Page 5 - "Talk to Bob Ministries" - The man who talked with God, wants to talk to you! -
Bob's Answers, 
Questions, 
It's Quite Simple, 
Miracles, 
Bone Pickin',
Get Over It!, 
The Devil's Tackle Box, 
Here's A Story for ya, 
A Question of Trust,
Roadblocks to Christ, 
I'll Buy That!.
Back to:Page 1
Return to:HOME PAGE
Bob's
Answers to commonly asked questions:
1. Does God love me? Answer. Yes.
John 3:16; For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
2. Can I attain eternal Life? Answer. Yes.
Acts 16:30b,31; Sirs, what must I do to be saved? And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.
3. How big is Heaven? Answer. Obviously, if God is infinite, and He fills all things, Heaven must be infinite. Those that go to Heaven will not be limited in their ability to travel as we now are on this tiny blue ball called earth. And where ever you go, God will be with you. Just think what people are giving up to do their own thing now.
I Corinthians 2:9; But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love Him.
4. What is unconditional love? Answer. Only God can truly give you unconditional(no performance limitations) love. He will not abandon us if we don't live up to earthly "expectations". He loves us as we are, fat or skinny, smart or stupid, beautiful or ugly, lazy or industrious. Of course He knows that we can always improve, and He urges us in that direction, for our comfort. How comforting is the fact that someone will always love us no matter what. Many people are born into such earthly relationships, but they are fleeting. Do not dispare, when you give your life to God, He will never leave you. He is always looking to our best interests.
Hebrews 13:5b; for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Jeremiah 31:3b; Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee. John 8:32; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Romans 8:28; And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. I Thessalonians 5:18; In everything give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
5. Why are believers called Pilgrims? Answer. Pilgrim; one who journeys in alien lands. When one is on a pilgrimage, it seems to me that you should take with you only the things that are necessary for the trip. Likewise, on our journey through life, should a true believer get involved with the lusts of this world, namely the lust for power, money, and possessions. It is certain that we cannot take anything with us, so we should be concentrating on the things that promote the Kingdom of God, such as mercy, lovingkindness, and godliness. This doesn't mean God wants us to live like paupers. On the contrary, He wants us to live in peace and rest, looking forward to the great day of His return.
II Corinthians 5:20a; Now then we are ambassadors for Christ,. Hebrews 11:13b; and confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth. I Peter 2:11; Dearly beloved, I beseech you as stangers and pilgrims, abstain from fleshly lusts, which war against the soul;. I Timothy 6:5,6,7,8; Perverse disputings of men of corrupt minds, and destitute of the truth, supposing that gain is godliness: from such withdraw thyself. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into this world, and it is certain we can carry nothing out. And having food and raiment let us be therewith content. II Timothy 2:4; No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.
6. What is Bliss? Answer. In the dictionary; complete happiness, paradise, heaven.
Psalms 144:15b; yea, happy is that people, whose God is the LORD. Psalms 146:5,6,7,8,9; Happy is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD his God: Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein is: which keepeth truth for ever: Which executeth judgement for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The LORD looseth the prisoners: The LORD openeth the eyes of the blind: the LORD raiseth them that are bowed down: the LORD loveth the righteous: The LORD preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down. Romans 14:22; Hast thou faith? have it to thyself before God. Happy is he that condemneth not himself in that thing which he alloweth. James 5:11a; Behold, we count them happy which endure. I Peter 3:14a; But and if ye suffer for righteousness' sake, happy are ye:
7. Why does God allow accidents? Answer. If a person were perfect, there would be no need for God to permit accidents(think of them as a Divine spanking) to happen in our lives. But since we are not, and most of us are hell bent for leather to do things our way, God in His infinite mercy and love, corrects us. If God left us in this life of sin we were born into without slowing us down, getting our attention, changing our direction, taking away destructive things or actions, or stopping us outright, we would destroy ourselves. If we are open to the truth and want to change, although painful(either physically or emotionally), mishaps can be a cleansing act. Maybe we are heading down the wrong path, holding onto earthly things as God substitutes, going to fast, hanging on to an addiction, going to commit an act that could hurt us or others, or in general, heading away from a loving and trusting relationship with God. It has been my experience that God always has a lesson in the misfortune of our lives. His ultimate purpose is to bring us into a complete relationship with Him, heading us in the right direction where our all in all is Him. If He left us in a life of deception, what sort of love would that be? Think of the Titanic and all the loving care and design that went into her and her ultimate fate. The captain was warned of icebergs ahead many times by other ships in the area, but ignored their warnings. As a matter of fact, the ship's speed was increased as the voyage progressed, because they wanted to set a new Atlantic crossing record. This beautiful ship was destroyed and many passengers died as a result. Think of all the man hours of work and materials that were lost forever because of a failure to heed warnings. This too can happen in our lives if we fail to heed God's warnings. No matter how we scheme and plan to establish our own kingdoms on earth, without God's direction, we are doomed. Seek God. He wants us to live a quiet, peaceful life, if we will stand corrected. If not, judgement and punishment await us.
Proverbs 16:18 - Pride goeth before destruction, and an haughty spirit before a fall.
Proverbs 3:11,12 - My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth.
Proverbs 15:10 - Correction is grievous unto him that forsaketh the way: and he that hateth reproof shall die.
8.
"If You have a Question or do not agree with my Answers to the Questions above, please use the e-mail on my Home Page via the link below, or you can use the panic button if what you want to say can't wait. Thanks.
Bob.
Back to:Page 1
It's Quite Simple:
1: There are only two kinds of people in the World, those that are going to Heaven and them that are going to Hell.
2: Remember, the end of the World for you is but a heartbeat away.
3: There are only two kinds of people in the world, those that keep the law, and those that break the law.
4: Trying to get to Heaven (walk the narrow path) on your own is like crossing a 1000 mile field full of land mines (one every square foot) in the dark (without gitten blowed up).
5: A drop of water in the Oceans cannot compare to your Life and Eternity.
6: Depression stems from not realizing that You are unconditionally loved.
7: The wounds of life are healed by time, love, and forgiveness until the scars are only reminders of our fallibility.
8: Trying to get to Heaven by good works is like trying to swim from New York to Calcutta on your own.
9: Accept, because this is God's perfect will for your life. Nothing could have been added to it and nothing could have been taken away from it.
10: Live in the present, plan for the future, and learn from the past.
11: Make a name for yourself and it might last a lifetime; make a name for God and it will last for an eternity.
12: He who gives up what he cannot keep for something he can, is a wise man. Those who seek the things of this world, must leave them at death; those who seek God, will meet Him at death, to be with Him for eternity.
13: We have been entrusted with a little power while on earth; use it wisely. The owner of all power is watching.
14: The Devil becomes a thief, when his lies steal our peace and joy.
15: There are only two kinds of people on earth, Jews(God's chosen People), and Gentiles(the rest of us). Praise God that all those that believe may be saved by faith in Christ Jesus( The Messiah)!
16: There are only two kinds of people in the world, those that listen to good advice and them that don't.
17: Party on dude, if this life is all you ever want to have.
18: Behave yourself and God will Bless you, for this is His desire.
19: There are only two kinds of men in the world, the carnal man who fears he will miss out on something in this world and the man of God who is looking forward to the next world.
20: God invented scars as a reminder of our mistakes so that we would not repeat them.
21: Better a room full of shattered glass than a life lived in the darkness of arrogance and pride.
22: When your lying on the mat, remember, pride put you there and rebellion will keep you down.
23: Putting your complete trust in God will eliminate the fear in your life.
24: Suffering is necessary to bring us to repentance.
25: There is a fine line between trusting God and tempting God; walking that line is a narrow path.
26: You can go through life thinking your on top of things and owe no one anything, but there is one debt you can never repay. Jesus paid for your sin on the cross and has offered eternal life to you as a gift; take it or leave it.
27: Nothing bad(as the world sees it) can or has happened to a child of God, as the Bible says that "all" things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
28: A coffin is put together one nail at a time. By one choice at a time, people choose their ultimate destiny.
29: A life without God is like walking toward a cliff; everything seems fine until you fall over the edge into the abyss.
30: God is not in the business of promoting our illusion of self image; it is we that desire earthly kingdoms. His desire is for us to share His glory and His kingdom.
31: If God wants you to have it, there is no striving.
32: Sooner or later your hectic, go get them life will slow down. You've never seen a hearse speeding to the cemetery and the roses you'll be smelling will be on top of your casket.
33: Most people are more interested in feathering their own nests than in seeking the truth.
34: If man does not destroy all the fissionable material in the world and get completely out of the nuclear energy field, it is inevitable that man will be involved in a nuclear holocaust.
35: Experience is knowing when your making the same mistake for the second time.
36: Success is doing the best you can for that day, and living with the results.
37:
----------------------------And Ye Shall Know The Truth And The Truth Shall Set You Free---------------------------
Back to:Page 1
Bob tells of some Miracles God has performed in his life as a Christian: Taking it for granted that becoming a Christian is a miracle(supernatural act of God), I will attempt to describe three separate acts of Divine Providence that have occured during my walk with God.
1. I really enjoy walking. I usually average 20 miles a week. Several years ago, an old motorcycle injury came to haunt me, and threaten to hamper my enjoyment of walking. When I was in my early thirties(I was born in 1948, you do the math), I was preparing to ride in a cross country motorcycle race in Vernon, British Columbia, and injured my left knee. I had just unloaded my bike(a Suzuki PE 250) from my van and was taking a short warmup ride without paying to much attention to the terrain, when I saw this little bank ahead(possibly six feet in height) and thought I would just kinda slide over the top and skid down it, no problem. Wrong. The bank had an undercut and I went over the bars and the bike landed on me, with my left leg pin underneath me. I still raced(which probably made a bad situation worse) but had to quit because of the pain in my left knee. Well the Doctor said I had damaged a ligament, and put a cast on my left leg, supposedly for six weeks. Well that lasted about a week, and I took the cast off myself. The knee felt pretty good and never bothered me. During my night shifts at the Jail, it would sometimes click when I made an about face at the end of the tiers while doing checks, but there was no pain. I made three trips to the Grand Canyon over the years, and walked to the bottom and out(17 to 20 miles, depending if you got a ride from the campground or not) without a hitch until the last time in the early nineties. When I reached the rim of the canyon, I could still go up, but it was impossible to go downhill, the pain was so severe. This condition went away with time but came back in the late nineties during walks from my house(in the hills) to my wife's job(about 6 to 11 miles depending on my route), where I'd meet her for lunch. I had what you call down hill knee. Sometimes the pain was fairly severe and I would have to take it easy going downhill(sideways, that sort of thing). I figured my walking days were coming to an end in my early Fifties and I wasn't a happy camper. At one point, I just said the heck with it, I'm walking(I was usually good for the first day, but on the second day my knee was to sore to make another trip) today whether it hurts or not. I sort of stumped my way(stiff legged it) down the hills and made the trip. The next day, I should have been in big pain, but I had no pain at all. I couldn't believe it. I went up and down hills like a trooper after that without a hitch. Sometimes if I ran down hill I would feel a little pain, but this went away. I,m still hoofin'er as we speak(May, 2003) and gettin' ready to hike the Grand Canyon again this fall with one of my sons, if everything works out. I've moved to a place down by the river and have a whole new route to walk. If I go the long way, it's 17 miles with, I'd say a 1500 foot climb and descent. No problem! I believe God performed a Miracle and healed my knee. What other explanation is there. It had been getting progressively worse and now it's healed. Praise the LORD!!!
2. I have always had excellent eyesight all my life until the mid-90's. I rode motorcycles, flew airplanes, and enjoyed a life without glasses(thank you Jesus). In 1993, I was put into an area at work which required me to use a computor terminal for up to 11 hrs. a day. This area also contained other terminals and monitors for a total of nearly 13, with VCR's and other electronic equipment. In this electromagnetic soup can, my eyes gradually deteriorated over the years until I even needed glasses to drive my car. Also my eyes would fatigue while I was driving and I would have to wear them to see my speedo and the road signs clearly. Understand that before this, I could even see the dust particles on the face of the speedo. Needless to say I was becoming increasingly worried about going blind. I would say that this culminated in 1999(51 yrs. old), and I though I would be blind by the time I was 60 yrs. old. In January of 2001, I was moved to an area without monitors(a unit housing inmates), except for the computor used to communicate with, and my eyes got a rest. That same year, I decided to stop drinking diet pop(my friend had told me for several years that the aspartame was bad for you) and any thing with caffeine. Believe it or not, the bones in my legs ached for almost a week. Almost immediately, my eyesight began to improve, and by the time I went in to get new glasses(May), the Doctor only gave me a prescription for reading, even though I had progressives made. My old glasses had an element for distance and reading. This was a different Doctor than before and I think he was a little out on his prescription as I had to use my old glasses for driving as my eyes still fatigued after an hour or so of driving. I had started using glasses at the age of 42 yrs.(normal they tell me) for reading and the new glasses I still used for that. I kept my old pair in the car for driving. From about this time on, my eyes would fluctuate between good and poor, somedays fine, others blurry. At a distance, I had trouble identifying people but I still preferred to go without glasses, except when driving or reading. Even close-up, people were a little fuzzy. I had resigned myself to this state, but in the back of my mind, I was hoping God would heal my eyes. Then in April of 2003, I took a trip to Medicine Hat to see my Mother, and left my driving glasses at home, as they were in my car and I was taking my truck. For some reason, I figured I wouldn't need them and I would be OK(I didn't always use glasses for driving and just put up with the fuzziness). A few minutes into the trip, I was regretting not having brought my driving glasses because I get enjoyment out of seeing everything clear, and I was tempted to go back and get them. As I had to be in Calgary at a certain time to meet my son and have supper, I carried on and accepted. As it was, I just missed a blizzard that rolled in behind me after I left Calgary(the roads were closed) and only drove in rain. As my trip evolved, I began to notice that I could see clearly, even after several hours of driving. Before, when I could see clearly, if I blinked my eyes, things would be blurry and it would take several seconds to again see somewhat clearly, but now I could blink all I wanted and things were still clear. I thought, this is great but how is this happening. I figured this was some temporary thing, and would go away when I returned home. This happened after I left the Hat and was on my way home through the States(I like to travel far and long, sometimes putting on 800 miles in a day), going through Great Falls(missed seeing my Aunt and Uncle there), then down through Idaho and back up through Oregon and Washington State. When I got home, my eyes were still super. As the days went by, they still remained great(I could even see the faces of my fellow workers and I thought to myself, Hey these guys are looking older as I could now see the wrinkles and roughness). What a blessing. I can only contribute this to a miracle as I have changed nothing in my life. Praise God, I can see like I did before I went into the Control area at work in 1993(at a distance).I still need glasses to read, but I'm even using my cheap, off the rack(1.50 power)specs to use on my computor at home, and they work just fine. I'm so happy. That you Jesus, and may others experience the same. Thank You, thank You.
3. For most of my life I have been a perfectionist. Perfectionism in my life meant being a slave to doing things perfectly(my interpretation of perfect), having possesions that were in perfect condition, and relying on these two things for inner peace, contentment, security, and strength. Sounds like a recipe for pain doesn't it? Well let me tell you that I have suffered much at the hand of this affliction. I would say this started in my late Teens(late 1960's) and has kept a grip on me until the last day or two(June 23rd,2003). I'm writing about this now because I feel God has delivered me from this addiction, and it is safe to do so. I believe this disease took root in my youth when I relied on my good grades in school for my self-esteem. During my last year in school(18 years old, grade 12), my dad finally let me by a motorcycle(a used Honda Cub 50) which progressed into a brand new 1967 Suzuki 200. I can remember being bedridden for two weeks with some aliment, and running back and forth to the window to check on my bike to see if anyone was fiddling with it. I have fussed over every new vehicle since, and in the early years would even go so far as to trade them in when they weren't up to my standards. I spent many hours checking out the roof line of my first house to see if it had a sag in it. In my next house, I would stick knives under the wall in the kitchen to see if there was enough pressure(contact) to support the roof as the support pillar in the basement hadn't been properly tightened and I wanted my adjustment to be perfect. All this sounds kind of crazy doesn't it, but not to a perfectionist. Well I could tell you story after story but the one I'm going to end this with is quite recent. In the fall of 2002, my wife and I moved to a new three story condo and I made the mistake of saying that I was not going to be as fussy here as in our other houses. Guess what? Defect after defect began revealing their ugly heads and I had to turn the other cheek. I even had to overlook some defects in the new furniture we had purchased. I knew inside that this was a good thing, but still unpleasant. When I scraped the paint on the garage floor I resisted fixing it. The cruncher was the mortgage. When we moved, we still had eleven months left on our previous mortgage and we could not go to the lower interest rates without a penalty until May of 2003. During this whole time I worried off and on that the rates would go up for one reason or another and we would lose out. Also during this time a fellow at work said that I should remortgage and take the penalty and I said no, that I was going to wait until the end of the mortgage(November 1st) or until the bank called and offered to remortgage, therefore openly committing myself to my interpretation of God's will. When the time came that I could remortgage without a penalty(May 1st), I made it only nine days before I went in and started the paper work. I felt that God was allowing me to go in earlier even after saying I wouldn't. This was partly out of fear of losing my house(interest rates skyrocketing) and partly not wanting to go through the whole summer worrying about what the interest rates were going to do. Waiting until the bitter end had always seemed to be His perfect will in the past. You guessed it, the rates came down. I thought that I was covered for one month but that wasn't true on a early renewal. This left me a little hot under the collar, realizing that I had blow it. My banker came up with some relief though, when he said that I could renew once within the period of one month after the initial renewal. I could have waited until the end of June, but I chose to do it at the beginning of June. For the next few weeks I suffered, hashing things over and over in my mind until yesterday(June 23rd). I came to the understanding in my mind that it didn't matter which way things went, whether I waited until this fall or did it early as either were immaterial in the long run and that being free from this curse of perfectionism had to mean that going either way meant no difference. Also, it didn't matter if the rates went lower, but that accepting this was the answer. If I got the low rate and had waited the full time, this would not have cured my perfectionism and going in early and having justified this in my mind would have not have cured it either. Accepting the fact that either was the same in reality did the trick. Going back in time and sticking with my original plan, without knowledge of what had happened would be no good as I would still be in the same boat(perfectionism) as before. I felt released and I knew that it would be forever. One other thing that was eating at me though, was whether God was angry at me for going in to renew early and that I was no longer in his will. I felt that I would have to start making decisions for myself now, as I had deviated from my original interpretation of His will and gone to the bank early out of fear, instead of being able to rely on Him for direction. Would He abandon me to the wolvles, even though I had thought it was His will to do so(go in early)? This was a lie of the devil(he likes to change hats) as the Bible clearly states that nothing can separate us from His love. If I could do that by my actions, then I'm doomed. All the imperfections in the things that I have owned and in the things that I have done, I now realize were placed there by God to bring me to the conclusion that He is the only Perfect in the whole of creation, He not having been created. The chip in the gas tank of my 1971 Honda 750, placed there by the mechanic's funnel as the last thing he did before I received possession; the damaged screw on my Honda 450 that I never replaced; the door that didn't fit properly on my 1994 Mustang convertible; and so on and so on. All these things were placed there by a loving God who would not allow me to worship anything but Him. Thank you for releasing me from my addiction to perfection. You are the only one forever and ever. Praise the LORD. Matthew 16:25 - "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it." Ecclesiastes 1:14 - "I have seen all the works that are done under the sun; and, behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit." Psalm 127:1 - "Except the LORD build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the LORD keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain." P.S. A lady from the bank who didn't know that I had already remortgaged, phoned on the 24th and offered to renew early. God is good. One other thing. On June the 15th, I had a medical problem that caused me to miss a night at work which ended seventeen years at work without a sick day. Somehow it doesn't seem that important anymore.
A Perfectionist's Creed:
1; If only that hadn't happened, everything would be OK.
2; If only I would've done it the other way, everything would be OK, and God would love me.
3; If I do everything perfectly, people will like me.
4; If I do everything perfectly, people will stay off my back.
5; If I live my life perfectly, no one can condemn me.
6; If I live my life perfectly, making no mistakes, with everything in order, I win.
7; If I get the next thing right, I can redeem myself.
8; I've got it figured out, now I can go on from this point and be perfect.
9; The old Catch 22 situation - I'd like to change and be free of this burden, as long as it was done perfectly.
PS - I've had a small lump on the back of my neck for as long as I can remember. My wife used to squeeze it every now and then(it use to gross her out) and out would come some white smelly stuff. I never had a doctor check it out so I don't really know what it was, except that it's now gone. I thought I'd have it forever. I never consciously prayed about it or anything, but I'm sure glad it's gone. Thank you Jesus. 2003.07.09.
Back to:Page 1
1. Have you ever tried to share your Faith with someone who is a so-called Christian(most likely a member of a main line denomination), only to be given the cold shoulder when you start talking about things of the Spirit? I used to go red, because I've been rejected too many times in my life by those "in the know", and I despise arrogance. I am tempted to give them a piece of my mind, but now I realize they need forgiveness and compassion. Maybe God will enlighten them and maybe not. Just another chance to control myself and get on with my new life in Christ. Thank you.
2.
Back to:Page 1
The Devil's Tackle Box: The Bible tells us that we have an adversary, namely the Devil. It tells us that he is the father of all lies. John 8:44 - "Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he speaketh a lie, he speaketh of his own: for he is a liar, and the father of it." He has many ways of deceiving us, but God will deliver us and we can know his works and resist. Ephesians 6:11,12 - "Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places." This is the devil's desire to bring us under his control to eventually destroy us. Without God's intervention, we would all be lost. Luke 22:31,32 - "And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold, Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat: But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." I Peter 5:8,9,10 - "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Whom resist stedfast in the faith, knowing that the same afflictions are accomplished in your brethren that are in the world. But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strenghten, settle you." So you can see the Devil's got it in for us. Let's compare him to a fisherman and us as the fish. As any fisherman knows, if you use the right lure, you have a better chance of catching fish, or in the case of unsuspecting humans, suckers. To make things even better, get the fish to think that you don't even exist. If they can't see you, all the better. Different fish need different lures, so most fisherman have a tackle box containing a variety of lures. In the case of the Devil, he has three different kinds. The first variety is like a child's soother, not much threat, but distracting. The second kind is a little more serious. It's shiny to draw attention and has a barbless hook. The third kind is potentionally lethal. It has all the colors of the rainbow, very attractive, and comes with treble hooks. The first kind you can spit out quite easily, the second takes a little more effort, but the third is almost impossible to escape. Keeping them out in front of the fish as much as possible also raises the chance of hooking someone. He tries to get images of what he wants us to do into our minds so he can replay the bait over and over until we succumb to the next level of involvement. I have listed a few below to give you a heads up on his tactics. Remember, God allows these things, when we are seeking a life of pleasure without Him. He will and can also redeem us if we truly throw ourselves at His feet. Enjoy.
1. Smoking is one of the biggest class three lures most commonly swallowed. Oh the billboards are full of warnings, but many choose to shorten their lives by taking up the habit. It costs more and more money every year and takes away from the enjoyment of healthy persuits. Definitly destructive.
2. Liquor covers all three types. It can remain as a soother or escalate into total addiction, destroying it's user.
3. Drugs of all sorts run the same gambit. Some are highly addictive, like cocaine, and others, like marihuana, can lead to the more addictive drugs. It's hard to enjoy life when your addicted. How many famous people, especially singers have succumbed to drugs.
4. Pornography addiction can start in subtle ways such as innocently looking at pictures of scantily clad people in magazines or even on the rack at the supermarket. Looking eventually turns into destructive forms of behaviour, like reading heavy porn books or even watching movies of depravity. What starts innocently as curiosity, becomes an uncontrollable desire for more kinky stuff which can never really be satisfied in a normal relationship. Destuction is the name of the Devil's game. This is probably a level two lure.
5. Perfectionism. Let's see if we can get him totally engrossed in being and doing things perfect. Impossible to acheive but very crippling. Level three material.
6. Nostalgia. Webster's; "HOMESICKNESS", also; "a wistful or excessively sentimental sometimes abnormal yearning for return to or of some past period or irrecoverable condition". Let's get him to live in a world he can't possibly obtain and keep. Level one to three.
7. Check it again Syndrome. This could be a level one to a level three depending on your envolvement with going back to see if the door is locked, the water is turned off, the stove is turned off, rehashing the problem in your mind, etc. I've found that the number of times you go back does not really solve the problem, so sooner or later yo've just got to stop going back and leave it in God's hands.
8. Competition. There is only room for one #1 in the universe, so why all this fuss over being #1 at everything we try? God is #1, and all must submit to Him. A lot of time, effort, and grief are wasted on this pastime. Level one to three, just ask a football widow.
9.
Back to:Page 1
Here's A Story for ya:
1. In the late 70's, I was half owner of a 1966 Piper Cherokee 180. I believe it was 1979 when I, my partner in business and our wives flew down to the Reno Air Races in September. This was the first time I had been there and over the next 13 years, I went five other times. The last time was in 1992 with my son in the 1969 Mustang I had bought for him. He was only 15 years old at the time so I drove. We had a good time. I had a good friend at work(he's now retired) who had always expressed an interest in going to these races as he was an avid flying fan. We used to fly around in my Cessna 150 in the early 90's, nearly scaring ourselves to death at times. Well in the fall of 2000, we decided that we would both book holidays for September of 2001, the third weekend of the month, which is always the time the Reno Air Races are held. I had reservations(something about being involved with worldly pursuits where people die having fun) about going at the time, but I could always back out or God could give the green lite or not. As the time approached, I was still uncertain and was waiting for an excuse not to go. This excuse never came, so I prepared my 1994 Mustang convertible for the trip, even putting in an ignition kill device for security. Down to the wire, the car is loaded, I've got my traveler's checks, and now I'm even looking forward to the trip as God has not intervened to stop us. It's the morning of September the 11th, 2001, and I leave the house 5 minutes early(07:55) to our appointed rendezvous place at the local Chevron. I get an irresistible urge to go back to the house to check on our budgies' water. When I get into the house, the phone rings, and it's the wife. She asks if I have seen what's happening in the USA on TV and am I still going to Reno. My reply was, " How can something down East affect the Reno Air Races and yes we're still going". She gets mad and hangs up. So I turn on the TV and stand in disbelief. I'm supposed to meet my friend at eight-thirty, so I head down there and wait. When he arrives with his wife, I ask them if they have been listening to the radio. They haven't so after telling them what has happened, we go back to my house where we watch the events transpiring on the TV. We eventually agree that it would not be wise to leave as all air traffic had been grounded, including the racers(checked the internet). As air traffic might be restablished, I don't make the final decision not to go until the next day as it doesn't look hopeful(no use leaving if they're eventually going to be cancelled, which they were), and it takes two days to get there, meaning we would have to leave now to get there in time. Needless to say, my friend was disappointed, but what other choice did I have. Now I would say that that was a red light. No more air races for this cowboy. God had spoken.
2. In 1985, after much soul searching, I purchased a new Suzuki Intruder 750 motorcycle. The reason that I was afraid to buy a road bike(I hadn't ridden on the street since moving to B.C. in 1976) was that I wasn't sure I could resist speeding and was this the Lord's will that I go biking again. I had always enjoyed riding in my earlier years and had owned many road bikes, including a red 1971 Honda 750. As it turned out, I had the power to resist and obeyed the speed limits to the "T". That fall, my former partner in the bike business(Al) and I, went on our motorcycles to the Reno Air Races. I knew that at that stage of my life, I wouldn't have had the guts to go to the USA on a motorcycle alone so this trip broke the ice for me. Over the next nine years(I gave up biking for the Lord in 1995) I made numerous trips to Great Falls, Montana(I have an Aunt and Uncle there), San Diego, California(another Aunt and Uncle lived there), and Salina, Kansas(my first Pastor from my Church lives there) and all the Western States between them. On these trips I did not use motels but always camped out or stayed at my above mentioned relatives' and friend's places. I camped in some pretty wild areas, sometimes off the side of the road, but God always provided a spot no matter what my fears. Several times I ran out of gas, and He overcame this fear by always providing fuel, somtimes at a farmer's place or a station I pushed into. These trips increase my faith tremendously, seeing God's providence first hand in a potentially hostile environment. Anyone who has ridden a motorcycle knows the dangers involved. The most amazing fact of this whole saga is that in the at least 75 times that I camped out over the years, I never got rained on once, except for the time in Colorado I got a few big drops. Realize that these trips were planned months in advance and I had to accept the weather as it was. The very first trip to the States that I made alone was to Great Falls, about 600 miles away. About a hundred miles from home, it began to rain and got progressively worse until I left the moutains and entered the prairies where the wind took over. That night I camped in the little town of Milk River just north of the border. It was dark but the sky was clear and there was no wind. I unpacked my tent for the first time ever and had a peaceful night in a free campground. You want to believe I had my doubts during the ride, but God provided. And He continued in like manner over the next years. Time after time when my fears were high, He provided ever time. To top it off, I never had a flat tire once in over 130,000 kms(80,000 miles). Not to say it never rained during these trips, but that when it did, I just so happened to be at my friends' places. The one time I would have had to camp in the rain, I left Ukia, California(a hundred or so miles north of San Fransisco) early one morning, headed for home 1200 miles away, intending to camp that night in Oregon. As night approached, I could see that it was going to start raining up ahead so I stopped at a rest area and suited up, intent on riding all the way home instead of camping. It rained most of the night and there's nothing blacker than a wet highway at night. I stopped for gas in Seattle, where the attendant had to tell me that he stopped riding at night because of the difficulty seeing all the boards and mufflers, etc. on the road. Thanks. When I crossed the border at four thirty the next morning(yes I rode strait through, 26 hours), the temperature was 8 degrees Celcius and the border guy looked at me like I was nuts. About 80 miles out of Vancouver, B.C. as it was getting light, there was a four by four piece of lumber in the middle of the road. If I had been half an hour earlier, I would probably have hit it, but by God's grace I did not. I could go on and on about these faith building adventures, but we'll save those stories for later. Yes there is a God and He must like me, because I should be dead many times over, Thank you Jesus. Praise the Lord. Bob out.
3. In November of 1998, my wife and I made a trip to California. She had always wanted to fly somewhere for a holiday, and the opportunity presented itself in a most interesting way. In September of that year, I got a phone call from my wife, telling me that a travel agent friend of a friend had offered her flights from Kamloops BC, to Los Angeles return for 99 dollars Canadian(25 cents American; just kidding). Riiight! That had to be a mistake, I thought as it cost more to fly to Vancouver and back((250 miles, whereas Los Angeles is 1650 miles away). Well it was true, and although we didn't have the money at the time, we went ahead and booked the flights which came to 169 dollars each with all the taxes, etc. We planned to visit Universal Studios, rent a car, and visit my aunt and uncle in San Diego. Using "Airmiles", we booked a hotel near the airport(LAX) and a car for our trip to San Diego. We needed to stay over a Saturday night in order to get the flights so we picked a time in November when we were both able to go, which we found out later was at the American Thanksgiving holiday. It turns out that Thanksgiving is one day that Universal Studios is closed, which happened to be a Thursday. We left on a Tuesday, stayed two nights in LA, drove out heading east the next day(Thursday) and arrived in San Diego that night via the Salton Sea and El Centro. We stayed two nights in San Diego and flew back Sunday morning. I had some cockamania idea(the reason I didn't rent the car until Thursday) that we could just bus it over to Universal but the lady at the hotel didn't recommend that. It was then that I noticed an ad for tours on the hotel desk. They had quite a few different ones but the one I liked included a tour of downtown LA and Hollywood, as well as tickets to Universal. With taxes and all, the cost came to 240 dollars Canadian(10 cents American, Ha), which was almost as much as we spent on our flight. I reasoned that we would probably never come this way again so I sprung for the deal. We had a great time. The bus drivers were non stop informative, hilarious, and courteous. Water World at Universal was great as was the tour that evening of Rodeo Drive. Money well spent for an old skinflint like myself. For not having planned this, I have to thank God for His greater plan. So the next day we arrive at my Aunt and Uncle's. What a surprise. The year before when I visited them, my Uncle was driving his van around, tending his shoe shine business, and generally getting around great for an 84 year old guy. This year he was in a wheelchair and had to be attended to by my Aunt who was not well herself. She had had leukemia for several years, and at 61 years of age, was lucky to be alive. When they had got'n married in the 60's, their age and race(my Uncle is African American) difference seemed to bother some people, but I was never put off by it. They had always been happy to see us before, and even now with their reduced lifestyle, they were hospitable. They even met us at the Zoo, which surprised me. My Aunt(German Canadian; my Grandma was 48 tears old when see had my Aunt)) has to have been one of the nicest people I have met in my life. Even though I had been going there for years by myself, first on my motorcycle and then by car, my wife hadn't been there for 15 years and they were glad to see her. On Sunday morning we left very early to drive to LA for our flight home. We flew from LA to Vancouver, Canada and then to Kamloops. I had to be at work by 1800 hrs that night for a 12 hr nightshift at the jail. We arrived in Kamloops at 3:30. Whirlwind tours by Bob. The clincher to this whole affair revealed itself when I got a call at the end of December saying my Aunt had died from pneumonia, and another call at the end of January saying my Uncle had died in the hospital. Unbelievable. If we hadn't gone for one reason or another we would have missed saying goodbye to them. Even though they were both staunch Jehovah's Witnesses, I believe they are with God. What kind of God would orchestrate a senario like that and end it any other way. Thank you.
Back to:Page 1
A Question of Trust: A fun quiz to test your level of Faith. Who do you trust, yourself or God?
1: a; Do you manipulate the situation to get your way? or b; Do you allow most events to unfold without a high level of interference from yourself?
2: a; Are you jealous of people with good looks, personality, wealth, energy, talent, charisma, fame, and popularity? or b; Do you realize such gifts could lead you down the path of self destruction?
3: a; Do you constantly set goals for yourself and/or others, and aggressively pursue them? or b; Do you wait for opportunities to present themselves and hopefully take advantage of them?
4: a; Do you consider accidents to be "Bad Luck"? or b; Do you consider accidents to be a message from God, to get our attention and redirect our paths'?
5: a; Do you avoid situations because they might cause you some discomfort, mentally, physically, or monetarily or b; Do you do the right thing and sacrifice yourself for the wellbeing of others?
6: a; Do you worry about what people will think or say if you do or don't do something? or b; Do you practice patience, and do things at the appropriate time?
7: a; Do you collect things to give you a sense of security? or b; Do you realize that everything is temporal and you collect only the things that you need for your wellbeing?
8: a; Do you struggle with the way things are working out? or b; Do you accept that nothing could be added or taken away to make it better?
9: a; Do you fear that the hammer is going to drop when you let your guard down? or b; Do you calmly go about your daily business?
10: a; Are you aggressively climbing the ladder of life to get an advantage? or b; Are you resisting the fleshly desire to be someone, realizing you are someone, and position can only separate you from God and man?
11: a; Are you trying to make an empire on earth? or b; Are you waiting for the home that has been prepared for you in heaven?
12: a; Are you trying to be number one? or b; Are you worshipping number One?
13: a; When you do things, are you only concerned with what you can get out of it? or b; When you do things are you only concerned with what God wants you to do?
14: a; Do the same things keep happening to you over and over? or b; Are things improving in your life? PS-If your answer was "a", then your not getting the message! Ask for help.
15: a; Are physical looks more important to you than your inner being? or b; Is peace and joy in your heart more important than fleeting fame and glory?
16: a; When you're exercising, is your thought that you will look good and be attractive to the world? or b; When you're exercising, is your thought, what a wonderful machine God has built for His Glory?
17: a; Do you wake up dreading the day? or b; Do you rise in the morning anticipating the things God has in store for you?
18 a; Are you taking this quiz seriously? or b; Do you realize Bob has gone off the deep end?
If you got mostly "b"s, you're putting more faith in God than yourself. If you got mostly "a"s, you're limiting the growth of your faith in God's ability to take care of you and work all things together for good. Try to let go now and then and see what happens. Remember, Jesus is the author of our faith, thus authorizing everything that happens in a believer's life. Nothing is by chance.
Hebrews 12:2 - Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Back to:Page 1
Roadblocks to Christ: Deterants to a full relationship with God.
1: Close non-christian family ties; included are cult like organizations and clubs.
2: Wealth and fame.
3: Personality and spirit.
4: Good looks and talent.
5: Position and power.
6: Possessions.
7: Unmerited self-esteem.
8: Worldly ambition.
9: Intelligence, education.
10: Fear of man.
Back to:Page 1
Get Over It! Something bothering you? 
Have you ever made a mistake that you thought could never be undone, with far reaching consequences, your future lying in ruins? Haven't we all. Well I've got news for you, nothing happens that God doesn't allow. He also said all things work together for good for His called. If that's you, what is there to worry about. He will work it out. So "Get Over It". 
Sometimes it just takes time for the reason to be revealed but in the meantime, don't beat yourself up constantly. Usually we hate mistakes and failures to perform because they make us look weak and stupid. Pride! As God works on us(those that have accepted Christ), we change and see things differently, understanding why the event was allowed to happen, thus letting us change our behaviour in the future, where the worldly person would or could not. This is usually when Satan attacks us, because he does not want us to improve our behaviour, but to stay in the same old rut, or worse, give up and run away, blaming ourselves or others, wallowing in self pity. What a trap. "If only" is a merry go round that's hard to get off. Instead, as we get closer to God and can see His leading more clearly, we can make decisions based on our new relationship with Him, taking us further away from our old selves. It can be more painful if these events(failures to perform to our or other's expectations) included other people or loved ones you feel have been let down or have lost respect for you. They will be impressed when your changed behaviour allows you to overcome future, similar situations, which will diminish with time as they are no longer necessary. Possibly, God has a new direction (correction in course) that the worldly person can't see, but the bigger picture revealed to the spiritual one will reveal itself in time. We can only be patient with them until they catchup and see the light, if they do. Falling down is never easy, but as we overcome, get up, and follow our new path, we will become more confident as we see it work out in the long run. So in the meantime, chuckle at yourself, and "Get Over It", 
and more importantly, carry on as if it had never happened, not letting it drag you down. That is success. Remember, God loves you unconditionally. 
Back to:Page 1
I'LL Buy That! A simple story told to my son on the way to the Grand Canyon to his question, "How can we be sure evolution is not true?"
Scientists tell us that everthing came from the "Big Bang". Well isn't that nice. Here we have absolutely nothing bringing forth everything in an instant. Here we have atoms with negative electrons circling a nucleus of positive protons(and neutral neutrons to beef up the weight)and they don't implode. Super. And somehow they unite with each other to make more complicated molecules. OK, I'll buy that! Now that we have all this matter spreading out to fill the know universe, somehow they get together and form planets and stars orbiting each other in precise manner. Supposedly the higher elements are formed in these stars under great pressure and nuclear fusion. Super. So here we have this juicy planet all primed with the elements of primitive life, ready to go. OK, I'll buy that! Now one day all these elements in just the right amount spring to life. Super. Here we have a life form that not only can ingest nutrients, grow, reproduce, and florish in an unhospitable environment, but mutate to a higher level of life form. Literally millions of atoms joined in exactly the right way to receive the gift of life from a jolt of electricity. OK, I'll buy that! So then come all the other forms of life, struggling through earthquakes, floods, volcanoes, ice ages, meteorites, etc.. Now after millions and millions of years, here I sit writting to you on this computor, whose design and function are beyond my capacity or desire to understand. Isn't that super. And I and it can be destroyed by one tiny virus. What could be simpler? "I'll Buy That!" 
???
Back to:Page 1
Return to:HOME PAGE
God is Listening; Why not Talk to Him?
