Understanding The Profound Implication Of Galatians 2:20

"I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me." (Galatians 2:20)

An in-depth study of Gal 2:20 brings to fore one little-noticed, if not altogether missed, critical aspect of Salvation, and that is: DEATH and BIRTH.

The Apostle Paul, in as few words as he could state it, drove home the point of the need to DIE first, followed by BIRTH to a new life, as requisite to Salvation. 

It's all in the figurative sense but essentially, it has the effects of the real thing, when the implications are considered, applied and accepted as the new reality of life for the person who takes seriously his calling and desires to meet Jesus Christ when He returns and follow Him wherever He goes. (Rev 14:4).

There are no gray areas here. Either you are dead and born into the new life that will guarantee your place in the Kingdom this stage of your life or continue living, business as usual, and wait for Judgement Day -- a slippery slope and a very risky business.

Listen to Paul speak about "death" and being "alive" in no uncertain terms:

"Even so consider yourselves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus." (Rom 6:11)

What was he saying here? 

Simple. When one is dead, he's dead. He is not reformed, transformed or reborn. He may be alive in the body but his old sinful self, along with its worldly interests and desires, habits, attitudes, propensities, inclinations, etc., is factually and effectively dead -- discarded for good.

But he will be BORN into a new life. No longer his old self rising like the mythical Phoenix but he is granted the great honor and privilege to be born into a new, totally different life -- the very precious life of Jesus Christ, just a very tiny part of His life that will grow with the passing of time, but remember: that microcosm of Christ's life that you will be born into is way BIGGER than the sum total of your old self now dead. How so? Because the sum total of Jesus Christ's life surpasses in size the sum total of that of the entire human race. 

Now for the question: Will the "newborn" person no longer have free will or the capacity to think, decide, act and do things independent of GOD? Will he be like the robot doing only what it has been orogrammed to do.

Definitely, the "newborn" man retains that capacity to think and act freely as he wants to (like Paul and his fellow apostles and yes, the angels) but being conscious of his new state of being -- that the life he lives is not his to do with it as he pleases -- he is no longer inclined to exercise it outside of what the Holy Spirit prompts, inspires, motivates and directs him to do. The very attributes of Jesus Christ are progressively etched in his consciousness until these become his nature as he grows into maturity.

~~~~

There is much more yet to know and understand but let this be sufficient for now.

Caveat:

THIS IS NOT AN ATTEMPT to form a "tithe-collecting" worldly religious organization. Nor are we recruiting you to form one. We are simply seeking out our fellow "other sheep" of Jesus Christ.

Can Life Be Any Better In 2021?

In the wake of all the myriad troubles happening left and right in the world now, is there any reason to be hopeful in 2021?

If anything, what happened in Washington DC, USA, on Jan 6 set the pace for events that we can, more or less, expect to happen in the world this year. 

Life is not going to get any better, that's for sure. Get ready for the worst. The sorrows have just begun. You're a lot better off when you're prepared to deal with a situation or situations happening  simultaneously, than when you're not. Be proactive, not reactive.

And how are you going to do that? The answer can be found in Psalm 91. Read it. Take it to heart and things will go well with you. It did with me when I went through hell some time back (reason why I kind of abandoned this Blog for a long while). 

I'm back to blogging again because of Psalm 91 and I look forward to more posts this year. 

See you next post and thanks for stopping by.

"A Happy Heart ..."

“A happy heart makes the face cheerful, but heartache crushes the spirit.”   – Prov 15:13 (NIV)

My friend thinks he is smart. He told me an onion is the only food that makes you cry, so I threw a coconut at his face.

On Thanksgiving day, a little boy overhears his mom and dad fighting. He hears his mom call his dad a bastard and hears his dad call his mom a bitch. He asks, "Mommy, what does bastard mean?" She answers, "Um, it means boy." Then he asks, "Daddy, what does bitch mean?" He says, "Uh, it means girl." Later that day, the boy sees his father in the bathroom shaving; the dad accidentally cuts himself and says, "Sh*t." The son asks, "What does that mean?" The dad says, "It means shaving cream." Then he sees his mom in the kitchen carving the turkey; she accidentally cuts herself and says, "F*ck." The son asks her what that word means and she says, "It means carving." That evening, the family's guests arrive for Thanksgiving dinner. The son opens the door to welcome them and says, "Welcome bitches and bastards! My dad is in the bathroom rubbing sh*t on his face and my mom is in the kitchen f*cking the turkey." 

A man walks out on his front porch one day and sees a gorilla in the tree on his front lawn. He calls animal control and about an hour later a man shows up with a ladder, a pit bull, and a shotgun. The animal control employee tells the man, "I'm here to get the gorilla out of your tree. I'm going to use this ladder to climb up the tree and shake the branch the gorilla is on to knock him to the ground. The pit bull is trained to go after anything that falls from the tree and bites their balls which calms the animal down so I can put him in the truck." The man says "Okay, I see what the ladder and the pit bull are for but what is the shotgun for?" The animal control employee says, "Oh, that's for you. In case I fall out of the tree instead of the gorilla, shoot the dog."

Way to be Happy, Healthy and Wealthy

Understanding the Concept of Work

GOD originally intended that our first parents WORK, not for daily sustenance that they may live but to be co-creators with HIM ... to create and beautify the earth and enjoy life. That explains why man, compared to animals, can design and build. They did not have to worry about food or clothing or shelter because GOD would provide all that they needed to live. HIS only condition was: that they obey HIS commands and walk HIS way.

Enter the author of lies, the Devil who deceived Eve, who, in turn, (enticed, tempted, seduced, persuaded [pick the appropriate word]) Adam who didn't know better than lower his defenses, lose control of his faculties and give in. He turned his back to GOD and willfully disobeyed HIM all for a bite of the ... you know what.

As a consequence of this transgression (Law of Cause and Effect), the undeserved, abundant support from GOD to sustain life was withheld and for man to toil all day to put food on the table. And it has been so through the ages down to our time.

But ... unfortunate and sad that one act of our first parents might have been for humanity, GOD did not totally deprive man of HIS blessings of wealth, vibrant health and happy, fulfilled life if he turns from his rebellion, repents of his crooked ways and choose to follow GOD. We get a glimpse of this in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Joseph, Job, David and Solomon who worked not for sustenance but to help others in accomplishment of GOD's purpose in creating man which is to do GOOD WORKS.

What this means is that meaningful success doesn't come about by our own efforts at work though by the work of our hands, we may enjoy comfort and acquire great wealth and material possessions. Meaningful success that equates with happy, healthy, wealthy, successful and fulfilled lives is a blessing from GOD.

And ... it all begins in the mind.

Don't Wait Till It's Too Late

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One of the keys to successful relationship is fluid, highly interactive communication. Love may be present but if it is not conveyed properly, may not only be misunderstood, but could elicit animosity, if not outright hate. Take the case of a father, for example, who, no doubt, loves his wife and kids but is overbearing towards them and intolerant of mistakes, even little ones. Or the child who could be likened to a sponge who soaks up everything thrown at him, and doesn't speak his mind, until he can't absorb any more and explodes to violence.

Life is too short we need to make the most of the little time we have with our family, our friends and the people around us. Let's take time, everyday, to appreciate the beauty around us, to talk and to listen, to accentuate the positive and throw away the things that destroy. Let's build bridges and break down walls. Let's do it while we still have time. Tomorrow may be too late.

I want to tell you more but I thought of just let Paul Carrack, a terrific talent, complete the thought of this post with his heart-touching version of the hit song, The Living Years. You can sing along with him. I have included the lyrics below. Happy singing.

The Living Years lyrics

TIME

Howdy fellas. How are you doing? 

Time ... time ....

So many things to do with so little time to do them. 

Too often we hear people say: "manage your time." 

No ... you cannot manage time. You can only manage yourself -- to make the most of your time. What do you think?

2011 ... Whazzupp?

Time sure does pass by fast. It seemed only yesterday when I last updated my blog (I just realized, it's been months since. I'd been too busy ... so many things to do with so little time to do them), now it's 2011. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Blog: myWebpal by Georix on Bloggers

Blog: myWebpal by Georix on Bloggers

When A Father Makes An Impact In His Son's Life

"Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it."

The above quotation is from the Book of Proverbs of the Holy Bible. It's one instruction that parents would do well to take heed. 

In my post today, I would like to zero in on the father-son relationship issue because of the crucial role MAN plays as head of the family and as the principal figure in society and the world at large. This is is not to underrate what women could do in what is generally regarded as man's turf for they are just as capable, if not better, as great women leaders of the world have proven. Still, we have to recognize and accept the fact that God decreed that man assume the primary role in determining the course of human affairs; reason why He created man (Adam) first. And He will hold man accountable for it.

We, fathers, therefore, are responsible for the molding of our sons into what God intended them to be. We shirk that duty and we will have our sons growing up less than the men that they should -- and ought to -- be. And when that happens -- as we see happening now -- we can expect our boys to be poor performers compared to girls, effeminate if not downright gays, cowards, wimps. You wouldn't want your son to be called "chicken," would you? You wouldn't want to see your son babysitting the kids at home while his wife goes off to work to put food on the table and calls the shots in the house, would you? You wouldn't want to see your son ruin his life and go down to his grave disgraced and scorned by society, would you? And certainly, you don't want to see your son sleeping with another man doing what is detestable in God's sight, do you?

Why do we have so many men turned into women these days? And they show it off, very proud that they are what they have become, unnaturally. I dread the day when we see straight men outnumbered by gays. It's a world turned upside down. It's Sodom and Gomorrah once again ... on a worldwide scale. 

Why? Because of father-less households where boys are reared by their mothers alone or with abusive surrogate fathers. Their biological fathers are nowhere in sight either because they are irresponsible bastards themselves who do not want to have anything to do with family life or are kicked out of the house by their wives for being less than the husbands they expected them to be. What do we expect these boys to become, in such situations? Soon, these boys will sire sons who are likely to follow in their footsteps; the cycle is repeated over and over and the result? A degenerate society that will go the way of ancient Sodom and Gomorrah.

Hey, it's serious stuff that I discussed with you again today. I hope it didn't turn you off. Please feel free to comment. I appreciate it.

In conclusion, may I ask you (father with a son) that you watch the music video below and immerse yourself in the message of the song. Thanks again for sparing me a moment of your time. See you next post. Have a nice day.

Why morning people rule the world | Life & Style

Why morning people rule the world | Life & Style

"The Sound of Silence"

Hello again. Feels good to be back writing and sharing my thoughts with you.

You must have noticed the title of my post is enclosed in quotation marks. That's because it's a borrowed title ... from one of Simon and Garfunkel's hits, of the same title. Beautiful song with a timeless message.

"People talking without speaking,

 People hearing without listening ...."

How can we better describe the way people relate to one another than by those lines from said song? As Art Garfunkel, in singing the song with Paul Simon during one of their live performances, said: " ... what you see around you is people who are unable to love each other."

Indeed.

The word "love" is the most abused word in the English language, don't you think? It has become so common it doesn't seem to mean anything anymore. Too often we say "I love ..." when what we really mean is: "I like ...."

Have you thought of truly loving -- in the real sense of the word -- lately? Good if you did because most people don't. And the reason they don't is because they don't hear the "sound of silence." They are lost in the din of their preoccupations.

It is in silence that we can hear ... that we can think deeply ... that we can imagine vividly ... that we can be filled with wisdom "from above" ... that we can better ourselves.

What good would all the knowledge we've acquired (there's no lack of it in this age and time when we have the Internet for ready access) be if we don't have wisdom, understanding and discernment?

I can go on talking about these things but I'd rather leave it to you to consider ... to pause for a moment and ponder as you listen to The Sound of Silence.

Thanks again for sparing me a moment of your time. Till next post. Have a pleasant day. 

Of Friends and Friendships

Friends are "dime-a-dozen." Anybody can be our friend just as we can be a friend to anybody. For as long as we interact -- and relate -- with people, we will always have friends.

But haven't you noticed that although we do not intend to do so, still, we do not treat everyone of our friends equally. There are those we regard as good friends, or "close friends" and perhaps one or two whom we call, "my best friend." The differentiation just comes naturally without any conscious effort on our part.

What do you think makes our friends distinct from one another so that we deal with each one of them based on our perception of who and what each friend is?

Is there such a thing as "real friend"? If so, what makes a real friend ... and what makes true friendship? Does it come by definition or criteria? What is our yardstick in determining who is who among our friends? Good looks? Intelligence? Personality? Sex? Race? Humor? Influence? Money? Character? 

In the first place, why do we want friends ... and what do we want them for? Is it some basic need that needs to be satisfied? Are we so created that we can't live without friends?

And why is it that friendships could sour in the course of time? Are they not supposed to get better as time passes like wine getting better as it ages? 

Why ... why ... why?

Please bear with me but I think it is not being naive asking such questions. You see, it is not normal that relationships should sour or go bad. There are universal laws that govern human conduct notably the Law of Cause and Effect.

Nothing happens without a cause and every cause has a corresponding effect. Good begets good and the opposite is just as true. There is no way that we can go around that.

Usually, the cause of soured relationship is pride and offense. I don't have to elaborate on this because it is self-explanatory. Besides, I think it is safe to say that everyone, except the toddlers still in diapers, has experienced this fact-of-life enough to understand.

So ... what are we supposed to do if we want to keep our friends for life and our friendship to stay sweet -- and last -- forever?

The Book of Proverbs has the answer:

• Pro 17:17:  "A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity." 

• Pro 18:24: " A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother."

• Pro 22:11:  "He that loveth pureness of heart, for the grace of his lips the king shall be his friend."

• Pro 27:9:  "Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel."

• Pro 27:10:  "Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off."

• Pro 27:14:  "He that blesseth his friend with a loud voice, rising early in the morning, it shall be counted a curse to him."   

"What Is Man?"

Hello again, my friend. Nice to be back with another blog post that ...

... could be appreciated or ...

... ridiculed, sneered at, scoffed at.

No matter. Can't please everyone anyway. 

But you, my friend ... have you ever wondered what you ... or every man, woman, and child for that matter ... are, in the grand scheme of things on this planet -- the only green orb that can sustain life out of the billions and billions of heavenly bodies in the vast limitless universe?

Are there beings out there who can be like us in any way? 

Three or so millennia ago, King David, the man GOD called "a man after my own heart," looked up and beheld God's glorious works in the heavens one beautiful, starry and moonlit night, and pondered: “… what is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou dost care for him?” (Psalm 8:4).

Indeed, who or what are we before God? Puny men that we are, do we matter to Him at all?

AIDS truth exposed: Un-cut exclusive footage from House of Numbers

So Easy ...

I'm back for another post, hello again. How's it been going with you these past days, Friend?

"You Lie," Rep. Joe Wilson shouted from his seat as President Barack Obama spoke about his health care program before a joint session of the U.S. Congress early last month. News of that incident spread fast and wide around the world and tons of opinion have been published since.

I am not going to comment on that on my post today for I am not in any position to do so, not because I am not an American which necessitates that I keep my mouth shut on the matter out of respect, but because of the fact that I have, on occasion, lied, myself, albeit white lies (e.g., when a friend asks me if I have already eaten lunch or dinner and I say 'yes' when 'not yet' is the truth). But white lies or big lies, it makes no difference. A lie is a lie and is ... unjustifiable.

Can anyone come out clean -- spic-and-span -- as regards lying?

"He who is without sin, cast the first stone," Jesus Christ told the crowd who put before Him a woman they accused of adultery, allegedly caught red-handed.

Lying is the EASIEST thing to do in any given situation and requires very little effort (none at all, in fact, with white lies) to do it. And so we see people lying with abandon ... even kids, barely out of the crib, who lie their way out by resorting to crying when confronted.

A Hearty Laugh For A Healthy Heart

The wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon, said: "There is a time for everything, and a season for every activity under heaven ...."

Wisdom is not limited to "serious stuff." Quoting a line from King Solomon's Book, Ecclesiastes:

" ... a time to weep and a TIME TO LAUGH, a time to mourn and a time to dance." 

God is a God of humor. If He is not then we won't be seeing anything like this:

Or this:

So, how about a good laugh today, eh?

Here's one from the "Dead Poets ..." Green-ery:

"From 20 to 30 if a man lives right,

     It's one in the morning, and one at night.

From 30 to 40 if he still lives right,

     He cuts either one, the morning or the night.

From 40 to 50, it's every now and then,

     From 50 to 60, only God knows when.

But from 60 to 70, if he is still inclined,

     Don't let him kid you, it's only in his mind." (AFP)

Here's another good one:

That's all Folks! Till next post. C ya :)

The Benefits of Social Networking

Greetings, Friend.

I tried my hands at verse-writing drawing inspiration from my newfound friend's blog who writes in verses. What do you know, I was able to compose one after several tries and not getting it right.

It's a lot easier writing in prose but sometimes you get tired of it you want to try something new. Indeed, verse-writing is a challenge but it's fun. Let me share with you what I've done. You don't need to critique it like you would a real poet's piece because it doesn't qualify to be one in the first place. My objective is just to have a little fun -- making a fool of myself -- pretending to be a Sir Walter Raleigh, just this time. OK? :)

Also, please allow me to dedicate this composition to GIlson whose writings awakened me to the beauty of poetry which I have been foolish not to appreciate before. I haven't given the piece a title but it speaks of my experience with this blog that never had any visits until I tried social networking which I frowned at before. So here goes:

When I started blogging
In the summer of '09,
The idea of social networking
Never crossed my mind.


True friends on the Net? Heck, it's an illusion
At first, I thought; brushing aside advice,
That I give it a try even just for fun
'Nothing to lose, just tired eyes.'


I made posts to my blog and everyday
I checked; Perhaps a visit, perhaps a name,
Nothing; "there must be a better way
I must not fret, this is just a game."


Pausing to consider, I mused, "why not?"
Then I made my rounds: Facebook, Twitter, My Space;
Till the morning hours, you could call me nuts
Crisscrossing the labyrinth of cyberspace.


Hours and days turned to weeks,
Nothing real, just tricks;
But ... what I looked for I didn't find
Because I approached with a biased mind.


I changed my outlook, made a fresh start
"Arquivos Halcyon" my first-stop blog,
Hmm... the writer's got the poet's mark
Not a wasted time reading his verses, neatly tagged.


Never thought the writer will notice
My visits to his blog, reading every piece;
He initiated friendship, think he's real,
Speaks from the heart, you can really feel.


GIlson's his name, honest like a child
Open and sincere, he's not masked.
His feelings he doesn't hide,
Makes a great friend, more than you can ask.


Got visits now, can't be happier,
I'm even more inpired to write;
The Internet's a real wonder,
Worth spending hours
Till the morning light.

How about that for a Sir Walter Raleigh impostor, huh ... LOL

Thanks again for joining me in the little fun in my blog today ... for a break. After all, it's "serious stuff" I'd been writing, we need to have balance. 

Before I go, may I ask you to click the banner below for the health information that I"m sure you'd find a big help to you to keep you in good health -- disease and ailment free -- all the the days of your life.

Till next post. C ya. Enjoy the day. :)

When Songs Aren't Just Songs

Warm greetings to you my friend. How are you today?

Do you enjoy music? What's your favorite song?

I like music (but my best friend says the music doesn't like me). I enjoy singing but I can only do it under the shower or I'd be stoned to death by my neighbors. I can play the guitar but only for a moment or those around me would tear me to pieces.

Regardless, music is my first love and no one can take it away from me. Too bad, I haven't been endowed with a voice that could entertain. Even my dog howls at me when I sing. LOL.

But I think God made it so for a reason. And that is: so I can learn to see and admire talents other people possess. Like my newfound buddy, GIlson, who expresses his thoughts through verses (check out his blog: http://arquivoshalcyon.blogspot.com/). Boy, is he good at it ... a modern William Shakespeare in the making, I must say.

Our Health Is Our Real Wealth

Our Health Is Our Real Wealth

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