and was a womanizer
Rahab was a prostitute
Jeremiah and Timothy were too young
David had an affair and was a murderer
Elijah was suicidal
Isaiah preached naked
Jonah ran from God
Naomi was a widow
Job went bankrupt
Peter denied Christ
The Disciples fell asleep while praying
Martha worried about everything
The Samaritan Woman was divorced and living with a man
Zaccheus was too small
Paul was too religious
Timothy had an ulcer
Lazarus was dead
And I added my own: MaryLu was a divorced, promiscuous drunk (And look how he's using me!)

Think of what you were when you were called. Not many of you were wise by human standards; not many were influential; not many were of noble birth. But God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things - and the things that are not - to nullify the things that are, so that no one may boast before him. ~1 Corinthians 1:26-29

If you have one of your own you'd like to add, please do. Don't be embarassed or shy. I've told you what I was. The reason? To give God and only God the glory for what I've become and what I'm on my way to becoming. 
Be encouraged today. And go out and do HUGE things for God.

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Happy Friday! And winner of Undercurrent by Michelle Griep

Sorry foe the late post, but apparently Blogger was down for nearly 24 hours!   Anyway, I drew the winner's name for Undercurrent, Michelle Griep's exciting time-travel Vicking story and it's Brenda Hurley!!! Congratulations Brenda!!!  I encourage the rest of you to go to Amazon and order this wonderful book for yourself!! 
http://www.amazon.com/Undercurrent-Michelle-Griep/dp/1936835029/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1305310238&sr=1-1

Now for a bit of news: I received the prelimnary cover of Veil of Pearls and shared it on Facebook. If you haven't seen it yet, I'm posting it here with a blurb from the book and the release date. The cover may change slightly from this, but I think this is pretty much it.

Adalia Winston, a runaway slave, arrives in the bustling port town of 1811 Charleston, South Carolina, having escaped her vicious owner on the island of Barbados. Only one quarter Negro, she is able to hide her heritage and use her herbal medicinal skills to procure a job with a local doctor. When she meets Morgan, the handsome, spoiled son of a rich plantation owner, she finds herself swept up into the extravagant, pampered lifestyle of the Charleston elite, relishing the attention and opulence of a world she never dreamed existed. But in her efforts to be a part of popular society and capture the heart of Morgan, has she pushed the God who has never left her into second place, while being ashamed of the person He created her to be? And when her owner comes to stake his claim, will Morgan and her new friends stand up for her when they discover who she is, or will her world come crashing down around her?

Releases June 2012


Finally, let me leave you with this wonderful soldier's prayer I found. May it encourage you, bless you, and give you a clearer picture of our Awesome God!

A CONFEDERATE SOLDIER'S PRAYER
Author Unknown,
(Attributed to a battle weary C.S.A soldier near the end of the war)

I asked God for strength, that I might achieve;
I was made weak, that I might learn humbly to obey.
I asked for health, that I might do greater things;
I was given infirmity, that I might do better things.
I asked for riches, that I might be happy;
I was given poverty, that I might be wise.
I asked for power, that I might have the praise of men;
I was given weakness, that I might feel the need of God.
I asked for all things, that I might enjoy life;
I was given life, that I might enjoy all things.
I got nothing that I asked for, but everything I hoped for.
Almost despite myself, my unspoken prayers were answered.
I am among all men most richly blessed.

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If you don't already own a copy of Surrender the Night

Or if you'd like a copy to give to a friend, go here to see a review and enter to win:  http://cfpagels.blogspot.com/

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Wordless Wednesday!

Errol Flynn as Captain Blood



Don't mess with this guy!



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Check the top of your head!

People don't really talk about crowns in our day and age. I believe the Queen of England still wears a crown from time to time, and perhaps some other monarchs throughout the world, but you just don't see crowns everywhere!  Interestingly enough, the Bible is full of crowns.  I did a brief search and came up with some interesting results.

Traditionally in history a crown represented power and authority.  But it also represented so much more than that. A crown could also represent legitimacy, immortality, righteousness, victory, triumph, resurrection, and honor. It was typically made of gold and adorned with various precious jewels which signified the glory of the person wearing it.

Did you know that according to Scripture, if you belong to God, you already are wearing a crown?  You may not feel like you're wearing a crown. But I believe it is a spiritual crown, a crown that's very real in the spiritual realm and something that can be seen by angels and demons alike. Check it out!

For You have made him (man) a little lower than the angels, And You have crowned him with glory and honor Psalm 8:5

Who redeems your life from destruction, Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies Psalm 103:4

For the LORD takes delight in his people; he crowns the humble with victory  Psalm /149:4

Blessings crown the head of the righteous  Proverbs 10:6
The prudent are crowned with knowledge Proverbs 14:18
Everlasting joy will crown their heads Isaiah 35:10
Crown of beauty instead of ashes Isaiah 61:3
A crown that lasts forever 1 Corinthians 9:25
The victor's crown 2 Tim 2:5

Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day 2 Tim 4:8

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.  James 1:12

And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the crown of glory that will never fade away. 1 Peter 5:4

Be faithful, even to the point of death, and I will give you life as your victor’s crown. Revelation 2:10

 
Surrounding the throne were twenty-four other thrones, and seated on them were twenty-four elders. They were dressed in white and had crowns of gold on their heads. Rev 4:4

Each child of God is crowned already with glory, honor, lovingkindness, tender mercies, life, victory, gold, righteousness, eternity, everlasting joy, blessings, knowledge and beauty. Sounds like a pretty exquisite crown to me! And when we get to heaven, we'll get an actual crown of gold, a victor's crown!


My husband got a glimpse into the spiritual realm at the moment of his salvation. He  was up on the hill behind my house at the time. He told me he saw beams of light shooting up from the city straight into heaven. Later after we spoke, we both came to the conclusion that these beams must have been Christians. Maybe it was their glowing crowns?  Interesting that we are marked like that and the enemy knows full well who we are. I imagine the closer we get to Jesus, the brighter we become. Cool, huh?

Next time you think you're nobody, or you just feel down about life, picture yourself wearing this marvelous crown and recite the list of it's attributes!  Then be faithful, be joyful, be strong, and praise Almighty God!
For as Revelation 3:11 says, 

I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one takes away your crown.

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Win a copy of Undercurrent by Michelle Griep !!!

Top 5 Reasons to Admire a Viking

Guest Blog by Michelle Griep

1. Sweet Texting Skills

The Viking alphabet, the Futhark, is a series of straight lines. Super easy to carve into a stick, a skull, what-have-you. Much of their communication has been unearthed by archeologists, down to shopping lists, threats, and love notes.

2. Viking Men Put Metrosexuals to Shame

Contrary to popular belief, Vikings were a meticulously clean and well-dressed people group. Unlike the English, they didn’t hold any ridiculous superstitions about bathing opening the door to demon possession. Once a week they soaked in their bubble bath and daily combed out their hair. Clothing was bright and fashionable, often incorporating imported silks and furs.

3. Debt Free Living

These people paid their debts and paid them fast—or were kicked out of the country. Everything had a monetary value, even a life. If you killed someone, you had to reimburse the deceased’s family (called wergild).

4. CEO Determination

They knew what they wanted and went after it. Gold and silver, mostly, though land was high on their list as well. And if a Viking showed up on your doorstep, you’d probably better cooperate. They employed ruthless practices such as the ‘blood eagle’ (I won’t go into detail to spare the squeamish at heart, but let’s just say this activity involved surgical skill, bone cracking, and organ removal).

5. Packers Suck

Enough said.

Now that your appetite is whetted for big, beefy Vikings, there’s a book you really shouldn’t pass up. Take a trip back in time and experience these wild and winsome people in UNDERCURRENT…

People go missing every day. Many meet with foul play, some leave the social grid by choice, but others are never accounted for. Such is the fate of successful linguistics professor Cassie Larson. She leads a life her undergrad students hope to attain, until she tumbles into the North Sea and is sucked into a swirling vortex…and a different century.

Alarik, son of a Viking chieftain, is blamed for a murder he didn’t commit—or did he? He can’t remember. On the run, saving a half-drowned foreign woman wasn’t in his plans.

Ragnar is a converted pagan shunned by many but determined to prove his Cousin Alarik’s innocence. He didn’t count on falling in love with Cassie or the deadly presence of evil that threatens his village in Alarik’s absence.

UNDERCURRENT…dare to be swept away. Available now at Amazon or Risen Books

Buy from Amazon

Michelle's been writing since she first discovered Crayolas and blank wall space. She resides in the frozen tundra of Minnesota with 5 other mammals (both human and canine). And don't forget to check out her debut novel, GALLIMORE...a Wizard of Oz tale with a Medieval Twist, available at Amazon or Black Lyon Publishing.

 

She seeks to glorify God in all that she writes…except for that graffiti phase she went through as a teenager. Find out more at http://www.mmgriep.com

Have you always wanted to be a writer?

Yes, except for a short season when I kicked around the idea of becoming an astronaut. Two problems with that, though. First off, I hate science and math, both of which you should at least have a mild interest in to be successful in a space career. Secondly, when I found out that astronauts don’t actually wear cool Lt. Uhura uniforms, it was a deal breaker.

In addition to writing, you also homeschool your children! How do you balance it all?

Apparently you didn’t notice the frayed hem on my superhero cape. Family and schooling takes up the lion’s share of my time but I do have one dedicated night per week when I run away from home to write. You can find me at Panera with a cup of java and chocolate chunk cookie every Thursday evening.

How did this story come to you?

There’s an old family story my mom told me about her mom, Clara Brekke. Sometime back in the early 1900’s, Clara’s father took her two-year-old sister and walked out the front door. Just like that. No bags packed. Not a word about where they were going or when they’d return. Nothing. No one ever heard from them again. As a result, I’ve always been curious about missing people. Assuming they’ve not met with foul play, where exactly do they go?

What interests you about the Viking age?

Besides the roots of Christianity in the Nordic culture, there’s a ton of other fascinating facts. Case in point…Bubba the Viking. Did you know there’s actual graffiti carved into wood and stones left behind by these fellas? And who would’ve known that one of these big beefy warrior’s names was Bubba? Not kidding. Feel free to use that tidbit as an icebreaker at the next party you attend.

Please share your favorite scene from Undercurrent.

The setting is a dark forest late into the small hours of the night. Hero Ragnar is leading Cassie, who freaks out about a wolf howling. Ragnar takes her hand, meets her gaze and says,

         “I am well armed, Cassie. Think you I would lead you into danger?

         Even so, I pledge my protection.”

Once those words left my pen, it was like Jesus whispered the same to me. What a picture of his strong guidance and assurance. On days when I’m walking through scary darkness, how comforting it is to remember that he’s the one holding my hand.

What other new projects do you have in the future?

I could easily be persuaded to write a Viking sequel if readers swamp my publisher with requests. I’ve also recently finished a historical fiction set in the Regency period (think Jane Austen) which involves an opium addict and a man who’s slowly going insane.

 MARYLU Here:   I've had the privilege of reading an advance copy of this book and I loved it so much, I endorsed it!  There's nothing like a cool Time Travel story! And Michelle is an expert.  SO, if you'd like to win a free copy, you must leave a comment and either ask Michelle a question or comment on something in her interview, or for you more creative types, add a 6th reason to admire a Viking!!!

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