The British soldiers of the 19^th century called their military and diplomatic strategies the Great Game. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s character Sherlock Holmes always said that the Game’s afoot. Even Shakespeare’s Henry V said the Game’s afoot. It wasn’t that they thought it was a game. Today many people would call it applying game theory to life. The study of decision making is called Game Theory. All throughout the age’s people have strategized on how to achieve the best result for themselves. Whether it is by war or commerce. The Viking were merchants. If people didn’t want to trade with them they would resort to the sword. All this strategy was always about what they wanted or needed. So, when God talked to man about trusting Him and He would provide, people thought it was a joke. I said it many times that I couldn’t trust anyone but myself. The only problem with only trusting myself was that I don’t have the power to change anything. The only way I saw that things would change was by force. And once you begin with force, you have to have it to accomplish your goal. You know that was one good reason why God didn’t give us power. Sometimes people think they have the power because of money, greed, an army or any other means to force people to comply. God has destroyed nations with His word. God has built nations with His word. This is real power. When you begin to plan your strategy for life, if you don’t have God with you, there is only one outcome. So, what is your Game Theory for your life? Does it include God?

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Since the beginning of radio and television, most of all the programs have been a shows about good versus evil. If you look at video games and comic books, they are the same. Lately most of the shows are about evil triumphing over forces of good. The basic play is called a moral play. It is showing some virtue of good. Did you know that the Punch and Judy play is a moral play about the error of drunkenness? That play is 500 years old. There is something inside of us that these plays call to our very nature. Despite what you think about God, it speaks to the yearning of our heart. I understand why. In the Old Testament, God required man to teach his children about God. So they would not sin against Him. If the father sinned, God would require his children’s children to pay the penalty. Man still didn’t teach his children. So God said, I will write my laws in the heart and mind of man. With this came a knowledge of God. He made everyone responsible to God for themselves. Each of us has a yearning in our heart to do well in the eyes of God. It doesn’t mean that we will. But God has done many things to get us there. Do you know why God has done all these things for man? If you go back and look at all of it, you will see that God truly loves man. Beside the fact that God loves us, do you know why God has made so many covenants, commandments and has intervene in the affairs of man? It was because man wouldn’t listen to God in the first place. Man decided to do his own thing and got into trouble. If only Adam had listen and obeyed, we would be living in the Garden of Eden now.

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Years ago I worked in Real Estate. I sold property but mostly did Appraisals. There was a friend of my younger brother who wanted to buy a piece of property to build a house. I found a nice piece in the country on a lake. It was a very nice piece of land. He had been in the US Army and was going to use the VA to build his home. The VA turned him down because I made a mistake. The property was a gated community. It had a locked gate at the entrance. He had spent his life saving on the property. He wouldn’t speak to me. One Sunday morning I was on my way to church and the Lord spoke to me. He said go to this man and asked for forgiveness. He wouldn’t hear of forgiveness and cursed me. I had done what the Lord had said. I prayer that the situation would be corrected. God helped him sell the property for more money. The bible says if you are bringing a gift to God and remember that your brother has ought against you. Leave the gift and go to your brother and be reconciled. We are responsible for our actions. If they caused our brother to stumble it is our job to fix it as best we can. God will do the rest.

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I wake up some mornings and wonder what day it is. It comes to me and I have to get up for work. Sometimes it goes beyond that I wonder what season I am in. God made the seasons to tell time. We have divided it into 4 seasons, fall, winter, spring and summer. I look at the civilizations of the past and see how they used the seasons to align their buildings. The pyramids of Giza are aligned with the constellation of Orion. Or the Mayans or Incas built observatories that follow the movement in the skies. I laugh when people say that aliens built the pyramids or the temples in South America. We aren’t descendants of monkeys. Those men in each civilization were smart and understood engineering. They used their understanding of God and the heavens to build their culture. Yet there are more seasons than the 4 earthy seasons. Solomon looked at the seasons and understood what else there was. He said to every season there is a time. He knew that we went through different times in our lives. There is a time for life, for death, for anger, for hate, for love, for forgiveness, for planting, for harvesting and for everything that a man goes through. Solomon figured this out about 3000 years ago. Which was before all the other civilizations built all their pyramids or temples. God is who He says He is. And He does bring to pass His word as He says. God isn’t a man that He should lie. What season are we in? I pray it isn’t to last season on earth.

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Last night, I met with my classmates from high school. We met at one of my classmate’s home, that I didn’t think he would even graduate high school. He is one of the wealthy of us all. His home was palatial. It was good to see these men that I spent 12 years of my life with. I went to an all boy’s school. Growing up I was a good kid. I did things that I am not proud of, but that was being a child. I have made my share of mistakes. And I was always looking for a way or help to minimize my mistakes. I wanted to do things and not hurt people. Sometimes it is not possible. Even when I began walking with God. I knew that people would get hurt and I began asking God to correct my mistakes. As my walk progressed, I was changed into the image and likeness of God. This is what God wanted all the time. He wanted me to become his son, with all rights and privileges that go with that. And by the way, I make less mistakes all along the way. It is funny how this world in many aspects parallels God’s world. It should because God made this world. But the point is I am making my way home to heaven. I am walking step by step until I reach that goal. With the grace of God, I will make it.

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Secured Locks don’t guarantee assurance. Everyone wants to be safe and secure. We go to great lengths to have this in our lives. There are security companies for medical emergencies, home invasions or just simply to turn off your lights. They are designed to make you feel secure. Then there are insurance companies to pay breakage to theft. But what do they guarantee? Life is pretty much a gamble or risk you have to take. Don’t you wish that life would come with warranties. It would make things a whole lot better. Did you know that stress is one of the top causes of death in humans? People ask me how I stay so young looking? I tell them I laugh a lot. It seems so simplistic, but it is actually an effective tool in my longevity. The bible says that a merry heart works just like a medicine. But back to security. Do you know that difference between insurance and assurance? Insurance is what we used to help after the fact. It only works for us when a disaster happens. And unfortunately, it is a hit or miss proposition. Then there is assurance. This is what God gives to keep us safe and secure. It is to help before the disaster. And it is also to help after a disaster strikes. The bible says we are blessed coming in and going out. Assurance is only given to God’s children. It is part of our inheritance. The only surety I know of in this world is Jesus, Himself. So, the question is, who or what do you trust in?

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We are taught as a child to be persistent to a fault in our lives. It is how we overcome obstacles or barriers in our life. It can be taken to the ninth degree and we become obnoxious. But depending on how badly we want something to happen, is how far we will go with it. It isn’t bad to be persistent. Sometimes it is quite necessary. There are people in our lives that we haven’t given up on because they are worth the effort. It is a human quality that we all need. There is a parable about persistent prayer in the bible. The story is about an unjust judge, who has no fear of God or man. This woman wanted the judge to help her. At first the judge wouldn’t. But the woman kept coming back to the judge. Eventually the judge seeing that the woman wouldn’t give up, granted her the petition. God is saying that if you have a need and believe that God can help, don’t give up. Be persistent in your prayer to God and He will answer your petition. The longest prayer I have ever had was 22 years. And God answered it completely. For if we know that God hears us, then we have the petitions that we ask of God. There is one stipulation that God has. It is to ask according to His will and we will have what we ask. Be persistent in your prayer for your sake and those that you pray for.

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Change, although it isn’t always welcomed, it is necessary and inevitable. It seems to be such a hard thing to endure, but brings such unique and surprising results. Familiarity is actually the norm in our lives. We strive consistently to have a normal life, where everything is consistent and predictable. Never thinking that change would bring a better life. We want what we want. Even if this life we have will bring us to destruction. It is the most contradictory thing we do in our lives. It is all brought on by the fear of the unknown. Not knowing where our lives will go if we change. It can stop us from achieving greatness in our lives. Fear has destroyed many a life. But how can you have assurance that with change our life will go right? That is the question for the ages. Man, left to his own devises, will destroy everything around him. Man doesn’t have the power to change anything. This power can only come from one place and that is God. And this power isn’t given to man unless he surrenders his life to God. There is no power on earth great enough to change anything. It doesn’t matter what you believe. The power is from on high. God has to change your heart, before your life will change for the better. Then you will be changed in a twinkling of an eye.

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I was raised in a good home. We went to church every Sunday. Mom and Dad wanted us to learn about God, so we could live a decent life. When I was 8 years old, I was watching Billy Graham in New York City. He said a lot of things that I didn’t understand. But when he said, pray with me. I did. I knew that something changed. I wasn’t quite sure what, but I changed. My journey with God was just beginning. It took another 20 years before I finally figured out what it was about. When I surrendered my life when I was 28 years old, I saw the truth. My life had come full circle. I now had a teacher that lived with me. Actually He lives inside me, in my heart. The Holy Spirit came upon me and began to teach me the ways of the God. My eyes were opened to see the truth. Something that I didn’t want to see for a very long time. God took me to school, His school. I began reading the bible like I had never read before. Then God had me to put into practice the things that I learn. My faith started with headaches and moved into miracles. What is interesting is that the bible isn’t divided into 2 parts. The bible is one book, from beginning to end. And this book was written by one person, God Himself. How do I know these things? Because I have a witness who lives in my heart that tells me the truth. And knowing the truth will set you free from the bonds of this world, to serve God. It is time for your journey to begin.

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I look around at the world and see disasters almost everywhere. The storms that occur almost every week are amazing. The flooding, tornados, fires, disease, drought, explosions, ice or snow has hit almost every part of this country consistently. The economy is another disaster. No one seems to be able to agree on most anything. What does this look like to you? Does it remind you of something? I hope it does, but I am not encouraged the people even understand what is happening. When 9/11 happened the United States can to a grinding halt. People realized that they were vulnerable. Our country switched from a peace time to a war time mode. The churches in America were filled to the brim for about three months. Until the US govt. became the savior. 9/11 was the opening shot fired across the bow. The disaster was meant to show us we needed God back in our life. I will never say that God doesn’t have a people who are faithful to him. But I wish there were more people in the kingdom.

1 Cor.6: 20 “For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God’s.” KJV

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