Around The Corner

Well here we are, the end of this year just around the corner. Hopefully we will be here to see the new year. It's not guaranteed, as we all know. The Lord has taught me through the years, that he is the only one that is capable of seeing around the corners. Oh, I know that most of us live as if we will never die, but that isn't true. Death is a appointment that we won't miss, and we have no say so as to when it will happen. I personally look forward to every day. Did you hear of the man that woke up everyday and checked the obituaries to see if he was listed, if not he made his coffee and began his day. I don't check the obituaries yet but I am thankful to be alive. I'm looking forward to the new year and if it arrives for me I will be thankful, but more importantly I am looking for a new heaven and a new earth. I'm also looking for the Lord's soon return where the saints will be gathered together with the Lord to spend forever in His presence. What are you looking forward to? Perhaps some of the same things that I am looking forward to. Hope to see you again soon, perhaps it will be in heaven. Now wouldn't that be great!

Giving thanks to His name!

"Ye also, as lively stones, are built up a spiritual house, a holy priesthood to offer up spiritual sacrifices, acceptable to God by Jesus Christ." I Peter 2:5 Then in verses 9 & 10 of the same chapter, it says, "But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people: that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: which in time past were not a people, but are now the people of God: which had not obtained mercy, but now have obtained mercy."
Spiritual sacrifices, what are they? Hebrews 13:15, says, "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." We are the people who were not a people, but now are a people, through his mercy, and are to offer the fruit of our lips by giving God thanks continually. Constant giving of thanks leaves little time for constant bickering, back biting, judging, complaining, gossiping, lying, etc. We of all people should be giving thanks to God for all that he has done for us. As the year comes to a close, perhaps we should be remembering all that God has done for us this year. I like to make a list of God's constant blessings to my family and myself. The list doesn't have to be written, just remembered and rejoiced over. God is good, so would you join me in giving God thanks?

Disappointed! I Hope Not

Ah, this is the day after Christmas and some will tell, of going shopping because all isn't well. They opened their presents and to their surprise did not get what they wanted inside, therefore all isn't well. If your present was Christ, then all is well, for Heaven will be your dwelling place and not that ugly place called Hell. If we have Christ then we are complete, not disappointed which is really neat.

A poet I'm not, but a Born Again Christian I am. Therefore I know that life is in Christ and not in this world. Are you happy and do you know it? Are you disappointed and feeling hurt? Then turn your life over to Christ and He will make all things new, and you too will be happy and not blue. Here's hoping that all is well in your life and that you are happy and grateful for all of God's blessings in your life. My prayer for us all is that we will have and be the things that I just mentioned.

Ah, this is that day after Christmas and all is well. Oh, by the way Jesus is the reason for all seasons in our lives. Blessing to you.

Christmas Eve

Merry Christmas to us all. As we celebrate with family, friends, and other believers, let's all give thanks to the Father for sending His Son, and to Christ for coming, and to the Holy Spirit for being a present help in all of our lives. It is truly wonderful to be in the family of God. So let all Praise God for His adopting us into His family through Christ our Lord. Blessing to all!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!

Actions speak louder than words?

There is an old saying that goes like this, "actions speak louder than words". The Bible says in I John 3:18, "My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth". Talk is cheap, is another old saying with some merit. If we are to love one another it must in deed and in truth. I John 3;17 says, "But whoso hath this world's good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him?" Are we doers of the word or are we just great at talking about it? God knows and so do we!

Always Do Right!

"Always do right - this will gratify some and astonish the rest." This is a cute old saying, but one that I hope can never be said about any of us. It would be a really good thing for us to always do the right thing and never astonish anyone by our actions. Hopefully people will expect that we will always do what is right. Scripture says, in Proverbs 20:11, that, "Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right". To be known as a faithful and good man is to be much desired. Lord help each of us to be known as good men as we do that which is right in your sight!

It carries a lot of wait

Patience is a word that carries a lot of wait. You might have heard this saying or not, but there is a lot of truth here. In Hebrews 10:36-38, we see these words, "For ye have need of patience that, after ye have done the will of God, ye might receive the promise. For yet a little while, and he that shall come will come, and will not tarry. Now the just shall live by faith: but if any man draw back, my soul shall have no pleasure in him." The Lord will come just like He promised, and we must in faith continue on with the work He has given each one of us. Patience is so key in all that we do, and patience requires waiting. How good are we at waiting? Great sometimes and not so hot at others. The pay day of our patience will be that we will see Him return and we will see Him everyday for eternity. Patience does carry a lot of wait! Will it be worth it? YES!

Without Ceasing

I Thessalonians 5:17 says, "Pray without ceasing". Talking with God and casting our cares on Him is a wonderful blessing that every believer has. Hebrews 4:16 says, " Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need." I was wondering if any of us have a need just now, and if so, have we given it to the Lord in prayer? Let's take a moment and ask God to show us just what is needed in our lives at this moment. When He shows us what our burdens are, let's give them to the Lord in prayer. I'm praying that we all will cast our cares upon Him!

Free from condemnation

Romans 8:1,2 says, "There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus hath made me free from the law of sin and death". In Christ we are free from condemnation just as he is. Because of his life, we are now free from the law of sin and death. "If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed" John 8:36. Just how wonderful is it to be free? Free from the fear of tomorrow, free from the guilt of our past, free to live in the now. It is enough to make one want to dance the dance of freedom, and shout the praise of God from the highest. We are free, PTL! Do you care to dance?

More Grace

James 4:6 says, "But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble." More grace is what God gives to the humble. I can't speak for you, but for myself I would say, God, be pleased to give me more grace, for this is one who needs and desires it. Lord, help us all to be submissive to you and your will for our lives.
The humble ones are very desirable in God's kingdom, not in the world, but in God's kingdom they are. Humble is the equal to weak in the world's view, but humble to those in the Lord, equals to be lifted up. James 4:10 says, " Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord, and he shall lift you up." Lord, teach us of your humility and we will thank you forever. Blessing to all of you who are becoming humble ones of God.

Happy is the people whose _______________!

"If you're happy and you know it, clap your hands. If your happy and you know it, stomp your feet. If you're happy and you know it, say Amen. If you are happy and you know it, then your life will surely show it. If you're happy and you know it do all three." That is how the children's song goes, and boy have I enjoyed throughout the years leading children's church and other groups of people in the singing of this song.
You might ask me, what do I have to be happy about? You could say, that the weather has been awful, and you haven't even started your Christmas shopping, and even if you had you don't have enough money or you have money but not enough time, and on and on one might go with this song of woe. I might reply something about food, clothing, and shelter for starters, at least on the physical level. Most important of all is this, "Happy is that people, that is in such a case; yea, happy is that people, whose God is the Lord." Psalm 144:15 Happy are the folks whose God is the Lord. Do we know the Lord Jesus as our Saviour? Do we realize that we can enter into God's presence through Jesus at any time and have God give His attention to us and our needs? What do we have to be happy about? You tell me!

What is opened more times by mistake?

Someone once said, "Nothing is opened more times by mistake than the mouth." God's word has much to say about the tongue and mouth. For instance, "In the multitude of words there wanteth not sin..." Prov. 10:19. Another is, "He that keepeth his mouth keepeth his life: but he that openeth wide his lips shall have destruction." Prov. 13:3. One of my favorites is found in Prov. 21:23, "Whoso keepeth his mouth and his tongue keepeth his soul from troubles." And another one out of Prov. 16:23, "The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and added learnng to his lips".
Jesus said that out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh. If we hide God's word in our hearts it will help keep us from sinning against God and our fellow man. In Prov. 15: 28, it says these words about the righteous man, "The heart of the righteous studieth to answer...", in the Amplified Bible, it says "ponders how to answer." All of our communications are important and should be approached humbly and with the fear of the Lord, for, "death and life are in the power of the tongue;..." Proverbs 18:21. Opened by mistake!!!

Up The Hill

Have you noticed that when you help someone else up a hill, you're that much closer to the top yourself or that climbing a hill never seems as hard, when we are helping another to the top. Our walk with Jesus can be paralleled to climbing a hill, and when we help someone else in their walk, we too find ourselves closer to the top or closer to home as some say.
Walking with others is always best when possible, for then we can help one another along the way. Have we paused lately to identify those who have helped us with our walk? As we do so, let's remember to thank God for those folks. You know: grandparents, parents, siblings, friends, teachers, neighbors, sunday school teachers, choir leaders, deacons, elders, pastors, our brothers and sisters in the Lord, etc. No doubt there will be many whom we identify as having helped us along the way. God has blessed each of us with an abundance of help, and for that we do give thanks. Thank you, Lord!

Every Thought

In II Corinthians 10:5 we see these words, "...and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ". Why is this such an important verse? It is important because, as it says in Matt. 15:19-20, "For out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, thefts, murders, adulteries, fornications, thefts, false witness, blasphemies: These are the things that defile a man:..." What we are thinking is so key to our lives. For evil thoughts come out of our hearts and defile us. It is good to know the source of our thoughts, for our thoughts can get us into deep water. Galatians: 6:3, mentions another concern about our thoughts, when it says, "For if a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself." Therefore we can be self deceived by thinking we are something that we aren't. Let's be careful to not become deceived for God's word says, "Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap" Galatians 6:7. Would you join me in thinking on these things. Another great reference on this subject is Philippians 4:8.
May righteousness always rule our thought life as we bring every thought captive to the obedience of Christ!

Darkness

I love to camp in the Rocky Mtns., but there is one thing that I don't like at all about the experience, it's the darkness. When you have to move around in the darkness and it gets even worse if your light fails. It's an awful feeling to try to see in the darkness and to try to keep from hurting yourself. If you are walking with someone else, it then becomes that much more of a challenge to not step on or hurt your companion. When the sun comes up, it is an easy thing to see and to move around in the light and not hurt yourself or someone else.
So what is my point. Well, it's this, I John 2:9-11 says, "He that saith he is in the light and hateth his brother, is in darkness even until now. He that loveth his brother abideth in the light, and there is none occasion of stumbling in him. But he that hateth his brother is in darkness and walketh in darkness and knoweth not whither he goeth, because that darkness hath blinded his eyes." Are we blinded by the darkness caused by our own hatred? I hope not, but it was written to Christians and it can happen to Christians. How much light is in our lives today? If we have darkness in our lives, we are sure to cause ourselves much trouble and to hurt others around us. Is darkness blinding us? If so we need to light the light by repenting and allowing God to cleanse our hearts and restore us to the light. Then we will be able to see where we are going, and we will also be able to bless others by helping them along the way.

Honoring the Lord's people and His prophets

Where is the fear of the Lord? Where is the honouring of the Lord's people and His prophets? Psalm 105:15, says, "Touch not mine anointed, and do my prophets no harm". Yet people continually speak evil of God, His people, and His prophets. Numbers 12 gives us insight as to how this gets going in people. Miriam and Aaron passed judgement upon Moses. "And then they said, Hath the Lord indeed spoken only by Moses? hath he not spoken also by us? And the Lord heard it." Numbers 12:2 When we compare ourselves to others and become envious and judgemental of others, it will lead us into much sin and then much trouble with God. God dealt with Miriam with Aaron by putting leprosy upon Miriam. Aaron sought Moses' help and Moses then interceded on Miriam's behalf and God's judgement was turned. He left the leprosy on her for 7 days to deal with her sinful heart. There is no doubt that she was humiliated by God's punishment, but she did get to live on. Let's be careful that we don't fall into the same trap that Moses' sister and brother did. Where is the honouring of the Lord's people and His prophets? I hope and pray that it is in each of us.

the humble!

"Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven". Matthew 5:3 In the amplified version it reads... are the poor in spirit ( the humble, rating themselves insignificant).... Are we humble people? Do we rate ourselves as insignificant? Do we know that we are bought with a price ( I Corinthians 6:20)? Do we know that means God holds the title to us, our time, talents, our destiny, and basically all that we are or will ever become. In my lifetime of 66 years, it could probably be counted on one hand the amount of truly humble people that I have known. I've known plenty with a false humility, but few with true humility. Could Jesus' statement in Luke 11:29, have anything to do with how to become truly humble? It reads like this, "Take my yoke upon you and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls". Maybe Luke 10:39, "and she had a sister called Mary, which also sat at Jesus feet and heard his word", has something to do with humility. However we acquire humility, it is worth whatever it costs us. I'll close with I Peter 5:5, Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble!

Happy Thanksgiving!

It is good to live in a country where we can worship God freely without worrying about a police state that controls where and how people worship. Although freedom isn't free. It cost many young men and women their lives, which greatly affected their entire family. I personally know this, for my father was killed in WWII.
God has been good to all of us and we have so much to be thankful for. As we celebrate Thanksgiving Day, would you please join me in praying for all of our young men and women who are serving our country in the military. My family will be praying for them. We also are very thankful for each and every one of them. Blessings to them all, and you as well! HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!!!

Thankful

This being Thanksgiving week, I have started to focus, with thanksgiving, upon God and all that He has done. . I personally love the whole of nature and thank God for his awesome creation. Birds might be my favorite, but what of deer and rabbits, and flowers and trees, etc.

I'm also very thankful for brothers and sisters in the Lord as well as family and friends. God said in Genesis, that it is not good for man to be alone. It is easy to see why.

And of course, I'm thankful for God, the Lord Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit.

What are some things that you are thankful for?

The Peace of Jerusalem

Psalm 83:l-5 reads like this, "Keep not thou silence, O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. For lo, thine enemies make a tumult and they that hate thee have lifted up the head. They have taken crafty counsel against thy people, and consulted against thy hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against thee." This sounds like a news release out of the liberal centers from around the world. People trying to cut Israel off from being a nation and possessing the land that was given to them by God. Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee (Psalm 122:6).

It is time Lord

Psalm 119:126 states, "It is time for thee, Lord, to work for they have made void thy law." Many a person has and many are making void the law of the Lord. Look at the laws that are being turned out by those in authority, and pray as David did in Psalm 119. It is time Lord! Time to stop the foolishness of men. Time to set up your standard, to lay your plumb-line throughout the earth. Time for the righteous to stand up and be counted. Time for those who are called by your name to be doers of your word. Time to quit playing Christianity. Time to quit acting as though we are something that we aren't. Time for us to get after it and do our part. Watch and Pray for it is time!!!

Nail prints

In John 20:24-31, we read of Thomas' proclamation that he wouldn't believe that Christ was risen from the dead unless he could see the nail prints in his hands and put his finger into the print of the nails, as well as put his hand into his side. Do we come from the cut of Thomas? Must we always see a miracle or we won't believe. Remember, Jesus said, Thomas because thou hast seen me, thou hast believed: blessed are they that have not seen, and yet have believed. Do we believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior of the world. That He is our Lord and Savior and we are looking for His soon return. Or perhaps we are still looking for nail prints to give us the confidence to believe. I sure hope not. Come quickly Lord Jesus, I pray!

The Love of God

"For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life". (John 3:16 ) Aren't you glad and thankful and overwhelming grateful for God's love. When we deserved to die, He choose to save us through the death of His Son, cleansing us with His precious blood. Oh how wonderful and marvellous is the Love of God. God loves us and all there is to say is Praise the Lord!!!!!!!!!!!!!! We are LOVED!

Are You In Debt?

Are you in debt? Do you owe a lot of money for your house and/or car? What about student loans, do you owe them as well? Owing others is the American way. Indebtedness is the most common path to fulfilling the American dream. What's that you say, "you don't owe anyone anything. Well that is not exactly correct, even if you have no indebtedness, you still owe men. In Romans 13:8, scripture says, "Owe no man anything, but to love one another: for he that loveth another hath fulfilled the law." We may not owe anyone money, but according to God's word we owe them love, and when we pay this debt of love, we fulfill the law. This particular type of debt is never paid off. For as long as we live, we are to love our neighbor as ourselves. Yes, we are in debt and lets not forget that we are. The opportunities abound to pay this debt. Care to join me as we love our way through life!!!

A Good Name

Wink was it's name, that is a small town in Texas. It might have been better named blink, for if you blink you might miss it as you drive down the highway. The naming of a town is a curious thing to me. It causes me, many a time, to ask myself, what were they thinking? Oh well that is their business.
Now on to names. Proverbs 22:1, "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches...". Do we have a good name amongst those that know us? Are we the type of folks that do what we say? You know the type, they are faithful in little things, in another man's, and with money. When they say they will meet you at a certain time, they will be there. They view it as purely selfish to cause you to be waiting on them. Certainly other things can make us late, but even then these folks give a call to let the other person know what is delaying them. These folks have a good name amongst their family and friends. They have chosen a good name over riches!

You-all

It is always interesting to travel and to see how other folks in other towns, cities, and states are living. Texans and those from Oklahoma are outwardly friendly, and who can resist a hardy and sincere you-all. In response to being asked , "How are you-all doin?", my wife in her finest Texaneese replied "we are just fine, how are you-all doin"? This went on for the entire time we were there, either she said it or I did, which brings me to this point, how are you-all doin? I hope you-all are doin well. If not, it would help for you-all to ask why aren't you doin well, and then just listen to what the Lord says, and respond accordingly. Hope to see you-all soon. Take care now! Oh I guess I should say, Gig-em Aggies, or Hook-um horns.

Does He Watch Over You?

"For the eyes of the Lord are over the righteous, and his ears are open unto their prayers: but the face of the Lord is against them that do evil". I Peter 3:12 God certainly watches over us and hears our prayers, that is, if we are righteous. But the Heavenly Father turns away from those that do evil. What an awful thought, a father turning away from his child, but the Heavenly Father turning away from one of his creation, that He wanted to be saved, is eternally awful. To believe in the Lord Jesus Christ brings salvation to one's life, and that is where our righteousness comes from ( Philippians 3:9). Are you saved and clothed in the Lord's righteousness?

He was just a janitor to most!

He was just a janitor to most, but not to my wife and myself. To us he was a man of God, that God had put into our lives at just the right time to help us on our way. He had been a pastor and was a mature Christian. We had him over several times to answer our questions and to teach us the basics of Christianity. I was attending college at that time and would see him in the hallway almost daily. It was my pleasure to greet him on those occasions, and to fellowship for a moment. We don't know where he is today, but we would like to honor him with this short blog. In I Peter 2:17, it says, Honor all men. We want to say thank you to Duane Sweat who, like I said, is a man of God. We look forward to seeing him in heaven. Are we honoring all men?

Demas' sad choice!

II Timothy 4:10 says, "For Demas has forsaken me, having loved this present world, and is departed unto Thessalonica..." Demas chose the world over serving Christ. We must all make a choice as to whether we will serve Christ or the world. I John 2:15 says, "Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. Verse 17 of the same chapter says, "And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever." We are clearly told that we can't serve God and mammon (the world) for we will love one and hate the other (Matthew 6:24). Trying to serve both will cause us to fall. We must make a righteous choice, and chose serving Christ. Are we up to the occasion?

The goodness and severity of God!

Romans 11:22, says, "Behold the goodness and the severity of God..." Have you ever seen a promise box? It is a box of small cards with the promises of God written on the cards. Although I must say that the ones that I have looked at, didn't have what I would call all the promises of God, for they left out of the box any promise that was deemed negative. God does have two sides, as Romans 11:22 clearly states (the goodness and the severity of God). The rest of that verse goes like this,"on them which fell, severity; but toward thee, goodness, if thou continue in his goodness: otherwise thou also shalt be cut off."
Everyone likes to read of the promises of God that seem positive , but don't seem to like the promises of a just reward for our improper behavior. If we continue to be obedient, we receive his blessing. If we are disobedient, we are cut off. Let's summarize, obedience brings blessing, disobedience brings cursing or being cut off. We must choose which we desire, the goodness or the severity of God. It's our choice!

Is it weakness or wickedness?

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not, deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God. (I Corinthians 6:9,10) Humanity sure is inclined to label wickedness as weakness. What say you on this subject? Be careful in answering this question, for the Bible says in Proverbs 8:13, "The fear of the Lord is to hate evil..." Are we haters of evil or do we give evil a name like, weakness, fault, or disease. God knows! Hopefully we do too!

Which do you need?

A child misquoted John 14:18 as such, "I will not leave you comfortable". The Lord never intended for us to be comfortable, at peace with God and resting in his love, but not comfortable. He said, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world you will have tribulation: but be of good cheer; for I have overcome the world". (John 16:33)
Too many Christians are serving the Lord for what they can get from him, rather than how they can serve him and their fellow man. They are at ease in Zion, on beds of ivory (comfort), eating the lambs and calves of the flock. They are drinking wine, and basically just partying on. (See Amos 6:1-7) They have been brought into captivity and the devil couldn't be happier.
An old saying goes as such, "the preachers job is to comfort the afflicted, and to afflict the comfortable". Are we needing comfort for an affliction ,or do we need to be afflicted because we are so comfortable? Good news, Jesus can and will do both!

Time for your medicine

A little boy ask his mother where they got his baby brother, who was screaming at the top of his lungs? She said, we got him from heaven, to which the little boy replied, I can see why they threw him out.
Proverbs 17:22, says, A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.
I hope your day is going well, and that you won't forget to take your medicine.

Can you hear me now?

Can you hear me now is a slogan or jingle of a phone company, and is quite catchy. Proverbs 15:31, says, "The ear that heareth the reproof of life abideth among the wise". Why is it that some folks can hear God speaking, while others only think they hear God speaking? Would being stubborn of heart or being rebellious in spirit have any thing to do with it? Are we submitting ourselves one to another in the fear of the Lord (Ephesians 5:21)? Many a time the Lord has kept me from making a really poor decision through the imput of a brother or sister. What they said to me would be of little value, if I didn't consider it, and ask the Lord to confirm it, if it were right for me. Proverbs 21:2, says, "Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord pondereth the hearts". Can you hear me now?

A Blessed Home

Proverbs 3:33,"The curse of the Lord is in the house of the wicked: but he blesseth the habitation of the just". The Lord blesses the home of the one who have received Christ as Lord and Saviour through faith. Justification to these, means, just as if I'd never sinned, for Christ took my sin on himself and has forgiven me. A cursed home or a blessed home, which is yours?

Carrots

I remember well the vegetable garden that I planted, with row after row of carrots. I was naturally anxious to eat these fresh carrots as well as everything else we planted. As they grew I couldn't resist pulling one to see if they were mature or not. After watching me do this for several days, my wife commented that "if you don't quit pulling the carrots before they are ripe, there won't be any left to harvest". From that point I left them alone knowing she was right. At last they were ripe for the harvesting, and sure enough we had a great harvest of carrots as well as other fine vegetables. I had sowed carrot seeds and had reaped carrots.
In Galatians 6:7-8 we read,"Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.
We are all planting a garden in our lives, and will reap just exactly what we plant. Sow love and reap love, sow generosity and reap the same, sow forgiveness and reap the same, sow mercy and reap mercy, etc. What are we sowing, in this hour, into our lives. I hope and pray for us all, that we are sowing seeds of righteousness.

Two Questions?

In Acts 9, Saul, who later became Paul, was on the road to Damascus with the intention of persecuting Christians, when he was confronted by God in the form of a light from heaven, and a voice from heaven which said, "Saul, Saul, why persecutest thou me?" It was in response to the light and the voice that Saul asked two questions. The first was "Who art thou, Lord?" and the second was "What wilt thou have me to do?" Jesus answered the first by saying, "I am Jesus whom thou persecutest:" and the second Jesus said, "Arise, and go into the city,(Damascus) and it shall be told thee what thou must do."
Just as Saul asked two questions so must we. After God gains our attention as he did Saul's the first question we must ask is , "Who are you?" and then God will reveal himself to us through his son the Lord Jesus Christ. After receiving Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we then ask, "What do you want me to do?", after hearing what it is the Lord want us to do, we must be about it just as Saul did. Have we asked these two questions and gotten answers? If not, we must go into our Damascus and wait upon the Lord, if we have gotten answers, then we should be about God's business for our lives. Wherever we are at the moment, we have things to do. Are we busy with God's business?

Come!!!

She stood in the doorway calling out to her children to come in out of the rain. After a while with much pleading they were all in the safety of their home. It was then that mother said to them in the form of a question, "don't you have enough sense to come in out of a storm?" The children replied, "but mother, we were having so much fun and didn't want to stop."
They stood in the doorways of life calling to God's children to come in out of the storm. They pleaded, begged, reasoned, and tried to persuade, but all to no avail. The children just would not listen for they were having so much fun. Then the prophets wept over the children, for they would not listen, hear, or respond. They didn't believe they could lose their own soul by trying to gain the whole world, and after all, "everyone is doing it."
The allure and temptations of the world are real and powerful, ever enticing and snaring soul after soul. So the prophets cried out and will continue to cry out for the children to turn their backs on the world's so called joys and pleasures, and to come to the Father's house - to come in out of the storm. Safe from the traps and snares and allurements, realizing that the world's glitter isn't the gold and silver of God's Kingdom. Are you out in the storm? Come to the Father's house and you'll be safe and secure. Come for the Spirit beckons you. Come!!! 2/10/02

The Ultimate in Greatness

I like life. It is really great. What joy to experience grass growing, trees leaving, flowers blooming and most important of all, people living, growing and changing.

I hate death. It is really gross. How depressing to see the end of what God intended to go on forever. Man sinned, man fell, man died.

But thanks be to God, who gives to us eternal life through Jesus Christ. To live with Him, forever and ever, will be the ultimate in greatness. Are we ready? Christ is the only way!

Anyone in for dancing?

To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted; a time to kill and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up; a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn and a time to dance; a time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing; a time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep and a time to cast away; a time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak; a time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace. Ecclesiastes 3:1-8
What time is it in our lives? We are all probably in different places, seasons, and times, but I believe it is important to know what place, season or time we are in. This is were the precious Holy Spirit leads in our lives. May the Lord help us all to hear and to respond accordingly. Anyone in for dancing?

Lights in darkness

"Do all things without murmurings and disputings: that ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world" Philippians 2:14-15. Doing things in love, without envy, strife, murmurings, and disputings, etc., marks us as unusual and different, which the world doesn't like nor does it tolerate. The world wants conformity, with no one allowed to be or to think differently. Our actions are expected to measure up to society's norm. If we don't laugh at dirty jokes, or lust after what the world defines as normal, we are considered unusual and will certainly be noticed.
Surely we can see that we stand out in this crooked and perverse world that we live in. Hopefully, we are standing out because of our righteous behavior. If so, we shine as lights in darkness in this present world. Now let us consider this, how bright is our light?

Kindness

I have heard it said "To be right satisfies the ego, to be kind satisfies God." Of the several virtues we are told to put on in Colossians 3:12-14, one that is good for us to check in our lives is kindness. Let me ask, are we kind people, or, are we proud, pushy, and pleasure loving folks? We have all seen the type, they are forever joining the world in it's march to acquire the most toys, treasures and titles. To be kind is a wonderful virtue, especially as it is manifest into everyday life. You know, kind to the waiter, the store clerk, the postal employee, our neighbors, our family, etc.
God really wants us to feast on the good things that He has made available to us, and kindness is one of the main ones. Check out the fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5:22-23 and depending on the translation, you will find gentleness or kindness.
How kind are we? I'm not sure that I know, but I think that we should be the kindest people on God's good earth. What do you think?

We Need Help

In Galatians 6:2 we are told to bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ. In the same chapter, verse 5, it tells us that every man shall bear his own burden. We must carry our own load, and yet, there are times that we need help. Asking for help is a hard thing for most of us to do, but do it we must when our situation warrants it. When we are asked to help, it is an honor to help. If we spot someone that needs help we should step up and volunteer our help. How are we doing in both of these areas? As we love one another as we love ourselves, we will do these areas with great ease. It will become natural to step up and help, and to step up and ask for help when needed. The end of it all is love.

Where are the nine?

"And Jesus answering said, Were there not ten cleansed? but where are the nine"? Luke 17:17 There were ten lepers that Jesus healed, but only one returned to give thanks. For these nine to have been sick and put out of their homes and community for a long period of time, and then to get healed and not say thank you as the Samaritan did, is not easy to understand. All Christians should be instant at being thankful and grateful. We were destined to die for our sins, but Christ took them onto himself on our behalf. Now we are free, our sins forgiven, never to be brought up again by God. To show our gratitude for being included into God's family, we become spoiled kids expecting more and more but not being grateful for God's bounty. What are we thinking? God loves us, but will say about us if we are ungrateful "where are the nine"? I personally hope to be the one that says thank you, to God, for all he does in my life. Are you with me on this? Hopefully we all are!

What is causing us to miss a blessing?

Collectively they all said, "isn't this the carpenter and Mary's son". They had just listened as he taught in the synagogue, and were astonished at his wisdom and even referenced his mighty works. With that before them they were still offended with him, which caused Jesus to say "a prophet is not without honor, save in his own country and in his own house." The final thought in this chapter says, he did not many mighty works there because of their unbelief. Matthew 13:53-58
It is a blessed thing to grow up in a Christian home with Christian parents and siblings. It is also wonderful to attend a sound Bible preaching Church. And yet, this familiarity with God and the things of God, causes us to miss blessings that are regularly being received by the new babe in Christ. You know him! He is the one who has been forgiven much, and takes nothing for granted. Some folks could live next door to Jesus and never receive a blessing because of their unbelief!

Listen

What is God saying to us? Perhaps He's saying, "today is the day of salvation", or "repent", or "go make disciples", or "worship me", or "love your neighbor as you love yourself", or "be still and know that I am God", or _________ maybe we should fill in the blank. What goes in your blank? What goes in my blank?
Well whatever He is saying to us, we should be about doing it. Listen, for He is speaking! Obey, for that will bring His blessings!

It is no secret!

The song writer wrote, "It is no secret what God can do, what he's done for others he'll do for you, with arms wide open he'll pardon you, it is no secret what God can do." God is still giving to the folks who are looking for: salvation, restoration, forgiveness, mercy, love, joy, peace, patience, wisdom, understanding, righteousness, holiness, sanctification, the Holy Spirit, etc. God is the giver of all good gifts. Is it a secret or not? Some seem to find it, while others flounder through life, wondering what life is all about. If you are looking for answers, look to the Lord, for, it is no secret what God can do! He does it for me and He will do it for you!

His Name Was Charlie

I knew this old man a long time ago, whose name was Charlie. He was a funny guy who loved the Lord, and owned a dress shop. I visited him regularly trying to convince him to hire one of my students part time. I don't believe that he ever hired a student, but the best thing was that we became good friends. We would talk, sometimes, for hours on end. Each time before I left, we would pray together. I'd lead out and he would close our prayer time. When he prayed, it was like two people talking who had known each other for years. He was very acquainted with the Lord. He closed each prayer the exact same way time after time. He always said at the close of his prayers, "we ask these favors in Jesus name." Let me ask us a question today, have we asked God for any favors today? God said in his word for us to ask, and then we will receive? Lord send us a bushel full of answered prayers, or as Charlie said, "send us these favors in Jesus name."

What's It Worth?

"For what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul? Matthew 16:26
What is your or my soul worth? A modern expression says it like this, "he sold his soul to the devil. Meaning, he lost all integrity, morals, and everything else that involves being a righteous person. Fame and fortune both have a degree of magnetic pull, whereby some have lost their eternity with the Lord.
The world's approach is summarized in this saying, He who dies with the most stuff wins. Stuff and more stuff is just that, it is only stuff. We all need some stuff to function in life, but not to the degree most have acquired. Many have found that de-accumulation of stuff is very freeing. But its not just stuff, its all that the world is offering to us, under the guise of achieving happiness and success.
The best way that I have found to sort through all of this is to, seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness daily, and to keep in mind that all the other stuff is just that, stuff!

Think on this

Revelations 22:1-2, "And he showed me a pure river of water of life, clear as crystal, proceeding out of the throne of God and of the Lamb. In the midst of the street of it , and on either side of the river was there the tree of life, which bare twelve manner of fruits, and yielded her fruit every month: and the leaves of the tree were for the healing of the nations." KJV
The children's song goes, " heaven is a wonderful place filled with glory and grace, I want to see my Savior's face, cause heaven is a wonderful place." It will be awesome to get to heaven. A wonderful place indeed. Hopefully we aren't to busy with this life to think about eternity. Christ is the way to heaven. Is He our Lord and Savior? I hope and pray that He is! Blessings to you and your's.

Living His Way

What do the following three words conjure up in our minds?

1. unnecessary
2. insignificant
3. meaningless

Are there unnecessary, insignificant, and meaningless things in our lives? If so, why? We are told in Ephesians 5 to walk wisely, and cautiously (v.15 KJV). In verse 16 (Amplified Version) we are told to make the most of the time -- buying up each opportunity because the days are evil.

How are we investing our lives here on earth? Hopefully we are living life His Way! Got thoughts and comments, please post them.

Let's all Praise the Lord

Ps. 149:1-6 "Praise ye the Lord, Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high-sounding cymbals. Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord."
These verses sound like it would be okay to Praise the Lord, and even be noisy with the process. Remember now, this is only for those who have breath. If we are breathing, we are qualified. So brothers and sisters let's have a great day and weekend praising our Lord. Every day is a good day to praise the Lord.

Life's Storms

Jesus said that when we hear His commandments and do them, it is like building our house on a rock. When the storm comes, and it will come, the house built on a rock stands. Matthew 7:24-27 teaches us 3 things about storms:
1. Everyone is hit by storms. v. 25, 27

2. Everyone has the same instructions v. 24- 27

3. Everyone who acts the correct way, stands v. 24, 25

Doing life God's way brings to us blessed results. I hope that we all have a blessed day.

THE BIBLE

An unknown author wrote the following about the BIBLE. "This book is the mind of God, the state of man, the way of salvation, the doom of sinners, and the happiness of believers. Its doctrines are holy, its precepts are binding, its histories are true, and its decisions are immutable. Read it to be wise, believe it to be safe, practice it to be holy. It contains light to direct you, food to support you, and comfort to cheer you. It is the traveler's map, the pilot's compass, the soldier's sword, and the Christian's character. Here paradise is restored, heaven opened, and the gates of hell disclosed. Christ is its grand subject, our good its design, and the glory of God its end. It should fill the memory, rule the heart, and guide the feet. Read it slowly, frequently, and prayerfully. It is a mine of wealth, a paradise of glory , and a river of pleasure. Follow its precepts, and it will led you to Calvary, to the empty tomb, to resurrected life in Christ: yea to glory itself, for eternity." All I can say is AMEN!

God is all I need

Since God is all powerful, all knowing, and all present (present everywhere at the same time), what do we have to worry or fret about. Scripture declares that, "if God be for us who could be against us" (Romans 8:32b). We have enemies but God has defeated them or will defeat them on our behalf. It is good, if we can have these things in our hearts. If we have them, we can rest in the midst of a storm, just as Jesus slept in the back of a boat as a storm raged. Do we have any storms raging in our lives? If so, we could just choose to rest, knowing who and what our Heavenly Father is. Thank you God that you are our all in all through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Amen

Changing Seasons

Lately there has been a bit of a chill each morning as we are taking our walk. I like Fall and all the seasons. The seasons changing, remind me of how much God loves us, and likes for us to have change in our lives. This variety also causes us to not get too comfortable with our circumstances. Just about the time I get used to sandals and shorts, it's time for flannel shirts and cords.
I hope that you are enjoying the changing seasons and each day of your life. Life is certainly short, we are like the grass that is here today and gone tomorrow. If we get tomorrow, I hope we see it as a gift from God to be enjoyed wisely. Hope your weekend goes well, and that you will be able to enjoy it.
Let's all pray for the folks that lost loved ones on 9-11. Today could be quite hard on them.
Blessing to all as we endeavour to live life, God's way.

A Cheerful Giver

IICor 9:7 "...God loveth a cheerful giver". Don't you just love a cheerful giver? You probably know the type, they dance into church on Sunday, happy and already worshipping, and can't wait to put their offering in the Church coffers. They are also the ones that are ready, willing, and able to help whenever they hear of a need. They are happy to give their time, talents, finances, and a helping hand. Where can we find such people? Just look around and we will find them, they are everywhere, and perhaps you and I are one of them, or perhaps we are becoming one of them.
Well, no matter where we are, "God loveth a cheerful giver". Have a great day, doing it His way.

Peace

"Be careful(anxious) for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Philippians 4: 6,7
How is your day going? Do you sense God's peace penetrating your heart and mind? If not, why not? God put it to us in a simple way. Pray and supplicate, with thanksgiving, giving it all to Him, and then, comes the peace which quiets the heart and mind.
With each of us having so much on our plates day by day and with all our concerns and fears, we should be the ones on this planet who instantly obey this admonition from God. I hope and pray that each one of us gets to it, sooner rather than later. It's our blessing to have, as we do it God's way.

Everybody will be happy over there

"Everybody will be happy over there", is how the gospel song was worded. As I sang along, I thought, everybody is going to have every good and perfect thing over there, not just happiness. We will be Christ like, with glorified bodies. Think of it for a second, all of the Gifts of the Spirit in you, all the fruit of the Spirit in you (love, joy, peace,long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness,and temperance). For us to be like Christ and to be perfect is mind boggling, but God's Word states that it will be that way. I'm looking forward to living in that state for eternity. Heaven is truly a place, a wonderful place, and some will be there and many will not be there. Eternity with the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, versus the other. No thank you!

He coming for those who are looking for His return. Please pray for those who aren't. Pray that they will receive Christ as Lord and Savior. Come quickly Lord Jesus!

Rejoicing with contentment

You may have heard it before, and like me, you don't know who wrote it. It goes like this: As a rule man is a fool. When its hot, he wants it cool. When its cool, he wants it hot. Always wanting what is not. My wife and I met this person in a retail store the other day. As she checked us out she said that fall needs to get here soon. My wife responded that we have been having such wonderful weather for the entire summer, and that today was a really lovely day. Heb. 13:5 says,"Let you conversation (life) be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." KJV Are we living life God's way, being content with what is going on each day? In the book of Psalm 118:24, it says, "This the day which the Lord hath made; we will rejoice and be glad in it." KJV I hope that each of us are rejoicing and being content with our lives, always remembering that He said, "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." Lord, help us to live life the way you desire. In Christ's name, Amen

Forgivieness

The smell of cooking turkey made the living room a delight. My conversation with an elderly aunt soon created a smell of a different nature. She told of her first year teaching and how she was 1 of 2 new teachers. At years end, the other new teacher won the "Best New Teacher of the Year" award, and my aunt had, according to her objective evaluation, been cheated. With flames shooting out of her inner person, she smelled up this special occasion with her bitterness. It had been over 50 yrs. earlier and yet it was as though it were yesterday.
I read in 2Cor.2:10,11 where the Apostle Paul admonished the church at Corinth to forgive a brother, "lest Satan should get an advantage of us: for we are not ignorant of his devices". KJV We might not relate to this story exactly, but each of us in our own way has had to be forgiving when we didn't feel like it or want to. At least I hope we have been forgiving when needed. Let me ask how are we doing in this business of forgiving? Does," forgive and you will be forgiven," ring a bell? Blessing to us as we endeavor to do it God's way.

Simplicity

The apostle Paul wrote in 2nd Corinthians 2:12 "For our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world, and more abundantly to you ward." KJV

Living the simple life deals with doing life, God's way, and not with our wisdom, but by the grace of God. Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness in all things and matters in life. As we love God with everything that we are and have, and our neighbors as ourselves, we begin living the simple life.

Col 2:10 tells us that we are complete in Christ, who is the head of all. Let me ask are we doing life God's way, acknowledging that Christ is head of our all?