ClydeStyle

Category: Uncategorized

  • Who’s preying on you?

    How do you shop? Do you shop based on what you know about your needs or do you shop based on desire?

    The world expects us to follow our desires and literally impulse everything. Quick decisions are great as far as capitalism is concerned. We live in a society that encourages buying what you don’t need on credit; living above your means because you desire it; and following our feelings and not what we know.

    As innocent as Facebook started, why do you think they came up with the “like” button? Now we see ads on TV where companies are asking us to go to their Facebook page and “like” them. That’s no accident my friends. The powers that be have already figured out how to turn “likes” into dollar signs.

    By revealing what you “like” it makes it easier to market things at you. I wonder what revealing what you “know” will do?

    We need to be wise in how we proceed. God gave us the ability to process and meditate and it is in these things that our dominion over animals rests. Take away my ability to think and I will be prey. Maybe the bigger question here is who is my predator?

    I tell you this truth: Trace where your money goes to find your predator.

  • Yes! I am talking about greed again!

    So Jesus always has an effective way of getting his point across.

    I love how plain the Savior’s teachings are! What makes those who HAVE neglect those who HAVE NOT? The reason: A lack of spirituality, no compassion and greed.

    As I have said before I will say again, the donations continue to roll in for the President and Mitt Romney as the country continues to struggle. Does it really matter what these guys say to us anymore? Does it matter what congress says anymore?

    I’m very bothered by the fact that these two guys have claimed Christianity, but their actions have not — and I’m just talking about their use of donations!

    Again, the money raised could solve many of our countries problems. But instead what will it be used for?

    So Jesus says this in Matthew 25:35-40: “35 For I was an hungred, and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and ye took me in: 36 Naked, and ye clothed me: I was sick, and ye visited me: I was in prison, and ye came unto me. 37 Then shall the righteous answer him, saying, Lord, when saw we thee an hungred, and fed thee? or thirsty, and gave thee drink? 38 When saw we thee a stranger, and took thee in? or naked, and clothed thee? 39 Or when saw we thee sick, or in prison, and came unto thee? 40 And the King shall answer and say unto them, Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me” — KJV.

    The application is simple: Greed, lack of compassion and unrighteousness will cause many so-called Christians to miss the promises of everlasting life. God is the righteous judge of the quick and the dead which includes the presidents and all candidates and we all will have to give an account of our deeds.

    To them and all of us I say, “Wake up! We are not doing this just to that poor man or that poor woman or these orphan kids, we’re doing it to the Savior.”

  • Cinco de Mayo is a celebration of victory, but for what?

    For years I celebrated Cinco de Mayo thinking that it was the equivalent of the Fourth of July for Mexico. I grew up with Mexican neighbors, I still love Mexican food (minus all that cheese) and never did any of them ever correct my thinking. Cinco de Mayo is the celebration of the Mexican army’s unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla on May 5, 1862.

    In the spirit of unlikely victories I’d like to say that I am dissatisfied with the way civil rights is rationed out in Christian America. Our civil rights movement of the sixties advanced African-Americans some. Not that African-American’s have arrived by any stretch of the imagination, but it just seems to me that those who have been through a struggle would reach back with empathy  to help others going through a struggle.

    Based on our history, you would think that on a massive scale, the Jewish nation would have done more things to assist African-Americans in their struggle. I’m not at all saying that nothing has been done, but with the reparations as a result of the horrible Holocaust and the fact that Jews maintained their identity through that process, Jews had information that would have changed the state of African-Americans today. Now I say this fully aware that most of the houses sold by Jews from the 60s-80s were sold to Blacks because Whites would not live in homes formally owned by Jews. Southfield, MI is a perfect example of this. There have been educational, healthcare, housing and other services given to assist African-Americans which were funded by Jews. These things were great helps in the struggle and they specifically dealt with the RESULTS of the struggle. I don’t know of anything done to PREVENT the struggle — and that’s my point. After slavery, Blacks needed direction and guidance. There was a need to know how the financial system functioned and ownership of real estate. Other than Tulsa’s Black Wall Street (and we know what happened to it!), this knowledge was missing. I wonder what if the Jews taught Blacks how to succeed much like the Native American taught the pilgrims how to succeed what would things look like now?

    Fast forward to the 21st Century and African-Americans should be doing more to help Mexicans and Hispanics in their struggles with this nation. The very same struggles that we are still trying to overcome. Granted this should be the responsibility of everyone including federal, state and local authorities. When you start running statistics you will see that Jews went through some very horrible things here in America. African-Americans are still going through some horrible things in this country. And Mexicans and Hispanics are catching hell right now. From being kicked out of our country, to not having their healthcare disparities even addressed, to not receiving fair wages and benefits for work and poor education.

    I don’t mean to sound harsh or offensive, but we need to stop accepting the unspoken pecking order that ranks the races.  I want to do something about this. I’m not sure what exactly, but I would like to do something to help with this cause. I realize that there are a lot of causes out there, but this Cinco de Mayo I would like to not only celebrate the Battle of Puebla with them, but I also want to end that celebration, by asking them what I can do to help. What about you?

  • On the other side of Jesus


    Justice is a hard thing to demand.

     

    I mean, how do I have the right to justice when I’m wrong too? Justice is defined as: The quality of being just; fairness. The principle of moral rightness; equity. Conformity to moral rightness in action or attitude; righteousness. I can be righteous … for an hour, a half day, 72 hours maybe. It doesn’t take long for me to end my righteous streak — and that’s the problem.

    One of the greatest examples of hypocrisy is for someone to cause harm from being careless. Especially if you catch me on one of my righteous days, I can really stir up trouble and make you feel two inches tall by rebuking your behavior and telling you how wrong you are. I can do this without ever thinking about my unrighteousness.

    I’m reminded of the two thieves that were literally hanging with Jesus. The thief on the one side of the savior began to mock him like he heard the crowd do. He said: “Aren’t you the Christ? Save yourself and us!”

    Once we reach the other side of Jesus, we get a far different disposition. The thief on the other side of Jesus said, “Don’t you fear God … since you are under the same sentence? We are punished justly, for we are getting what our deeds deserve. But this man has done nothing wrong.”

    I want to stay on the other side of Jesus. I want to remember who I am and where I stand before him. I am a sinner saved by grace through faith in Christ Jesus. This salvation is impossible for me to obtain, but it has been gifted to me by the father that I may not brag. I’ve been made over and thank God that JUSTICE has been replaced in my vocabulary with GRACE.

    And you only reach this point when you cross over to the other side of Jesus.

  • Smelling the roses

    The latest census says that those who are 85 and older are now the fastest growing population. We could learn much from these aged pill takers.

    I recently had the pleasure of talking with a few of them and in no particular order, these are the top 10 things I learned:

    1) Wake up with the sun. Too many young folks sleep the day away and are unproductive. Wake up with a purpose and enjoy the sunrise.

    2) Read twice as much as you watch TV.

    3) Deny yourself and save money.

    4) Eat healthy so that you can enjoy your golden years.

    5) Get plenty of sleep.

    6) Drink plenty of water.

    7) Get plenty of exercise.

    8) Control your use of technology; don’t let technology control you.

    9) Enjoy family.

    10) Practice loving everybody.

    I wonder what it would be like if we spent 2012 with these 10 suggestions?

    They all seem so obvious, but why don’t we do them? Who wants to wait for a degenerative disease to happen before we begin to take care of ourselves.

    This age group is far more conservative, morally intellectual, far more cultural and more responsible than the generations after them.

    Let’s accept the lessons and the responsibility that follows. If not, we might not have any roses to smell.

  • Marriage under attack?

    The day after Valentine’s Day has become a Black Friday of sorts for one dark industry that is fast becoming a new U.S. trend. USA Today had an articles on Cupid’s day about a sports lawyer/agent turned opportunist/matchmaker with his website. His website, however, makes a way for married folks to discreetly hook up and allow nature to take its course. The website owner reported that the day after Valentine’s Day is one of his site’s busiest days.

    His site gives options to those who are not satisfied with how their spouses handled Feb. 14. This is all made possible by two facts: The first is that similar sites for singles were being bombarded by married men who were faking the single status to get women. The second is that a sociology study reported that 67 percent of married men admitted cheating on their wives and 61 percent of married women admitted to cheating on their husbands. These facts created the need and ta-da! more of these sites are now coming to your area!

    One argument is that dating sites for married people contribute to the destruction of marriage. Another argument is that adults are responsible for their own actions and whether sites like this exist or not, people are going to cheat. The main question to me is do you blame the guy who is selling lubricant at the gate of Sodom and Gomorrah for what goes on there? I say no!

    This is one of those hard lessons in free will. We are given a choice and God wanted us to have a choice. There is no “good” without “evil” and there is no “love” without “hate” as terms like these will pull its definition from the other. I’m not for anything that hinders choice in consenting adults and God isn’t either. I am not condoning bad behavior, but I am supporting the system of choice God gave us. God wants us to have a choice when we choose righteousness rather than indignation — this is why he put us in the flesh.

    The problem with marriage is not these discrete dating sites. The problem is when worldly definitions are placed on Godly things! The worldly definition of love has been the substitute for God’s love in marriages today. God’s love is the opposite of worldly love. The love of this world is conditional and God’s love is unconditional.

    When marriage was established in the beginning God intended on there being a mutual love and respect for the union and the man and woman who came together to form the union. The bond itself was designed to be broken only by death.

    Then reality hits.

    People hooked up for every reason other than the right reason. People allowed infatuation, physical appearance, financial gain and children to bring them together. Some folks didn’t know much of anything about each other when they met but one year later, they get married. Then when trouble comes they want to consult God or use the word of God to control each other. Our father in heaven is not to be mocked. He won’t allow us to come to him on our carnal terms, but as he has outlined it.

    We should not look any further than the mirror to find out the problem with marriage. And most marriages need professional help to manage these problems.

    God is not judging our fall, he’s more interested in how we get up!

  • Truth or consequences?

    Jesus, on one occasion, said to let your yea be yea and your nay be nay.

    He wanted us to honor our words. If you say you are going to do something, make sure you do it. Keep your promises. Don’t say things that you do not mean. All of these things speak to the character of the one saying them.

    Our society has a hard time keeping its word. From government and politicians to the pulpits and preachers and everyone in between, we struggle to keep our word.

    It has been so bad that once we are found not keeping our word, the response is so callous and matter-of-factly stated, “oh well.” ” It happens.” “Get over it!”

    Wives are not keeping promises to manage the home; husbands and fathers are not taking care of their families; whole school systems have failed to keep their promises to educate; and the governments deceive.

    What judgment are we to face because of this? One of the seven things God hates is a lying tongue. We need not to make this too complicated. Imagine a world where everyone kept their word? Imagine a world where honesty is the most important thing and not profit?

    Don’t get caught living in lies! For we must realize that we are not merely lying to men, but to God and his judgment is coming.

    Let’s make 2012 a better year by presenting ourselves open and honest before God and mankind.

  • Remembering the prophecy of Christ

    There is much written by way of prophecy regarding the coming of the savior. Matthew wrote his letter to the Jews to prove that the things that had been done by him were written and therefore they could trust in it and believe.

    Many historical events have taken place to show the relationship between God and his people. Israel’s salvation was based on their obedience to God. When they were faithful, God blessed their efforts. When they were disobedient God normally allowed their enemies to overthrow them. There is nothing like reading about God’s people prospering because of the relationship. Joshua’s life had its ups and downs, but when you consider the battles during his time and the taking of the promise land, you can’t help but praise God for he is good.

    My favorite passages in the Old Testament which point to the salvation of Christ are in Psalms 22 and Isaiah 53. Much of the 22nd division of Psalms is pretty obvious when we talk about prophetic scripture as it points to the savior. In fact, my studies have led me to believe that Jesus was not just shouting out in agony on the cross, “My God! My God! Why has thou forsaken me?” I have heard many lessons on this passage from Matthew’s gospel account and clearly, since there is no other logical reason why Jesus would start speaking in Hebrew, I believe he was quoting Psalms 22. The part that is most profound to me is in v.16 where the text in Psalms declares, “ … they pierced my hands and feet.” A quick study of history shows us that during the writing of this Psalm, crucifying people had not happened yet. These chilling six words show us the power of the prophetic word as well as the great power of God.

    In Isaiah 53, the prophet proclaims the truth about the savior, generations before he was born. Verse 5 says: “ … he was wounded for our transgressions … bruised for our iniquities … the chastisement of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we are healed.” These statements describe the actual work done by Jesus on the cross. But it also describes the significance of the events on the cross. The completed work of Christ summed up in one verse.

    Another one of my favorite parts of this chapter is in v. 8 where Isaiah asks the question, “…who shall declare his generations?” I believe that is for those whose feet have been shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace! Selah.

  • Do you believe?

    To believe.

    One of the most powerful things on the planet is man’s ability to believe.

    The bible tells us that whatever a man thinks in his heart defines who he is. If I truly believed I was royalty, then my state of mind would be just that. If I thought I was handsome, then to me I would be handsome.

    Unfortunately it works just as well going the other way — if I thought I was a failure, then I would be. If I thought that I was  worthless, then I would be.

    This also means that our minds can be manipulated into believing anything. In the story “The Emperors New Clothes” the ruler was duped into thinking that his servants had made him fine robes to wear when they had not. Because the emperor was convinced that they did, he went out in public very proud of his new garments.

    You may say that’s just a kids story, but let’s take a look at real life. There are people walking among us who believe that they are losers simply because no one challenges the contrary. Children who grew up in non-supporting homes, feel insecure and unsure of themselves.

    If knowing is really half the battle, then just imagine if people were given the proper support? What if instead of believing what we’ve been told, we examined everything we were told? What if instead of trusting our negative feels, we challenged them with empirical data?

    The point here is simple: Remember where you came from; accept the present; and work hard to impact your future in a positive way.

    Stability is coming!

  • The importance of types in scripture

    A few weeks ago, I began teaching a class on types in scripture.  By types I mean that an Old Testament story is somewhat of a mirror to a scenario today. We often don’t associate or connect the Old Testament and the New Testament together this way, but we really should. There is much to be learned by “things written aforetime” (Rom. 15:4).

    There are several types portrayed in scripture between the time of Adam and the Law of Moses. I would like to expound on five. First, God’s action toward Adam and Eve in the garden as he made provisions for his people and gave them purpose.  This is something he does for us in Christ today. Christ was our provision and we have a purpose in our life that centers on doing his will. Second, even when God put Adam and Eve out of the garden, he taught them a lesson on the consequences of sin. Because of their sin, something died. Physically, God shed blood from animals to cover their sin. This practice would continue until Christ died on the cross. Many bulls and goats died because of the sins of God’s people. And all that blood could do is what it did on Adam and Eve’s exodus from the garden – cover their sins.

    Third, Cain and Abel is one of the oldest lessons in the bible as it relates to man. Abel’s offering was based on God’s revelation; Cain’s offering was based on man’s imagination. This lesson is played out every Sunday as so-called religious people attempt to worship the Father “their” way and not God’s way. Many are responding to the gospel by man’s imagination instead of God’s revelation. This is a powerful lesson that man must learn before Jesus returns.

    Forth, Enoch, the bible says, was translated so that he didn’t see death and it was all because of his faith. Our faith works exactly the same way in that Col. 3:13 tells us that we are translated into the kingdom of his dear son because of our faith. Enoch’s testimony will always serve as a wonderful type for us today in that it was said of him before his translation, that he pleased God. We then learn, in  Heb. 11:6, that without faith it’s impossible to please God. Enoch was a man of faith and because of his faith he was translated. And today because of our faith so are we.

    Fifth, we have to say a bit about Noah. There are so many types when we discuss Noah. My favorite is the comparison of the Ark to the Church. Both places work much like the inn in the story of the Good Samaritan. The inn was the place where Christ would keep his souls saved until his return. The ark served that purpose and the Church today does as well. Do you see any other types in the bible during the time spanned between Adam and the law Moses gave?