Keep Going

Have you ever felt like quitting? It’s an easy task if you are not committed, couples give up on their marriage and get divorced and let the pieces fall where they may. Some quit school because of some kind of a roadblock. Some give up on life because of a failure that they didn’t think they could overcome. There are a lot of reasons or excuses that people give to justify why they quit, but the bottom line is they still quit. What if Walt Disney had quit? He did go bankrupt five times but he didn’t quit. My all time hero Abe Lincoln didn’t quit after a long line of what many would call failures but to him they were just setbacks. He failed in business in 1831. He was defeated for state legislature in 1832. He tried another business in 1833 and it failed. His fiancé’ died in 1835. He had a nervous breakdown in 1836 and in 1843 he ran for congress and was defeated. He tried again in 1848 and was defeated again. He tried running for the Senate in 1855; he lost. The next year he ran for vice president and lost. In 1859 he ran for the Senate again and was defeated again. Poor Abe why not just quit for you are just a loser. Finally in 1860 Abraham Lincoln was elected the 16th president of the United States.  Why not quit many will say but my answer to that question is “why quit anyone can quit.”  There have been many that have quit even in the Bible. Jonah and Elijah quit even Peter quit but you know what? God didn’t let them quit He went after them with compassion and put life back in them. He had a talk with Jonah in the belly of a fish. He spoke with Elijah in a small still voice. Peter; He met on a sea shore one morning at breakfast. Make up your mind that you’re not going to quit. Even with goals with passion and purpose we can still be faced with adversity but it’s how we act to that adversity that will make the difference. I assure you there will be roadblocks, detours as well as potholes along the way your courage may get weak and your heart may doubt and you’ll want to quit; but don’t.  If you decide to quit looking after that person then who will take your place? If you decide to quit praying for that loved one who will start praying for them? If you decide to quit loving your  ________ who can take your place?  The cost of quitting is greater than the cost of failing and starting again. Read this verse every time you decide to quit Proverbs 24:16  For a just man falleth seven times, and riseth up again: but the wicked shall fall into mischief. What must a person do to fall 7 times? Get up 6; keep going, keep getting up and have the mind set of Abraham Lincoln and you to will be a winner.

Laugh

Ever heard someone say “I just had to laugh at myself?” We have all from time to time did things without thinking or should I say wasn’t thinking at the time. I remember when I was a boy my mother had me take a case of bottled cokes out to the car (that was back in the day when that’s all there was) and told me to put them in the trunk. With keys in my pocket and both hands used to carry the cokes I went to the car. When I got to the car I placed the cokes on top of the trunk lid reached into my pocket and pulled out the keys, found the right key and unlocked the truck. I at that point I proceeded to lift the trunk as the trunk lid started up the cokes slid off and glass went everywhere; man did I feel dumb for not thinking. I wish I could say that was the only time in my life that I did something without thinking but there have been many other times sad to say. God has put something in us that is good for us to do in times such as that as well as other time too; it’s called laughter. Sometimes we just have to stop and laugh; even if it’s at ourselves. 

Job 5:22  At destruction and famine thou shalt laugh:

Proverbs 15:13  A merry heart maketh a cheerful countenance: but by sorrow of the heart the spirit is broken.

Proverbs  15:15  All the days of the afflicted are evil: but he that is of a merry heart hath a continual feast.

Proverbs 17:22  A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.

If for some reason today you are feeling sad or just having a bad day why not do an exercise; no I am not talking about going to the gym or weight room. Try this; but you must be alone or those around you will have you place in a mental ward. Start laughing and keep laughing for one solid minute. Not thirty seconds, but a full minute. Once you start it becomes easy to keep going because your brain is thinking this is one of the nuttiest things I’ve ever done. When you stop you will feel like a new person. Your frown will have been transformed into a smile. Life is too short for you and I not to have a merry heart. If Job could face destruction and famine and laugh then he must have discovered that a merry heart doeth good just like taking a medicine for you head ache or antacids for your heartburn. I tell you it will do us all good to laugh. Why not today go to a place where you can just laugh; even if it’s at yourself. Laugh loud, laugh often it will keep you happy, healthy and keep your attitude headed in a positive direction.

Diligence

2Timothy 4:21  Do thy diligence to come before winter. Here we find the Apostle Paul in prison, winter is coming on and he is without his cloak. How long he had been in prison this time we do not know. He may even have spent the previous winter or part of it in there. It makes me feel sadden as I read that verse for here we read of a man God greatly used and now at the end of his life we find him in a cold dark prison. I wonder if you and I ever see those that sadden us and if so what do we do about how we feel?  There are those around us that lack good looks and many that are poor and wonder around like a porcupine at a picnic. They might as well be saying “I am unwanted and unapproachable” for that is the way they are treated. There are the aged that shuffle down the sidewalks of our cities and fill their nights with dreams that just maybe one of their children or grand children would just drop in to spend some time with them. What about those in the wheel chair, the one with aids, the terminally ill, single parent, alcoholics, divorcees, the blind, the drug addict all seem to be shunned. It sad to say but they often would find a warmer reception at the corner bar than in a Sunday School Class. We past by them every day and it’s easy to turn our heads and not notice them than to turn our hearts. Remember the saying “What Would Jesus Do? Well we know what He would do for we have some cases recorded for us. Remember the woman who came to draw water in the middle of the day? She did that because of what she had done and who she was. But at the well Jesus spoke to her with words of love and kindness. Then there was the mother in Luke 7 who was on her way to the grave yard to bury her only son, but Jesus took time out of His busy day to stop and bring joy into this mother’s day. Then there was the woman in Luke 8 she had nothing left. The doctors had taken her last dime and their diagnosis had stolen her last hope. The hemorrhage had robbed her of her last drop of energy. She had no more money, no more friends, and no more options. Then she put together one more plan. I love what she did read with me

Luk 8:43  And a woman having an issue of blood twelve years, which had spent all her living upon physicians, neither could be healed of any,

Luk 8:44  Came behind him(Jesus), and touched the border of his garment: and immediately her issue of blood stanched. Do what? Immediately she was made whole; you read it right. They are all around us those who feel hopeless and helpless. A friend of mine use to go into the all night grocery stores late at night for one purpose and that was to find someone who was buying their groceries with food stamps and felt a shame. I can still see the smile on his face as he told me what he did. He said “I would pray and ask God to show me who He wanted to bless, then I would enter the store and find that person.” He would then approach that person with something way out of their price range and put into their shopping cart and then began to talk to them about the Lord and then he would place a $100 bill in their hand and have prayer with them. As he told me of the times he did that there were tears in his eyes. Could that be expressing Christ in us the hope of Glory? We may not can give a $100 bill but we can share some time, we can stop for a moment in our busy day to show we care because one day someone stopped to spend some time with us; for me it was a man named Ken in the back of a 40 foot trailer  and for you it was……… Today let’s be kind to those others ignore and see what a difference it will make in both of our lives.    

Hear, Do

Well, I must say the weather man hit it right this time. I just made it home from Church last night; I was home about 30 minutes when I looked outside and what did my wondering eye behold? About 2” of snow! As I viewed that snow and the oncoming storm I was reminded of another storm found in the book of Matthew chapter 7 and verse 24  Therefore whosoever(anyone) heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:

As you look at that verse what do you see? Do you see the phrase wise man and the word rock? Those are very important words I would agree but there is something else; there are two other words that must be done before one can be called wise. They are heareth and doethfor in order to be a wise man or lady you must do both to be ready for the soon coming storms in your life. Here is pictured a man who not only listened but also did; watch what happened.

Matthew 7:25  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. The rain came, the waters rose and the winds blew and beat against his house! It didn’t fall because of the foundation. Ok, what if we just hear and that is all we do? The only difference that I see is, do you want to be wise or foolish? Look what happened to the man who decided to become foolish.

Matthew 7:26  And every one (anyone) that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: One man decides to listen and do and the other man decides to listen and that’s it. The difference is in how the storms affect the house and the foundation. The wise man is ok for his foundation is stable but the foolish man isn’t.

His foundation is worthless in the storm and the fall was great. 

Matthew 7:27  And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it. Are you foolish or wise? The only difference is the wise man listened and did but the foolish listened and did nothing about what he heard. How many times have you heard the good news that Jesus saves? Did you do anything about it? My wife wanted a husband that went to Church most Sunday mornings but when God saved me I had a desire to be there Sunday morning, evening and Wednesday evening. That’s not what she wanted. You see I heard and did she had only been listening and not doing for years. After about 10 months of watching me do she decided to give her heart to the Lord and she came from being foolish to being wise. I hope all who read this are wise but if not don’t fret Jesus wants to be your foundation too.  When the storms of this life come your foundation will stand if you are wise.  The storm has left us white so get another cup of coffee and enjoy. If you go out be careful and don’t break a bone for it’s not fun. Let’s have a great week!

Pass Me Not

Fanny Crosby agreed with the publishers Bigelow and Main to write three hymns a week for use in their Sunday school publications. Sometimes Fanny wrote six or seven hymns a day. She was usually paid only one or two dollars for each poem. Fanny aimed her hymns of the Gospel to people who would not listen to preaching. As she wrote her hymns she prayed that God would use them to lead many souls to Him. The hymn “Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior” was written in 1868 and became one of the most popular hymns used during the Moody, Sankey services in London. She based her hymn on a prayer that she heard someone pray at a service. Fanny wrote over 8000 hymns in her life time but this one speaks volumes

Pass me not, O gentle Savior,
Hear my humble cry;
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

Let me at Thy throne of mercy
Find a sweet relief;
Kneeling there in deep contrition,
Help my unbelief.

Trusting only in Thy merit,
Would I seek Thy face;
Heal my wounded, broken spirit,
Save me by Thy grace.

Thou the spring of all my comfort,
More than life to me;
Whom have I on earth beside Thee?
Whom in heaven but Thee?

Refrain:
Savior, Savior, hear my humble cry,
While on others Thou art calling,
Do not pass me by.

Does this song speak of those who may feel that their Condition would cause the Savior to pass them by? Maybe because of the Company they keep? Depraved, Distressful and Doomed one may feel but I can assure you the Savior will not pass you by and the reason I say that is because of 

Luke 19:10 For the Son of man is come to seek and to save that which was lost.  Jesus came looking for such people as those He didn’t come to seek and pass them by. Have you ever been somewhere and saw someone you really didn’t want to talk with at that time so you hide yourself away? Well Jesus didn’t come to hide from people but to find them in the condition that they are in so He could save them. Aren’t you glad He found you because we for sure weren’t looking for Him?

P.S.   

I’m putting my computer in the shop this morning it has been giving me some problems and I think I better get it fixed before it stops completely. That being the case I may not have it back to write my email and blog so let me apologize ahead.

What do you Do?

Chariots of Fire was a 1981 British film. It tells the fact-based story of two athletes in the 1924 Olympics: Eric Liddell, a devout Scottish Christian who runs for the glory of God, and Harold Abrahams, an English Jew who runs to overcome prejudice. Eric had reached his dream of representing the United Kingdom as a 100-meter runner. But en route to the Games he learned that his event would be on Sunday the day Eric Liddell believed was reserved for God.  A day on which his deep convictions would not allow him to participate. Eric Liddell realized that when there's a choice between compromising and your convictions, there's really only one choice. Taking your stand, no matter what it may cost. Liddell puts God first and stands his ground. He is not running  and refuses to run on Sunday. There was a suggestion made to him that he run later in an event that was not his event the 400-meter race. Just before the race another runner slips Eric a note. It read, “The old Book says, “He that honors Me I will honor.” That day Eric Liddell won the gold. Later Eric Liddell went on to become a missionary to China. In 1943 he was placed in a prison camp to which he never was released. On February 21, 1945, just five months before his liberation, he died. Our mission, like Eric Liddell must remain unchanged at work, at school, at home and in our relationships. We should always do the right thing. Always tell the truth, always be honest, always take the high road, always say no to temptation, always forgive, always put the other person first and always give God the glory. Our job is just to do the right thing even when it costs; that is what the word sacrifice means.

Psalms 4:5  Offer the sacrifices of righteousness by trusting the LORD.  Our righteous efforts are not nearly enough to make it happen. That is where the second part of the verse comes in. After we have done the right thing trust in the Lord for what you could never have done on your own.

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

I Samuel 2:30……   them that honour me I will honour,

Relationship

Three days into 2011 and what will be our expectations of this on coming year? Will it be a year of prosperity or will it be a year of sickness and poor health? None of us know for sure and can we really know anything in this world of uncertainties we live in. I want to look this Monday at something we can know for sure. I first want to start by asking how is your relationship with our Heavenly Father? Do we spend time allowing Him to speak to us from His word the Bible? If we spend little or no time then we are not allowing Him to speak to us. What about our prayer life? Do we talk to Him in prayer or do we get too busy doing other things. Let me look at the relationship this way; What if you treated your husband or wife and children the way you try to built a relationship with God what type of relationship would it be? Talk to your wife or husband three times a week, what type of relationship would you have? We may be too busy chasing other things that we have allowed it to drive a wedge between our relationship with our Heavenly Father. Maybe we should realize that we don’t really own anything that it all belongs to God who has only placed it our hands for us to be good stewards over.

I Chronicles 29:11 Thine, O LORD, is the greatness, and the power, and the glory, and the victory, and the majesty: for all that is in the heaven and in the earth is thine; thine is the kingdom, O LORD, and thou art exalted as head above all.

This relationship is important business; see you can be married and not spend time with your mate and you will have a poor relationship at best. You can have children and not spend time with them and you have a poor relationship. The Apostle Paul says that we need to 2Corinthians 13:5  Examine yourselves, whether ye be in the faith; prove your own selves. Know ye not your own selves, how that Jesus Christ is in you, except ye be reprobates? Examine ourselves make sure by test and make sure we are not castaways. Ok, let’s take a test; has there ever been a time in your life that your life changed?

2Corinthains 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.  The old way of living has disappeared. A new way of living has come into existence. Can you tell if there has been a change or are you just like you were 25 years ago? The only thing that has changed is that your skin is wrinkled? I’ll be honest with you I really don’t care anything about dying I have seen too many die.  It isn’t pleasant; but on the flip side I am not fearing it for I know that one day it will happen unless Jesus returns. Wanting to and ready to are two different things. Make sure you know Jesus Christ for after you leave this walk of life it will be too late. Do you know Him and do you have a relationship with Him?