Saving Money With My Fish Tank Hobby

I have two main tanks (30 Gallon and 40 Gallon).  As part of my hobby patience is key to saving money. For instance watching Craigslist sales from people who don't want to continue in the hobby and sell their tanks and equipment well under the retail prices. But you might say, they are so dirty and have lime stains.  Yes but that's where a little Vinegar and elbow grease (scrubbing) will make the dirty tank look brand new.

For instance, check out my 30 Gallon I purchase on Craigslist for $40.00 along with 3 working pumps, a Whisper filter, bags of cichlid food, and a bunch of other supplies. It was covered in Lime stains as it was empty and kept in a garage.  I have a Lime stained tank above and my Vinegar cleaned tank below...

Are You persuaded?

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels nor principalities nor powers, nor things present nor things to come, nor height nor depth, nor any other created thing, shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. Romans 8:38-39

The word persude according to dictionary.com means: “to induce to believe by appealing to reason or understanding; convince.”

God has declared and demonstrated in His Word that He loves us.  If we simplify the discussion in the passage above (Romans 8:38-39) to all that is created, and the One Who created it….It’s easy to see the point. Nothing in all of creation can separate you from the love of The One Who created you.  So God has declared He loves us and that nothing can separate us from that love.

But what about His demonstration of this love? The place where God demonstrated His love for us is the Cross! Jesus said in Mark 10:45 that He came to this earth to serve and not to be served and to give His live as a ransom. John tells us “By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us.” So God demonstrated His love for us by sending His son to die on the Cross for our sins…

But maybe you are not persuaded.  Maybe you are listening to how you feel instead of what God has declared and demonstrated. The only thing that can separate you and I from God’s love is unbelief!  

So believe what God has declared and demonstrated to you….He loves you!

This Christmas It's All About Jesus

It's All About Jesus

    It's All About His Humanity

It's All About His Nativity
It's All About His Vulnerability
It's All About His Adversity
It's All About His Identity
It's All About His Humility
It's All About His Authenticity
It's All About His Simplicity
It's All About His Access ability
It's All About His Dignity
It's All About His Solidarity
It's All About His Community
It's All About His Equality
It's All About His Validity
It's All About His Necessity
It's All About His Capacity
It's All About His Responsibility
It's All About His Credibility
It's All About His Intensity
It's All About His Capability
It's All About His Integrity

   It's All About His Deity

It's All About His Glory
It's All About His Purity
It's All About His Fidelity
It's All About His Charity
It's All About His Reality
It's All About His Quality
It's All About His Longevity
It's All About His Stability
It's All About His Eventuality
It's All About His Complexity
It's All About His Superiority
It's All About His Authority
It's All About His Ability
It's All About His Priority
It's All About His Eternality
It's All About His Sovereignty

Because He came to rescue us from our Carnality!

Standing With Our Brothers And Sisters In The Middle East

The danger of following Christ if you live in the Middle East is a very real and present danger.  There are radical elements plotting against our brothers and sisters even as I write this blog post. This Christmas our Egyptian, Syrian, Lebanese, and other ethnic brothers and sisters are in real danger of being attacked during worship services.

How should we in the Western Churches respond?  First, we need to prayer for them (regularly). Also during our Christmas services we need to stand with them corporately in prayer. They need to know we care about them. They need to know we love them and hold their Faith in Christ as precious.

Having been to Egypt visiting both Coptic and Evangelical churches, my heart longs to see their safety and freedom of worship. I desire for God's intervention to undo the work of these hate mongers who kill innocent people.  I desire God to lift the blinders off those who attack Christians and think they are serving God.

Jesus, please protect your Church in the Middle East. Please use their sacrifice to bring light to their persecutors. Please bring the schemes of Satan through binded Moslems to nothing. Please open the eyes of those who are spiritually blinded and full of hateful resolve. Please save our spiritual family in the Middle East!

Training In Titus

The Book of Titus was written by The Apostle to his young pastor/protégé that he left on the Island of Crete to get The Church back on the tracks of sound doctrine that reflects lives that demonstrate what we believe.

First Leaders who are qualified by their godly conduct.
Then Older men who are influential by their self - control.
And Older women who are influential by their investment in to lives of the next generation.
Also Young men who are influential by the Gospel demonstrated in their daily lives.
Finally Employees who are influential by being honest, hardworking, and loyal.