Will You Miss Heaven by 18 Inches?
Hello, My Friend...and Welcome to WaltersHalters.
What
do I mean by that question, "Will you miss Heaven by 18 inches?"
Simply this: Many folks give mental accent that God is....that He
exists, He knows everything, He sees everything, and He controls
everything. They have a 'head knowledge' of God, but not a 'heart
relationship' with God. That's the 18" difference that determines
Heaven or Hell.
They
have never been convicted of their sin or realized their lost
condition, never felt sorrow or remorse for their sin, never asked Jesus
Christ to come into their lives to save them,and to birth them into His Kingdom.
The
main Purpose of this site to get people to realize that, apart from
Jesus Christ, they are doomed, damned, and destined for a devil's
hell.....forever & forever & forever. And, there is no 2nd
chance. There is no "purgatory".
Let me try to explain this as simple as I can. Salvation is as simple as ABC:
"All have Sinned, and come short of the Glory of God". Romans 3:23
You must first realize that you have sinned, and deserve to go to hell. We all do. We are sinners by birth and by choice.
No
amount of good works can save you. You can work your fingers down to
the bone, and go to hell without fingers. No one stands before God on
his own record.
"Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Acts 16:31
Each of us must personally believe on, and receive Jesus Christ into our heart. We do this as an intentional act of our will.
Confession: "If thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God have raised Him from the dead, thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:9
Believing & confession go together. In our heart, we believe that Jesus is our Substitute when He died on the Cross for our sins, and by prayer, we invite Him to come into our heart and be our Lord & Savior. Then, we confess Him. Now, confession simply means to agree with God. We confess to God in our Prayer Closet, and we confess about God before men. Jesus said, "Whosoever therefore shall confess Me before men, him will I confess also before my Father which is in Heaven. But whosoever shall deny me before men, him will I also deny before my Father which is in Heaven." Matthew 10:33,34
My
Friend, if YOU have never personally invited Jesus into your heart to
save you, please do it TODAY! No one is guaranteed to live another
day.
The Greatest Battle You Will Ever Face
"Look at You! If you were really a Christian, you wouldn't do that! You Big hypocrite!
Nobody loves you....God has written you off....no one even cares if you live or die..."
And on and on he goes, lying to you about who you are, lying about your worth to God, lying about your influence on your world. That's the devil, our adversary, the father of lies, and the accuser of our Brethren, as he whispers in your ear -- "You're no good, you can't live the Christian life, you're worthless to God." He's not only talking to you....he's talking about you, before God. He's saying, "Look at that child of your's! Look at him lie, look at him cheat, look at him gossip, look at him, look at him, look at him!" But, Praise God! We have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the Righteous, He's also in the Presence of God continually, saying, "Look at me! I died for that child! I paid for his sins....that one accepted Me as his Lord & Savior....I am their Righteousness....look at me, look at me, look at me!"
So, the battle rages on, as it has since the Garden of Eden, the greatest battle you or I will ever face: the battle to believe....to believe what God says about you....to believe what God says you can accomplish....to believe what God says you can become. God says you're priceless; the devil says you're worthless. Who you gonna believe? God says, "Thou shalt not...." The devil says, "Ah, go ahead; what's one little slip? God will forgive you."
Then, when we do go ahead and sin, the devil is right there: "Look at you! Look at you! Now, you've done it! You've gone too far this time! God can't forgive you. You sinned willfully. You're guilty, guilty, guilty!"
The fact of the matter is, God can and does forgive -- He saw your life in its entirety before you were ever born -- and (if you have received Jesus as Savior), He's already forgiven all your sins, past-present-future, through Christ's sacrifice on the Cross. The Bible makes it crystal clear that we were "chosen in Him before the foundation of the world". It's the greatest battle we will ever face: to live UP TO the level of Truth & Light that God has revealed to each of us....to obey God's will as it is revealed in the Holy Scriptures, or to shrink and shun His will and His way, and travel our own path.
It's a daily battle....sometimes a moment-by-moment battle. "I know what God says, but..." but sometimes I think things -- yea, even harbor things -- do things, and say things that I absolutely know are not in keeping with God's will for my life. Why? Why do I keep on sinning the same old sin, the sin that doth so easily beset me? Knowing the Truth and believing the Truth, why do I sometimes turn and do the exact opposite? Friends....if you're looking to me to provide some sure-fire, quick-fix answer....I don't have one. All I can say is, look to Jesus. Look to Jesus. Obey God. No matter the cost, no matter the sacrifice, obey God. Walk in the Light God has revealed to you, and He will give you more Light. If we choose to walk in the darkness, we attract to ourselves more darkness. We always gravitate toward that which we, secretly, most desire.
The greatest battle we will ever face is a spiritual battle....it takes place within....in the caverns of our soul, in the privacy of our heart, and in the regions of our mind. This great battle in never won in one decisive victory; it is won moment-by-moment, as we surrender our mind and our will to Christ, our Commander-in-Chief, and abandon our goals and dreams to His purpose for our lives.
Eternal Treasure or Everlasting Curse?
I heard about the story of a wealthy man living in a foreign land, who wanted to come to the United States. He decided to sell everything he owned and invest the proceeds in a huge, beautiful diamond. When he got to America, he would sell the diamond and begin to enjoy the lavish lifestyle he was accustomed to in his homeland. This he did. He searched and found one of the world’s most beautiful and exquisite diamonds. It was worth a fortune, millions, and this was in the days when a dollar was worth a dollar.
He boarded a ship and began the long voyage across the sea. From time to time, he would take that precious stone out of his pocket and examine it, hold it up to the light, and admire its rare beauty. Day by day, he became more careless in how he handled his treasure; he even reached a point where he would show the stone to his fellow passengers, toss it up in the air, and even hold it over the side of the ship, to dazzle the shocked onlookers. One day, as he was doing this, the ship lurched, the deck began to slant, and the precious diamond missed his hand, and was lost over the side in the ocean.
“Walter”, you say, “That don’t sound like a true story. Nobody could be that foolish with such a valuable treasure!”
Well, true or not, my Friend, the point is….you are even MORE FOOLISH than the man in the story if you have not made Jesus Christ your Lord! Why? Because, you possess a far more valuable Treasure, a priceless Commodity, a Gift of inestimable worth…..your Soul!
See….let me explain something to you: There was a time when you were not, but there shall never again be a time when you are not. You are an immortal Soul. Your Soul cannot die…it cannot be burned up…it cannot be dissolved…it cannot be disintegrated…it cannot be destroyed. You will live on…you will have conscious existence…somewhere…forever & forever & forever, throughout all Eternity! Time has no meaning in Eternity. Suffering or Bliss will know no end.
Our Lord put it this way: “For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?” Mark 8:36,37
My friend, you better think about this: You are going to die. That’s not up for discussion or debate. Everyone has to die. But, Death is not the end! It is just the Beginning! In the Bible, death never means ‘cease to be’. It always carries the idea of ‘separation’ or ‘to be separated from’. In death, you will either be separated from God & Heaven, or from the devil & hell. It’s your choice.
Life is short. Death is certain. Eternity is forever. Yes, it’s your choice, but you must choose now. Beyond death’s door, it’s too late. At death, your Destiny is sealed forever and cannot be changed.
Jesus said, “I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
For a fuller explanation of the Gospel, and to better understand the ABC’s of Salvation, please visit the site, www.WaltersHalters.Yolasite.com May God help you to come to Faith in Him! It is wisest decision any person will ever make, in their entire lifetime. Grace & Peace be unto you.
"If It Is To Be, It Is Up To Me."
The above statement, "If it is to be, it is up to me", certainly carries a heavy burden of Truth. However, it is not the whole Truth.
Because, we know, if we use use the mental faculties the LORD has given to us, that God causes or allows all things, regardless of what our own will may be. This site is dedicated to God, to Truth, and to Righteousness. "I shall pass this way but once; any good therefore that I can do, or any kindness that I can show, let me do it now, let me not defer it or neglect it, for I shall not pass this way again."
Seven Self-Image Boosters
Principles From the Bible That Will Transform Your Life
The Bible has plenty to say about our Self-Image if we'll look closely, and by applying these Rules for Successful Living, we will be Healthier, Happier, and more Holy.
1. Worship God
"There is in every man a 'God-shaped' vacuum." My Friend, you were created by God and for God, and until you get in Harmony with God, you will not see yourself as He sees you, and you cannot be fulfilled, nor accomplish your Mission here on earth. "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment." Mark 12:30
"Seek ye first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you." Matthew 6:33
I don't believe you can worship God unless you love Him. What is worship? Don't expect to find a lot of books about 'Worship' because there are very few books written on the subject. So few know anything about it. Each of us must discover what it means to us, in our heart. God's Will for YOU is that you know Him Personally.
2. Love & Accept Yourself
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Mark 12:31
How you see yourself has a definite & distinct bearing on how others see you.
I want to say that again: How You See Yourself Has A Definite & Distinct Bearing On How Others See You. We get a glimpse of this Principle in the Book of Numbers, Chapter 13, the last verse: "And there we saw the giants, the sons of Anak, which come of the giants; and we were in our own sight as grasshoppers, and so we were in their sight." Now, there must be a Balance, we must not think of ourselves too highly, nor too lowly. "For I say, through the Grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think: but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of Faith."
Romans 12:3
God has made you as you are, my friend. Accept it. Trust Him, and act accordingly.
3. Love & Serve Others
"Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself." Mark 12:31
True Love always expresses itself in works & deeds. Faith without Works is dead, read the 2nd Chapter of James. How are you going to express Love with "doing something"? The great Apostle of our Faith says, "by love serve one another" Galatians 5:13 I believe that no one can truly be happy unless they are "serving" in some capacity.
4. Be Truthful
One cannot have a healthy Self-Image unless they are willing to be Truthful to themselves and others. The guilty conscience first appears is Genesis 3:9-13, when the Lord asks Adam, "Where are thou?" Adam starts hemming & hawing, shirking from Responsibility, and blaming Eve. A guilty conscience will make you cower: "The Wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the Righteous are Bold as a Lion." Proverbs 28:1 You don't have to Defend a lion = just turn Him loose!
You have to work at keeping a Clear Conscience: Paul said, "Herein do I exercise myself, to have always a conscience void of offense toward God, and toward men"
Acts 24:16 Here's one of the Best Ways to do it: "Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word. With my Whole Heart have I sought Thee: O let me not wander from Thy Commandments. Thy Word have I his in mine heart, that I might not sin against Thee." Psalms 119:9-11
5. Love Your Work
I believe Work is ordained of God, Genesis 3:23 "Therefore the LORD God sent him forth from the Garden of Eden, to till the ground from whence he was taken." The Bible says there is Profit in all labor, but idle chatter leads to Poverty, Proverbs 14:23. The Wisest man who ever lived, King Solomon, said that man should enjoy his Work, and that it is the Gift of God, Ecclesiastes 3:13. Paul said that if any would not work, neither should he eat, II Thessalonians 3:10. James says that Workers will be Blessed in their deed, James 1:25, and Moses teaches us to Pray about our Work, Psalms 90:17. Each of us should seek Work that we enjoy and do well at.
6. Do Your Best
You are going to feel your best, and Be your Best, when you Do your Best. Again, Solomon talks about Work, "Whatsoever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might", Ecclesiastes 9:10. Paul, in Colossians 3:17 & 23, essentially, tells us that our Work is our Worship. "And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men". Did you get that: Our Work Is Our Worship. Paul did his best, and here is his confession, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the Faith" II Timothy 4:7 Do your Best, because as you sow, so shall you reap.
7. Never Stop Improving Yourself
"Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the Mark for the Prize of the High Calling of God in Christ Jesus." Philippians 3:13,14 Paul wasn't looking at his past accomplishments, his faults, or his failures; he was looking ahead, to the future, to what God had in store for him in the future. My Friend, the past is gone, done, over. You can't go back and change a thing. The future is only a Promise and no one is guaranteed to see another sunrise. Today...Right Now...is all you own. Make it count.
Stop beating yourself up. God sees you where you are, how you are, and accepts you as you are. Don't try to clean yourself up. Come to Him. He will get you right. Just turn over control of your life to Him. He cares for you.
The One Thing We Must Never Cease to Seek Is Intimacy With God. He will set our Self-Image aright. "That Thou Doest, Do Quickly"
WaltersHalters is a site where I talk about Current Events, the Moral Decay of our Society, and how it all relates to God & the Bible. In my world view, everything relates to Spiritual Principles and God's order of the cosmos. In the final analysis, and against the Backdrop of Eternity, EVERYTHING fades into insignificance; everything, that is, except our Relationship with God, Who is our Final Judge.
Walter's Vuz On The Nuz
One of the recent, and ongoing, Big Flaps is about Guns and Gun Control. These are
my thoughts, and you can extrapolate: If Guns Kill People, Forks and Spoons Make People Fat. What do Rubber Ducks & Assault Weapons have in common? I can assault you with a Rubber Duck! Please watch this Video on what happened in Australia, as a result of the Gov't Gun Take-Away: https://www.youtube.com/watch_popup?v=fGaDAThOHhA fjfjfjfjfj
fDon't think it can't happen here; it's already beginning. America! You Better Wake Up!
A Wise Investment might be to quietly begin buying bullets for any common Gun, even if you do not own the Gun for which the bullets are made. If they eventually outlaw or restrict the sale of ammo (which I believe they surely want to do) anyone having a store of bullets will find a ready & waiting market for them on the coming Black Market.
I had recommended this (buying bullets) some time back, more than a year ago, but no one listened to me. Even now, I feel, this would still be a wise investment.
Date With Destiny
As college men are wont to do, we often gathered at night in someone’s dorm room to shoot the breeze. Such was the case that Fall night, when Jim Horne of Elberton Ga was among us. Jim was the “resident Christian” in our dorm; he was always happy and I remember him always singing the words to this old hymn....
“When the trumpet of the LORD shall sound, and time shall be no more,
When the morning breaks eternal, bright and fair;
When the Saved of earth shall gather over on the other shore,
And the roll is call up yonder, I’ll be there!”
And then he would look at me and simply ask, “Will you?” To be real honest with you, he was rather irritating...not only to me, but I’m sure to a lot of the other guys also. But, on that particular night, he asked me the question that led to the statement that changed my life: “DO YOU BELIEVE IN GOD?”
Now, if you want to get someone’s attention, ask them a question. Ask them a question, to which the answer is glaringly obvious; ask them a question that attacks them at their point of pride, or a question that erodes their foundation of confidence. But.... “Do you believe in God?” My answer was immediate and sincere: “Sure, I believe in God...I’m a Baptist!” I had been brought up in the church; my dad was no spiritual giant, but he faithfully took me and my brother and sisters to Sunday School and church every Sunday. At a young age I walked the aisle, shook Brother Lundin’s hand, and was baptised. And then, pretty much forgot all about it. Anyone who knew me back then will tell you I was a young rebel, to put it mildly.
"Walter, you might believe in God...but you’re not serving the same God I’m serving.” Can one statement alter a person’s life? I can attest to you...it can! That one statement, by Jim, was to me what the iceberg was to the Titanic: it sent me to the bottom, emotionally. I don’t remember anything else he said that night...nothing else was necessary. Embodied in that one Truth was what I needed to hear: I was guilty before a Holy God, I needed a Savior...not next week....not tomorrow...but RIGHT NOW! I remember going back to my own room (I could take you to the very spot, right now), getting down on my knees beside my bed and praying a prayer something like this: “God, be merciful to me a sinner! I have sinned. I have gone my own way; I know I deserve hell. Please forgive me, wash me in the blood of Your Son, Jesus, who died on Calvary to pay the penalty for my sins. I confess Jesus as my Lord and receive Him into my heart as my personal Savior. Amen!”
My friend, let me ask you a question: “Do you believe in God?” Well, of course you do. But, has there ever been a time when you - in the privacy of your own heart - asked the Lord Jesus to come into your heart and forgive you of all your sins? You need Jesus Christ. That’s not up for discussion or debate; you know you need Jesus. I can give you three compelling reasons why you need Jesus: you have a past, you have a present, and you have a future. Think about it.
Are you serving God with your life right now? By your words and by your actions....your family, your friends, your co-workers know whether you are or not. Every day you’re preaching a sermon; what does your life say to others? Right now...today...God wants to use you where you are and with what you have. Don’t wait for tomorrow; tomorrow is promised to no man. God has placed inside you precious gifts, talents, and abilities....that no one else has. There remains a work for you to do, that if you don’t do....shall remain forever undone. Even Voltaire, the old pagan unbeliever understood this; he said, “Every man is guilty of the good he did not do.” Quit playing games with God. Time is short. Discover and utilize the gift God has placed in you. God’s love...His care and concern, and tender mercies toward us are more wonderful than any of us could ever imagine!
Ask yourself a question that can change your life.... “LORD, what wilt thou have me to do?” “That thou doest, do quickly.”
Any Where You Look in the Bible, You Find Jesus!
In Genesis, He's the Seed of the Woman
In Exodus, He's the Passover Lamb
In Leviticus, He's the High Priest
In Numbers, He's a Pillar of fire by day & a Pillar of fire by night
In Deuteronomy, He's a Prophet just like Moses
In Joshua, He’s the Captain of our Salvation
In Judges, He’s the Judge & Lawgiver
In Ruth, He’s our kinsman Redeemer
In Samuel, He’s a trusted Prophet
In Kings & Chronicles, He’s a reigning King
In Ezra, He’s a faithful Scribe
In Nehemiah, He’s the Rebuilder of the broken down walls in our lives
In Esther, He’s our Mordecai
In Job, He’s the Day Spring from on high
In Psalms, He’s the Lord our Shepherd
In Proverbs & Ecclesiastes, He’s our Wisdom
In the Song of Solomon, He’s the Lover & the Bridegroom
In Isaiah, He’s the Prince of Peace
In Jeremiah, He’s the Righteous Branch
In Lamentations, He’s a weeping Prophet
In Ezekiel, He’s that Wheel turning
In Daniel, He’s the 4th Man in the firey furnace
In Hosea, He’s the Bridegroom married to the backslider
In Joel, He’s the Baptizer with Holy Spirit & fire
In Amos, He’s our Burden Bearer,
In Obadiah, He’s a mighty Savior
In Jonah, He’s a great foreign Missionary
In Micah, He’s a Messenger with beautiful feet carrying the Gospel
In Nahum, He’s the Avenger of God’s elect
In Habakkuk, He’s a great Evangelist crying for revival
In Zephaniah, He’s the Restorer of God’s lost heritage
In Haggai, He’s a cleansing Fountain
In Zechariah, He’s the Fountain in the house of David
In Malachi, He’s the Sun of righteousness rising with healing in His wings
The New Testament:
In Matthew, He’s the Messiah
In Mark, He’s a wonder Worker
In Luke, He’s the Son of Man
In John, He’s the Son of God
In Acts, He’s the ascended Lord Who sends the Holy Spirit
In Romans, He’s a Justifier
In Corinthians, He’s the Gifts of the Spirit
In Galatians, He sets us free
In Ephesians, He’s the Christ of riches
In Philippians , He’s the God Who meets our every need
In Colossians, He’s the fullness of the Godhead bodily
In Thessalonians, He’s the soon coming King
In Timothy, He’s the Mediator between God and man
In Titus, He’s a faithful Pastor
In Philemon, He’s a Friend Who sticks closer than a brother
In Hebrews, He’s the Blood that washes our sins away
In James, He’s the great Physician
In Peter, He’s the chief Shepherd
In John, He’s everlasting Love
In Jude, He’s the Lord coming down with ten thousand saints
In Revelation, He’s the King of Kings and Lord of Lords
Spiritual Healing
I want to talk about spirtual healing.....how to remove the obstacales that may stand between you and your getting through to God, in your prayers and in your communion with Him. This is simple and won't take long.
Simple, but far from easy.
Consider this verse in Matthew 5:23,24 ---
"Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the alter, and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee, leave there thy gift before the alter, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift."
When you get on your knees to pray, what's the first thing that pops into your mind?
That's probably the first thing you need to deal with; is it some sin you're wrestling with? Is it some sin of commission (something you did you know you should not have done?), some sin of omission (something neglected or left undone?), is it something you did or said to hurt someone else? Oh, you may not have meant it to hurt at the time it escaped your lips, but as soon as it did, you knew the damage was done. You hurt someone you love very much.
Words can be such hurtful things; sometimes, more than stripes on our back. Physical wounds can heal in weeks or months; emotional wounds can take years.....sometimes, never.
I remember....I was sitting up in the balcony of First Baptist Church, Atlanta, oh, now, I guess, some thirty years ago; I could take you to the very spot if that old building was still standing....when a good friend came and sat down right behind me. I turned around and made a pleasant comment to him, and all he said to me was two words....exactly two words.
I've never understood what he meant by those two words, but I've never forgotten them. They were hurtful words....words that cut me to the heart.
In the last couple of years or so, him & I have communicated, and I recounted to him the incidence; he drew a blank....had no recollection of it. But, he did apologize.
I wonder....is there something in your life....when you get down to pray, does it keep popping up? It may have been forty years ago, but you know that somewhere....someone is holding a grudge against you because of something you said or did. It may have been said in jest, you were just kidding (in your mind), and you think, "They couldn't possibly be still holding that against me after all these years!"
"....and there rememberest that thy brother hath ought against thee....go thy way....first be reconciled to thy brother...."
Let me ask you this: Can you turn 360 degrees and not detect any emotional blips on your radar? I'm not talking about getting overly introspective; I'm talking about getting right with God....if there is friction between you and another brother or sister, or anyone, you need to go to that person and make amends. Don't make any difference who's fault it is; if you go to another person in humility, sincerity, kindness, and the spirit of reconciliation, and that person wants none of it, the burden is off you; you have done your part.
It may be that you need to pick up the phone, and talk to someone you haven't spoken to, or even thought about, in years, to apologize....to ask forgiveness....to admit that you were wrong....
For some, these will be some of the hardest phone calls you've ever been called on to make; but make them, you must.
Ask the Lord, "Lord, is there anything clogging the pipeline between me and You?"
"....then come and offer thy gift."
THE GREAT LAW
"Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be: your Ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil."
Hello, friends....and thank you for spending a portion of your very important day with me. I trust it will be a worthy investment of your time.
I want to talk to you today about the Great Law...the Great Law that governs your life and mine, and always has.
You know, its interesting...you can drive down any street in your town, and from your car, discern to some degree how people are applying or misapplying this Great Law. Drive down to the ocean and view the beachfront mansions, with their beautiful spanish architecture and tile roofs...the winding driveways and tree canopyed yards...and see that, consciously or unconsciously, these folks understand and work with the Great Law. "But", you say, "Some of these people have to be drug dealers". Don't make no difference; someone thought they deserved all the money and power to acquire these worldly possessions. They did something....they rendered some kind of service in order to get the wealth they enjoy.
The Great Law holds true in all places, at all times, with all people. Oh, I agree...it sometimes seems the Law has been thwarted or skirted; but my friends, this is only temporary...the Great Law is like a never failing boomerang...it must...it has to...and it will inevitably come back to bite or to bless.
"The soul attracts that which it secretly harbors; that which it loves, and also that which it fears; it reaches the height of its cherished aspirations; it falls to the level of its unchastened desires, and cimcumstances are the means by which the soul receives its own."
"Every thought-seed sown or allowed to fall into the mind, and to take root there, produces its own, blossoming sooner or later into act, and bearing its own fruitage of opportunity and circumstance. Good thoughts bear good fruit, bad thoughts bad fruit."
"The outer world of circumstances shapes itself to the inner world of thought, and both pleasant and unpleasant external conditions are factors which make for the ultimate good of the individual. As reaper of his own harvest, man learns both by suffering and bliss."
This Great Law is impartial: it will slice your bread or cut you to pieces, depending on how you apply it. It doesn't care.
Applied rightly, this Law will lift you to heights unimaginable in your reflective moods; misapplied, it will grind you to powder, and cause you to wonder, "What else could go wrong?"
My spirt soared, along with millions of others, during the Olympics, as I watched that 38 year old mother of a teenager run to victory in the women's marathon! She was so far ahead of the other runners, they couldn't even see her!
You know what got her there? The Great Law! An imbecile could tell you that...an imbecile could tell you what she's been doing with her time. You don't finish a 26 mile race in first place without investing hundreds of lonely hours pounding the pavement.
The Great Law....so great is this Law, its alluded to in the first chapter of the book of Genesis, and also in the last chapter of the book of the Revelation; in the first and last chapter of Proverbs, and hundreds of verses in between.
Even animals understand the Great Law...as do the criminals that fill our institutions.
"A man does not come to the almshouse or the jail by the tyranny of fate or circumstances, but by the pathway of groveling thoughts and base desires. Nor does a pure-minded man fall suddenly into crime by stress of any mere external force; the criminal thought had long been secretly fostered in the heart, and the hour of oppoutunity revealed its gathered power. Circumstance does not make the man; it reveals him to himself."
Better be careful what you pray for, and wish for. You might get it. "What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." Mark 11:24
"Men do not attract that which they want, but that which they are. Their whims, fancies, and ambitions are thwarted at every step, but their inmost thoughts and desires are fed with their own food, be it foul or clean. The 'divinity that shapes our ends' is in ourselves; it is our very self. Man is manacled only by himself: thought and action are the jailers of Fate---they imprison, being base; they are also the angels of Freedom---they liberate, being noble."
Probably, only about half of us can clearly and succinctly articulate this Great Law; yet, it governs our every waking moment, and even affects the quality and quantity of our sleep. Sadly, some of us (including me), knowing & understanding this Law, sometimes choose to violate it. We don't 'break' it...it breaks us.
"A particular train of thought persisted in, be it good or bad, cannot fail to produce its results on the character and circumstances. A man cannot directly choose his circumstances, but he can choose his thoughts, and so indirectly, yet surely, shape his circumstances."
"Nature helps every man to the gratification of the thoughts which he most encourages, and opportunities are presented which will most speedily bring to the surface both the good and evil thoughts."
"Every man is where he is by the law of his being; the thoughts which he has built into his character have brought him there, and in the arrangement of his life there is no element of chance, but all is the result of a law that cannot err."
"Walter..." you ask, "What exactly is this Great Law?" I will tell you where to find it articulated clearly and succinctly: Check out the sixth chapter of the book of Galatians, in the Bible. You'll find it.
And, it makes no difference whether you believe the Book or not: the Great Law has you in its grip...always has & always will.
"Tempest-tossed souls, wherever ye may be, under whatsoever conditions ye may live, know this---in the ocean of life the isles of Blessedness are smiling, and the sunny shore of your Ideal awaits your coming. Keep your hand firmly upon the helm of thought. In the barque of your soul reclines the commanding Master; he does but sleep; wake him. Self-control is strength; Right thought is mastery; Calmness is power. Say unto your heart, Peace, be still!"
(All quotes are from "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen)
HOW TO OVERCOME BAD HABITS
I suspect some of us have some habits we would like to jettison...but, they somehow stick to us like the old 'tar baby'. Here is some help & hope in overcoming your bad habits.
1. Engraft Romans 6:1,2 into your mind & heart. Realize specific verses address specific habits. You should begin to memorize all of Chapter six. Also, consider John, chapter 15. "Abide in Me, and I in you."
2. Picture myself as dead to sin, Romans 6:11. Consider it to be so. Sin is not my master; Jesus is my Master. I am dead to "that" sin.
3. Compare the Law of sin to the Law of gravity. A law always operates the same under the same conditions. The key to meditation is memorization. Get a specific verse in the Scriptures to match your specific habit or temptation. "Waiting on the Lord is meditating on the Lord".
4. Personalize Romans 6:1,2. "Shall I continue in _______?" , and here insert the habit you want to eliminate. Victory don’t come to the half-hearted.
5. Make no provision for the flesh, Romans 13:14. Don’t provide the means for temptation to come near you. Translation: Quit sin!
6. Become accountable for consistency. Find someone you can trust.
7. Be alert, and obey the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Don’t pray for Victory; enter into the Victory that is already your’s. See 1Corinthians 15:57,58.
Read--often & prayerfully--Psalms 107. "He sent his word, and healed them, and delivered them from their destructions.......Whoso is wise, and will observe these things, even they shall understand the lovingkindness of the LORD." Psalms 107:20, 43.
"Order my steps in thy word: and let not any iniquity have dominion over me." Psalms 119:133
"For with God nothing shall be impossible." Luke 1:37
Why America is on a collusion course.....and what YOU can do about it.
Lesson # 1:
* U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000
* Fed budget: $3,820,000,000,000
* New debt: $1,650,000,000,000
* National debt: $14,271,000,000,000
* Recent budget cuts: $38,500,000,000
Now, let’s remove some of the zeros and pretend it's a household budget:
(The percentages remain EXACTLY the same)
* Annual family income: $21,700
* Money the family spent: $38,200
* New debt on the credit card: $16,500
* Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710
* Total budget cuts: $385
Lesson # 2:
Here's another way to look at the Debt Ceiling:
You come home from work and find there has been a sewer backup in your neighborhood....and your home has sewage all the way up to your ceilings.
What do you think you should do ...... raise the ceilings, or pump out the crap?
My Friends....Please join me in Prayer for our President & his Family, and our Senators and Congressmen, along with out State & Local Leaders.
Your comments & suggestions are welcome. WaltersHalters@Gmail.com
Thank you and God Bless You.
