Tag Archives: courageous

Commanded To Stand

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As our nation becomes increasingly anti-Christ we will be called upon to take a stand for God.  Some Christians do not want to do that.  Well, there is no room for wishy-washy Christians in our day any longer.  Our numbers are being beheaded for their faith and killed in various ways.  There is no time for us to be sitting on our padded Church pews singing “Blessed Assurance”.

In the Word of God we are charged, challenged and called to do many things. God gives a command to Jeremiah to God’s people.  Look at what that was.  Jeremiah 6:16, “Thus saith the LORD, Stand ye in the ways, and see, and ask for the old paths, where is the good way, and walk therein, and ye shall find rest for your souls. But they said, We will not walk therein.”

First of all God exhorts His children through Jeremiah to “Stand ye in the ways,”.  If we are not careful we will fall for the schemes of the devil.  This is one of those exhortations that is good for you and I to take note of and obey.  God has called each of His children to stand.

If you and I take a stand for God we will be targeted for sure.  The world will laugh at us.  They will make fun of us.  They will ridicule us terribly.  They might even go so far as to take our lives.  Rest in the knowledge that God knows all of this.  You and I need to just simply keep standing for God no matter what the world or anyone else does.

So, how are you doing?

 

We Need To Be

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The other morning a thought came to me.  It was a thought about what a Christian should be.  So, I hope you endure my thoughts.

First of all we need to be an encourager.  To encourage means to fasten upon, to seize, to be strong or to strengthen.  Deuteronomy 1:38, “But Joshua the son of Nun, which standeth before thee, he shall go in thither: encourage him: for he shall cause Israel to inherit it.”

We can look around and find so much that is a discouragement.  Our nation is imploding before our very eyes.  We see our enemies on every hand gaining a foothold and it will knock the wind out of your sails if we are not careful.  If we focus on the negative, worldly things then we can lose courage, we can lose heart and it will render us ineffective if we do not deal with it quickly.

I have a Pastor friend who is great at encouraging others.  He is one of those guys that you just want to be around because you are always better for being with him.  I wonder what other say about me?  I wonder if people would call me an encourager.  Are people encouraged because they have spent time with me?  Now, what about you?  Ask yourself the same questions.  Would people call you an encourager?  Are people encouraged because they have spent time with you?  It is a sobering thought, I know.

We need to be putting courage into people around us.  I don’t mean blowing smoke in their faces.  I don’t mean telling them a bunch of lies.  I mean being honest and giving them courage from the Word of God.  If you need courage that is where you need to start.

So, how are you doing?

Although

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On Monday this week I had the amazing opportunity of spending the morning with some dear people to me.  I went to Lighthouse Baptist Church in Dennison, IL for a Pastor’s breakfast.  That Church is one of a hand full of Churches that are very dear to my heart.  The breakfast was wonderful.  Spending time with the Pastors and Christian workers that attended was deeply valuable to me (and others I am sure).  Pastor Phil Price and the dear people of the Church did a great job making us all welcomed and full.

My dear friend Dr. Larry Lilly was asked to give a charge from the Scriptures.  Once again God used this man to minister right to the heart of all who attended.  His text was Habakkuk 3:17-19.  I was so moved by his message that I could not even make my pen scribe notes on paper as I listened.  So, I cannot recreate what I heard; but, I can share some thing with you that came to my mind as I read again this passage.

Habakkuk 3:17-19, “Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labour of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls:  Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.  The LORD God is my strength, and he will make my feet like hinds’ feet, and he will make me to walk upon mine high places. To the chief singer on my stringed instruments.”

The first thing I see is the ruin.  We are told about the fig tree will not blossom, the vine will have no fruit, the olive will fail and the fields will not yield.  This spells total ruin to me.  When I look at this from the standpoint of a farmer it is total ruin.  What will we eat?  What will we drink?  How shall we live?  Maybe these are questions that you posit on a daily basis.

Then I see the response.  The writer is giving us a look into the heart of someone that is deeply courageous.  This person is deeply committed.  Did you see that?  Look again, “I will joy in the God of my salvation.”  What a response.  There is no pity party here friend.  There is only simple worship directed to The One who gives us breath and life.  Joy is based upon your relationship with Jesus Christ.  Happiness is based upon your circumstances.

Thirdly I see the reality.  The writer says, “The LORD God is my strength…”  Our biggest problem is that we try to figure out our problems.  We try to fashion a plan to get out of our problems.  Then we end up fighting against God’s will for our lives.  We need to quit trying to orchestrate the end of our problems.  We need to rest in the reality that God is our strength.  Read the Psalms and see how they minister to you in your hour of darkness.

No matter the ruin in your life you can have a godly response when you realize the reality of Who is really in control.

So, how are you doing?