May have a new dog

8/1/11 Monday
First day of August. Triple digit heat predicted for the entire week and no chance for rain forecast. We may have acquired a new dog. A FB friend had this white German Shepherd mix dog show up in the alley behind his house and spoke about it on facebook. For some reason it stirred me. After talking with Cherie we agreed to go see this dog and perhaps bring it home to see how it gets along with the others. Buddy is an outside dog, not allowed in the house, so somewhat lonely at night. Besides he us just too friendly to be a guard dog. Runs up to all for pets, hugs, and love, so that doesn’t do much to deter someone. With all these melons turning ripe we want to discourage the theft we experienced before, where someone went through all the cantaloupe at night, cutting and taking them all whether ripe or not.

When we got to Robert’s house they were waiting for us. The dog was skittish but still readily came to me. Seems to prefers males, which indicates he had a male owner before becoming lost or abandoned. So we brought him home and named him “Duke”. First introduction was with Buddy, who wasn’t sure at first, but the acid test was Rascal and Trixie, who were raised here and view this farm as their property and rightfully insist on being dominant over all other canines that show up. (There have been quite a few over the years) I let them out of the house with trepidation, didn’t know if it would be an instant fight or what, but they got along ok. Time will tell more. Duke seems very laid back and not at all aggressive so it looks promising.

This morning we must run to Odessa college early, have to arrive at 8:00, for preparation for the final exam with the House Performance course. We should leave by 7:00 to get there in time. It’s 6:30 and still dark out so I need to go out with the dogs and let them run, along with interact with Duke. Time to go. I have much more to write about but that will have to wait.
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As you can see, the dogs are getting along. Too bad people can't show the same acceptance.
Spent the day in Odessa. Longest time we've had in the class ever. Spent classroom time reviewing what we learned and then went to the house we will test at to get familiar with the equipment and make a dry run. It was interesting and a good thing for we learned a lot.

Finally made it home by 5:00. Anxious to see if Duke had stayed around and not wandered off, plus there was the fear that he might wander out onto the highway and get run over. We were grateful to find him and Buddy just fine and happy to greet us. I let Rascal and Trixie out and we all went out to walk the farm. They ran, I walked. Duke wanted to play and enjoyed very much the freedom and room to run. It was good to watch.

There is always much on my mind. When I went to the prison Sunday I discovered that I was scheduled to be there at 2:00 pm, not the 9:00 AM I thought. I had a lot of time to burn and making the hour drive back home, only to come back again, didn't make any sense so I drove around looking for a church. Prayed "God, lead me to where you want me to go" and spied a church with a non denominational name so went in. I was warmly greeted and sat to wait on the service. What proceeded was one of the most unusual church services I have ever seen and I prayed hard to not be judgmental but wondered at what I saw. God speaks to me through the scriptures often and I opened my bible and found "Son of man, look with your eyes and hear with your ears and pay attention to everything I am going to show you, for that is why you have been brought here. Tell the house of Israel everything you see." (Ezekiel 40:4)

We live in a world with great spiritual deception, false teachers and false prophets leading many down an emotional and sensual road where deep biblical teaching is replaced with pump you up pep rallies that have little substance. And in the process these teachers and prophets, who love titles and the acclaim of others, make sure they milk the sheep for all they can, especially in the area of finances. I so don't want to be in their shoes when they stand before the living God.

Mathew 2531 "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his throne in heavenly glory. 32 All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. 33 He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left. 34 "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. 35 For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, 36 I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.' 37 "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? 38 When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? 39 When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?' 40 "The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me.' 41 "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Depart from me, you who are cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. 42 For I was hungry and you gave me nothing to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me nothing to drink, 43 I was a stranger and you did not invite me in, I needed clothes and you did not clothe me, I was sick and in prison and you did not look after me.' 44 "They also will answer, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?' 45 "He will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.' 46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."

Then there is this in Mathew 7:15 "Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16 By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17 Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18 A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19 Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20 Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them. 21 "Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22 Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23 Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

The pastor of a church we once attended was adamant in exclaiming "It says these people "SAID" they did these things but they really didn't". No, that's not how it reads, and there are other scriptures that talk about those who show lying signs and wonders in order to deceive many, so these people are praying for the sick and claiming healings, and the devil will make things happen in order to continue the lies, and to help others believe the lies. These are the last days and we will be seeing all kinds of stuff, hard to believe stuff, hard not to believe stuff

Mathew 24:24 For false Christs and false prophets will appear and perform great signs and miracles to deceive even the elect--if that were possible.

What many don't want to understand is that much of this will be going on IN the church. When the scriptures talk about being drug into the synagogues, persecuted, and beaten, understand that the word synagogue was the closest thing the writers of the scriptures had to describe what we call church today. It is the same spirit, the same self righteousness, the same "I'm better than you are" attitude that killed the prophets, and killed Jesus, that is alive today in the church. Talking to a brother today about other churches he had been involved with where egos and pride overcame humility and servant-hood, and in the process the weak, along with the ones who walked with God, were disliked, seen as threats, talked about, and run off.
Mathew 24:9 "Then you will be handed over to be persecuted and put to death, and you will be hated by all nations because of me. 10 At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, 11 and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. 12 Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, 13 but he who stands firm to the end will be saved.