“Be Quiet”, I Don’t Think So!

Have you ever reached a place where you’ve observed and heard so much stuff in the world and the lives of those around you that, your thoughts have become nothing more than a garbled mess? Have you tried to form an opinion of something and then something else happens that causes you to come to a whole new conclusion? Then, after a while all you want to do is just shake your head in bewilderment at it all and just stay silent? Yeah, that’s pretty much where I am now-a-days.

People don’t seem to want to truly hear how we feel about life, they’d rather brand our way of thinking with their own rendition of how things should be, forget true reality having a say. We quickly dismiss the lessons learned by our grand-fathers and mothers as old fashioned and no longer relevant. Why is that? Has our own pride and arrogance brought us to a place of putting our demands for legitimacy up in a “speak to the hand’ kind of countenance?

Should we choose to be as forceful as those portraying before us, we suddenly become as one to be avoided and shunned. Someone who’s opinion has no value. Our political opinions and feelings are quickly dismissed as an unworthy conversation piece. And we watch as our society suffers from the choices of those who deem our opinions so worthy of a deaf ear. They act as if our children’s future is of no importance…and to them, it is not.

But, we as Christians have a duty to uphold, regardless of how those around us feel. In the legacy that we hold in our hands, God has demanded that we teach our children to be followers of truth. We are to teach them not to be easily swayed by the words of men, but sift those things they hear, by praying in the Holy Ghost. We are to teach them how to listen for the voice of God and not just to hear only, but to follow His direction.

We may not be able to put much faith in the things of this world, but we have a promise and a hope of an escape from the things to come. Regardless of what others may think of us and how we live, we cannot fail to be a light to the lost, holding out hope to those that are searching for something but know not what. We must not allow our voices to be silenced by those that refuse to hear us. We must keep searching and reaching for those that are hungry for a hope of a better thing.

Jesus Christ did not die on the cross in vain, neither did he hand us the gift of salvation to only refuse to go against the grain. He not only died for you and me but he died for every person we meet, including the skeptic and the atheist. We must preach repentance and baptism is Jesus name. We must preach that they must receive the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in other tongues as God gives the utterance. We must provoke them to respond to the message of Jesus Christ and Him crucified.

This world is on a fast track to eternity, there’s no time for complacency and resistance. We must make an effectual impact in these last days. Rise up and fight for the lost while there’s still time. Reach for the sinners around you and carry to them the true message of salvation, while you still can. We cannot afford to become a silent generation.

God Has Gas

I had something really cool happen to me yesterday and I just want to tell you about it. I’ve heard people talk about stuff like this but never have been able to experience it for myself. But, now I can. It may sound a little corny but it’s really cool even though some may find it childish.

I have an old pickup truck that I drive back-and-forth to work. There’s nothing special about it, and trust me, it’s kind of an eyesore really. It’s a teal green 1995 Chevy S-10 extended cab, 4 wheel drive. The funny thing about it is, the kid that owned it before I came along must have had some anger management issues.

If you start at the front driver’s side fender and walk around the truck, you can see what looks to be knuckle prints and places where it looks like it were kicked. It’s as if he walked around it punching it and kicking it in a fit of rage. So, I’ve christened it my, “Piñata”. Yeah, I know, you laughed. I do too when I say it.

Well, last week I arrived at work and when I got out of the truck I could smell the strong odor of gasoline. I made a mental note of it, thinking somebody’s car was running a little rich, and went on inside. When I came out I could still smell gas. I became a little concerned about the strength of the smell but not enough to investigate further…for a couple days at least.

When I finally admitted that the smell was coming from my truck and decided to check it out, I found that my gas tank had a hole in it and was leaking at a pretty steady rate. So, doing the right thing I parked it and drove a different vehicle until the weekend could get here and I could fix the problem.

After a few days of jerry-rigging a way to drain the tank, I didn’t have the time, tools or help to remove the tank. I was able to patch the hole. Now comes the interesting part.

The vehicle I was driving was needed by someone else leaving me no choice but to drive the Piñata to church. So I went out and got it all ready to go and it crossed my mind that I should probably look at the gas gage to see if there was enough gas in it to get to church or the gas station. And, that would be a big NO. And I heard myself say, “Alrighty then, this is going to be fun.” Yeah, go ahead and laugh, I did. You’re already expecting some kind of calamity to happen aren’t you? Well guess what, you have to keep reading.

I went back in the house and got all spruced up and headed out the door. As I was walking to my truck I began to talk to God. I said, “Lord, I need some help here, I need you to stretch my gas enough so that I can make it to the gas station.” And then when I got to the truck I said, “Ok, little truck, you’re going to get the best gas mileage you’ve ever got in your life, you’re gonna get me to the gas station.” Yes, I did say that and, I meant every word of it too.

Now here’s the thing, my truck gets terrible gas mileage and the station is about 5 miles or so from my house. We live in the country with roads with hills and curves and stop signs and holes you have to slow down to avoid. And, my gas gage was sitting on E. That’s a big E for a great big EMPTY, you know, fumes.

I pulled out of my drive and in complete faith, turned towards town via the most direct route possible. Figured that was the smartest thing to do. I made it all the way out to the main road at which is a stop sign that forces you to stop on an incline. Yeah, you’re already expecting me to say that I ran out of gas.

Nope! Traffic cleared, I pulled out and…it sputtered…oh-oh, here we go. But no, that obedient little truck picked back up and drove on to town. I pulled up to the pump, shut off the engine and patted the dash and said, “Good little truck”.

We have times where as we lean on God to supply the things we need that we tend to forget that He’s big enough to take care of the most insignificant stuff too. We all have things that come up in our live that make us almost ashamed or embarrassed to ask God to help. But, if we just remember He is the Creator. If He’ll stoop down and spit into the dust of the street and make a miracle for a blind man, don’t you think he cares enough that he’ll stoop down into your day and take care or your need?

Don’t belittle God by telling Him that your need is too small for Him. He doesn’t see size. He doesn’t see the insignificance of it like we do. He sees you as His child and He loves you and in that He wants to work for you. But as a perfect gentleman He’s not going to push you aside and jerk that situation from you and say, “Give me that”, He’s going to wait on you to ask Him. Don’t restrain God by assigning a size requirement to our everyday needs, He knows we’re but dust and of a frail frame.

Matthew 7:7 (kjv) says, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you.” Don’t hesitate to ask. I didn’t and I found out that God does have gas.  ©

Headaches Aren’t for Me

Recently I went on a short fast, nothing profound or anything, just a short and quiet one. For some reason I’m one of those people that tend to get a headache when I fast. I don’t know if it’s normal or just some mental thing that I get going on at the time. But, this time I called up my mother, the one that has been my spiritual rock, and talked to her about it for a minute or two and decided to continue on and just deal with the aggravation of my splitting head.

Well, I made it through and looking back at it I began to see some things that I’d not noticed at other times when I would try to fast. After I decided to just ignore the pain of my headache, I soon forgot all about it. And the hunger pangs, they too subsided and wasn’t as strong as they had been before. My confidence climbed through the roof that, “I could do this”. I felt my faith begin to gain some strength and I was encouraged.

Today I was thinking about it and this small realization became apparent to me. These feelings we get during our time of self-denial, are exactly what the devil does to us spiritually in our daily walk with the Lord.

In fasting we get cravings and pains, feelings of weakness and discomfort. In our daily walk with God, the devil does his best to tempt us into sin and draw us away from the Lord. He does his level best to make us feel as if we need that thing he’s offering. In our mind we begin to feel the pull of the attraction of it and the pull against our soul.

 The scripture says to, “Resist the devil and he will flee from you.” James 4:7 (kjv). If we don’t allow the devil to hang around and constantly bombard our minds with things that go against our faith and commitment to God, then we will be victorious in it, as we are when we fast.

We need to pray always and seek the Lord. We need to listen to His voice when he speaks and not turn away. God is ever faithful and will be there for us, in our time of need. Trust Him for He is faithful.

What Are You Wearing Today

Is your Christian image like a cloak or garment that you put on or, is it one that you leave hanging in the closet of your life just for special occasions? Do we mentally choose each day which garment to wear? Which view of me should the world experience as I pass through?

Do we mentally say, “I think I’ll be angry and hard to deal with, yeah, that’s how I’ll be today.”? Or, do we prefer, “Grumpy and aggitative”? Maybe we like, “Opinionated and pushy” better. Our mental closet is full of choices. Do we choose from the fleshly side of it or, the spiritual?

Even though we may find ourselves gravitating towards the fleshly side of our closet, we have the power to push ourselves over to the spiritual side and be a different person today. We can easily decide, “Today, I’m going to encourage a complete stranger.” and pass out smiles everywhere we go. Or even this garment, “Praise”. We can decide as our feet touch the floor that, we’re going to face this day with our garment of praise on and our hearts lifted up.

We’re supposed to be God’s witnesses, not disciples of sadness, hate and misery. A smile doesn’t cost much, as a matter of fact, they’re free. Give them away often and cheerfully. Watch the change in a person as they realize that they’ve met someone who’s happy to be alive today.

Smiles are contagious and they’re fun. Spread some around and maybe those difficult days will find those smiles returning back to you. Smile and be happy, God and the world likes you that way.

Lest the Strong Man Fall

    Have you ever had a time or, maybe every now-and-then, where you suddenly found yourself in a place that just doesn’t feel right spiritually, like something was out of whack? What did you do to change it? Did you just figure that, “This too shall pass” and wait for the storm to blow over? Or, did you get an, “I’m not living with this” attitude and go to the Lord in prayer? I think the issue could possibly be more simple than we realize and the solution easy, however, the gravity of it, awakening.

    Luke 11:21 (KJV) says this;

v21.   When a strong man armed keepeth his palace, his goods are in peace.

v22.   But when a stronger man than he shall come upon him, and overcome him, he taketh from him all his armour wherein he trusted, and divideth his spoils.

Ephesians 6:14-17 lists this armour;

v14.   Stand therefore, having your loins girt about with truth, and having on the breastplate of righteousness;

v15.   And your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

v16.   Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith you shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked;

v17.   And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God:

    Is it possible that we experience these times because we get too relaxed in our relationship with the Lord? Do we let up on our prayer lives and our reading of the Word, causing us to grow weak in our walk? It’s easy to feel like it won’t hurt us to miss a day or two of prayer or, reading our bible, but the truth is, it’s a harmful omission.

    We can become so caught up with our lives that we allow ourselves to fudge a little on our praying and studying and before we know it, we’re not even sure how many days we’ve missed. This is where the danger lies. This is where we can fall into the setting of Luke 11:21. We we’re strong for a minute but then we find ourselves living verse 22 and wondering what happened.

    We allow ourselves to go so long that we begin to feel weak and depressed and even beginning to wonder if we can even make it or not. The devil will begin to make you feel like you don’t even have a walk with God let alone a testimony. You’ll begin to feel that everybody’s against you and everything you do is for nothing. Before long you find yourself doubting God’s willingness to even work for you or whether he even knows where you are.

    The devil will slip in and strip you of any and all confidence that you’re even saved, taking with it your desire to get into the Word to find strength and help when you need it most.

    Here’s the solution to it all. Live daily with prayer in your heart. Get up every day with a praise on your lips. Make a habit of thanking God for at least one thing every morning. And, when you kneel to pray, pray with results. Pray until you feel a touch from God. To miss a day of prayer is not a sin, but omitting sin from our lives is nothing more than an invitation to the inevitable. You cannot walk with God without prayer.

Pray to live, and live to pray and let God protect your spoils.

What About Life

Lately I’ve not been writing very much…well okay, I haven’t written anything at all. I’ve just been too caught up in my issues and struggles and just didn’t feel very encouraging. I’ve always said that even the encourager needs encouraged at times. Not that I’ve been depressed or anything but just over-occupied with stuff. Things that really don’t matter much. I’ve not been burdened down with physical things, but mental.

You know those times when it seems that all you tend to have on your mind are stresses like, kids, bills and work. Work gets a little slow and rumors begin to flow of possible lay-offs and then, worry starts. Kids doing stuff that make you wish you could just apply the “board of education to the seat of understanding” but that’s no longer an option since they’ve reached adulthood. And then there’s that guy William that seems to be the only one making an appearance in your mailbox anymore. It’s easy to get caught up in our own little world and forget that other people are having struggles just like us.

A few days ago word reached me of a dear friend and some issues that they were facing in their life and I was stunned. As I pondered their situation I began to understand and see that it was only a trick of the devil trying to get them to just give up on everything. I found myself angry to the point of almost wishing I could get my hands on the devil for one second and just choke the life out of him. But obviously that wasn’t going to happen so, I began to talk to God.

I repented for not being in a state of mind where I was prepared to reach out to them. I asked God to forgive me of any sin in my life and to forgive my attitude. I asked Him to cleanse my mind and make me new. After all, how could I go and offer my shoulder as comfort if I weren’t in a spiritual position to do so? It’s a serious and important thing for us to be prepared for anything that may arise in life be it in ours or a friend’s.

God has called us to a ministry of reconciliation but, how can we work in that ministry if we fail in maintaining our lives prepared for it? We never know when the need is going to present itself.

I’ve said it before so maybe this time is just for me…again. Don’t allow life to get your eyes off of your walk with God. Be diligent in maintaining a relationship with Him. Keep your eyes on Him and not on life, there may be a time when you’re needed…for life.

Close the Gate

            Lately I’ve been asking God to give me more clarity when I’m reading my bible or meditating on the things I’ve read. I want to be able to fully understand the things I read and study. I hate that feeling that I’m missing or, overlooking something. Even though, sometimes this is his method of getting us to stay on a subject a little while longer so we’ll remember the details.

            A couple days ago I was sitting browsing through the news headlines, on the internet of course, basically reading whatever articles I came across. I read the world news, local news, sports, diets, weather, and even some about Hollywood and the stars that live there, when God allowed me to stumble onto a small piece of spiritual insight. I didn’t realize it until later in the day but I immediately seen the point he was trying to make.

            With the world news, a lot of it is just gloom and doom and how terrible the world is becoming. The local news is pretty much the same as the world stuff just closer. And sports, you can just about pick any day of the week and read how some rich sports dude or dudette, has committed a crime somewhere and the media is all too quick to give all the details. We can easily read about all of their drug habits and disregard for any type of authority. And don’t even rule out their sexual promiscuity, that’s readily available too, if you’d care to read about it.

            Then I read a few articles pertaining to some of the high profile trials that are currently in the news. Most of which can do no less than make you shake your head and wonder what in the world that person was thinking, or, not thinking. And then there are the cases where it’s simply the trial of an evil person that committed some obscenely heinous crime that causes you to wish you could reach out and provide your own justice and save the court the time and trouble.

            But it was as I was reading some of the details of one of these trials that suddenly I thought, “I don’t need to read this junk. I don’t need all of this stuck in my head.” I remembered the scripture, “For it is a shame even to speak of those things which are done of them in secret.” Eph. 5:12 (KJV) When I was thinking about this later that evening I felt like the Lord gave me this thought.

            When we constantly dwell on the issues of how bad the world is getting and how dangerous our streets have become, we cause ourselves to fear. When we follow the media in their reporting of the antics of the athlete’s and their issues, and find it entertaining, we open ourselves up to those same spirits. When we look forward to reading about what Hollywood has been up to lately and how the stars are living, we open ourselves up to those same lusts and desires. Even following the trials and their outcomes can cause us to begin to hate and become bitter.

            By our constant desires to follow these things we are freely inviting the devil into our lives. We may as well call him up and say, “Hey satan, the playground of my mind is open today. You can come on over and play on the swing and, teeter on the totter and you can even mess in the sandbox if you like. The gates open so, come on in.” I know this sounds ridiculous but this is about how we’re treating ourselves.

            In walking with God we fight temptations and the constant barrage of things the devil brings against us. Why in the world would we want to help him aggravate us? Why should we hand him the tools he’s going to use on us? An Idol mind is the devils playground. Spend your time watching the news reports instead of praying and doing the things that bring you closer to God and you’re going to find it hard to live for Him.

            There’s nothing wrong with reading the news, but understand and know when something is irrelevant to your walk with God. Be diligent in your walk and listen to that still small voice that tries to let you know when something isn’t right. Read the news but follow the word. ©

Consider This

If you’re confused with reading the things that people have to say about their God, call me, text me, write to me and let me introduce you to Him. God is not a figment of someone’s imagination. He isn’t a superhero contrived in the hearts and minds of men in an effort to fill the void in their lives. God isn’t a far away thing that cannot be touched or understood. He is real.

There is a time in a man’s life when he comes face to face with his own mortality and must contemplate the condition of his soul. We aren’t given the choice to be born or when to die but we are given the ability to control what happens in that interval. God has given us a choice of whether we follow him, or follow after our own desires.

Eternity is a long time. No man can fathom the reality of its length. We live our lives in the time frame of just a few short years but, eternity is more important than this. Where our souls will dwell after this life is over has got to be what we set our sights on, not what tomorrow holds for us in this world.

Our cars and our houses, jobs and families will mean nothing to us beyond the grave. How important is today? How much trust do we have in the dawning of tomorrow? This life is but a vapor with little value. Abraham considered himself a sojourner in a strange land seeking a city who’s builder and maker is God.

Jesus Christ was God in the flesh who came down to offer himself as a sacrifice for our sins so that no man should perish. You don’t have to continue on in this life with no hope. You can know who Jesus is.

The bible says that on the day of Pentecost Peter said, “Repent, and be baptized, every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.” Acts 2:38 (KJV) Grab a hold of hope and call on the name of the Lord and repent of your sins. Be baptized in “The only name under heaven, given among men whereby we must be saved”. Acts 4:12 (KJV) Let him fill you with the Holy Ghost and make you a new man.

No man, woman or child need go through life feeling as if it’s all for nothing. With God, it’s all or nothing. Give Him your all and He’ll give you life eternal. Refuse Him and He’ll refuse you.

God said it best when he said, “I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live.” Deuteronomy 30:19 (KJV)

Don’t brush aside the life God wants to give you. Choose life this day, and see God do wonderful things in your life and in your family.

Wooden John

           John was a quiet and gentle man living alone in a small village where everybody knew him. They all liked him, or so it seemed. You see, John was different from everyone else. He looked the same and he talked the same but, his walk was different.

          John had something going on inside of him that caused him to grow faster than those around him.  It wasn’t his whole body, just his legs, they were wooden. As the days would pass, he would grow just a little bit taller, so much so that he would suddenly be bigger than all the others in the village. But there was a problem.

          Every time John would get to the point of being taller than everybody else, they would attack him. They would surround him and begin to make fun of him poking him with things and causing him pain. But the worst part of it all is, they would eventually knock him down and inflict on him the most painful of injuries.

          They would have shiny little sharp axes and would begin to chop at his legs. They were afraid of his stature. They didn’t like him being so tall. So they cut him down so that he was like them. When they were finished they would take the wood from his legs back to their houses and use it for heat. The heat was a comfort to them and it became something they relied on. John soon became a victim of their fear and greed.

          But one day someone noticed that they hadn’t seen John for a while, so they begin to search for him. Up and down the streets they went, looking, inside and out of  buildings, on top and underneath, but no John. Suddenly a cry was sounded, “He’s not here!” as fear swept over the little village. “How are we going to comfort ourselves now?” they said. John was gone.

          One day another man moved into town. At first he was loving and kind. He would give them everything they needed, or so they thought. Then a day came when he began to change. He started forcing them to work for him without care for their well being. He didn’t care if they were hungry or hurt. He didn’t care when they cried for relief. He was a tyrant worse than they could have imagined.

          No one seemed to notice that this man was a big man. No one thought about John, he would have been able to help. John would have been bigger than he. But hurt and confusion clouded their minds. If only they would have loved John things would be different.

          There is no real John with wooden legs, but there are people who fit the description. There are those who have such a close walk with God that they seem to grow in God every day. Other’s who don’t have such a close relationship with God can sometimes be harmful to their growth. They appear to love them but with their words they hurt.

          Like the villagers who with little sharp axes cut John down to their size, we too can cripple others with our words. We can do irreparable damage with just a few quick words, damage that can never be corrected without God’s help.

          Some of the villagers used the hurt they caused John to make themselves feel better. There are some who can’t handle the thought of someone else being in a close relationship with God. They feel the need to inflict damage, to bring them “back down to earth” as the old saying goes.

          The failure in all of this is they don’t realize the one who they are hurting, could possibly be the one that comes to their rescue. They could be the one that, because of their close relationship with God, are able to withstand the enemy when he comes in like a flood. They could be the standard bearer that God uses in those times.

          If I were to end this with the words of a prayer it would be something like this, “God, help us to keep a watch upon our lips and a guard upon our hearts. Help us not to hurt the innocent ones, Lord, and help us to be ever mindful of the feelings of those around us.”

          We’re only human, but we can be humanly conscious of the feelings of our friends.

A Time and a Purpose

    Spring, summer, fall and winter, four seasons. Ecclesiastes 3:1 (KJV) tells us, “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven.”. We know that the spring brings us rain and the renewing of nature, the grass and trees begin to come alive with new life. With the arrival of summer, comes the heat and the strain of working in the day. Fall is the time of plenty, harvest time has come. The reward for our toiling is at hand.

    And then there’s winter, the most difficult time of the year. This is a time when we find out if we’ve made sufficient preparations for its arrival. Will we survive the coming months to see the return of the spring and is beauty? Seasons, all of them needed, and yet they all carry their own trials and tests, each unique from the other.

    Everything we face in life is all because of a season, be it physical or spiritual. The body needs the physical seasons to live but the soul needs the spiritual to prosper. Ecclesiastes 3 isn’t just telling us about the seasons, but about the timing of them.

    Every season has a time and a purpose. The things we experience spiritually aren’t just by happen-stance, they’re God ordered. It’s no strange thing that sometimes we suddenly find ourselves in a spiritual place that resembles a natural season. Ironically the season we remember the most is the winter and mainly because at times it’s the hardest to endure.

    Nobody complains about the summer when all is well and our souls really feel alive and free. We all love it when God sends a refreshing spiritual spring into our lives. And I don’t know of anybody that complains about a harvest. Oh I’m sure there’s somebody that would like to act as if they’re not happy with it but they’re only getting back the reward for their own efforts.

    Don’t complain with the season, it’s here because it’s the right time for it to be here. Don’t allow yourself to become discouraged with its trials and tests, they’re ordained of God to temper you. Trust Him, he knows what he’s doing and besides, He made the seasons in the first place. They’re only here to accomplish their time and purpose. Feel the rain, smell the roses, enjoy the bounty and have a snowball fight, but enjoy the seasons as they come and tell God, Thank You for the seasons in my life.