would love to invite anyone from the fundamental side of christianity to have a chat.
we can screen the questions before hand and it will only be to dialogue, not splatter each other
all over the screen. if you know someone who is a part of that camp, let them know they
are loved and are wanted and it would be good to dialogue!!! Let me know!

It’s All About Jesus!

Spirit of Prophecy Bulletin

SMALL STRAWS IN A SOFT WIND by Marsha Burns — Nov. 27, 2009:

Beloved, this is a time of second chances. You will recognize this path because you’ve been this way before. However, it will be of great benefit to you if you will take the time and put forth the effort to pay attention to details. Discern My work as opposed to the work of flesh or the work of the enemy so that you can respond differently than you have in the past. There are some life lessons here that will serve you well if you will see things in the light of revelation and discern the difference between reacting in the flesh or responding in the Spirit, says the Lord.

Galatians 5:16 I say then: Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh.

One may have awakened by the sound of the alarm this morning.  One may have cleaned the bathroom.  One read the Spirit of Prophecy Bulletin.

One may have begun one’s praise at 3:30 AM.  One sung songs of praised to the Lord, confessed one’s sins and thanked the Lord.  One may have had just a minute before one had to leave one’s prayer closet.  One opened the bible and read the verse Isaiah 19:11.

One may have left one’s prayer closet, logged onto the website to pray for outstanding prayer requests.  Thank you Jesus.

Matthew 7:15
“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.
1 Timothy 4:1
Now the Spirit expressly says that in latter times some will depart from the faith, giving heed to deceiving spirits and doctrines of demons,
Hebrews 13:9
Do not be carried about with various and strange doctrines. For it is good that the heart be established by grace,
2 Corinthians 11:3
But I fear, lest somehow, as the serpent deceived Eve by his craftiness, so your minds may be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.
1 John 4:1
Beloved, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits, whether they are of God; because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
2 Corinthians 11:4
For if he who comes preaches another Jesus whom we have not preached, or if you receive a different spirit which you have not received, or a different gospel which you have not accepted—you may well put up with it!
2 Timothy 3:13
But evil men and impostors will grow worse and worse, deceiving and being deceived.
Galatians 1:9
As we have said before, so now I say again, if anyone preaches any other gospel to you than what you have received, let him be accursed.
2 Peter 2:1
But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.

AMAZING

So very loyal.   I see the herder in this one for sure. I have two other dogs that have been a part of my family for  several years. The other two dogs are a lab mix we rescued and the American Pitt Bull terrier. The Sheltie keeps watch over the lab and the terrier.  I gave the sheltie a job of checking the birds.  They get chased and barked at  as they fly away.  Not to worry they never get even close to each other.  Always wanting to please.  We talk to each other, only Sheltie’s lingo is ER, Huh, AH. This is the sweetest little baby. When it’s time to retire for the evening she goes over and barks at the lab it’s a ritual. The terrier has already retired  on her own ahead of everyone else.  Always up and ready to be my loyal companion. This baby is three and I have never heard a growl out of her mouth. It has to be just her demeanor not a mean bone in her body. LOL,  It would be neat if we could discern people that way.  She gets along great with the other breeds. From time to time I see her sleeping side by side with either of the other two.  

1 Samuel 3:1-14

It shall be, if He calls you, that you must say, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears.” 1 Samuel 3:9

Joshua, a precocious 2-year-old, watched his mother baking cookies. “Please, may I have one?” he asked hopefully. “Not before supper,” his mother replied. Joshua ran tearfully to his room, then reappeared with this message: “Jesus just told me it’s okay to have a cookie now.” “Jesus didn’t tell me,” his mother retorted, to which Joshua replied, “You must not have been listening!”

Joshua’s motivation was wrong, but he was absolutely right about two things: God longs to speak to us, and we need to listen.

In 1 Samuel 3, another young boy learned those same ageless principles. When Samuel followed Eli’s counsel and prayed, “Speak, Lord, for Your servant hears,” he was open to receiving God’s powerful message (verse 9). Like Samuel, we long to hear God speaking to us but often fail to discern His voice.

God spoke audibly to Samuel. Today He speaks to us by His Spirit through the Scriptures, other people, and our circumstances. But as a result of neglect and nonstop activity, some of us have become “hard of hearing.” We need a “spiritual hearing aid” like the one in Samuel’s prayer: “Speak, for Your servant hears” (verse 10). This humble attitude is a real help for the spiritually hard of hearing. —joanie yoder

Adjusting your hearing aid. Set a specific time to read God’s Word each day. Meditate on what you have read. Make prayer a priority throughout the day.

God speaks through His Word — take time to listen.

Let me begin by unequivocally stating that the Will of God is not some object that God seeks to hide from you.  God does not play hide and seek with His Will.  The Will of God can, however, be difficult to discern at times for a variety of reasons: emotions, life situations, spiritual condition, and stress all contribute to difficulties in discerning God’s Will for your life.

In my personal study time, God impressed upon me some basic guidelines that I have used that have helped me to better discern God’s will for my life.  I hope that they are a blessing for you as well.

1)      Ask yourself, “Am I at peace as I consider the factors involved?  Or, am I restless and impatient because of uncertainty or inner conflict?”  Isaiah 32:17 says, “The work of righteousness will be peace, and the effect of righteousness, quietness and assurance forever.”

2)      Do you have an assurance from God that the timing is right to move in a certain direction?  Psalm 37:5 says, “Commit your ways to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass.”

3)      Seek God’s will, whatever it may be or whatever it may cost.  Jesus said, “If anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow Me” (Luke 9:23).

4)      Be very sensitive to the leadership of the Holy Spirit.  As yourself, “Is He moving me toward, or away from, a particular situation?”  John 16:13 says, “Bet when He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all truth.  He will not speak on his own; He will speak only what He hears, and He will tell you what is yet to come.

Other verses to consider:
“I delight to do Your will, O my God, and Your law is within my heart” (Psalm 40:8)

“Trust in the Lord, and do good; dwell in the land, and feed on His faithfulness…Commit your way to the Lord, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass” (Psalm 37:3, 5)

“Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves” (James 1:22).

The multi-domestic strategy is appropriate for innovations that depend on understanding local customer preferences, tastes, expectations, distribution channels, and local government regulations than they do on the technological knowledge on which they rest. This strategy is appropriate when the need for market information is high while that for technological information is low. Makers of packaged consumer goods (detergents and cereals) such as Unilever have pursued this strategy. Firms that pursue the multi-domestic strategy have self-sufficient units in each country to better discern and meet local customer preferences and tastes. On the other hand, if technological information requirements are high relative to market information requirements, a firm may want to pursue a global strategy. Firms can locate their facilities either where the environment is most suitable for technological innovations or at home where they have some endowments that give them some advantage. From there they develop products for world markets. If both market and technological information demands are low, a firm can operate using the international arrangement. It can take advantage of whatever home capabilities it has to develop products for its home market. Once the products are successful at home, it can then transfer the capabilities and the innovation to overseas. If both market and technological information needs are high. The transnational arrangement is best. In this mode, firms have access to the best sources of innovation, and the technological knowledge and the market knowledge that underpin them, worldwide.

My Consultancy–Asif J. Mir - Management Consultant–transforms organizations where people have the freedom to be creative, a place that brings out the best in everybody–an open, fair place where people have a sense that what they do matters. For details please visit www.asifjmir.com, Lectures, Line of Sight.

A reader named Kim asked:

“You pay far more attention to Bill W. than all of AA put together. Do you think people worship him? Most know he had some issues, but also that he was only a co-founder, and since AA has no leadership structure, really he was just one individual member. So why do you think that so much of AA hinges on one man? I can understand your opposition to false religions, but since I have a religion (Christianity) and it is not AA (even though I am a member), I’m confused on several of your blogs, there is a lot of false teaching in what you are saying. Are you basing your opinion’s on some bad experiences? How many different groups have you been to and how many different states? You do realize that groups differ as much as different churches and denominations, that claim to be following the Bible?”

****

Kim, thanks for the civility. I want to start with your statement, “there is a lot of false teaching in what you are saying.” Actually, Kim, with all the angry letters etc., no one has ever been able to show that any of my facts are in error. Thus the responses tend to be of a more personal nature, or lean towards accusations of legalism.

I write about Bill Wilson because author Dick B. is portraying the man who wrote the 12 Steps as Christian. This is a monstrous claim, for many have ignored Scripture and joined the 12 Step spirituality based on this claim. The 12 Steps were given to Bill Wilson by a familiar spirit, and their intent has always been to assault Christ and His people.

We can see that this has been very effective. Many years ago I warned Dick B. about the Emmet Fox book, the new thought take on Sermon on the Mount that was loved and used by Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob.

Since the book denies Christ as Savior, there is no way people who were under His blood would distribute this or use it as a “teaching text” in Alcoholics Anonymous. Yet Bill Wilson and Dr. Bob Smith did just that.

You don’t have to get very far in Fox’s Sermon on the Mount before the heresy starts:

“The ‘Plan of Salvation’ which figured so prominently in the evangelical sermons and divinity books of a past generation is as completely unknown to the Bible as the Koran. There never was any such an arrangement in the universe, and the Bible does not teach it at all. ” (pg.4-5)

Not to aggravate you, but by attending AA and being a Christian, you ARE in two religions. AA is another gospel–the AA “good news” is that by reaching out to something (not necessarily Christ) and working the Steps, we can become and remain sober.

This is man’s understanding. It is, according to the Bible, opposed by the Lord. (Isaiah 42:8) As I went back and forth over the last week with AA members who called “Christ” their higher power, I could never get them to answer the instructions of 2 Corinthians 6:14-17; nor, for that matter, the warning of Galatians 1: 6-9.

It’s pretty clear–or as clear as a person will allow it to be.

As far as my “qualifications,” well, I have been homeless and addicted to alcohol and heroin. I have slept in alleys, begged for money, and committed much evil. I have been delivered from addiction (bondage to sin), homosexuality, severe arthritis, congestive heart failure, malignant melanoma, depression and anxiety.

This is because God is gracious and good. He used His Word, and His people. Please read 1 Corinthians 6: 9-11.

I have lost count of my AA meetings, but I have probably attended around one thousand of them, in three states.  

Many of those in AA who claim Christ as “higher power” have, it seems to me, a different understanding of God. The Bible teaches the Fear of the Lord is a good thing. With no Fear of the Lord, people are free to do as they will, even in His name.

He is holy, and righteous. This has not been taught, and we are paying for it.

Finally, Kim, I write and will continue to write these things because this is what the Lord has given me. Dick B., undoubtedly a swell guy and a good American, has been used to decoy thousands of hurting individuals into an anti-Biblical organization. 

But the Lord is doing something. God’s people perish from lack of knowledge. Thanks for listening.

In our high school Confirmation class, today was supposed to be a review of everything to day, but I couldn’t get my handouts run off in time, so I took the cue from the saint presented today and taught on next week’s topic, PRAYER.

St Ignatius of Loyola (16th century;  feast day July 31) injured in battle at age 30. During recovery, he read the life of the saints & responded strongly to a personal call by God.  He was convinced that God could be found in all things, and was guided by an inner peace (“consolation”) that comes from knowing one is doing the will of God.  Developed the “Spiritual Exercises,” a practical guide to live a truly Christian life with prayer & especially devoted to the name of Christ (IHS).  His companions were called the “Company of Jesus,” today called the “Society of Jesus,” or the Jesuits, one of the largest religious communities in the world. Besides the 3 vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, members take a 4^th vow of obedience to the Pope.

Prayer of Self-Offering to God

– by St Ignatius of Loyola (1491-1556)

Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty, my memory, my understanding, and my whole will.  All that I am and all that I possess, You have given me.  I surrender it all to You to be disposed of according to Your Will.  Give me only Your love and Your grace; with these I will be rich enough and will desire nothing more.

Sacrament of Marriage … purpose is …

• –Pro-create (open to children),
• –Educate (evangelize your Catholic children)
• –Holy Mate (get your spouse to heaven)

Types of prayers … B.A.P.T.i.S.M.

• BLESSING – invoke God’s power for a person, place or activity
• ADORATION – the “created” before the Creator
• PRAISE – glory God (for who He is)
• THANKSGIVING – gratitude (for what He does)
• i ASK for ME (petition) + OTHERS (intercession)
• SORRY – ask of forgiveness
• MEDITATION – tuning into God, reflection (through quiet prayer, Sacred Scripture, lectio divina, liturgy of the hours, Rosary, holy icons, imagery, books of daily devotion, lives of saints, works of spirituality, etc.)

The MASS includes ALL these types of prayer

CONTEMPLETIVE prayer — “silent love” — a deep awareness of God’s presence by being alone with God who we know loves us (“centering prayer” helps develop skills)

Steps in prayer … P.R.A.Y.

• PRAISE = God for who He is + thanksgiving
• REPENT = confess + rec forgiveness + change
• ASK = for others + me   (see A.R.R.R.)
• YIELD = be open to God’s voice & His Will

[PRAYER] When your spending time in personal prayer with the Lord, here’s a good outline to follow  . . . . A.R.R.R.

Personal Prayer … A.R.R.R.

• ACKNOWLEDGE –- How’s my life right now? Pay attention to your thought + feelings + desires (“the Big 3”).
• RELATE -– Tell God about ALL “3” honestly.
• RECEIVE -– Quiet your mind, focus on God, & listen to “the Big 3.”  (Discern spirits)
• RESPOND -– do what you NEED to do

–When you have something to talk to the Lord about, process your “Big 3” with this model.

HOMEWORK:

(1) 3 prayer journals — letters to God, (2) Chapter 3 Quiz, (3) Chapter 17 Quiz

I don’t have pictures to post at the end of this, partly because I have found other things to occupy my past few days. This being said, I am going to provide you with an audio clip of a duo group called CocoRosie. I’ve been listening to this song on repeat for the past thirty minutes, roughly, and for some reason I can’t stop pushing play once it finishes. Perhaps it will do something for you as well.

By Your Side – CocoRosie

I am not sure if you have ever played the game Mad Gab, but it is quite an amusing game to play with friends. The purpose of the game is to recognize the word(s) or phrase that is implied with the group of words that are awkwardly formed on the card. I know this is confusing, but I’d like to give an example.

Fit He Owes Door. This is something that would appear on a card that you would have to guess what it says. If you’ve already played and are decently good, you will instantly understand that the word is Video Store. So, the game goes and, depending on the house rules, you get a certain amount of points in the allotted time.

There are two reasons I am bringing up this game. The first is that it is a genuinely fun game to play. While the opposing team is going, listening to them sound it out can be quite laughter ensuing. It’s ridiculous because you think they know what they’re saying, but they are just as clueless as someone speaking another language that they can’t understand. The second reason involves an idea that was sparked while in small group at church tonight. The topic was discerning the voice of God, and while we were discussing someone had mentioned that it might be that we’re straining really hard for something so simple. This is where the game kicked in.

It makes sense to me, and perhaps only me, that both Mad Gab and discerning God’s voice are similar. While the other team is doing their round, you can listen in and find out what it is they’re supposed to say way before they find out themselves. If you’ve never played the game, you go into with no experience and 0% chance of having an idea of what some examples are. That being said, discerning the voice of God seems comparable in that we need experience. We need to be involved in relationship with the Lord so that we can align with his motives and listen to what he has to say. If we aren’t communicating, how can we listen?

On the other hand, experience with the game is great. If you’ve played before, then there is a chance that a card you’ve previously answered before will come up again, causing an easy point. Pertaining to the voice of God, I feel that, personally, it is much easier to hear the Lord when you know what you’re looking for. It may not be the same exact concept every single time, but with the experience of relationship with God, we have an understanding of his desires. I have had seasons of life where trying to hear God sounds like the last thing that could possibly happen because of a lack of relationship. There have been times where I have put it no effort and subsequently I am getting no response.

Thankfully, I am in a season of growth in relationship with God, and it’s wonderful. It isn’t necessarily that I am hearing God speak to me in audible sounds, but I feel more appreciation to things that haven’t been appreciated much. It is as simple as the thankfulness for the weather and the strangers that surround me.

I have a friend, let’s call her Bob. Bob and I have been friends for the larger part of about 10 years. But despite the fact that over and over and over again throughout the years I’ve asked Bob to consider my feelings and stop some of her hurtful ways, Bob still treats me like garbage, only Bob doesn’t think so. It used to be worse, Bob would arrange a time for us to meet online and chat or talk, and Bob just wouldn’t show up! Other times, she would call me or I would call her and at times she would just hang up the phone- just out of the blue! The same is true for online conversations- we’d be chatting and then Bob pulls a disappearing act RIGHT in the middle of our conversation- no ‘goodbye’, no ‘talk to you later’, no ‘I have to go now’- just *poof* vanishes! Or sometimes (and this happened a few days ago) Bob and I were chatting online and then she told me she had to go shower so she’d talk to me later (one of the rarer times I was formally dismissed), so I said ‘ok’. But Bob continued chatting with me and after a short while I said, “didn’t you say you had to go because you have to shower?”, she said “No, what are you talking about” and proceeded to make me feel like I’m going crazy and making things up!

The truth of the matter and the overall picture is this, I have realized over the years, that I can’t trust Bob. Yet somehow, I am attached and attracted to Bob as a very close friend. I guess over the years I have put up with her ways because in my mind I’m always remembering things as they used to be. I still remember her as that shy girl that was new at my school who sat next to me without saying a word for weeks until finally I said hi, and we were friends ever since. I still remember her as that girl who lived down the street from my house and would ride by on her bike just to say hi and then ride off. I still remember her as that girl who used to confide in me details of her life that she trusted no one else with. But you know what? That little girl is no more.  That little girl is now a big girl who has traded in her innocence for perversion, her loyal, good friend for more fickle alternatives. Sigh.

It hurts to lose a friend you love. Especially when they are still alive and you can see them daily rejecting you for something worse.

In fact, the way I feel about this friend is most accurately illustrated, weirdly enough, by a song by The Fray. Here are the lyrics, perhaps you know it:

How To Save A Life
Step one you say we need to talk
He walks you say sit down it’s just a talk
He smiles politely back at you
You stare politely right on through
Some sort of window to your right
As he goes left and you stay right
Between the lines of fear and blame
You begin to wonder why you came

CHORUS:
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

Let him know that you know best
Cause after all you do know best
Try to slip past his defense
Without granting innocence
Lay down a list of what is wrong
The things you’ve told him all along
And pray to God he hears you
And pray to God he hears you

CHORUS:
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

As he begins to raise his voice
You lower yours and grant him one last choice
Drive until you lose the road
Or break with the ones you’ve followed
He will do one of two things
He will admit to everything
Or he’ll say he’s just not the same
And you’ll begin to wonder why you came

CHORUS:
Where did I go wrong, I lost a friend
Somewhere along in the bitterness
And I would have stayed up with you all night
Had I known how to save a life

[ How To Save A Life Lyrics on http://www.lyricsmania.com/ ]

I would have done anything to save this friendship and I’m STILL trying but every time I talk to her I just end up leaving the conversation feeling dirty, and wounded and I don’t like that. I don’t think I like sticking my neck out there for someone who keeps hurting me! Is that wrong?? How much of this should I be taking?? Should I make myself available to this person at my expense?? At the expense of my sense of self worth and self esteem?

I dunno.

For this morning’s devotion I read Matthew 7. I’m telling you, the Gospel of Matthew is chuck full of amazing, awesome and sound insights into the Christian life and full of beautiful pictures of our Lord BUT as I read, somehow I’m finding insight in the smaller things; finer details seem to scream out at me.

In this account including judging others, asking, seeking and knocking, the narrow and wide gates, true and false prophets, true and false disciples and the wise and foolish builders, one teeny tiny verse stood out to me. That is, Matthew 7: 6 “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces.”

I read the entire chapter this morning and then began to pray. Minutes into my prayer I said, “Lord, help me with Bob, help me to put up restrictions–” And then I stopped short. It DAWNED on me that perhaps in situations like these, I shouldn’t be so caught up on praying that God would implement restrictions on the other person and their behavior. I think instead I should be more concerned about making sure I am acting correctly, making sure that I am not throwing my pearls to swine. This in no way means that I begin to devalue her or anything. I will always respond if she reaches out to me and if I sense God calling me back there but maybe I must not throw myself with complete abandon into that relationship anymore. Maybe I could be using all of that energy towards another cause? I used to pray ceaselessly that God would cause Bob to stop cursing at me, and being perverse and stop ditching me and treating me like I was dispensable; and God could have responded that way. But I think the lesson I will take away from this is that regardless of the other person’s actions, I must always ensure that mine are in line with God and that I’m listening for God’s voice in the situation to help me discern what I should do next.

To make a long story short, I decided to pray instead that God would help me implement restrictions in my life concerning Bob. I prayed that God would help me discern how much is too much, when I should speak to Bob and when I should refrain, when I should agree to meet her and when I should decline, how attached I should allow myself to become. Perhaps now would be a good time for me to reread Ecclesiastes 3:1- 8 and come to grips with the fact that perhaps the season for that special friendship we shared is now over, and learn to relinquish it with grace and poise being as wise as a serpent yet as gentle as a dove.

May God help all of us in discerning our friendships and living always, in season.

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

¹ There is a time for everything,
and a season for every activity under heaven:

² a time to be born and a time to die,
a time to plant and a time to uproot,

³ a time to kill and a time to heal,
a time to tear down and a time to build,

⁴ a time to weep and a time to laugh,
a time to mourn and a time to dance,

⁵ a time to scatter stones and a time to gather them,
a time to embrace and a time to refrain,

⁶ a time to search and a time to give up,
a time to keep and a time to throw away,

⁷ a time to tear and a time to mend,
a time to be silent and a time to speak,

⁸ a time to love and a time to hate,
a time for war and a time for peace.

“A child of God may pray and not be heard, because at that time he may be a child under displeasure. If any sin lie unrepented of we are not in a fit state to pray. Will a king regard the petition of a traitor that purposes to go on in his rebellion, or a father hear a disobedient child? Therefore when we come to God, we should renew our repentance, faith and purposes of better pleasing Him, and then remember the Scripture and search all the promises as part of our best riches, and when we have them, we should humbly challenge God with His own promises. This will make us strong and faithful in our prayers when we know we never pray to Him in vain.”

“When we pray God oftentimes refuses to give us comfort because we are not on good terms with Him; therefore we should still look back to our past life. Perhaps God sees you running to this or that sin, and before He will hear you, you must renew your repentance for that sin, for our nature is such that it will knock at every door and seek every corner before we will come to God, like the woman in the Gospel – she sold all before she came to Christ – so that God will not hear before we forsake all helps and all false dependence upon the creature, and then He gets the greatest glory and we have the greatest sweetness to our souls. That water which comes from the fountain is the sweetest, and so divine comfort is the sweetest when we see nothing in the creature, and God is the best discerner of the fittest time to bestow His own consolations.”

- Richard Sibbes

People of all levels and abilities undertaking a fitness program need to be wary of where they get their information and advice from. The internet is a fantastic resource for all sorts of advice for your training and utilised correctly can make significant improvements on your training. This post addresses the issue of ‘bro science’, that is advice which is solicited more on a common sense basis of what has worked for someone rather than on a scientific basis.

The human body is an unpredictable organism at best and what works for someone may not work as well for someone else which is why taking advice from someone purely on the advice that it has worked for them really should be taken with a pinch of salt, lots of factors can come into play, training schedule and nutrition for example. It is for this reason that you should get your advice on a scientific basis from a study for example university studies. Here is a definition of bro science from urban dictionary

‘Anecdotal evidence presented as fact by unqualified, yet confident indvidulas in the body building community.
Rampent within liftring forums and message boards, the information is usualy based on hearsay with little to no scientific evidence to support the claims made by the individual.
Examples can be limited to a single fram of mind: It worked for me, so it works the same way for everyone!

There is actually a forum that is called broscience dot com that caters to these claims.

An example of Broscience is as follows:
If you want to cut fat and get muscle definition, do high reps, low weight ‘

 Put simply in regards to the advice given, experience and fitness levels/size are regarded in higher stand than the actual scientific evidence.

The problem

Exercise science is a relatively fresh area for scientists and a result of all this ‘bro-science’ and taken for granted, unsupported advice there are many ‘facts’ floating around the fitness industry which have no proven basis at all. Of course if someone has gained a significant amount of muscle and/or level of fitness the athlete is doing lots of things right and clearly understands how to get the most from their bodies, this does not however mean that the advice given from them should be taken as is. As with anything in life, take what you hear with a pinch of salt and always check for references throughout reading articles and posts. Forums and websites with articles on fitness are a great way to learn about health and fitness just make sure you keep a check on where the information is coming from and how valuable it really is to you.

One problem many people find when looking for fitness professional is whether they should opt for the extremely athletic underqualified trainer or the rather normal looking, heavily qualified, straight out of university trainer. Obviously the athletic trainer knows what works for him but could he definitely make a positive impact on you? Taking out the big issue of experience, it is much more likely the highly qualified trainer will have the knowledge to get you the goals you’re having because his comes from a scientific and thus proven to work knowledge base.

Science - The be all and end all?

On the contrary, they saw that I had been entrusted with the task of preaching the gospel to the Gentiles, just as Peter had been to the Jews. For God, who was at work in the ministry of Peter as an apostle to the Jews, was also at work in my ministry as an apostle to the Gentiles. Galatians 2:7-8

Most of us approach a jigsaw puzzle (or any other problem) the same way, whether we know it or not.  We start with what we absolutely know to be true.  When chaos and confusion abound and there is so much we do NOT know, we all have an intuitive notion to go back to what we know and then slowly work forward from there.  In the case of the traditional jigsaw puzzle, it is the corner pieces.  They are what we know, they define the parameters of the puzzle.  Whatever else comes along, we know that the answer lies within the four corners of the puzzle.

Finding solutions to conflict within the church, even interpersonal conflict, works the same way.  We always start with what we know: what we know about God, what we know about God’s Word, and what we know about what God is doing.

I don’t think the conflict in the early church was any small thing.  I think the prejudices and potential doctrinal conflict between Paul’s ministry to the gentiles and Peter’s ministry to the Jews was every bit as dangerous and troubling as our conflicts today.  It had a cultural (racial) element, a doctrinal element (e.g., circumcision) and even a leadership style element (Peter was not the only leader with whom Paul’s temperament clashed).  Reading Acts 15 and Galatians 2 and other similar accounts, you see that the potential for devastating conflict was there.

And so, they went back to what they knew.  Clearly, Peter’s ministry to the Jews was filled with the Spirit.  You just don’t find Spirit-filled power and authority any clearer than in the accounts in Acts 3 and 4.  But the power and authority of Paul’s ministry to the gentiles (especially in Antioch) was equally clear.  The “freedom in Christ” which he preached, while flying in the face of his Hebrew brothers, brought God-sized results in terms of transformed lives.  And so, both Peter’s ministry and Paul’s ministry were obviously Spirit-led…they were “corner pieces”, so to speak, in this doctrinal and cultural puzzle in the early church.

Once we establish what we KNOW God is doing, we can then begin to work toward understanding what is next in light of what we know. In Paul’s case, it was clear that God was leading both Peter and Paul.  The Jerusalem Counsel, then, needed only to figure out how to move forward together in light of that truth.

That’s what we must figure out in the church today.  Take, for example, the two different ministers on a staff who have radically different approaches to ministry–different personalities, different ministry visions, different ministry styles, etc.  Once we agree that God called them both to this church, knowing full well their personalities and propensities, we need only figure out the rest of the puzzle of how they can move forward together.  Unless we are questioning God’s call on one of them or the other, it really isn’t a question of which one should be leaving and which one should be staying.  Those are not options within the parameters of our corner pieces.  So, God must be up to something altogether different from that.  And so on…

I believe it is NOT God’s desire that His will be so difficult for us to discern.  I believe He is spelling it out for us in no uncertain terms through His Word, through His people, through our prayer and through circumstances.  We need only to start with what we know…what is clear and absolute.  Then move forward from there.  What are the “corner pieces” in your conflict?  What do they tell you about what God is doing?

© Blake Coffee

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My heart is deeply troubled. One of my guy friends that I message regularly on Facebook chat told me he was feeling horny and asked if I had a sex toy. I’m thinking I need to either de-friend him or avoid him. Luckily I told him not to violate Matthew 5:28, but I don’t think he understood that. He’s not exactly a church goer.

I’m sort of feeling like I need to hang around my gal friends from now on. I’m seriously tired of being around friends that really aren’t my friends. I’m tired of people trying to use me and treat me lower than a prostitute. At least prostitutes have some dignity. Men treat me like I have none.

I need to pray about this. I also need to discern God’s will for me. I know this is strange to say, but I have always wanted children. It’s a weird desire, I know. But at the same time, would an earthly marriage prevent me from having a closer relationship with God? Are all men like this? Sometimes I wonder.

Are you there God? It’s me, Jessica. I have a formal request or should I say favor to ask. Please help my spiritual brother. I know he has been going through a lot of emotional turmoil lately. Please comfort him and help him discern Your will for him.

I feel like I can’t stop thinking about him. Please help me to focus on You. Please help him focus on You. Because if You are not the key player in our lives, life simply isn’t worth living. We both need to bring You back into a clear focus. If we don’t, we will be headed for destruction, which is exactly what the enemy wants. Help us to push Satin away.

I love you more than anything, God. I praise You and I know that everything happens for a reason. Looking back on my life, I have realized that everything You brought me through was for a purpose: to bring me closer to You.

I pray that my brother is drawn closer to You. I ask that I will not drive him away from You because that is not what I want at all. I just want him to be really happy. I want him to be fully satisfied spiritually. If it takes him being away from me to do so, then that’s what it takes.

If he can no longer communicate with me, I will be understanding. Even though it hurts, I want him cross the finish line with You by his side. I just want to thank You for the time you let me spend with him because he has helped me in so many ways. He has truly has been a blessing. He helped me battle my sorrows when I needed it most. If only I could return the favor.

Mary, please pray for me to keep in touch with God. I know that praying has sometimes felt like work to me, but now I so badly need to talk to Him. My soul is in desperate need of prayer right now.

Lord Jesus, I love You. I praise You. You are number one in my life. In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

When debating, it is an illegal move to use an extreme example to represent or support a normal scenario. Don’t do it and don’t allow it against your argument. Call it out immediately.

To study prophecy is right,

Learn what will help you see the light,

Discern the figures that are dark,

Decide whose “bite” is worse than “bark,”

As the world’s day slopes into night. 

                – eab, 9/07