"LIFE"

Had a great privilege the first three days of this week. This is the one single thing that separates us from the rest of the world, our trials by jury where the defendant is Innocent until the State proves him guilty to 12 people then they will decide.

Think about this as if someone has accused you of a crime? Think hard. I knew a lot more about our system Monday morning before I got selected as the alternate to the jury, heard everything just couldn't vote, than I did when I got home Monday afternoon.

Good gosh...what a responsibility this is. One twelfth of someones life in your hand. One more time think just about that.

What do you do on a jury? Listen, read some of the paperwork, go to the bathroom, talk about the weather, really not much, you are just there. All of the evidence is being presented, witness are called, etc.

Then you are presented with the closing statements, then you are released to the jury room to determine quilty or innocence. The next day in our case you are presented more information about the defendant if he has been determined guily then...you determine the punishment. See what I mean. In your hands.
I glad now to have been the alternant. Next time I will listen and watch differently. I know now why you see some of the decisions that are made. Maybe next time I will be in one of the "real" seats.
MM

"life"

"life"

L

Footnote

To clear up anything that I might have said about "Love Wins" I believe Mr. Bell will sell a million books just from the advertisement that the book received free of charge by people that condemned it in writing...mostly from what other people said about it not personal knowledge of the book itself.
At the very best I think the book contains some questions that a number of people have thought of and decided that they were useless. If a question just causes confusion about a issue it should be prayed over before asking.
The book probably has some teaching that would probably have been better to do in a private Bible study, small group study, etc.

Thanks, MM

Comments on a book I HAVE READ

"Love Wins" I certainly hope so.I read some reviews of this book, most well written, although I have heard talk about this book by people that have never read the book. I have not heard anything from anyone other than "church" folks. Now a long time ago when I first started going to church and was able to start figuring out for myself what I was reading the preachers, at least the good ones,said when we got home from church we should get down our Bibles and see if what the scriptures says is in line with what the preacher said...sounds like good advice to me. If they thought I should check them then it would seem as if I should check anyone else that dared to write about anything that is suppose to be true.
Now Mr. Rob Bell has written a book that dared to say something about heaven and hell all in the same sentence. Now the question is "what exactly did he say about hell, not heaven but just hell? I think that is what makes one a Universalist, what one believes about hell.
"They" say he is a Universalist, this is not a good thing and I agree, but in reading his book I never found any place that he suggested that people wouldn't go to a place we call hell. He also was very positive about the fact that he believes, chapter 8, that Jesus Christ is the only way for salvation.
Now Rob Bell has a very different way of teaching, he requires us to work, he asks questions and leaves it up to us to answer them. Sound OK to me...see the first paragraph, and should work out just fine, shouldn't it?
I should be concerned about what is being taught...but how do I check this out is the question. I can listen to people, pastors, and teachers for years and never get them to settle down on any one subject so how do I know.
My wife says we need to pray about ALL things and the LORD will tell us what is true and what is not, but some folks and this probably should be a good number don't believe the LORD would be so bold as to talk with just regular folks, but wait again...if I believe in His son Jesus Christ which makes me a son of God shouldn't I be able to talk to and hear from my Father without outside help?
Gets sort of complicated doesn't it, especially when I get into other peoples business. I probably just need to pay attention to what I read, what I believe and what is it based upon,and be very gentle pointing a finger at someone else.
Enough for now, until something else comes along, MM

Our thoughts are our actions

In a time that is behind us there lived a bitter man. What all that made him that way is not known but doesn't change the fact that he lived and others lived around or with him that lived with this.
One decision on his part changed a lot of people. His actions broke up a marriage, separated a child from it's parents, denied two other children the right to have a home life and on and on and on.
Now God has a way to deal with this. Some how He takes mistakes and turns them around for great things sometimes. The good part is that everyone has the opportunity to grow. Everyone that is capability of thinking knows that we grow with trouble and usually get into trouble if things are going along good.
Life seems to pass on problems but it doesn't it passes on solutions to problems but...we have a come to a point where we know this. Until this happens we pass about the problems.
Think about the times you have grown the most and see if this isn't true in your life, it sure is in mine. Thank God for solutions.

Death...?

How important are we? We live and people are aware of us, they are around us, we are useful to society, then we die. We are mourned, people split up our stuff, if we have any, and pretty soon we are a memory and a picture somewhere in a drawer or box waiting for the owner to die so this cycle will start all over again. Seems as if there should be more than this...good news there usually is. If we have children we never die or go away and here is the really sad part the children usually live with what we have taught them by our actions more than our words, really need to watch what we do. This will be passed on for generations, sad but true. There is a song about be careful little eyes what we see....and so on. BE CAREFUL IN WHAT WE SHOW THEM.

It is over...?

My sister isn't sick anymore. She has gone home, what does that mean?
To a Believer, both of us were that, she is in heaven and God's arms. This is what we hope for, this is what we believe.
We had her funeral yesterday, with me preaching the service. There were a good crowd there, her family and friends mostly with some friends of the family.
My sister started out with 3 daughters, the middle child died a few years back. The oldest has 2 fine boys, the middle daughter had 2 fine sons, and the youngest has a fine boy. Now none of these have the McIntosh name but they are that anyway. I have two fine sons, one has 2 children, one boy and one girl, and the other is still looking for the right wife. This branch of the tree still has a way to go.
The Family will go on. This is important to me. A few years back that wasn't necessary so or if it was I didn't know it. When you spend most of your waking hours total consumed with self it is hard to think very far ahead, this is where the big change came when I became a Believer in Christ. He took my eyes off of me and directed my thoughts to others, first the family and then outside.
Love it...life and all that goes with it. Unfortunately life really does have twists and turns but that is where we learn to depend upon Christ, we get strong in our afflictions.
I feel a trip coming on.
A BEDOUIN AT HEART

My Sister

Thinking Again

My only sister is really very sick. We visited her yesterday afternoon in the hospital and I got to wondering...why do we fight so hard just to live? Most of the time living is defined as breathing in and out...not so in my book. When you can not get out and about, visit friends, etc. living has come to an end.
Think about this!