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Ecclesiastes 3:1-8

"For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven: a time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up what 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 seek, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away; a time to tear, 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 for war, and a time for peace."

As I reflect on the year that is closing I am left determining if I was a "GOOD" steward of the time GOD granted me.   The writer of Ecclesiastes tells us that there is a time for everything.  

The thing I have the hardest problem with is BEING STILL!   Listening to GOD sometimes requires complete silence and meditation. I have to remove ALL distractions!  Psalms 46:10 says to "BE STILL, and know that I am GOD; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth".   

There is a time for being "BUSY", but you have to have direction and purpose in your life!  In order to live a VICTORIOUS life, you must yield to SOMEONE who is bigger than life's problems!  

There indeed is a time for everything.   LORD, I pray that I will prioritize my life in YOUR order and live by YOUR plan!  

SPIRITUAL WORLD!

Sometimes, I get so "busy" with life in general that I have to get alone and meditate!  GOD speaks in such sometimes "in a still small voice" (1 Kings 19:12) and I have to remove all distractions before I can focus on HIM!

When my quiet time is the best,  I sit here and earnestly "wait on The Lord".   Sometimes it seems as though I have to wait longer to hear from HIM.  But when HE speaks, it is the sweetest, most fulfilling thing!  My mind goes to the song by Chris Tomlin "Indescribable"!   

A lot of people haven't experienced what I am talking about.  JESUS said in Matthew 13:10-17 that some people cannot see!  In verse 13 (ESV) HE explains "This is why I speak to them in parables, because seeing they do not see, and hearing they do not hear, nor do they understand."  

I am learning not to be so judgmental when folks don't "see or hear" the way scripture says they should.  Their spiritual eyesight may not be real keen yet.  GOD is still working on mine!  And I am HIS greatest challenge!   

You HAVE to run!

I have been listening to The Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir sing a song called "Use Me".   The words are inspiring and moving.   The song can prepare those called by GOD to look for opportunities to serve in whatever capacity they are being called.  

To be "USED" of GOD one has to be "Sanctified" by HIM.   In Joshua 7:13 GOD instructs Joshua to "sanctify" the Jewish people.  GOD tells them there is "an accursed thing" (Sin) in their midst and HE warns Israel they cannot be successful standing against their enemies with unforgiven sin in their midst.  

GOD can do no less for me!   I have to purify and cleanse my life of anything that is impure in order for HIM to use me.  HIS Holy Spirit convicts me and will not let me rest until I am clean.  I have a friend who says "You're like the rabbit, you've done jumped up now....you HAVE to run"!!!

GOD, I pray that you continue to show me the things in my life that need to be removed FOR YOUR GLORY, that I may be "USED" by YOU!  

"I can't see!"

My oldest son got married on May 15, 2009.  About six months later, he and his wife acquired a "puppy"!  The puppies name is "ROME", for he was named after the city in which my son proposed to his wife! (Rome, Italy!)  My wife describes ROME as a 65 lb. "LAP DOG"! 

ROME grew larger than was expected, and mom and dad "inherited" him!  ROME is as loving a pet as anyone could ask for.  He is "energetic" (especially when a frisbee is involved) and "docile" all at the same time.  There is little doubt his love for me and my wife.  His tail wagging as fast as it can when we come home is EVIDENCE!  

GOD is "Spiritual" therefore the things of GOD can not be seen with "earthly" eyes.   Hebrews 11:1 says "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the EVIDENCE of things not seen."   Even though GOD cannot be seen, neither can air!  But just because I can't see air doesn't keep me from breathing it!  I have to have it!!

Just as I get to see the "EVIDENCE" of ROME's love for me every day, I pray that my love for GOD is so EVIDENT that it cannot be hidden from HIM.  My FAITH in HIM should be EVIDENT in my life.  I may not wag my tail or lick my owners hand, but my love for HIM should be just as EVIDENT!  Just like air, I HAVE TO HAVE IT!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Luke 2:7

"And she brought forth her firstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the inn."

Today the world celebrates the birth of a KING!   Over two thousand years ago NO ONE would give up their room or facilities for the LORD OF ALL CREATION!   Everyone was TOO ___________ (fill in the blank) for a poor pregnant girl in labor from Nazareth to give up their comfort.  

I wonder if I had been there if I would have been talking about Mary behind her back?   Was she treated rudely because she was a pregnant youth?  Would I consider them a drain on society because they needed assistance?  Why do you think that a GREAT ANNOUNCEMENT proclaiming the birth of The KING was not made to inform the world of HIS presence?  

The answers to these questions may not be known until Eternity.  I can only PRAISE HIM that HE chose me as a servant!  Ephesians 1:4  "According as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love:". 

It is difficult to fathom someone who always has been, coming to Earth to MANIFEST Himself to a vastly unbelieving culture, and then returning to HIS home, only to return later for we who believe.   I understand that is what FAITH in HIM is all about!?!?!

Meditations!

While meditating this morning my mind kept on going to the scripture in Jeremiah 17:9 that says "The heart is deceitful above ALL things, and DESPERATELY wicked: who can know it?"  

I think about tragedies that America has suffered during the past 100 or so years.  Pearl Harbor, 9-11, Columbine, and now Newtown, CT are just a few of the atrocities we have faced.  I am not a member of the NRA, but they have a point!  Guns do not kill or injure people!  

SIN destroys!   Anybody or anything that exalts themselves or their ideology in front of CHRIST is a false religion and must be dealt with accordingly.  If you allow sin (through complacency or in an effort to appease) to survive, it will DESTROY!  

SIN is anything that replaces "YAHWEH" as god of our lives.   Your car, your job, your family, your sports team, anything that you worship ahead of THE ALMIGHTY is a false god!   It is a wonder that the United States has not experienced more calamity in recent years.  

The USA has fallen into the trap of trusting in presidents, money, power, Supreme Courts...... anything BUT GOD!  Is it any wonder HE has turned us over to our own desires? Job 16:11 reports "God hath delivered me to the ungodly, and turned me over into the hands of the wicked."  

The children of Israel had just crossed the Jordan River on their journey to the Promised Land.  Joshua had succeeded Moses as their leader.  GOD instructed Joshua to have the males circumcised as they had neglected to do so at birth since leaving Egypt.  Circumcision was a sign of God’s covenant promises to Abraham. 

Israel had forgotten to honor GOD! I am afraid that, similarly, America has forgotten (or rejected) to honor GOD!   There are those who say that GOD has NO part in politics or governing of the people.   I submit this is GOD's world....... and we are only here by HIS grace and mercy!   I pray that others see history as it is and we learn from it.  If not, "Even so, come, Lord Jesus.!"

This is WAR!!

Ephesians 6:10-13

"Finally, be STRONG in the Lord and in the strength of his might.  Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the SCHEMES of the devil.  For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present DARKNESS, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places. Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to STAND FIRM."

The devil never rests!  Sometimes he allows me to think I should expect certain symptoms of what today's medical society defines as "depression" because some stroke victims are said to battle "depression". 

Why do I allow satan to win this battle?   Scripture says I am to "be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might"!  I am not to allow satan to win any battle!  The SCHEMES that he will try to influence my life with, I am to allow NONE of it!   

I need to realize that satan wants to prevent me from being the Christian that Paul wrote about in 2 Corinthians 10.  Verse 4 of that chapter states "For the weapons of our warfare are NOT OF THE FLESH but have divine power to destroy strongholds."  

LORD, protect my mind from satan's attacks!  I know he will try to use anything he can to win a victory in my life.  I want to be used of YOU and for YOUR glory!