"GOD WILL PROVIDE"!

Recently I have been going through some difficulties in my life that seemed as though I would not get though them.  The enemy will make things "appear" as though they are catastrophic and there is no hope!  Sometimes, turmoil in life is there to strengthen us..... as the butterfly working it's way out of the cocoon!

Abraham was in a similar situation.   Regardless of what some "Preachers" advocate, I am sure that Abraham did not have joy in his heart when he was headed up Mount Moriah to offer Isaac as a sacrifice to GOD!  Scripture does not record  that Abraham rejoiced as he headed to obey GOD.  Nor does is indicate he proceeded with great fear and anxiety.  Genesis 22:3 simply says that "Abraham rose up early in the morning" to follow his instructions.   He was going to obey GOD!

One can only imagine the thoughts that Abraham was having going to Moriah.  It is easy, looking back, to see "behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns".  But, although he may have known in his heart that GOD loved him, in Genesis 22:9  (KJV)  it is recorded "And they came to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid him on the altar upon the wood."

Was it fear, wonder, worry that was going through Abraham's mind?  Isaac was GOD's promise to Abraham and now GOD was telling Abraham to sacrifice Isaac?  It did not make sense!

Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen."  Moses could not see the ram in the thicket UNTIL he displayed to GOD that he would obey.   GOD did not reveal HIS provision until Abraham exhibited "FAITH" in GOD!  

In Genesis 22:12-13 it says "And he (GOD) said, Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him: for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld thy son, thine only son from me. And Abraham lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son."

One last thing!  We understand that GOD is Omniscient so why did HE have to see that Abraham would be obedient?  Didn't HE already know that Abraham would obey?  Could it be that he needed Abraham to see that his provisions were supplied by The LORD and that GOD would supply ALL his need (Philippians 4:19)?  

I have not been able to see from where GOD's provision was coming.  But I have a peace that GOD will provide all my needs according to HIS riches!  The "ram in the thicket" cannot be seen yet,  but verse 8 of Genesis 22 says "And Abraham said, My son, GOD WILL PROVIDE HIMSELF A LAMB for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together."  GOD WILL PROVIDE!!

Winning with PRAISE!

The enemy is warring night and day against humanity in an effort to derail as many of GOD's creation as possible.  Depression is one of the most devastating tools he uses.  If he can pollute ones mind with thoughts of despair and defeat, then he is on target to destroy!

Ephesians 6:12  (KJV) says 

"For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

But, the Apostle Paul knew how to defeat the enemy.  Paul wrote in 

Philippians 4:8   (KJV) these encouraging words.  "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things."

It is almost impossible to think on things that are true, honest, just, pure, lovely, and of good report and be down in the dumps!  The enemy loses when GOD is praised!  I choose to PRAISE the ONE WHO is worthy!  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."

"RADAR got you"!

When I was a kid we had a teacher who used to monitor our halls and punish children for running to lunch.  "Radar got you" was the phrase he would use.  Kids had to be threatened with discipline to MAKE them slow down!  

2 Corinthians 5:7  (KJV) says "For we WALK by faith, not by sight"

Sometimes I find myself in the midst of a chaotic and cumbersome time in my life.  It seems things in life are happening TOO fast and decisions have to be made "RIGHT NOW"!  

GOD does not work on our timing.   It seems that I would have HIM operating like a microwave, getting things HOT NOW!  Psalms 27:14 reminds me "Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD."  Even the tempo of reading this verse causes me to to "WAIT"!  

In our lives we tend to "run the race" too much instead of "WALKing by faith"!  Humans seem to have a "PRESET" agenda to finish first.  GOD is more concerned with developing us from a larva into a beautiful, graceful butterfly.  

I pray that GOD mold me into someone who admires HIS handy work more and that I will "wait, I say, on The LORD"!

The WORD from Dr. Charles Stanley!

May GOD have mercy on the USA!


May 27
When a Nation Turns Its Back on God
2 Chronicles 33:1-25
Hezekiah was a god-fearing king who brought about reformation among the Israelites. His son Manasseh, however, was an evil ruler. He had watched his father walk with God and live according to Scripture. Yet he chose to ignore the Lord.
Manasseh worshipped false gods, even to the point of sacrificing his sons by fire in order to praise Molech. He practiced much evil—including witchcraft and sorcery— and led Israel astray, thereby provoking God to anger. The king, along with the people, paid a high price for his rebellion.
This story illustrates the Lord’s intolerance of a nation’s disregard toward Him. Now consider our country. We, too, are a nation that pushes God aside—one that has turned away from the only true God and embraced idols. Perhaps these aren’t statues of stone, but we worship money, sports ability, fame, and reputation, to name a few.
The United States of America was founded on biblical principles with the intent to guarantee freedom of worship. But over time, we have removed the Lord from many aspects of public life. Prayer in schools, for instance, was deemed unconstitutional. What was once a “nation under God” has turned into a country that tolerates a growing number of sins and yet belittles absolute truth.
If a nation turns its back on the Lord, His judgment is inevitable unless the people repent and make Him Lord once again. As believers, our responsibility is to pray that God would draw the heart of our country back to Himself—and to help the gospel and truth spread through our land.

SPIRIT WORLD!

Our beings are SOOO caught up in "the physical" when "the spiritual" is where we make LASTING investments.  Fame is bestowed on wealth and power is lavished on people who have no "lasting" authority here on earth.  Our culture is so caught up in how/what we can outdo our fellow man that we have forgotten about what GOD can do through us.  Everyone wants to have more than their neighbor, yet the "spiritual" health and wealth of an individual is mostly overlooked!  

Folks, I am over 50 years old.  Even if I live to 75 years old, my life is on the "back side"!   It is my goal to spend my remaining time on this earth manifesting "The Spirit" side of living.   "LIFE" is not limited to our existence on earth.  In the book of Genesis 2:7 it is recorded "And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living "SOUL"!  You can see that GOD breathed the breath of "Life" into man and man became "a living SOUL!   

Later, in Genesis 2:17, GOD informs man "But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."   Did HE mean that Adam and Eve would die physically upon eating the forbidden fruit?  

The enemy (satan) has contributed his part in the false perception of what is really important.  In Genesis 3:4-5 the Bible records "And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil."   The focus on the "here and now" is how evil (satan) obscures the picture of our lives.   

But GOD has not changed!  In John 4:24 the Bible says "God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth."  Scripture tells us where or TRUE worship must come from.  If we do not worship HIM in "spirit", we cannot worship HIM in "truth"!    

1 John 4:5-6 explains that we all are on one team or the other.  "They are of the world: therefore speak they of the world, and the world heareth them. We are of GOD: he that knoweth GOD heareth us; he that is not of GOD heareth not us. Hereby know we the spirit of truth, and the spirit of error."  

Either your spirit is for GOD or your spirit is for the enemy.  If you believe that GOD is real or if you fall into another category is the BIG question.  

A WORD from Dr. Tony Evans

A lot of us have not had our blessings come through to us because we have given up on God. We have counted the years where it seems that our prayers have not been answered and we have determined that there is no more hope. Too many times we miss out on the destiny God has for us because we have stopped looking. We have stopped hoping.

Yet what I want to remind you today is that there is always hope.

Sometimes God allows situations in our lives that are beyond our power to fix so that we will experience Him in the midst of the scenario. At times, God will let you hit rock bottom so that you can discover that He is the rock at the bottom. If you put your hope in Him, I promise you that you will not be disappointed. In fact, better than that, God promises you in Isaiah 40:31. ("But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.") Go ahead, you can take Him at His Word.

For His Kingdom,

Tony Evans

 

"Computer GEEKS!"

Both of my sons are what I would call "Computer Geeks"!  One has graduated college with a degree in Computer Science and the other graduates college this year.  

Psalms 139:17-18

"How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!  If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand: when I awake, I am still with thee."  

More than the sand?  GOD has a mainframe that is "out of this world"! My sons could not imagine a computer as big as GOD!  Yet HE desires an intimate  "relationship" with me.  HE wanted the "relationship" so much that HE sent HIS SON JESUS to provide for my atonement!  

Later in Psalms 139, in verses 23-24, the Psalmnist records "Search me, O God, and know my heart: try me, and know my thoughts: And see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting."

I beseech the LORD, to examine my heart and and know my heart, a remove any impurities that prevent YOU from using me for YOUR glory!

"DON'T DO THAT!"

I don't know of anyone who enjoys getting disciplined by GOD!   But scripture says in Proverbs 3:11-12 "My son, despise not the chastening of the LORD; neither be weary of his correction: For whom the LORD loveth he correcteth; even as a father the son in whom he delighteth."  Dr. Stanley lets us know that GOD loves too much to leave sin "IN" our lives, yet GOD uses the sin to mold and make us into what HE wants us to be.  FATHER, help me to see YOUR discipline as a tool for YOU to make me into what YOU desire!

May 25/6

Recognize Your Vulnerability

1 Corinthians 10:12-13

Some Christians see a fellow believer fall into sin but fail to acknowledge that they, too, could stumble. That's dangerous. Satan has them right where he wants them: deceived by a false sense of confidence. Three enemies are constantly at work trying to bring us down: the Devil, his world system, and our own treacherous flesh.

Even though believers have a righteous standing before God, we must each, like Paul, acknowledge an internal problem: "sin which dwells in me" (Rom. 7:20). Satan takes full advantage of this weakness, luring us with fleshly and worldly temptations. He stokes our pride so we'll be blinded to our own vulnerability to stumbling.

Christians need to be continually on guard. Since ignorance--of the nature of sin, the strategies of the Enemy, and our own areas of weakness--sets us up for failure, we cannot afford to be careless in our thinking. Anytime you find yourself excusing, redefining, or rationalizing sin, you've lost your sensitivity to the Lord. God's Word must always fill our minds and direct our steps.

If you've drifted from the Lord, turn back to Him by acknowledging your sin and accepting full responsibility for it. Repentance simply means changing your mind and going in a different direction--toward God instead of away from Him.

The next step is harder. Respond with gratitude for the Lord's chastisement. Every time believers fall into sin, God lovingly works to bring them back into a fellowship with Him. His discipline may be painful, but it's always good because it brings us to our senses and reconnects us with our Father.

"WE WILL SERVE THE LORD!"

Joshua 24:15   (KJV)

" And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, CHOOSE YOU THIS DAY WHOM YE WILL SERVE; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but AS FOR ME AND MY HOUSE, WE WILL SERVE THE LORD."

Joshua was pretty plain spoken in his declaration!   Everyday when I rise, I have the choice to listen to doubt and fear from the enemy, or I can listen to PEACE and ASSURANCE from my HEAVENLY FATHER!  

Joshua reminded the children of Israel that the gods of their fathers had let them down.  The gods of the Amorites were temporary.  But JEHOVAH, the GOD of ISRAEL, has never and will never experience defeat!  

Today I CHOOSE not to listen to the.............

Bad prognosis from a doctor,

Bills that are overdue,

Sales goals that are not being met,

Deadlines that are creeping up,

Or any number of other things that we term as "bad news" in our vernacular. 

Life is full of choices.  We make some "good" and some "not so good"!  The 

outcome we seek should not be  determined by the surroundings in which we currently find ourselves.  Purpose yourself to achieve and overcome.  And "CHOOSE" to listen to the GOD of HOPE and PROMISE!  

SPIRIT and TRUTH!

John 4:24-26  (KJV)

"GOD is a Spirit: and they that worship HIM must worship HIM in spirit and in truth.  The woman saith unto HIM, I know that Messias cometh, which is called Christ: when HE is come, HE will tell us all things.  Jesus saith unto her, I that speak unto thee am HE."

We get soooo caught up in the "Natural" or "here and now" that we fail to realize that the things we touch and feel are temporal.  JESUS tried to point that out to people, but we even FAIL to see and hear "TRUTH" when it is right before our eyes!!

In John 4:24 JESUS speaks the TRUTH as plainly as one can.  "GOD is a Spirit"!  And we "that worship HIM must worship HIM in SPIRIT and in TRUTH!"   We need to understand that these bodies, although all have distinctive traits, are TEMPORAL!  We will be given 

new bodies (1 Cor. 15:53) that are INCORRUPTIBLE through JESUS!  The real (TRUTH) beings will contain no flaws nor decay!  

To reach the realm of "SPIRIT and TRUTH" requires us to loosen our hold on the NATURAL.  My prayer is that I realize, as the Apostle Paul in Romans 8:18 that "the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us."

We all are ONE!

Today's Word from Dr. Charles Stanley fit so well with my Bible reading that I HAD to share them together.  I pray the LORD ministers to you, as HE did me, with these verses!  

May 22

Practical Ways to Bear Burdens

1 Thessalonians 5:14

There are hurting people everywhere, but at times we just don't know what to say or do to ease their pain. Here are six practical ways to bear someone else's burden.

Be there. At times the best "method" of helping is simply to be present. During our darkest hours, we don't need someone who tries in vain to fix everything; we just need a friend.

Listen. Don't attempt to give answers or tell people what to do next. Injured souls frequently want simply a listening ear so they can express what's on their mind.

Share. Never parade yourself as someone who has all the answers. Instead, allow your own pain and failures to help others.

Pray. There is power in speaking people's names before the Lord. When they hear someone talk to Jesus on their behalf, healing often starts taking place.

Give. Sometimes helping others involves more than a handshake or warm hug. Maybe they need something financial or material. One of the best measures of sincerity is how much we're willing to give to others.

Substitute.You may know an individual who bears the burden of caring for someone else. If you step in and take his or her place for a while, you are emulating your Savior--He, too, was a substitute.

Because we were unable to do it ourselves, Jesus bore all of our sin and sorrow, even unto death. As a result, we can live happily and eternally in communion with our Father. If Christ did that for us, how can we ever say, "I'm too busy to bear someone else's burden"?

John 17:20-23  (KJV)

"Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word;  That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.  And the glory which thou gavest me I have given them; that they may be one, even as we are one:  I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me."

JESUS loved me so, even while HE was here on earth, that HE prayed to HIS FATHER on my behalf!   When HE prayed "for them also which shall believe on me through their word;" that was for me and you.   

JESUS loved us so that HE went to Calvary and paid the price for our sin!  I should love HIM so that HIS love spills out to others!  

"Be Sober, Be Vigilant!"

1 Peter 5:8   (KJV)

"Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour".  

As I write this morning, my thoughts and emotions are mixed greatly!  I have family and friends on the beach on the Gulf of Mexico, there are other friends who are without jobs, other friends who buried their child this week, others who reside near Oklahoma City and are dealing with the after effects of yesterday's tornado's.   I have friends all across the United States (and around the world) who are dealing with "life" as they know it.   

Sometimes it seems we are surrounded by trouble and turmoil.  Every option taken seems to have been the wrong choice.  It seems that you are destined to live in chaos for the remainder of your life.  While talking about challenges in his life, Dr. Charles Stanley once recalled GOD telling him  "You've got to see it all as coming from me!"  GOD can use hardship to teach us AND grow us into what HE desires is to be!

GOD has a "Master Plan" for our lives.   I know frustration and impatience tend to overtake us when we are in the midst of trials, as we seek relief.  But GOD says "Be sober" (quiet or sedate in demeanor), "be vigilant"(keenly watchful to detect danger)...."!   The enemy is emboldened by those who neglect GOD's word.   

I pray that I will fight battle The LORD sees fit for me to endure for HIS glory.   Psalms 55:18 "HE hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me."  

"Trust Me, Try Me, Prove Me!"

Malachi 3:8, 10

"Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, Wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings."

Sometimes we try to justify not giving GOD the amount HE deserves out of our paycheck.  The bills for the month will be too great. Or an unexpected trip will take more than we planned.  But GOD instructs us to "live by faith"!  

GOD does not have a budget to make.  HE does not fret over bills or expenses.  HE desires to bless us!  Psalms 24:1 says "The earth is the LORD’S, and the fulness thereof; the world, and they that dwell therein."  Then why does HE need my measly tithe?  

 

Malachi 3:10 is one of the MOST overlooked verses in the Bible!   "Bring ye ALL the tithes into the storehouse, that there may be meat in mine house, and PROVE me now herewith, saith the LORD of hosts, IF I will not open you the windows of heaven, and POUR you out a BLESSING, that there shall not be room enough to receive it. ". 

GOD, help me to realize that all I have is YOURS anyway.  And YOUR blessings are a promise if I obey YOUR WORD!  

ROME and ECHO!

ROME and ECHO!

About three years ago we started keeping "puppies" for BOTH my sons.  My youngest son was in college and was blessed with a stray (half Australian Shepherd and half Great Pyrenees named ECHO) while my older son had a 1 year old (half Labrador and half MIX? Named ROME) that had gotten too big for the apartment he lived in.  We still have both and they are royalty around our house!

A couple of months or so into keeping them ECHO was not minding.   He acted like he was playing!  I disciplined him, like the bad daddy.  Soon, we discovered ECHO cannot hear real good nor see real good.  He is not totally deaf, but his hearing is SEVERELY hampered.  We now  understand ECHO cannot hear so there are times we yell at ROME when we want to get THEIR  attention!    

When you think about it, people are real similar to ECHO and ROME!  Even though ROME may be acting fine, sometime he will have to be yelled at so ECHO will stop what he is doing wrong!  Matthew 13:15 says "For this people’s heart is waxed gross, and their ears are dull of hearing, and their eyes they have closed; lest at any time they should see with their eyes, and hear with their ears, and should understand with their heart, and should be converted, and I should heal them. "

GOD disciplines HIS children.  Those who are not HIS children "ears are dull of hearing" and do not listen to HIS reproof.  I feel sorry for ECHO because I did not know he couldn't hear.   Sometimes, when GOD allows trials into my life, there may be an "ECHO" in my life that GOD needs to exhibit how my faith gets me through those times!  

MATTHEW 16

This morning I have been studying Matthew 16.  I am humbled and moved by reading what "my Lord and Saviour" had to relay to HIS disciples.  

The Apostle Peter was known for his boisterous, dramatic, yet imperfect relationship with The LORD.  In verse 18 The LORD is telling Peter "And I say also unto thee, That thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church; and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it."  Keep in mind, The LORD says "I" will build "MY" church!  

Yet, only five verses later, The LORD is having to correct Peter.  Verse 23 reveals "But he turned, and said unto Peter, Get thee behind me, Satan: thou art an offence unto me: for thou savourest not the things that be of God, but those that be of men."  

As believers we are NOT exempt from the effects and influence of evil.  Peter had just been told by JESUS that JESUS' church would be built on faith similar to Peter's.  One can speculate that pride (or any number of other sins) was creeping into Peter's life. In verse 23 JESUS had to identify the spirit of satan and pointed out to us that the things of man (our take on things)  were NOT the things of GOD!  

Fame, wealth, nor prestige will matter on Judgement Day!  The things of GOD may not matter to the world, but JESUS says that HE is not of this world and it's temporary mindset!  (John 8:23).   Father, help me to remember that I am only a "sojourner" in this world and my purpose in this life is to bring honor and glory to YOU and YOUR KINGDOM!  

"You are either for us, or you're against us"!

"You are either with us, or you're against us"!

President George W. Bush was a polarizing figure, to say the least.  He often said things that did not lead to "unity" or oneness.  The press often portrayed him as a dumb cowboy type who was riding the coattails of his dad! 

He spoke the words "You are either with us, or you're against us" while standing on the ruins of the terror attacks a few days after September 11, 2001.  The point, I believe, he was trying to make was the REAL WAR that has been going on since satan was expelled from heaven.  GOOD vs. evil.  

You are either for GOD and HIS principles, or you are for satan and his principles!  JESUS said in Matthew 6:24 "24 No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

I am not saying President George W. Bush was any better or worse than any other man, but he MAY have been onto something that few others have realized!  Or, he may have been a mouthpiece for a voice that goes largely ignored these days.   

Regardless, the choice for me is quite clear!  Joshua says in Joshua 24:15B "but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD."!  I pray for the rest of the WORLD that they see the LIGHT soon!!

I AM WEAK, BUT THOU ART STRONG!!!

As many know my body is susceptible to the effects of ASPARTAME.   My left shoulder and arm, because of a back defect I have, are weaker than other portions of my body.  When I was drinking diet drinks, the ASPARTAME caused muscle spasms that resulted in  severe pain in my shoulder/arm. The ASPARTAME attacked the weakest link in my body's attempt to live  healthy.   

Satan, like Aspartame, will attack me at my weakest point in trying to live a Christian life.   Sometimes I just feel as though I need to call "TIME OUT" from the trials and problems sent my way.   JESUS had gone into the wilderness for 40 days when satan tried to hit HIM at HIS weakness.  

Matthew 4 informs us that JESUS was led "of the Spirit" to the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.  JESUS survived the onslaught by the devil and the devil departed HIM. (v10-11).  "Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve. Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him."

I am so weak the enemy attacks me at times with "both barrels" trying to gain Victory in my life.  But I refuse to give in to the lies he used and vow to live by this motto......."Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve"! 

Travail -noun- Pain, Anguish or suffering!

Travail- noun - Pain, Anguish or suffering

"Someone please tell me this is just a bad dream.  I can't do this."

I awoke this morning to this post on Facebook from a friend of mine.  It seems there was a tragic accident yesterday and her son, in his early 20's, was killed!  He was a little younger than my youngest son.  

Things happen in life that have no earthly reason nor explanation.  We try so hard to make sense of things, yet scripture tells us we can't.   Ecclesiastes 3:10-11 (KJV) says "I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it. HE hath made every thing beautiful in HIS time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that GOD maketh from the beginning to the end."

NO MAN can find (or figure) out what GOD does!  At times like these we want answers.  We all have questions that "we" think deserve explanation.  But GOD is Omnipotent, Omniscient, and Omnipresent!  We are so finite in our thinking.  

I pray for The Varner Family during this trying a difficult time.  May Almighty GOD envelope you in HIS peace and comfort.  

No matter the "FOG"!

Do you ever feel as though you are walking in a thick, dense FOG?  It may be clear with the sun shining, yet you feel as though your next step will be off the proverbial cliff?   Do you feel as though GOD just isn't interested in your particular dilemma?  

 

I remember when my oldest son was born and we were still in the hospital, we were sitting in a recliner watching the NBA playoffs.  The "joy" in my heart was indescribable.  I was working at a aluminum plant making about $1200 a month.  Yet I thought the WHOLE world had stopped because my son was here!

GOD cares for us with the same "joy" I had for my son.  I would have (and still would) moved heaven and earth for either of my sons.  1 Peter 5:7 states "Casting all your care upon HIM; for HE careth for you."  The Creator of this world cares for me!  Sometimes they did not get what they wanted though.  I could not provide some things and some things I WOULD not provide, knowing it was not good for them.  

The following verse in 1 Peter 5:8 says "Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour".  The enemy does not "care" for us!  It is his desire to "devour" us!  All he cares about is winning the battle for our souls.  

The war for my soul has already been won, but there are many battle's to be fought.  It is my desire to "Submit yourselves therefore to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you." (James 4:7).  No matter the "FOG", I will trust in HIM!  

"I need to SLOW DOWN!!"

I am amazed at how GOD operates at times.   This morning the local newspaper did not interest me, Facebook did not hold my attention, Twitter was of non concern, emails were discarded with great speed.......nothing seemed to "GRAB" me as being from GOD.  That is until I got to Dr. Charles Stanley's devotional!  

I challenge YOU not to skim over these words, yet to let this entire devotional spiritually "move you" to where GOD desires you to be this day.  Read it twice if necessary.  I have added some emphasis to words with parenthesis and capitalization.  

May 13

The Comfortable Church

Matthew 28:16-20

I think it’s fairly evident that the society we (and mainly I) live in is very self-centered, and this same characteristic can be present in a church. Whenever a local body of believers develops (and it can happen to the best of us) an inward focus, its fruitfulness in ministry begins to decrease, and EACH member’s Christian walk is hindered.

Many believers want their church to be cozy and COMFORTABLE. They come to listen to a nice sermon, fellowship with friends, and have THEIR needs met. But God never intended for the gathering of His people to be like a country club; He calls us to join an army that will bring the gospel into enemy territory.

An effective church—one that poses a real threat to the Enemy—is a body of discipled people who have been taught the truth of Scripture, trained for service, and helped to MATURE SPIRITUALLY. But all this is accomplished for the purpose of going out into the world, NOT for becoming a self-contained sanctuary of Christian comfort.

The urgency of the Lord’s command and the desperate condition of humanity should motivate us to LEAVE THE SAFETY of our Christian fellowships and deliver the message of salvation through Jesus. To avoid this responsibility is to miss the Father’s plan for your life and the opportunity to help build His kingdom.

None of us want to waste time or energy on trivial things and thereby miss the exciting fulfillment of God’s will. He has called us, NOT to a life of comfortable tradition, but to an ADVENTURE of obedience. Answer His call—you’ll help fill His kingdom with people from every tribe and nation. 

"HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!"

Last evening my wife and I were honored to dine with my youngest son and his wife for Mother's Day.   My oldest son and his wife only live 12 miles from him but there schedules would not match so they decided to make the 2 and a half hour trip today.  

I love both of my kids so much.  Both of them are married to beautiful ladies who love The Lord.  But the grandest thing is to see how much both of them love their mom.  Both of my boys are over six foot tall and their mom is five foot four inches tall.  Yet they respect and honor her like few other young men ever have.  

It has been said "The love shown by a son to his wife should be a direct reflection of the love shown by his father to his mother"!   Last night, as my youngest was hugging his mom good-bye, I became just a bit misty eyed.  

I hope both of my boys realize just how much their mom means to their dad.  And I pray that they will love their wives as much as I love their mom!  

"He did what?"

A few months back I listened to an interview with Dr. Charles Stanley.  It lasted about 25 minutes and was moved me greatly!

One of the things he spoke on was people FORGIVING others!  He said that there were some members of a church who were "out to get him".  He was asking GOD how he needed to handle the situation and GOD told him "You have to begin to see everything that happens to you as coming from me!"   

I have tried to remember this when I am hurt or angered by others.  GOD uses others to mold us into what HE desires for us to be.  GOD can cause or direct behavior from others to help me become what HE needs me to be.  Exodus 14:4 divulges "And I will harden Pharaoh’s heart, that he shall follow after them; and I will be honoured upon Pharaoh, and upon all his host; that the Egyptians may know that I am the LORD. And they did so."

Pharaoh had no desire to honor the GOD of Israel.  Yet GOD "hardened" Pharaoh's heart to accomplish HIS plan.  LORD, help me to remember that others are sometimes used by YOU to make me what I need to be...for YOUR KINGDOM!!