Horoscopes, prophets and pizza.

These are all things in this world... but are they necessarily good for us?

I just played 2 hours of hockey last night, came home and ate 2 pieces of pizza. Yes, the pizza satisfied my stomach and my hunger... but, there was no nutritional value at all to provide my body w/ the essential nutrients that I depleted at the hockey rink.

There was this magician on cable that was doing unnatural things. People loved him. They were very astonished while I sat there wondering where this man received his wisdom in order to do such acts. Other than the fact of God making these tricks possible, in no way was he glorifying God in these tricks (not to say that these tricks were coming from God- I believe they weren't).

Horoscopes are none the less no different... people are putting hope into a person's wisdom. People are seeking this source of hope for information in how to live their lives. They don't need God... they put their trust in a person to tell them their fortune.

All three of these are feeding us some how... physically, entertaining and spiritual. How do we know what is right or wrong? The bible is the ultimate benchmark in how we should test the things of this world- even the words that are written in this letter. What we tend to believe in is how we are going to live our lives. How we train our minds is what we will become. What we 'sow'... is what we will 'reap'.

It takes discipline in our thinking to discern what we should act on and what to ignore. If I am at a Penguins/Capitals hockey game, I am not going to like Ovechkin's moves- no matter how sweet they are... I am going to yell when Crosby does a back-handed slapshot high to the glove side.

You shouldn't root for the other team. You shouldn't eat pizza as a post workout meal. You shouldn't praise a magician for his trickery. You shouldn't be seeking guidance through horoscopes... IMHO.

These are just my observations and some rules that I implicate into my daily routine and views of what happens in this world we currently live in. The bibles says we are just sojourners here, and we are given an opportunity to live in the Glory of God... or to the dismay of the prince of the earth- satan. We get to chose how we want to live- thats liberty. We are not robots being controlled by God to worship Him, it is in our control if we chose to do so or not.

Are you on autopilot fly out of contol?

Who is @ the controls?

As a radio control airplane flies, it is in perfect unison... flying through the air, being freed from the grips of this world... powered by a source and giving thanks to be able to do something that is awesome.

So, there are three things that are behind the concept of being able to fly a remote control airplane.
1. Theres the controller.
2. Theres the radio transmission.
3. Then theres the reception to be able to execute what the controller desires.

If any one of these criteria fails, the plane is going to do a nosedive into a big pile of destruction.

So, if the controller is perfect... and the transmission is perfect... what can fail?
- That would be the vessel.

If there is a malfunction in the plane, or if it becomes hijacked, or decides to fly independent of the controller- there is always a sense of rejection... or disappointment in not being able to control the airplane.

The controller is Jesus.
The radio transmission is the Holy Spirit.
The vessel is us. The ability to be able to receive the transmission is a gift.

Imagine all of us are flying around. Some of us are flying our own plane, captaining the flight making all the decisions and free roam. But, how many of us have given up our own itinerary to fly in accordance to a plan that is available and already predestined and set for us- if we surrender to it?

But, can't we just have fun and have the ability to have free-will? God gives us Liberty to go out on our own and live... to do some barrel rolls or flips. But w/out Love or radio transmission, we are just going about our own flight plan in self-righteousness. So, it is still important to be w/in range of the radio frequency, because there are going to be places where the controller just doesn't want us to go- though sometimes we go out of range and begin to live according to our own ways.

The transmission is always there- not to say that I have always been in range... even in recent history. And when I do find myself out of range (w/out knowing), I can testify that I have flown into a few trees here and there. So, I go back to say that I did a wrong and seek the correction to my faultiness in order to seek how the controller desires for me to fly in my free will.

But, who do you say that I am?

Matthew 16:15 He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?”
16 Simon Peter answered and said, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

They were in a personal relationship w/ Jesus. Spending time w/ Him, seeking Him and His ways.

They did not go to the bars at night and return to Him the next day. They did not goto happy hour, then return to Him in the evening.

Peter said that He was the Christ, the Son of the living God. Peter could only know that by being in a personal relationship with Him. He surrendered his life to Him, following Him and His teaching. Christ 'revealed' Himself to Peter and the others- that is how they knew who He was in the response given.

Only a dedicated life will be blessed- nothing ritualistic... I only know from experience. Being careful not to walk in front of Him, letting your pride to lead you.

17 Jesus answered and said to him, “Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.