Tales From The Yellow Brick Road

Join Cliff and his friends as they share their Tales From The Yellow Brick Road

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-02-22

Posted on February 22nd, 2009 by Cliff Ames Jr.
  • Cheesecake Factory for NaNa’s Birthday Lunch… #
  • Hanging out with some TMC grads @ Macaroni Grill http://loopt.us/_-4KnA #
  • Suddenly missing Mom at 3:30 in the morning… Guess it’s all part of the process… #
  • I owe, I owe so off to work I go… #
  • Watching “Dial ‘M’ For Murder” #
  • I wish work wasn’t so… Worky….. #
  • Is waiting for his money from his Uncle… Uncle Sam! #
  • THANK YOU UNCLE SAM!!! #

Bible Expedition: Habakkuk

Posted on February 16th, 2009 by Cliff Ames Jr.

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I’m not sure that many of you have taken the time to read this awesome little book in the Old Testament. Yeah it has a funny name but there is nothing funny about this book. Habakkuk has only 3 Chapters and 56 verses but don’t let this little book fool you. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve needed to turn to this book for guidance and comfort.

  • 1:1-3 – These first few verses set the tone for the opening part of this book. A truckload of questions about some of the toughest stuff to deal with: unanswered prayer, seeing the sinful go unpunished and experiencing injustice. The trick is that all those things are as a result of Habakkuk’s own people, Israel.
  • God’s response is that He is working behind the scenes and is raising up the Chaldeans to deal with the sin of Habakkuk’s people.
  • Wow, the list of stuff the Chaldeans have and can do would definitely make me crap my pants if I was a part of Israel. I wonder if Israel knew what was coming they’d repent? Oh wait… they did!
  • 1:12 “Are you not from everlasting, O Lord my God, my Holy One? We shall not die.” I wonder if Habakkuk is reminding God or rminding himself inlight of what’ coming?
  • I agree with Habakkuk Israel is bad, but the Chaldeans are worse. Sometimes it seems that the punishment is lopsided and doesn’t fit the crime.
  • 2:1 “I will take my stand at my watchpost and station myself on the tower, and look out to see what he will say to me and what I answer concerning my complaint.” It’s so easy to throw up a prayer or even a complaint to the Lord and then not expectantly wait for an answer. I know that I’ve treated God like a suggestion box, just dropping in my complaints and never expecting a reply. But Habakkuk gets it right. He goes to the highest point and expectantly waits for God’s answer both spiritually and physically. He would have seen the army coming.
  • God’s grace in the midst of Habakkuk’s questioning is a great comfort. God not only responds, but He’s detailed and precise.
  • Five Woes to the Chaldeans and all those who act like them!
  • 3:1 -  Habakkuk’s response to God’s reply is to worship. Despite the fact that judgment is coming for Israel’s sin, Habakkuk finds comfort in God’s ultimate judgment of those that carry out Israel’s sentence unjustly.
  • 3:17-19 – Even though Habakkuk’s world is falling apart he is rejoicing in the Lord and in the Lord’s salvation. He even calls the Lord his strength. What an important reminder to be mindful of the Lord’s promises when the bottom falls out. I can honsetly say, it takes a lot of faith to do so.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-02-15

Posted on February 15th, 2009 by Cliff Ames Jr.

Twitter Weekly Updates for 2009-02-14

Posted on February 14th, 2009 by Cliff Ames Jr.
  • “If you cannot find the truth right where you are, where else do you expect to find it?” #
  • Family day… It’s what we do! #
  • “We shape clay into a pot, but it is the emptiness inside that holds whatever we want.” #
  • I am having a rough day… wait… a rough week… no wait… a rough month… actually… oh forget it… #
  • I feel a retreat coming on… Time to do some plotting and planning… #
  • Counting verses and chapters is fascinating… #
  • Alright I’m going to try the new version of Twitter Tools on the Blog… let’s see if there is an improvement in the Weekly Twitter Digest #

Bible Expedition: Hebrews

Posted on February 13th, 2009 by Cliff Ames Jr.

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I recently read through the entire book of Hebrews in one sitting. Hebrews was written by an unknown Author (although I’ve always leaned toward Apollos) and has 13 chapters and 303 verses. It was surprisingly easy to read through it and later found out from a good friend that it may have been a transcription of a sermon. Whatever the case may be, here are a few of the thoughts and questions I had as I was reading through.

  • Jesus is more glorious and worthy of worship over every other created thing… period.
  • The Psalms don’t just talk about Jesus they shout His essential attributes.
  • 2:1 “There fore we must pay much closer attention to what we have hear, lest we drift away from it.” (ESV) This tore me up. I know I have been drifting big time because I haven’t paid much attention to the Word until recently.
  • God has been making Himself know since the beginning.
  • 2:8b “Now in putting everything in subjection to him, he left nothing outside his control.” I bet that includes the good the bad and the ugly. But what about me? Have I been in subjection to Him?
  • 2:18 “For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.” Again, another verse that laid me out. I have no excuse for yielding to temptation.
  • Houses are nice but it’s the builder who gets the glory. Hopefully I can just be a 2×4 for the Builder Jesus. He was a carpenter after all!
  • 3:13 “But exhort one another every day, as long as it is called ‘today,’ that none of you may be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.” I haven’t been doing a lot of exhorting lately, much less daily. Guess it’s time I shape up for my own benefit as well as the benefit of others.
  • 4:12 “For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.” Ouch. It seems that God’s Word is a big theme in this book. Guess the Lord knew I needed to be reminded of just how important His Word is.
  • Jesus was tempted in every way… guess I’m not so special after all.
  • Hard to tell the difference between good and evil if you’re not paying much attention the decisions you make and the situations you put yourself in.
  • God swears by Himself… how awesome!
  • I’ve always thought this Melchizedek dude was pretty interesting. A King, a Priest and he even gave a tenth of his loot to Abraham. Whatever the case, Jesus is still better.
  • Although animal sacrifices had their place, they never fully took care of the problem of sin. That’s why Jesus had to come along and finish the job.
  • 10:23-25 “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for he who promised is faithful. And let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and all the more as you see the Day drawing near.” Jesus is faithful, and we should be faithful to Him and to those whom He has seen fit to put in out path.
  • 10:35-36 “Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has a great reward. For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God you may receive what is promised.” It’s had to admit this, but I’m recovering my confidence not in this life, but in the promise of the life to come.
  • Faith, faith and more faith. Everyone from the big names like Abraham and Moses to the small names like Jephthah and Rahab the bottom line was not their deeds, it was their faith.
  • Hebrews 12:1-3 “Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, adn sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race tha tis set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfector of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured from sinners such hostility against himself so that you may not grow weary or faithearted.” No matter what name was on the list in the hall of faith, they paled in comparison to the faith of Jesus. His example should give me the strength to keep fighting when I am weary from this every day battle of life.
  • 12:12-13 “Therefore lift your drooping hands and strengthen your weak knees, and make straight paths for your feet, so that what is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed.” I know that my hands have drooped and my knees are weak. It is encouraging to know that the Bible has verses for people like me and for times like these in my life.
  • The closing thoughts of this letter are so practical and so precise as to their instruction that you can’t just ignore the fact that inlight of all the soul searching the text was calling for, the persecription was looking toward those around you instead of yourself.

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