It is like licking honey off of a thorn!

Someone once said, "living can be like licking honey off of a thorn." Jesus said in John 16:33, "These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace.In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer: I have overcome the world." As we walk with Jesus day by day, we will have peace in the midst of all the tribulation that the world throws at us. Jesus overcame it all and so can we through him.

Keep your eye on the mark!

I watched a teenager standing at the bus stop, only he wasn't standing, he was walking around and around in circles. I'm not sure what he was doing but he sure wasn't getting anywhere. Someone once told me "if a person aims at nothing in life, it is sure he will hit nothing." We need to keep our eyes on the mark in these difficult times.

In Hebrews 12: 1-4 we read the following words that will help keep us from going around and around in circles and help keep our eyes on the mark, "Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider him that endured such contradiction of sinners against himself, lest ye be wearied and faint in your minds. Ye have not yet resisted unto blood striving against sin." May the Lord help us all to keep looking unto Jesus who is the author and finisher of our faith.

A fork in the road

I remember the time that our family was traveling to Phoenix and we decided to take a different route. We have traveled from Colorado to Phoenix many times throughout the years and were looking for some different scenery. So off of our regular route we go and turned west at Walsenburg and were soon in the SW edge of New Mexico and were heading west out of Shiprock. We decided that we were going to cut across the Navajo nation. I chose what I thought would be a good route and headed south. We stopped for gas and I asked for directions and the attendant said to turn right at the fork in the road which had a sign. We came to a fork in the road and sure enough there was a sign written in Navajo on a scrap piece of wood. I stopped and we looked at the sign which didn't make sense to us, and decided that it just might be a sign for a family reunion for all we knew. I continued straight and sure enough, we had missed our turn which took us several extra hours to reach or designation. We did see a lot of new scenery on that trip, and all it took was a lot of extra time. The moral of the story? You decide.

We have been given a map to guide us throughout our journey here on earth. It is God's word, the Bible which is also a love letter to us from God. It has a simple plot with one hero, Jesus, one villain, Satan, and one purpose, showing us how to live our lives glorifying God and being victorious over Satan so that we receive eternal life. As we travel on this journey, let's follow the directions, which tell us that Jesus is the only way to get to God and heaven, and accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior. Are we checking our maps daily to refresh ourselves with the course that we should be on?

Thank you for your prayers. On Wednesday I received, through surgery, radiation seed implants into the cancer that is in my prostate gland. Please pray with us that the seeds will do their job. Thank you! Hope you have a good weekend. Blessing to you.

Four F's for our consideration!

The enemy of our soul attacks us many ways. Listed below are four ways he tries to get us off track.

1. Fret not thyself because of evil doers - This is found in Psalm 37:1. It is really easy to get our eyes off of God and on those who do evil. God is watching everyone and will judge all.

2. Fear not - Luke 12: 32 says, "Fear not little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the Kingdom." Once again we should keep our eyes on the Lord and not on those things in the world that are fearful to us for God will give us the Kingdom and all things that we need, and He never leaves us or forsakes us.

3.Faint not - Luke 18: 1 says, "And he spake a parable unto them to this end, that men ought always to pray, and not to faint." He said for us not to grow weary with well doing for we will reap if we don't faint. The road can be hard and wearisome, but no cause to faint and give up.

4. Forget not - Satan wants us to forget God and all that He has done for us. In Psalm 78: 11 it reads, "And forgot his works, and his wonders that he had shown them." A familiar song says, count your blessings name them one by one, count your blessings and see what God has done... Do we view ourselves as blessed by God?

Set us afire!

Set us afire, Lord, stir us, we pray --- while the world perishes, we go our way
Purposeless, passionless, day after day, set us afire, Lord, stir us, we pray!

Unknown

The valley of death

I have often been asked to read the 23rd Psalm beside the bed of a hospital patient or nursing home patient. It was also requested often at the death of a loved one and then at the following funeral. It is very comforting but it is also challenging for us. Take verse 4 for an example, it reads like this, "Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me." I have to walk through the valley of the shadow of death and so do you, we all do. As I take this walk I have to have no fear of evil and so do you, we all do. The way we make it through this death or near death experience is to know that we know that the Lord Jesus Christ is walking with us as our Lord and Savior. His rod and staff comfort us even as we face death. You would be surprised to know just how many people think that they won't die. Facing the reality of death is beyond them for they have no hope beyond the grave. They ignore death as though it will never happen to them. Some Christians, according to God's word, will be raptured from this earth to be with the Lord forever. Some Christians will be alive when Jesus returns for us but multitudes more will have gone to their grave with the hope of being resurrected and having a glorified body. It is important for all of us to be ready for death and/or the rapture. Are you ready? Do you know that you know that all is well with your soul? I hope and pray that we all do.

Who are we refreshing?

This hot summer sure has been hard to handle. It is always welcome when God sends us showers of refreshing. Our current weather report indicates that showers are on the way. PTL!
In I Corinthians 16: 17 -18 it says, "I am glad of the coming of Stephanas and Fortunatus and Achaicus: for that which was lacking on your part they have supplied. For they have refreshed my spirit and yours: therefore acknowledge ye them that are such." These three brothers showed up and refreshed Paul's spirit. In the Amplified Bible in verse 18 of the same chapter Paul said, "For they gave me respite from labor and rested me and refreshed my spirit as well as yours. Deeply appreicate and thoroughly know and fully recognize such men." If we, as Jesus said, have rivers of living water flowing out of our innermost being, we will be refreshing to those around us. Who are we refreshing?