Give Me Air

I met a man a few years ago who took a rundown car dealership and before long had to tear it down to rebuild a bigger one. Then he sold it and made a great deal of money. Then he went and did it again and again. I asked myself this question why could he do what others couldn't? The answer is the way he treated his employees. He gave them better than above the average wage and they worked hard for him and he trained others and when he sold his business he made it so his key people would have part ownership and the businesses are all doing well today. So what do you want in your spiritual life? Do you want to know more about Jesus the way Paul did? Philippians 3:9
And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:

Philippians 3:10
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death; A young man approached a man known for his great wisdom and said unto him ,"I've come to you for knowledge." The philosopher nodded, took the young man by the hand, and led him to a nearby river. Together they waded into the currents, and the teacher looked at the young man and said, "Hold my arm." He then dunked the inquirer's head under the water for about 20-seconds. When the young man came up, the teacher asked, "What have you come here for?" The young man repeated, "I've come to you for knowledge." The teacher dunked him again and this time held him down much longer. As he came up, the teacher asked him again, "What do you want?" The young man sputtered, "Give me air! Give me air!" The teacher then said, "When you want knowledge as much as you want air, you shall have it." The same is true about your spiritual life, you want knowledge, but you will not spend even 30-minutes a day seeking knowledge and clarity. You may ask how just 30-minutes a day will help? Use your 30-mintues a day to read all you can that will prepare you for the journey you want to pursue. Thirty-minutes a day is over 180 hours a year. Can you imagine how much knowledge you could gain in all that time? It would allow you to read about 45 books a year; how many are you reading now? I would recommend that you read your Bible part of that time and then at first read biographies of great men, men like D.L. Moody, Charles Spurgeon, Alan Redpath, George B. Duncan, David Brainerd, Vance Havner, Jack Hyles and others. Their insights about the choices they made, their values, their commitments, their passion, the battles they overcame will help you tremendously. So here is the goal you must have," I will never get what I've never had until I'm willing to do what I've never done." Lie in bed or get up and go to your quiet place and there God will speak to your heart. Remember anything worth having will cost you; do you want it or just want to talk about it?

Lifeboats

When you hear the word "Titanic" what is the first thing you think of? More than likely it is the name of the ship that went down in 1912 in the icy water of the North Atlantic named "Titanic". But what does that word "titanic mean? Merriam-Webster Online Dictionary says it means "having great magnitude, force, or power." Is this not what they thought this ship was a great powerful force upon the sea, so powerful that it was unsinkable; why do I say that? It was the largest, most luxurious ship of its time. So confident in its structure, the Titanic's builders did not include enough lifeboats in order to preserve more room on deck for passengers. Had they put the needed amount of lifeboats on board maybe 1,500 people would not have died that April night. What was the cause of such a mishap? Would you agree it was over confidence on the part of the builders? In this age of technology and invention, it is easy to think we don't need God. People continue to become more and more self-reliant. Sometimes it can be hard to see why we need God, when we can do so much on our own. As people, we seem more capable than ever before. Never in history have the words "self-made" rung so true. Look around you; we have forgotten our need for the Lord. But one day my friend all the money, houses and lands we have will be worthless to us when we face eternity. What is the worth of such when the Doctor tells you, you only have 6 months to live and even if it's not you it's your wife would you enjoy life without her? Don't let pride stop you from putting the right amount of lifeboats on deck in your life. But then there is such a thing as ungodly pride. This is the pride that does not recognize the need for your Savior. The hardest part about this pride is that, too often, by the time it is recognized, it's already too late…we are already falling. So why not today take the time to do inventory. 2Corinthians 13:5
Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. {Test yourselves} Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? {Could it be that you're failing the test?}
The proud tend not to account for their weaknesses. It is usually these weaknesses that come back to haunt the proud and lead to their demise. First see if you are in the faith, test yourself and know yourself that Jesus Christ is in you, if He's not then you need to ask yourself why not? The Bible tells us in 2Corinthians 5:17
Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. If anyone is in Christ the old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence. If nothing has changed then there is nothing different.

Chocolate Cake

You are on a diet and all is going well; you are even losing some weight; you are so proud of yourself. As you think and dream of a date out in the future when you will be buying new clothes of a different size. Then it happens, you didn't plan it and you were for sure not looking for it; but all the same there it was, chocolate cake and what's that, you favorite ice cream; it's called temptation. Now how are you to handle it? Let's look at the first temptation. It is found in the book of Genesis. Let's see if we can learn anything from it.
Genesis 3:6
And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.
As you read that what did you see? Here are some things I saw. This was planned by the enemy for the fall of Eve. Genesis 3:1
Now the serpent was more subtil {cunning, clever}
than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? The serpent questioned Gods Word, watch out for those who will and are putting question marks on what God has already said in His Word. But we are talking about temptation, watch what happens. The first thing is that Eve looked, but that's not where she made her mistake. There are a lot of things that come across our paths on a daily basic which we have no control over and just because we see it does not mean we have made a mistake. But what she does next is where the problem began. She looked long enough, so long that it became pleasant to her eyes, which made her mind think about what had already been said {make one wise} then she took. That's what happens to that chocolate cake and ice cream; you saw it, then you look too long at it and then it became pleasant. Next you find yourself eating not just one serving but two. While in the mean time you have enticed your friend who was also on a diet to have a slice just as Eve did to her husband. Write this down and the next time temptation comes your way it will help you. "There is no challenge before us that is greater than the power behind us!"
You must counteract temptation immediately. You cannot sit back and tolerate temptation for even an instant because tolerating temptation will ultimately result to giving in to it. If you look at the bait long enough you will bite. If you keep a temptation in front of you, you will not build up a resistance to it. Whatever provokes wrong inner desires in your life get away from it!
2Timothy 2:22
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. Temptation must be counteracted. Ignoring temptation will not make it go away. So there is the chocolate cake and Ice cream will you eat it?

 

 

 

What Are You Chasing

Here's a reminder (author unknown) to keep perspective on your pursuits in life…

The story has been told of a banker who was vacationing in a small coastal village. While walking near a pier he observed a small boat with just one fisherman. Inside the boat with the fisherman were several yellow-fin tuna. The businessman complimented the fisherman on the quality of his catch and asked how long it took to catch them. "Only a little while," he replied.

The businessman then asked why he didn't stay out longer and catch more fish. The fisherman said he had enough to support his family's immediate needs. "But what do you do with the rest of your time?" the banker asked. The fisherman responded, "I sleep late, fish a little, play with my children, take a nap in the afternoon, and stroll into the village each evening with my wife where we relax and sing and I play guitar with our friends. I have a full and busy life."

The businessman scoffed, "You should spend more time fishing and with the proceeds, buy a bigger boat and with the proceeds buy a fleet of boats. Instead of selling your fish to a middleman, you could sell directly to a processor. You could eventually open your own cannery. You would control the product, processing and distribution. You could leave this small village and move to a big city where you could run your expanding enterprise."

The fisherman asked, "But how long will this take?" The businessman replied, "15 to 20 years!" "But then what?" asked the puzzled fisherman. The banker laughed and said, "That's the best part. You can sell your business and retire and move to a small coastal fishing village where you could sleep late, fish a little, play with your kids, take afternoon naps, stroll to the village in the evenings with your wife where you could relax, sing and play guitar with your friends. You would have a full and busy life."

The fisherman smiled at the businessman, quietly gathered his catch and walked away.

What are you chasing after in life? How (and with whom) you spend the bulk of your time may reveal much about your priorities. Jesus said, Matthew 6:19
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:

Matthew 6:20
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Matthew 6:21
For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.

What kind of treasures are you building? Are they temporary or will they last forever?

 

Wonder

I was thinking about the word "Wonder" the other day and as I thought about it the thought of the 7- wonders of the world popped into my mind. But for the likes of me I couldn't think of any of them, so I looked them up on my computer and here is what I found.

1. Pyramids of Khufu 46 centuries (and counting) 2. Mausoleum at Halicarnassus 17 centuries

3. Lighthouse of Alexandria 16 centuries 4. Statue of Zeus 9 centuries 5. Temple of Artemis 8 centuries

6. Hanging Gardens of Babylon 1 century 7. Colossus of Rhodes ½ century

Did you notice that all of these so called 7-wonders were made by man? Doesn't man think a lot of himself or what? But here is something I thought very interesting. No one knows today what six of the ancient Seven Wonders looked like. No one knows for certain who created the ancient Seven Wonder list that we accept today as the "official" version. What about these 7-wonders 1-To See 2-To Hear

3-To Touch
4- To Feel 5- To Laugh 6- To Love 7- The greatest wonder of them all is God's amazing love for mankind in sending His only Son Jesus Christ to make us free and give us everlasting life. The most precious things in life cannot be built by hand or bought my man. Psa 77:14
Thou art the God that doest wonders: thou hast declared thy strength among the people.
I read where at least half of the sins of mankind were caused by the fear of boredom. Think about it, you and I are living in a society that is surrounded by the miracles of modern science; yet people are bored! We live in a day where we are faced with population explosion; yet millions of people are slowly dying of the effects of loneliness and boredom. Our world is filled with electronic marvels and still people find no excitement and their life is just plain dull. We look for new toys, but once the novelty has worn off we go back to the same old routine. What we need is something "WONDERFUL" and I know just what we need, it's founded in

Isa 9:6
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful,
{this takes care of the dullness of life}
Counsellor,
{this takes care of the Confusion of life} The mighty God,
{this takes care of the Weakness of life}
The everlasting Father,
{this takes care of the Shortness of life}
The Prince of Peace,{this takes care of who's in charge of my life}

True Wonder Has Depth- It's not a shallow emotion or a passing wave of excitement. Wonder penetrates, it has value, and it isn't cheap amusement. When a person experienced true wonder it enriches and leave us a better person. True wonder will draw the best out of us and put the very best into us.

True Wonder Creates an attitude of Humility- We are overwhelmed and we sense in ourselves the greatness of God and the littleness of man.

Psa 8:3
When
I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;

Psa 8:4
What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?

Psa 8:9 O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! True wonder is what we all need and it can be found in Jesus Christ. Why not stop and think for a moment and ask yourself what is wonderful in my life and be thankful for it today.

The Same Level

It has been fun as well as educational to watch our children and grandchildren grow up; did I say grow up? Sure I did, for that is what I was hoping to see happen over the course of time. I noticed something while they were growing up that because they were healthy children they were never content to stay at the same level. It's wasn't long before they were not content with baby food they wanted some of what we were eating and then they want to feed themselves. Then they were not satisfied with crawling and wanted to walk so they kept working at it until they were taking steps of their own and then they were running. I was glad they grew one step at a time. But that is not always the case with the child of God? I have seen too many just settle down and quit growing and get content where they are. Peter talks about new born babies in Christ 1Peter 2:2 As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: Peter believed that new Christians should have a desire for knowing about what their Bibles had to say. Peter wrote First and Second Peter and as he closes out his writing in Second Peter he say this 2Peter 3:18 But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and forever. Amen.

He warns in the verse before that there is a possibility of being led away "beware lest ye also, being led away with the error of the wicked, fall from your own stedfastness." {Firm position}

We can grow in the knowledge of our Lord and Savior and then be led away by the error of the wicked so that we would chance our firm position. How could this happen? Let me explain it this way. I knew a man who for a long time worked out daily and after a while it was very noticeable, not only in the shape of his body but also in his strength. He could do more, hold out longer for he was watching what he ate and he kept working at his goal. Then one day he just quit, his eating habits began to change his plan went out the window with his goals and before long it showed in his body and his strength. The same thing can and does happen to the Child of God, so what is going to keep it from happening to me or you? Philippians 3:13
Brethren, I count not myself to have apprehended: { I can't consider myself a winner yet} but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, { I don't look back} and reaching forth unto those things which are before,

Philippians 3:14
I press toward the mark {I run straight toward the goal} for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus. Paul never considers himself to have won and kept learning and growing in the knowledge of Jesus Chirist. Maybe you've been coasting at the same spiritual speed for a while; you've been content with mediocrity - with crawling. But you're restless. God has made you restless. He has so much more for you. It's time to get on your knees and say, "Jesus, I'm not content where I am anymore. As that young man said to the older Christian "I want what I see in you" the older Christian said "it's yours for the taking, but it's not free it will cost you, but it will be well worth your time, I assure you." Spend your time with the turkeys if you like but remember you will never sore with the eagles doing that. What's your desire? Have you been led away? If so it's time to get back to where you belong and start walking again. Small compromises lead to great disasters.

 

 

 

A Conscious Decision

CONSCIOUS- Possessing the faculty or power of knowing one's own thoughts or mental operations. Thus, man is a conscious being.

 

DECISION -Determination, considered the circumstances and come to a decision.

 

So a Conscious Decision would be the power of knowing ones on thoughts and considering the circumstances and with determination come to a conclusion.

I remember when I was a child one night I found myself at our front door locked out of the house and didn't know how I got there. Sometime during the night I made a non conscious decision to get out of bed and go; I don't know where! You see I made a decision but it was not a conscious one, had it been, I would not have locked myself outside on the front porch. In September of 1968 I made a conscious decision to go and join the United States Air Force. In January of 1970 I made a conscious decision to get married. In April of 1973 I made a conscious decision to ask the Lord to forgive me of my sins. I have made conscious decisions all my life some were for my best interest and others were not. I made a conscious decision one day to run a stop sign, only to find that a policeman made a conscious decision to write me a ticket. Every day we make conscious decisions some good and some bad, some long term and some short term, but we make them none the less. So when you heard that Jesus was willing to give you a new life what kind of decision did you make? Just the other week a man made a conscious decision to pick up a phone and give me a call. The nature of the call was he was facing an operation in a few hours and he was in great pain. He asked if I would come to where he was and have a word of prayer with him to which I did. See this man had made a conscious decision to quit reading his Bible, praying and going to Church and had gotten comfortable; all was fine until the pain came and the operation was looming over his head. He thought he was not going to make it and he sure didn't want to meet God in his condition so he gave me a call; everything went well. He called me again this week and told me he wanted to meet with me for he was tired of living the way he was living. We all make conscious decisions but may I remind you what the Bible has to say and what happens when making conscious decisions Galatians 6:7
Be not deceived; {make no mistake about this} God is not mocked:{made a fool of}for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. {Whatever you plant you'll harvest!}

Galatians 6:8 For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption {you will harvest destruction}; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting. I am glad that Morning in April of 1973 I made a Conscious Decision to trust Christ, had I not you would not be reading this now, but I am so glad you are and if tonight I lay my head down for the last time; I am not guessing, hoping or thinking I have eternal life! 1John 5:12
He that hath the Son hath life; {I have Him, I have life} and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life.

1John 5:13
These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God. Know What? That sounds like a "Conscious Decision."

 

 

 

 

 

Clean

There are people that look great on the outside and even religious, but they have problems on the inside. Many will hide it; remember they look good on the outside and many will say they are clean, but are they really?

Proverbs 20:9
Who can say, I have made my heart clean, I am pure from my sin?

Proverbs 20:11
Even a child is known by his doings, whether his work be pure, and whether it be right.

What a question "Who can say" It is easy to say "I have made my heart clean" But the word of God warns us about our heart

Jeremiah 17:9
The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?

Our hearts can and will deceive us and cause us to become fools Psalms 14:1
The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good. If you or I were to say I am clean and pure from my sin then we are saying we are smarter and know more than God does. Not only are we told that we can be deceived by our own heart but we are also told that there is none that does good and we are told that more than once Rom 3:10
As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one:

Romans 3:11
There is none that understandeth, there is none that seeketh after God.

Romans 3:12
They are all gone out of the way, they are together become unprofitable; there is none that doeth good, no, not one. Then we hear this Romans 3:23
For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; Now does that say all? Now I must ask myself this question does all mean everyone including me? To which I would have to say "yes." So no matter how much I say I have made my heart clean and that I am pure from my sin Proverbs 20:11 says that I and everyone else will know that I'm not what I say by my actions; and you know I can't help that for I and everyone else will do what's in our heart. So when I think I'm living that sin free life I must remember I am included in that ALL HAVE SINNED AND COME SHORT OF THE GLORY OF GOD verse. Come short is not making the mark, coming short just one inch from the goal line is not a touchdown, coming one inch from the fence is not a home run, hitting a long ball to the edge of the cup is not a hole in one and coming short of asking God to forgive you is still being unforgiven. Short is short and without Jesus in our hearts we are short;' no matter how good we think we are doing. We can make ourselves think all is ok but that's all we're doing thinking and that coming, what? That's right short!

Small Successes

Terry Bradshaw is kind of a legendary quarterback, and he called the '08 Super Bowl the greatest Super Bowl he's ever seen. Why would he say such a thing? In the 2008 Super Bowl the New England Patriots were 18 and 0 and favored to win for the Giants were a 12-point underdog. Tom Coughlin had a secret for his under-rated players' success; it was a small thing but it lead to a great victory. Tom Coughlin took the name off the teams jerseys' and each player checked their egos at the door. Why in the world did he think that would even make a difference? Well Jesus said in Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. And in 1Peter 5:5
Likewise, ye younger, submit yourselves unto the elder. Yea, all of you be subject one to another, and be clothed with humility: for God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble. In a world where it's all about "me", if you're the person who's all about others, you may have more personal influence than anyone else. Think about it. Are you about you winning, or are you about helping them win? Do you care who gets the credit? Is it about how important you are, or making them feel important? That day Jesus was beaten, spit upon, stripped, made fun of, had awful things said to Him and about Him, then nailed to a cross; what did He have to say? Have you ever thought what you would have said had it been you? Here you are innocent and all of a sudden one of your friends comes and give you a kiss and the next thing you know you are being lead away to jail and a kangaroo court in the middle of the night. Then you were found guilty and given the death penalty what would you have to say? I think we would have plenty to say maybe find you a Ken Nugent type lawyer. But that's not at all what Jesus did for He didn't even open His mouth as they led Him to the cross and nailed spikes through His hands and feet. What would you have said? Here is what Jesus said Luke 23:34 Then said Jesus, Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do. And they parted his raiment, and cast lots. Think you would have said something like that? I don't think I would have. Little things lead to great success. Is it really important that everyone knows you did it? Have you ever thought it takes the whole team to win not just one player? Here is what Jesus said Luke 9:23
And he said to them all, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross daily, and follow me. We must remember it's not all about me or you but it is all about Him; it's a daily thing!

 

 

 

 

 

Gratefulness That Shows

I always try to thank those who do something for me or say something kind about something I do. I think it is only right to show how grateful I am to others for the things they do. But others may not see things that way and even in the Bible I find those who for whatever reason are not grateful and so it is in John 11:1
Now a certain man was sick, named Lazarus, of Bethany, the town of Mary and her sister Martha. In the sickness of their brother look what happened. First we see an act of

Desperation John 11:3 Therefore his sisters sent unto him, saying, Lord, behold, he whom thou lovest is sick. We are not told how long Lazarus was dead before word was sent to Jesus but what we do know is that by time the word got to Jesus Lazarus was already dead. John 11:14 Then said Jesus unto them plainly, Lazarus is dead.

Then we see Martha and Mary had different attitudes.

Different Approaches with Different Attitudes Both said the same thing but it was in the way they said it that made the difference. Martha John 11:20 Then Martha, as soon as she heard that Jesus was coming, went and met him: but Mary sat still in the house.

John 11:21 Then said Martha unto Jesus, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died. If you had been here or if you had come sooner this would not have happened. Have you and I ever prayed for a sick love one that gets no better and then dies? Or have we ever been disappointed? Suffered some type of loss? That's what is going on here.

Mary John 11:32 Then when Mary was come where Jesus was, and saw him, she fell down at his feet, {Martha didn't do this} saying unto him, Lord, if thou hadst been here, my brother had not died.
Same words; so what's the difference? Look at the next verse John 11:33
When Jesus therefore saw her weeping, {Martha didn't do this} and the Jews also weeping which came with her, he groaned in the spirit, and was troubled,
Different attitude different action from Jesus John 11:34
And said, Where have ye laid him? They said unto him, Lord, come and see.

John 11:35 Jesus wept. Mary's attitude affected the Jews as well as Jesus. Then we read about Lazarus who was dead.

John 11:40 Jesus saith unto her, Said I not unto thee, that, if thou wouldest believe, thou shouldest see the glory of God?

John 11:41 Then they took away the stone from the place where the dead was laid. And Jesus lifted up his eyes, and said, Father, I thank thee that thou hast heard me.

John 11:42 And I knew that thou hearest me always: but because of the people which stand by I said it, that they may believe that thou hast sent me.

John 11:43 And when he thus had spoken, he cried with a loud voice, Lazarus, come forth.

John 11:44 And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes: and his face was bound about with a napkin. Jesus saith unto them, loose him, and let him go. So what is missing here? No where do we read anyone saying "Thank You Lord for What You have Done." No, not in this Chapter!
But in Chapter 12 you'll find Mary giving thanks in the form of Worship. Lazarus he is sitting at the table, Martha is busy serving and Mary; well look at what Mary is doing. John 12:3 Then took Mary a pound of ointment of spikenard, very costly, and anointed the feet of Jesus, and wiped his feet with her hair: and the house was filled with the odour of the ointment. Mary is thanking the Lord for what He has done. Love can be measured by the sacrifice on behalf of its object. The Lord loved the Church- Ephesians 5:25 ……Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; Worship which costs nothing in the way of Time, Energy, Thought and Money is not worthy of the name. Have you told anyone "thank you" lately? If not do it today and be sure to give thanks unto the Lord for His goodness to you.

 

A Good Man

As I read Proverbs 12 some things jumped out at me; they always do that you know, anyways I just wanted to share them with you this morning.

Pro 12:2
A good man obtaineth favour {delight, pleasure} of the LORD: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn.

Webster- Favor-To regard with kindness; to support; to aid or have the disposition to aid, or to wish success to; to befriend; to encourage.

The word 'favour" caught my attention; who doesn't want the Lord's favor? I want the Lord to show kindness toward me and support and give success as well as to be my friend and to encourage me. A good man obtains favor; so who is a good man?

Five things that Display a Good Man:

#1- In his Steps-Psalms 37:23 The steps of a good man are ordered by the LORD: and he delighteth in his way.

#2- In his Affairs-Psalms 112:5 A
good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.

#3- In his Departure- Proverbs 13:22 A
good man leaveth an inheritance to his children's children: and the wealth of the sinner is laid up for the just. This inheritance may not mean money; have you ever heard anyone say "my Granddaddy or Grandmother always told me….." or I never saw them…they always….I never heard them say…..about anyone, they always paid…..his handshake was as good as……What an inheritance, be thankful for that it is far better than money!

#4- In his Heart & Word-
Luke 6:45
A good man out of the good treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart bringeth forth that which is evil: for of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaketh.

#5- In his Faith-Act 11:24
For he was a good man, and full of the Holy Ghost and of faith: and much people was added unto the Lord.

If I want the favor of the Lord I must pay close attention to the Word of God and listen to the leading of the Holy Spirit as He leads me; listen, listen, listen! Then the Lord will be delighted in my walk and support me in the efforts I put forth for Him. Five things I must desire in my life today.

 

trust

When my children were small I wanted to teach them that they could put trust in me. At different times I would do things. I remember one time putting my oldest son on top of a little out building and asking him to jump. I told him I would catch him but he refused to jump; no matter how much I asked him he just would not jump. Now my daughter was different it didn't matter what I put her on if I told her to jump she would jump and I always caught her. As I was thinking about the times that I wanted my children to trust me I got to thinking about the Lord; He wants me to put trust in Him. He is not going to put me on an out building somewhere and ask me to jump but He does want me to trust Him for that is what we are told to do. Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. There is that word heart again. The Lord wants me to trust in Him with all my heart. Now think about that for a moment; not part or even half but all my heart. I have never given it much thought about my money and my bank. I put my money in the bank and never think anymore about it; would that be trusting with all my heart? I trust the Lord with my salvation

John 10:28
And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand. Now what about everyday life? Do I trust Him? I was in a home not long ago and felt that the Lord wanted me to talk to this man. I put if off and still I felt as if the Lord was telling me to speak with him about his soul. So I asked this man how things were with him and the Lord to which he answer he didn't know how to answer that. So I began to tell him about the day I asked the Lord into my heart. He listened to every word I had to say and never said a word. His wife asked me to have a word of prayer with them before I left ; I did and as I left I said if there is anything I can do please call me. I did as the Lord wanted me to do but didn't understand until last night. I went to a tent meeting and as the preacher preached he said these words, sometime we talk to people and it's at a later time before the Lord works on their heart. We just have to trust in the Lord with all our heart as He instructs us to do His business. Just trust me the Lord is saying I know what I am doing. Psalms 20:7
Some
trust in chariots, and some in horses: but we will remember the name of the LORD our God.

Isaiah 31:1
Woe to them that go down to Egypt for help; and stay on horses, and trust in chariots, because they are many; and in horsemen, because they are very strong; but they look not unto the Holy One of Israel, neither seek the LORD! What do we trust in? Chariots, horses, people, banks, groups, money or are we putting our trust in the Lord?

Light

The word light is mention 272 times in the Bible, as I was thinking about the word light I thought I would look at the first two times it was mentioned in the Old Testament and the first two times in the New Testament and here they are. Genesis 1:3
And God said, Let there be light: and there was light.

Genesis 1:4
And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness.

Matthew 4:16
The people which sat in darkness saw great light; and to them which sat in the region and shadow of death light is sprung up.

Matthew 5:14
Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid.

Did you notice that God said let there be light and did you notice that it separated the darkness. Then in the New Testament we see people sitting in darkness and they saw a great light and in a land overshadowed by death. We live in a world that at times has no hope; if you will listen you will hear talk of what is going to happen if I lose…..or if my…….stops! Too many times we hope in a future that may or may not come. We can sit in darkness or we can walk in the light. I had rather walk in the light. When I was in the military I was stationed in Alaska for a year and a half. I loved the summer months because it was light most of the time, but in the winter it was dark. I had much rather be in the light than in darkness. Jesus said that He was the light of the world John 8:12
Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.

If you're a follower of Jesus Christ, I wonder if you realize how important you are! Think about when you walk into a totally dark room. What's the most important thing in that room? Isn't it the light? Who's the most important person where you work, or you live, or go to school? Isn't it the one who's the light? Jesus said that's you. If the light isn't working - if it's dim - if it goes out, there's only darkness.

You may say, "You don't know how spiritually dark it gets where I am!" And you're right. I don't know all the details. But it probably looks something like this: the talk is dirty or blasphemous or profane, sin is something to laugh at and brag about, people are routinely backstabbed and wounded verbally, honesty and integrity are hard to find - maybe even unappreciated, Christians are stereotyped as being intolerant, old-fashioned, condemning, and irrelevant. Maybe you'd like to add a few more layers of darkness to describe the place where you're trying to be the light. The darker it is, the more the light cannot be missed! The darker the darkness, the more the light shows up! Philppians 2:15

That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among whom ye shine as lights in the world; Don't keep trying to hang out in places where there is already plenty of light; places where you feel safe because they're Christian places. You're needed where it's dark, where the lost people are. You can enjoy believers in heaven forever. Your job now is to get more people to go to heaven with you! You should leave the house every day MAD go Make A
Difference where ever you go. In a place where dirty is cool, don't promote the dirty. In a place where people cut each other up, build people up. In a place where everybody is for themselves, you put others first; in a place where Christ and His followers are made light of, you be the one who always lets them know what Jesus is like! Where light is darkness flees ; so be humble, gentle, loving and kind for you are the light and you should never be turned out! Now go shine.

    
 

Nothing Got in Their Way

We read in Matthew chapter two an all too familiar story of some wise men on their journey. As I reread this chapter I noticed something that I had not seen before and I would like to share with you.

These wise men, after their long journey finally arrived in Jerusalem only to find the atmosphere of that city not one of glad expectation of their coming Messiah and King. They were astonished that the very people who's King they had come to worship were not only unaware of His arrival, but had a spirit of apathy and fear when they asked Matthew 2:2
Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. What should have been the hope of Israel became an annoyance. I want you to get the picture; here these wise men have entered into Jerusalem to what should have been a city bubbling with excitement but instead it was a city of trouble and complacency. Matthew 2:3
When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Matthew 2:4 And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.

Matthew 2:5 And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet,

Matthew 2:6
And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel. What do you think should have happened after hearing the prophecy quoted? I would have thought that somebody would have wanted to go to Bethlehem, but no where do we read of anyone accompanying the wise men to Bethlehem, or joining with them in their worship. Even though no one asked to go with them, these wise men had their minds set on their mission of finding and worshipping Christ; they were determined and nothing was going to hinder them. Are we that determined? You and I can rest assured that the enemy will do his best to hinder us from Worship. We must watch out for Self-esteem and Self-indulgence for they will erect barriers that will hinder us from entering into the state of Worship. The wise men continued on Matthew 2:9
When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.

Matthew 2:10
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.

Matthew 2:11
And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh. It was when they saw the Lord Jesus that they fell down in adoration before Him. It was when they saw Him that they presented unto Him their treasures. We will invest our treasures in that which we strongly believe in. When I looked up the word worship in the Bible here is what I learned! Genesis 22:5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

#1- Abraham was willing to Sacrifice his TREASURE
Genesis 22:2
And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.

#2- Abraham was willing to SEPARATE
himself
Genesis 22:3
And Abraham rose up early in the morning, and saddled his ass, and took two of his young men with him, and Isaac his son, and clave the wood for the burnt offering, and rose up, and went unto the place of which God had told him.

#3- Abraham was showed DETERMINED
Genesis 22:4
Then on the third day Abraham lifted up his eyes, and saw the place afar off.

Genesis 22:5 And Abraham said unto his young men, Abide ye here with the ass; and I and the lad will go yonder and worship, and come again to you.

#4- Abraham showed CONCENTRATION in that he stayed focused
Genesis 22:6
And Abraham took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son; and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of them together.

Genesis 22:9
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.

Genesis 22:10
And Abraham stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.

Abraham let nothing get in his way of Worship.

Strange

Ever seen someone you thought was strange? There was a man who lived 2 doors up from where I was raised and I always thought he was a little strange. In the middle of the day he would say see you boys in the morning good night. I always thought that was strange. Then there was the lady I wrote of earlier that always talked with herself, I thought that was strange. But read this and then ask yourself is this not strange. James 1:2 My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
Do what? "Count it all joy when you fall into divers temptations." I think it is strange that the words "joy" and "temptations" are in the same verse and how in the world can one be joyous when temptations comes? You did notice that the word temptation is plural didn't you? Oh, look here is an area in my life where I am weak and man is it going to make me joyous. How? Shouldn't we try to stay away from temptations? Maybe not! Let me explain; when I was in school the teacher would give me test and this test always showed me as well as the teacher where or how far along I was. In like manner the Lord allows temptation to come our way so we can see how far we have come. I have a close friend who has quit smoking and today is his twelfth day of being smoke free. Now do you think he has had any temptation to light one up? You better know he has and for twelve days in a row he has not given in to that temptation. For twelve days now he has passed the test that has been set before him. In like manner you and I are tempted in areas of our lives; for they are going to come James 1:14
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. So each and every one of us is tempted by our own desires and then they lure us away and before we know it we are entrapped. There is no joy in entrapment there is no joy in being drawn away; so where does this joy come from?

James 1:3
Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

James 1:4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. Here is something we need to know; our faith is going to be tried and faith that is not tried is not faith. When the temptation comes we are not to let it lure us away for if it does we will fail, but in this temptation we are to have patience and let patience have her perfect work. Did you see the last part of that verse "wanting nothing?" The more we give in the more we want; when lust comes then desire comes and then we are entrapped and we failed the test. We then will have to work on that lust and desire again until we pass the test. Tomorrow my friend will be tempted, he will have a desire to smoke and only with God's help can he overcome that temptation. My temptation will not be a smoking test and you may not have that temptation either but the temptation or temptations will come; how will you do? How will you do this weekend? Are you trying to pass or are you being lured like a big bass chasing that rubber worm thinking it will bring him happiness only to find it has brought him entrapment. If you don't work at passing the test you will fail and never have the patience you need.

Gratitude Verses Attitude

Gratitude will change your Attitude. The word Gratitude means an emotion of the heart, excited by a favor or benefit received; a sentiment of kindness or good will towards a benefactor; thankfulness.

We all have storms come through our lives and we must never allow our storms to rain on others parades. I read a story not long ago that told of a man by the name of Jack having a bad day. He had a flat tire on the way to work that cost him an hour of work. Then his electric saw quit, and then his pickup truck refused to start. Another man by the name of Ed asked if he could take him home, to which he was told he could. As Ed was driving him home he noticed that Jack just sat there in a stony silence. When they arrived at his home he was asked if he would like to come in and meet his family. As they walked toward the front door, Jack paused at a small tree, touching tips of the branches with both hands. When he opened the door, Jack underwent an amazing transformation. His face lit up with a smile as he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss. As Jack walked Ed back to his car they went back by that tree, Ed stopped and asked Jack about what he had seen earlier. Jack said "Oh, that's my trouble tree." I know I can't keep from having troubles but there is one thing for sure, those troubles don't belong in that house with my wife and children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home. Then in the morning I pick them up again. But you know when I come out in the morning to pick them up, there are not nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before. That's what we all need a trouble tree like Jack had so our attitude could change before our troubles rubbed off on others. We could also have a Glad List or a Gratitude List it too will change our attitude. It would be easy to make one; here are a few things I am glad for. #1- I'm glad I have a home to come to each night.

#2- I'm glad I have a loving wife I get to spend time with. #3- I'm glad I have 3 wonderful children that love me. #4- I'm glad I have grandchildren that love me. #5 - I'm glad I have a dog that loves to see me coming. If you stop and think about it we have more to rejoice over than the troubles that come our way.

Proverbs 3:1
My son, forget not my law; but let thine heart keep my commandments:

Proverbs 3:2
For length of days, and long life, and peace, shall they add to thee.

Proverbs 3:3
Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:

Proverbs 3:4
So shalt thou find favour and good understanding in the sight of God and man.

Proverbs 3:5
Trust in the LORD with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding.

Proverbs 3:6
In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths.

Proverbs 3:7
Be not wise in thine own eyes: fear the LORD, and depart from evil.

Proverbs 3:8
It shall be health to thy navel, and marrow to thy bones.

Proverbs 3:9
Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the first fruits of all thine increase:

Proverbs 3:10
So shall thy barns be filled with plenty, and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.

Now that I'm in the Family of God I should not forget God's law; by putting them in my heart for good keepings. As David said long ago Psalms 119:11
Thy word have I hid in mine heart, that I might not sin against thee. The promise is that my life will be longer and peace will be added to me. I must be careful for there is a possibility that I could allow His mercy and truth to forsake me. In order for that not to happen I must tie God's word in my heart and then I will find favor and good understanding with God and also with man. By doing this I will be able to trust in the Lord and not my own understanding. I will acknowledge the Lord and He will direct my paths so that I will not become wise in my own eyes. Therefore I will depart from evil and will honor the Lord with my substance and all my increase. Because I am no longer depending on myself but the Lord, my barns will have plenty and I will have more joy than I thought possible.

Life Ends Too Soon

He was the sixth of nine children and he grew up in a country house just above the west bank of the Connecticut River. His father would die when he was nine and at 14 his mother would die also. From ages 15-19 he would live with his sister who had just married. At the age of 20 he would return and study under the leadership of the pastor of his youth and became a serious student of the Bible and ignore the other pleasures that most young people were participating in. On July 12, 1739 David had glorious salvation experience. In September of 1739, David entered Yale University. It was terribly cold winter and then he had a bout with the measles and they laid him aside that first year. By August of 1740, he was weak and spitting up blood. Consumption or tuberculosis of the lungs was the plague of colonial New England. He returned to Yale about November 6, 1740. At age 23 David Vowed to be wholly the Lord's to be forever devoted to his service. In July 29, 1742 David Brainerd was licensed to preach and in March 25, 1743 he left for his life's work to work in Stockbridge, Massachusetts with the Delaware and Susquehanna tribes of Indians. Before his life was over he would ride 15,000 miles on horseback spend many lonely hours and be tired and sick. His last days were spent with swollen feet, constant pain, and discharge of purulent matter, broken whispers and agonies of body. On Wednesday October 7, 1747 he discussed his Indian work with his brother John, who succeeded him and on Friday October 9 at the age of 29 it was all over. His last words were "He will come, and will not tarry. I shall soon be in glory; soon be with God and His angels." Sounds like a life that ended too soon, but may I remind you that life always ends too soon. That is why it is wise to use today to the fullest and be careful what and how we deal with the day that follows Proverbs 27:1 Boast not thyself of to morrow; for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth. One day it will be our last and the only thing that will last is what we have done for Christ. The wise man built his house upon the Rock. The 5 wise virgins had oil in their lamps. Two of three doubled their talents. The foolish man built his house on the sand. The 5 foolish virgins had no oil. The one that failed to double his talent was taken away from him. We have only one life what are we doing or what are we going to do? The end will come all too sudden and if all we have are earthly treasures they are not going with us. Proverbs 10:2
Treasures of wickedness profit nothing: but righteousness delivereth from death.

Matthew 6:19
Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
But the good news is Matthew 6:20
But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:

Colossians 2:3 In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.

Hebrews 11:26
Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures in Egypt: for he had respect unto the recompence of the reward. So make today the best day and let your charter shine.

They Missed Him

I used to play soft ball and loved it; I played third base and not much got by me, but that was before glasses. A few years ago I was visiting one of my close friends in Indiana when he told me they had a softball game and asked if I would like to come and watch. I said yes and off we went. When we got there they were short a player and he asked if I would play. I said yes, he asked what position I played and I told him third base; so to third base I went. It was not long before the ball was coming my way, I could hear it whistling across the ground toward me. It was then I realized I had no business out there. I made it through that inning and then it was my time to bat, and this is where I shined; I wonder if I would hit a home run or maybe a triple if not a double for sure. But that day I did something I had never done in softball, I struck out. I couldn't believe it! I missed that big ball three times and was out. I learned something very important that day; my ball career was over and to this day I have only played two or three more times. Like I said it was before I wore glasses not just glasses but bifocals and that changes the whole outlook. As I tell you that I am reminded of some others that missed something. No! It wasn't softball, it was much more important than any ball game could ever be. It was when the Lord Jesus came into this world. Jesus came into the world with so many identification tags on Him that it seems no one could miss recognizing Him as the promised Messiah. His coming had been foretold in hundreds of prophecies. The theologians of that day should have immediately recognized Him. His coming was the theme of all the Old Testament prophecies and Scriptures. The prophets had foretold the tribe from which He would come, the line of His genealogy, the place where He would be born in Bethlehem, even prophesied His virgin birth. Yet, when He came, they missed Him entirely. We too are living in a day such as that, signs of His return are all around us just as the Bible tells us.
Luke 17:26- And as it was in the days of Noah, so shall it be also in the days of the Son of man.

Luke 17:27- They did eat, they drank, they married wives, they were given in marriage, until the day that Noah entered into the ark, and the flood came, and destroyed them all.

Just as it was in the days of Noah! They ate; so do we. When I was a kid we didn't go out and eat very much. Things are very different now. They married wives; the divorce was very high just as it is today. Three out of five marriages end up in divorce; that is more than half. We see the signs and just like those in the past many will miss it. That is so sad for we have had so many opportunities and when He comes make sure you are not one of the ones who miss Him. I hope to meet you in the air.

 

Minimize

In the Bible we find the phrase "Be of Good Cheer" 7 times. We need to see more people with Good Cheer for too many are sad when they need to be glad. You may say that you don't have anything to be cheerful about. But I would have you think in the other direction; we have much to be Cheerful about. Here are just a few examples; we have a wonderful book called the Bible to be Cheerful about. We have a salvation to be cheerful about, a mate to be cheerful about, could you be cheerful about your job? If you are not then quit for others are waiting in line to get one; someone would love to have yours. But then the negative comes which says how do I really know the Bible is a book to be cheerful about for I haven't tried another. How can I be cheerful about my salvation when I am having all kind of problems going on in my life? How can I be cheerful about my mate I haven't tried another. Here is where you have to be careful because the enemy wants to minimize what you have and maximize what you don't have. Billboards are put in places along the highway to get your attention to show you what you need or what will make your life much better if only you would pay the cost. Many people then go for what they think will make them cheerful only to find out that because of the time and money, they find that the cheerfulness promised them, has not came at all, instead of cheerfulness it becomes sadness of the heart. That's what temptation is, it's like the billboard on the highway but it's placed in our minds to show us what we are missing. So our enemy comes with temptations and temptations are not sin no more than a billboard can charge you money by just being on the side of the road. It becomes sin when we allow it to take over.
James 1:12
Blessed {Happy} is the man that endureth {take patiently} temptation: for when he is tried, he shall receive the crown of life, which the Lord hath promised to them that love him.

James 1:13
Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man:

James 1:14
But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.
{entrapped}

James 1:15
Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

James 1:15
Do not err, my beloved brethren. The billboard called temptation comes to our weak area and then we are entrapped by our own lust and then our lust captures us then we fall into our temptation. But it all started with that billboard which minimized what we already had so it could maximize what we don't have. Thinking this will bring us cheerfulness we indulge only to find that it doesn't bring cheerfulness at all. So today learn what Paul learned long ago Phillippians 4:11
Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content. May I say today be content and when the temptation comes you will be able to be cheerful in what you already have.