Oxymoron

Ecclesiastes 3:8 A time to love, and a time to hate; There is a time to demonstrate love but there is a time to hate. Without doubt God is a God of Love and wants His children to express love; but to read that verse it seems to be an oxymoron. What is an oxymoron? A combination of words as cruel kindness or love hate; let’s see how we are to love and hate.

Matthew 5:43 Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy.

Matthew 5:44 But I (Jesus)say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you;

Matthew 5:45 That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.

Matthew 5:46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same?

Matthew 5:47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so?

Matthew 5:48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect Jesus never said hate anyone but quite the contrast. He said Love your Enemies, do good to them that hate you, pray for them that use you and persecute you.

But we are told that there is a time to hate?

Proverbs 6:16 These six things(not people) doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:


Proverbs 6:17 A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,

Proverbs 6:18 An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,

Proverbs 6:19 A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.

God’s children are to conformed to the image of God’s dear Son Jesus Christ.

Romans 8:29 For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.

Psalms 97:10 Ye that love the LORD, hate evil: he preserveth the souls of his saints; he delivereth them out of the hand of the wicked.

Proverbs 8:13 The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

We are to love others the way God loved us

1John 4:19 We love him, because he first loved us God showed and expressed His love for you and I even when we were dead in our sin and trespasses

Ephesians 2:1 And you hath he quickened, who were dead in trespasses and sins;

Romans 5:6 For when we were yet without strength, in due time Christ died for the ungodly.

So I can come to the agreement that God loves us but He hates the sin that so desperately keeps us from Him. We are to do the same; it’s not the drunk we should hate, it’s the alcohol we should hate. In the case of adultery which party are we to hate? Neither; it’s those things that we allow to come into our mind that we should hate; the grass is not greener on the other side as our enemy would have us believe.

Principal # 1-If God’s against it so am I. God’s against sowing “Discord” On your Phone, in your Home and all alone…God’s against it and so should you and I be. Be careful what you say for you will give an account….wonder if that stands for what you write also???

Matthew 12:36 But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.

Be careful what you say and don’t let the sun set on your anger for you are only giving the devil a place; and you don’t want to do that do you?

Ephesians 4:26 Be ye angry, and sin not: let not the sun go down upon your wrath:

Ephesians 4:27 Neither give place to the devil.

Time

Remember last week when we discussed how many seconds God gives each of us every morning? God who loves us very much, deposits 86,400 seconds which represent 1,440 minutes which equals 24-hours which equals time; what Is Time? Time is a duration, a measurable period, in which things happen. Why Is Time So Important? Time is completely irretrievable! You can never repeat it or relive it; no instant replay therefore we must use it wisely. When Will Time End? Revelation 10:6 And sware by him that liveth for ever and ever, who created heaven, and the things that therein are, and the earth, and the things that therein are, and the sea, and the things which are therein, that there should be time no longer: Some say this is no more time as you and I know it "Sun Rise Sun Set"; others take it to mean “No More Time.” Either way we need to invest our time wisely and find ways to enjoy it while it’s ours to claim.

Solomon says this about time

Ecclesiastes 3:1-8 In those 8-verses there are 14 so called groups of time. Let’s look at a few.

Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die; A time we have no control over either one of those days. There was a time we were all born and there will be a time for us to die and we do not have say about either.

Ecclesiastes 3:2 a time to pluck up that which is planted; We don’t plant or harvest when we feel like it for there is a time to do both.

Ecclesiastes 3:8 A time to love, and a time to hate; There is a time to demonstrate love but there is a time to hate. Without doubt God is a God of Love and wants His children to express love; but to read that verse it seems to be an oxymoron. On tomorrow I will explain. Have a good week and don’t let your time slip away from you.

Everything

1Thessalonians 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

In everything! Surely not; how can I give thanks when I don’t have a job and the pay days have stopped, when I don’t feel good, when my body has aches and pain, when I have made more mistakes than I can count. We are also to give thanks for food and raiment, and all the mercies of life. The word “everything” means all that exists. Do you remember a man by the name of Job? One day all is well and the next morning it all begins to fall apart and he loses almost everything that he had. His wife encourages him to curse God and die; I love what Job tells her Job 2:10 But he said unto her, Thou speakest as one of the foolish women speaketh. What? shall we receive good at the hand of God, and shall we not receive evil? In all this did not Job sin with his lips. Did you see it? We act foolish if we only are thankful for the good things that come into our life. It is easy to praise God for a check in the mail for $10,000.00, for good health. But when the misfortune comes and we get the bad news it is not so easy to find the same kind of praise, but God said in everything (all that exists) our good fortunes as well as our misfortunes. How can we give thanks when disappointment reigns? Wouldn't it be hypocritical to give thanks when you don't feel like it or see any reason to? It's hard for all we can see is the present pain, the present disappointment, the present defeat, the present disaster. We forget that with God, it's not the end of the story. The month of November is the month of falling leaves, shorter days, but it’s also a month of Thanksgiving. My wife broke her leg 2 ½ weeks ago and everyday she get on face book and tell something she is thankful for. She is confined to a bed and recliner the only time she gets up is to go the bathroom and then it’s with much difficulty as she hops along on her walker; and not one time have I heard her complain. Ladies and Gentleman we have so much to be thankful for. So please don’t let the 20% that may be going wrong in your life our shine the 80% that’s not. Enjoy your family, the food and the friendships this Thanksgiving Day and express to those around you how Thankful you really are. I am very thankful for you who take the time to read my emails and blogs each day and the encouraging words you send from time to time. My prayer for each of you is to have a wonderful day and enjoy the long weekend and I’ll write some more on Monday. God Bless each of you.

Let's Pretend

It looks like I forgot to post yester day so to understand to day's blog read this first. Sorry!

Merriam Webster gives the meaning of the word Pretend as to give a false appearance of being, to make believe. When I was a young boy we would go to the movies on a given Saturday afternoon. I can remember we would return home and then we would act out what we had seen earlier. I might be Jesse James on the run from the law with the posse right on my heels. Finally we would have the show down with a gun fight on the street of make believe where I would draw my six shooter cap gun and I would fall to the ground as I pretended I was dead. We would play for hours and back then the good guys always would be the ones that came out the winners. So let’s pretend; are you ready? Use your imagination and don’t try to figure out where or what; just imagine, ready? Let’s go.

The bank where you have your account calls and tells you that an anonymous donor who loves you very much has decided to deposit 86,400 pennies into your account each morning, starting the first of the month. That’s $864 dollars a day, seven days a week, and fifty two weeks a year. There is only one stipulation; you must spend all the money that same day. No balance will be carried over to the next day. Each evening the bank must cancel whatever sum you failed to use. Alright now we’re talking you grab a pen and a list is made. First question how much in a week will I have to spend? Little over $6000 now times 52 weeks; alright that is almost $315,000 a year and all I have to do is spend it. I think I might be able to do this. Remember, whatever is left we lose; no saving it to a later date! It is gone forever without a chance to get it back. You say if this were only true? It is just pretend! I am excited about tomorrow for we will get serious and get ready for this week of Thanksgiving for we have much to be thankful for. Don't forget that number 86,400.

Let’s get Serious

You haven’t forgotten the number have you? It was 86,400 and we were pretending yesterday but today I want to get serious. You see on yesterday it was pennies but today it’s not pennies but seconds. You see every morning God; who loves us very much, deposits 86,400 seconds which represent 1,440 minutes which equal 24-hours. Now remember the same stipulation applies, because God gives you and I this amount of time for you and I to use each day. Nothing is ever carried over or credited to the next day. Someone has said “life is like a coin you can spend it any way you want to, but you can spend it only once.” One of the most fascinating as well as frustrating of all subjects is this four letter word time. We all have the same amount of time each day; it matters not whether we are penniless or whether we happen to be the richest person on earth. Whether we are young or old, single or married, employed or without a job, adolescent or the President of the United States we all have exactly the same amount of time. The word “time” is mentioned 620 times in our Bible. Solomon says this about time

Ecclesiastes 3:1 To everything there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:

Ecclesiastes 3:2 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;

Ecclesiastes 3:3 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;

Ecclesiastes 3:4 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;

There was a time we were all born and that was an important day not only in our lives but also the lives of others. I remember the day all my children were born; it’s funny what you remember the day of the week, the weather, the time and the excitement that was in our hearts. The time to die is not so exciting; or is it? For the Child of God it’s a day not to be feared and when that day comes our heavenly Father will without doubt give us peace. I have been by the bedside of many that have crossed over. There were those that had asked the Lord to forgive them and crossed joyfully but of those who didn’t there was fear in their eyes. Don’t know how much time we have left but we must make sure we don’t waste it for it can never be recalled. Make sure there is a time to come before a loving God and ask Him to forgive you of your sins. He is willing and wanting and waiting for that time you do. The day of death will be exciting for those who have gone on to their heavenly reward for they will be cheering them on

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses,….



There is a Way that Seems Right

We (I didn’t) looked at it, but I was the one who made the decision.
As we traveled home from Rockford, Illinois, after the funeral of Steve Currington, the map was looked at by our travel navigators, two women in our company. They both agreed that the new way we were to travel looked as if it would be shorter. We were 800 miles away from home and it had taken us about 14 hours to make the trip. All looked good and the GPS said that we would be home around 3AM the next morning. When it came time to change interstates, I asked which way we were going. Were we to take the way we came or the new route? They all agreed that I should make the decision. Quickly I thought, who was I to argue with those who had taken the time to navigate, and went the new route. After over 500 miles, we decided to stop. It was midnight and we were all worn out and still 8 hours from home. What happened? It is true that I made the final decision. The problem was that I listened to the wrong voices. I believed they knew best, but in reality it was looking at the map that deceived them, and I followed popular opinion. After choosing the short cut, we turned a 800 mile trip into over 1000 miles.

Proverbs 16:25  There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death.  (Or over 200 miles difference)

Really, with all joking aside, will it matter what or who we believe as far as eternity is concerned? Some say Jesus and others say someone else. Can we really know for sure? Let me ask you this question; do you have a Bible which starts with the book of Genesis and ends with the book of Revelation? If you answered yes to this question, then why? Could it be that you believe that a man named Jesus was born, lived and died on a cross? Could it be you are searching for answers? May I tell you that you are on the right track? When the time comes to change eternally states, like it did for me on the interstate, be sure you are not on the route to hell but on the route to heaven. You have the road map to heaven, the Bible, in your possession and in that Bible it tells you about Jesus who made the following statement:

John 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.   Notice what Jesus said; He was the way! He didn’t say He was a way or even a good way. He used a definite article “the” which means only. Jesus is the only way! If that is true, and it is, then for me or anyone else to be on the highway to heaven, we must know who Jesus is. He is more than a name in the Bible. He is a person that we must know, a truth we must put our trust in to have a life that is real and take us to the Father. Without Jesus there is no hope of Heaven!

Ephesians 2:2  Wherein in time past ye walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience:

Ephesians 2:3  Among whom also we all had our conversation in times past in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind; and were by nature the children of wrath, even as others.
Ephesians 2:5  Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;)

Have a great week end and please pray for my wife she is still in much pain.

Is It Well?

Horatio Spafford was a wealthy Chicago lawyer with a thriving legal practice, a beautiful home, a wife, four daughters and a son. He was also a devout Christian and faithful student of the Scriptures. His circle of friends included Dwight L. Moody, Ira Sankey and various other well-known Christians of the day.

At the very height of his financial and professional success, Horatio and his wife Anna suffered the tragic loss of their only child, their son. Shortly thereafter on October 8, 1871, the Great Chicago Fire destroyed almost every real estate investment that Spafford had.

In 1873, Spafford scheduled a boat trip to Europe in order to give his wife and daughters a much needed vacation and time to recover from the tragedy. He also was going to join Moody and Sankey on an evangelistic campaign in England. But due to some unexpected last business plans, he had to send his wife and daughters ahead of him while he remained in Chicago to take care of this. While his wife and 4 daughters were on the SS Ville du Havre, an iron sailing vessel collided with them, sinking it. 226 people were killed, including Spafford’s 4 daughters. His wife managed to survive the wreck however, and when she reached Europe, she sent a telegram to Horatio saying “Saved alone. What shall I do?”

Immediately, Spafford boarded a boat that would take him to his grieving Anna in England. While he was on the boat on the way over to Europe, the captain of the ship told Horatio that they were approaching the spot where the wreck took place and where his daughters were killed. It was at this spot where Horatio penned those now famous words, “It is Well With my Soul.”

The Spaffords went on to live in Jerusalem and minister to many families there. In

2 Kings 4, we see a similar story. The Shunammite woman had just had a son. One day he was out with his father in the field working, and he fell. He said unto his father, My head, my head. His father commanded that he be taken to his mother. When he was with his mother, she held him until noon, and then he died.
(2 Kings 4:18-20).

The Shunammite woman laid the boy on the man of God’s bed, and went to go find Elisha. On her way out, she was met by her husband, And he said, Wherefore wilt thou go to him to day? it is neither new moon, nor sabbath. And she said, It shall be well.

(2 Kings 4:23). What faith this mother had. I cannot even fathom having my own son die in my arms, and she has the faith to tell her husband, it shall be well.

Elisha saw her coming to him from a far off and sent his servant to go and meet her. He said,
2Kings 4:26 Run now, I pray thee, to meet her, and say unto her, Is it well with thee? is it well with thy husband? is it well with the child? And she answered, The woman simply responded with... It is well.

Here we see this incredible faith put into action. Her son had just died, and when she is asked by Elisha’s servant if everything is well, she is able to answer... It is well. I wonder if we are able to say “It is well” with everything that goes on in our lives... When the finances are tight? When we lose a loved one? When we mess up in our lives? Are you able to say “It is well?” Take this as a challenge this week and strive to have the faith that the Shunammite woman had and no matter how tough things may get, remember that God is still in control...and It is well!

The Giants in the land

Are there giants in your life? Are there problems that seem too big to tackle? Let’s look at a bible story to see how they dealt with the giants in the land.

2Samuel 21:15 Moreover the Philistines had yet war again with Israel; and David went down, and his servants with him, and fought against the Philistines: and David waxed faint.

2Samuel 21:16 And Ishbibenob, which was of the sons of the giant, the weight of whose spear weighed three hundred shekels of brass in weight, he being girded with a new sword, thought to have slain David.


2Samuel 21:17 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah succoured him, and smote the Philistine, and killed him. Then the men of David sware unto him, saying, Thou shalt go no more out with us to battle, that thou quench not the light of Israel.

2Samuel 21:18 And it came to pass after this, that there was again a battle with the Philistines at Gob: then Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Saph, which was of the sons of the giant.

2Samuel 21:19 And there was again a battle in Gob with the Philistines, where Elhanan the son of Jaareoregim, a Bethlehemite, slew the brother of Goliath the Gittite, the staff of whose spear was like a weaver's beam.

2Samuel 21:20 And there was yet a battle in Gath, where was a man of great stature, that had on every hand six fingers, and on every foot six toes, four and twenty in number; and he also was born to the giant.

2Samuel 21:21 And when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea the brother of David slew him.

2Samuel 21:22 These four were born to the giant in Gath, and fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.

Pretty interesting story, what is happening is the children of Israel are going to war with the Philistines, but there is a problem there are giants in the Land, but not only one but four. David was the giant killer, he had taken on Goliath when he was just a young man, now he was much older and he was tired from battle. But instead of giving up, his men took charge and took out the giants; all four of them, the interesting thing about this is that these men were not the mighty men of Israel or even the elite they were just every day people that had the courage to stand up.

That is the same way you will defeat the giant problems in your life by just having the courage to stand up and just trust God. So next time you have a problem in your life that seems too big to handle just trust God and have the courage to face it head on.

Same Trap

How come I fall into the same trap over and over and can never seem to get victory over certain strongholds in my life? I’m a “repeat offender” when it comes to certain sins. No matter how determined I am it seems like what gets me in trouble are the same things over and over again.

Abraham was no different. During his trip to Egypt he told his wife:

Genesis 12:12 Therefore it shall come to pass, when the Egyptians shall see thee, that they shall say, This is his wife: and they will kill me, but they will save thee alive.
Genesis 12:13 Say, I pray thee, thou art my sister: that it may be well with me for thy sake; and my soul shall live because of thee.

Instead of having faith and trusting that God would protect him, he decided to take matters into his own hands and lie about his wife. As the story continues, Pharaoh decides to take Sarah to wife resulting in God bringing plagues upon the house of Pharaoh. When Pharaoh realizes what is taking place he gives Sarah back to Abraham and they rerun home.

Eight chapters later we see Abraham falling in the same trap and becoming a “repeat offender.”

Genesis 20:1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.
Genesis 20:2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

The same sin Abraham was guilty of committing in Egypt he now was committing in Gerar. Though Abraham was a great man of God, he also had his weaknesses and was a “repeat offender.”

There are three reasons why I believe Abraham was a “repeat offender” and those are some of the reasons we have difficulty with strongholds in our lives.

1. He drifted from where God wanted him to be
God called Abraham to the land of Canaan. This is where God wanted him to be but as a result of troubles and circumstances he decided to drift away from where God had placed him. Abraham drifted from a physical location but we drift from a spiritual location. God wants us to be close to him where he can commune with us but it’s when we drift away from him that we are vulnerable to give into our strongholds.

2. He put himself in a bad situation
There were no positive influences in Egypt and Gerar, only negative ones. When we willingly put ourselves in situations where temptation is great we are more likely to give into the stronghold in our lives.

3. His focus and concern was on himself
It’s obvious that Abraham was looking out for his wellbeing and pleasure rather than God’s or anyone else's. When we look to please ourselves instead of the Lord and others we are more likely to give into the strongholds in our lives.

Struggles & Obstacles

Bill Broadhurst entered a 10K race in Omaha, Nebraska. When he was younger, he suffered an aneurysm in the right side of his brain. It resulted in a partial paralysis on the left side of his body. Nonetheless, he was determined not only to enter but to finish the race because his hero, Bill Rogers (a world-class marathoner), would be in that race. Rogers won the race, finishing in twenty-nine minutes. It took Broadhurst two and half hours. He was teased by children, became numb, experienced great pain, had to avoid cars (after they opened the race course up to traffic when they thought everyone had finished), and fought the desire to quit most of the way.

As the sun began to sink in the western Nebraska sky, Broadhurst could barely see the finish line. Approaching the end of the race, consuming the last fumes in his tank, Broadhurst saw Rogers suddenly step out of a darkened alley and welcome him, the partially paralyzed runner, as he stumbled across the line.

Rogers embraced him. Then he took the gold medal from around his own neck and placed it over Broadhurst's head, saying, "Broadhurst, you're the winner. Take the gold." (Knute Larson, The Great Human Race (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1987)

The Christian life is like the race that Bill Broadhurst ran that day...a constant struggle of the will, obstacles to overcome, the jeer of the world ringing in our ears and sometimes, even personal suffering to endure. One may wonder, was the "weight of failure" or the "thought of finishing" the driving force behind Broadhurst's push to the finish? Did he not want to be perceived as a failure, or did he just want the satisfaction of doing something great in his life be his reason for "staying after" it? I think perhaps a little of both. If we are going to finish the race of the Christian life (key word being "finished") then we must have similar thoughts. Look at what the Scriptures tell us in

Hebrews 12:1 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Hebrews 12:2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.


One thing that we have that Broadhurst didn't have that day, was the fact that we KNOW there is One waiting for us at our finishing line. Jesus Christ not only runs along with us in our race of life, cheering and encouraging and refreshing, He also will meet us with an unparalleled welcome! Bill Broadhurst wanted to quit many times during the race, like we often do. According to our verse, we must lay aside the weight, the sin, which drags us down...but that is not enough. One can't finish the race just because he removes obstacles and strongholds out of their lives. They must keep running (...let us run with patience…), HOWEVER, we must know the Direction in which we're running. One can run, but if they don't know where the finish line is, it doesn't matter how fast, how far or how long they can run, they'll never reach the finish line.

O Christian, may I challenge you today. Know the Finish Line to which you're running! His name is Jesus, He is the author and finisher of our faith! He'll place upon our head, not a gold medal of accomplishment, but a crown of righteousness!

2Timothy 4:8 Henceforth there is laid up for me a crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, shall give me at that day: and not to me only, but unto all them also that love his appearing.


Have a great week remembering you are a child of the King.

Anger

Do you remember what we learned from yesterday? How King Asa had won a great victory after his plea to the LORD? It does make a difference when we rely upon the LORD. Here is another lesson from the life of King Asa. After the battle was won against the Ethiopians, things were great, but years later, Israel went against Judah. King Baasha of Israel went up against the sister nation of Judah and built Ramah, a strategic city that would keep people from going in or coming out of Judah. With this, Asa did not go and cry to the LORD like he did when the Ethiopians went against him. No, he sent gifts of gold and such to the King of Syria, relying on the friendship there to win against Israel. It worked. The King of Syria, after receiving the gifts, responded to Asa’s plea and fought against Israel. But after the victory, a prophet, or “seer” named Hanani came with a message from the LORD to King Asa. What the seer told the King was this, that the King relied on Syria instead of the LORD, which displeased the LORD, therefore, because this was done, the rest of Asa’s reign there would be full of wars. In this rebuke, we find a principle that answers our original question.


(what difference it makes whether we do things in our own strength)

Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.

God is looking to show Himself strong in the lives of people that will bring Him the glory! That is a wonderful thought. It not only makes a difference whether we go to the LORD on issues in our lives; it makes THE DIFFERENCE!!! God is looking, searching throughout the earth to show Himself strong in the behalf of those who have hearts perfect toward Him, to those who seek Him for victories in their lives!

There is another lesson to be learned from Asa. After the seer was finished pronouncing God’s judgement, King Asa was very angry and put the seer in prison and oppressed some of the people. His heart became hard and cold because of the rebuking message of the seer. When we fail to seek our LORD of RIGHTEOUSNESS and when we don’t like the result, we can either get hard hearted and become cold; or we can repent and go back to our loving Heavenly Father!

In all this, we learn that God makes the difference. We must realize this, humble ourselves, and come with Asa’s plea...

2Chronicles 14:11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.

Have a great weekend and we will talk again on Monday!

Hard Lesson

Have you ever wondered what difference it makes whether we do things in our own strength, or whether we have total reliance on the LORD? Does it really make a difference? With our mouths we say, “yes”, but with our actions, do we say “yes”? There was a man years ago who learned hard lessons on this very subject. His name was Asa, and he was the King of Judah (the southern Kingdom of the Hebrew people). We can learn much from Asa.


King Asa had several victories, because of his reliance on the LORD. The LORD proved himself strong through bringing victories to King Asa and Judah that they just should not have won. The Ethiopians out numbered Judah. They came against Judah with 1 million soldiers! They were going against Asa’s 580,000 soldiers. So there were almost twice as many Ethiopian soldiers as there were soldiers of Judah. King Asa went and cried to the LORD with this wonderful plea,

2Chronicles 14:11 And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let not man prevail against thee.

2Chronicles 14:12 So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled.

With this plea, the LORD smote the Ethiopians, and Judah won a battle that they should not have ever won. This proves that no amount of skill, talent, or numbers can take the place of having the LORD of Heaven and Earth on your side!

I Apologize

I apologize for not being able to write my blog. My wife has broken her leg she had surgery on yesterday (11/8) and is still in the hospital. She is experiencing very much pain and I am taken care of her, we ask for your prayers at this time. I will return to writing my blog as soon as possible.

Thank you so much for your prayers and patience

The Unthinkable

Have you ever had a plan that you thought would work even when others said it couldn’t? There was a person in the 1930’s who worked for several direct sales companies until the 1960’s. They achieved considerable success. They climbed the corporate ladder and even found themselves on the board of directors. But life wasn’t rosy at the top their title and track record was not taken seriously by their peers. Their suggestions were ignored, dismissed and at times ridiculed. Finally in frustration they retired in 1963. Now what? Why not, write a book. Sitting down at the kitchen table two lists were made; one list was all the good things they had seen in the companies where they had worked. The other list held all the things that could be improved. They thought this would make a great business plan. The accountant didn’t think so neither did their attorney. But a product was developed promotional materials written and a sales force trained. Then their mate of 21 years who had been very supportive of the idea dies of a heart attack. The plans were not dropped or delayed the new business opened its door in September of 1963 with an investment of $5000.00 Dollars and earned close to $200,000 in that first year. When Mary Kay took her company public in 1968, sales had climbed to more than $10 million.

Why tell you all that? I have seen too many that think life is over and they are worthless and they feel as if they will never make a difference. There was a man in the Bible that spent most of his Christian life behind bars. We read where he was beaten almost to death. At the end of his life his concern is not for himself but for a young preacher named Timothy as he tells him in:

2Timothy 4:2 Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine. In other words I’m going to heaven and I want you to keep on keeping on, don’t quit be strong.

2Timothy 2:1 Thou therefore, my son, be strong in the grace that is in Christ Jesus.

The reason being:

2Timothy 4:3 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine (listen to accurate teachings); but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;


2Timothy 4:4 And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

The unthinkable is happening all around us and it’s taking our eyes and minds off Jesus and putting them on other things. There are those who are so concerned about the job they don’t have that they spend most of their time dwelling on it and feeling like a failure. Wonder how the Apostle Paul felt when he was put in prison? Every day he was chained to another soldier and everyday he had the opportunity to tell them of a day and what he saw and heard that changed his life. So what do others hear coming out of our mouth? How great God has been or how they can’t get a …… or they don’t have any…….or if only so and so would have been voted in. Hello, don’t we remember who is in charge here and it’s not us or even them but God is still in control. Have you told anyone about what the Lord has done for you lately? How it’s changed your life; or have you spent most of your time telling those around you of why you can’t make it?

“IN GOD WE TRUST”

P.S. I am asking you to pray for the family of Steve Curington, his wife Lori and their five children. The funeral will be Thursday at 7 pm. I also ask that you pray for me, my wife and two others as we feel that is very important that we attend. We will be leaving Wednesday evening @ 6:00 and drive thru the night. This is about a 14 hours trip, but Steve Curington has impacted so many lives, mine being one of them. I will not write again until Monday, November 8. May our blessed Lord bless and keep each of you safe is my prayer.

Is God Somewhere Else?

Have you ever heard the phrase “What we really need is for God to show up?” Do we believe that God is somewhere else doing something and somehow we need God to stop being there and start being here where we are? If you will remember in the book of Exodus, Moses is out watching his father-in-laws sheep when he looks and sees a bush on fire but it was not being burned up.

Exodus 3:1 Now Moses kept the flock of Jethro his father in law, the priest of Midian: and he led the flock to the backside of the desert, and came to the mountain of God, even to Horeb.

Exodus 3:2 And the angel of the LORD appeared unto him in a flame of fire out of the midst of a bush: and he looked, and, behold, the bush burned with fire, and the bush was not consumed. Was this burning bush God’s way of getting Moses’ attention? Or was this God’s way of testing Moses, to see if he was awake to what was going on all around him. How long did it take for Moses to notice that the bush was not burning up? It is only when God noticed that Moses was in tune with what was going on around him that He spoke to Moses.

Exodus 3:3 And Moses said, I will now turn aside, and see this great sight, why the bush is not burnt.

Exodus 3:4 And when the LORD saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I.

Do you and I ever see the unbelievable? The one that we thought was hopeless and then one day we notice that they have put their life back together or God has put it back together for them. God’s children should never ask the question “Where is God?“ The reason being is that when we show up so will God. I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee. The question is not, “Where is God?” The more important question is, “Are we living fully awake, fully aware of the presence of an awesome God in our world?” If He has promised us that He will never leave us maybe we are not seeing the burning bushes not being consumed and therefore God is not speaking to us? Just a thought!

“IN GOD WE TRUST”

Making a Difference

There have been a few men that have touched the clay in my life. One of these men was a man named Steve Currington. He was founder and President of Reformer Unanimous Addiction Program. Not only was he president of a great organization but a man who cared deeply about others and helped so many who were struggling with an addiction. I saw him at the first of October, heard him teach and preach and was encouraged again by this great man of God. The last book he would ever write was dedicated to his lovely wife Lori and the words he spoke of her that night were words of love and compassion for the woman he loved deeply. It will be a long time before I forget that night and the words he spoke. Steve Curington was not only President of the fastest growing addiction program in the United States but he was a man that was also approachable. Many times when a man becomes President of such an organization they just don’t have time for many. But this was not the case with Steve Curington I had his cell number programmed in my phone and when I would talk to him he knew who I was by name. He so impacted my life with his books, testimony and personal appearance, I remember a few years ago we spent some time together over a period of a few days; we laughed and cut up with each other as we enjoyed each other’s company. This past Saturday night I received a phone call and as I answered a very familiar voice of a man that helps me in our addictions program told me the awful news. He said about 2 and ½ hours ago Steve Curington had a massive heart attack and went home to be with the Lord. I was shocked to say the least; it didn’t seem real and I wanted it not to be real. I was hoping that someone had started a cruel joke and I would hear later that all was well. I mean, he is only 45 years old this can’t be real. Unfortunately I found out that the phone call I received was the truth. My heart as well as many other of the RU nation has been saddened greatly because of this news. May I leave you with this one thought, it matters not how old you are or how young you are; it matters not how important or unimportant you may think you are; just remember God knows what He is doing and we must trust Him in all things.

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.

Brother Steve Curington has gone on to his rewards and one day we too will follow, are you ready for that day?
"When the time comes for you to die, you need not be afraid, because death cannot separate you from God's love."

P.S Please pray for Steve’s wife Lori and their 5-children in the days and weeks to follow.