Cartoonist/Illustrator - Jeff Larson
Minnesota
 I wrote a while back about GETTING WHAT I DESERVE from God. I shared in this blurb I deserve God's Grace, I deserve His Love because I am a child of God and God the Father is the perfect parent, and even as an imperfect parent myself I would always forgive and forget and strive to be patient and graceful towards my kids no matter their mistakes. This GETTING WHAT I DESERVE writing was met with mixed reviews as some shared Grace is a gift we do not deserve, and our goodness is as filthy rags in comparison to our creator. This is also true. Here in lies for me the PARADOX as both seemingly contradictory statements are true. We are all God's children, and He desires each one of us choose Him, BUT I know first hand my weaknesses my failures, my selfish desires are sometimes far from the heart of God.  I could ramble on about this topic and may do so another day, but today I will use the PRODIGAL SON as a great story of this paradox. This rebellious son chose his own way with his own free will and was allowed by the father to separate his life and choices totally from the father. During this time he was still the son and was loved, but far from doing anything remotely obedient or loving. Once the prodigal son hit bottom, he grieved his poor decisions and with his same free will CHOSE to return to the father who welcomed him NOT with scolding words of disappointment BUT with open arms and love and a celebration of a son who was lost but is now found. My son was lost but now is found.  This prodigal son was both selfish, sinful, rebellious, and also loved beyond description by his Father. Both aspects of the son were true.. he was a walking talking (smelling like a pig pen) paradox... and so are we. Our very best is NOTHING compared to our Heavenly Father. He deserves and desires our love and appreciation but we have the choice to 'GO PRODIGAL' on Him. Isn't it great to be loved like this. Unconditional love that welcomes us back when we blow it. Of course you may be like the other son who has NOT wandered far from home and was good, BUT please take on the heart of the father when those who have suffered prodigal moments have returned. We should celebrate the return of a brother or sister, and not EVER shake our heads comparing our relative goodness. Note: The very best of any of us is still truly filthy rags compared to our Father. Not shaming anyone, but the very best virtuous, moral, giving, talented, gifted orators are clanging cymbals without God's love. So be thankful, stay humble, and rejoice with others and with the Father always.  This PARADOX is the heart of the gospel. But God demonstrates his own love for us in this: While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8 Two seemingly contradictory statements that are both beautifully true.
May God bless and use you today no matter if you are the good rule following child of God OR.. the prodigal who has wandered away YET AGAIN. Both of you are His children and you are loved, and you DESERVE HIS GRACE if you choose it.. because that is what perfect love does. Accept this paradox from God. Jeff (A living Breathing Back Pew Paradox) Larson The Back Pew believes it is ok to have a sense of humor and still be allowed in Heaven. 7/4/2020 That UNCLE SAM I amFrom time to time I share cartoons, and blogs regarding my concerns that America has compromised it's Christian values. America was founded as a Christian nation but is now a melting pot of faiths where false gods are given equal billing with the only true God of our Bibles. We should NOT apologize for our Christian heritage, but instead should embrace and develop it.  So that was then, but today I want to follow up with an email title borrowed from the ‘very minor prophet’ Dr. Seuss where the Sam I speak of is Uncle Sam. That Sam I am, that Sam I am, I do like that Uncle Sam I am. We are blessed to be in a country (even with all it’s problems) where we can worship God freely (modified by Covid-19 in 2020), where I can pray and am not truly persecuted for my faith. That Sam I am That Same I am, I do like that Uncle Sam I am... though I am not so sure about any Green Eggs and Ham. maybe on the 4th a slice of good ol' Apple Pie...with a scoop of Vanilla ice cream. Ok, two scoops.  I live in a beautiful country that that is presently (summer of 2020) in turmoil. Covid-19 pandemic, racial tensions are high, and a portion of population including anarchist group (ie Antifa) are rioting, looting, and destroying historical monuments.. all while the 24/7 news channels are giddy gaslighting the chaos. We can debate another day if this or any is justified and what is fake but there is no debate life in America is a mess. With all this being said I still do not really know what true hardship is. I live in a country blessed with great family, friends, and a church heritage from rural Wisconsin that is the roots of who I am.. and for me to wallow in any difficult circumstance I may face is really a moment of lost perspective.  And.. There is nothing new under the sun-- While I am not lowering the bar of expectations for America to honor God first, I am thankful for the blessings of living in a nation where so much is possible. Prayers and dreams of what could be and for a perspective of what God wants for me, my family, my country, and for this world. With regards to America getting past these dangerous times.. it is simple. REALLY SIMPLE.. If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land. 2 Chronicles 7:14 So SIMPLE.. if we had a repentant heart. There is lies the challenge, and should be our prayer.  So God bless America, and his people to love and serve Him, and others as He intends. May the faith of our nation become as stereotypical American loud and bold in our words and actions honoring the ONE TRUE GOD. Happy 4th Blessings! Jeff 7/1/2020 Prayer.. What if? If MILK does a BODY good, then.. PRAYER does a CHURCH BODY good. President Harry S. Truman proclaimed a National Day of Prayer to be observed on July 4, 1952. Each year since that date, Americans have observed the day in their own way. The observance moved to the first Thursday in May by President Ronald Reagan and has been proclaimed each year since, and so this year, May 7th 2020 was the National Day of Prayer. OK, (IF) we believe prayer is powerful and (IF) we prayed for our nation.. why is our nation is such a mess.  A few weeks ago as our Country and this world continued to implode over all things Corona-19 and Race related and where any resemblance of truth was blinded by a cocktail of panic & blind rage I received a social media request to pray for our nation every night at 8PM. My wife and I have been mostly faithful to praying for our nation since then, but to be honest I have missed a few times. With this request in mind.. What if each of us prayed for our nation and the world everyday. Many of you I am sure do, but I am sure many others of us do not. What if we asked God to show America mercy as we are in many ways so far from His will., What if we prayed for those we do not honestly like nor their politics, hidden agendas, and religious beliefs that conflict with our 'Christian' sensibilities. What if we prayed for (not at) those caught up lifestyles contrary to God's will. What if we prayed for all these things rather than just complain to God about those less 'enlightened' than ourselves. What if? and if not What if?.. then Why not? As I continue this blog I find the prefect reminder of who am I when I pray and who I pray to in the lyrics from the song Who Am I by the group Casting Crowns. click here to listen to song-> WHO AM I Who am I, that the Lord of all the earth Would care to know my name, Would care to feel my hurt? Who am I, that the Bright and Morning Star Would choose to light the way For my ever wandering heart? Not because of who I am But because of what You’ve done. Not because of what I’ve done But because of who You are. CHORUS: I am a flower quickly fading, Here today and gone tomorrow. A wave tossed in the ocean. A vapor in the wind. Still You hear me when I’m calling. Lord, You catch me when I’m falling. And You’ve told me who I am. I am Yours, I am Yours. Who am I, that the eyes that see my sin Would look on me with love and watch me rise again? Who am I, that the voice that calmed the sea Would call out through the rain And calm the storm in me? Not because of who I am But because of what You’ve done. Not because of what I’ve done But because of who You are. CHORUS: I am a flower quickly fading, Here today and gone tomorrow. A wave tossed in the ocean. A vapor in the wind. Still You hear me when I’m calling. Lord, You catch me when I’m falling. And You’ve told me who I am. I am Yours, I am Yours. Not because of who I am But because of what You’ve done. Not because of what I’ve done But because of who You are. CHORUS: I am a flower quickly fading, Here today and gone tomorrow. A wave tossed in the ocean. A vapor in the wind. Still You hear me when I’m calling. Lord, You catch me when I’m falling. And You’ve told me who I am. I am Yours, I am Yours, I am Yours. Whom shall I fear? Whom shall I fear? ‘Cause I am Yours, I am Yours.  Think about it, Prayer is access to God. If you believe this, then this is the time we collectively say.. "WO!" So please let's not reduce prayer into a hocus-pocus moment, making wishes to a Genie in a Lamp, or reduce it to casual words spoken quickly before an evening meal or in moments of desperation. Instead follow the instructions of Jesus on how to pray.. “This, then, is how you should pray: “‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, (GREAT IS OUR GOD) your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. (YOUR WILL NOT MINE) Give us today our daily bread. (PLEASE MEET OUR NEEDS) And forgive us our debts, (FORGIVE ME) as we also have forgiven our debtors. (FORGIVE OTHERS) And lead us not into temptation, (STAY FROM TEMPTATION) but deliver us from the evil one.’ (PROTECTION) Pray knowing who God is, and who we are to Him. Pray humbly for mercy for the people in this nation and world and for revival. Too busy to pray?.. I sometimes think this as my busy mind in this busy society overwhelms my thoughts, BUT how long does it take to just say the Lord' Prayer which outlines perfectly all things we daily need to pray for. 1. Honoring God 2. God's Will 3. Sharing our needs 4. Forgiveness 5. Deliverance from Temptation and Evil Then after I say amen I can feel peace. PEACE BE STILL.. are the words Jesus used to calm the sea, and PEACE BE STILL is the challenge for all of us when life is raging like a stormy sea.  What if.. we prayed the Lord's Prayer Daily and not as a rote process but instead meaning each part? I believe it would CHANGE THE WORLD. I have featured a cartoon of a business meeting in Hell where there is great concern regarding Hell's lack of influence when faced with Christians praying. This is a ScrewTape letters sorta image that I believe captures the true (too often untapped) power of prayer. Everyone of us have challenges, stress, loneliness, sadness, tragedy, debt, sickness, and/or death that greet us daily. This is a fallen world and I know for myself I make this worse as like Peter I take my eyes off Jesus and focus on the problems (the raging sea) of my day.  But no matter your circumstance, know that our prayers are heard by a God who loves us, and wants what is best for us like the PERFECT father that He is.
One last reminder.. let’s be as the Bible teaches in an attitude of prayer. Pray without ceasing.. meaning we communicate with God throughout our day. This type of prayer should be the natural communication of thanksgiving & praise, repentance, for protection & guidance, and the desires of my heart. Flowery lofty language is not needed, but instead honest ongoing communication about our worries, doubts, and dreams with our loving God. Blessings (PRAYING in the Back Pew) Larson 6/30/2020 Warrior.. or Tin Man? Being a manly man like I am :) .. I think of myself as a Norwegian William Wallace (aka BraveHeart), or the Minnesotan Gladiator Larsonus Maxamus.. doncha-know… or maybe just Ole the Goalie all geared up for any of Satan's slap shots. BUT my gut check tells me I am more of a WARRIOR WORRIER going by the title 'Sir Gasps-Alot'.  As a believer I am called to put on the Full Armor of God. Ephesians 6:10-18 ready for any and all confrontations. BUT a quick assessment of my armor but I find I should accessorize with more than a donut and coffee from the church fellowship center.
 Considering this honest armor assessment am I really prepared to face what today might bring, and if not, then any extracurricular activity like storming the rusty gates of Hell will be out of the question. The good news is I don’t have to be a spiritual version of the ‘Tin Man’ like in the Wizard of Oz. I can be more than conqueror through Christ who is my strength. If I purposefully and intentionally put on the full armor of God I can boldly live out the words of the prophet Dirty Harry.. “Go ahead, make my day”… 
I know I am getting older when many have no idea who the SIX MILLION DOLLAR MAN was. HE IS NOT.. a 'moderately paid pro athlete'. I am speaking of the TV Show from 1974-1978 about Steve Austin who was in some terrible accident where all the FDA 'doctors', and all the CIA men couldn't put Steve back together again.. so the OSI was called in to install him with ‘bionic’ parts.  Kind of a combination of Humpty Dumpty and Inspector Gadget. And back at the day of this show the going price for bionic reconstructive surgery was $6,000,000.00! I think it costs about $4000 for Lasic Eye surgery so this to me seems like a SWEET DEAL. This 6Mil-Man could run 60 miles per hour (though it appeared in slow motion), he had superman like strength, vision better than Lasic combined with 'carrot' steroids, and whenever the bionics kicked into gear, it would make this techy-spring like noise. Not unlike a cartoon BOING.. but a sound that made it clear his 'bionics' were in use.  His bionics were only in one eye, one arm, and both legs. It seems like this would be a serious health risk when one arm can lift a normal weight while the other can lift a … BUICK. Now that I think of it... maybe INSPECTOR GADGET is a more realistic depiction of a bionic overhaul than is the 6 million dollar man. So how about SPIRITUAL BIONICS? ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me’. With a truth like this.. who needs bionics?? For those of you unsure if bionics are for you or being a new creature in Christ is a better choice I have put together a side by side 'scientific' comparison of the Bionic Man v the New Man in Christ..  BIONIC MAN versus NEW MAN (1) The Procedure... Bionic Man – Major surgery requires replacing broken down human parts with bionic parts. IT’S GONNA HURT.. LOTS!! Stock up on ibuprofen. Worse than a knee replacement X 10! New Man – REFINING one's spirit in my opinion would be more painful than Lasic, less painful than bionics.  (2) The Brain... Bionic Man – Bionic Brain IS NOT available at the time that I wrote this email New Man – RENEWAL of your mind is one of the major benefits of New Man v Bionics. Some Eastern Religions claim that their meditation techniques are a renewal of the mind but then again.. when I look at Buddah I don’t have an impression of a man/deity who had enough self control to leave the buffet table alone let alone offer me peace of mind... unless he was eating comfort foods.  (3) Strength & Speed... Bionic Man – Superhuman strength & speed limited to laws of physics and nature but are without a doubt beyond the abilities of any powerlifter or sprinter ever. New Man – STRENGTHENED by God, New Man is not limited by laws of physics and nature. It is rumored mountains can be moved simply by faith. It sounds New Age, but it's not!. New man can do all things through Christ who strengthens me! (4) Vision... Bionic Man – Lasic is wimpy compared with bionics. Bionics provide a rev’d up digital camera cranium implant providing better than 20/20 vision. New Man – GOD’S VISION.. New man has no real improved physical vision, but also the ability of discernment from God allows new man to be sensitive to the needs and hearts of others. (5) Water... - Bionic Man – There are serious concerns if bionics are exposed to moisture and especially sea water. Also bionics are heavy.. putting you at risk of .. sinking like a 6 MILLION DOLLAR BOAT ANCHOR.. New Man – New man capabilities are very sea worthy. Power to PART SEAS, and WALK ON WATER are all documented attributes of new man. New Man's physical attributes of man (weight & density) remain unchanged, but the power of God allows New Man to defy laws of physics and nature.. without water wings. IN FACT many Baptists take to water like Michael Phelps. (6) Linguistics... - Bionic Man – I do not recall any brochures on bionics touting linguistics as a marketing strength. New Man – The pro bionics crowd points to The Tower of Babel as being a linguistic drawback to being New Man, but after further investigation it became clear that the language barriers at the TOB ( Tower of Babel ) had to do with Old Man, and not New Man. Later in the 2nd Chapter of Acts, the linguistic capabilities of New Man were put on display like a linguistic-matrix affect on all involved. Communication in words meant only for God confounded Old Man.. even if he was bionic. This provides a coded language to Almighty God that is only understood by the decoding of the Holy Spirit.  (7) Warranty Related Issues... Bionic Man – Life time warranty on bionics, but still limited by the typical aging process and life expectancy of the physical portion of the bionic man and/or woman... Also this warranty is limited to our physical realm here on Earth. New Man – Simply put.. New Man has ETERNAL LIFE . So while New Man is empowered in super natural ways during his life on earth, the best is yet to come. Better than a lifetime warranty, New Man will have a second life of no pain, no fear, and no limits. There is no ENTRANCE EXAM , and you will not be rudely BOUNCED at the gate as long as he/she believes in the God who was their source for life while on Earth. (8) Cost... Bionic Man – Back in 1974 the cost was $6,000,000 for an eye, an arm, and 2 legs. With inflation I do not want to guess what this procedure will set you back. New Man – As strange as this sounds.. this transition from Old Man to New Man is FREE.  Closing Comments comments come in the endorsements of SUPERMAN, SPIDERMAN… and the original WHEATIES BOY Samson.
Have a great day, not limited by this world, but empowered by the one true God who is the source of this life, and the life that is to come. RAISE THE BAR on what is possible with the Spirit of God in your life. Jeff 6/17/2020 Light v Dark (toast & life) rr I am one of those folks who likes my food ever so slightly overcooked. I like the cheese on my pizza to be golden.. a 'dark' golden, and toast my bagel dark so to contrast with a spread of cream cheese. I want my bagel to CRUNCH when I bite into it. And I like DUSK.. where the sun has just dropped peacefully below the western horizon but before the black of night, Of course choosing dark over light in the tasty matters of food or sunsets is fine, but in matters of the SPIRIT.. always choose the LIGHT. This Present Darkness is a Christian novel by Frank Paretti published in 1986 showing the reader a view on angels, demons, prayer, and spiritual warfare while demons and angels interact and struggle for control in our lives and communities. And though this book was fiction, I believe this battle is real.  Of course there is obvious DARKNESS in this world, but I am surprised by many Churches maintain a Frog in the Boiling Pot perspective on life where God is fit into societal norms rather than the other way around as God intends. The temp is going up, but we the church are too often oblivious... and actually enjoying this Jacuzzi of the soul. "In God We Trust" may be the official motto (for now) of the United States of America, but in this world's shadows we move closer to a Godless reality found in Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in his own eyes. How else can explain our society where
 All this madness happens and honestly I am not sure the church knows how to handle it. I observe many if not most churches are afraid of secular man and public opinion rather than afraid of disobeying God. If anyone espouses traditional Christian values we are deemed judgmental, hateful bigots or worse. But what of that? They hated Jesus first for telling loving truth, so why are we afraid to be hated for the Gospel? This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but people loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that their deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what they have done has been done in the sight of God. John 3:19-21  So these very words of Jesus make it clear.. It matters what we believe, our choices matter. JESUS WAS NOT TALKIN' TOAST. We are commanded in loving firm truths to stay in the light by Jesus. He does did mince word and the world hated Him for it. So I prayer God finds us IN THE LIGHT, living in obedience to His word, loving and truthful in our words and deeds with others, and never lingering in this world's shadows. Enjoy this life in the LIGHT. Blessings Jeff (dark toast please) Larson 6/15/2020 Flawed Folk Fellowship (rr) Let me start today with a good ol' Protestant Brag. I have attend church most every week, and not just Sunday mornings, I often go on Wednesdays too. I accepted Jesus into my heart at age 6, was baptized at age 14, and have been married to a wonderful Christian woman for almost 36 years! You see, I AM ONE OF THE GOOD GUYS. Besides going to church, I work hard, pay my bills, and have endured rush hour traffic that would tempt Mother Theresa's to swear like a sailor. I aspire to be like Jesus and so again.. I am a pretty pretty good guy. BUT.. (NEWS FLASH) I am really any better than those who never darken the door of a local church. Let's just say I am a lifelong member of the 'Flawed Folk Fellowship'.  The friendly members of 'Flawed Folk Fellowship' are known for their welcoming slogan 'No Perfect People Allowed' but this also could serve as a disclaimer much like you hear at the end of one of those prescription med TV ads. CURElanta may be right for you. <pause> BUT.. some taking CURElanta "may experience tingling toes, a bloody nose, itchy ears, swollen rear, and.. in extreme cases DEATH or worse. Our Flawed Folk disclaimer could be .. In some cases those attending Flawed Folk Fellowship experience involuntary hand raising, amen vocalizations and often the compulsive utterance of a hallelujah. On other Sundays sermon snoring may occur. All silliness aside.. there are two recurring comments you hear regarding us Flawed Folk.
 I confess I am happy to be a part of Flawed Folk Fellowship. There is no better place to worship & give thanks to our God for the blessings 'and trials' of this life. There is no place to be than worshiping God together sharing and praying to our loving Father who cares. To become a community of other flawed believers in our sincere attempt to be a church family.. aka the body of Christ.
My prayer for each of you today is to find your own Flawed Folk Fellowship. To share, and support each other in our struggles, and to worship together the one true God of our Bibles is priceless. Jeff 6/14/2020 Pain is a dangerous beauty (revised and formerly entitled 'My Painful Introspection') PAIN IS EVERYWHERE.. and our God alone is they answer. There is pain in our own bodies, our minds, and our souls. Pain is found inside our own families, our friends, and everywhere else if you turn on the news and see all the angry hateful hurting people of our country and this world wanting relief from pain. With this in mind let me share.. My Painful Introspection.. by Jeff Larson (deep thoughts)
For those of you that know me, aches and pains have been my lifelong companion & complaint. I have migraines, a bad back, and these days I spend more and more time discussing life with my good friend Arthur Itus (arthritis). It tell Art what I would like to do, and he tells me why I can't.  Of course PAIN IS a relative experience, as I know the headaches, and bad back I suffer with are trivial by comparison to what others suffer with. None the less these are MY pains and THEY DO HURT... and this is MY blog. :) But seriously, many of the important lessons I have experienced in life have involved pain. It may be dealing with physical pain, or lessons found the other side of (painful) blunders, stumbles, and/or bad choices. Or even deeper yet are the lessons I found in the death of a close friend or family member. I believe the problem of PAIN & SUFFERING is the source of the age old question. If there is a God why does he allow bad things to happen to good people? This is valid question, but for me I see a 'dangerous beauty' in this broken world where God the Creator allows his creation (you & me) the opportunity to persevere and succeed despite our state of brokenness. Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. James 1:2-4 This Dangerous Beauty is found as we are allowed to choose right from wrong in big & small ways, and even good from evil. There is danger in choosing poorly, and if we do not persevere.. BUT there is beauty in prayerfully choosing well, supporting each other, to persevere, and trust God when bad things happen to good people... when it HURTS!  I believe Faith, Family, and Friends (in that order) is how God intends to comfort and heal this world of hurts. I seek God as my compass and my only worship, and I thank God for the blessing of family and friends where we can love and support each other as God intends.
May God bless and provide for each of you this day with love and grace when you are hurting physically, emotionally, and/or spiritually. While pain can be very discouraging, but may we as believers (His Church) be God's comfort and healing for others in this broken/hurting world. Jeff (ibuprofen infused) Larson 6/13/2020 Getting What I Deserve (rr) Simply put I think I deserve the BEST in life.
You may be wondering if have been sippin’ from the ‘Name It, Claim It’ and/or ‘Prosperity Gospel’ koolaid. Well, I do claim God's promises and a prosperity that is measured in Heaven but not necessarily in this life.  So let me clarify, I am a pretty good guy. I work hard, love my family, and love God. BUT I complicate this relative goodness when I make bad/wrong choices (aka sins). I know what is right and wrong in God's eyes and I have compromised 'the best' that God intends for me, and at times I have not been good at all. The Filthy Rags v God's Grace Summary So I realize my righteousness is as filthy rags Isaiah 64:6 but I also know His love that is greater than all my sins. Romans 5:20  God’s grace and blessings in our lives is available in ways that are BEYOND OUR DREAMS. No more living in regret of past mistakes, and what the devil (there really is one) plans for bad in my life… God can use and bless in ways that I never saw coming. Our Heavenly Father is good and kind, and PERFECT. As far as the East is from the West so are my sins forgiven! So with this all cleared up, let me continue with Getting what I deserve No more hiding of sins.. no more hiding my faults..
Now most of you probably do not let your mind wander in circles like mine obviously does like a hamster in a wheel, but for those who are tired, depressed, sick, burdened with the weight of the world.. YOU DESERVE MORE. You deserve the best that God has to offer. His best for you may or may not be fame and fortune, health and adventure… but HIS BEST which you deserve is the peace and perspective that passes all understanding or any circumstance. They say money can’t buy you happiness, but it helps calm the nerves… BUT whether rich or poor, famous or obscure, fat or skinny, or any other nook or cranny of this world’s class system.. we can be content… and living unafraid, and enjoying the lives we have in ways that are beyond what we have yet to experience.  There is a scientific study claiming we only use 10% of our brain.. well I believe we as believers experience only a fraction of the blessings God wants us to experience… and only a fraction of the blessings WE DESERVE as his children.
May God bless each of us with lives blessed by God in ways that are NEVER limited by our abilities, but are truly BLESSED BEYOND OUR DREAMS and as God intends, and what WE DESERVE as his children. Jeff 6/12/2020 Breaking Bad.. Again (rr)Breaking Bad was the hit TV show on AMC a few years back where unassuming high school chemistry teacher and family man Walter White evolves over 5 seasons into someone truly bad.  Maybe.. Not since God tossed Satan out of Heaven has there been a comparable BREAKING BAD moment. Walter White's life was a slippery slope of compromise, and his white (no pun intended) lies evolved into massive cover-ups. Walter White changes over these few years into a ruthless big time meth producer responsible for countless murders, and in the end, he dies alone, his family is destroyed, and the wake of his truly bad choices on those around him was far reaching for both innocent and guilty. Even those who survived DID NOT live happily ever after but were truly Badly Broken. note: For those of you contemplating binge watching Breaking Bad on Netflix please disregard the previous paragraph. MY BAD Ok, so far there are three obvious lessons learned 1. Don't cook Meth, 2. Don't Murder, and 3. Don't trust criminals to keep secrets. But Breaking Bad is actually the story of mankind and from the very beginning it seems to be BAD is what we do. Since the very beginning our sins great and small, and our attempts to cover them up is the common plot line for lives we live.  EVEN OUR BIBLES are filled with Breaking Bad moments of literally biblical proportions.
Then let's fast forward to a few more contemporary Breaking Bad paths we travel today..
Comfort and Hope for your BB Moments.. But no matter your flavor of Breaking Bad there are so many great scripture truths of comfort and perspective. Here are two. 1 Cor 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it. Phil 4:8 Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy think about such things.  AND if/when we fall.. know the grace of our Heavenly Father is perfect. No matter how great or small your prodigal son or daughter moment.
Let's agree to fix our minds on the Will of God, not our own. Let' agree to seek His voice, and not the voices in this world. I pray God blesses His people with repentant and obedient hearts. Lord your will, not my will be done. May God bless each of you on your journey. Jeff (not so bad) Larson |
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Back Pew - Draw Close to God
116 pages of cartoons of 'Clean Humor & God's Truth' CRITICS ARE SAYING..
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7/6/2020
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