Tag: Ethics

Convoluted

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Hi Peeps,

Today’s Quote

“Imagine the progress one could make if they were simply honest with themselves.”~TB

Complicated

It is astounding how a flesh-ruled mind can distort life. We trick our minds into spending money we don’t have, behaving in carnal ways, eating things that are unhealthy, the list goes on and on. We made the situation, yet beg God to free us from the havoc we have wreaked. Of course humans justify stupidity with their feelings or their circumstance, as if those things absolve them from making sound decisions. We’re all guilty of this. What’s even funnier is that the justification is always way more complicated then the truth: we did what we did because we wanted to. We didn’t read the Bible not because we didn’t have the time: we didn’t want to. We didn’t go to the gym because we’re tired: we didn’t want to. We’d rather cling to a web of convoluted lies than take responsibility. Of course when the time to account for our progress— lack thereof— everyone is ready with a well-argued explanation devoid of the truth— we didn’t put in the effort.

Keep is Simple

Honesty is hard because it forces you to look in the mirror. One has to untangle the webs woven to spin the lies that bind their lives. Being responsible for your actions requires you to acknowledge that you alone control your behavior. Today, we look for all kinds of reasons to absolve us from our poor choices. Instead of saying “I didn’t want to do the work”, we have a diagnosis or excuse for why we didn’t. Friends, the problem with mental gymnastics is that after a while, you begin to believe your own nonsense, which hinders you from growth or progress. Now you’re trapped in the lies you created! The truth can be painful, but it is so necessary for development, especially in your relationship with Christ. So if you’re done trying to explain why you didn’t, speak plainly so that you can change your mindset and behaviors. When you hold yourself accountable for your shortcomings, you can then build a foundation of honest effort to make progress. If God is who you seek, spend time with Him. If it’s not your actual agenda, stop faking it. Your peers may not know the difference, but surely He does.

Today’s Question

What web of lies are trapping you from progress?

Enjoy the reading

Isaiah 15

1 This message came to me concerning Moab: In one night the town of Ar will be leveled, and the city of Kir will be destroyed.
2 Your people will go to their temple in Dibon to mourn. They will go to their sacred shrines to weep. They will wail for the fate of Nebo and Medeba, shaving their heads in sorrow and cutting off their beards.
3 They will wear burlap as they wander the streets. From every home and public square will come the sound of wailing.
4 The people of Heshbon and Elealeh will cry out; their voices will be heard as far away as Jahaz! The bravest warriors of Moab will cry out in utter terror. They will be helpless with fear.
5 My heart weeps for Moab. Its people flee to Zoar and Eglath-shelishiyah. Weeping, they climb the road to Luhith. Their cries of distress can be heard all along the road to Horonaim.
6 Even the waters of Nimrim are dried up! The grassy banks are scorched. The tender plants are gone; nothing green remains.
7 The people grab their possessions and carry them across the Ravine of Willows.
8 A cry of distress echoes through the land of Moab from one end to the other— from Eglaim to Beer-elim.
9The stream near Dibon runs red with blood, but I am still not finished with Dibon! Lions will hunt down the survivors— both those who try to escape and those who remain behind.

Enabling

jonmbarnesLeave a comment
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Hi Peeps,
Today’s Quote
When someone doesn’t believe in marriage, family, values, and ethics of God’s wisdom, mercy, grace, love, structure, and commandments, you should believe them by finding a mate that does.”  ~  Jon Barnes

Job

A person will never need a job if they can get milk, food, meat, clothes, and stuff for free.  There is no incentive to improve, learn, grow, work, and love in any relationship.  We all have a job to play with rules, regulations, commandments, and obligations.  Good relationships thrive on the quality of work and faith you bring to the table of your life, family, friends, and job.

Allow

Don’t allow people to ignore or fumble around with their responsibilities.  Expect and demand better of yourself and others will follow when we follow God’s plans.   Being meek and humble in your pride is cool, but be aggressive in doing excellent work in your faith.  People will know what you stand for and make their own choices.

Standard

The standards that you set with God’s best will help you to identify your spouse, raise your children, and accomplish the work of faith in your lifestyle of love.  Love is not a rug to step on.  God is love, but he will let you go to hell, by your own choice.  God does not enable anyone.  He is very clear and specific with His Instructions and the work of your faith matters.
Today’s Question
Why is it that many people will not enter into the Gates of Heaven or do you think God will leave the Pearly Gates Unlocked for the disobedient people who did nothing?

Enjoy The Reading

Job 39 

The Lord’s Challenge Continues

39 “Do you know when the wild goats give birth?
    Have you watched as deer are born in the wild?
2 Do you know how many months they carry their young?
    Are you aware of the time of their delivery?
3 They crouch down to give birth to their young
    and deliver their offspring.
4 Their young grow up in the open fields,
    then leave home and never return.
5 “Who gives the wild donkey its freedom?
    Who untied its ropes?
6 I have placed it in the wilderness;
    its home is the wasteland.
7 It hates the noise of the city
    and has no driver to shout at it.
8 The mountains are its pastureland,
    where it searches for every blade of grass.
9 “Will the wild ox consent to being tamed?
    Will it spend the night in your stall?
10 Can you hitch a wild ox to a plow?
    Will it plow a field for you?
11 Given its strength, can you trust it?
    Can you leave and trust the ox to do your work?
12 Can you rely on it to bring home your grain
    and deliver it to your threshing floor?
13 “The ostrich flaps her wings grandly,
    but they are no match for the feathers of the stork.
14 She lays her eggs on top of the earth,
    letting them be warmed in the dust.
15 She doesn’t worry that a foot might crush them
    or a wild animal might destroy them.
16 She is harsh toward her young,
    as if they were not her own.
    She doesn’t care if they die.
17 For God has deprived her of wisdom.
    He has given her no understanding.
18 But whenever she jumps up to run,
    she passes the swiftest horse with its rider.
19 “Have you given the horse its strength
    or clothed its neck with a flowing mane?
20 Did you give it the ability to leap like a locust?
    Its majestic snorting is terrifying!
21 It paws the earth and rejoices in its strength
    when it charges out to battle.
22 It laughs at fear and is unafraid.
    It does not run from the sword.
23 The arrows rattle against it,
    and the spear and javelin flash.
24 It paws the ground fiercely
    and rushes forward into battle when the ram’s horn blows.
25 It snorts at the sound of the horn.
    It senses the battle in the distance.
    It quivers at the captain’s commands and the noise of battle.
26 “Is it your wisdom that makes the hawk soar
    and spread its wings toward the south?
27 Is it at your command that the eagle rises
    to the heights to make its nest?
28 It lives on the cliffs,
    making its home on a distant, rocky crag.
29 From there it hunts its prey,
    keeping watch with piercing eyes.
30 Its young gulp down blood.
    Where there’s a carcass, there you’ll find it.”
Love,
Jonathan

Connections

jonmbarnesLeave a comment
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Hi Peeps,
Today’s Quote
“Positively connecting with God, your family, and the people around you is a mandate to keep you from isolating yourself in your own ignorance.” ~ Jon Barnes

Refusal

You have the first right of refusal in connecting positively to the Love of God, by choice and by design.  God is not asking for your pity, piety, or half-hearted love.  He’s not even asking for your opinions. He requires all of your love to connect to Him, by following His Instructions to then formulate your own opinions from your honest good works of faith. Fake love is a waste of time and will get you nowhere fast in life. Refuse to use fake love as a model for your character, ethics, opinions, and integrity.

Determine

Believe that your love connections will work because God will reward a cheerful giver.  Giving, showing, and receiving love is not always easy to handle, but continue to give your love freely and stop looking for something in return.  The return will automatically happen and often times from different sources and unusual explanations.  Just keep loving like God wants you to love.

Position

Position your mind, faith, and action to align with God’s commandments so that your love is genuine, pure, honest, and consistent. Each day is an opportunity to share, give, and help someone feel the love connection from God in your lifestyle. These moments and miracles in Love will strength your values, morals, and commitment to God, which is the position to follow and copy. Correction, which is a major part of Love, will not always by soft, easy, sweet, or comfortable. But, position yourself to accept the connection, changes, and adjustments to God’s Truth and Authority.
Today’s Question
Are you undermining God’s authority by disobeying your parents, being hard-headed, self-centered, disconnected, and non-responsive?
Enjoy The Reading
 

1 Chronicles 3 

Descendants of David

3 These are the sons of David who were born in Hebron:
The oldest was Amnon, whose mother was Ahinoam from Jezreel.
The second was Daniel, whose mother was Abigail from Carmel.
2 The third was Absalom, whose mother was Maacah, the daughter of Talmai, king of Geshur.
The fourth was Adonijah, whose mother was Haggith.
3 The fifth was Shephatiah, whose mother was Abital.
The sixth was Ithream, whose mother was Eglah, David’s wife.
4 These six sons were born to David in Hebron, where he reigned seven and a half years.
Then David reigned another thirty-three years in Jerusalem. 5 The sons born to David in Jerusalem included Shammua,[a] Shobab, Nathan, and Solomon. Their mother was Bathsheba,[b] the daughter of Ammiel. 6 David also had nine other sons: Ibhar, Elishua,[c]Elpelet,[d] 7 Nogah, Nepheg, Japhia, 8 Elishama, Eliada, and Eliphelet.
9 These were the sons of David, not including his sons born to his concubines. Their sister was named Tamar.

Descendants of Solomon

10 The descendants of Solomon were Rehoboam, Abijah, Asa, Jehoshaphat, 11 Jehoram,[e]Ahaziah, Joash, 12 Amaziah, Uzziah,[f] Jotham, 13 Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, 14 Amon, and Josiah.
15 The sons of Josiah were Johanan (the oldest), Jehoiakim (the second), Zedekiah (the third), and Jehoahaz[g] (the fourth).
16 The successors of Jehoiakim were his son Jehoiachin and his brother Zedekiah.[h]

Descendants of Jehoiachin

17 The sons of Jehoiachin,[i] who was taken prisoner by the Babylonians, were Shealtiel,18 Malkiram, Pedaiah, Shenazzar, Jekamiah, Hoshama, and Nedabiah.
19 The sons of Pedaiah were Zerubbabel and Shimei.
The sons of Zerubbabel were Meshullam and Hananiah. (Their sister was Shelomith.) 20 His five other sons were Hashubah, Ohel, Berekiah, Hasadiah, and Jushab-hesed.
21 The sons of Hananiah were Pelatiah and Jeshaiah. Jeshaiah’s son was Rephaiah. Rephaiah’s son was Arnan. Arnan’s son was Obadiah. Obadiah’s son was Shecaniah.
22 The descendants of Shecaniah were Shemaiah and his sons, Hattush, Igal, Bariah, Neariah, and Shaphat—six in all.
23 The sons of Neariah were Elioenai, Hizkiah, and Azrikam—three in all.
24 The sons of Elioenai were Hodaviah, Eliashib, Pelaiah, Akkub, Johanan, Delaiah, and Anani—seven in all.
Love,
Jonathan

Video

jonmbarnesLeave a comment
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Hi Peeps,
Today’s Quote
“The electrical wiring in our minds and bodies absorbs and channels all of our experiences and the repetition of those positive experiences, honest lifestyle and biblical content to reflect and reinforces the good person that is inside of you– which improves with consistent, positive, practice, work, love, ethics, and faith.” ~ Jon Barnes

Signals

 
Connect your cable to God’s channel to feed your spirit with His Spirit of wisdom, worship, and wonder so that you may wrap your mind, body, soul and life with reinforced axons (nerves) wrapped with thick, white myelin (nerve tube), to further increase the speed and quality of your transmission, insight, and good work for God. Do not allow negative information and experiences shade, replace or confuse your good work and wiring of God’s Commandments, blessings and lifestyle. You know and must live by the truth with practical, practiced proof, which layers the nerves of righteousness and all your good hard work with holy myelin, making you a better Christian.

Transition

 
Repetition of reading the bible, absorbing it’s content, living in Love, and storing it in every cell of you body is the renewing of your mind, body, and spirit with true repentance of active change and improvements in your daily lifestyle. We eat to repair, replenish, and rewire to release toxins of evil from this world out of our bodies, like eating food. If you feed your body bad things constantly, you will get sick, break down, and die, by your own hand and mouth. Transition your behavior with good eating, reading, studying, working, and loving, habits to naturally copy and inspire others. You are fully connected to God one way or the other, with the connection being included or cut out of Heaven?

Connection

 
Why do many people disconnect their signal to God and replace their lifestyles with evil ways, unacceptable to God. Our potential for disobedience is enormous and dangerous, when we lie to God and ourselves. Immoral connections and practices bad things, thoughts, and deeds fight against the wonderful work and progress you have made over the years of your life with God.  Would you look back, destroy your work and turn your life into a pillar of evil salt, base on your deviant behavior and nasty video tricks from the devil? Guard your eyes, mind, ears, and other body parts with the truth and call it a holy wrap.
Today’s Question
What signals are you transmitting to God and into the world, video Heaven or video Hell?

John 7

Jesus Goes to the Festival of Tabernacles

7 After this, Jesus went around in Galilee. He did not want[a] to go about in Judea because the Jewish leaders there were looking for a way to kill him. 2 But when the Jewish Festival of Tabernacles was near, 3 Jesus’ brothers said to him, “Leave Galilee and go to Judea, so that your disciples there may see the works you do.4 No one who wants to become a public figure acts in secret. Since you are doing these things, show yourself to the world.” 5 For even his own brothers did not believe in him.
6 Therefore Jesus told them, “My time is not yet here; for you any time will do.7 The world cannot hate you, but it hates me because I testify that its works are evil. 8 You go to the festival. I am not[b] going up to this festival, because my timehas not yet fully come.” 9 After he had said this, he stayed in Galilee.
10 However, after his brothers had left for the festival, he went also, not publicly, but in secret. 11 Now at the festival the Jewish leaders were watching for Jesusand asking, “Where is he?”
12 Among the crowds there was widespread whispering about him. Some said, “He is a good man.”
Others replied, “No, he deceives the people.” 13 But no one would say anything publicly about him for fear of the leaders.

Jesus Teaches at the Festival

14 Not until halfway through the festival did Jesus go up to the temple courts and begin to teach. 15 The Jews there were amazed and asked, “How did this man get such learning without having been taught?”
16 Jesus answered, “My teaching is not my own. It comes from the one who sent me. 17 Anyone who chooses to do the will of God will find out whether my teaching comes from God or whether I speak on my own. 18 Whoever speaks on their own does so to gain personal glory, but he who seeks the glory of the one who sent him is a man of truth; there is nothing false about him. 19 Has not Moses given you the law? Yet not one of you keeps the law. Why are you trying to kill me?”
20 “You are demon-possessed,” the crowd answered. “Who is trying to kill you?”
21 Jesus said to them, “I did one miracle, and you are all amazed. 22 Yet, because Moses gave you circumcision (though actually it did not come from Moses, but from the patriarchs), you circumcise a boy on the Sabbath. 23 Now if a boy can be circumcised on the Sabbath so that the law of Moses may not be broken, why are you angry with me for healing a man’s whole body on the Sabbath? 24 Stop judging by mere appearances, but instead judge correctly.”

Division Over Who Jesus Is

25 At that point some of the people of Jerusalem began to ask, “Isn’t this the man they are trying to kill? 26 Here he is, speaking publicly, and they are not saying a word to him. Have the authorities really concluded that he is the Messiah? 27 But we know where this man is from; when the Messiah comes, no one will know where he is from.”
28 Then Jesus, still teaching in the temple courts, cried out, “Yes, you know me, and you know where I am from. I am not here on my own authority, but he who sent me is true. You do not know him, 29 but I know him because I am from him and he sent me.”
30 At this they tried to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him, because his hour had not yet come. 31 Still, many in the crowd believed in him. They said, “When the Messiah comes, will he perform more signs than this man?”
32 The Pharisees heard the crowd whispering such things about him. Then the chief priests and the Pharisees sent temple guards to arrest him.
33 Jesus said, “I am with you for only a short time, and then I am going to the one who sent me. 34 You will look for me, but you will not find me; and where I am, you cannot come.”
35 The Jews said to one another, “Where does this man intend to go that we cannot find him? Will he go where our people live scattered among the Greeks,and teach the Greeks? 36 What did he mean when he said, ‘You will look for me, but you will not find me,’ and ‘Where I am, you cannot come’?”
37 On the last and greatest day of the festival, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, “Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. 38 Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them.”[c] 39 By this he meant the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were later to receive. Up to that time the Spirit had not been given, since Jesus had not yet been glorified.
40 On hearing his words, some of the people said, “Surely this man is the Prophet.”
41 Others said, “He is the Messiah.”
Still others asked, “How can the Messiah come from Galilee? 42 Does not Scripture say that the Messiah will come from David’s descendants and from Bethlehem, the town where David lived?” 43 Thus the people were dividedbecause of Jesus. 44 Some wanted to seize him, but no one laid a hand on him.

Unbelief of the Jewish Leaders

45 Finally the temple guards went back to the chief priests and the Pharisees, who asked them, “Why didn’t you bring him in?”
46 “No one ever spoke the way this man does,” the guards replied.
47 “You mean he has deceived you also?” the Pharisees retorted. 48 “Have any of the rulers or of the Pharisees believed in him? 49 No! But this mob that knows nothing of the law—there is a curse on them.”
50 Nicodemus, who had gone to Jesus earlier and who was one of their own number, asked, 51 “Does our law condemn a man without first hearing him to find out what he has been doing?”
52 They replied, “Are you from Galilee, too? Look into it, and you will find that a prophet does not come out of Galilee.”

Love,

Jonathan

Greetings

jonmbarnesLeave a comment

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Hi Peeps,

 

Today’s Quote

Stay ready in the greeting mode of good work and service so that you can deflect the negative darts thrown at you unexpectedly throughout the day.

Darts

You will throw less darts with your negative words and works when you learn to recognize and feel the pain you caused. Don’t let a dart get through your smile, positive attitude, words, and deeds to pinch your skin, face or eye.  Let your defense system of love reject all the evil that is thrown your way, melting hate with kindness.

Home Runs

Play ball at home and practice your communication pitch with the people in front of you. Unplug and talk with them, spend quality time, you know what to do. Greet work with play and pray with every swing you take. Do the work as if God is talking to you with every move you make. Repent and slide into your first love with God. Hold on to that love, everything else is fake!

Paradise

You are not rich because of your money, so change your focus to God. Use your tools better than the fools, as you manage, reflect, and travel abroad. God’s richness in life, love, truth, and liberty, cannot be confused or confined to the small compounds of your mind to understand eternity. See the moment, into the matter with God, who holds paradise and time. Greetings from God with your ticket to Heaven is your Gold and Goal of Goodness and Faithfulness.
Today’s Question
Did you go back to the Truth of Victory, from God that is in your hand or did you let it escape from your heart and replaced it with the cares of the world in devil’s land?

Revelation 3

To the Church in Sardis

3 “To the angel[a] of the church in Sardis write:
These are the words of him who holds the seven spirits[b] of God and the seven stars. I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead.2 Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have found your deeds unfinished in the sight of my God. 3 Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; hold it fast, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you.
4 Yet you have a few people in Sardis who have not soiled their clothes. They will walk with me, dressed in white, for they are worthy. 5 The one who is victoriouswill, like them, be dressed in white. I will never blot out the name of that person from the book of life, but will acknowledge that name before my Father and his angels. 6 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Philadelphia

7 “To the angel of the church in Philadelphia write:
These are the words of him who is holy and true, who holds the key of David.What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open. 8 I know your deeds. See, I have placed before you an open door that no one can shut. I know that you have little strength, yet you have kept my word and have not denied my name. 9 I will make those who are of the synagogue of Satan, who claim to be Jews though they are not, but are liars—I will make them come and fall down at your feet and acknowledge that I have loved you. 10 Since you have kept my command to endure patiently, I will also keep you from the hour of trial that is going to come on the whole world to test the inhabitants of the earth.
11 I am coming soon. Hold on to what you have, so that no one will take your crown. 12 The one who is victorious I will make a pillar in the temple of my God. Never again will they leave it. I will write on them the name of my God and the name of the city of my God, the new Jerusalem, which is coming down out of heaven from my God; and I will also write on them my new name. 13 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.

To the Church in Laodicea

14 “To the angel of the church in Laodicea write:
These are the words of the Amen, the faithful and true witness, the ruler of God’s creation. 15 I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot. I wish you were either one or the other! 16 So, because you are lukewarm—neither hot nor cold—I am about to spit you out of my mouth. 17 You say, ‘I am rich; I have acquired wealth and do not need a thing.’ But you do not realize that you are wretched, pitiful, poor, blind and naked. 18 I counsel you to buy from me gold refined in the fire, so you can become rich; and white clothes to wear, so you can cover your shameful nakedness; and salve to put on your eyes, so you can see.
19 Those whom I love I rebuke and discipline. So be earnest and repent. 20 Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with that person, and they with me.
21 To the one who is victorious, I will give the right to sit with me on my throne,just as I was victorious and sat down with my Father on his throne. 22 Whoever has ears, let them hear what the Spirit says to the churches.”
Love,
Jonathan