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Pastor Pop Pop -------- Volume 4, #1
Subject: New Year Blessings and Prayers
Bible verses are from the New Century Version (NCV)
Welcome to the New Year. 2012
1 Kings 8:28 -- But please listen to my prayer and my request, because I am your servant. Lord my God, hear this prayer your servant prays to you today.
It has been a long year. Protests that changed countries, unemployment, business failures, bad economy, homeless increase, Occupy, politicians promising things again that they cant keep, wars ending and wars starting up. I guess you can say it has to be better in the year to come. Well I decided to end the previous year and start the new one with blessings and prayers instead of a sermon. I will list some prayers that I say for people I know and those that I dont but have asked for prayer. Then end it all with some blessings for my readers and others. If you will all join me in these prayers, we can move some mountains. Then, think about your own list of prayers and those that you wish blessings on. Prayer is everything. All things are possible. So, in Jesus name I pray for all these things to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Amen.
2 Chronicles 6:19 -- But please listen to my prayer and my request, because I am your servant. Lord my God, hear this prayer your servant prays to you.
I pray for:
My family, my grandson, my children, our mothers, and our friends
I pray for my acquaintances too
My enemies our enemies
Chucks brother that he be cured of cancer
Talons complete cure
Pete to find a job and heal
Phil to find his soul mate
Tara to find her soul mate
For the homeless and all those who need employment
Terry to be cleansed of Crohns and her son to be free of cancer
That my knee will be healed & my wifes back will feel well and her ears healed
That souls will be saved
That politicians will do the right thing for the people they represent
For world peace and economy stabilization that our soldiers come home
That employers will treat their workers with respect
That Lisa and I will be completely healed
That all of our children will come to know Christ
That Karla and George find sleep & Aleeca get some rest
That Alicia continue to grow in Christ
That Kyle will find his way
ThatAshleybe completely cured
For Rick to be cured of his tumor
For Mrs. Johnson and Pat to be cured completely of their cancer
That Pat will see her grandchild more often and her father be healed
That Becky will give birth to a healthy baby this time
For Tims church to flourish and for Joes new one to open and save souls.
That this web site continue to save souls and enrich peoples lives
That all hardened hearts will soften
That the hungry will eat.
That CAP will find the funding to help those in need
That Bob and Melanie continue to give hope to those with Aids
For Ginny and Bobs son to be completely cured and cancer free
That Carolyn be cured
So that Janine and her daughters come to Christ and are saved
Mike and Carols daughter come to Jesus
That Gregs ribs are fully healed and that his mission will expand
That the low and middle classes be taken care of
That all atheists believe
That all bodies of Christ will work together
For forgiveness and love to blossom
So that children will not be abused
That Tracy and Lester will be loved
That the un-named waitress at Outback finds peace in her life
That abortion stop and pornography cease.
Psalm 66:19 -- But God has listened; he has heard my prayer.
Psalm 88:2 -- Receive my prayer, and listen to my cry.
Psalm 119:170 -- Listen to my prayer; save me as you promised.
And I ask for blessings for our planet, our country, our leaders, our health, our finances and our souls.
1 Peter 1:4 -- Now we hope for the blessings God has for his children. These blessings, which cannot be destroyed or be spoiled or lose their beauty, are kept in heaven for you.
Happy New Year
Pastor Pop Pop -------- Volume 4, #2
Subject: Missionaries
1 Corinthians 9:23(NLT) -- I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
The missionary woke up early and had a light breakfast. With all the troubles and concerns of life, sleep was restless last night so some coffee was in order too. His name was Joe and he has been a missionary since he accepted Christ. Joe looked outside and saw that people were moving about with the daily tasks and work upon them all. Life what a struggle at times. Starting to work along side of the people he was trying to bring to Christ and save, was sometimes a challenge. To gain their trust and confidence he had to work along side of them in their daily tasks, socialize with them, ask them questions about themselves and their families, find out what kept them going on a regular basis. Work, work, work all day long. As long as the people were working, Joe could not share the Gospel with them. Their leaders made that rule very clear to the missionaries and vowed to oust them if they broke it. At some point they stopped for breaks but they were short and never amounted to much. It was the afternoon meal that he waited for. It gave him opportunities away from the toil to talk and share the Gospel with them. It is a small amount of time but he tried to utilize the meal as a way of starting conversations. Its difficult as these people do not believe and some are idol worshipers and he is out of his comfort zone without fellow Christians to support his position and beliefs. Jesus said in John 21, Feed my lambs and Take care of my sheep, and this missionary is surly trying to follow His instructions. However, there are many stumbling stones along the way.
As this missionary was toiling along side of these people he banged his elbow on his funny bone. They immediately stared at Joe and watched his every move. Joe thought that they were hoping he would swear or use obscenities so they could use it against him. But, he kept his composure even though he wanted to scream. When you are trying to share Christianity with non-believers they sometimes put you under a microscope. One point he is trying to teach them is that no one is perfect and Christ came to help them all. He wishes that he had more training for this but in this environment he does not know how much it would help. The original disciples had no special training but they went into the world and spread the Gospel regardless of the consequences. Joe is trying to do the same thing.
Well it is the end of the day now and he heads back abode. As he walks his mind reflects back on the day. There was one woman who really listened to his words today. That is a start, he thinks to himself. He eats dinner, relaxes a bit, and then goes to bed. Tomorrow will be a repeat of today but maybe, just maybe, one more soul will be saved. If so, Heaven will rejoice and His Savior will smile upon him.
The life of a missionary is not always pleasant but it is rewarding. To be honest, Joe does not like the work or the environment but he keeps reminding himself that this is his mission field that the Lord has given him and he must use it the best he can for the glory of God.
John 20: 21(NCV) Then Jesus said again, Peace be with you. As the Father sent me, I now send you.
Acts 12:24 (NLT) -- Meanwhile, the word of God continued to spread, and there were many new believers.
Mark 16:15 (KJV) -- And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.
The missionary above does not serve in a foreign country or in a ravished section of the world, he is just a normal person going to work every day. You see, your work place where ever it may be or what ever you do, is your mission field. There are countless people out there that are non-believers and have never known Christ. Many of them work along side of you each and every day. You are a missionary and have the responsibility to spread the Gospel of your Savior. You have to work hard every day just like a missionary in another country and you work, play, and shop around people that are destitute, homeless, sick, have HIV, lost a loved one, have a broken marriage, live in an abusive situation, or just feel lost. These are the people you have to reach. Many Christians take what I call the easy road and just try to convince other Christians that they are worshipping wrong, go to the wrong church, or that their denomination is not the right one. They adopt a mission to save other Christians from themselves. Yes, sometimes there is a place for that but the hard road is to try to reach the non-believers and those that have never heard of Christs saving grace. That is the road that Jesus asked His disciples to walk. Sure life is tough but the life of a missionary is never easy. Look around you and see who you can share the Word with and try to find an opportunity to do so. Will you face hardships, be criticized, and maybe even be punished for it? Maybe. But the original disciples faced these things too. And sometimes you may not ever know how you touched someones life and soul because you just planted the seed. Others down the road may take care of watering, nurturing, and pruning it. But when you get to Heaven and see these people with you in the Kingdom of God, Jesus will give you your reward. Just saving one soul is worth the effort. Do your best where ever you serve. Amen.
James 1:12 (The Message) -- Anyone who meets a testing challenge head-on and manages to stick it out is mighty fortunate. For such persons loyally in love with God, the reward is life and more life
John 12: (CEV) -- If you serve me, you must go with me. My servants will be with me wherever I am. If you serve me, my Father will honor you.
Luke 6:23 (HCS) -- Rejoice in that day and leap for joy! Take noteyour reward is great in heaven, for this is the way their ancestors used to treat the prophets.
Be a missionary for Christ right where you are.
Subject: The Economy
Bible verses are from the New Century Version (NCV) unless noted.
Psalm 38:22 -- Quickly come and help me, my Lord and Savior.
I think it is time to address the present economic conditions. I have been avoiding this because it is controversial, my opinion, and not really a church topic. However, there are many people that are hurting out there for a variety of reasons and some are losing faith because of it. So as a Pastor when my sheep are hurting I need to help in any way that I can.
This nation is in trouble and it is like a snowball rolling down the hill. When the real estate market collapsed several years ago our economy took a down turn which initially affected the construction industry. Carpenters, masons, cabinet makers, wood workers and lumber yards took a big hit and thousands of jobs and businesses were lost. Investors in this field lost confidence, home prices fell, and others were foreclosed upon. The stores and businesses that these people purchased goods and services from suffered and were forced to downsize or close. That put more people out of work and the places that they purchased from then had to close or downsize. The snowball was now moving down the hill at a quick pace getting bigger all the time. With the unemployment line now growing, the taxes that these workers had once paid were now not paid. This caused services that were paid for by these taxes like schools and government to downsize their budgets and work forces. Losing faith in the economy, bigger businesses that were now losing money downsized the factories that made the goods once purchased by the unemployed. This put more workers on the street and the snowball grew to a boulder still rolling down the hill. The politicians in Washington promised to stop it but had all lost track of the lives of the people it was rolling over. Even those campaigning talk about the middle and rich classes but never mention the poor and the low class blue collar people that were now not even getting an unemployment check. The job creators are creating jobs in other countries and not in ours. A lot of the middle and low classes are out of work but the upcoming elections have drowned out their cries for help. The snowball is still growing and getting bigger and more people are in dire need of help each and every day. Due to the lack of a paycheck, the people that help all the non-profit groups that help the poor cannot donate. Now the organizations that help the poor cant. The snow is getting deep and they are getting buried. A blizzard is in full force.
Proverbs 22:22 -- Do not abuse poor people because they are poor, and do not take away the rights of the needy in court.
Isaiah 32:7 -- The wicked person uses evil like a tool. He plans ways to take everything from the poor. He destroys the poor with lies, even when the poor person is in the right.
Proverbs 18:23 -- The poor beg for mercy, but the rich give rude answers.
Mark 10:25 -- It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter thekingdom ofGod.
Isaiah 1:23 -- Your rulers are rebels and friends of thieves. They all accept money for doing wrong, and they are paid to cheat people. They don't seek justice for the orphans or listen to the widows' needs.
There are a lot of people out there now without jobs or with part time low paying jobs that are trying to support their families. We need to help these people and become earthly angels to them. If you know someone like this you should help them financially, pray for them, or in some way give them hope. Take them a meal, treat their family out for a night of fun, give them a gift card to a supermarket, and let them know you are praying for them. They need our help and prayers. God can overcome any obstacle and can supply all their needs but sometimes has earthly angels to help Him. If you feel His nudge respond. Help with a local food bank, donate to a local charity, or contact your church on ways you can help the unemployed and the under employed. Sometimes you think, That person has a job and they will be OK. But maybe that job is paying just 1/10 of what they were making and the bills they have accumulated still have to be paid so no money is left for food. Dont judge just help.
Proverbs 21:13 -- Whoever ignores the poor when they cry for help will also cry for help and not be answered.
Psalm 72:2 -- Help him judge your people fairly and decide what is right for the poor.
If you are one of these people who have lost their job, dont give up hope. The God in whom you believe and worship can see you through this storm and help you see the light of day again. Keep moving forward and keep believing. Never stop looking and applying for a job. Through faith, all things are possible. Sure the statistics and the news get you down. Quite frankly, there are not enough jobs for everyone. That is a fact. It takes over one hundred thousand jobs a month just to keep up with the workforce increases and we have only exceeded that a couple months in the last 3 years. We are slipping behind with jobs not increasing them. But, if you are persistent and have faith and do not unbelieve, you will find one. The Lord will help the broken hearted. If you believe and have faith, He will raise you from the dust and brush you off. And do not, in the meantime, turn away people wanting to help you. It is hard sometimes to take charity but these earthly angels receive blessings for helping you. Dont cheat them from their blessings. Graciously thank them for their kindness and help and remember to pay it forward to others when you get back on your feet again. Never lose faith.
1 Samuel 2:8 -- The Lord raises the poor up from the dust, and he lifts the needy from the ashes. He lets the poor sit with princes and receive a throne of honor. The foundations of the earth belong to the Lord, and the Lord set the world upon them.
Hebrews 10:39 -- But we are not those who turn back and are lost. We are people who have faith and are saved.
Mark 11:22 -- Jesus answered, "Have faith in God.
And if you are a business that has been affected and maybe downsized your work force, treat you remaining workers fair and dont over load them with more than they can handle. They are not machines but people with families and lives. Dont take them for granted and mistreat them. And when your business picks up, hire some of your former workers back to help them out instead of continuing to overload your present work force just to save money. Be fair and honest with your business practices and help those employees that help you to succeed. They are not slaves destined to just help you get ahead but fellow brothers in Christ that need respect and time off with their families as well as a fair paycheck.
Psalm 112:5 -- It is good to be merciful and generous. Those who are fair in their business
Job 31:6 -- then let God weigh me on honest scales. Then he will know I have done nothing wrong
Proverbs 3:32 -- The Lord hates those who do wrong, but he is a friend to those who are honest.
And if you are a politician running for a major office, stop pretending that you know what our struggles are. You have more money than we will have in a lifetime and you have lost touch with the people that you will govern. Instead of telling us what you will do --- listen to what we want you to do. Just listen and then represent us honestly with integrity, compassion, and moral ethics. Bring God back toAmerica.
Mark 10:42-43 -- Jesus called them together and said, "The other nations have rulers. You know that those rulers love to show their power over the people, and their important leaders love to use all their authority. But it should not be that way among you. Whoever wants to become great among you must serve the rest of you like a servant."
We as a nation will overcome this economic downfall but maybe not right away. In the meantime we need to pray, return to God so he blesses us, and help each other with our mutual struggles. WWJD What would Jesus do? That should be our every day cry and thought. Whether it is with a neighbor, a friend, your business or your community ---- when people need help just reflect on that. WWJD. God bless you all and my prayers are with you.
And if you need prayer for any of these struggles, go to my prayer tab and send me a request. I will pray for you and your cause. In the name of Jesus, I pray for all of you that are in need. God bless you all my friends.
For encouragement, listen to this song on my Song Tab :Hang on by Plumbor fora new song relevant to this sermon and the times: Leaving Eden by Brandon Heath
And thank you-- all you earthly angels that helped my wife and I during our recent financial and work loss situation. It all helped. God bless.
Lamentations 5:21 (NLT):
Restore us, O LORD, and bring us back to you again! Give us back the joys we once had!
Pastor Pop-Pop Volume 4 4
Bible verses are from the New Century Version unless noted otherwise.
Emphasis is mine.
Subject: Fists of Fury
It was a cold fall night when, while on patrol, my Chief and I drove our patrol car out onto an island shortly after midnight. As the lights of the car panned an area of the beach we thought there was movement near the shore. As the two of us approached we saw a young man holding a womans head under the water. Exiting the patrol car quickly the Chief and I ran to them and I pulled the man off of her. The Chief yanked the girl out of the water as she was gasping for breath. Then the lights of the car showed us a greater tragedy --- her face was beaten into what looked like raw meat. Blood was everywhere. He had beaten her up real bad and then was going to drown her. What an animal!
I threw the man down to the ground, cuffed him, and read him his rights. Then the Chief and I brought him to the police cruiser. Taking him there and putting him in the car was very difficult. Do you know why? No, he wasnt fighting or resisting in any way. It was because the girl was hanging on to his leg and being dragged across the beach as he walked. She was yelling the whole time at the top of her lungs, Dont take him away --- I love him!
Another time while my partner and I were placing a husband under arrest after beating his wife, she attacked my partner. Why? Because we were taking away the man she loved.
This is very sad. I see it at work every once in awhile. A woman will come to work and have black and blue marks on her body or a black eye. Maybe some bruises on her face half covered up with make-up. They will say half out of being ashamed and half out of defense of her man that she fell down or ran into a door. Why does this happen? And sometimes it is the other way around. Why do spouses and domestic partners do this abuse? More importantly why do the victims put up with it and stay in those relationships?
Colossians 3:19 -- Husbands, love your wives and be gentle with them.
Ephesians 5:28 -- In the same way, husbands should love their wives as they love their own bodies. The man who loves his wife loves himself.
There is not one answer that fits all situations. When it comes to the abuser it can be many things. It could be that his parents did the same thing or maybe beat him. It could be the loss of a job, war, feelings of insecurity, anger, frustration, fear, or just plain meanness. When it comes to the woman who allows this to happen over and over again it could mean feelings of insecurity, fear of living alone, fear itself, money issues, the feeling that she is not worth anything, no one else will love her, or maybe she believes the constant belittling she receives. It may be all the above or something not even listed here. But for the sake of her well being, she must leave and remove herself from the abuse and beatings. And let us not forget, mental abuse can be just as damaging as physical abuse.
1 Corinthians 5:11 --I am writing to tell you that you must not associate with those who call themselves believers in Christ but who sin sexually, or are greedy, or worship idols, or abuse others with words, ..
2 Corinthians 4:9 -- We are persecuted, but God does not leave us. We are hurt sometimes, but we are not destroyed.
Proverbs 3:23 -- Then you will go your way in safety, and you will not get hurt.
If you know someone who is getting abused, talk to them. Let them know that you care and that they are worth so much more. Get others that are well versed in helping these people, involved. Dont give up as it may take days, months, or years to convince someone that they do not deserve the abuse they are getting. Dont blow off their excuses. Let them know that you are not fooled. Show them a path out by citing examples you know, giving them a list of organizations that may help, and inviting them to church with you. Most stay because they dont see the path out of the relationship. It is hidden by fear and confusion. And please dont stop telling the person that they are special and deserve better. Lastly, never stop praying for that person. Pray for an army of angels to protect them and for God to grant them the wisdom and courage to see their way out and then to act. Be their friend and dont let them think they are alone.
Ecclesiastes 4:10 -- If one falls down, the other can help him up. But it is bad for the person who is alone and falls, because no one is there to help.
If you are the one being abused, dont give in to it. Fight back bullies dont like that. Seek help from others and look for organizations and churches that will assist you in getting away from the abuser. And get the abuser the help they need too. You are special, important and Gods creation. He has a purpose for you and it is not getting pounded on all the time by others. He loves you. And look around others love you too. Seek advice, council, and help from co-workers, neighbors, and acquaintances. See your HR generalist at work. They may be able to direct you to people that can council and advise you. If you belong to a church, seek help with your Pastor. In the eyes of Jesus you are special and have worth. Regardless of the reason the other person is abusing you you do not deserve it. Believe in yourself. Respect yourself. Leave or make them leave. Live.
Matthew 10:28-32 -- Don't be afraid of people, who can kill the body but cannot kill the soul. The only one you should fear is the one who can destroy the soul and the body in hell. Two sparrows cost only a penny, but not even one of them can die without your Father's knowing it. God even knows how many hairs are on your head. So don't be afraid. You are worth much more than many sparrows.
John 16:27 -- The Father himself loves you.
Jeremiah 1:5 -- "Before I made you in your mother's womb, I chose you. Before you were born, I set you apart for a special work.
And when you do get out of trouble, use your experiences to help others in those situations. And never forget to praise Him who never left your side. God bless.
Psalm 18:6 -- In my trouble I called to the Lord. I cried out to my God for help. From his temple he heard my voice; my call for help reached his ears.
Never give up hope.
Pastor Pop-Pop Volume 4 5
Bible verses are from the New Century Version unless noted otherwise.
Emphasis is mine.
Subject: Deception
Another Police story --- thirty years ago I was a Police Officer in a small community in the Northeast. We got a call that a woman was screaming outside her apartment so we responded in haste. Upon arriving the woman ran to the Police car repeatedly yelling, He is going to kill my baby! My partner calmed her down so that she could tell us what was happening. She said that her boyfriend was upstairs in the living room which was right inside the door on the landing. Her boyfriend, according to her, was holding a gun in her babys mouth saying that he was going to kill it. She said that he is crazy and will certainly do it. The young woman was crying and pleading with us to hurry. I charged up the stairs with my partner right behind me and back-up on its way. Guns drawn, fingers on the triggers, and adrenaline pumping we kicked in the door. The man was on the couch with his left side visible to us. He had an infant cuddled in his left shoulder and his right hand was up to the babys mouth. Thank God he did not flinch.
To sum up the story, the woman was deceiving us to try to get us to kill her husband. The husband and father of the baby was just feeding the infant a bottle of formula. He did not even own a gun and none were in the house. She was mentally deranged and wanted him killed. She ended up in jail for the attempt.
Sometimes we are deceived in life with spiritual things. Satan and his associates can be very deceptive and misleading. He is the master of lies and deception.
2 Corinthians 11:14 -- ... Even Satan changes himself to look like an angel of light.
There are prophets and preachers on street corners, TV, radio, newspapers, and everywhere in our lives. They are all telling you what to do and what to believe in. Conflictions are everywhere and they drive us all nuts trying to sort them out. Dont let them lead you down the wrong path.
Matthew 24:11--- Many false prophets will come and cause many people to believe lies.
Matthew 7:15 --- Be careful of false prophets. They come to you looking gentle like sheep, but they are really dangerous like wolves.
Jeremiah 6:13 -- "Everyone, from the least important to the greatest, is greedy for money. Even the prophets and priests all tell lies.
Sometimes we face decisions in life and we pray and pray for answers. Then out of nowhere we believe we get a message or sign that has to be from God. A dream or a vision may seem to give us a message from God. Before you follow it and count it as true, make sure it is not a deception.
1 Thessalonians 5:21 --But test everything. Keep what is good,
1 John 4:1 -- My dear friends, many false prophets have gone out into the world. So do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see if they are from God.
2 Thessalonians 2:10 -- He will use every kind of evil to trick those who are lost.
Revelation 20:3 -- Then he threw him into the bottomless pit, closed it, and locked it over him. The angel did this so he could not trick the people of the earth anymore.
So how do we know that the truth is coming to us through word, preaching, visions, and dreams? By making sure that it is following the Word of God. What is the Word of God? It is the Bible and Holy Scripture. We must make sure before we act that it is following the Word of God written in the Bible. If it is in line with the Bible, it is most likely the truth. But we must check it carefully as even Satan knows the Bible. He quoted Holy Scripture to Jesus in order to try to deceive Him but Jesus countered the Devil with Scripture that proved him wrong. Read Luke Chapter 4.
Jeremiah 23:16 -- This is what the Lord All-Powerful says: "Don't pay attention to what those prophets are saying to you. They are trying to fool you. They talk about visions their own minds made up, not about visions from me.
Let me use an example. Suppose you get a vision, dream, or thought about being a modern day Robin Hood. Remember him? He stole from the Rich and gave to the poor. You tell someone about this and they quote Proverbs 28:27 which states: Whoever gives to the poor will have everything he needs, but the one who ignores the poor will receive many curses. So you may think now that maybe you should do this steal from a rich person and give it to the poor you know. However, if you check it out further you will find the Ten Commandments. In Exodus 20:15 it says you must not steal. So, your thought about being a modern day Robin Hood would not be Biblically correct so you must not do it. Does this make any sense? In other words if a Pastors words or your own vision conflicts with the Word of God in the Bible, it is not correct and true. It is your guide.
You can just about find justification anywhere in the Bible for anything if you just read something from context. So to truly find out the intent of God you must search in more than one area and read the entire passage while keeping in mind the times it was written. Some people will try to trick you or teach you something by quoting only that which they want you to hear. So investigate it yourself. Let me give you another example. If I were to quote Ecclesiastes 10:6 -- Fools are given important positions while gifted people are given lower ones; ----- you might be confused and think that only fools get ahead in life. However, if you read the whole passage you will see that the author is describing the mistakes that some rulers make. I hope that I am making some sense to you.
The bottom line is If you think it is from God, check it out against His Word in the Bible. Investigate it fully and do not just take what someone else tells you as fact. Check out decisions in your life too with the Word of God. He will not deceive you. Read His word daily to increase your understanding and wisdom. He will speak to you from the book that contains His words. Seek advice from someone you trust, talk with other believers, confirm things with the Word of God, and pray on it. Even then you may get differences of opinions. There are many different Churches out there and the reason for this is that they all have different interpretations on theology. Remember there were wars fought and many persecutions over interpretation which helped people form and flee to this country of ours. For goodness sake, some people are still fighting the Anabaptist wars today in their own minds. Just keep a level head, open mind, and check everything out with the Bible yourself.
Ephesians 6:11 -- Put on the full armor of God so that you can fight against the devil's evil tricks.
God Bless
Matthew 24:24 -- False Christs and false prophets will come and perform great wonders and miracles. They will try to fool even the people God has chosen, if that is possible.
Zechariah 10:2 -- Idols tell lies; fortune-tellers see false visions and tell about false dreams. The comfort they give is worth nothing.
Pastor Pop-Pop Volume 4 6
Bible verses are from the New Living Translation unless noted otherwise.
Emphasis is mine.
Subject: Not Worthy
My bet is that everyone, including Pastors and Leaders, carry a secret in their lives. If this secret were to come out, we would die in shame. I am talking about everyone and not just Politicians. Sorry, could not help myself with that joke. My point is that we are all sinners and fail to meet the expectations and rules of our God.
There is a story about a man who was a gambler and heavy drinker all of his life. He only went to Church a couple of times in order to see a grandchild sing. On those couple of occasions, he sat in the back and immediately left when the recital was over. The man never spoke harshly about Church people or called them hypocrites and other names. On the other hand he was respectful of them but never went himself and just continued with his harmful ways. Then came the bad news from the doctor that none of us like to hear you have only a couple of months to live. As he was getting his affairs in order a relative came to talk to him about God. Being close to death sometimes brings questions into your mind and you seek answers in the last days so he listened. The relative told him about the love of Jesus and his forgiveness. Near the end of the mans life he came to know that a lot of his years were wasted. You see he never went to Church because he did not think that he was worthy of Gods love. His life had been such a mess that he did not think that there was a chance to turn it around, be forgiven and be accepted by the God of the universe.
Is that you? Is there something in your past or even in your present lifestyle that makes you feel unworthy of Gods love or so bad that you think that you are beyond the forgiveness of Jesus? Have you wronged someone, stole something, were cruel to people, worshipped false gods, cheated on your spouse, did not treat your kids right, or maybe you were just a bad person? What is it in your life that makes you feel that you are not worthy of God, going to Church, or being around those who consider themselves saved? What boulder have you rolled between you and Christ? Or maybe it is not something you did. Is it that people tell you that youre no good, pick on you, call you names? Is it that you were raped, miss-treated, put down or abused? What boulder have others rolled between you and Jesus? What is keeping you from approaching the one who created you?
Psalm 65:3 -- Though we are overwhelmed by our sins, you forgive them all.
Does a doctor come to heal the healthy or the sick? Jesus came to help and forgive the sinners and find the lost. He did not come for the saved. We are all sinners and no one is excluded. Sometime sit down with the Ten Commandments and read through them. Then try to think of someone that has not violated at least one of them. I tell people that if I was not a sinner, I would not need Jesus. Well, I would still need His love but it is an example that I use. My bumper sticker reads, Christians arent perfect they are just forgiven. And we are all imperfect people. Not one of us has had perfect lives or lives without some kind of chastisement. I will state that some have had it worse than others but we all have had trials of some sort. Jesus does not care about any of that. He comes to heal and comfort.
Romans 4:7-8 --- Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sins are put out of sight. Yes, what joy for those whose record the LORD has cleared of sin.
What do you do when you feel that you are dirty and soiled? You take a bath. So if you dont feel you are worthy and you feel too dirty or soiled to come to Church, or must sit unnoticed in the back row, or cannot hang out with believers ---- take a bath. Take a bath in Gods grace and Jesus love. They will shower you with it if you ask them to. Let their forgiveness and generosity wash over you like new fallen rain and clean you up. Let the Holy Spirit dress your inner spirit in your Sunday best and make you feel new again. No matter what you may have done or had done to you, it is not too great for Christ to overcome.
Psalm 51:1-3 -- Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin. For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.
Titus 3:5 -- He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.
Hebrews 10:22 -- let us go right into the presence of God with sincere hearts fully trusting him. For our guilty consciences have been sprinkled with Christs blood to make us clean, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
So sing praise to the God that loves you and worship Jesus Christ our Savior. Then ask for forgiveness and ask Him to wash you clean and make you new again. Then come to Church and surround yourself with other believers that can help you and support you in lifes trials. Walk right through that door and move right up to the front row. Halleluiah.
Ephesians 1:6 -- So we praise God for the glorious grace he has poured out on us who belong to his dear Son.
If you have never accepted Christ as your personal Lord and Savior, go to my Altar Call tab today and say the simple prayer there from your heart. God Bless.
Pastor Pop-Pop Volume 4 7
Bible verses are from the New Century Version unless noted otherwise.
Emphasis is mine.
Subject: The Book
John 14:6 -- Jesus answered, "I am the way, and the truth, and the life. The only way to the Father is through me.
Have you ever gone to a restaurant hungry and ready to eat with anticipation of the food they serve there and walk in and find out they expect reservations. Uhggggggg. How embarrassing it is to have to walk out and go someplace else. Knowing my luck, the next restaurant probably has a line and wait to get in. When the waitress looked into the reservation book and looked for your name and it was not there you find yourself almost trying to help her look even though you know you did not call in. This has happened to me way more than once. Better yet --- you do call in but someone did not write it down and youre trying to convince the person that you did call. It can be frustrating.
Speaking about the new heaven and new earth, John says in Revelations 21:27 Nothing unclean and no one who does shameful things or tells lies will ever go into it. Only those whose names are written in the Lambs book of life will enter the city. That is also what it will be like when we die and go into Heaven. No one gets into Heaven unless it is through Jesus as Scripture tells us in John 14:16. No good deed, works, or other beliefs will get you there. Only the acceptance of Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior. If you are not written in His book of life, youre not getting in. There is only one place left for you to go and it is not very nice there. Jesus is the truth, the way, and the life. In Revelations 21:8 it reads: But cowards, those who refuse to believe, who do evil things, who kill, who sin sexually, who do evil magic, who worship idols, and who tell lies --- all these will have a place in the lake of burning sulfur. This is the second death. Of course, Jesus forgives us of these sins as long as we turn away from them and accept Him as our Savior and believe in the God our Father and do not deny the Holy Spirit. The Trinity --- three persons in one God. You must be written in the Lambs book of life. Jesus is the Lamb. The end is coming like a thief in the night prepare for it.
In a book by Randy Alcorn titled Heaven there is a true story that I would like to relate in part. A famous singer was hired to perform at the wedding of a rich person. She was really excited about it and the reception banquet was at a gorgeous place in Seattle,Washington. Her and her husband went to the wedding and she performed. The wedding was beautiful and so was her performance. Afterwards they both went to the reception place. It was decorated and adorned with things that were amazingly beautiful with a long high brass staircase leading up to the top floor where the banquet was to be held. Her and her husband climbed the long staircase with other guests to the doors to the banquet room. She could see piles of shrimp and lots of fantastic food and drinks. The place was super fancy and ornate with only the finest things. Her and her husband approached the maitre d. He was standing in front of the doors with a large book. When they approached him, he asked for their names. She proudly told him as he scanned the book. He then told her that her name was not listed. She then reported to him who she was and that she sang at the wedding of the bride and groom. He looked again at the book and then said, It does not matter who you are or what you did. If your name is not in this book you cannot enter. The maitre d then had another man escort them to the service elevator and pushed the G button for garage as the door closed. Their last glimpse was of the beautiful array of food in the main banquet room. You see, she had not sent the RSVP card back in when she was suppose to because she figured that she was the singer and did not need to.
This true story is an example of how it will be when you die. It doesnt matter who you were in this life, what you did, or even the position you held. If you are not in the Lambs book of life, you do not get into Heaven. It is that simple. If you dont accept his saving grace, you are lost for eternity. Imagine climbing that staircase to Heaven with others and meeting Jesus face to face. He looks through His book of life and does not see your name. There are no more chances to redeem yourself, no time for another chance, and no excuses that He will listen to. He does not even look twice like the maitre d did but immediately casts you out. The judge of all creation casts you out without any plea bargaining. You had your chance and did not listen to His Word. Goodbye.
Luke 13:27 -- But he will say to you, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Go away from me, all you who do evil!'
Remember, God in Heaven is a loving God. He sent His only begotten Son to earth for a sacrifice for our sins. Our sins, not His. All we have to do to receive this forgiveness is to accept Jesus as Lord and turn from our ways. The women in the story above had an action to perform in order to gain entrance to the banquet. She needed to send in the RSVP card. Just like that woman, we have an action to perform to gain entrance into the biggest banquet of all Heaven. Accept Jesus today and be redeemed.
If you never have accepted Christ as Savior, go to my Altar Call tab. If you would like to read the book Heaven by Randy Alcorn, go to my Store tab. Thanks and God Bless.
John 7:37-38
On the last and most important day of the feast Jesus stood up and said in a loud voice, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. If anyone believes in me, rivers of living water will flow out from that person's heart, as the Scripture says."
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Bible verses are from the New Century Version unless noted otherwise.
Happy Easter
Why are there sacrifices that have to be made for our sins? We dont know why and we cannot climb into the mind of God. God is God. He is the creator of all things, the Alpha and the Omega. He made the earth, the wind, the sky, the universe and its stars, the animals, humans, and the Rules. Have you ever went and played a game at a friends house or with his ball when the friend exclaimed, We play by my rules. That is how it is with God, he made life and we play by His rules. We play by His rules and He showers us with His love. We dont eternal damnation in Hell. It may not always please us but that is the way it is. We cannot wish it away, pray it away, or change it even if we declare that we dont believe it. It never changes. It is what it is. His way or no way no matter what we believe, want, like, or ignore.
So throughout the Bible (Gods Word) in the Old Testament (Before Christ) the law of God was that there had to be a blood sacrifice for sins (wrong-doings against Gods commands).
Leviticus 17:11 -- This is because the life of the body is in the blood, and I have given you rules for pouring that blood on the altar to remove your sins so you will belong to the Lord. It is the blood that removes the sins, because it is life.
Like it or not, God required a blood offering for our sins. We did not deserve His forgiveness but He gave us an avenue for it. Blood on the altar. The animals being offered must be without blemish, He demanded. You see, we have a choice of following Him and His commands or not. If we choose to go our own way and we sin, do we deserve His forgiveness? No matter how you answer that question He still supplied a way to come back. Again, we may not understand it but His love supplied a way for us to be forgiven.
For what ever the reason was, God it seems got tired of these blood offerings and our constant sin. He loved us because He created us and He needed to find a better way. But it was blood that he had told us would cleanse us and He was not a liar. God is pure truth so His rule had to stand. So He decided to test our love for Him. I believe that the test came in Abraham. Would man sacrifice a child for his God?
Genesis 22:1-2 -- God Tests Abraham
After these things God tested Abraham's faith. God said to him, "Abraham!" And he answered, "Here I am." Then God said, "Take your only son, Isaac, the son you love, and go to the land of Moriah. Kill him there and offer him as a whole burnt offering on one of the mountains I will tell you about."
But at the very last moment, God stopped Abraham from killing his son. He passed the test. If mankind would sacrifice their son for Him, then He would for them. God then brought His son to the earth as a man to be the ultimate blood sacrifice for mankinds sins. Once and for all, Jesus would die and shed His blood for us and our sins. A one time sacrifice for all who believe in Him. He died upon the cross for all we did and will do.
Philippians 2:17 -- Your faith makes you offer your lives as a sacrifice in serving God. If I have to offer my own blood with your sacrifice, I will be happy and full of joy with all of you.
Hebrews 9:12 -- Christ entered the Most Holy Place only onceand for all time. He did not take with him the blood of goats and calves. His sacrifice was his own blood, and by it he set us free from sin forever.
Ephesians 1:7 -- In Christ we are set free by the blood of his death, and so we have forgiveness of sins. How rich is God's grace,
You see, there was this huge rock (our sins) that stood between Gods love and us. But on Easter (or Resurrection Sunday) the rock was rolled away and Jesus walked out from the grave and gave us new life. We are cleansed by His blood alone and washed as white as new fallen snow. He gave His life for us and now sits at His Fathers right hand to await our return home to Heaven. When we stand before the Father and are accused or our wrong doings, if we accepted Christ as our Savior while on the earth, we can choose him as our Advocate. Our sins will then be forgiven and the gates of Heaven will open wide.
So embrace His death and sacrifice and rejoice at Easter for your new life in Christ. He has rolled the stone between us and Gods love away. He has defeated death and so gave us everlasting life.
Matthew 28:2 -- At that time there was a strong earthquake. An angel of the Lord came down from heaven, went to the tomb, and rolled the stone away from the entrance.
Happy Easter and May God Bless all your lives.
Pastor Pop-Pop Volume 4 9
Bible verses are from the New Century Version unless noted otherwise.
Emphasis is mine.
Subject: Your just sooooooo Perfect.
Hebrews 7:19 -- the Law of Moses could not make anything perfect. But now a better hope has been given to us, and with this hope we can come near to God.
Recently a friend of mine did something that, even though it was not wrong, angered a neighbor. If you know this friend of mine she is a very hard working, nice, and gentle person. Liked by all. However, in this case, a neighbor had a disagreement with her over a personal issue. As the neighbor yelled and chastised her, my friend just stood there and started crying. Seeing that she could not change my friends mind the neighbor blurted out, Are you a Christian? My friend said, Yes, I am a Christian. The angry neighbor then shouted that she was not a good one because she disagreed with this situation. She wasnt perfect so she could not be a Christian. Now I have left out some details and names so that both of them will remain anonymous but I think you can see what I mean.
Have you ever had someone look at you and tell you that you have made mistakes in life, sinned, wronged others or done something bad and therefore are not a good Christian? I know I have and I have heard others say this about people that I know. I have also heard co-workers and acquaintances remark, How can you go to Church every week and portray that you are a good Christian and still do wrong things sometimes? All people that go to Church are hypocrites because they are just as bad as we are occasionally. All Christians are hypocrites and liars. These are just a few of the statements that I have heard. The best one is, I dont go to Church because everyone there is a hypocrite. Wow, I wish I was as perfect as they think I should be.
James 3:2 -- We all make many mistakes. If people never said anything wrong, they would be perfect and able to control their entire selves, too.
We all make mistakes, even the angels.
Job 4:18 -- God does not trust his angels; he blames them for mistakes.
My bumper sticker says it all. It reads, Christians are not perfect, we are just forgiven. That is the truest statement that I can think about when I ponder on the incidents and statements above. If we were perfect and without flaws, would we need Christ? That is what outsiders do not understand. We are all imperfect in Gods eyes. I dare anyone to tell me that they have never violated one of His Commandments, sinned, or did something wrong. We all fall short of the Fathers expectations. That is the reason we go to Church, worship the Lord and try to follow Christs example. When we accept the Lord Jesus as our Savior we gain the Fathers greatest gift ---- His Forgiveness. Sure we are not perfect. We are actually admitting to it by accepting our Savior. Outsiders do not fully understand this concept. The only thing that is perfect about us is our soul. It is washed clean and fresh by the blood of Christ on the cross. While we are on this Earth we will make mistakes and be imperfect but when we cross over into the next realm, we who follow Christ will be made perfect by His grace and love. Those who dont follow him ----- well????????
Revelation 7:14 -- I answered, "You know, sir." And the elder said to me, "These are the people who have come out of the great distress. They have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.
Hebrews 10:22 -- let us come near to God with a sincere heart and a sure faith, because we have been made free from a guilty conscience, and our bodies have been washed with pure water.
I will sum up this sermon with letting you read and meditate on John 8. Read this story about Jesus and learn from it. Be thankful we have a God that forgives us imperfect humans. And always remember that we are not perfect just forgiven.
1 Jesus went to the Mount of Olives.2 But early in the morning he went back to the Temple, and all the people came to him, and he sat and taught them.3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought a woman who had been caught in adultery. They forced her to stand before the people.4 They said to Jesus, "Teacher, this woman was caught having sexual relations with a man who is not her husband.5 The law of Moses commands that we stone to death every woman who does this. What do you say we should do?"6 They were asking this to trick Jesus so that they could have some charge against him.
But Jesus bent over and started writing on the ground with his finger. 7 When they continued to ask Jesus their question, he raised up and said, "Anyone here who has never sinned can throw the first stone at her." 8 Then Jesus bent over again and wrote on the ground.
9 Those who heard Jesus began to leave one by one, first the older men and then the others. Jesus was left there alone with the woman standing before him. 10 Jesus raised up again and asked her, "Woman, where are they? Has no one judged you guilty?"
11 She answered, "No one, sir."
Then Jesus said, "I also don't judge you guilty. You may go now, but don't sin anymore."
Note: Some theologians have surmised that, in verse 6 & 8 where Jesus wrote on the ground, that (knowing all) He was writing their sins in the dirt before their own eyes. Seeing this, they became ashamed. We will never really know what he wrote but this makes logical sense with the outcome.
It is not about Religion, it is about a Relationship.
Have a relationship with God today.
Pastor Pop-Pop Volume 4 10
Bible verses are from the New Century Version unless noted otherwise. Emphasis is mine.
Subject: Dont bow to Idols.
Dont bow to false gods and idols. It is the first Commandment. Lets talk about a story of long ago. There once was a king named Nebuchadnezzar. He made a statue of gold and demanded that everyone bow and worship it. Three men refused and the king called them to him. He told the men that if they did not bow down and worship his statue that he would throw them in a furnace. The men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego refused to bow to any god but their God. The king then ordered the furnace to be made red hot and had them bound and tied. Several guards opened the door and threw them in. The furnace was so hot that it killed the guards that threw Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego into it.
After the door was closed, King Nebuchadnezzar looked into the furnace. What he seen surely surprised him. In the middle of the furnace he saw the three men walking about with another man. The king said that the forth man looked like the son of gods. They then opened up the furnace and the three men walked out untouched by the flames. God surely protected them and theologians suspect that the forth person in the furnace was either an angel or Christ himself shielding them from the heat and flames. What a story and its true and you can read about it in the book of Daniel, Chapter 3.
The Lord made a big statement here. He has told us in this story, that if you remain true to Him and worship nothing else, that He will protect you. He will see you through your storm no matter what it is. He will remain true.
Jeremiah 1:8 -- Don't be afraid of anyone, because I am with you to protect you," says the Lord.
Wikipedia defines an idol as: Any person or thing regarded with blind admiration, adoration, or devotion.
Do you have an idol in your life? Is there something in your life that means so much to you that it could be considered an idol? It could be a statue like Buddha, money, wealth, a position at work, or even a thing like a smart phone. Anything that you devote more attention to than you do to God could be considered an idol. Have anything in your life like that? Check your I-phone in Church? Care more about your Facebook friends than your Church family. Or maybe you dont even attend a Church because you are too busy with something else. Is the something else an idol? Could be. What about good luck charms like a rabbits foot, a four leaf clover, a dream catcher? Or do you believe in horoscopes, stars, tarot cards, or fortune tellers more than in Gods word? Are these idols? If you put faith in them instead of God they could be.
God made us for worship. His first commandment is that we dont worship anything or anyone except Him. If we worship Him and Him alone, he will take care of us and be on our side. In Luke 4:7 God says, If you worship me, then it will all be yours." If you dont worship Him, then he turns his head and is not on your side. Where would you rather Him be? I know where I want him to be in my life because I cannot do it alone.
Micah 5:13 -- I will destroy your statues of gods and the stone pillars you worship so that you will no longer worship what your hands have made.
We are imperfect as humans so we make mistakes but sometimes our mistakes are intentional and can anger God. Take the Jewish people for instance. They were lead out of slavery by miracles in Egypt. Curses came upon Pharaoh and his son was even taken from him. Then as they traveled a pillar of fire protected them and theRed Sea opened before them. Yet while Moses was up on the mountain top getting the Ten Commandments from God himself, the Israelites fashioned a calf from gold and bowed down to it. What!! Were they blind and all had a memory lapse or something. How quick we forget the good things God has done for us and turn to others or other things for help and comfort.
Remember the God who created you wants to love you but it is a two way street. You must show Him love, affection, and worship to receive his love. And to get His total love and forgiveness you must accept His only Son Jesus as your Lord and Savior. Love Him today and throw your idols to the wind. Dont let God turn His head to you and tell you that He does not even know you. Worship Him alone and do it today.
Psalm 95:6 -- Come, let's worship him and bow down. Let's kneel before the Lord who made us,
Luke 13:27 -- But he will say to you, 'I don't know you or where you come from. Go away from me, all you who do evil!'
It is not about Religion, it is about a Relationship. Have a relationship with God today.
Wiki-answers defines, in part, the statement love begets love as: In order to be loved, you must be willing to love. It's similar to "love is a two-way street"; you can't expect to be loved if you won't love that person in return.
Pastor Pop Pop -------- Volume 4, #11
Subject: Trust
1 Corinthians 9:23(NLT) -- I do everything to spread the Good News and share in its blessings.
Recently I switched jobs and as anyone knows who has done this -- no benefits for 3 months. But what if something happens? Cobra insurance is there for you. Really? Can anyone really afford this? Most cannot and that included me. But what if something major happens? Insurance of some kind is needed and I started looking for it before I left my place of employment. I could not find locally or on the internet any insurance company that had a good policy and that I could afford to pay the fee. All of them wanted a great deal of money for very little coverage. My wife and I started to get worried and were weighing the risks of not taking any insurance for the three months. I finally decided that I needed to pray more on this and the thought came to me, What do Christian Missionaries do? So, going back to the internet, I punched in Christian Missionary Insurance and one insurance company came up. I checked it out and the policy looked decent and the price was great. It sounded too good to be true so I wrote two people in missions about it. They never heard of the company ---- hmmmmmmmmm ----- on the internet I couldnt find any reviews either ------- must be too good to be true. I then prayed to the Lord God and asked Him to confirm this somehow so that I would trust this company or run from it. Two days later the insurance broker that had my home and car insurance told me that they had a company to recommend to me. Guess what? ----- It was the same Insurance Company that I found. With all the insurance companies out there I then took this as too much of a coincidence and knew it was God confirming my prayer. I booked the insurance policy that day but knew that I would never have to use it. We could do three months without but at least we now had a safety net just in case. Whew.
Two weeks later I was in the hospital for a burst appendix. Doctors, x-rays, Cat scans, blood work, surgeons, surgery, hospital care and the list goes on and on and on. Wow!
The bills were enormous. How would we pay them? Would I lose my home, never be able to retire, and my savings be gone? We started worrying until we remembered that God confirmed this health insurance. The hospital, doctors, and other billers never heard of this company and were skeptical. But, God heard of it so why are we worried. To be honest, we were concerned but at the same time, we trusted in the Lord to come through for us. Over three months went by and we heard nothing.
Psalm 118:8 (CEV) -- It is better to trust the LORD for protection than to trust anyone else,
2 Samuel 7:25(NLT) -- And now, O LORD God, I am your servant; do as you have promised concerning me and my family. Confirm it as a promise that will last forever.
Philippians 4:6 (NCV) -- Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks.
When you are troubled about something in your life commit it to prayer. Ask God to help you and save you from your worries. If it is a decision that you must make, ask God in prayer to confirm it to you in some way. Then wait, be patient, observant, and watchful. Be committed to what you are asking and trust the Lord for the confirmation. It may be subtle so listen for that whisper. God listens to our prayers and will answer us if we ask Him to. Our prayers are like a joyful music to Him as they confirm our need for His love. Most of all, when he answers your prayers you must give Him the glory that He deserves. Tell others how He helped you and praise Him. Remember everything is for His glory.
Matthew 21:22 (ESV) -- And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.
Psalm 66:2 (ESV) -- sing the glory of his name; give to him glorious praise!
The final verdict:
Well, it was not without red tape, phone calls and some normal insurance/bill paying aggravation but that company came through for us. It paid around $45, 000 dollars and they also negotiated a lower fee with the providers for the balance we had left to pay. Oh, we paid some money out but it was indeed, with the help of God, payable. God surely came through for us. Funny --- all of the providers kept on saying that they never heard of this company before. What they didnt know was that it did not matter what they knew God knew. It was an experience that I do not want to repeat but Jesus walked with us through the whole ordeal. Thank you God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Thank you. I give you the glory Lord.
By the way, the new company that I went to work for held my job for me and I am healing fine.
Praise the LORD!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty firmament!
Commit all of your troubles, decisions, and problems to the Lord. He will answer. Dont worry about what tomorrow will bring.
At this time we wish to thank all the earthly angels that came out of the wood work to help us financially and spiritually during our time of need. I was out of work for around 6 weeks and these angels on earth helped with that. Some we know and some we dont but all were appreciated. You are all truly blessed and we will forever be in your debt. Besides the Insurance, these angels were the next best saving grace we had. We will pay it forward. Thanks.
Acts 27:23 (HCS)-- For this night an angel of the God I belong to and serve stood by me,
Pastor Pop-Pop Volume 4 12
Subject: God
John 1:1-5 New Century Version (NCV) --- Christ Comes to the World
1 In the beginning there was the Word. The Word was with God, and the Word was God. 2 He was with God in the beginning.3 All things were made by him, and nothing was made without him.4 In him there was life, and that life was the light of all people. 5 The Light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overpowered it.
Look around you and see God. Who is He? Where did He come from?
The Free Dictionary describes God in part as:
God --A being conceived as the perfect, omnipotent, omniscient originator and ruler of the universe, the principal object of faith and worship .
God was around before time began. He was, I guess, just there or here or everywhere. He created the planets and the stars and cast them across space and time. The Big Bang theory, although it may not be accurate, describes it best. God caused a big bang and in one breath created them all. Or, did He do it one at a time with much care and accuracy? We dont know for sure but their placement is critical to the whole scheme of the Universe. If our moon was just a little bit further away or closer, life would not exist on planet Earth. If Earth was a little bit further or closer to the Sun, life would not exist on our planet.
God created all the angels. He even created Satan before he went to the dark side and became evil. God created the dinosaurs, the birds, the bees, the flowers and the trees. Then when everything was just so, He created man and woman. You see we dont really know how long a day is to God. The Bible says that He created everything in 6 days and rested on the 7th. It describes elsewhere in the Bible that to God a day is a thousand years. But that is just an estimate. His day could be a million years or maybe a billion. We cannot fathom it or even describe it in Human terms. We cannot describe God in Human words.
2 Peter 3:8 (NKJV) ---But, beloved, do not forget this one thing, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day.
Science tries to describe God away and prove that He does not exist. Although, the more these scientists dig things up the more they uncover things that prove His existence. Lets take this for example ------- the protein cell Laminin. Laminin is a protein found in the extracellular matrix, the sheets of protein that form the substrate of all internal organs also called the basement membrane. It is the cell that holds life together. Look at its shape.
Maybe you think that is a coincidence but I dont. Christ holds us together. He is Gods only Son and our only Savior. God binds the human race to the universe. Now scientists are trying very hard through machines called Colliders to find the smallest particle that holds everything into existence. And what do they call it ----- The God Particle. In physics it has a non-zero value that fills all space. I guess even some scientists believe in the back of their mind that God has a hand in it all.
Lets look below at the amoeba.
Now go out into your backyard with a nice glass of wine and sit for an hour. Look at all the many types of birds, insects, trees, plants, animals, flowers, and even people. Look how different they all appear and the different sounds they make. Look how they all interact with each other. One supplies the others needs. Do you really and actually believe that they all came from this one cell creature? Really meditate on that. They all came from that one amoeba? Really? Now that would be science fiction in my mind.
God is a being, we know that. He created us in His image according to the Bible which is His Word. But is He human? The answer to this is no. His son had to become human to save us and die on the cross therefore He was not human to begin with. So what is He? The best way for us to describe Him is that He is an entity of some type. A type that we just dont understand or fathom. Something that transcends time and space and has immense power and wisdom. A collective conscience --- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. He was here before time began. The last of group of powerful beings or the first and only one of His kind. The Alpha and the Omega (The first and the last).
An obscure example would be an ant farm. A human created it and the ants just live and go about their business oblivious to the fact that they are in our created world. Day by day they eat, build, and interact with one another. But there we are watching them and they dont even know it. God created our world and He stands back and watches us as we go about our daily business without even contemplating His presence. We are fish in an aquarium and He is outside watching making sure we have what we need to survive.
Awhile back the scientists all bought into the theory of evolution. We all evoluted from another type of mammal. However, in all of recorded history there has never been one being that showed signs of evolution. The missing link was never found. Very recently these scientists have discovered something new with their technology. It is the fact that their former theory could not have happened in the time span of the life of this planet. Just not enough time. The missing link that they are looking for is God.
To sum this all up, God is not a being that we can describe or comprehend. If you just look around you carefully, you can see with your own mind that none of this could have come into being without some sort of intellectual and supernatural design. God in appearance must be of human type as He Himself said that we are created in His image. However, He is much more. A supernatural being of extreme power that comes from a dimension that we do not see. But He is also someone that hears us cry in the darkness of our room and moves to comfort us. God is love and He loves us. That is all we need to know and figure out ---- He loves us.
Genesis 1 New Living Translation (NLT) -- The Account of Creation
1In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.2The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. 3Then God said, Let there be light, and there was light. 4And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. 5God called the light day and the darkness night. And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day.
Psalm 99:9 English Standard Version (ESV)
Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!
Pastor Pop-Pop Volume 4 13
Subject: Lost
Bible verses are from the New Century Version (NCV)
Micah 5:2 But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are too small to be among the army groups from Judah, from you will come one who will rule Israel for me.
When I was a young lad and still hunted I got lost in the deep woods. I had a compass with me but forgot to check and set it before I went into the woods. I started walking but just kept going around in circles. You see your strongest leg takes just a little bit more of a stride and you, in fact, go in a circle. I knew approximately what direction to head in so looking at my compass and fixing my gaze on a distant object started walking toward it. I would repeat this over and over again until I finally exited hours later on the road where my car was parked. It was then only a few hundred yards around a bend that I made it back to it. Tired, wet, and exhausted from the ordeal but back where I was safe and sound.
The show Lost, Lost in Space, Gilligans Island, and Cast Away are just some of the movies and shows that captivated us with people who were lost. However, in real life, it is no fun being lost. Your confused and dont know where you are, what to do, how you got there, or how to get back to where you were or wanted to go. Maybe it is a lost job, relationship, a divorce, bankruptcy, or depression. You are lost in this life and do not know what direction you should turn. Who should you go to for advice, love, and directions? Or just maybe everything is good in your life but you feel like there should be more a purpose. Maybe you had God in your life when you were a child and now you realize that you have wandered away from Him. You need a compass for your life to find your way back home.
Matthew 15:24 -- Jesus answered, "God sent me only to the lost sheep,
Jeremiah 50:6 -- "My people have been like lost sheep. Their leaders have led them in the wrong way and made them wander around in the mountains and hills. They forgot where their resting place was.
Luke 19:10 -- the Son of Man came to find lost people and save them."
If youre like me you probably have some possession that you love. Be it a new cell phone, piece of jewelry, or photo --- if you lose it you will turn the house or apartment upside down looking for it. Well God is like that. If He loses you, He will keep holding His hand out for you to grab onto. He will not give up on you and if you come back to Him, He will throw a party in Heaven and the angels will rejoice at your homecoming. You were lost but now you are found. Take Jesus as your compass in life and find your way back to the Father.
Luke 15:4-6 -- "Suppose one of you has a hundred sheep but loses one of them. Then he will leave the other ninety-nine sheep in the open field and go out and look for the lost sheep until he finds it. And when he finds it, he happily puts it on his shouldersand goes home. He calls to his friends and neighbors and says, 'Be happy with me because I found my lost sheep.'
How much more are you worth than a sheep? God will welcome you back with open arms. He has been waiting all your life for you to make the decision to come back to his never ending love. He will fill you with His Holy Spirit and the angels will rejoice. When you have taken a wrong turn in life and are lost, let the Father direct your life. Give Him the wheel and the reins for He knows what is best for you. Let the Holy Spirit be your GPS. When youre weary in this life, let Jesus carry you and your burdens. Turn them over to Him.
Philippians 4:6 -- Do not worry about anything, but pray and ask God for everything you need, always giving thanks.
So if you are lost in life and are about ready to give up, dont go to your friends, a bottle, your co-workers, drugs, a chat room or psychic -------- run to your Father in Heaven. If you have never been to Him or if you were His child but ran away----- come home. What mother has had a runaway child and would not give anything to find them? What master has ever lost a dear pet and would not do anything to find it? What adopted child who lost their real parents when they were young would not search for them? God is watching you in life and all He wants from you, in order for Him to help out, is for you to ask. Turn to Him today.
Psalm 25:16 -- Turn to me and have mercy on me, because I am lonely and hurting.
If you never fully accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior or you wish to reaffirm your decision to follow Him again, go to my Altar Call tab and solemnly say the prayer there.
If you need prayer for your situation, go to my PrayerRequestpage.
If you want some inspiration for the moment, go to my Song page and listen to the new songs there. Beginning to End by Rush of Fools and Hearts on Fire by Sidewalk Prophets.
God bless you and save you. May He help you out in whatever your situation is. You were lost and now you are found. Let His love guide you out of the woods.
Zechariah 14:9 Then the Lord will be king over the whole world. At that time there will be only one Lord, and his name will be the only name.
Quote of the week:
The woods are lovely, dark, and deep, but I have promises to keep, and miles to go before I sleep, and miles to go before I sleep. ------- Robert Frost
Pastor Pop-Pop Volume 4 14
Subject: Control Freak
Bible verses are from the New Century Version (NCV)
Genesis 49:18 -- "Lord, I wait for your salvation.
Control. We all want to control our lives and the direction that we head in. Planning and designing our present and future life on this spinning Planet is what we do. We know exactly where we are heading and what time we will get there. We are in control of our lives, we declare. No one controls my life, we shout. It is our life and we will do what we want to. Each one of us has everything planned out exactly the way we want it. Yea, right!
1 Corinthians 15:27 -- The Scripture says that God put all things under his control
When I was young I had my whole life planned out. I would get married to a great woman but have no kids. At 30 I would own my first home, at 40 I would have the job of my dreams with lots of travel and prestige and made my first million, and at 50 I would retire. Well I skipped my 30th birthday party because I was mad at myself for not achieving my goal at that time, at 40 I was in debt up to my butt, and I will not be retiring until I am 70 by the way it is going. I guess I was not in control of my destiny. By the way I did not mention that I have two kids. My wife had the control with that one. Last year at the end of October my wife and I looked at our savings account and seen that we had a little extra money in it. Oh what a good Christmas we will be having this year, I exclaimed. We talked a little bit on how many presents we were going to buy our grandson. Two weeks later my appendix broke and I was off work for 6 weeks and went through all that extra money three times over. We skipped last Christmas. We were not in control of that situation either.
You see, when you plan and plan and think that you have your life all in order --- that is when it will surely turn all upside down. We are not in control of anything. Just ask someone with a debilitating disease or someone who found themselves in the path of a tornado. Human beings are not in control of squat. Aint happening now or in the future.
Proverbs 19:21 -- People can make all kinds of plans, but only the Lord's plan will happen.
I am not saying that you should not plan for anything but without God on your side you just may be planning for nothing. God gave us free will to do what we please. However, he did not promise us that we will succeed on our own. Only His will is firm and fast. If we seek, listen to, and follow His will, then His plan will succeed for us. However, if we stray from His path and go out on our own, He will let us. But that does not mean that our wishes and dreams will come true. Your dreams just may come to fruition but without God there is no assurance. Put your life in His hands and you will survive anything this world throws at you. You will surely face trials, but with Him at your side, you will rise above them.
Luke 12:24 -- Look at the birds. They don't plant or harvest, they don't have storerooms or barns, but God feeds them. And you are worth much more than birds.
Things may not turn out the way you want them to but you will be Ok with the Lord. He will make sure that you are taken care of and have everything that you need. Maybe not what you want ---- but what you need. This world is a cruel place and the walk through this life is difficult. Sure you should plan and put that money in the bank, the 401K, college fund, and investments. Yes, you should maintain your home, car, and health. But hedge your bets and put God in the equation also. Go to church, worship the Lord, give to charities and help your fellow man. Let God take over and exercise His will on your life. He will not forget you.
Proverbs 16:3 -- Depend on the Lord in whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.
Joseph of the Bible was sold into slavery by his own brothers and spent time in prison. But Joseph never turned away from God and was faithful even under punishment. In the end he became the second most powerful man in Egypt. Read Genesis chapters 37-43.
In the end, God will come through for you. If it is not in this life, it will be in the next. You see, this life is but a wink compared to eternity. If you fail in this life but have faith in Jesus Christ the Son of God, you will have everlasting eternal life in Heaven. In the end you will have it all. No more tears, no more pain, no more failures. Eternity in the Kingdom of God. Keep focused on the prize. The eternal prize at the end of this life. Keep your focus where it belongs and the Father will see you through this life as well.
And maybe you dont even have a plan and feel lost in this life. You are not alone. Then go to God and pray and seek in a quiet place His will for you. If you listen close, then He will speak to you in your inner being. Seek Him and you will find him. Then rise and follow Him. The road He will lead you down ends with eternity in Heaven.
Matthew 7:7 -- "Ask, and God will give to you. Search, and you will find. Knock, and the door will open for you.
Matthew 6:33 -- Seek first God's kingdom and what God wants. Then all your other needs will be met as well.
Matthew 7:14 -- But the gate is small and the road is narrow that leads to true life. Only a few people find that road.
Remember, God loves you and wants to take care of you but it is a two way street. If you turn against Him and refuse to listen to His guidance then He will turn his back to you. He only takes care of His followers and doesnt know the ones who are not.
Isaiah 65:11-12:
"But as for you who left the Lord,
who forgot about my holy mountain,
who worship the god Luck,
who hold religious feasts for the god Fate,
I decide your fate, and I will punish you with my sword.
You will all be killed,
because I called you, but you refused to answer.
I spoke to you, but you wouldn't listen.
You did the things I said were evil
and chose to do things that displease me."
Pastor Pop-Pop Volume 4 15
Subject: Death
Bible verses are from the New Living Translation (NLT)
John 14:2 -- There is more than enough room in my Fathers home. If this were not so, would I have told you that I am going to prepare a place for you?
Recently I took my 4 year old grandson fishing for the first time in his life. After about a hour instruction and an hour of fishing, he caught his first fish. It was only a five inch rock bass but he was so proud of himself. His smile was from ear to ear and he was filled with exuberance. Of course, I was proud myself that the little man did it all on his own. What an experience. When we got home though the fish was dead and that surprised him. I tried the best I could to explain the phenomenon to him as I put it in the freezer to show his mom. Later in the week his favorite goldfish Hermie died and he again was upset. I took the opportunity to go into some more detail. We took both fish out back and buried them in the flower garden. I had my grandson get a white quartz rock and lay it on top of the mulch. I then explained that this would mark a special spot for him to remember his fish and that they were now happy up in Heaven with baby Jesus. We said a little prayer over them and moved on with our day. Occasionally he would ask a question about Heaven but eventually his mind went on to more important things in his world like Spiderman and Batman.
Psalm 103:4 -- He redeems me from death and crowns me with love and tender mercies.
Death or the dying of the human body is something we all deal with. When someone we love dies, and it hurts so bad inside our soul---- we cry out, Why God, Why! It is a time of great sadness, soul searching, and questions. Why did God have to take this person? Whether it is a parent, child, relative, or friend, it hurts all the same. Deep within ourselves we wonder why and reflect on our own lives and where they will end. We all go through a state of mourning that can deeply affect our life and minds. As we stare at the casket, grave stone, or urn, we wonder over and over again --- why? Sometimes it is even complicated when that person is suffering from a long term illness that will end in death. As the time approaches, we continually again ask --- why?
Psalm 42:9 -- O God my rock, I cry, Why have you forgotten me?
We ask these questions because we all look at death in human terms and with a humans knowledge. When someone dies it is over for them and we do not have them in our lives anymore and must move on without them. This is a humans conception of the facts. In reality it is not over. Your human body is just a vessel for your eternal soul. It is made of dust but has the breath of the life of God in it.
Genesis 2:7 --- Then the Lord God formed the man from the dust of the ground. He breathed the breath of life into the mans nostrils, and the man became a living person.
1 Corinthians 15:44 -- They are buried as natural human bodies, but they will be raised as spiritual bodies. For just as there are natural bodies, there are also spiritual bodies.
When the body dies, the soul lives on. And if we accepted Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we then go to a place called Heaven. It is the Fathers home and Jesus has prepared a room in it for us. It is a place with no pain and no tears. Heaven is filled with the Fathers love for us and eternal happiness. Death in supernatural terms is really just a passing from this life of pain and worry to a better and happier life of peace. I dont know about you but I cannot wait to go home. We must stay here and endure this life and face its hardships but when it is over we are transported to where the angels live. We see those who went before us and the Savior that made it possible. We shall be forever grateful for His sacrifice. Our home in Heaven is worth the wait.
John 3:6 -- Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.
Psalm 18:16 -- He reached down from heaven and rescued me; he drew me out of deep waters.
So when you see someone clinging to life, in pain, or suffering from a long illness dont morn for them. Release them from your will for them to live and let them go home to the one who created them. As a mother bird kicks her young from the nest --- let them be at peace and go home. Dont morn for them but rejoice that they are in a better and happier place. Dont think of death in human terms but in the supernatural terms of God.
Hebrews 13:14 -- For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come.
Twice in my life I went to a friends bedside and prayed to God that their illness would disappear and that their pain would be removed. I prayed with extreme faith and knew in my heart that it would happen. They both died the next day. I felt betrayed and lost. I shook my head at the sky and asked God why He did not answer my prayer. However, at that time in my life I did not fully understand. Now with a new found wisdom I realize that He did answer my prayers. He took away their illnesses and pain when He brought them home to His Heaven. No more pain, no more tears, no more worry, no more disease, and just His love.
Revelation 21:4 ---He will wipe every tear from their eyes, and there will be no more death or sorrow or crying or pain. All these things are gone forever.
Like Dorothy said in the Wizard of Oz, Theres no place like home. There is no place like home. Home is where the heart is. The loving heart of God. We will all be better off when we get there someday. But we only get there by accepting Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you have never done that or are unsure of where you will spend eternity, go to my Altar Tab and be redeemed. Dont wait another minute not knowing your future.
John 3:36 -- And anyone who believes in Gods Son has eternal life.
God Bless.
Luke 19:38 -- Blessings on the King who comes in the name of the LORD! Peace in heaven, and glory in highest heaven!
Pastor Pop-Pop Volume 4 – 16
Subject: The Swim
Bible verses are from the New Century Version (NCV)
Thessalonians 5:11—So encourage each other and give each other strength, ……..
The town where I lived in my teens is on a large river. In the center of the river was an old concrete base to an old bridge that had been removed by a flood decades earlier. In my youth some friends and I use to swim all the way out there. We would then sit and rest for a long time while enjoying the sun and girls canoeing past. It was a long swim that had to be completed fast while fighting a strong current. If you missed the pier you were quickly carried downstream now exhausted. Your chances of reaching the shore before being sucked into some white water rapids were slim. Only those with good swimming ability ever tried to make this swim due to the fear of not reaching it. The river was about 20' deep there.
When I was in my late 30's, one of my old friends and I were walking along the shoreline with our wives. The wives were teasing us about getting old and one of them pointed to the pier and said that we could never swim there again. We boldly declared that we were still in shape and could make it there. Then both wives started teasing us more. It was dusk out and the river was high and fast due to some recent rain. Only the top foot of the pier could be seen from shore. The teasing kept up until we said we would prove it and disrobed except for our shorts. Seeing we were serious the wives started pleading with us not to do it. However our minds were made up and we dove into the water.
Half way out we knew we were in trouble but kept going. When we reached the ¾ point we were exhausted. To swim back now would be a death sentence. We had to keep going. Several times both of us felt like just giving up and letting the current have it's will with us swirling us down to the depths of the river. But, we kept on encouraging each other and to our surprise we just made it. We laid there in our underwear totally exhausted and wondering how we actually made the swim. It was a long time before we regained our strength and made the swim back to shore. The wives were not happy. We cheered and jumped up and down but knew in our hearts that we were lucky to be alive.
Psalm 118:14 --- The Lord gives me strength and a song. He has saved me
So goes the swim of life. As we swim the rivers of life we must keep our eyes on the Lord. Life is tough and the current strong. It pulls and tugs on us all the time. Things happen to us that we cannot predict and many times we just feel like giving up the race and battle.
People betray us, friends leave us, money slips through the cracks, opportunities go to others, relationships fail and marriages fall apart -- for life is not easy and certainly not fair. If you are like me and most of the human race, there have been times that you wished for death and wanted to just throw in the towel of life. Our tears would fill a swimming pool.
Lamentations 3:49 --- My tears flow continually, without stopping,
Psalm 88:3 --- My life is full of troubles, and I am nearly dead.
Job 7:16 --- I hate my life; I don't want to live forever. Leave me alone, because my days have no meaning.
We can very easily slip into the void that is known as depression when life throws us a few large waves that knock us down. We can complain and plead to God to save us. As we wait for His saving grace we may become engulfed by our sorrows. We cannot see the end of our tunnel. We feel like we are going to sink and never come up for air. I have had those moments as I believe most of us have. At work one day a very burly man whom I would not ever mess with was caught sitting in a corner crying. Stress had done what no man could ever do --- it broke him. When something goes wrong in life and we are blindsided by a situation or person, we crumble and drown.
Proverbs 6:5 -- but free yourself like a deer running from a hunter, like a bird flying away from a trapper.
Psalm 118:6 and Hebrews 13:6 ---- "I will not be afraid, because the Lord is my helper. People can't do anything to me."
God will save us but sometime we need to act. He did not defeat David's enemies alone but he "helped" David do it. He could have forgiven our sins with a wave of His hand but he chose to "act" and go to the cross. I know that this is a little obscure but if you were in a foxhole in a war zone with an automatic weapon and the enemy was charging you ----- would you pray for God to defeat them or would you pray for God to help you defeat them and start firing? When the walls to Jericho fell, God didn't just breathe on them and they fell down -------- the Israelites had a part to play in it too. They had to "do" something. You cannot lose any weight just sitting on the couch and praying for it. You have to get off that couch and move. Then ask God to help give you strength and determination to get to your goal.
Ecclesiastes 11:4 --- Those who wait for perfect weather will never plant seeds; those who look at every cloud will never harvest crops.
Judges 16:28 --Then Samson prayed to the Lord, "Lord God, remember me. God, please give me strength one more time ………….
Hebrews 11:30 -- It was by faith that the walls of Jericho fell after the people had marched around them for seven days.
I guess what I am trying to say is that our faith should be strong enough to trust God to come through for us but we also need to do our part. Sometimes it is something you must do for yourself and sometimes it is for someone else. Encouragement can be for another and sometimes it can be for you personally. When you act and trust God to help you, wondrous things can happen. Praying for someone to heal can cure them but when you actually lay hands on them and pray for the same thing ----- well that is when miracles happen. So don't sit in that chair in the dark and cry. Turn on the light of God and get up and start swimming toward your goals in life. And while you are at it, throw a life preserver to someone else and encourage them to swim with you. Swim for victory and not defeat. Swim like your life depended on it toward your objective of everlasting salvation. Swim toward God and ask Christ to help you stay afloat in life.
Ephesians 3:20 --- With God's power working in us, God can do much, much more than anything we can ask or imagine.
2 Corinthians 12: 9 --- ……"My grace is enough for you. When you are weak, my power is made perfect in you. " ……
2 Corinthians 6:2 and Isaiah 49:8--- God says, "At the right time I heard your prayers. On the day of salvation I helped you."
Remember, you should allow Jesus to be your crutch to lean on but it is up to you to actually walk. And extend your hand to others and help them walk through life too. When you see a neighbor, co-worker, or someone else you know are in distress – offer them an encouraging word. Help others, help yourself, and rely on God not to abandon you. Have faith and paddle in the stream of life with Jesus at your side. Just keep moving forward.
If a wave of life knocks you down, get back up and ask Jesus to help you stand. Don't give up and be sucked down by the current of life into the dark recesses of the depth of depression and grief. Gather all your strength and ask Christ for more. Believe.
God Bless.
Hebrews 10:25 – You should not stay away from the church meetings, as some are doing, but you should encourage each other. Do this even more as you see the day coming.
Titus 2:15 --- Say these things and encourage the people and tell them what is wrong in their lives, with all authority. Do not let anyone treat you as if you were unimportant.
1 Thessalonians 5:11 --- So encourage each other and give each other strength, …….
Proverbs 15:23--- Plans fail without good advice, but they succeed with the advice of many others.
Go to my Songs tab and listen to the song "Hang on" by Plumb.


text:
Do you recognize this mystery plant?
In this column, we have had several members of the philodendron family, the Araceae, as subject of wonder. The philodendron family is a large one, with several thousand species. These species are conveniently referred to as "aroids."
You might remember the time we had "Golden club", Orontium aquaticum, which is a native member of various wetlands here in the Southeast. Up in New England, there is the famous "skunk cabbage" as a member, Symplocarpus foetidus, which comes up before the snow melts. And of course, surely everyone knows and loves our dainty "Jack in the pulpit" (Arisaema triphyllum), which is common in the eastern half of the U.S.
Most members of the family are decidedly tropical, however, and it is among these that we have some of our most favorite cultivated plants: Climbing philodendrons and "Mother in Law" plant (Dieffenbachia) are well known indoors, just as colorful Caladiums and Elephant-ear (species of Colocasia and Alocasia) are popular and easy to grow outdoors (they need a lot of water and a lot of sun).
Additionally, important food sources are supplied by the starchy tubers of taro (Colocasia esculenta) and malanga (Xanthosoma sagittifolia), which are commonly eaten in tropical regions around the world.
Aroid species have a number of things in common, the most prominent being characters of the flowering structures. Typically, when an aroid blooms, it produces a stalk-like spike with plenty of tiny flowers on the surface. This is called the "spadix."
The spadix is practically always surrounded by a green or otherwise colorful bract, called a "spathe". "Golden club" is an aroid whose spadix is not surrounded by a spathe.
This week's mystery plant is a perfectly good aroid. It was blooming in a yard here in Columbia last week, and caused quite a stir! Each year it produces a single, colossal, palm-like leaf, about 5 feet tall. It only blooms once every several years.
The "flower" is actually a massive and somewhat provocative inflorescence. A purplish-green stalk, about 3 inches in diameter, holds up a thick spadix that is surrounded by a shockingly veiny, purplish-red, fleshy spathe. Above the flowers, the spadix terminates in a prominently lurid, tapering sterile appendage.
True to its genus, this plant produced a strong stink, largely suggestive of a pile of ripe, dead rats. This makes sense, as flies and other carrion-loving insects delight in visiting (and thereby pollinating) the flowers. The inflorescence lasts only a few days, soon collapsing and rotting, and then the plant will send up its single leaf.
This species is native to warm forests of Vietnam and southern China, and is otherwise widely grown as a curiosity. It is fairly easy to grow either in a greenhouse or outside, but if it blooms for you, be prepared for some raised eyebrows (and held noses).
John Nelson is the curator of the A. C. Moore Herbarium at the University of South Carolina, in the Department of Biological Sciences. As a public service, the herbarium offers free plant identifications. For more information, visit www.herbarium.org, call 803-777-8196 or email email@example.com.
Answer: "Voodoo lily," Amorphophallus konjac

subset: commoncrawl