Topshelf

Are You Ready For Things To Come?

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 23:17:44 -0500

Are you ready? What things? When I was growing up, I would see cartoons or actual pictures of a guy with a sandwich board walking around telling us that the world was about to end. It was pretty funny since it didn't even remotely seem rational. Everything was going great. I had a good childhood, at least I thought I did and that should be enough. I really did not understand that the guy with the board was actually warning us of things to come. Granted, it was in the future....long ahead it has turned out. But the guy was a prophet, nevertheless. How do I know that?

The world as it is now is a nightmare. Wars that don't "follow the rules" which means the car bomber, the suicide bomber don't understand what the "Geneva convention" is nor do they care in the least. They are trying to obliterate the unbelievers. They are on a mission. Disease is rampant in many parts of the world. Just because we didn't hear it on the nightly news does not mean it is not there. Starvation is a fact of life in many third world countries and there appears to be nothing we can do about it. Earthquakes are happening at an astounding frequency and much more damaging. Tornadoes are happening so fast. F-5 and F-4 tornadoes, which used to be rare, seem to be more common. Flooding is becoming rather common too. I know that in our area, the sign for flooding is on the local news quite often now. People are becoming used to seeing these disasters on television. People are becoming desensitized by that.

What am I getting at here? These are the very signs that the Lord Jesus told us to look for that would be the signs and seasons for the last days or the end times, how ever you choose to see it. In Matthew 24:3 the disciples come to Him to ask what the signs would be for the end. He tells them that there will be people who will come in His name saying they are the Christ and deceive many. Have we not seen this for ourselves? Jim Jones, David Koresh, the people in California looking for the mother ship, others too numerous to name right now. Did Jesus get it right? YES!!

Then He mentions wars and rumors of wars. That we have had simply because people will have war. However, the wars and rumors are stronger, more frequent, different, meaner, nastier, colder. He says that you should not be troubled by those things because nation will rise against nation. Then He mentions pestilences, famines and earthquakes. Does it sound familiar?

He talks about being delivered up to be killed. Ah, you say, that hasn't happened yet. This is true. Not to you. But, in countries where they are trying to get rid of Christians, like the Sudan, it is a way of life. Do you not see that the middle east is all about getting rid of the people who do not believe like the muslims? Like Christians and Jewish people. I AM talking about the radical sect, not those who are mainstream. However, someday, the way their children are taught, you will find that the new adults will be militant against you if you do not believe as they do. Jesus talks about many will become offended. Does that sound like those who want to see the unbeliever dead? Sure it does. They are offended.

And lest we forget, anyone who is different from another will likely be offended by another. Just look at gays. Aren't they offended because someone does not see things the way they do? Aren't the races, pick one, offended if you do not honor them with a holiday? I should mention here that there is no such thing as a "white" holiday. That would be because other races believe that, in this country, ALL holidays are white ones if they are not designated another way. They are offended if someone suggests that there is too much of that going on these days. We MUST make up for ancient wrongdoings by ignorant people. Does this sound familiar? Sure. Jesus taught about it.

He mentions false prophets. They are all around. All you have to do is look. People grow cold. That is so true. If you do not believe it, try to find someone to help you when you need it. Yes, there will be one or two who might get involved as long as they don't get sued or have to go to court. Cold hearts. Then Jesus says that the gospel shall be preached all over the world. Do you think that is not happening now? Do not deceive yourselves. Of course it is. We have the internet! There are preachers on television going to all parts of the world. There are Christian networks that are getting so huge that they are reaching out to span the world with satellite feeds to all nations. There are very few places in the world that they do not reach. Churches and organizations send missionaries out to the far reaches of the planet to teach about the Lord Jesus. This gospel WILL be preached in all the world....and here it comes....and THEN the end shall come. Are we there yet?

Are we there yet? I asked that twice because I wanted you to think about that question. Are we there? Almost. I recall that on the sandwich board that the guy wore when I was a kid was this hour glass that had not much sand left. Often on the sign it would say that we are in the eleventh hour. I believe that we are at the twelfth hour and about to see things that the prophets of old only wished they could see. I also believe that when the last person says that he/she believes in Jesus and prays the prayer or redemption, the end shall indeed come. Are you ready?

Where Will You Be In The End?

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 23:48:36 -0500

The question of where you will be used to haunt me. Know why? Because I really did not know for certain what would happen to me if I died since I had sinned so much in my life. It did not seem right that I could have anything good after all that. I had hurt the guy I was dating in high school. I hurt my parents incredibly. There were others too. I wasn't that nice of a person. It was all about me, me, me. If that didn't work then I just left and found others who would likely be hurt too.

Thing is, the sins just simply overwhelmed me. It caused all kinds of fear and dread. So, what did I do about it? Nothing. Life goes on. Things change. Things are always wrong. Life is a pain. Why does anyone want to live it like that in the first place?

Whoa! It was time for me to stop and take a good look at what I believed. When I did, it scared me more than the sin did. God chose that time to call me to Himself. It was such a blessing and a miracle. You can have this too. But how? I read a really good article on this subject.

Choose Your Destination

You can go to hell if you want to, But you are an idiot if you do because you do NOT have to.

by Edward Langenback

"Lord, I know I'm unworthy, but . . . "

How many prayers have you heard or said that included those words or words to that effect? The idea is that we are supposed to be humble before God and remember that we are "just an old sinner saved by grace." Well, if you are saved by grace, then you are NOT an old sinner! You are an EX-sinner!

2 Corinthians 5:21, "For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him."

This makes it clear that when a you accept Jesus and are born again, you are not a sinner anymore, you are remade into the righteousness of God. This gives us the right and ability to come directly into the presence of God and speak directly to Him without cowering and being afraid that you will be zapped by a bolt of lightning or something.

The Country Is Full Of Ostriches

Sat, 10 Mar 2007 23:10:40 -0600

What country is the title referring to? Africa? You would think so, wouldn't you. But I am speaking of the good old U.S.of A. Why did I say that? Because our country is heading down a very big slippery slope and there does not appear to be anyone or anything stopping it.

So what about this ostrich comment. Well, for that you have to take a look at the ostrich. Very strange bird to start with. The first thing most people know about one is that they have this tendency to bury their heads in the sand. The bird believes that if he can't see you then you can't see him either. Buried in the sand, you do not see what is going on around you. And that is extremely dangerous. What happens if a predator comes up? The hunter has the advantage and can strike at any moment. Poor ostrich. Never knew what hit him.

And THAT is about how it is with the citizenry of this country too. They are not well informed. If you do not believe that, simply do a poll on the street. Most can't even tell you basic facts like: who the current VP is or what the capitol city is called. Unbelievable but true.

I wrote an article a few years ago that is really more appropriate now than it was then. It's called "The Comfort Zone". Frankly, it is not a comfortable article but it is relevant to now.

The Comfort Zone

What is your comfort zone? The couch? Your job? Your family? Your income? Your car? What? Question. Is this comfort worth your life?

One of the things that never ceases to amaze me is that people would rather be comfortable than see the dangers all around them. The word 'comfortable' also means cozy, snug, sheltered, and homelike. Very impressive. When you get into that ' comfort zone', don't mess with you, right? There is just something about that one place, one time that means so much. Don't rock the boat. Too comfortable. Don't make me think! It's all about comfort. This is the legacy we have inherited from our fathers, grandfathers, mothers and grandmothers. Nothing wrong with inheritance.

However (you KNEW there was a 'however', didn't you?), when a person gets that comfortable, they start ignoring things that would have, at one time, been a danger signal. Years ago, men knew what 'honor' and 'integrity' meant. Now we live in an honorless generation. Danger! No one cares if you lie, steal, kill IF you are able to defend the actions. Or perhaps they don't like it but 'what can we do about it'? Danger! Where are the protests? Where are the ones who cry out for an accounting? Are they now in their own comfort zones?

Believe me, it's not comfortable to tell people things they don't want to hear. They won't see these things so those articles go unread. They choose not to find things out for themselves believing that someone else has already done the work, so why bother. Because of this attitude by many of the people, the truly important things are ignored or missed. And so begins the growing of a cold heart, a conscience seared so that it's no longer a warning flag if sin is committed. The prophets told the people over and over again about their behavior and what would happen if they didn't change. John the Baptist was crying in the wilderness, warning that generation to repent. He got beheaded. The apostles said these things. They were murdered. The message hasn't changed.

For more informationon this and other hot or cold topics, please come to my website at Lura's Bookcase.

According To MEDIA--Jesus Has Returned To Earth

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 20:40:04 -0600

This is getting truly ridiculous. The other day, the media was trying to rock the world of Christians by giving the report that the bones of Jesus had been found in a bone box in Israel. According to James Cameron, of Titanic fame, there is a great deal of certainty concerning this despite naysayers both in archialogical circles and Christian circles. Seems that he hasn't really made major friends there. But the media shows the report as if Cameron can't be wrong, at least in some reporters' eyes.

Then today, we get another report that Jesus is alive in Texas with an incredibly huge following. So, which is it? They can't have it both ways. As a matter of fact, both of these media hyped stories are wrong.

However, we need to explore this thing about the guy who says he is Jesus. His name is Jose de Jesus. A common enough name in Latin American countries. His past is rather checkered. He is a former drug addict, a thief to pay for his addiction (admitted), ex-con. Claims to have been born again in prison. He currently drinks, smokes, has been married twice (though that alone would not be a problem for me if he was claiming to be a regular person. However, he is claiming to be the Savior.).

His beliefs are truly way out there. Murder and theft are crimes but not sins, according to the self proclaimed messiah. There are no sins, no hell, no devil. He wears a 666 on his clothing. His followers are flocking to get a tatoo of the 666 on themselves to be like their leader. They want it to be a visible showing of what they believe. It is.

What is really disturbing is that he is acquiring a huge following. His organization claims a million who choose to follow this guy. There are many who actually believe that this guy is the second coming of Christ. While I will not call him the devil because I also do not believe that, he is certainly doing his best to attract attention for himself. It brings in money by the boatload. Oh yes, in case you have not gotten the point, the guy is claiming to BE God.

The scriptures are clear on this point. There will come a time when false prophets will try to turn the heads of the elect. This person is certainly turning the heads of many. The question now is...how many of those were born again?

As I mentioned in an earlier post, I used to wonder what would turn someone away from our Savior and Lord, Jesus? What possible thing could change someone's mind when they had already come to know Him? It is beginning to become clearer and clearer that it won't take much for some to turn away. Some will struggle but they, too, will sadly turn from the Lord because of some circumstance.....a loved one dying when they believed He would heal them, some financial setback that they prayed over and thought God would answer like they wanted, a personal tragedy, either disease or accident that caused a person to leave their beliefs because it did not fit into the senarios of what their life should have been. There are countless reasons for a person or people will use to leave the Lord, but it will happen, even as we are seeing right now. Are some of those people previous believers? I hope not. I pray not. But it would not surprise me.

Matthew 24:3-5, "And as he sat upon the mount of Olives, the disciples came unto him privately, saying, Tell us, when shall these things be? and what shall be the sign of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered and said unto them, Take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name, saying, I am Christ; and shall deceive many."

The guy who is claiming to be our Lord surely fits this scripture to a tee. He is claiming exactly that. He is deceiving, according to their organization, a million followers. From the old testament, it states that the person who comes as Messiah will not be a sinner, will do no wrong. The guy fixes that by saying there IS NO SIN, no wrong doing. Perfect world, right?

Where will it end? When the Lord truly does come back. There is one thing that people seem to be missing here. Jesus was clear telling His disciples that He was here once. The next time He was coming back, it would be in triumph in the clouds. Did anyone see this guy show up in the clouds? Didn't think so.

For more info on becoming a Christian, learning to grow as a Christian, please come to my website at:

Lura's Bookcase

Faith On The Bridge

Mon, 05 Mar 2007 09:59:04 -0600

Have you seen a film on what soldiers go through in their training? The obstacle course looks very difficult to finish. You know what I mean. There's always a picture of guys trying to jump, hop or whatever you call it, in tires. Some make it. Some land on their noses. Then there's the wall. It appears to be too tall to climb but soldiers get over it by jumping up, grabbing hold and slinging themselves over it. A pipe wide enough for a person to crawl through, a creek to swim in, smoke, weapons fire. All of these things are part of their training.

One more thing that I can remember seeing is the rope bridge. Have you ever been on one? Have you seen them? They are held together by ropes, hence "rope bridge". Some have wood planks running crossways so that you can walk on them, also held together by ropes. Some have a rope across the bottom and then ropes joined to that one. So you walk ON the bottom rope, holding the other ropes. Obviously, this is something one would do single file. To say the least, it is a tad precarious. It sways a good deal when the wind is blowing or some total.......un-nice person wiggles the ropes.

I walked (the word walked may be a slight overstatement) across one once. Never again unless absolutely necessary!! Some people actually think those things are fun. Not me. I hated it. I was scared. All I could do was look DOWN. EEEEK!! My fear was that I would fall to the creek below. It was a LONG way down.

Thing is, I had someone at the other end of the bridge telling me to just look at them, not look down, and I would be fine since the rope bridge had been there for years. This isn't always a confidence booster because then you think that the ropes are not as good as they once were since it's so old. On the other hand, the person at the other end was someone I trusted so I finally listened. At that point, my eyes were on that person as I swayed and walked to the other side. I made it!! Believe me, I was grateful to find out that I did not have to go back the way I came. The rope bridge was an attraction but there was another way for older folks and handicapped folks or those who just did not see a need to put their lives in danger.

God reminded me of this rope bridge a couple of days ago. He said that the lesson there is that if you will simply keep your eyes on the other side of the bridge, on the person encouraging you, instead of looking down at the peril, then you will come out just fine. In the same way, if you will keep your eyes on the Lord, the Person at the other end, instead of always seeing the problems and troubles of your life, you will come out just fine as well. What a lesson that was!!

Seek God and His kingdom first. Hold onto the Lord with all of your might and strength. When your strength is gone, hold onto Him some more. God is there for you. Jesus is there for you. All they ask of you is that you accept Jesus as God's Son and your Savior. When you do that, you become part of the family of the Lord. Keeping you eyes on Him will brighten your day, show you His world, give you visions and dreams of what He has in store for you. It will be grand!

For more information on Christianity, God, Jesus and how to become a Christian, please come to my website at Lura's Bookcase. There are loads of articles and stories for you. I even dabbled in a small amount of poetry. Please come.

What Is A Kingdom?

Wed, 28 Feb 2007 23:53:59 -0600

For a while now, I have been focused on the scripture that says you need to seek first the kingdom of God (Matt. 6:33). Most of the time, I just studied the whole line, working out that I must seek God, seeking His Face instead of trying to get something from Him. Seeking to find out more about Him and what He is teaching me. Well, the problem came up when it occurred to me that I wasn't really certain exactly what a kingdom is. It might sound goofy to you. Maybe you do know. I didn't having never lived in such a place before.

We, who live in the United States, do not live under a kingdom rule. Never have. Those who came here from England did but they did not impose that form of government on this country. They were trying to begin a new country with fresh ideas and ways of doing things. It was based on the Bible with a smattering of old school England thrown in for good measure.

Having never lived under a king or kingdom rules, it hit me that I probably knew very little about it. So, I tried to find out. It is truly sad how much info is NOT in our encyclopedia. I looked online and got a definition which wasn't bad but it left a bit to be desired. But I did learn a few things.

The most obvious is that the king owns it all. The citizens do not buy their own property. The kingdom allows them to live in the village, city or whatever. They pay the king a portion of their output, whatever that might be. Perhaps it would be a portion of the earned income or more likely in times past, it would be a portion of the food raised or craft items they constructed.

On the other hand, the king was responsible for keeping his kingdom in safety and security. He had to make decisions for the whole group, however many citizens that might be. They would not be allowed to make those choices themselves.

The problem I saw was that if I did not know what a kingdom was in my studies, how could I understand how to deal with the scripture I quoted at the top. It's important to see that it does not say seek first God. It says to seek first His KINGDOM and His righteousness. See, we must seek the kingdom. And now I have a clue what that means. Do you?

Check out more info on lots of subjects on my ministry website at Lura's Bookcase!

There Are The Forgotten Seeds

Tue, 27 Feb 2007 23:54:18 -0600

Some years ago, I wrote a devotional called " The Forgotten Seeds". It's about some seeds in a packet that I had bought thinking I would plant them in a couple of days. I put them on a shelf. Years later, I found them. They were dusty and unused, unplanted. I had not done a thing with them.

At the time, the Lord gave me the lesson that if you do not use your talents, prayer time and reading the Bible, those things would be much like those seeds on the shelf, dusty and unused, growing older. It was a powerful lesson that I did not soon forget.

Now, several years later, I look back on that same devotional and say "Ouch!". Seems I forgot the lesson again. God has reminded me that if I do not use my talent, if I do not pray as I ought to, if I do not read like I should, these will get dusty. Have you ever felt that way? Are your talents unused because you have forgotten them or because you do not have time? Not enough prayer time? No time to read? Too busy?

God asks us all to witness about Jesus. I am in ministry with a website to teach, enlighten when possible and to uplift. When I do not do what I am supposed to, someone may not get the word about the Lord. So, I must get the seeds of the Word of God, dust them off....read my Bible, pray and start to write what I can about my wonderful Savior.

Are you wasting your seeds? Are they on the shelf getting dusty? Time to enjoy those seeds. Did you know that the packet of seeds were flowers that I could have enjoyed all spring and summer if only I had planted them? Time to plant the Word of God! Time to enjoy the beauty. Time to be ready for an abundant harvest.

Lost Tomb Of Jesus? Real? Hoax? Mistake?

Mon, 26 Feb 2007 22:09:17 -0600

James Cameron, of Titanic fame, has made a documentary that, in the words of ABC news anchor Charles Gibson, strikes at the heart of Christianity. Frankly, I do not believe that. The documentary is about an archaeological dig in the 80's where they uncovered a tomb that had small coffins in them called "ossuaries" that held bones of family members. The documentary maintains that these bones belonged to Jesus of Nazareth, family and son. The original archaeologist disagrees saying that the names Jesus and Mary were particularly common at the time of uncovered bones. In addition, he states that the names on the ossuaries were very difficult to read and hard to interpret.

It seems that James Cameron, whether by mistake or design, is trying to discredit the beliefs of many hundreds of thousands of Christians. It may be that he is not doing this deliberately but there are others who are only too happy to discredit any Christian but are ecstatic to try discrediting Jesus of Nazareth. However, that is not possible. Jesus is Who He says He is according to the Bible. There is entirely too much proof of His existence and His deeds. The only real question is.....did He die on the cross, get buried and then rise from the dead? My Bible says yes!!! But you will need to determine that answer for yourself.

The scriptures are quite clear that in the last days (end times) there will be things coming up that will sway the faith of those who do now believe. I tried for a long time to figure out what event could possibly make so many people defect if they were truly dedicated and believed in the Lord Jesus.

There was a book some years ago, I believe it's called The Skeleton in God's Closet", a fictional account of just this scenario finding what appeared to be the bones of Jesus. In the end, it proved to be a hoax. Today, there is another hoax being put forth to the public designed specifically to destroy the faith of those who are already believers.

The scriptures are also quite clear that there comes a time when there is a "falling away" (2 Thessalonians 2:3, "Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first,"). The Greek word for falling away is "apostasia". That says that there will be people who have proclaimed a belief in the Lord Jesus who will leave that faith and go against all they have believed, denying the Lord.

Many folks like to think that this is talking about people who said they were Christians but were not. However, that does not work here. The word "apostasia" means to fall away from something or forsake. You cannot fall away if you never had it to begin with. A person can only forsake something that they already believed to be true. The question then becomes...what could possibly make people forsake the Lord? Now we have come full circle.

Lost Tomb Of Jesus? Real? Hoax? Mistake?

Feb. 26, 2007 — In late 1982, Tova Bracha's family moved into a modest apartment in a cluster of cookie-cutter housing units in Talpiyot, a Jerusalem neighborhood.

A few days after moving in, her children were playing in the construction debris downstairs and came across what James Cameron's new documentary, "The Lost Tomb of Christ," maintains is the tomb of Jesus and his family.

Two years earlier, Israeli archaeologist Amos Kloner was the first to find the tomb. He found the tomb and the ossuaries — the urns or vaults used to hold the bones of the dead — interesting but of no particular archaeological importance. He said there are more than 900 buried tombs just like the "Jesus" tomb within a 2-mile radius of Talpiyot. Of them, 71 bear the name Jesus and two Jesus, son of Joseph. The tomb in Talpiyot is one of them. But the inscription, he said, was barely decipherable and therefore questionable.

Have they found the bones of Jesus? I say a resounding NO! NO! NO! they have not. It is a hoax, mistake, or whatever you choose to call it. What it is not is reality.

This is something that each individual has to face for him/herself. Come before the Lord, seeking the answers to the questions you ask and He will give them to you. Ask for forgiveness. That is a free gift from God. Believe that Jesus died on the cross for you, personally, and you will find salvation, freedom, safety. However, if you buy into the belief that the bones of Jesus have now been found, you will lose more than you can possibly understand or know.

For more information about this and other questions you may have, please come to my website.

Lura's Bookcase

This ministry is determined to tell the truth about the Lord, to teach about Him, to love Him, to witness of Him. Please come.

My People Are Destroyed For A Lack Of Knowledge

Thu, 22 Feb 2007 22:11:19 -0600

In Hosea 4, verse 6 God says that His people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge. That verse hits me between the eyes. Why? Because each day that I am on this earth and each day that God allows me one more breath, I realize that I know absolutely nothing. God is who He is. He is love. He is compassion. He is righteousness. He is goodness. He is my breath, my life and all that is in me praises His Name.

Yet, I fail Him day after day, moment after moment when I do not do the simple things that he asks of me. We need to read our Bibles and study to "show thyself approved" (2 Timothy 2:15). Know what that means? He is saying that we must study and learn all we can about our Lord and then show ourselves to be like Him. Yes, we must seek to copy Him in what we do and how we think.

Paul also felt that he was doing things that he did not want to do and not doing the things that he must do. I surely do know exactly what he meant by that. More often than not, I do not do what I had intended to do each day. More often than not, I fail my Father in so many ways.

Yet, I must hold onto the promise that Jesus said He would never leave me nor forsake me. If we do not turn our backs on the Lord, He also does not turn His back on us or more specifically YOU. If you did turn your back on Him, seek Him out and come right back to where you belong in Him. He loves you so much. He desires to have communion with you. That does not just mean to have the bread and the grape juice. It means to commune with Him like Adam did. In the cool of the day, the Lord walked with Adam. They spoke together, they joined in thought together.

Before the fall of Adam and Eve, the Lord and Adam could be together, talk, walk. There was no barrier, no sin, no devil. All was clear. All was seen. Nothing hidden. Nothing broken, Nothing gone. You can get to that place again with the Lord. The problem is that in order to do so, you must seek His face. The verse says that we perish for a LACK of knowledge. We must change that. We must fill in the knowledge. It is time to seek our Lord, His face, not what He can do for you...although He is willing to help you in all things.

I wrote down a conversation I had with the Lord one day. It has a strange title but then it was a heart wrenching conversation. Strange is normal for God. So, here is the conversation in an article called "If I Scream Will The Trees Hear Me?"

"My people are destroyed for a lack of knowledge" Why? Because we do not seek Him.

2 Timothy 2:15, "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth." Crack open that Bible and drink and eat. It is time.

Seek God First

Mon, 19 Feb 2007 24:07:23 -0600

Once again, I have been hit with the fact that I did not seek my Lord before I did things. It is a constant problem. You know why? Because we are taught from a very young age to do things ourselves. In fact, we were rewarded for accomplishing tasks and being self reliant. As I grew up, I was able to make more and more decisions on my own, some I made before I was ready, certainly not all wise ones. But it was a learning experience. After all, there is a big, bad world out there. You must get ready to face it. You must learn just how rotten things can be and be able to exist and survive in it.

These days are far worse than when I was a child. At that time, I could walk by myself to and from school at age 6, crossing streets alone. Why? Because it was not feared that someone would come along and take a child. We were taught to cross streets, look out for strangers but that simply wasn't a big worry. I was taught to be independent, to do the tasks set before me in school. It was expected to get homework in on time. Be responsible. Grow up.

I came to the Lord later than some, in my late twenties. I had a lot of years being independent and self reliant. But God asks us to seek Him FIRST before we do anything else. Not an easy task BUT if you do that, the reward is great. He teaches us to go against almost all of what we learned as we were growing up. We MUST trust Him and look to Him for all our needs. We must seek Him when the problems arise. Why? Because if we do not, we tend to reinvent the wheel in all our mistakes, destined to repeat each one. God sees things we cannot see. He sees the end from the beginning. He knows what we are going through and He can deal with the problems if we will just let Him. But that requires trust.

Isn't it about time you decided to trust God for everything? Isn't it about time you chose to seek Him when you have worries? He can help. Don't worry. When you need God, He isn't on the golf course like your friends might be. He isn't sleeping or on vacation. He is right where He is supposed to be. With you, if you will only let Him into your life.

Selfless Acts of Kindness

Sat, 17 Feb 2007 24:05:51 -0600

Perhaps the most interesting people these days are those who are willing to go out on a limb for someone else instead of caring about their own situations and problems. Thing is, I have noticed that there aren't that many people willing to do this anymore.

I was pulling out of a parking space today when someone came up close and personal to our car so that they had to go by before I could get out, actually risking an accident if I had not seen them. Not that big a deal except that they wanted a parking place. They pulled into the one next to me on the other side. Had they waited for half a moment, allowed me to continue backing up, they could have had a closer parking space. But they could not wait those extra few seconds. That would have been courtesy, something missing these days.

It is a little thing, I admit, but it is typical of people's thinking. They MUST do what they need, first, now. I did not mind waiting. I was in no hurry. It is a sign of the times, however small.

God tells us that we need to love our neighbor as ourselves. There is the rub. Like ourselves. Most folks love themselves far more than any neighbor. In fact, many people would mow down the next door neighbor if Ed McMahon came around to hand out checks to the first people in the line. Hey, I have GOT to get mine first. Can't wait on the slow guy.

The Lord IS love. It is His nature to love people. Love flows from the Father to us abundantly whether we can feel that or not. His love is so great that He sent His only Son to die for us. When we acknowledge the Son as our Savior and Lord, we are flooded with the love of God as part of His family.

So, maybe it is a bit hard to love the neighbor but remember that God loves that person whether they are lovable or not, just like He loved us when we were not lovable. How about it? Love your neighbor as you love yourself and you will be walking in the path God has for you. The blessings are awesome.

My Bad

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 23:29:32 -0600

As you can tell, I have not been as faithful as I would like to be on this blog. My intention was to write something here each day, hopefully inspiring and uplifting. Frankly, I have not spent as much time trying to be uplifting, even to myself, as I have been trying to find silly, ridiculous or downright assinine stories for a couple of other blogs. Because of that, this one seems to go wanting. I am going to try and change that.

If a person does not spend some time studying and praying, they will not find themselves enlightened by the Lord. It's that simple. I should know. God asks that we seek Him first and that if we do that, all those things we need and desire, as long as they line up with God's Word, will be added to you. It's a promise.

We must find the time to get together with the Lord to discuss our future. Only He knows what that is. If you are willing to do that, He will guide you through the good times and the rough ones. Frankly, I think that rough times are on the way (not here yet, no matter what you may think) and will only get worse before they get better. The sign to watch for is when Jesus comes back to rule the planet. THEN and ONLY THEN will things get better. They might seem to get better now but that is an illusion. The enemy is on the prowl, walking around, roaring like a lion but his teeth are pulled. It's just that he is trying to fake us out so that we believe he is something he is not.

If we will seek God and walk the path that He has for us, we will be able to tell when the enemy is lying to us. Otherwise, we are open to accepting the lies we are told.

I will see you tomorrow with something uplifting and inspiring. I pray I do anyway. Thank you for reading.

Drop The Guilt

Sun, 11 Feb 2007 24:28:21 -0600

Today, I was reading someone's plea for a prayer request. They said they were born-again but dealing with the problems and faults of their past. I understand that completely having dealt with such things myself. However, the first thing that I thought of was that Jesus died on the cross for those past sins. Why would the past come back to haunt us now?

Just because our past has been forgiven does not mean that we have forgotten where we were and how far we have come. The problem is that the past usually comes back because we don't FEEL forgiven and we can't seem to FORGET it.

When I think of my own past, the first thing that comes to mind is that Jesus really DID die so that I wouldn't have to live with my own past sins. He forgave me! Then, I remember that He said I was a new creation. But the best thing was that God forgets what we have done when we ask for that forgiveness.

So, today is the time to rededicate ourselves to the Lord Jesus. Today is the day we decide that the past needs to stay where it belongs. Yes, we do have to live with the consequences of our actions but they do not have to rule our lives. We can live beyond that and come to a place where Jesus is the Lord of our lives. When that happens, you seek His Face and follow Him whereever He leads. The past is just something that the enemy shows us to get us to focus on it instead of focusing on the Lord.

Hey, the next time the devil gets in your face about your past, how about getting back in his and telling him about his future?!!!! Makes him take a hike! And THAT is a blessing indeed.

Cabbie Gets 30 Cent Tip For Good Deed

Fri, 09 Feb 2007 24:29:04 -0600

The N.Y. cabbie was doing the right thing. He found 31 diamonds in his cab that a lady passenger had left behind. Now, what would you have done? The right thing is to return them whether there is a reward or not. That is exactly what the driver did. It took quite a bit of time for him to track down the passenger. He remembered that his $11 fair tipped him 30 cents. Having been a taxi driver in my youth, I do know that the tip was excruciatingly small and totally thoughtless of the lady. Yet, he was willing to still do the right thing and return the possession.

Anyway, he found the passenger and returned the diamonds, which would have been a devastating loss to her. For his efforts, he was rewarded with $100 for the return of what must have been thousands of dollars worth of diamonds. Ah well. She certainly didn't want to give this guy a big head, did she?

All of this reminds me that our Lord requires us to be at our best, whether we are in company or home alone where no one can see us. He knows that what we do in secret will one day be revealed in the Light, both good and evil. We are to learn to walk the path of the Lord and walk in His Light. It sounds easy, doesn't it. I realize that it is not. But it is essential to our growth as Christians. We must be the same today and tomorrow. We cannot put on our "company face" for others and expect God to honor that. It doesn't fly. Not honorable.

So, today is a great day to rededicate your life to the Lord, working on honoring Him in all you do. Remember, you are God's witness at home, where you work, where you party, with your family and friends or while you are shopping. It matters not where you are. It matters how you act. Are you a good witness for the Lord?

Thank you for coming to see me. I invite you to my website where there are many articles, stories and poems to honor our Lord and to help you grow in your Christian walk. Please come to Lura's Bookcase.

Faithful Pray Around Fla. Church Rubble

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 23:48:09 -0600

This is one of those stories that some people just do not understand. I do understand it and love reading about it. These folks had a most difficult time. Their church was demolished by a tornado in the recent weather activity in Florida. The fact is they were down but not out. So, instead of sitting around crying over the problem, they decided to get up and do something about it. You have to admire such love of family, friends and community but more importantly, the Lord.

I am just going to invite you to read this article of praise and faith:

Faithful Pray Around Fla. Church Rubble

LADY LAKE, Fla. (AP) - Gospel singing and shouts of "Hallelujah!" competed with the sounds of hammers, chain saws and dump trucks Sunday as parishioners of a church obliterated by a tornado gathered around the rubble to remember the dead and pray for the strength to rebuild.

The Lady Lake Church of God's splintered wreckage has become a rallying point in this rural area of central Florida hit hard by three tornadoes that killed 20 people and destroyed hundreds of homes early Friday.

This is a witness to faith in our Lord and strength in those wonderful people.

For more information, please come to my website... Lura's Bookcase

We have articles, poems and stories to help you in your growth as a Christian. Thank you for visiting.

Honorable Police Chief Sites Self With Fine

Sun, 04 Feb 2007 21:58:35 -0600

It isn't often that the news shows that there are still some good, honorable, truth telling folks out there but there certainly are. The story is that the police officer was patrolling and failed to see a school bus in time and passed it, which is against the law in all states. This Wisconsin Chief decided to do what any officer would do when he saw a violation of the law, he ticketed the guilty party....himself.

Our Lord makes it clear that it is honor that He requires from His own and He rewards those who are willing to be an honorable witness.

Rom 2:10 But He will give glory, honor and peace to every man who works good, to the Jew first and also to the Greek.

Rom 12:9-10 Let love be without hypocrisy, shrinking from evil, cleaving to good; in brotherly love to one another, loving fervently, having led one another in honor.

Without honor, we cannot please our Lord. So, let us strive to attain honor in all we do. The officer that was in the story did not care whether anyone saw him or not. He knew that he had done something wrong so he took care of it in the most honorable way possible. What we do in secret will someday be known in the Light. It is so important that we be the same in private that we are in public, honorable.

For more on the story about the Police Chief of the Wisconsin town, please go to:

Wis. Police Chief Tickets Himself $235

For more information on Christian living, new Christians, becoming a Christian or end times, please go to my website at Lura's Bookcase where you will find many articles and stories to answer your questions. Thank you for coming to Topshelf.

The Almighty Dollar Reigns

Fri, 02 Feb 2007 22:26:12 -0600

Once again, we have a story in the news just yesterday that stated that Exxon showed huge profits for the last quarter of last year. Why? Because they were profitting off of our misery, that is, the price of gas at the pump. Last year, it reached so high that folks spent more than they earned and saved. And that would be the second story. It is very possible that the reason folks could not or would not save as much as in the past was because of those high gas and heating prices. Frankly, because of the greed of the one, the other had to suffer.

Greed is one of those seven deadly sins that God is against. The Lord asks us to seek first His kingdom and then all the things we need and desire shall be ours as long as they line up with the Word of God, His Bible. (Matt 6:33 But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added to you.)

Unfortunately, the world is a very cold place. Greed is a strong factor in what companies do to get a profit. They will stop at literally nothing to get what they want, which is more money for themselves. They simply do not care about those who are buying their product. They will cry and tell you that they are hurting too, yet they have these huge profits. Our Lord tells us to lay up treasures in heaven, not in this world, because there are thieves that can take it. We see that in the oil companies and the profits they make with the higher prices at the pump. Yes, the price has gone down but, in the long run, you can expect it to go high again someday. There will be the usual excuses for why it happened. Do you want to live like that, making excuses for how you behave or would you rather learn from the Father about treasure in heaven that cannot be stolen. I know that I would prefer the heavenly treasures. Wouldn't you?

For more information on this subject and other articles, please come to my website. Whether you are a brand new Christian, one who has known the Lord for many years or perhaps you have never sought the Lord for anything before now, we have articles to address many questions for you. I invite you to

Lura's Bookcase. Thank you for visiting.

Forgiveness Vs. Revenge

Thu, 01 Feb 2007 19:41:57 -0600

Today I was thinking about just how many people are more interested in revenge rather than actual forgiveness and they most assuredly do not want to forgive when they can get the revenge first. Our society is cold, the hearts of the people have become cold. (Matthew 24:12, "And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold.") I think most of us can agree that the word iniquity (definition-iniquity(n.)Gross immorality or injustice; wickedness. (n.) A grossly immoral act; a sin.-Webster dictionary) is relevant to today's news, can't we? How about all the murders, rape, road rage, assassinations. I heard about a guy who, in a drug induced rage, shot and killed his wife while his little girls watched. How cold is that?

How about when a person's only reason for living is to get revenge on someone they believe has hurt them? In their minds, they are living in a cold and cruel world with no way out. It may completely consume their lives. So many people are hurting today. So many lives have been hurt or devastated by thoughtless, heartless individuals who are only seeking a dollar, their own way or seeking to hurt someone who has hurt them. Does this seem right to you? Or is there a better way?

As I see it, the better way is the Lord Jesus. Since He has already forgiven us for our sins, surely forgiving others for theirs is a no brainer. It is written that we have been forgiven as long as we accept Jesus into our hearts. But then, it also states that we must forgive others so that we may be forgiven as well. (Mark 11:25, "And when ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have ought against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses.")

So, it seems to me that if a person seeks revenge they go against everything the Lord is teaching us. Does that make sense to you? Take the time to search your heart to see if you are wanting to seek revenge on someone. Now, does it take priority over other things (not that it has to but many people have that problem. It consumes them)? Does it stay in your mind all the time? Why not seek a better way rather than putting all of your energy into a negative emotion. It may seem satisfying to get that revenge for the moment but in the end you will not feel the satisfaction that you thought you would. It's time to seek that better way. Take the high road this time.

If you have not asked Jesus into your heart or if you are not where you should be with the Lord, please take the time right now to seek out the Lord. Ask His forgiveness of your sins. Yes, He WILL forgive you of all.....I said ALL of your sins. Even the ones too nasty to speak, He is there to take you into His arms and tell you He forgives you. Why? Because He died on a cruel cross over two thousand years ago just for you. After you ask forgiveness, which Jesus has in abundance, please ask Him into your heart where He will reside with you forever. He has told you that He is knocking at the door to your heart. Please let Him in to stay with you. Then, look up that dusty Bible and open it to the book of John. There you will find the story of Jesus and how you have been saved. We welcome you to the family of the Lord. Please try to find a church that supports the actual teaching of the scriptures as they were written.

I invite you to my website for more information and articles on this subject at Lura's Bookcase. We have many articles, stories, poems for you to read. Let us know if you have questions. We are here to help you to grow in the Lord.

America Going Off the Path

Tue, 30 Jan 2007 24:14:53 -0600

One of the signs of the end times or, more accurately, the end of the age is the coldness of people. In Matt. 24, it tells of people getting cold hearts. You can see it everywhere. (Matthew 24:11-12, "And many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall abound, the love of many shall wax cold." As always, please read the scriptures around these and get the full idea of what is being talked about here. Never ever take a person's word for God's Word without investigating it yourself.)

When I was growing up, people were polite to each other. They cared if a neighbor got sick or was hurt in a car accident or had other big problems. Most people don't even know their neighbors let alone care about them anymore. If I've just insulted you then you should know that this is also one of the signs, people getting upset or insulted over the smallest things. Everyone is ready to sue someone over the dumbest and most petty stuff.

Another way you can tell about coldness of heart is how self serving a person is. If it's more important that they get their way even if it hurts others, that too, is a sign of the end of the age. If you are an older person like I am, well not THAT old, then you might remember a time when things simply were not like this. Haven't you found yourself saying " I just wish it was like it used to be when people cared about others and quit worrying so much about themselves."

Being a good neighbor these days can get you sued, injured or dead. Those that you save from whatever problem might just decide you are the one that injured them. Big dollars there. If you have been in a cave for the last several years, let me remind you to check out the television. Turn the channels to all those court shows....Judge this guy and Judge that woman. Many years ago, it was Judge Wapner. Now, it's so many judges that you can't count them all. And what do you suppose is the reason why these shows are so popular? Because someone is having a verbal cat fight with a neighbor, relative, ex-spouse, ex-love interest or whatever else. And there is that almighty dollar too. Ah, what we will and will not do for a buck.

Maybe, despite those who believe otherwise, we ought to get back to our roots. No, not just our ancestors but where we began....with our Lord Jesus. If you have not given your life to Jesus or if you have but are not where you should be in the Lord, please consider coming to the Lord before the coldness of this world hits you where it truly hurts, in your spirit. Jesus died on the cross for you. Yes, YOU! Please ask Him to forgive you of your sins and then ask Him to come in. He is knocking at the door to your heart right this minute. If you have asked Him into your heart, welcome to the family of God! Now would be a good time to go get that Bible that you have been meaning to open someday.

I invite you to come to my website to help you grow spiritually. Please come to Lura's Bookcase. We have many articles and stories for you there as well as links to many other sites that will help you as well.

Peace and Safety

Mon, 29 Jan 2007 23:57:01 -0600

Just a little more on that idea of resting in peace and safety. Yesterday I mentioned the baby birds. Today, picture yourself in a place so peaceful that you cannot imagine wanting to leave. For me, that place is a very large tree next to a babbling brook in a grassy field. There is no one else around. No car noise, no factory noise, no people talking, no polution, no trains, no horns. Nothing to hear but the sounds of birds, bees and the water flowing peacefully by. I sit up against the tree simply enjoying the peace and quiet of the beautiful, late spring day. The birds are singing. The trees are budding and leafing out. The flowers are spectacular. Such colors. There is a very light breeze. Sunny day. Temp about 75 degrees.

That picture comes to me straight out of Psalm 23. (Psalms 23:2, " He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.") Did I add anything myself...yes, I guess I did. But, that is how the Lord shows me this picture from that scripture. It gives me the peace that I need to see myself through some of the things I have had to face through the years. It is a blessing.

For more information and articles on all sorts of things about the Lord, please come to my website:

Lura's Bookcase