Understanding

For a year I sat in a Spanish class every Tuesday night for 3-hours; my goal was to speak Spanish. I worked hard at learning the language and yes, I did learn some, but not enough to understand. Understanding is everything, but I wonder do we always understand? I am not talking about understanding Spanish but English. I am afraid too many times we listen but we don’t understand what we are hearing. Remember understanding is everything. I noticed something the other day I would like to share with you today. In Matthew Chapter 13 there is a story that many are familiar with. It is the story of the sower, the seed and the soils. Jesus gives this parable and then His disciples ask if He would explain it to them; which means they didn’t understand what they just heard. So Jesus does so. In Matthew 13:19- we read When any one heareth the word of the kingdom, and understandeth it not, then cometh the wicked one, and catcheth away that which was sown in his heart. This is he which received seed by the way side. The problem was not in the hearing but the understanding. In every case we are told that they heard.
Mat 13:20 But he that received the seed into stony places, the same is he that heareth the word, and anon with joy receiveth it; Mat 13:22 He also that received seed among the thorns is he that heareth the word; and the care of this world, and the deceitfulness of riches, choke the word, and he becometh unfruitful. Now watch what happens! Mat 13:23 But he that received seed into the good ground is he that heareth the word, and understandeth it; which also beareth fruit, and bringeth forth, some an hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. Because of their understanding they produced fruit, some hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. When we translate the message of Christ is it clear and understandable? Nicodemus didn’t understand! He was a religious man and when Jesus began to talk to him about being “born again” he did not understand and asked Jesus “how can a man be born when he is old? Can I enter the second time into my mother’s womb and be born? It’s one thing to hear but it is quite another to understand. Do we make ourselves clear and understandable or are we just talking and making noise with a bunch of words we heard someone else say or at Church?

The Life Saver

It was a long time ago now, and I have learned from experience. It was Christmas time and I was off to buy my wife a nice Christmas gift. As I walked and looked at different things at the mall, I realized I had no clue what to get her. As I walked around something caught my attention, it was a man cooking something in front of this store. I stopped to watch him and he began talking to me and I guess I talked too much. He found out that I was there to buy my wife a gift, so he began to tell me how much she would enjoy these frying pans. I thought man this guy is a life saver. He began to tell me how these pans would not allow anything to stick to them because they had this Teflon coating. He showed me and said my wife would love me forever if I were to give these to her as her Christmas gift. I can't begin to tell you how WRONG he was. Surprised! No, she wasn't but I sure was. I wish I could tell you that I learned never to do that again, but that would be a lie, because there was the time I gave her a waffle iron, but that will be for another day. My wife has had to apply teflon love to me more than once. I am talking about not letting anything stick; just let it slide right off. I hope you are one or that you want to become one! 1Pe 4:8 Peter simply says, And above all things Now what follows is going to be the most important point have fervent(without ceasing)charity(love) among yourselves: for charity(love)Why? he says love covers shall cover (hide) the multitude (large number) of sins. Overlooking love-that's Teflon love! Un-love keeps score all the time; it marks down every time it gets offended or wounded, it harbors, it never forgets an offense. If you're that kind of person in your relationships, then when someone crosses you, you don't let it go you let it grow. Jesus' style of love has no score card. If you love as He has told us to then you simply refuse to store the negatives from other people or about other people. You're Teflon, and the negatives don't stick to you. They slide off. Don't allow hard feelings toward someone you know to start growing in you? Don't allow some resentment, some anger, some bitterness that you've allowed to stick to your soul toward someone in your family; your mate, your child or your parent. The Bible calls it a "root of bitterness" and says what will happen if we allow it to grow. "It will cause trouble and defile many" Heb 12:15 Looking diligently(not carelessly) lest any man fail (fall short)of the grace of God; lest any root of bitterness springing(swell up) up trouble you, and thereby many be defiled; (made dirty) If there's any unforgiveness in our heart, hear what God's Word says Col 3:13 Forbearing one another,(bearing with one another) and forgiving one another, if any man have a quarrel(complaint) against any: even as Christ forgave you, so also do ye. (as Christ forgave you, so also you should forgive)Don't treat people as they've treated you; treat them as Jesus has treated you! Ask your Lord for a dose of His love that will cover rather than harbor the wrongs against you. Love enough to cover not just a few of them, but a multitude of sins. Things don't stick to someone who has God's Teflon love. They slide off! I guess I might go buy my wife...some cooking utensils, maybe her mind has changed!

Procrastination

I love Will Rogers' quote, "Even if you're on the right track, you'll get run over if you just sit there."
 Many times we have great intentions. We're going to….. Read a good book, start a new business, lose weight.  For some reason, we never quite get around to taking that first step. I am guilty too many times of Procrastination. Procrastination is when you run into some difficulty in what you are doing, so you put it down with all intentions of returning to it right away.  In the mean time you start something else that at the time seems more important or has fewer problems. We just don't have the time and as you well know you can't make time. True there are only 24 hours in a day but what if I could show you how you could have an extra 182 and ½ hours per year; would that interest you? If you eliminate just one ½ hour of television watching each day that would give you 182 and ½ hours per year to devote to your family and friends, your hobbies, or your self-development. Could that benefit you as well as others? What if  we were to  help just one person, friend, coworker or family member each week?  Within a year, we would have helped over 45 more people with our knowledge and kindness. What impact do you think that might make on others? The possibilities are endless! What small changes can we make that will add up over time? Find those opportunities and seize the moment. You, as well as others will be glad you did. One day the Apostle Paul had the opportunity to speak with King Agrippa. I love what Paul said to him in Acts 26:2  I think myself happy,king Agrippa, We all have the ability to think ourselves happy as well as glad and sad. This day as Paul spoke with the King he was thinking happy and I am sure his face showed it. As the King listen, Paul told him of Jesus Christ rising from the dead and the salvation of all man kind as well as his personal salvation experience. The King listened and was asked, do you believe what I am saying? Paul says I know you believe. Then King Agrippa said something that many have said.  Act 26:28  Then Agrippa said unto Paul, Almost thou persuadest me to be a Christian. The King listens and was asked and then put it off for another time. That is procrastination to the saddest degree. He knew and was told what to do and then put it off for another day. The sad thing is that we never read of that day coming. Has God ever sent someone by to speak with you?  You believed what they said and there was no doubt you needed a savior, but you said not today I have plenty of time! Be careful for you may be like the King and that would be a sad thing.   I know that's not in your plans.

 

The Wild Man

Mar 5:4 Because that he had been often bound with fetters and chains, and the chains had been plucked asunder by him, and the fetters broken in pieces: neither could any man tame him. When I read the account of the untamed man in Mark chapter 5 I am reminded of the time when I was about 10 years old or so. My dad worked for Southern Railroad and traveled a good bit, but he was at home many times when other dads were working. Well, on this particular summer morning he was going to my uncle's farm in Covington Ga. Which was about 20-25 miles from our home? I remember my brother, some neighbor kids and I were all in the car when my Dad began to tell us to be careful when we arrived at the farm. He began to tell us boys about a wild man that was down on the farm running around. He told us that we needed to stay with him because he didn't know what might happen to us if we didn't. Well, at 10 years old I sure didn't want to have something happen to me by some wild man. I kept up with my dad and kept my eyes on him. Soon I began to take my eyes off my dad and when I looked around he was no where to be found. Then I began to hear these strange noises; grunting sounds coming toward where we were. I then began to recall what my dad had said about the wild man. I was worried to say the least and I began to call for my dad, and as you know he did not respond to my call. The reason being he was the one making all the wild man sounds. You see he told us not to take our eyes off him, for if we did there could be danger. We did not listen and in all the wonderment of the farm we lost sight of my dad. In Mark 5 we read of a man who was living in the grave yard and if that wasn't bad enough he was abusing himself by cutting himself. We are told that he was crying day and night; in other words he was not happy at all. Then we read of good news Mark 5:6 But when he saw Jesus afar off, he ran and worshipped him, The problem with this wild man is that he had never seen Jesus. Oh, he may have heard others talk about Jesus, but it's one thing to hear others talk, but it is another to see Him for yourself. You see, I heard my dad talk about the wild man, but when I began to hear what I thought was the wild man I became worried. When I saw my dad I knew I was safe from the danger. So it was with the wild man in Mark 5. With Jesus we are safe but without Him we are in much danger. Keep your mind and eyes on Jesus for the wild man is out there waiting for you. Joh 10:10 The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly.

Know the Truth

I read in the news where this young lady had moved in with this elderly man. All seemed well to start with. This young lady appeared to be a good Samaritan taking care of this man. She was washing his clothes, fixing his meals, paying his bills…….here’s where the red flag goes up. She paid his…Oh no! She had just gotten his trust and was not paying his bills but taking his money for herself. My, my, what an awful shame that someone would take advantage of a senior citizen. This past weekend I had the privilege of spending much time with Dr. George Crabb. He is the Doctor on staff with Reformers Unanimous in Rockford, Illinois. He taught us on Friday night in the third talk on the nine signs of relapse. On Saturday afternoon he gave us a 2 1/2 hour workshop on the effects to our body, mind and over all well being when someone is using Cocaine, Meth, Marijuana, Pornography and Prescription Drugs. It was an eye opener to say the least. Many say marijuana does not hurt you, what a lie that is! it hurts the heart, destroys brain cells, causes bad things to happen to our liver, those that use it do become addicted to it with over 400 chemicals racing into the body when one smokes a joint and a host of other things. Then Pornography, just pictures so one may think. Oh no, it’s much more than that not only can one be addicted to it, it causes similar affects as Cocaine to the brain; Oh my just pictures, I think not. The time I was able to spend with him was priceless, his knowledge was astounding I learned so much and then he gave me his power point presentation on Marijuana, Cocaine and Pornography what a blessing that was, for I can now refresh my mind at will. Reformers Unanimous, what a program! It has a 90% success rate for those who work the program. Reminds me of what the Lord does to a person who gives their life to Him, He changes them completely. May be that’s why the program works so well, it’s filled with Jesus and like we are told in Joh 8:32 And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free. Not set but MAKE YOU FREE! Here is an illustration . If I set a rabbit box (trap) and catch a rabbit I can open the trap and set the rabbit free. The trap is still there and I can reset it and catch the same rabbit again and again. If I catch the rabbit and then set him free and destroy the rabbit box he is now made free. There is a big difference in being set free and made free. That is what the Lord is doing at our Reformers Unanimous chapter here at Victory, making people free from their addictions, bringing families back together again, giving children there mom and dad’s back and making people productive again. Restoring back the years that the locust have destroyed. Only God (the truth) can do that.
Joh 14:6 Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.
Joh 17:17 Sanctify them through thy truth: thy word is truth
You see like that young lady which appeared to be a wonderful person but turned out to be a thief so it is with drugs. They at first appear to be your friend; you know they take you away for a while. Then before you know it they are depleting your bank account and your mental abilities and my friend that is an awful shame. Like the elderly man be careful who and what you put your trust in. Be very careful in making choices for you are the one who will have to live with Good or Bad Choices. Hey, Jesus is a GOOD CHOICE!

Gratitude can Change your Attitude

Have you ever felt sorry for yourself? I sure we can all say yes to that question! Let me tell you about Patrick Henry Hughes. He was born with no eyes and a tightening of the joints, which left him crippled for life. However, as a child, he was fitted with artificial eyes and placed in a wheelchair. Before his first birthday, he discovered the piano. His mom said, "I could hit any note on the piano, and within one or two tries, he's get it." By his second birthday, he was playing request ("You Are My Sunshine," "Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star"). His father was delighted beyond measure. "We might not play baseball, but we can play music together." Today Patrick is a junior at the University of Louisville. His father attends classes with him and he's made nearly all A's with the exception of 3 B's. He's also a part of the 214-member marching band. You read it right… the marching band! He's a blind, wheelchair bound trumpet player; and he and his father do it together. They attend all the band practices and the half-time performance in front of thousands. His father rolls and rotates his son around the field to the cheers of Patrick's fans. In order to attend Patrick's classes and every band practice, his father works the graveyard shift at UPS. Patrick says. "My dad's my hero." He talks to people about how blessed his life is. "God made me blind and unable to walk. BIG DEAL! He gave me the ability… the musical gifts I have… the great opportunity to meet new people." We all face adversity in our life. It's not the adversity, but how we react to it that will determine the joy and happiness in our lives. One word… gratitude, can change your attitude and your life, forever. Sarah Breathnach said "When we choose not to focus on what is missing from our lives but are grateful for the abundance that's present… we experience heaven on earth." Have a great weekend and be GRATEFUL!

The E R

I'm glad the emergency room is available but I hate to go there.I've been too many times as it is. I remember one night almost five years ago, I received a phone call about 11:30 pm. It was from a pay phone; now who uses pay phones! It woke me up, I answered and on the other end was the voice of a good friend. He said that his son had been in a bad car wreck and was being air lifted to the hospital. The last words he said to me, "it's bad." I sat on the side of the bed, was this real or had I just dreamed this? I soon realized that this was no dream so I headed for the emergency room. When I got there I told them who I was and why I was there. They told me to wait just a minute. I had been in emergency rooms many times in the past and I realized something was different this time. They came and took me past the emergency room and down a hall to a room. What I was about to face in that room no one could have prepared me for. The only son this friend and his wife had was now gone. What do you say at a time like this? There're no magic words if there is such a thing. But as I said "let's have a word of prayer" and began to pray, I felt God's peace in the room. Nothing changed, their only son was gone from this world for ever, but the God who they had put their trust in was able to help in this great time of need. It's an awful thing to loose a loved one and when it's your only child the questions are unanswerable. But you know two thousand years ago God allowed His Son to be put to death for a world who loved Him not. He did no sin. All He did was good and people hated Him so much they beat Him until His guts were visible. He became so weak that someone else had to carry His cross. They spit on Him, cursed Him and forsook Him. They gambled for His clothes, as He hung there in open shame. How awful! But what Jesus had to say to the on looking crowd as well as His accusers and abusers shows us and tells us what LOVE  really is. Luke 23:34  Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. So, just remember when you think no one cares or loves you there is one who Loves you so much that He gave His all for you. That may have been the reason why there was a peace that filled that room that night, for there was one there that knew just how that mom and dad felt.

Hole

Have you ever fallen into a hole? I sure you have at one time or another. But there are holes in the human heart and a hole in the heart is serious business. Thank God, there are surgeons with the ability to fix those. But when it comes to emotional holes and spiritual holes in the human heart, it’s amazing how many people are walking around with that heart condition untreated. But, like its physical equivalent, a hole in our spiritual heart will greatly limit what our life could be, and one day it could cost us our life. But there is good news! There is a surgeon who repairs the spiritual hole in the human heart. His Name is Dr. Jesus and we can read about Him in
John 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. The last night with His disciples before He is taken, He see that His disciples have troubled hearts. He says don’t let your inner man be troubled. Then He tells them the reason why they shouldn’t. Do you boys believe in God? Then believe in me also. Then He goes on. I am leaving for a little while to go prepare a place for you and then I am coming to get you and you will be where I am. So here we have it no matter how bad things get the child of God has something to look forward to. So when you fall into the holes in life, you can stay there or you can learn from the hole and trust Him to avoid them or better yet walk down a different street.
Autobiography in Five Short Chapters by Portia Nelson

Chapter I.

I walk down the street.There's a deep hole in the sidewalk.I fall in.I am lost...I am helpless;it isn't my fault.It takes forever to find a way out.
Chapter II.

I walk down the same street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I pretend I don't see it.I fall in again.I can't believe I am in the same place;but it isn't my fault.It still takes a long time to get out.
Chapter III.

I walk down the same street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I see it is there.I still fall in....it's a habit.My eyes are open.I know where I am.It is my fault.I get out immediately.
Chapter IV.

I walk down the same street.There is a deep hole in the sidewalk.I walk around it.
Chapter V.

I walk down a different street.

Pretty good image for the Christian experience, isn’t it? Wouldn’t it be great if we could all learn from the “holes” in life and NOT repeat the inevitable one-way ticket back to the bottom? Instead of blaming, instead of succumbing to habit, if we could trust the Lord to guide us to a new “walk” in life, our lives would be different.
“Don’t look where you fall, But where you Slipped”

Time, Is there Enough

“There’s not enough time to get it all done.” Do you ever feel defeated? May be you feel you’re not hitting on all cylinders. Do you want the best at everything all the time but have come to realize that it’s just not possible? In the book of Daniel, there is a story in the first chapter that addresses these concerns. We are told of four young men who have had their entire lives turned upside down. They have been taken from their home, they are in exile in Babylon and they are having a new lifestyle forced on them. They’ve had their names changed and their whole lives upset by new standards and expectations. In the middle of the first chapter, Daniel has to make a choice about eating the king’s food. Among all the pressure to yield to a long list of new expectations, Daniel chose to say “no more.” In doing so, he chose faithfulness to God and was blessed in the process. You and I face similar situations daily, not with food from the king’s table, but with our time. We have to decide on a daily basic who or what is going to get our time. We all have the same amount of time each day as we are told in Ecclesiastes 3:1 To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: The choices that we make today will either bring us in line with the life and will of God and draw us closer to His purpose or they will move us further from Him. Invest in the choices today that will fulfill God’s purpose in you. Have you taken the time to pray today? Will you have the time to see what God has to say personally to you form His word today? What about that friend that needs a kind word? Do you think you’ll have a few minutes for him or her? Think! What will you spend your time on today? I hope you will be like Daniel as you decide today. It may be time to say “no more!” These are hard decisions to make, to be sure, but you, like Daniel, will find yourself blessed. It's going to be a great day because you are here.

Don't Let Your Rabbit Die

Our oldest son once had a pet rabbit and I still kid him about it from time to time. You see he made a rabbit cage, box, pen or whatever you prefer to call it. Anyways he would go to the edge of the woods where he had put his small cage, about midway up a tree. I told him it was his rabbit and he was to take care of it. He was doing a find job and to be honest I didn't worry about it at all. One day we were eating supper when he said excitably "my rabbit, my rabbit" I looked out the window and saw all look fine, the rabbit was lying in the cage as if it were sleeping. I said "what's the matter?" He then began to tell his mother and I that he had forgotten to feed his rabbit. I said "for how long?" He said "to long!" You see his rabbit was sleeping but it was from a sleep that he would never awake. That sounds awful and it is, but as I think about that I am afraid that to many times we don't spend time with the Lord. Then before we know it we have starved ourselves almost too spiritual death. Our Bible reading is gone, our prayer time is at meal times only and when it is time to meet with those at Church we have something else that is pressing. I want you to remember this verse as we come to the close of this week. John 10:10- The thief cometh not, but for to steal, and to kill, and to destroy: That is all the "thief" wants to do to you. Now who do you think the "thief" is? That's right the enemy, the devil. He wants to steal your time and your relationships, kill your courage and your marriage and destroy your joy and happiness and much, much more. But let's not quit there the rest of the verse says "I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly." Now Jesus says He wants to give us life, so that we might have it abundantly. My son’s rabbit died for like of food. Are you getting enough spiritual food or are you allowing the thief to rob you? A thief doesn’t let you know what he is stealing until one day you go to get it and it’s gone. That’s what happened to Samson. That’s what happened to Judas. Peter says He’s a loin walking about seeking whom he may devour 1Peter 5:8 Be sober, (Keep your mind clear) be vigilant; ( be alert) because your adversary(opponent)the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: Watch out, don’t be the one on the menu.

We all Have Them

Opportunity Webster say that it's
Fit or convenient time; a time favorable for the purpose; Convenient means.

Opportunities, we all have them sometimes we make the best of them other times we just simply let them go by. Paul tell us in Galatians 6:10-As we have therefore (Whenever we have the) opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith. (family of believers)
Food remnants on dirty dishes, if you deal with them right away, they're soft and easy to remove. Just rinse the plate, and the food falls right off. If you wait, it turns hard so you have to scrape and work, and it's tough to remove it because it's stuck tight. Maybe that's why we call unresolved anger "hard feelings." Anger turns hard quickly, and that gives the devil (enemy) an opportunity to enter a marriage, a parent-child relationship, a friendship, or a church. At the core of every marriage break-up there has probably been an issue that was once a small one, but it was not dealt with immediately. At the core of a broken parent-child relationship, a hurting friendship, or a divided church, there are people who didn't clean up their anger when it first appeared, when it was still small and relatively soft, so it's led to a terrible outcome. The devil got his foot in the door. Today is always your best opportunity to go to that person and do whatever it takes to repair things. Be willing to confront them to apologize and receive or give forgiveness if needed. Talk it through with them and pray together. You say, "Well, that's going to be tough." It won't be as tough as not doing it. You just cannot afford that hard spot in your heart that develops from the anger that you stuff inside. Don't let it grow instead of letting it go. Anger and bitterness never stays the same size; they always grow. Remember the dirty dish. There is nothing to gain in waiting to resolve the problem, because the longer you wait, the harder it gets.
As Principle #3 says “It is easier to keep the heart clean that to clean it after it has been defiled.”

Banana Tree

Luk 13:6 He spake also this parable; A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none.
Luk 13:7 Then said he unto the dresser of his vineyard, Behold, these three years I come seeking fruit on this fig tree, and find none: cut it down; why cumbereth it the ground?
Luk 13:8 And he answering said unto him, Lord, let it alone this year also, till I shall dig about it, and dung it:
Luk 13:9 And if it bear fruit, well: and if not, then after that thou shalt cut it down.
I have a Banana Tree that my Son-N-Law gave me four years ago. I remember him and me planting it in the back yard and it grew very little. I was disappointed to say the least. The next year I replanted it and it did a little better but nothing to brag about. Then I decided when I dug it up to put away for the winter I would make the place I planted it in a compost pile. I did and last year when I planted it, man did it grow. I mean it grew from three feet to over twelve feet high. It also reproduced five other trees. I am excited about this year! I am going to give my Father-N-Law some of the five and I will at least plant three trees this year. Oh, by the way, I have expanded my compost pile so that I can plant all three trees. I am hoping for some bananas off the older one. That's what Jesus is explaining here in the book of Luke. According to Jesus, there is only one way to see if something is alive – check its fruit. I don’t know where we got this misconception, but many of us really don’t expect much to happen in our lives as Christ-followers. We “signed up” for a relationship with God. We said “yes” to Jesus, but for many of us, we expected that would be the end of the deal. We would receive forgiveness for our sins and a ticket to heaven when we die, but anything beyond that was not part of our plan. The Bible is clear: not only does Jesus want to give us the promise of heaven and spiritual blessings, He wants to get involved in our lives. He wants to plant something within us that is going to take root and begin to change the way we live, impacting the actions, decisions and character of our lives. In other words, Jesus expects to see something grow within us as a result of His presence in our lives. Jesus expects that once His Spirit has taken root in our lives, fruit will be developing and growing. Remember, things that are alive, grow! If the fruit of the Lord – traits such as love, joy and peace – are growing in your life day-by-day and year-by-year, something good is going on! If not, something is wrong. To fail to produce fruit is to fail to provide the people around you a witness to the presence of God in the world. Do you know you have huge fruit-bearing potential? You do! Once you believe this and allow God to do His gardening work in your life, slowly, but surely, you will see your life bear a steady crop of spiritual fruit. You may just need a good compost pit!

One Week to Live

Have you ever been asked the question, what if you only had 24 hours or one week to live what would you do? Every time I hear that, my mind goes back to a night my dad and I stood in our front yard. I was about 10 years old and the night air had a small chill to it; you know it's not cold but as you breath it looks as if you are blowing smoke. Well we were not smoking, but as I looked up into the clear night air I saw something I had never seen before. It was a big giant ring around the moon; I have seen then sense, and every time I think, about what my Dad said to me that night. I asked my Dad to look up and when he saw the ring he said, Wayne, you know what that ring means? I said no sir! He then said with a very calm and stern voice, "it means that in three days the world will come to and end." My Dad had the art to kid and you would think it was the gospel truth. He never laugh or said he was joking or nothing like that. We went into our home and I soon went to bed and tried to go to sleep but all I could think about was in three days it was all going to over with. But three days came and went and you know what I am still here and the world is still standing. When I think of that night I smile and have fond memories of my Dad who loved me greatly. We will never know when the last day on earth will be. That's why it’s so important to live everyday enjoying what God has given us. If today was your last day will you leave it happy, glad and thankful for what God has allowed you to apart of. Or are you unhappy, mad, and angry and have an attitude of WHY ME! I love the song "I'm happy in the Lord today and it really doesn't matter........" I just love breathing God fresh air and being content with what God has given me! Don't you?
Philippians 4:11 Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
1Timothy 6:8 And having food and raiment let us be therewith content.
Hebrews 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.

RU Happy

Happiness comes from following your passion. Excellence comes from work that you are passionate about. Knowing what to do is certainly important, but knowing why you do it fuels your motivation…your passion. A strong passion enables you to find a way to achieve your goals…any goal. Passion turns your stumbling blocks into stepping stones. With that being said let me ask you a question "are you happy?" If you said yes then you are following your passion. As you follow your passion can you say "I know why I am doing what I am doing?" Let me answer for myself! As I work with the students of Reformers Unanimous I can truly say that I am passionate about what I am doing, that truly motives me. As I follow my passion knowing why I do it fuels my motivation. I see men and women who for what ever reason have made some bad choices and in return have become addicted. The Lord has allowed us to have a 73% record for those who work the program, that's astounding. I see men and women who's lives have been destroyed and their families and friends have all left them because they have lost trust in them. I see them turn their life around, I can't tell you what that does for me. I saw two men last week who had drug problems in the past, they were both on their knees with arms around each other's shoulder praying for each other. Now what that did for me was unexplainable, all I could do was weep and praise God. That is one of the rewards that comes with working with these wonderful people and seeing what God can and did do when nothing else would help. Now what about you? What are you passionate about? Do you know why? When it is all said and done what will be the results? Will people be better off? What will others say about you? Have you really been who you say you are? I love Friday nights when we come together for the RU meeting. People from all walks of life come together, the business man, the cook, the construction worker, the teacher, the one making $500.00 a week and the one making $1500.00 and more. Money is not important and titles are left at the door. This is not what it's about and when you see the business man and the cook hug each other's neck and smile and laugh about what great things the Lord is doing in their lives it will do something for you. Aren't you glad God gave us ears to hear, eyes to see and hearts to understand? When these students think of me I want them to know that I care and as that teacher you had in school or college that you have the most fondest memories about that's the way I want them to remember me.
Pro 17:22 A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

Having Control

Have you ever been asked a question and didn’t have the answer? I’m sure we all have! We are living in a time when jobs and houses are being lost and people have no where to go. Some turn to crime, others to drugs and drinking to relieve themselves of the pressure for just a short while, only to find it returns. How do you answer a person who says “I have lived for the Lord given my time, treasure and talents now it looks as if the Lord has left me in my time of greatest need?" The only answer is what God has done in the past He will do today, even when we don’t understand or see what He is doing. The word is “Trust” or as Proverbs chapter 3 tells us
Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. This Trust is not an easy thing for us to do, simply because it requires us to give up control. Let’s be honest we like to have control as much as possible. What about Joseph? All the hardships he went through! He couldn’t see the end from the beginning he just had to put his trust in God. What about Job? He too had to put his trust in the Lord. So what did they have to say when things got better? Joseph said this Genesis 50:20 But as for you, ye thought evil against me; but God meant it unto good, to bring to pass, as it is this day, to save much people alive. Joseph could not see nor did he understand what God was doing he just trusted in Him. Job said
Job 42:5 I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee.
Job 42:10 And the LORD turned the captivity of Job, when he prayed for his friends: also the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before.
Job 42:12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: It all took them trusting in what they could not see. Did they hurt? Yes! Did they not understand? Yes! But they kept on trusting in the Lord as the disciples said long ago when Jesus asked them this question;
John 6:67 Then said Jesus unto the twelve, Will ye also go away? John 6:68 Then Simon Peter answered him, Lord, to whom shall we go? thou hast the words of eternal life.
Joh 6:69 And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God. So here it is, who and what are you believing and trusting in? Yourself and what you can do or Christ and what He can do even though it looks as if you are losing everything. Is your hope in Things or Christ? Will you have questions? I’m sure you will! Will you get answers? Probably not today, and may not for a long time. Joseph didn’t neither did Job but they kept trusting in The God of Heaven. So quit trying to figure it all out and just trust in the One who loves you and gave Himself for you, for He’s not going to leave you in the hard times of your life, He didn’t in Joseph’s nor Job’s and He loves you just as much! Have a great weekend and just thank Him for what you do have. Good wife, husband, children, good health, good eye sight, being able to walk on both legs, do you have two arms, hands, can you still taste the food you eat, do you still have a smile? If not try it; everyone would like to see you with one. Make lemonade out of lemons. God Bless and remember He Loves you regardless of how you feel. "The God who mapped out our future can handle our present."

One Decision

I liked the movie “Back to the Future.” Really don’t know why, but I did. You remember I am sure, a young man by the name of Marty McFly meets a strange scientist with a machine that has the ability to go back in time. Marty has the opportunity to meet his mother and father when they were teenagers. His dad, George Mcfly was a wimp afraid to stand up to anybody. That is the only way that Marty knew his dad until he is transported back to the night that will determine the course of the rest of his Dad’s life as well as his Mom’s. One decision made all the difference. Will Geroge McFly stand up to the bully who is attacking his girlfriend, who will one day become Marty’s mother? It was the turning point in George’s life and Marty is there to help his Dad make the right and courageous choice. It totally changes the course of George McFly’s life. He steps up, defends his girl, and takes care of the bully who wanted her. Instead of the life Marty has known with a pretty unsuccessful dad, he returns to his life with a strong and successful dad because of that one choice. How powerful one choice can make in a persons life. We all have opportunities that come our way and one choice can make a difference forever. I was 22 years old and just out of the Military; the year was 1973. My wife was not happy with the way I was living and all that I was doing. I had the attitude of who cares what she thinks, I don’t need her anyway. I was working at night loading trucks when a man I was working with began to talk to me about the Lord and going to Church. I was nice to him because he was a nice guy. I thought this is what I will do, I will tell him I will go to Church then he will be quiet. So I did! I kept my word and went to my Father-n-Laws church. I had been to Church before so this was nothing new for me. At the close of the service that preacher said this, “What guarantee do you have that if you walk out the door and someone comes up to you and puts a gun to your head and pulls the trigger then what? All of a sudden I started thinking I don’t know. Remember I had not long been out of the military and I could identify with that. Then that preacher said this,” your heart is about to pound out of your chest,” and it was. He said “take the first step and the next will be easier” and I did take that first step. Never had I done anything like that before and I sure didn’t go to Church that morning to do that. On that day I made a decision that would and did change the course of my life. I can only imagine what my life would be now if I had not given my heart to the Lord on that day in April 1973. By the way my wife, her name is Judy and my attitude changed. This past January 7 we were married 39 years and she is the love of my life and as I have told her more times than I can count “without you life just wouldn’t be worth living.” What decision have you made that changed your life? My life was changed eternally that day by just one decision.

Restful

Call it strange if you like, but from time to time I love to stop by older cemeteries and read the tomb stones. It is amazing what you can learn about someone in just a few short words on their tomb stone. There is one here in Loganville, Ga. that I have never forgotten. I read it years ago and what she said from her grave has never left me. Her name I do not remember, but the year of her death and what she said has impacted me. She died 47 years before I was born and her tomb stone spoke to me some 80 years after her death. What she had engraved on it leads me to believe this young lady had lived and died a restful and peaceful life. It simply said “Where you stand now, I once stood. Where I am now, you’ll soon be. Prepare to meet God!" She left behind words of warning that you and I are ready for a soon coming event. We all know it is coming we just don't know when or how. I want us to look at what happened one night on a boat ride that should have been completely safe as well as restful.
Mat 8:23 And when he (Jesus) was entered into a ship, his disciples followed him.
Mat 8:24 And, behold, there arose a great tempest in the sea, insomuch that the ship was covered with the waves: but he (Jesus) was asleep.
Mat 8:25 And his disciples came to him, and awoke him, saying, Lord, save us: we perish.
Mat 8:26 And he saith unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm.
Could they have been any safer? Jesus Himself was on board! Jesus was at peace and restful so much so that He was sleeping during all the excitement. Maybe one of the disciples said to the others, “Somebody go wake Jesus before we kill God's only Son!" You may laugh at that, but they might as well have said that. I don’t know what would have happened if they had not woke Him up. But I do know that because of what they did Jesus said “why are you so fearful,” and their faith was little. Well, I wonder today are we at peace? Are we Restful? I only mean that people who are restful are people who have looked facts in the face; who have toiled, when there was not much light to toil by, and carried their crosses in a smiling way. One of the first invitations which Jesus gave was this: "Come unto me…and I will give you rest." One of the last promises before the cross was this: "My peace I give unto you." So if you and I are going to have “rest” we’re going to have to come unto Jesus. If you and I are going to have “peace” it will be given unto us by Jesus. Have a Peaceful and Restful day!

Guilty

On yesterday I went with a student of the Reformers Unanimous program to court. It was down in Zebulon, Ga. almost 80 miles from my home. It was very interesting to me as I sat in the court room and heard the different cases. Some of the people as they tried to defend themselves were humorous. One lady had been followed to her apartment because she was driving all over the road and would not stop for the officer. The officer said that the odor of alcohol was very strong in the vehicle and that when asked to get out of her truck had trouble standing. The officer told the Judge that there was also a package that looked to him like an empty alcohol product package. The lady said she was not guilty and had a witness. The Judge asked if this witness was with her at the time, to which she said no. Then she said she didn't like the officer. But what she said next almost made me laugh out loud. She said that was not an empty alcohol package it was full and I put them in the regenerator later. The witness that this lady had was standing before the judge herself not long before she became a witness. I wish I could have had that on video and I guess you can already tell what the verdict was. GUILTY! As I think of a person standing before a Judge I am reminded of those in Matthew Chapter 7
Mat 7:20 Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them.
Mat 7:21 Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven.
Mat 7:22 Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works?
Mat 7:23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity.
Here they are standing before the Judge of all time and they are trying their best to tell Him what good things they have done. Everybody in the world at sometime or other has done good things. It’s not the good things that are important on that day, it’s have we done the will of our Heavenly Father that will count. What is the will of the Father? Galatains 1:4 Who gave himself for our sins, that he might deliver us from this present evil world, according to the will of God and our Father:
Romans 6:23 For the wages (payment) of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Don’t be like that lady before the Judge; she only had a witness that was standing before the Judge herself. She had no proof and was found guilty. Jesus Christ is our payment for sin and we all have them, don’t leave this world without Jesus Christ! If you do you will be not only sorry you did, but eternally sorry you did.

Wayne S Sosebee
Reformers Unanimous Director
when you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

Trust

I can see this week is going to start off slow. Snow and ice and who knows what, but I refuse to let a slow start keep me from finishing strong.
On February 20 I was listening to the Glen Beck show on the radio as I worked. Glen was interviewing a man by the name of Ben Sherwood who is the author of The Survivors Club: The Secrets and Science that Could Save Your Life. As they talked Ben began to tell about survivors. Well that interested me as I listen he told about the 150 in the plane crash in the Hudson Bay and their survival. Then he told about a test on the website that would tell what kind of survivor you were. I went and took the test and found that I was a thinker. Here’s what the test revealed about a thinker. A thinker is a person who uses intelligence, common sense, street smarts, sort of their mind to think their way and analyze their way through a problem. That is why when I go to an event the first thing I do is look around to see what is around me. I look for other exits in case I need to get out in a hurry because I may not can leave the way I came in. He said there are five basic survivor personalities and we all fall into one of these categories. The plane that went down in the Hudson landed safely because there was a pilot who had in the memory banks of his mind what to do if something like this happens. Many people have nothing to draw upon to know how to act in that situation, and the result is what scientists call behavioral inaction. That is, they do nothing. When I heard that my mind recalled an event in the life of David. David facing Goliath, everyone in the Israelite army was afraid, fear had over taken then. David didn’t go to fight or come face to face with fear, but he did. What did he do? He trusted God and didn’t allow the fear to over take him. The reason he could trust God here was because when he was attacked by fear once before and he trusted God to work in a manner that was humanly impossible. 1Sa 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. David had trusted God in the Past so he had something in his memory to help for the Present. The problem with some Christians; it’s not their Salvation or their Love for God it’s, they don’t have anything in their memory banks of the past to help in the present. When the world seems to be crashing down around us, we can trust God to keep His promise to deliver us. Even though the world is filled with evil, troubles, and fears, God will keep His children because He will keep His promises. Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. Learn to trust Him and when every things starts to fall apart you want.
Wayne S SosebeeReformers Unanimous Director
When you plan to get even with someone, you are only letting that person continue to hurt you.

Feelbe Knees

Hebrews 12:11-13
Do you remember how we started off Hebrews 12:1-3 There’s the WITNESSES, There’s the WEIGHT, There’s the SIN, There’s the RUNNING, There’s the PATIENCE, There’s the RACE, There’s the EYES, There’s the AUTHOR & FIFNISHER, There’s the FAITH, There’s the JOY, There’s the ENDUREANCE, There’s the SHAME, and There’s the FINISH. Before you or I will ever be successful in the Race that is set before us there must be Training and Exercised. As the song so well says “He’s still working on me” which goes along with the saying “I’m not want He wants me to be but I’m not what I once was.”
In V-12 we see the “Hands that Hang Down” and “Feeble Knees.”
What are Feeble Knees
Without our knees we will not be running in NO race! Feeble Knees Luk 5:18 And, behold, men brought in a bed a man which was taken with a palsy: and they sought means to bring him in, and to lay him before him. Here we see 4-men who brought their friend to Jesus and had to take the roof off the house to let him down that he might be healed. The reason for the healing he was sick of a “palsy” {G3886 paraluō par-al-oo'-o paralyzed} the same Greek word is use here in V-12 as “Feeble” A person with palsy is paralyzed, their legs are stiff and locked, so that they do not work properly. As already stated Hebrews 12 starts off with the metaphor of the Christian life as a race. If your legs do not work, then you will become paralyzed and have to stop running. So guess what? God has exercise program designed to loosen up our legs.
Job's three friends came to visit him, Job_2:11 Now when Job's three friends heard of all this evil that was come upon him, they came every one from his own place; Eliphaz the Temanite, and Bildad the Shuhite, and Zophar the Naamathite: for they had made an appointment together to come to mourn with him and to comfort him. Job 2:13 So they sat down with him upon the ground seven days and seven nights, and none spake a word unto him: for they saw that his grief was very great. What was the reason they came? “to mourn with him and to comfort him. “ How do you comfort someone without saying a word? From Chapter 4 to 31 deals with jobs friends. If God takes this much time up with friends and how and what they do, it tells me that Friendships are very important. So chose your friends wisely. Pro 17:17 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.
Pro 27:9 Ointment and perfume rejoice the heart: so doth the sweetness of a man's friend by hearty counsel.
Pro 27:10 Thine own friend, and thy father's friend, forsake not; neither go into thy brother's house in the day of thy calamity: for better is a neighbour that is near than a brother far off.
Pro 27:17 Iron sharpeneth iron; so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend.

What Fear Brings
First thing lets ask was Job a mature, Godly Christian? I believe that God answers that for us without doubt. Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. We must remember that no matter how much we love the Lord that there are no exemption from falling to the prey of fear.
Job 3:25 For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me. What is your greatest fear? We all have them! Fear will “PARALYZE.” We get to comfortable and we can easily depend on ourselves , our relationships, our wealth and our health and not God. God strengthens our ability to overcome fear by having us face our fear.

Facing Fear
The story of David facing Goliath, everyone in the Israelite army was afraid, fear had over taken then. David didn’t go to fight or come face to face with fear, but he did. What did he do? He trusted God in the hold matter and didn’t allow the fear to over take him. The reason he could trust God here was because when he was attacked by fear once before and he trusted God to work out a matter that was humanly speaking impossible. 1Sa 17:34 And David said unto Saul, Thy servant kept his father's sheep, and there came a lion, and a bear, and took a lamb out of the flock:
1Sa 17:35 And I went out after him, and smote him, and delivered it out of his mouth: and when he arose against me, I caught him by his beard, and smote him, and slew him.
1Sa 17:36 Thy servant slew both the lion and the bear: and this uncircumcised Philistine shall be as one of them, seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.
1Sa 17:37 David said moreover, The LORD that delivered me out of the paw of the lion, and out of the paw of the bear, he will deliver me out of the hand of this Philistine. David had trusted God in the Past so he had something in his memory to help for the Present. The problem with some Christians is not their Salvation or their Love for God it’s, they don’t have anything in their memory banks of the past to help in the present.
150 people who were on an airplane that landed on the Hudson a few weeks ago. They never imagined that their plane would go down on the Hudson, and they somehow through all kinds of leadership of a few passengers, a pilot and a crew, they managed to get off that plane. That’s not an easy thing because most people when they see a plane with a wing on fire, they have nothing in their memory bank. They have nothing to draw upon to know how to act in that situation, and the result is what scientists call behavioral inaction. That is, they do nothing. Most people are not wired to deal with the low probability/high consequence events. That means that most of us are not wired to deal with the kinds of crises that pop up in life, the military calls it “situational awareness.” Unless you are aware of the threats in daily life and unless you prepare for them and have a plan of action, you are basically, when the unthinkable happens, there’s nothing in our memory bank to help in the crisis. This was not the case with David he had in his memory banks of a time when he let God work through him. So what are we depending on in the time in which we live?
When the world seems to be crashing down around us, we can trust God to keep His promise to deliver us. Even though the world is filled with evil, troubles, and fears, God will keep His children because He will keep His promises.
Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
Pro 3:5 Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.
Pro 3:6 In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.