Psalms 91

Key words:
Verse 1: dwells: sit down, sojourn, live
Abide: stay, sit, and settle
Almighty: sufficient, all-powerful
Verse 2: Testimony: witness, give evidence.
Refuge: Place of shelter, asylum.
Fortress: bulwark, tower, safety

Our key verse tonight: verse 2: I WILL SAY OF THE LORD, HE IS MY REFUGE AND MY FORTRESS; MY GOD, IN HIM WILL I TRUST.

This is our testimony: I will say of the Lord!! He is my Lord, (master, prince, and owner)
Verse 3: He will deliver me from: the snares of the fowler, from the noisome pestilence or plagues. God has promised that NO plague will come near our dwellings that He will take care of us in time of troubles.

Verse 4: He shall cover you with his feathers, and under his wings shall you trust:
“I can trust Him to protect and keep me, I trust Him when things do not look like I am winning—But I AM HIS!
TRUTH: what He has promised, He will perform! Ephesians 6:16 tells us to take the shield of Faith, or trust. When we believe in Him and His promises, our faith says that He will do what He has promised.

Verse 5 you shall not be afraid: Perfect love casts out all fear!!
The world becomes more frightening every day, but we are not of this world. We do not fear the night terror or the day time arrows of our enemy. Do bad things happen? Yes, but rest assured in Christ, NO thing can touch you that is not of God, IF you are under His wings.

Have you ever seen a mother hen with her little chicks? One cluck and they all run under her wings for protection from danger, whatever it may be.

Verses 6, 7, there shall be trials, there shall be plagues, and there is destruction all day long,
Verse 7 A thousand shall fall at thy side... but it shall not come near you. There will be a great falling away from the faith in the last days, as Christ told us, but it does not have to be any one of us. We can stand on His promise, keep the faith, and stay on the narrow road that leads to eternal life. WE can do it!!

Verse 8: Those who trust in God will only see with our eyes the reward of the wicked.

Verse 9Why? Because you have made God your refuge and habitation. YOU live in Him; you have made your choice. It is always your choice, to stand or to fall.

Verse 10, 11 No evil shall befall you, because God will keep you safe in His arms, in His tower. You are under His protection!!!

Verse 12, 13 His angels shall keep you from stumbling and from danger.
The lion and the adder, the young lion and the dragon will be trampled under our feet...
These are types of Satan, and we all know that Christ defeated him at Calvary!!
David speaks here of ‘angels’, but in this dispensation we are empowered by the Holy Spirit, whom Jesus sent to us to lead, guide, teach, empower in our battle against the enemy of our souls.

Verse 14 Why? How can we defeat the enemy?
Because you have chosen to place your love and trust in the God who will deliver. There is nothing we can do in our own strength, but by the POWER of the Holy Spirit who now lives in each of us, we shall overcome. WE HAVE THE POWER! WE HAVE THE VICTORY!

Because you have set your love upon God.
Therefore God will deliver you and set you on high because you KNOW His name.

Verse 15, 16- You can call upon God and He will answer. (That is His promise)
I will be with you in trouble
I will deliver you
I will honor you
With long life will I satisfy you
And show you my salvation!!

He will answer, deliver, satisfy and save all those who call upon His name!
Many are the afflictions, the trials, the temptations of the righteous, BUT the Lord delivers him out of them ALL!

Trials come to make us stronger,
Sorrow becomes joy
We were blind, now we see
Pain and sickness becomes health

All that we may become more profitable for the Lord.
Examples:
A tree grows to provide shade or perhaps fruit, but it must be cut down, sawn to pieces, altered to become something else, more usefull. It is exposed to ‘pain’ to become a thing of beauty and usefulness.

A vegetable—perhaps a tomato, looks very pretty growing on the vine. It makes the farmer proud, and we watch it develop. But if left on the vine, it rots away and is useless. To fulfill its destiny, it must be picked, ‘tortured’ tried, cut into pieces to bring color and flavor to a tasty dish.

Likewise we all must suffer to become the vessel or instrument, the fruit, God wants us to be. A vessel to honor HIM.


Andre Crouch wrote the song, ‘through it all’ in his great battle with pain and heartache.

God is our refuge, not from life, but from the enemy of our souls.

“Through it all
I’ve learned to trust in Jesus
I’ve learned to trust in God.
Thru it all, thru it all
I’ve learned to depend upon the Lord.”

Seek that refuge, that haven of His arms
Run into the high tower
Climb into the safe fortress
Adjust you armor
Make certain you are pleasing God, not self or others.

Better Way,
10,3,2007

Let Us Worship!

Our Father who art in heaven, Holy is your name.
Worship is inherent in man as were created for fellowship with our God. Man creates many substitutes to worship, money, work, fame, family and gods made with our own hands. All through the Bible the children of God were drawn away from God to worship other gods who were not able to help them, who could not provide for them or comfort them. How foolish to neglect the one TRUE God to serve an idol!!

Think about the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal, in 1 Kings. In the contest to determine which the real God was, the prophets of Baal became frenzied as they tried in vain to get him to respond to their cry. Elijah took his turn, and prayed a simple pray, after making it seem impossible for God to succeed. But God did respond, and fire came down from heaven,consumed the offering and all the water in the ditches. God goes beyond our needs.

In the dictionary the word ‘worship’ means: to respect; to reverence.
Thus to honor and to glorify There is no one more worthy of worship, than our Father God, creator of heaven and earth and all that is in them.

In John 4:20-24 Jesus was talking to the woman of Samaria, and they were discussing the differences between the Jews and the Samaritans.
In the 24th verse Jesus said: God is a spirit; and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.’ The Father seeks such to worship Him. True worshipers shall worship in spirit and in truth.

Worship then is not the place or the program, it is a heartfelt reverence; an honoring of the ONE who is worthy of our worship. The fact that we recognize God as creator, redeemer, Lord, is the act of worship.
God instituted worship by blood offering in the Bible to atone for the sins of man. First the animal in the garden, then the blood of bulls and goats, then the blood of the only begotten Son of God, Jesus, the supreme and final sacrifice.

Consider the story of Cain and Abel in Genesis 4:1-16
Cain took an offering he thought was okay, what HE considered worthy.
Abel brought an offering from the flock, a blood offering.
Why was Cain’s offering denied? If you read about the time in the garden when God discovered the sin of Adam and Eve, we find He took an animal, and made a covering for their nakedness. Thus, God was showing man that it was only a blood sacrifice that could cover or atone for sin. By His example, He taught them that a blood sacrifice was required to be acceptable before Him. God saw their hearts and what they brought before him. Abel brought the best of the flock, while Abel brought the fruit of the ground, his own efforts.
We can not earn the favor of God. The works of our hands are not worthy to offer to him. We are justified by FAITH; our true worship is what God desires.

In Hosea 6:6 For I desired mercy and not sacrifice: and the knowledge of God more than burnt offerings.”
God wants, desires our worship from our hearts. Micah 6:6-8: Wherewith shall I come before the Lord and bow myself before the high God? Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves of a year old?
Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, or with ten thousands of rivers of oil? Shall I give my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
He hath showed thee o man, what is good; and what doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God?

Psalm 29:2
Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; worship the Lord in the beauty of holiness.
What can we give unto God that He does not own?
We can give Him WORSHIP!!
He deserves it, He should be given it freely, and WE should be willing to freely worship HIM in the manner He has taught to us.

When Jesus was tempted of the devil in the wilderness, in Matthew 4:10 he said, ‘Get thee hence, Satan; for it is written, ‘Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shall you serve.’. He was referring to Deut. 6:13, Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God and serve him, and shall swear by his name. You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you. For the Lord thy God is a jealous God. Our worship encourages and convinces others to come to a God who is worthy of Worship, 1 Cor.14:22-25. The battle has always been over men’s heart and soul, from the beginning in Gen.2.
Our worship glorifies God, as in Psalms 50:23—whoso offers praise glorifies me; and to him that orders his conversation aright will I show the salvation of God.’
Our worship strengthens fellowship,Acts 2:42-47,the new church continued daily with one accord, praising God and finding favor with all the people. Then the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.

They worshiped God and overcame temptation.
They worshiped God. and miracles happened.
They worshiped God and their prayers were answered.
They worshiped God and the needs of all were met.

God does not lie, and when He promises us salvation, deliverance, healing, will He not grant our need?
Eccles. 12:13, 14, Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear (worship) God and keep his commandments; for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.
Let us worship the one who is worthy!!
Enter into the presence of the Lord.
Trust and Obey, there is no other way to be happy in Jesus but to trust and obey.
Let Him meet you as you worship Him, daily, often, with your whole heart!

Gethsemane

In the Gospels we read about the last earthly days of our Lord. He spent much time after entering into Jerusalem in the temple, teaching the truths which He has taught so many times before to a people who did not want to hear. After the Passover Feast and the first Lord’s Supper, which He told His followers to “keep in remembrance of Me”, He went out into the night, into a Garden called Gethsemane to pray and wait for the betrayal He knew was coming to Him.
As He entered the Garden, he left some of the disciples and took Peter, James and John a little farther. He then told them to “watch” as He went a little farther in to a place where He could pray alone. His soul was stirred and in anguish as He entered into a time of struggle with the flesh. He was aware of the events which were to happen; He had been born into the world for the purpose of sacrificing His life for the sins of the people of the world. He knew He was “the Lamb of God who was to take away the sins of the world” but now He was facing the struggle with the fleshly nature and so His prayer, His anguish, His drops of sweat which appeared like blood, must be conquered. He must first die, here alone in the garden, before His Father, to the flesh, to self. So His prayer, “if it is possible, let this cup pass from me” bared his soul's battle with the flesh to the Father.
He returned to find the disciples asleep. They could not watch with Him, even for one hour. More prayer, another time to find his chosen asleep, but now He told them to sleep on, for the time had now came for Him to be offered up for the redemption of the sins of the world. Oh, how like His followers to seek rest for the physical body and let the soul grow weak and undernourished. Prayer, deep, concentrated, intercessory prayer, is the strength with which we overcome the world with its lusts, deceits, and evil. A praying follower of Christ is one who will overcome the trials and tribulations, and the temptations of this world.
IF JESUS HAD TO PRAY, WHAT MAKES US THINK WE DO NOT HAVE TO SPEND TIME WITH OUR FATHER GOD? Not with the many petitions we have, but in praying His prayer, “NOT MY WILL, but thine be done.” May we wake up, stay alert, and watch with our Lord, for the day is coming when we will face greater trials, and we will need that strength which only comes as we die to self and allow the Holy Spirit to fill and control our mind, soul, and body.
Let us go out, enter into our Garden, and pray until we have the victory which He has already won for us. They may have removed the altars from the churches, but we can make one wherever we kneel before our Lord, seek His face and gain strength to face our Calvary.

How Big is God?

This question rises in the hearts of young and old alike. It has been asked for ages but has anyone really found the answer? I believe we can find the answer which will satisfy our hearts when we begin to understand who He is and what He does and what His desire is for the world He created and the humans He placed upon earth to take care of it.
No, I am not wise enough to answer that question for you, but I can share some of the answers I have found and they tend to satisfy my heart and soul.
When we look at the nature of God, we have to look at His creation. Our God simply spoke, made His desire known, and this great universe appeared. We are only now beginning to discover and explore the vast expanse which appeared when God spoke and "in the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." We are finding a universe so huge and intricate, so precise in its nature, that one mili-second of time can disrupt the design. So we know our God is awesome in designing the operation so finite we could never begin to understand them. Who can tell how the sun, moon and stars are made to hang in space? Who can tell how each planet stays in the orbit that takes it through space without colliding with another planet? Who can tell how the grass grows? Who can tell how the animals know and understand their own kind? Who can tell how man, who was put in charge of this earth, lives and grows and has some understanding of how to make the world around him function? Who can truly know 'how big God is'?
For me, I found the answers that satisfy my longing in learning as much as I can about the nature of God as set forth in the example of His Son, Jesus. God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, becoming flesh and blood as we are, to help us understand Himself. Christ said, "my Father and I are one". They are alike in every way, because they are of the same mind,heart and desires. They work together as one in creation, in design,in preformance of the work of providing a "Savior, which is Christ the Lord". This supreme act of love for the man He created, who rebelled and "died" is the greatest example of how big our God is. A love that would send His only begotten Son into a world of sinners, to be rejected, dispised,tortured, crucified, is a love greater than we will comprehend. Yet, still today, man continues to reject that great love.
How Big is God? He is big enough to make the mighty universe, yet small enough to live within my heart, and every heart that will acknowledge the LOVE HE SENT TO REDEEM ANYONE WHO WILL OPEN THEIR HEART AND INVITE HIM IN.
Yes, God is LOVE!
"How big is God?
How big and wide his vast domain,
To try to tell, these lips can only start.
He's big enough to rule this mighty universe
Songwriter Gordon Jenson gave us this answer:
"God is bigger than anything".
Just trust Him, the problems in your life will be solved.

Traditions

Haven't we all celebrated our family traditions? It is wonderful to have a certain way to honor a persons birthday, or an accomplishment, or a secular holiday. But,there are times when 'traditions' can take over and become a controling factor in our lives. Such is the case in our worship of our God. We are warned in many scriptures not to become entrenched in 'traditions' and forget to worship the Lord in Spirit and in Truth.

In Matthew 15:2 Jesus was asked by the religious people,"Why do your disciples transgress the tradition of the elders? For they eat without washing their hands". What was His answer? "Why do you also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition?" All to often we continue to practice the 'tradition' we have become used to enjoying in our everyday life instead of allowing the Holy Spirit to lead and direct us in our worship times. Worship must come from our heart, a heart that is fully surrendered to the One who is Worthy, the One who gives us our Life!

Jesus went on to tell the religious bigots that "you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition. You draw near to me with your mouth and honor me with your lips, but your heart is far from me. In vain do you worship me, teaching for doctrines the comandments of men". We have been warned! We must be certain that our teaching is written in the Word of God.

1 Peter 1:18,19; Forasmuch as you know that you were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot.

Colossians 2:8; Beware lest any man spoil you through philosophy and vain deceit, after the tradition of men, after the rudiments of the world and not after Christ.

Do we follow traditions and circumvent the Word of God?
God has given us His Word, why do we then lean on the teachings of worldly men? Trust in the Lord!! Trust His Word! It is True, Sure, Perfect, unlike the philosophy and the vain theories of worldly men!

So What if It doesn't Happen?

We have all prayed for our God to do certain things which we felt was right or fair. We asked Him to heal, deliver, and provide for us at times when we were desperate for His tender mercy only to fail to receive the answer which we desired.
Let us look to the scriptures for an answer.

First let us look at Abraham as he talks to Isaac. Actually he was taking him to offer as a sacrifice to the Lord as God had directed. Wow! Can you think of a more difficult order from the Lord, to take your only son, whom you had waited for many years to receive, and offer him as a sacrifice on the altar to the God who had given that son to you as promised? But Abraham was a faithful, obedient servant of the God who controlled his life. He heard the voice of the Lord and he obeyed His commands. In answer to the question of Isaac, “where is the sacrifice?” Abraham replied,” God will provide”. And God did just that, He provided a lamb to replace Isaac. Abraham’s faith was justified.
What if the ram had not been supplied? Abraham was prepared to obey no matter what the circumstance.

Fast forward, to the book of Daniel We read about the prideful king, Nebuchadnezzar, who was encouraged by his counselors to build an idol, a statue of himself, and have all the people of the land bow down and worship the idol. There were at least three young men in the kingdom that refused to bow to the idol of gold. They were servants of the One true God. They had served Him all the years during their captivity, trusting Him to provide and sustain them in every situation. God had been faithful and they had advanced in the kingdom, along with their friend, Daniel. When they were threatened with a fiery death because they stood firmly against the King’s order to bow to the idol, this was their response. Daniel 3:16, 17, 18; O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer you in this matter. IF it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of your hand, O king. BUT if not, be it known unto thee, O king; that we will not serve your gods, nor worship the golden image which you have set up.
The angry king heated the furnace seven times hotter and had them thrown into that fire!
But know this!! They did not go into that fire alone. The fourth man, like the Son of God, was in that trial with them!! When you stand for God, in faith, obeying the Word of the Lord, you NEVER stand alone!! Because you did not get delivered OUT of the trial, you are NOT FORSAKEN!! The Lord your God is with you! You may not get the healing, the deliverance, the answer you anticipated, but be assured; the RIGHT answer is on its way. God is in control, the God whom you serve, whom you obey, whom you worship with all you heart, has the perfect answer, in the perfect time to bring glory to His Name and blessing to you.
What happened because of the actions of these three men?
Daniel 3:28-30 tells us that when the king saw the deliverance of these three servants of the most high God, he made a decree that all people who would even speak a word against the God who had delivered these men should be cut in pieces and their houses be made a dunghill, because there is no other God that can deliver after this manner. Then he promoted them in the province of Babylon.
STAND FIRM!! God will perform His work, in His time, and He will promote the faithful.
So what if it is not the way we expected??
Stand still and see the Lord work His mighty wonders!!

Faith: for today and forever

Hebrews 11:6; Without faith it is impossible to please God; for he that comes to God must believe that He is and that rewards them that diligently seek Him.

Hebrews 11:1: Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

Hebrews 11:3: Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Faith! Faith is believing in something which we cannot see. We cannot see God, but we believe in Him because we see the results, the effects of His presence in the world. What would the world be like without the presence of a loving God? We are beginning to know as we see more rejection of His love and His principles by the world. They reject God and evil will prevail.

Faith is believing, accepting and trusting in something invisible.

Then how can we believe, have faith in something we cannot see.
Will you do something for me? Take a deep breath, breathe deeply, relax and take another breath. Feel better? What did you just breathe into your lungs? Air! Did you see it? Yet you know that it was air and that it went into your body! And you knew that it worked for your good!
SO, can you have faith in something which you cannot see? We see the wind, but we do not really see the wind, we see the effects, the results of a wind. SO that is how we can have faith in the invisible God, who created the heavens and the earth. Who loves us so much that He sent His only begotten Son to die a cruel death so that we might have everlasting life?

When we have faith, the results are there. Faith in God produces great results in the life of the believer. When you accept Him by faith, you become a new person. Old ideas, old habits are gone and all things become new. You will see and feel results you never even dreamed about. Yet faith is the substance, the embodiment, of things hoped for.
What did you hope for, what did you desire, when you came to God? Change! Faith in God produced a change. Change in you and those around you because your life is changed by the power of God. Scripture likens our new life as ‘being born again’, we were dead in sin but our faith in the works of Jesus, our Savior gives us new life. John 3:3and 5

Faith continues to work as you continue to learn more about our God.
We cannot see, touch, smell faith, but we can see the RESULTS of our faith. The evidence is there. We see our lives changed, but as God works in mysterious ways we can see other things change. Blind eyes were opened, the lame walked and leaped for joy, lepers were cleansed and made whole.
So Faith becomes a substance, the tangible evidence of things that were hoped for.

HOPE IS FAITH FOR TODAY.

Because of the past miracles God has done, because we have seen what has happened, we can say we have faith because what we hoped for has taken place.

Jesus did many miracles, the apostles continued to do miracles, early Christians worked wonders in their time, and yes, even in this time we can and have seen miracles because through faith people were hoping, believing for a miracle from God. Do not let anyone tell you the time for miracles is past. God i s the same yesterday, today and forever. He changes NOT!

God has not changed; it is people who have lost their faith. We began to put our faith in other things, money, entertainment, man.

Works were substituted for Faith, but there is no substitute for Faith.
We cannot receive blessings from God because of our works, our fellowship; nothing can take the place of faith.
Faith is the evidence of the things we hope for. Faith is necessary for us to receive that which we hope for, eternal life.
Faith will help us reach that goal; Faith will sustain and keep us in the hard times.

Think of the men of old, Joseph, Noah, Abraham, Paul, Peter, All those who gave their lives for what they believed, and not only during the Bible times. Today men and women are standing for Faith in the true and living God, even unto death.

Faith does not always change the circumstances of our life but faith will take us through every trial we face.

Faith in God can move mountains, calm a troubled soul, heal a broken heart and make a body whole.
God will withhold no good thing from those who walk uprightly before Him. Jesus came to restore the relationship between our Father and mankind. You and I can have faith again, faith to move evil from our life. It is our God given choice!!
Reach out in faith, you will not be disappointed.
Faith of our fathers, living faith, I will be true to you till death!

Fact or Fiction

No amount of facts from the Holy Scripture will sway the unbeliever. We either believe or we do not believe.
But, believers should consider the scriptural facts to guide their actions.

FACT: Jesus was born to Mary and Joseph in a manger in Bethlehem. Isaiah
Fulfilling prophecy for the Son of God and Son of Man.
No gifts, not trees, no lights, only worship by the shepherds

FACT: Wise men followed a star from the East and came to worship the young child, just under two years of age. There were still no trees, no lights and only gifts to the child representing his death and burial.

FACT: The young child grew, obeying His heavenly Father’s will, teaching truths in the
Temple, astonishing the elders, worrying his parents, but going about his Father’ business.

FACT: The child Jesus, became the man Jesus, was baptized of John and began His ministry, teaching and showing by example His Father’s will for Himself and for all men who would receive Him. John 1:12

FACT: The world hated this man, Jesus, because His love convicted their selfish hearts and lives. They betrayed him, crucified him, and buried him because He did not fit their idea of who and what the Savior should be to them. Preconceived ideas often do not match with the will of God for the world or for our lives.

FACT: They were not rid of Him:
He rose from the dead
He walked with them
He talked with them
He told them about the future, what would happen to him and to them.
He ascended into heaven before their eyes.
He promised to return for all who would believe in Him and would continue to watch for Him.

FACT: He shall return, just as he promised.
He is now preparing a place for us.
He is acting as mediator between man and God
He knows not the hour of His return, only the Father knows the time schedule.

Because the Word told us what would happen, past, present and in the future, we MUST keep our hearts and minds prepared for that glorious day when the dead in Christ shall rise and we who are alive shall meet our Lord and our loved ones in the air, AND SO SHALL WE EVER BE WITH THE LORD...
FACT!! Believe it or not, the choice is yours.

Learn of Me!

Phil. 3:10-11
Matthew 11:28-30
Jesus said, “Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, and you shall find rest for your soul”

Let me learn more of you, Lord.
That I may become more like you.
How can I do this?
I must know Him personally, for myself.
I must know Him as the Word reveals Him!
I must know Him, in His human and His divine nature.
I must know His purpose: Savior, prophet, priest, King, teacher, Son of the Heavenly Father.
I must know His love; experience it for myself, because He gave His life for my redemption.
I must know His works, because He said I could do greater works if I would truly know Him.
I must know His shame which He bore for my sins.
I must know of His glory!! I will be in His presence one day.
I must meditate upon Him until I can comprehend the magnitude of His love which passes all understanding!

To KNOW him is to LOVE Him!
I must know Him, personally, not religiously.
So I must know Him in my spirit so that my life will reveal His nature to others.

It is said, ‘an ounce of heart knowledge is worth a ton of head learning.

When I truly know Him, my soul will be satisfied yet still longing for a deeper, closer, exciting, relationship with my Lord. When I truly know Him, all of the troubles and sorrows of this life, my flesh, shall be as nothing for I will live in the perfect joy and peace of my eternal savior, Lord and King.

Proverbs 25:8-28
Romans 12:1, 2
Romans 6

Let the Past be the Past

Let the past be the past!
Move into the future!
Isaiah 43:25

When God delivered the Children of Israel from Egypt’s bondage they began to face many trials. Life was not always what they expected. They were pursued by Pharaohs’ army, facing an impassable Sea, hungry and thirsty in the hot desert. Their solution: Let’s just return to Egypt! At least things were not this bad while we were slaves. We had food and water. Yes, we had hard taskmasters, but at least we had food and shelter.
Is this a picture of the church sometimes?
Is this a picture of you?
Do we give up to easily when we are faced with a “Red Sea” experience?
Do we wish we were back in the slave quarters of Egypt?
Does the New Life in Christ seem more difficult than you had thought it would be?
Jesus told His followers they would have trials in this life. They would be tried, sifted, persecuted, but if they would hold fast, they would come forth as pure gold. Gold ore has to go through a refining process to come out pure. The furnace is heated to burn out all the dross.
In like manner Christians are put to the test. Do you believe in God? You will suffer persecution. Have we experienced all that Christ suffered for us? NO!
If you are in the midst of a ‘desert’ experience, just press on toward the Promised Land! Great things are waiting for you after the testing. Move forward into the trial, move toward the promise of a land flowing with milk and honey, move into the sweet relationship with your deliverer. And please, remember to enter in regardless of the ‘giants’ that seem to be ahead of you. The Israelites spent forty years in the wilderness because of unbelief. They did not enter in the first time because they looked at the problems, not the promise. Their hearts were still in Egypt, still wanting the old paths, the old ways.
MOVE ON! ENTER IN! Put the past where it belongs. Behind you! Be sure to remember also that you, like them, are not alone. The Lord is with you, every step of the way.

Frances Stewart
January 1, 2010

Born Again

Just like Jesus said!

John 3:3 and John 3:5, 6

What is eternal life and how can it be attained?
The man called Nicodemus came to Jesus by night, declared a belief that Jesus was a teacher from God because of the miracles which He had done, and Jesus answered with the statement,” Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Nicodemus, like many since that night, have asked, “How can this be?” In verse 5 Jesus clarifies the statement by saying” except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is Spirit.”
Every human being, except Adam and Eve, has been born of the flesh. God ordained the way of the natural conception and birth, which all have experienced. Even our Lord Jesus Christ was born in this natural way of the flesh, though not conceived in the normal way. He was conceived by the Holy Ghost and so was God with us, Emmanuel. It was necessary for Him to be the pure Son of God that He might be the Lamb without spot or blemish and thus worthy to become the pure sacrifice for the sin of mankind. All others are born with a sinful nature, inherited from fallen Adam. When Adam and Eve disobeyed God, the innocent nature with which they were created, was contaminated by sin, which was passed to each person after them. “For all have sinned and come short of the glory of God” Romans 3:23.
In Romans 5:12 we see that sin entered into the world and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned. God had told Adam and Eve that if they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil, they would surely die. The wages of sin (disobedience to God) is death. No, they did not die a natural death at that time, but they did die a spiritual death, and were separated from God, their creator, and physical death became a natural course for man.
When Jesus tells us that ‘we must be born again’, we often react as Nicodemus did. How can this happen? After Adam sinned, God ordained a sacrifice for man’s sin. Blood was shed to cover the nakedness of Adam and Eve. Under the Law, once a year, man had to bring a blood offering, called an atonement offering, before the Priests to receive forgiveness for the sins they had committed that year. This had to be repeated every year. But when the sinless Son of God became the sacrifice for the sins of all men who would receive and believe in Him, we do not have to carry that sin with us. When we accept the death and resurrection of Christ, the promise of the Father, Genesis 3:15, we are ‘born again’ born of the spirit, cleansed of our sins of the past, given a spiritual nature, and we become a child of God. John 1:12.
Does this mean we will never sin again? No, for we still live in a fleshly body and are subject to the temptation of that flesh, which is subject to Satan. Can we overcome this temptation? Most definitely!! For greater is He that is within us than he that is in the world. We have a new nature, and we become the temple of the Holy Ghost and thus are able to know and understand the mysteries of God.

Check Your Gauge

Check you gauge!!
Drivers of automobiles frequently check the gauge to the gas tank to be certain they are not left stranded by the roadside. Even so, as Christians we should be checking to make certain that we are not left stranded because we failed to check our supply of the Holy Spirit, the power that keeps us going..
In the parable of the ten virgins, they all started with oil. They thought it was enough to last until the bridegroom would come and their vigil would be ended.
But, when he finally arrived, after a long delay, some realized their lamps had gone out. I often wondered why they did not realize this until it was too late?
Now the bridegroom had arrived and it was too late to get a refill. Their source was gone.
We too are waiting for our bridegroom, Our King, Jesus, to appear to take us away. Are we allowing our power supply to run out?
We may be going through the motions of religious service, but are we checking our power source?
Jesus sent the Holy Ghost to endue (fill) us with power to witness of His saving grace and eternal life for all who would receive. John 1:12
It is our responsibility to keep our hearts full. To keep our life under His control. To keep our spirit under the control of the Holy Ghost. This same Holy Ghost will lift us into the air to meet our Savior and the loved ones who have gone before us! 1Thess. 3
If our lamps have gone out, if our soul is on empty for lack of attention to our spiritual life, we will be left behind according to Jesus’ story and He is the eternal truth!
Paul says, “How shall we escape if we neglect so great salvation?

Check you gauge!
Do not be caught on Empty!

Watch and pray for you know not what hour your Lord comes!!

Frances Stewart
2003

Complete in Him

Colossians 1:6-10
“You are complete in Him”.
I am complete in Him. I have received Him who was sent to redeem me. I am rooted and grounded in His Word. I walk as I have learned from His Word. I follow Christ therefore I am complete in Him.
(1) Complete in my faith!
I know and am fully confident, that my Lord will supply all my needs according to His riches in glory. I am confident that my Lord will take care of me as I walk with Him.
(2) Complete in my trust!
Yes. What my Lord has promised will happen! Did he make the world in its awesome precision? Did he create each flower, tree and grass for His glory? Did He make man in His own image—body, soul and spirit—for fellowship with Him? Did He send His only begotten Son to redeem man when man chose to disobey His rules? Even when he still turns his back on the truth, God calls man to repentance and restoration of fellowship. I trust such a loving Father, Savior, and Holy Spirit, fully and completely!
(3) I am complete in Joy
Jesus said, “I am come that your joy might be full”. I have fullness of joy in the midst of sorrow, joy in sickness, joy in tribulation and joy in adversity? Oh, yes, my joy is complete, for I am saved. I am saved to new life, saved by the divine power of a loving savior.
(4) I am complete in my contentment.
Why should I fear or be upset? The world offers many things, wealth, fame, possessions, but if I gain the world, and all it offers, and have not Christ and eternal life, what do I really have? I am content with what Christ has given me. He is ALL I need!
(5) I have complete peace.
The world around rages with wars and murders and evil of unimaginable proportions, but I have peace. I have a peace the world can not give nor can the world take my peace from me. Jesus said, “My peace I give to you”. I have peace in the center of turmoil and disasters, hardships and pain. I have peace.
(6) I have complete hope.
I will live forever. I will spend eternity with my Savior, Jesus Christ, and the eternal one. He said,”I go to prepare a place for you” “I am the door, if any one enters in, he shall be with me” “If you abide in me, I shall abide in you”. “I go that where I am, you may be also”. “For the Lord himself shall descend from heaven with a shout, then we which are alive and remain shall be caught up together with the dead in Christ, in the clouds and meet our Lord in the air and so shall we ever be with Him. 1 Thess. 4:15-17
Complete in Him, I am complete in Him! In Christ we lack no good thing.


Frances Stewart
November 26, 2005

WHAT IF?

What if the modern conveniences had never been invented or discovered?
What if there were no Automobiles? No washers or driers? No microwave ovens?
No telephones let alone cellular phones? What if there were no computers to help us organize or entertain us? What if there were NO TECH messages?
What if there was no facebook to comment on daily? No myspace to communicate with friends and all?
How could we possibly manage in this world without all this?

But here is an even more staggering thought.
What if Jesus had not come as Savior for fallen mankind?
What if God had not loved us so much He would send His only begotten Son to pay the penalty for OUR (MY) sin?
What if there were no demonstrations of Love?
What if we had no example to follow of gentleness, love, mercy or grace?
What if the only example we saw was of hatred, anger, evil, murder and mayhem?
I can not imagine trying to make it through this life without the One who is called the good shepherd (John 10:11) the one who is “mediator between God and man”, Timothy 2:5) or the one who is called “King of kings and Lord of lords”, Rev.19:16.
I am so thankful that Jesus DID come into this world “to give his life a ransom” for all who would believe. Mark 10:45.
John 10:10 tells us that He came that we might have life, and that we might have it more abundantly. In Philippians 4:13 Paul says we can do all things through Him. The whole duty of man is to fear the Lord and keep His commandments. Ecclesiastes 12:13.
Unfortunately, there are many in this world who do not accept this truth as ‘fact’. They chose to live their life according to their own concept of what is right or wrong. They may be fine people, worthy of imitation. They demonstrate pure speech, a respectful attitude, and even are caring about those less fortunate than themselves. But NO human is ‘good’ all of the time. Each person makes mistakes sometimes. We all have feet of clay, and are prone to commit errors in judgment, for ‘all have sinned and come short of the glory of God’, Romans 3:23. Jesus Christ alone is worthy of imitation because He is perfect all the time. He knew NO sin, I Peter 2:21-22. The wages of sin is death because sin separates a person from God, Romans 6:23; Isaiah 59:1-2. Thank God He loved us enough to send Jesus ‘into the world to save sinners’, Timothy 1:15; Ephesians 1:7. Jesus is the only name under heaven whereby we must be saved, Acts 4:12. Without Him we could never enjoy the forgiveness of sins, and enter into a new fellowship with the Father.
“I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life’, John 8:12. Do you need some direction for your life? Do you need someone to imitate that can give you hope, and lead you into eternal life. Titus1:2
The choice is yours; we can live with him or without Him, Choose wisely as your choice will determine your eternal destiny. To live with Him means to live according to His will, in accordance with His Holy Word. Can you do that? Of course not in your own strength, but whom He saves, He also gives POWER to become the children of God. We are not left alone; He is there every moment of every day, to shine His light on our path, to endue us with power from the Holy Ghost, to help us overcome each obstacle that falls into our path.
God rules over all things! He is in control. You may not understand His reasons but you can surely trust His purpose!
Trust God to work out all things in His time. Make the choice to keep the gauge on ‘full’ at all times. Look forward to the fulfillment of every promise of God.
Acts 2:23 tells us God has always had a plan, for His creation. Acts 4:27-28; John 10:10; Galatians 5:1.

Frances Stewart
August 4, 2007

conflict

Conflict!

In this world we shall have troubles!
There are always people who will not agree with us. There will always be someone who will not be friendly or considerate of other people’s feelings. There will be conflicts!
The question is, “How do I handle these conflicts that arise in my life, that make me afraid or miserable?”
Luke 12:12 tells us ‘for the Holy Ghost shall teach you in the same hour what you ought to say.’

1. Ask the Holy Spirit what is behind the conflict. What is the real reason the other person is acting the way they are, and how should I respond to them. What is their motive for the outrageous behavior?
2. Maintain a quiet spirit when you are attacked. Let the Lord defend you. If at all possible, do not answer them, remain silent and let the Lord work.
3. Make NO attempt to defend yourself. The enemy won’t know how to respond to silence and inactivity.
4. Ask the Holy Spirit to put a seal on your lips, guard your lips and tongue at all times. Psalms 141:3: Set a watch, O Lord, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips. 4. Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practice wicked works with men that work iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties. Your inaction or silence will cause them to stop and think about their behavior.
5. View the conflict as coming from God. Ask Him what you can learn from this conflict. Do not be angry, critical or respond to them. God will give you grace and keep you from wrong response.
6. Ask the Holy Spirit IF and WHERE you are at fault!! Psalms 139:23 Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my thoughts.
7. ASK “Is there any other suggestions to be helpful to me?” Apologize even if you are not wrong. HUMILITY ALWAYS WINS! When you do respond, do it in a Godly fashion. Forgive them, even if they are totally wrong. Ephesians 4:30-32. Our response should be like Christ, our example.
We always want to remember that Christ forgave us and we want to respond properly, as God leads us: No anger, animosity, wrath, jealousy, hostility, bitterness for these will destroy us!
Ask God what His purpose is for allowing this conflict to be in your life. It may be to help us mature, enable us to be a better witness, a better example of His Glory so we might win more souls for Him.

CONFLICT IS INEVITABLE! HOW YOU HANDLE IT IS YOUR CHOICE!
ALWAYS RESPOND TO CONFLICT IN A GODLY MANNER!

Trust in the Lord

Trust in the Lord
Proverbs 3:3-12

What are the rewards for trusting in the Lord?

One of the common questions of today is “what’s in it for me’?
So if we read the scripture and it tells us “forget not my law” and “let thine heart keep my commandments” our first thought becomes “why?” The answer is clear, because if you seek for any peace or joy in this world, we find it only in serving and trusting in the Lord

Next question is “how do I learn to trust in Him?”
“Let not mercy and truth forsake thee; bind them about your neck, write them upon the table of thine heart; so shalt thou find favor and good understanding in the sight of God and man.” The more we learn about God and what He expects from his children, the more we can trust Him. His word is certain and his promise is sure to those who seek for him and try to understand what he expects from us. When you read His Word, you find that He reveals Himself to you. He shows Himself to those who seek Him. As you pray and understand His great love and mercy for us, then our faith becomes trust and we know that He will not bring dishonor unto himself by not keeping His word. Thus we hold fast to mercy and truth, which are His attributes, and we shall find favor in the sight of God and of man.
Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths. Proverbs 3:5, 6
/verse 7 says “Be not wise in thine own eyes; fear the Lord, and depart from evil” We must be careful in whom we trust! Do we trust the Lord or do we put our confidence in the arm of flesh? Do we acknowledge Him? Or do we say “see what I have done”? So we fear the Lord, stand in awe of our awesome God. If we respect Him we can trust His direction for our life. Depart from evil and it will be good for us. His promise is health for our body and soul. Verse 9 “Honor the Lord with thy substance and with the first fruits of all thine increase. So shall thy barns be filled with plenty and thy presses shall burst out with new wine.” Do we seek to honor Him in ALL that we do? Our words, our actions, our giving, our very breath is because we trust HIM and seek to bring honor to His name. Obedience to our Lord, trusting Him for all things, will bring the promise of blessing into our life every day.
“My son, despise not the chastening of the Lord; neither be weary of his correction. For whom the Lord loves he corrects, even as a father the son in whom he delights.” The Lord brings correction into our life only to bring us into a good relationship with Him, because he loves us and he wants us to receive all that he can give to us.
“Certain restrictions apply”, have we all read these words on warranty’s. In all fairness, God can not bless those who are disobedient the same as he blesses an obedient child. . The appearance of a blessing, such a prosperity or success, does not always mean it is of God. We, as his children trust him for our needs and we are also guaranteed a spiritual blessing which is worth so much more. As an added bonus, we have the promise of eternity with our Lord and Savior. “I will give you the crown of life’.

Proverbs 13:20 He that walks with wise men shall be wise; but a companion of fools shall be destroyed.

Proverbs 4:23, Keep thy heart with all diligence for out of it are the issues of life.
Frances Stewart, June 12, 2006

Check It Out

A recent trip to the Emergency Room gave me serious time to think. After checking my head wound and seeing to the cut above my eye, the Doctor made the decision to admit me to the hospital for observation. My dissent brought this profound statement. “Only a fool would not take the time to find the REASON for your fall, we need to get to the root of the problem and check you out.”

On a spiritual level this statement makes even more sense to me.
What is the real reason for all the problems in this life?
Why am I so depressed? So unhappy? So addicted to the things that only bring me more grief and despair?
Have you ‘checked out’ your relationship with your Creator?
Mankind was created for fellowship with God .Genesis 1: 26-28. When sin came into the picture, that sweet fellowship was lost. Genesis 3. Christ came into the world to redeem us from that ‘lost’ position and restore each of us to fellowship when we are ‘born again’ by the Spirit through faith. Romans 10:9, 10, 13. John 3:16.
John 3:3, 5 tells us we must be ‘born again’ of the Spirit of God. So you see our relationship with God MUST be restored before we can find true peace, true joy, and true happiness, true redemption from sin’s bondage.
Maybe you say, “But I do not believe the Bible nor do I believe in a creator God”. Well there again is a great reason for ‘checking’ things out. Scripture holds many references to those who do not believe. God calls them ‘fools, which means a ‘simpleton’ or a silly, unwise one.’
Psalms 14:1; the fool has said in his heart, there is no God.
Proverbs 1:7 the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
CHECK OUT Matthew 23:17; Luke 24; 25; Romans 1:22; Ephesians 5:14-21.
In John 1:12 and 13 we learn that as many as receive him, to them he gives power to become the sons of God, to those who believe on His name. We are born not of the flesh, but of the will of God.
Don’t you think something as important as eternal life is worth your time to open your heart and
CHECK IT OUT!


August 11, 2009

A Grateful Heart

1 Thessalonians 5:18 in everything give thanks, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.
Ephesians 5:20 Giving thanks always for all things unto God and the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ
Philippians 4:4 rejoice in the Lord always and again I say, rejoice.
In 2 Corinthians 6:10 Paul tells us that we ‘may be sorrowful, yet rejoicing’
“Let the redeemed of the Lord say so.” I like to think that everyday is a time to give thanks to our God and creator.
When I look out and see the sunshine, when I look out and see the rain, I can give thanks to my God for those things. Just the simple fact that I wake up in the morning is a time for rejoicing.
We often pray over our meals, giving thanks for our daily bread. We thank God for health, and healings, we thank Him for the times we have with family and friends, we thank Him that we have freedom to worship our God.
So many things to be thankful for, but sometimes we do not feel like rejoicing or being thankful. Things are not going so well for us. Problems keep coming up in our daily life and we just can not get past those situations.
But it is our choice to keep looking at those problems. We should turn our eyes upon our Lord, for our help comes from Him. Turn your eyes upon Jesus, look at all the promises He has given us. He said to: Ask, and we would receive, Knock and the doors of opportunity would be opened, Seek His help and it will be found.
Look at the promises not the problems. All too often our thoughts and our eyes are captured by things that are not beneficial in our life. Doubts and fears come into our hearts and we doubt that our God is in control.If you are His child, He will take care of you. If you have accepted Jesus Christ, His Son, into your heart, then God will take care of you.
God sacrificed His only begotten Son that YOU might have ever lasting life. John 3:16. Why would He not see that every promise He made would work for you??

Look at the promise, not the problem
Look at the opportunity and not the obstacle in your path.
God is able. Give THANKS in everything. God is in control.
If you have not accepted the wonderful gift of salvation, open your heart to Jesus.
Romans 10:9 tells us that if we confess with our mouth and believe in our hearts that Jesus died and rose again, we shall be saved.

GOD SPEAKS

God speaks “by the pressure of circumstances”.
Nothing touches our lives but it is God speaking. What do I hear? His voice or the rush of the circumstances or daily events of my life? Peter walked on water while his eyes were on Jesus! Isaiah heard the voice of God and answered, “Here I am Lord”, “Speak Lord I hear you.” When circumstances press our lives, we must respond. Oh, that I can remember that the Lord wants to speak to me through this. I must practice listening for His voice in every situation. John 10:27, 28, 29.
When God speaks, we must obey or risk losing our fellowship with God. When we hear, it is our responsibility to act, without seeking advice from anyone. The Holy Spirit has been assigned the task of leading us into all truth, to let Him do his job in your life.
My circumstances are causing me to make a choice: to listen or to ignore the voice of God. Remember, you always have a choice.
Prayer:
What must I do now, Lord? I will listen! I see you in all the wonders of your creation; therefore, I know you care for me. Man is made in your image, but he made the wrong choice. Then, because of your love and mercy, you sent your Son to redeem fallen man. You do give good gifts to your children. Luke 11:13, your Word declares your faithfulness and I believe you, Lord. I trust you to speak to my spirit, to reveal your course of action to me so that I may walk in your will. Let me be free from the yoke in which I have entangled myself. I meant no wrong, Lord, in giving to much where it was needed. I know now I must control and be certain of the need. I will use what is at hand, Lord. The woman in the Word had only a little oil, but you made it “enough” for her situation. All I ask is enough, to be free from this snare, to be free to give to your work and to life free in the Spirit.
Genesis 1:26 Genesis 3 John 3:16, 17 2 Kings 4:1-7


Frances Stewart
July, 2005

We Only Know In Part!

Isaiah 49:16; Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me.
“I have written your name on my hand”.

As I gaze into the face of my nineteenth great grandchild, I am filled with an overwhelming sense of awe, adoration and amazement. The wonder turns into an attitude of prayer, a sense of repetition as I remember each of my children, grandchildren and great grandchildren that have found me in this same place. I have been blessed to hold in my arms and look into the faces of God’s great gift of life and creation. I remember that each time this happens to me, and I find myself repeating the same process of wonder, I sense the compassion of my God and know that He is near, even closer than I could imagine.

In my spirit I sense a closer connection to my God who is the source of all life. I feel His presence, sense His pride and love for His creation, the human family. I know, if only in part, what He feels as He looked upon His creation in the beginning. I can, in part, know His great love for all humanity without respect of persons, for each child I have been permitted to hold has been of equal value and been afforded an equal place in my heart. Oh, the mystery of it all! That each child has an equal place within my soul is truly a miracle of my God.

I can, in part, know His great and equal love for all humanity, His greater pain at the rejection of His great love and sacrifice. If only in part, I can sense the agony of knowing someone I love and care for so deeply will make the choice to spend their life and eternity separated from His love, His peace, His sustaining power. Their choice will not only separate them from their God, but from me as well. That thought is unbearable to me and my spirit once again groans for them to make the right choice.

For me to be separated by mere miles for a little while is disturbing and I long daily to see those dear faces, hear the sweet voices in laughter or even in discord. So I can sense His greater pain, but only in part. How can we become so insensitive to the feelings of our Creator, our Redeemer, and the Lover of our souls? His compassion fails not, it is renewed every morning. He has written our name in the palm of His hand! He longs for the fellowship of His children. The price which was paid for our redemption was the life of His only begotten Son. How can we neglect so great salvation?

My prayer continually is, "Lord, use me and the steps I take, the words I speak, the deeds I do guide others safely home to You.”