A New Brother In The Lord, PTL!

It is exciting when you hear when someone has come to the Lord. I just read a letter from a good brother and friend who shared how he had been able to lead a man to the Lord recently. This new brother in the Lord is a man that he worked with in the 90's and is now a humble, growing, servant of the Lord. This made me think of God's word in Isaiah 55:11 where it says, "So shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it." I don't know how you feel to hear this great testimony, but it is a great encouragement to me personally. The Lord has laid on my heart many specific people who either need to be saved or need to return to the Lord. It is good to pray for others and testify to them of our resurrected Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Some plant, some water and God gives the increase. In the situation that I mentioned above, my friend was a significant part of planting, watering, and helping God with the increase. I hope and pray that God will use each of us in a similar way in the near future.

Would God laugh at a calamity in our lives?

God, in speaking about those who didn't respond to his calling them, those who set aside all of his counsel and would do none of it, said in Proverbs 1:26, "I will laugh at your calamity; ..." Man has a hard time submitting to God and his ways. The Bible makes it very clear that we are to live our lives the way God outlines throughout his word. Have you ever wondered what is going on in your life and why things are happening the way that they are? Have you sought the answers in God's word or did you look for answers in a popular Christian book? The Christian book might help some but it can also lead you astray, but not God's word. It is always best to trust your life to God and his word. I don't know about you but I for one never want to hear God laughing at a calamity in my life. I want God to be helping me all the time. I need him every hour, do you?

Good Cheer!

Jesus said that in the world we would have tribulation, but to be of good cheer because he has overcome the world. So many difficult things going on in so many lives, but be of good cheer. When our hearts are overwhelmed let's remember to pray, "lead me to the cross Lord." Happy is the man whose God is the Lord.

Are we looking?

The Pastor was speaking about heaven, about eternal bliss and the joys that are awaiting each person on "the other side". He paused for effect and asked, "How many of you here want to go to heaven?" All hands were raised except for an eight-year-old boy sitting in the front pew. The minister asked, "Don't you want to go to heaven, too, Son?" The boy replied, "Yes, but I thought you were making up a load to go right now." This boy's reply could express the way many Christians think. They want to go to heaven but not just now. Scripture tells us Jesus is coming back for his own. II Peter 3:12,13 tells us to be looking for and earnestly desiring the coming of the day of God. Are we looking?

We will rise again

This is the season where those who are born again are celebrating the life, death, and resurrection of their Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. Yes we believe that God raised Jesus from the dead and that when Jesus left this earth he told his disciples that if he went away, he would come again and receive us to himself. We are to be risen from the grave or raptured if we still are alive at his coming. Are we living as though we know that we will be raptured out of this world or be raised from the grave?

ten to one

In Luke 17 there is found a story of ten lepers which were standing a good distance from Jesus and they called out to him, "Jesus, Master, have mercy on us." When he saw them he said, "Go show yourselves unto the priests." As they went as told they were healed. Out of the ten who were healed only one who was a Samaritan came back and with a loud voice glorified God, falling on his face at Jesus' feet giving him thanks. Jesus wondered where the other nine were who were healed, and said, there were ten healed, where are the nine, has only this stranger come back to give glory to God. Jesus told the Samaritan to arise, go your way; your faith has made you whole. This story makes me wonder about who will enter the Kingdom of God. Ten were healed but only one worshiped God and gave Jesus thanks. Do you suppose that for every ten that get saved only one worships God and gives Jesus thanks. So many want God to touch them and after he does they are on their way to other pastures. Are we grateful when touched by God to the point that we want most of all to give thanks and worship God? I pray that we are.

Biased Bigots or Loving Christians?

It saddened me to read the most recent newsletter from our neighborhood committee. Someone submitted a biased and inappropriate joke for the editor to print. The joke made me think about how God would view the situation. I found these words out of Leviticus 19:33-34, "And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. But the stranger that dwelleth with you shall be as one born among you, and thou shalt love him as thyself; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God." God desires for his children to treat others the way we would want to be treated. He said we are to love others as we love ourselves no matter what country they come from. Heaven is more on my mind each and everyday.

Loving our enemies!

In Matthew 5:44-45 Jesus says, " But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and unjust." We are supposed to love our neighbors as ourselves. I can only speak for myself in saying that God is still working on me in this regard. I still fall in the wrong thought process in fretting about evil doers, but not to worry for God is still speaking to me and I am still listening. So in summary you now know how I am doing in this area, let me ask you, how are you doing?

Jesus' grandmother

Did you read about the little boy who returned home after his first Sunday school class? His mother asked, "Who was your teacher?' and the little boy answered, "I don't remember her name, but she must have been Jesus' grandmother because she didn't talk about anyone else." Does our conversation reflect our love of Jesus? Would our words give away our relationship with him?

Keeping It In Focus

It must be time for me to get my eyes checked again. It has become an annual thing and my prescription changes each year. It was so slight last year that I kept the same lenses. I have found that more light directed on what I'm looking at brings the best results. Hopefully a new prescription will put things back into focus. Just as I'm struggling to have focus when reading, at times some Christian folks struggle to keep life in focus. There are reasons that our lives get out of focus at times. The main reason is the enemy of our soul. In John10:10 the bible says, "The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I (Jesus) am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly. " Satan wants to steal, kill, and destroy. Jesus wants us to have abundant life, lets choose life. Another reason our lives get out of focus is that we don't do what it says in Philippians 4:8. It says there, that we should think of things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of a good report. Satan is the accuser of the brethren. He delights in getting us to think things about ourselves and others that aren't true or anything close to it. Being in the word of God and doing the word of God is a great source of strength and power. Hebrews 4:12 says, "For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart." May the Lord help us all to keep our lives in focus.

Gather up the fragments that remain

In the story told in John 6 where Jesus fed 5000 by multiplying the 5 barley loaves, and 2 small fish. Jesus told his disciples in verse 12, "...Gather up the fragments that remain, that nothing be lost." To waste food, clothing, or any resource is such tragedy. A New England Proverb goes like this, "use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without". There is so much waste in life that can be avoided. In our lives we have many possessions that we aren't using that could be a huge blessing to someone who needs them. I have personally known several people who have several sizes of clothing in their closets. They keep them because they are sure that someday they will fit again, or because they gave a good deal of money for them, or just because they can. It is our choice how we deal with the abundance in our closets, wallets, or storage units. Perhaps we should look anew at what the Bible says about having 2 coats and seeing someone with none or seeing your brother have need and sending him away telling him that you will pray for him. Great blessings will be found in giving and sharing.

Thanks Be To God

The Apostle Paul wrote the church at Galatia and said in Ch. 1:3-4(KJV), "Grace be to you, and peace, from God the Father, and from our Lord Jesus Christ, who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father." Jesus gave himself that we might be delivered from this evil world that we live in, which is God's will for our lives. This present world has the alluring power of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. All we should say is, " thanks be to God who causes us to live victoriously. "

Praise Ye The Lord!

Psalm 149:1 says, "Praise ye the Lord. Sing unto the Lord a new song, and his praise in the congregation of saints." In Psalm 50: 1 it says, "Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary:..." As we gather with the body of Christ this weekend we will be praising God in the congregation of saints and in His sanctuary. This is what these verses instruct us to do. It is a privilege to praise God, so let's all do it with all our might.