The Lord wants harvest! Tuesday, Oct 27 2009 

Morning Meanderings , , , , alabaxterblog 2:51 am

Dear Friends,

We have several bird feeders in our yard, so on the weekend I spent a goodly amount of time harvesting the heads of seed that sprung up from the seed either dropped or recycled.  I cut them and put the heads in a box to dry.  I intend to give them back to the birds to eat when they’re ready.

That is what brought this word to mind – as the Lord began to blow upon that experience. Judge it, use it as you will and be blessed because you are so special to the Lord.
Julie

Genesis 8:22

Genesis 8:22


THE LORD OF THE HARVEST

It should go without reason that the Lord of the harvest is looking for harvest, for fruit, for ripened crops, but somehow we seem satisfied holding our bag of seed.

In so many of the churches – we are content, even thrilled to be holding our bag of seed and doing nothing with it week after week.  Some considering themselves more spiritual pour over and over the seed for hours upon hours, never sharing it with anyone.  Sad.

The pastor and/or leadership are doing everything and the congregations visit once or twice a week.  Only 3% of the Christian church pays tithes so it’s not like they’re even warranted that cozy pew.

The cares of this life has stolen the zeal, the passion and the drive to be just like Jesus that most Christians had when they first met Him.  They repent several, yes, multitude of times never knowing that isn’t repentance.  Repentance means never doing it again, and often making restitution for the wrong done.

What shall we say to the martyrs when in heaven we meet them?  What shall we say if we meet them here – for often they do immigrate here to the USA to avoid religious persecution.

How long will our seed warm in our hand?

How long will it rain upon our lands and we allow the seed to lay unplanted?

How long will God send the rains to a land unseeded?

How long?

It’s up to you.

The minute you allow your heart to be pierced by the Holy Spirit and repent, truly repent for your sleepiness, that is the day you will begin to sacrifice so that those who are called to go have funds to do so.

That is the day when you will say “Yes” to the heavenly calling on your own life.

That is the day when you will apologize to your family for being a bad testimony to them.  That is the day you call your pastor or leader and tell them you are sorry for living lukewarm and you want to make it up by volunteering for whatever they need done.

That is the day when you will cast your bread upon the waters, knowing it will come back to you when the Lord pleases.

As God said to Moses, “What is it in your hand?”  What is it that you love to do for God?  Lead someone to Christ, feed the hungry, pray for the sick, host a prayer meeting or Bible study?  Do any of those things stir your heart?  Perhaps you see great ideas and have wonderful notions to make money just pop into your head. What have you done with those ideas?  Are you excelling at your job because you are His ambassador?

If you ever fall in love with the Lord of the harvest – you will be fruitful and multiply, you will sow your seed, you will reap your harvest and you will hear Him say, “Well done, beloved servant.”

Luke 8:15-18

But the seed in the good soil, these are the ones who have heard the word in an honest and good heart, and hold it fast, and bear fruit with perseverance. Now no one after lighting a lamp covers it over with a container, or puts it under a bed; but he puts it on a lampstand, so that those who come in may see the light.  For nothing is hidden that will not become evident, nor anything secret that will not be known and come to light.  So take care how you listen; for whoever has, to him more shall be given; and whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has shall be taken away from him.”

 

TEXANS VOTE FOR Prop 2 & 3 on Nov. 3! Friday, Oct 23 2009 

Containing other's posts and Politics , , alabaxterblog 10:37 pm

Please don’t forget to Vote Nov. 3 FOR Prop 2 and 3 and pass this  on to others who care how much their property taxes go up (or not!!)
Julie

Props 2 and 3 Protect Texas Homeowners

There have been some emails circulating that “warn” voters to vote against a couple of the proposed constitutional amendments that are up for vote on Nov 3.  These emails claim that Propositions 2 and 3 will levy a state tax on homeowners.  These emails are based on error and are not true.

The fact is these two proposed amendments will actually help protect homeowners in furtherance of our platform, which is why the RPT has endorsed them.

The Texas Constitution explicitly prohibits a statewide property tax, Art. VIII, Sec. 1-e. (“No State ad valorem taxes shall be levied upon any property within this State.”)  These amendments do not amend or abridge this prohibition in any way.  Here is what Props 2 and 3 actually do, and why they deserve your vote.

Proposition 2, (The constitutional amendment authorizing the legislature to provide for the ad valorem taxation of a residence homestead solely on the basis of the property’s value as a residence homestead.), actually protects homeowners from excessive property appraisals, which lead to dramatic increases in property taxes, by forcing appraisals to be based on property used “as is.”  Currently, appraisal districts have to appraise property at its highest and best use, not as it is currently being used.  That can lead to property in growing areas being appraised at far above their actual market value, which hurts homeowners tremendously by raising their property taxes.  Prop 2’s aim is to keep that from happening by forcing appraisals to be based on how property is actually used.  This proposal does not levy any state tax on homeowners.


Proposition 3, (The constitutional amendment providing for uniform standards and procedures for the appraisal of property for ad valorem tax purposes.) also protects homeowners by laying out the groundwork to create and enforce uniform appraisal standards across the state.  Currently, there is no single uniform standard governing how property is appraised, so one district might go about its appraisals in one way, while another district can have very different standards, leading to unbalanced taxation of homeowners.  If this prop is approved, homeowners from the Panhandle to Galveston will be able to rely on consistent appraisal standards across the state.  This proposal also does not levy any state tax on homeowners.

Republican Party of Texas

 

Beware of Craigslist scammers. Thursday, Oct 22 2009 

Uncategorized alabaxterblog 11:29 pm

We recently had an attempted scammer try to sucker us.
The police just left with all the critical info.
We are now praying the Lord Jesus Christ will contact this one with salvation.

BUT – Craigslist posted the following – please be careful yourself.

You can sidestep would-be scammers by following these common-sense rules:

  • DEAL LOCALLY WITH FOLKS YOU CAN MEET IN PERSON – follow this one simple rule and you will avoid 99% of the scam attempts on craigslist.
  • NEVER WIRE FUNDS VIA WESTERN UNION, MONEYGRAM or any other wire service – anyone who asks you to do so is a scammer.
  • FAKE CASHIER CHECKS & MONEY ORDERS ARE COMMON, and BANKS WILL CASH THEM AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE when the fake is discovered weeks later.
  • CRAIGSLIST IS NOT INVOLVED IN ANY TRANSACTION, and does not handle payments, guarantee transactions, provide escrow services, or offer “buyer protection” or “seller certification”
  • NEVER GIVE OUT FINANCIAL INFORMATION (bank account number, social security number, eBay/PayPal info, etc.)
  • AVOID DEALS INVOLVING SHIPPING OR ESCROW SERVICES and know that ONLY A SCAMMER WILL “GUARANTEE” YOUR TRANSACTION.

Who should I notify about fraud or scam attempts?

If you suspect that an item posted for sale on craigslist may be part of a scam, please email the details to “abuse@craigslist.org”. Be sure to include the URL (or 10-digit post ID number) in your message.

Recognizing scams

Most scams involve one or more of the following:

  • inquiry from someone far away, often in another country
  • Western Union, Money Gram, cashier’s check, money order, shipping, escrow service, or a “guarantee”
  • inability or refusal to meet face-to-face before consumating transaction

Examples of Scams

1. Someone claims that craigslist will guarantee a transaction, certify a buyer/seller, OR claims that craigslist will handle or provide protection for a payment.

  • These claims are fraudulent, as craigslist does not have any role in any transaction.
  • Scammer will often send an official looking email that appears to come from craigslist, offering a guarantee, certifying a seller, providing payment services — all such emails are fakes!

2. distant person offers a genuine-looking (but fake) cashier’s check

  • you receive an email (examples below) offering to buy your item, or rent your apartment, sight unseen.
  • cashier’s check is offered for your sale item, as a deposit for an apartment, or for just about anything else of value.
  • value of cashier’s check often far exceeds your item – scammer offers to “trust” you, and asks you to wire the balance via money transfer service
  • banks will often cash these fake checks AND THEN HOLD YOU RESPONSIBLE WHEN THE CHECK FAILS TO CLEAR, including criminal prosecution in some cases!
  • scam often involves a 3rd party (shipping agent, business associate owing buyer money, etc)

3. Someone requests wire service payment via Western Union or MoneyGram:

  • Scam “bait” items include apartments, laptops, plasma TVs, cell phones, tickets – but could be almost anything
  • Often claim that an MTCN or confirmation code is needed before he can withdraw your money – this is FALSE, once you’ve wired money, it is GONE.
  • Common countries currently include: Nigeria, Romania, United Kingdom, Ukraine, Spain, Italy, Netherlands – but could be anywhere
  • Apartment listing may be local, but landlord/owner is “travelling” or “relocating” and needs you to wire money to them abroad
  • Deal often seems too good to be true, price is too low, rent is below market, etc

4. distant person offers to send you a money order and then have you wire money:

  • this is ALWAYS a scam, in our experience – the cashier’s check is FAKE
  • sometimes accompanies an offer of merchandise, sometimes not
  • scammer often asks for your name, address, etc for printing on the fake check
  • deal often seems too good to be true

5. distant seller suggests use of an online escrow service.

  • most online escrow sites are FRAUDULENT, operated by scammers
  • for more info, do a google search on “fake escrow” or “escrow fraud“

6. distant seller asks for a partial payment upfront, after which he will ship goods

  • he says he trusts you with the partial payment
  • he may say he has already shipped the goods
  • deal often sounds too good to be true

7. foreign company offers you a job receiving payments from customers, then wiring funds

  • foreign company may claim it is unable to receive payments from its customers directly
  • you are typically offered a percentage of payments received
  • this kind of “position” may be posted as a job, or offered to you via email

 

Worship – real, true, deep and all-consuming. Thursday, Oct 22 2009 

Containing other's posts , , alabaxterblog 10:31 pm

This powerful message is from my long time friend, Jamie Hansen.

Greetings from the Hansen’s.
We are happy to announce that no matter what you have gone through, are going through, or will go through; you will not remember it three and a half million (3,500,000) years from now. No one will be sitting in a remote and isolated corner of heaven saying to themselves, “I can’t believe interest rates went up a quarter of a point just before our house closed in 2010″. Or, “I can’t believe no one at church noticed how much time I spent printing the bulletins, and then they had the nerve to criticize the layout!” Or, “my wife never validated me”. Or, “I prayed for three years for a new job and then lost the one I hated and was unemployed for two years and lost our home, savings, and my whole self esteem”.

Can you imagine being surrounded by the unspeakable glory, the blazing light, the power of all consuming love. No demons, no guilt, no misunderstanding, and no tiredness. No tears, no regret, and no competition. No insecurity or second guessing how God sees you.

It is hard to be in uncertainty when He is right there with us. That is why Paul could say, and the only reason Paul could say, His afflictions were “light”. It was because he had an apostolic and eternal mindset. He had an ability to look away. He was not only beaten, stoned, hated, lied about, and all else the hardened Jews could assault him with. He was also deserted, betrayed, and left with none to stand with him and honor and validate him.

Demas forsook him after Paul poured into his life in significant ways. Demas left for another lover, the dazzling circus of Corinth and the allure of the culture of the day. John Mark forsook him and in the ensuing dispute about his ministerial worthiness, Paul lost his closest companion Barnabas. This was not some slight event. He and Barnabas had been bonded and closely tied together in their hearts. This caused such a huge, sharp rift that it split up their relationship.

We can read this and yawn and think it is some sort of Biblical “cartoon” detached from heart, soul and emotion. Far from it. These are events that have caused many to turn aside in lifelong bitterness, resentment, and culminating in never recovered equilibrium spiritually. In Rome he says he stood trial, and that “none stood with him”. Wow. How unspeakably lonely and hurtful. No one there to soak up the anxiety, hate, and reproach.

So, how did Paul not only survive, but have the remarkable ability to see all these life rocking events as “minor, light, inconsequential, and like a dry autumn leaf on a truck scale?

He had a perspective that cannot be communicated merely by another human, like in this e-mail. It had to come by a direct, delivered impulse and celestially translated message that all else bows to the eternal. I have tried to hang onto that, but it is very slippery in the competition and hustle of the systems and messages, and pressure of this current age.

The voices compete and seek to suppress heavenly clarity on the eternal versus the urgent now. The now offers visible proof as part of it’s claim on you and I. It offers crushing mockery against the deferred comp plan of God almighty. The invisible eternal can become the last item on the back shelf right behind “dancing with the stars” and “cops”. Or the dusty item just behind fishing, hunting, shopping, or Facebook.

Without this revelation, worship is just another twelve minute item in the service once a week. Prayer is just a list to get through so I can get back to the importance of browsing through my new ValPac coupons…or reading e-mails from the latest conservative group spelling out the next inescapable crisis. But, with this revelation firmly in place, we become bullet proof, conquerors, and a headache to the devil.

 

Stop the stupidity; pray for Godly intervention Thursday, Oct 22 2009 

Bible - Word of God and Containing other's posts and Politics and Rants , , , alabaxterblog 8:01 pm

Please friends – watch this, and then pray and let your elected officials know how you feel. Our VOTE and our prayers can change things.  Don’t just let things happen to you – be a informed source for good!  Check things out yourself.

After watching the video – check this site out.

Obama ready to cede USA sovereignty

2 Thessalonians 2:3-17

Let no one in any way deceive you, for it will not come unless the apostasy comes first, and the man of lawlessness is revealed, the son of destruction, who opposes and exalts himself above every so-called god or object of worship, so that he takes his seat in the temple of God, displaying himself as being God.

Do you not remember that while I was still with you, I was telling you these things? And you know what restrains him now, so that in his time he will be revealed. For the mystery of lawlessness is already at work; only he who now restrains will do so until he is taken out of the way. Then that lawless one will be revealed whom the Lord will slay with the breath of His mouth and bring to an end by the appearance of His coming; that is, the one whose coming is in accord with the activity of Satan, with all power and signs and false wonders, and with all the deception of wickedness for those who perish, because they did not receive the love of the truth so as to be saved. For this reason God will send upon them a deluding influence so that they will believe what is false, in order that they all may be judged who did not believe the truth, but took pleasure in wickedness.

But we should always give thanks to God for you, brethren beloved by the Lord,
because God has chosen you from the beginning for salvation through sanctification by the Spirit and faith in the truth. It was for this He called you through our gospel, that you may gain the glory of our Lord Jesus Christ.

So then, brethren, stand firm and hold to the traditions which you were taught, whether by word of mouth or by letter from us. Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.

 

Mr. President, Health Care Bill HR 1586 is rubbish! Wednesday, Oct 14 2009 

Containing other's posts and Politics and Rants , , , , , alabaxterblog 12:24 am

I am sorry this is long – but today it’s critical that you call your elected representatives and let them know you think this is illegal and tyrannical, to say nothing of a violation of our rights! Make them accountable and required to submit to the same health care as the rest of the American citizens.

SHOW ME THE BILL!
by Robert Knight

Do you think Congress should vote on bills without reading them?
How about voting on bills that don’t even exist yet, except in fragments?

The Senate Finance Committee is poised to vote on a massive health care reform bill on Tuesday allegedly authored by Sen. Max Baucus (D-Mont.). A glaring, outrageous, unreported fact is that the bill’s actual text has been kept secret. No one actually knows what’s in it – not even the senators who will be told to vote for it.

Perhaps the Nobel committee will award President Obama another prize to share with Harry Reid and Nancy Pelosi, for “imagination in medical financing.”

Bits and pieces are leaking out, but entire sections will be added later. That’s what happened with the House version. Nobody read the bill, and 75 “phantom” amendments were added after the vote. A similar maneuver happened in the Senate when a key committee approved another version of a sweeping health care bill in July without seeing the text. Actual language was unveiled months later in September.

In short, senators will follow recent precedent and be voting on something that does not even exist yet.

Even the Congressional Budget Office, which issued a report this week saying the Baucus plan would cost under $900 billion instead of more than a trillion, was operating without actual text. When the CBO crunched the detailed, 1,018-page House version this summer, it reported that it would cost far more than President Obama claimed. Obama then broke precedent and summoned the CBO director to the White House for a “talk.” Now the CBO says the Senate bill will cost less. They think. They hope. They speculate.

What’s more, CNSNews.com reports that an aide to Sen. Harry Reid said that current debates may be irrelevant because an entirely different version might be inserted into an unrelated House tax bill, HR 1586. That’s the measure that levies a 90 percent tax on bonuses given to executives of firms that receive bailout money. Among other things, this could be a way of getting around the constitutional requirement that all tax bills originate in the House.

Sen. Reid continues to insist that he wants a “public option” that would lead to a “single-payer” system, which means the end of private insurance and the dawn of socialized medicine.  Just ask Barney Frank. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi said this week that she has the votes necessary to ram through a bill with “the public option” as soon as it comes back to her chamber.

“The real bill will be another 1,000-page, trillion dollar experiment… that vastly expands the role of the federal government in the personal health care decisions of every American,” Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) warned.

House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer would not rule out the possibility that the House would vote for identical Senate language, thus avoiding having the bill go to conference for scrutiny and debate and getting it quickly to President Obama’s desk.

Stunned by the August town halls, Tea parties and the massive Sept. 12 taxpayer rally in Washington, liberals know the window is closing on their plan to nationalize one-sixth of America’s economy and put our health care decisions in the hands of government bureaucrats.  So they are working in the dark to ram this through before most Americans find out.

Even with all the subterfuge, some details have slipped out:

–Do what we say, not what we do–Congress has exempted itself from mandatory coverage provisions that they want to impose on their fellow citizens.

–Taxing through higher deduction requirements- Dick Morris has been warning everyone that the seven-and-a-half percent trigger to deduct medical expenses on your federal tax return will be bumped to ten percent. That would shake billions out of people’s pockets who have had to spend significant money on health care, and will be an effective violation of the Obama campaign promise not to raise taxes on Americans making less than $250,000.

–Taxing Class II medical devices, such as breast pumps, pacemakers, ventilators, wheelchairs and needles. Call this the “mommy tax.”

–Different tax rates for people in different states. The Wall Street Journal’s Kimberly Strassel reports: “Majority Leader Harry Reid .worked out a deal by which the federal government will pay all of his home state’s additional Medicaid expenses for the next five years. Under the majority leader’s very special formula, only three other states – Oregon, Rhode Island and Michigan – qualify for this perk.” This means that Americans in other states would subsidize constituents of Harry Reid and some of his political friends. A dozen Democratic governors have come out against the Medicaid mandate as a budget buster, but Reid is covering his own political interests – with your money.

Are you angry yet?

Rep. Michelle Bachmann (R-Minn.) took to the floor of the House during the earlier spendathon and said the nation is in the grip of “gangster government,” in which powerful interests are raiding the treasury to ensure their own continued power. The health care “reform” bill is more of the same, but even more dangerous. This is about the government’s power of life and death over our families, not just our wallets.

The liberal “mainstream” media are providing cover for all this. None is asking to see the health bill language. You have to go to places like the Media Research Center’s Newsbusters blog, where Brent Bozell exposed the Reid plan.

The Left will get away with all this unless Americans speak out now and let them know in no uncertain terms that this is unacceptable and tyrannical. America needs to speak with a loud, single demand of our rulers in Washington:

“Show me the bill!”

Robert Knight is a Senior Fellow with the American Civil Rights Union and a Senior Writer for Coral Ridge Ministries.

 

A Broken Heart CAN be healed. Wednesday, Oct 7 2009 

Bible Studies and God's Love for YOU and Morning Meanderings , , , alabaxterblog 1:30 am

There is no doubt about it – human hearts can be broken.  My favorite book says, “When hope is deferred it makes the heart sick: but when the desire comes, it is a tree of life.”

Here are some other verses that may show you broken hearts are common to man, and God will heal and restore.

Matthew 5:3-4 ” Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

Psalm 34:18 The LORD  is near to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

Psalm 145:18-20 The LORD is near to all who call upon Him, to all who call upon Him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of those who fear Him; He will also hear their cry and will save them. The LORD  keeps all who love Him.”

Psalm 147:3-6 He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He counts the number of the stars; He gives names to all of them. Great is our Lord and abundant in strength; His understanding is infinite. The LORD  supports the afflicted.”

Isaiah 57:15 For thus says the high and exalted One Who lives forever, whose name is Holy, “I dwell on a high and holy place, and also with the contrite and lowly of spirit in order to revive the spirit of the lowly and to revive the heart of the contrite.”

Isaiah 61:1-2 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to captives and freedom to prisoners; to proclaim the favorable year of the LORD.”

Isaiah 66:2-3 “For My hand made all these things, thus all these things came into being,” declares the LORD. But to this one I will look, to him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word.”

Ezekiel 36:26-27 “Moreover, I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. I will put My Spirit within you and cause you to walk in My statutes, and you will be careful to observe My ordinances.”

My heart has been broken many, many times in my lifetime.  I’m convinced that by having my heart broken I am better at loving. While I sure won’t sign up for “have your heart broken here” classes – neither will I isolate myself or put a wall of protection around about myself.

There is no temptation taken us but such is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. 1 Corinthians 10:13

I have chosen to take the way of escape – I run to Jesus.  That is how I both resist temptation and get healed when my heart hurts.

The following will help you grow in your walk with the Lord.  Growing will help you mature so that when your heart is broken it may heal more easily and faster.

Dying to Self

Author Unknown

When you are forgotten, or neglected, or purposely set at naught

And you don’t sting and hurt with the insult or the oversight,

But your heart is happy, being counted worthy to suffer for Christ,

That is dying to self.

When your good is evil spoken of, when your wishes are crossed,

Your advice disregarded, your opinions ridiculed,

And you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend yourself,

But take it all in patient loving silence,

That is dying to self.

When you lovingly and patiently bear any disorder, any irregularity,

Any impunctuality, or any annoyance;

When you can stand face to face with waste, folly, extravagance, spiritual insensibility

And endure it as Jesus endured it,

That is dying to self.

When you are content with any food, any offering, any raiment,

Any climate, any society, and solitude,

Any interruption by the will of God,

That is dying to self.

When you never care to refer to yourself in conversation,

Or to record your own good works, or itch after commendation,

When you can truly love to be unknown,

That is dying to self.

When you can see your brother prosper and have his needs met,

And can honestly rejoice with him in spirit and feel no envy nor question God,

While your own needs are far greater and in desperate circumstances,

That is dying to self.

When you can receive correction and reproof from one of less stature than yourself,

And can humbly submit inwardly,

Finding no rebellion or resentment rising up within your heart,

That is dying to self.

Are you dead yet?

In these last days the Spirit would bring us to the cross.

“That I may know Him, being made conformable to His death”

2 Corinthians. 12:9

 

I will dance for you my King Wednesday, Oct 7 2009 

Containing other's posts and Honoring others and Pain management , , alabaxterblog 1:03 am

I was deeply impacted today by a story in our local “Pearland Live” magazine.

The article I read today called “Storm Ready” was by Todd Stocker.  It was regarding the July 3rd shocker – their beautiful Jesus loving daughter was killed in a car accident.  Todd is another WordPress blogger – his blog is toddstocker.wordpress.com

Here is a tribute video.  I hope it impacts you as it did me and you will make sure you are storm ready.  My prayer, like Pastor Todd’s is that you will only have light rain showers in your future – but if not, please make sure you are ready to meet the Master.  I also hope it will comfort those who have lost loved ones and wait to see them again in Heaven one day – I’m sure they will be dancing.

I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the LORD,
Who made heaven and earth.
He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
Psalm 121:1-3

The LORD  is near to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.
Pssalm 34:18

NASU