Tag Archives: faithfulness

Now What?

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As  I have been thinking about my Aunt who went to Heaven earlier this week a thought came to me.  “Now what?”

In the case of my aunt there will be a lot for people to divide up amongst themselves.  You never really know how much a person does until they stop doing things.  I know that my aunt was a faithful Church member.  She was a prayer warrior.  She did many things in the Church that may or may not have been noticed.

This came to me as I was reading Joshua 1:1-2, “Now after the death of Moses the servant of the LORD it came to pass, that the LORD spake unto Joshua the son of Nun, Moses’ minister, saying, Moses my servant is dead; now therefore arise, go over this Jordan, thou, and all this people, unto the land which I do give to them, even to the children of Israel.”

Well, I have reached the conclusion that all you can do is the next thing.  No matter what the next thing is we need to attack it to the best of our ability with God’s help and do it for the glory of God.

So, how are you doing?

Overcome

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I was reading an article a few days ago about a popular rap artist (this is a great contradiction in terms).  It seems this “artist” was annoyed that a couple of his concert goers did not stand when he took the stage.  In a ploy to get them to stand he tried to embarrass them into standing.  It turns out that one of these people was confined to a wheel chair and the other had a prosthetic leg.  The prosthetic leg was waved in the air so as to alert this intellectual midget that standing was not possible.  He then said, “My bad.” and went on with the concert.  I would have immediately vacated and vehemently requested a refund.

These persons with disabilities overcame obstacles to be in attendance that evening.  Then they were punished by the pride of yet another self-righteous, sin loving pig.  In case you are wondering I don’t take lightly when others mistreat persons with disabilities.

Hy hat is off to these who have overcome their obstacles to go to such an event.  We often face obstacles in our lives that at times seem insurmountable.  Here is the thing.  We have to keep going.  We never know when we might be the inspiration for someone else that is battling uphill, both ways, in the rain.  What joy it would be to find out that we were someone’s inspiration.

Look at Numbers 13:30, “And Caleb stilled the people before Moses, and said, Let us go up at once, and possess it; for we are well able to overcome it.”  I think Caleb is on to something we need today.  We need to see ourselves as people who with God’s power can overcome any obstacle that is in our way.  Someone (possibly Hudson Taylor) said, “God and I make the majority.”

So, how are you doing?

Smoke In My Nose

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It is sad; but, the day we live in I think that the Church needs the mantra of the ice cream chain Baskin Robbins, “31 Favors”.  Actually it would be grossly more than thirty-one.  There are so many new “movements” within the so-called Church that it is pathetic.  One thing they all have in common is that they do not want to be influenced by authentic Christianity.  They have taken on the attitude and lifestyle of those spoken of by Isaiah the prophet in Isaiah 65:5, “Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.

What he is saying is that your “brand” is a stench in my nose and the nose of God.  There it is.  We have come so far from what Jesus established that we have become an obnoxious smell in the nose of Jesus, who started the Church and died for her.  This should break all of our hearts.  The sad reality is that we don’t even care what Jesus’ opinion is because we are going to do things our own way.  It is obvious.  The Church is powerless, prayerless, passionless, painless and generally pathetic.

If we do not have a real revival soon we are going down for the last time for sure.  We cannot continue down the sinful slope and think God is going to continue to bless the Church.  I can assure you that He will not.  There are still a few Churches standing in the gap with the odor of battle smoke in their noses; but, they are precious few.

So, how are you doing?

Our Enemy

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The other day as I was taking a shower I noticed a spider on the ceiling.  They don’t scare me; but, I sure didn’t want one hanging above my head no matter where it might be.  I swatted at it with my wash cloth.  It began swinging back and forth on a web it had spun.  I fought and fought this spider.  It finally fell off the ceiling.  It landed on my back.  So, I danced around and around trying to get it off my while swatting myself with the wash cloth.  This was a delicate dance in the shower I will tell you.  I finally noticed the spider in the water so I kicked it down the drain and bid it farewell as it took the water taxi to the sewer plant.

I thought about the devil and how he likes to jump on our back.  This thought became real as this spider tried to defend against my attacks.  We have an enemy that seeks to destroy us at any given moment.  We have to know who the enemy is in order to defend against this enemy.

Look at Ephesians 6:12, “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.”  We need to quit fighting one another and get busy fighting the real enemy.

So, how are you doing?

The Glory Is Departed 5

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Yesterday morning I took some friends to the airport so they could leave town.  The left just before the storms and hail hit.  We should have went with them.  Nevertheless.  As I was driving away from dropping them off at their departure I noticed something.  I saw a young lady and a young man.  They must have kissed half a dozen times while I was driving away.  They were at the opposite end that I pulled away from.

I thought to myself, “The Glory Is Departed”.  I had to giggle because of the tongue in cheek humor.  Then I began to think about their relationship.  Will their relationship grow stale because of their time apart?  Will they even break up because of the length of absence so they seek the love of another?

Then I thought about our relationship with our Heavenly Father.  Far too many times we take long periods of time away from Him (we think) and the relationship goes stale (on our end) so to speak.  God no longer answers our prayers.  He does not speak to us like He once did.  Who moved?  Us, that is right.

If we are going to see the return of the glory of God then we are going to have to roll up our sleeves and get busy.  We must return to where we were when “The Glory Is Departed”.  Look at Nehemiah 3:1, “Then Eliashib the high priest rose up with his brethren the priests, and they builded the sheep gate; they sanctified it, and set up the doors of it; even unto the tower of Meah they sanctified it, unto the tower of Hananeel.”

Notice here that they did not build all over the city.  They each built where they lived.  If you read on you will find that each man had his weapon in one hand and his tool in the other.  This is exactly what we must do.  We must rebuild the walls of our life and family and pray that we will once again see the glory of God on us, our Church and nation.

So, how are you doing?

Do You See What I See?

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Saturday I was afforded the opportunity to participate in one of my favorite pass times.  No, I was not eating.  I took my cousin’s 1950 John Deere tractor out for the first ride this year.  Some guys ride Harley’s.  Some guys ride BMW’s.  I ride a big green machine that will squash those to gravel sized pieces.

While riding I noticed that my sunglasses were beginning to get covered in bugs.  Yes, a tractor will go fast enough to make bugs splatter on your sunglasses if you do not have a cab on the tractor.  When I finally noticed this I thought about Proverbs 29:18, “Where there is no vision, the people perish: but he that keepeth the law, happy is he. ”

If my sunglasses had gotten so covered in bugs then my vision would have been so hampered that I would have had to stop and clean them off.  Then I began to think.  Dangerous territory, I know.  My mind went to the spiritual side of life.  What about vision when it relates to our spiritual life?  We just saw what God’s Word says about those who do not have vision.  They “perish”.

What vision do you have?  I don’t mean a light at the end of the tunnel kind of garbage.  I mean real vision.  What has God put into your heart to accomplish?  What have you done about it.  I know one thing.  God impressed something on me so large that I cannot accomplish it myself so I will rely upon Him and seek counsel from His men that have done what He is asking me to do before.  What is your vision?  Run with it.

So, how are you doing?

The Ant

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A few days ago my wife was starting her water running for her shower.  As she looked in to turn the water on she noticed an army of ants.  I cannot stand ants!  They make me want to scream.  Yet, they are God’s creation.  In my not so humble opinion, Noah should have left mosquitos and ants.I am sure they serve some purpose in His kingdom.  Thankfully they will not be in heaven.  Whew!

As I was pondering our ant problem a Scripture jumped into my mind.  Look at the wisdom of Proverbs 6:6, “Go to the ant, thou sluggard; consider her ways, and be wise:”  This winter has been a record breaking event as far as temperatures and snowfall.  These are not records that I am personally not interested in being broken.  I have no control over it so I must continue down the path of life that God has chosen for me to travel.

Really though, I am to go to the ant, consider her ways and be wise.  Then I thought.  When this cold weather hit the ants and other insects simply burrow deeper to avoid the cold.  So, this brings credence to the old saying, “What does not kill you will make you stronger.”  I don’t know who said it; but, it is good anyway.

So, the next time life throws some trial at you don’t bury your head in the sand like the ostrich.  Remember the ant and burrow deeper into Christ and thus become stronger and more Christ-like.

So, how are you doing?

Love Of People 4

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Yesterday our Pastor told the following story about a farmer and his stubborn donkey.   The donkey was so stubborn that even the farmer who owned him could do nothing with him.  One day the farmer heard the donkey bray in a manner that said he was in trouble.  The farmer began to look for him.  Eventually he found the donkey.  It had fallen into a well.  This made the farmer so mad that he decided to bury the donkey alive.  He called all of his farmer friends to help.  They began to shovel the dirt into the well.  After a while of shoveling one of the farmers looked into the well.  To his amazement the donkey was not buried at all.  The farmer decided to watch and see what the stubborn donkey was doing.  Another shovel full of dirt came falling into the well.  The donkey stepped aside as the dirt fell.  He then stomped the dirt down with his hooves and waited for the next shovel full.  This mission of death then changed to a mission of rescue.  Eventually the well was filled up enough that the stubborn donkey walked out of the well under his own power.

This story caused me to think.  When someone is shoveling dirt at someone I know and love what is my reaction?  I can either participate at throwing dirt at the targeted person or I can not take part.  Maybe we need to be a friend to them and help them walk out of the well so to speak as others are filling the well with dirt in an attempt to bury the person.

Isn’t it funny how what others meant to kill was actually used to “build up” that person.  It is all in how you see the dirt being slung at you.  Remember the trials that do not kill you will make you better.  Look at I Corinthians 15:58, “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord.”  As my cousin Pastor Dale Byers would say, “Keep going for the LORD.”

So, how are you doing?

Thanksgiving 12

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The day we live in has become a day that is hostile toward Christians and those who only take the name “Christian”.  We have been told in the Word of God that this day will come.  We need not be surprised that this is coming about.  It does not make it any easier to endure such horrible things.  Yet, Jesus endured the cross for us so we need not be surprised by these events.

The other day I was watching one of my favorite television Pastors.  He preached on Philippians chapter 1.  He said something that caused me to take what he said and expand it a little further.  I don’t remember what Dr. Randall Parker said exactly;  but, here is what God gave me.

“When someone throws stones at you there are two choices.  You can either build a wall of separation or you can build a bridge to victory.”  David Dale (Adapted from Dr. Randall Parker)

Look at Philippians 1:12, “But I would ye should understand, brethren, that the things which happened unto me have fallen out rather unto the furtherance of the gospel;”  When you come to this realization in your heart it will revolutionize your attitude and response to trials.  I am not thankful for trials; but, I am thankful for my Father’s faithfulness in trials.

So, how are you doing?

Are You Drifting? 5

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Hebrews 2:1, “Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip.”

Today we will try to wrap up the series on “Are You Drifting?”  I want to look at the last truth.  Drifting ends in shipwreck.  We all know people that have let themselves drift and the effects are devastating.  We too often life life for the now and we don’t think past the end of our nose.  This leads to shipwreck.

Some signs of drifting are a diminishing desire for the things of God.

  • Diminished desire for God’s Word
  • Diminished desire for God’s Work
  • Diminished desire for God’s House
  • Diminished desire for God’s Help
  • Diminished desire for God’s People
  • Diminished desire for God’s Presence

These are just a few things that came to my mind.  The list is much longer actually.

Now that we have the signs and symptoms of drifting, how do we remedy it.

  • Keep growing in the LORD
  • Keep glowing in your testimony
  • Keep going for the glory of God
  • Keep an eye out for undercurrents
  • Keep going against the tide
  • Keep a hold on your Anchor, Jesus Christ
  • Keep a hope that is unshakeable

So, how are you doing?