Legend to the Treasure - Wisdom On a Rainy Day

Here in Nashville, we're in the middle of a VERY rainy week. This certainly provides GREAT reminders as to how BLESSED we are for even the roofs over our heads. The steady rain also conjures up memories of Gwen's "Legend to the Treasure" Series Videos, Audios, Writings, and Lessons. The "nautical" theme she used to teach those seminar lessons are SO FULL of WISDOM and TRUTH! Today seems like a great day to print one of those devotional posts...as the rain falls here and we count our BLESSINGS, remembering that GOD is GOD...and we are NOT.

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THE SECRETS OF THE SYMBOL - By Gwen Shamblin

“He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth. He waited seven more days and sent the dove out again, but this time it did not return to him.” - Genesis 8:10-12

The peace dove, the ancient symbol that has been used by all nations and religions, represents the greatest storm on earth, and it is God’s greatest war on mankind. Man had started the war by fighting against God and His laws. There was almost no one on earth who was not fighting against God. This was God’s answer to sin. The worldwide flood that unleashed all sources of water and covered the entire world was God’s response to rebellion. This mammoth historical event was never meant to be relegated to children’s Bible storybooks or to preschool Sunday school lessons. But God, in His mercy, has allowed this ignored event and symbol to be preserved all these centuries—lost and waiting, but not forgotten.

First of all, this story is a dreadful one with a higher death toll than all other disasters put together. Try to imagine being on top of a mountain with thousands of people watching the water rise to drown all men, women and children. This story symbolizes the destruction of the evil and the sparing of the righteous few. This flood represents the baptism of sin—the burying of sin and rebellion to God. This ark represents the salvation of the righteous.

This dove did not come quickly after the 40 days of flood waters that hushed all life on earth. Only after months of the quieting of rebellion on earth did God decide to make peace again with mankind. In fact, it was approximately eleven months after the water receded. God clearly demonstrated peace with man only when sinful men died in the ocean and were gone from the earth. At this point, His anger subsided. The peace dove came with the resolution of God’s anger. When sin is eradicated, the peace dove appears.

Man is looking for peace with man, but the only peace that counts is no sin before God. That is a far cry from the simple-minded, uneducated peace dove symbol that refers to the disarming of nuclear arms or the absence of war or man-versus-man violence. Man grants Nobel Peace Prizes for the wrong peace, but the truth is that Jesus is the Prince of peace, and He never got a Nobel Peace Prize. I will never get an award either from any man on this earth for promoting the only peace that counts—eradication of rebellion to God."

END OF GWEN'S DEVOTIONAL

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Finally, it indeed is a SHAME that the world does not know this peace. May we HEED these words and put them into PRACTICE in our own lives.

Choosing the Narrow Path to Life...It STARTS with STOPPING on the Wide Road to Death

"Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it" - Matthew 7:13-14 - The NIV Bible.

What incredibly POWERFUL words! And remember this poem from years past...

Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I—
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.

"The Road Not Taken" - by Robert Frost

Taking "the narrow path"..."the road not taken"...has been the charge from every man and woman of GOD throughout history. It all starts with a DECISION and a COMMITMENT. See this quote from Gwen's "The Legend To The Treasure" book about PRACTICAL EVERYDAY LIVING for those who claim GOD as their ONLY GOD...

"Walk daily in the light of truth and correction and tell yourself the truth about how much you eat, spend, drink, talk and disobey. Expose the anti-authority to God and then stop, cease, terminate, finish, draw to a close, be over with, bring to an end, bring to a halt, end, halt, stop, conclude, wind up, discontinue, suspend, break off, and leave sin! Be done with it forever. Then, start and continue this new life with this daily living, and you will not be alone. You will enjoy this wonderful fellowship no matter where you live in the world."

Notice the CHARGE in the middle of that paragraph? It's STRONG! Stop, cease, terminate, finish draw to a close, be over with, bring to an end, bring to a halt, end, halt, stop, conclude, wind up, discontinue, suspend, break off, and leave sin! You cannot CONTINUE on the "broad road" to destruction...not even a TINY bit...AND "love and obey GOD" at the same time. With new, open eyes and ears to this TRUTH and UNDERSTANDING, we GET the opportunity and the second chance to STOP moving forward on that wide path, turn around, and move OVER to the NARROW ROAD! What an opportunity! SO - WE STOP doing and thinking things that we KNOW are wrong...THEN we're be able to SEE the narrow road...and choose WISELY. We'll be discussing this concept of STOPPING SINNING...and moving our time, thoughts, actions, and motives over to the godly, narrow path TODAY on WDWB LIVE at 3:30pm CST. We invite you to join us! ALSO, we have a FREE PODCASTS website that you can visit and enjoy past LIVE segments.

AMBITION - SelfLESS & Beautiful...or SelfISH & Destructive? Which do you have?

As always, first thing's first...GOD has blessed the feedback on Weigh Down's WETV feature from "Secret Lives of Women." The network aired the episode AGAIN last evening at 10:00pm EST, 9:00pm CST. They will air it yet AGAIN on Tuesday, September 1st at 11:00pm EST, 10:00pm CST AND THREE HOURS LATER on Wednesday, September 2nd at 2:00am EST, 1:00am CST. GOD is busy...getting the word out! Thank YOU for helping us spread this GOOD NEWS!
NOW - On with the Blog...
It has been fascinating to observe the "culture of celebrity" here in the United States...and what people are willing to do to ACHIEVE celebrity. It's a hunger, a thirst, an AMBITION that drives people to do nearly ANYTHING to rise in fame...whether it's politics, music, acting/movies/TV, sports, or anything related to "reality" videos and competitions. We referenced the "15 minutes of fame" concept in our Tuesday, August 25th Blog. Not only is it fascinating, it largely is SAD and ALARMING to watch unfold in so many cases. There exists in many people to either GO AFTER or at least WATCH OTHERS go after this insatiable desire to "reach the top"...whether it's political office, a #1 hit song, a highly grossing movie, a shot at money and/or victory on a "reality" show. Here's a few examples from the mixed world of politics, entertainment, and sports.

• The passing of Senator Edward (Ted) Kennedy has re-focused media coverage and reports of Edward, John F., and Robert's father JOE KENNEDY. See this quote from a recent USA Today.com article by Jill Lawrence...

  "Instead, he (Joe Kennedy) became what writer Vincent Bzdek calls a human blowtorch, propelling his sons into politics. He expected possibly all four to become president. He wanted to create a more lasting dynasty than the Roosevelts,' says Bzdek, author of The Kennedy Legacy: Jack, Bobby and Ted and a Family Dream Fulfilled."

• In the 1980s, stories circulated about University of Southern California (USC) and briefly of the NFL's Oakland Raiders quarterback TODD MARINOVICH, a young man raised and groomed almost from BIRTH by his father to be a star quarterback. He ate it, slept it, studied it, and played it. Sadly, he burned out on football, and his career was cut short after substance abuse troubles.
• Anyone familiar with pop music knows of MADONNA, who has been charting hit songs since the early 1980s. One of her earliest "breakout" moments...and a quote she's been known for throughout her career...came in 1984. After her debut album gained her a performance on "American Bandstand," host Dick Clark asked her what she wanted to do when she "grew up." She said, "Rule the world." She definitely has gone to great lengths throughout her career, transforming her public image time and time again to remain famous.

We ALL could remember and list preachers, authors, talk show hosts, business leaders, etc. we've known and observed in our lives who would seemingly do ANYTHING to "get an edge" and "get to the top." BUT, as we referenced in yesterday's Blog, it's NOT about "pointing fingers." Remember, we're seeing these things play out in front of us to get US to LOOK IN THE MIRROR. Everyone has an AMBITION. What is YOURS?

• SELFLESS AMBITION - Jesus Christ, even KNOWING He was about to embark on His mission to change the world for GOD'S glory and fame and praise, was SLOW and HESITANT to "become famous" before His time. When His mother Mary asked Him to, basically, perform what became His first miracle of turning water into wine at a wedding, His initial response was, "Dear woman, why do you involve me?" Jesus replied, "My time has not yet come." He wanted to be SURE that GOD was ready to put Him into the public spotlight...never ASSUMING fame was His to take.
  
• SELFLESS AMBITION - The Apostle PAUL said in I Thessalonians 4:11-12, "Make it your ambition to lead a quiet life, to mind your own business and to work with your hands, just as we told you, (and here's the key point...the WHY...the MOTIVE...) so that your daily life may win the respect of outsiders and so that you will not be dependent on anybody." HUGE!
• SELFLESS AMBITION - Before he was "King" David, the YOUNG David heard that the Philistine giant Goliath was taunting Israel and insulting GOD. He couldn't BELIEVE that NO ONE would, armed with the power of GOD, STAND UP to this disrespectful, blasphemous, arrogant man! And SO, as his quote goes, "You come against me with sword and spear and javelin, but I come against you in the name of the LORD Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied..." And GOD gave him victory on that day and for his LIFE.
  
• SELFISH AMBITION - Haman, high in command under King Xerxes, in his arrogance thought of himself as "untouchable," worthy of the King's highest honor. He hated Mordecai, a Jew, and sought to ERADICATE the land of all Jews, executing ALL of them. He didn't count on the humble and beautiful Queen Esther, also a Jew, at the risk of her own life graciously presenting her plea for life to the King...who quickly and angrily turned on King Xerxes and had him HANGED on the very same gallows that Haman had intended to use for Mordecai! Justice...
  
• SELFISH AMBITION - Absalom, errant son of King David, tried to win the hearts of the people by UNDERCUTTING his own FATHER! He died horribly...hung by his own HAIR and cut down.
  
• SELFISH AMBITION - Judas, the Apostle who betrayed Jesus, helped himself to the money collected for use in their ministry without permission. He didn't like the direction of Jesus' ministry. He betrayed the Son of GOD...and in remorse, he hung himself.

The lists of both kinds of examples could go on and on...
SO - what is our MOTIVE for ANYTHING we do...today and every day? SelfISH ambition isn't just "wanting to be famous." It can take on MANY forms. Lying about your work or a co-worker's work to "get ahead" with the boss. Backstabbing others to make yourself look better at a party or in an organization or even at CHURCH! It can be ANYTHING...ANYTHING that is NOT motivated by the selfLESS desire to MAKE GOD KNOWN. THAT was the ambition of Moses, Abraham, King David, Paul, Peter, and JESUS. It wasn't about personal achievement to be self-glorified. Here, today, Gwen Shamblin has testified and taught from the BEGINNING of this Weigh Down Ministry that her goal NEVER was to be a world-renown author and/or celebrity. By her own words, she wanted to "become a registered dietician and work in the bottom of a hospital with a hairnet on..." GOD since has used her relationship with Him and her humility to serve as an EXAMPLE of how to get people to find HIM! The RESULTS from that selfLESS ambition has been a worldwide ministry and church and COUNTLESS changed lives! VICTORY for GOD!

AMBITION - for GOD'S glory or our OWN glory? We'll talk about the CONTRAST in the two types TODAY on WDWB LIVE! Please join us at 3:30pm CST, and we'll offer conversation, testimony, and perspective on how this Ministry has CHANGED so many people's AMBITIONS. The only FULFILLING...TRULY SATISFYING ambition is the one that gives BACK...the ambition to glorify and bring attention to the all-powerful, wonderful, gracious, awesome GOD ALMIGHTY! Enjoy a day of selfLESS ambition!