Father, help us please.

Father God,

I am so thankful you have found me and many others as Your children. And as Your child I know you want the best for me and that You long for many others to seek Your counsel too.

As your child I have a need that needs meeting; it's the need to have You closer to me, but sadly I and many others who have this same need also have desires which push You away. And now Father, I ask for help.

"Abba, Father, will you please break the cycle in our lives which affect my life as well as my children's life?" I/we need Your intervention to break the hold of unhealthy addictions, You know which ones we struggle with.

LORD I know the children were at one time held accountable for the sins of their parents.
Your Word says in the book of Numbers;
"The Lord is slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, forgiving iniquity and transgression, but he will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, to the third and the fourth generation.’ Numbers 14:18 (ESV)

Father let this not be, for I know You are the Father of Mercy and of Grace and these scriptures below show it.
In those days they shall no longer say: “‘The fathers have eaten sour grapes,
and the children's teeth are set on edge.’ Jeremiah 31:29 (ESV)

and

The soul who sins shall die.The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father, nor the father suffer for the iniquity of the son.The righteousness of the righteous shall be upon himself, and the wickedness of the wicked shall be upon himself.
Ezekiel 18:20 (ESV)

Father, let Your will be done as these two latter verses state and not be as the former. We, Your children, who are in crisis brought about by addiction, need your divine guidance and deliverance. We need Your love and we need Your forgiveness, we need Your strength and we need Your children's compassion, we need empathy while we battle our demons.

Father, may I say I/we are afraid that this cycle of release and confinement has broken us down and pushed us to the very edge, the cliff that threatens to give way at any second awaits, seeking to plunge us into the abyss of isolation.
I am worried and I am scared for the lives of the children we have LORD, I'm afraid that they will fall under this curse and I feel helpless to stop it.

But You Father, You can stop this, You can take this away, You can lift me from this edge and You can set me safely in the valley! You can keep the children from following in my steps.
And Father I pray for Your Spirit to fill my veins and to strengthen my/our own spirit when it has become weary, I pray this revolving door will be nailed shut and that another door will open for us that leads us closer to You.

Father, I pray this in Your Son Jesus' name, amen.

Holy Spirit

What'll you have? Our specials tonight, "Fire on the Mountain" presented in dazzling brilliance ; We also have the "Living Water" served in overflowing abundance and last, but certainly not least "Faith built on the Rock" which is the house special.
Please remember to drink in the Spirit responsibly ☺

Who are we?

I applaud your effort to bring about change in a church that acts sometimes exactly as the Pharisee.
I have been told that I have hidden behind the scriptures and though the person who said this I doubt is a believer, because they took enough of their time to share scripture with me that seemed relevant, I became engrossed in re-examining myself and this continues on a daily basis.
With those who are from a secular world scrutinizing our daily activies, we may give them plenty of opportunities to find fault in our word or deed.
But imagine and to their surprise, if we were actually to listen and heed there criticism and they were to witness a change in us they were not expecting, what a wonderful tribute to a loving and Living God we would pay!

If not now...

No time left for us; these may be the last days to hold onto our resolutions we have made for a new year. If ever you are to keep a promise, may it be the one to believe that Jesus Christ is Lord!

With this new year now upon us, we must boldly proclaim that our only hope for life comes through Jesus. You and I are His witnesses and as such we must move forward to deliver His message of hope, but we must move quickly, for the enemy, the great deceiver who is Satan is among us and he has been working in opposition to us at a relentless pace. We are all that stands between this Adversary of God and those who have yet to make a commitment to follow the One and only God, the Creator of all that is good and righteous.

The Bible says several times over and in many books; old and new testaments alike; the time is come; Psalm 105: Have compassion on Zion, for the appointed time has come. Isaiah 60: Arise and shine, your light has come and the glory of the LORD has dawned. Mark 1: The time has come; the kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news! Finally and most importantly in Revelation 14: it says “Fear God and give him glory, because the hour of his judgment has come."
The time has come, we have only our mouths and our hands to make known to all other inhabitants of this earth that He is returning, but in this next coming He is coming to reap from a crop from that which has been sown along with the weeds. All will be harvested; but then the harvest will be sorted and those who are judged not to be wholesome, will be thrown into the fire.

You know the hardest part about keeping a promise? It is commitment; with commitment you must continually apply yourself to that which you have made a vow to keep. It is as simple as keeping your word. A key ingredient of keeping your promise is to be consistent in your thought and deed and not to give up even when you are under attack, whether verbally or physically, you must stay focused on your goal and that goal is to give to the LORD all of yourself.

Saint Paul said "To the weak we must become weak, to win them over to Christ" Paul said "He became all things, to all men so that he might win some." He also stated that we do not go into training to win a race only to race aimlessly, we train for a purpose and that purpose is to succeed. 1 Corinthians 9

 The time is running down for us I believe; everyday we see or hear of end time prophecies or of rumors of war. When I was younger and living on a naval base in San Diego in 1980 the sky, at 2:30 in the afternoon turned blood red and that was pretty scary, but not prophetic, what was prophetic is how the earth and her islands were and are shaking with increased frequency. Look at our recent earthquake, although it thankfully was not severe as to cause loss of life,

 It should be grabbing our attention as to our vulnerability and that our hour can come at any time. Are we ready for the end of our time? Have we used what God has given us to tell others that one day He is coming back?

There was a prophet who spoke to his native Israel concerning an end of time, but they did not seem to listen and were destroyed. This message is still active in today’s world, all seasons and all creatures have an end time, and will we listen to his message? Will we obey?

From Jeremiah 8:4-9

 ⁴ “Say to them, ‘This is what the LORD says:  “‘When men fall down, do they not get up?
   When a man turns away, does he not return?
⁵ Why then have these people turned away? Why does Jerusalem always turn away?
They cling to deceit; they refuse to return.
⁶ I have listened attentively, but they do not say what is right. No one repents of his wickedness,
   saying, “What have I done?” Each pursues his own course like a horse charging into battle.
⁷ Even the stork in the sky knows her appointed seasons, and the dove, the swift and the thrush
   observe the time of their migration. But my people do not know the requirements of the LORD.

 ⁸ “‘How can you say, “We are wise, for we have the law of the LORD,” when actually the lying pen of the scribes has handled it falsely?
⁹ The wise will be put to shame; they will be dismayed and trapped. Since they have rejected the word of the LORD, what kind of wisdom do they have?

The prophet speaks for the LORD asking “What kind of wisdom do they have?” Well in this day we can look around and see what sort of wisdom we believe in. So much emphasis is placed on beauty, on education, on jobs; it is placed on meals, on jewelry and on results; still more is placed on athletic ability, or on entertainment and of course the bottom line, but how much wisdom do we place on doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD. Sunday mornings or afternoons, is that our wisdoms extent when it comes to our time with the LORD?

If I make you feel uneasy that is my intent, in fact I want to make my own self feel uneasy, for there is much to lose when we do everything the easy way. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. Matthew 7:13b

I have studied a little about time; I have sought who might have come up with the concept of measuring it and for what reason. This remains a mystery as I’m sure many people began to notice the changes in the heavens and the repetitions that these celestial bodies made and so the concept of measuring time. What wisdom do we suppose we get from our understanding of time? Newton; Einstein, and Dawkins; the last having no belief in God at all; what does this have to do with God you might ask?

Let me read to you what Dawkins says about time in his book “A Brief History of Time”

Dawkins says “…with the distance from the North Pole representing imaginary time and the size of the circle of constant distance from the North Pole representing the spatial size of the universe. The universe starts at the North Pole as a single point. As one moves south, the circles of latitude at constant distance from the North Pole get bigger,
 corresponding to the universe expanding with imaginary time. ... Even though the universe would have zero size at the North and South Poles, these points would not be singularities. ... The laws of science will hold at them ... The history in real time, however, will look very different...
After describing the real time appearance as beginning in a singularity he then wonders which is the "real" time:-
This might suggest that the so-called imaginary time is really the real time, and that what we call real time is just a figment of our imaginations. In real time, the universe has a beginning and an end in singularities that form a boundary to space-time and at which the laws of science break down. But in imaginary time, there are no singularities or boundaries. so maybe what we call imaginary time is more basic, and what we call real time is just an idea we invent to help us describe what we think the universe is really like.
Here is a man of science speaking about imaginary time, something that can not be proven and can not be measured. In his mind God is imaginary as well, but I know better and so do you. Now can I tell you what this wisdom about time has to do with God? Absolutely nothing; in God’s Spirit and through his servants David and later Peter, God tells them a thousand years is like a day.
The real wisdom here is not in knowing how to tell time, but in what you should do with the time you have. For everything has a season that has already been predetermined by God Himself; we are just to follow His watch and try to synch our time with His. The best definition of watch is this verb description of the word.
Verb:   Look at or observe attentively, typically over a period of time.
Ezekiel 33:7
⁷ “Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from me.
Ecclesiastes 12:14
¹⁴ For God will bring every deed into judgment, including every hidden thing, whether it is good or evil.
2 John 1:8
⁸ Watch out that you do not lose what you have worked for, but that you may be rewarded fully.
Ephesians 6:18
¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

Fess the Mess

                                               Fess the Mess

When your life is in a terrible mess and those who know you, want to know you less

They don’t want to hear about selfishness; and all you want is to be blessed

What agonizing pain has you in its test, with no one around to share your stress

It’s time to stop pulling at your tress, and move away from all distress

What you could use is some success, to help you beat this loneliness

Of all your sin you must confess and turn to Him who will give you rest

From your former self you must regress, and clothe yourself in righteousness

Propose a smile as your new dress, because the Groom expects to hear a yes

Without a Voice?

Without a Voice?
Imagine suddenly you have lost your voice; how will you communicate your feelings to the world around you? I suppose most of us have lost our voice in some way or to some extent before, perhaps from straining our vocal chords while supporting the home team or due to illness.
This is only a small part of what I want to share with you; I want to speak of our spiritual voice, that voice that speaks to God or the groans that speak to Him, as in the 26th verse from the eighth book of Romans: In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans.
You must have heard the saying "If a tree falls in the forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound"? Did you know this saying originates from a philosophical question? It is a statement that asks for an answer of "do we believe in what we can not perceive?" This is a mega question in my opinion and this is the perfect form of 'faith' as a statement. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Treatise_Concerning_the_Principles_of_Human_Knowledge
Surely "Silence is Golden", but to what purpose will it serve if we can not deliver a clear and concise message?
Lately, I have had a bunch to say about sin and repentance; that brings about another fold to this question of silence and that would be "do your prayers go unanswered because of sin"? Look to the above verse from Romans, can you not see we do have an Intercessor?
Desperately I want God to hear and answer my prayers, whether they are for someone else or for myself and with equal or greater enthusiasm I will try to lead a life that is pleasing to Him, but I bring forth my best, even after showing my worst as in times of weakness. Should we think God so unlike the rest of the world, as a Listener, albeit Jehovah Shama (Shaw Mah') -being One in the same as a God who hears us-who would hear complaint after complaint and without praise, as if a ungrateful child?
Do you know Zechariah; the father of John the Baptist, he could not speak because of unbelief of the future birth of his son (NT)... Look at Hannah (OT); wife of Elkanah and mother to Samuel; the prophet and priest, she was seen praying, but no words were uttered from her mouth and she appeared drunk!
Fortunately, for some including myself, we can look to God as our Father. A God so good that He can see beyond our blunders and recognize our true heart and all this without us making more sound than a tear rolling off our cheek or a sigh when we know we have wronged. Going back to the beginning of this writing, regardless of what others might say (perception), if your heart is truly devoted to God He will hear you and He will comfort you (prodigals), every time!

Child like

Reality, what is it? Treading through Wikipedia and other sources it defines something or someone that actually exists or existed and events that are occurring or have occurred. How do we know what we have seen, heard, felt etc. is real? how many have to agree for something to become reality, 2 or 3 perhaps? How about thousands and hundreds of thousands, would reality then be considered fact?

Outer space reality or fact? Could we say outer space has no end, is space infinite and for that matter how deep can we explore matter, as in under a microscope? Will we ever be satisfied as a people with only one answer for say Pluto as a planet or a dwarf planet or...Is it true that one and one make two? How about one man and one woman making more humans, now one and one may become three, four, five...So truth and fact, are they the same? Is reality part of the same equation alongside truth and fact. Let's go back to outer space, does this space end, for if it does, what lies beyond?

Many men and women are wondering just this exact same question, what lies beyond??? My thought is that the universe is never ending and that there may be other dimensions, other routes that lead to different galaxies and ultimately I believe there is other life forms out there, all of this yet to be discovered en masse.

I can not go any further without mentioning my belief in God and in a Spirit of God and furthermore a Christ. I believe the third person, Christ, has already walked upon this earth. I believe he will return and I believe those who truly believe in him and those whose actions confirm them as having the qualities of the Christ within their own spirit; will be spirited away together to join with God, as sons and daughters. Now, this is my thought and some will agree and some will disagree. It does not matter to me which side you fall on, I respect your reality or truth and I even learn from others, as i said man/woman is constantly searching. I believe I have found one constant in all this reality, truth and fact and that is Christ died for me, so I might live forever, not as I am now, but as I was meant to be and there are others already. Elijah, Enoch, my father, all in Heaven? This is my truth and my hope.

If you do not believe in more, there is only less.

Creation theory again?

Did you know that a vacuum will not transfer heat? Think of your thermos hot foods hot and cold foods cold; it will not allow the transfer of thermal energy from outside of the thermos to affect the contents inside the thermos.
of course this is man-made and over time will leak the energy(thermal) inside to the outside and vice versa. Now in outerspace this is different, yes there are leaks as in radiation, but mostly it is a very stable vacuum.
Now, please consider the present Big-Bang theory. The universe is created from matter-whereever that came from-and this matter explodes and radiates outward at speeds I suppose of light and faster, now in space there is no gravity such as we have on earth and it does not transfer heat. This is the question part then:Without being able to stop and being very hot, how is it possible that water is even found on this planet earth, how could it have even combined with a molten blob hurtling through space almost indefinately? Just one of my crazy questions.
Genesis 1
The Beginning
1 In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2 Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.
Written before any scientist ever proposed a theory like Big-bang and expansion.
This holds water for sure. Living and holy. The Word.

As always, the choice is yours to make.☺

Let’s Make a Deal?

Do you remember the famous game show of the 1960’s and 70’s featuring co-creator and host Monty Hall’s always inquisitive statement of “Do you want what is behind door number one, two or three?”
Well just like that, you have a choice to make, you turn to the audience, your friends, looking for suggestions to help you make a correct choice, but ultimately that choice rests on your shoulders. Suppose you listen to a member of the audience and you choose door number two, when the curtains are pulled away, a goat is brought into view standing next to a feeding trough.
Monty questions you again and this time he asks “Are you happy with your choice or do you wish to choose what is behind one of the other curtains?” Well upon first examination, most of us would change our minds and go with another door, but it is not always easy, nor is it always possible to do that.
Here lies the cause of some of the worst follies we as a person can make. We desire to have good things happen for us at all times, that sometimes we lose sight of what we already have received. We have forgotten to wait patiently and without complaint for the LORD’s providence to blossom and then flourish in our lives, we can’t always have things work the way we expect them to.
Now that reminds me of a song; by the Rolling Stones, it is called, “You Can’t Always Get What You Want” and goes something like this:
You can't always get what you want
But if you try sometimes well you just might find
You get what you need
Getting what we need, that is something to talk about isn’t it? Let’s talk about what man’s basic needs are for a second. What do you know them to be? Let’s list them, one by one and see if they have been met.
1) Sunlight/Energy/One thing that makes life possible here on Earth
2) Food/Sustenance
3) Water/Hydration
4) Shelter/Protection
5) Clothing/Protection
6) Affection/Relationship

 

Robert Mayhew

I know there may be more or there could feel like there are more needs than have been covered, but seriously we must ask ourselves “Do we really need more than these?”
Why, must we always have more than we already possess? I’m just asking this almost as a question to God above and my self within, because in some ways, to desire more than we have is not all bad, if we desire in a right minded attitude. We should desire to have no more hunger and to end poverty, at least to some scale. We need to have a sense of purpose of self- worth, I believe when we pray, we should ask God to reveal to us how we can contribute to reach these goals, this is true enrichment in life.
Let me ask this “How does it feel to make another person smile?” Now, let me ask you this, “What did you have to give away from your needs to supply the needs of this other person?”
Was your answer “time”, was it “money”. Now a second question, was your answer of what you gave up, a subtraction from your needs or an addition to them? This is not a question to make you feel less than adequate about yourself, this is more a question to make you find out what part of your own needs are not being met.
We can’t be sustained forever on love alone, but without the companionship of others surely we die a slow and agonizing death. I feel my own life has changed drastically in the last few years and even though I lack certain abilities when it comes to the affection department, I am still hopeful that my God will continue to work on me and help turn around the prior years of indifference and ignorance of what real need is.
With the coming of Passover and Easter, I’m reminded of another pursuit “Freedom”
Freedom, now we could call this a want, but I believe we would be very unconvincing even to ourselves. No, I believe freedom is more of a need, in some form or another we all need certain amounts of liberty to enjoy what others sometimes take for granted.
With that in mind, Passover is an observance of freedom gained from the Egyptians by crossing the Red Sea and not being held in bondage by another people, but being allowed to become their own person, their own people.
Easter, that is a similar story, Easter represents a more personal freedom, one than can only be taken from you if you allow it to be. It was by the act of One, that now each of us has a chance to reclaim an inheritance that was lost from the time of original sin and what’s more, we can continue to share in the choice we made with others. They in turn can make the decision to choose what is right for them, they can choose to have life and have all their needs met and even some wants or they may choose to possess something unseen and unknown and may even give up that choice as quickly as they chose the preceding one, never fully understanding what their choices meant for them until, there are no more choices left.
If we are given time to decide our own paths, we must certainly seek counsel from the LORD above to help us choose wisely and if we have very little time, than we must choose from our conscience, which hopefully has allowed God’s indwelling to be a constant state of our own spirituality.
There comes for each of us that time, the time when our last choice becomes our final choice. This is why we must continue to take a census of ourselves on a regular basis. Do we feel we are actually benefactors of the choices we have made or , like I have done all too often in my past, made choices by impulsive thought, without giving much thought to what we already have.
These choices we make can be very exciting and they can also be scary. To follow the path that Christ has laid out before us, is a path that will have obstacles and hardships, sometimes we will want to stray from it, seeking those “greener pastures” that we will no doubt hear of from others. Yet we must continue to endure these tests, if we allow ourselves to be overcome by the vices that affect a large portion of society today, we may for a time find friendship and even pleasure, but as things begin to wane, as an apple tree slowly sheds it’s fruit, less and less people come to share in the harvest and as the remnant of the harvest lies decomposing on the ground, eventually even the gleanings have become inedible.
Such is the same for life when acted out only in a self-gratifying manner. God was not put here by man; God is not here to serve man. Man is here at the pleasure of God, to serve one another to the glory of God and along that journey if man makes wise and not foolish choices. Then he, man will share in the fruits of the harvest and that is not meaning to say in a material harvest,-although that is possible-but that means the correct choices are rewarded by sharing in the harvest of greatest need, which is “Love” and God’s providence will surely sustain our other needs.
Now with all that being said, what role do you play actively or inactively in your own happiness and the happiness of those around you? Will you rely on chance to determine and define who you are?
Acts 15:7-11 (King James Version)
7And when there had been much disputing, Peter rose up, and said unto them, Men and brethren, ye know how that a good while ago God made choice among us, that the Gentiles by my mouth should hear the word of the gospel, and believe.
8And God, which knoweth the hearts, bare them witness, giving them the Holy Ghost, even as he did unto us;
9And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.
10Now therefore why tempt ye God, to put a yoke upon the neck of the disciples, which neither our fathers nor we were able to bear?
11But we believe that through the grace of the LORD Jesus Christ we shall be saved, even as they.
In closing, I ask you give yourselves another chance, a chance to allow God to dwell in your daily life, a chance to not hold ourselves to such unbearable and unrealistic standards as we are only man and not God and allow ourselves to commit errors and then seek His counsel and His forgiveness. For there is to be no other way to come to LORD, if we do not first seek Him in everything we do, even in games of chance there are probabilities, there are odds and everyone of us should seek to win. But when it comes to life, this is not a game; there are two paths, good and evil. Which one you choose in this life will also affect the one for eternity in the life hereafter and for those who are willing to endure the long and sometimes rather grueling race, He will reward us by saying “Well done, good and faithful servant, well done.”

Psalm for Today

A Co-heirs Creed

 When all else has seemed to fail and no human effort found to prevail
Consider Him who knew us first, it is through Him we can quench our thirst
Let us close our eyes and not our mind, seeking His counsel for an answer to find
Having fallen prostrate before His throne, at once we realize we are nevermore alone
Lord, pull us from this pit into which we fell, we cry out for help in Your name, Imanuel
If it is Your will to rescue us, then set us upon the hill as beacons of hope and trust
I have been set apart by Jesus
Because I believe He came to free us
Reclaimed from the world’s ill fit
And made a co-heir through the Spirit
Now that the foe has been made known and we are revealed by the true Light shown
The search for our true purpose that caused us to roam, has now lead us through Jesus to our glorious home
Where once we were dying in everyday, we have now been lead by the Light and Truth by the Way
It was through this world that I was born and it was through this world that I am torn
But just as every rose has its thorn, a diamond must first be cut from the rough before it is worn
What was only before a glimmer seen afar, has now been revealed through Christ a bright and shining star
I have been set apart by Jesus
Because I believe He came to free us
Reclaimed from the world’s ill fit
And made a co-heir through the Spirit
When I was feeling at my worst and had forgotten whom to consult on this matter first
It was only through this lingering dread I remembered Him who is our Living Bread
Daily, I feed the needs I pine from Him who changed water into wine
Now the only fear I have to dread, would be to not share with others the Living Bread
So through this song of hope and praise, I hope I inspire others through their days
Do remember the LORD, for He is always there and your inheritance awaits you because of His care
I have been set apart by Jesus
Because I believe He came to free us
Reclaimed from the world’s ill fit
And made a co-heir through the Spirit

By Robert Mayhew as inspired through the Holy Spirit
© 2011 Co-heirs with Christ

A Matter of Trust

A Matter of Trust
 Picture yourself at a beautiful beach, perhaps in the Caribbean and while basking in the sun and enjoying its warm and caressing rays you become thirsty. Not being from the region, you decide to have a diet Coke instead of the usual ice water you would drink. The afternoon sun gently gives way to the cooling winds and you decide to return to your room to freshen up and pursue dinner, but where and what to eat? You saw a McDonalds while taking the shuttle bus to the hotel, but hey, you’re on an island surrounded by water and you really want seafood not some flown in frozen beef patty right? But can I trust that it will be safe to eat, will I develop some strange food borne illness just because I want seafood, how will I know it was handled and cooked properly? You have just experienced a matter of trust and being you are on an island, imagine not being able to trust anyone, it would seem as if you might be confined alone and in prison.
Maybe this quote from Graham Greene, from his book A Ministry of Fear, can explain this feeling of trust or the lack of it;
It is impossible to go through life without trust: That is to be imprisoned in the worst cell of all, oneself.
Of most all scripture, it says to put our trust in the LORD and rightfully so. For in Genesis 6:5 & 8:21 it says “that the human heart is evil”. Well now wait one minute, if we walk faithfully in the steps of the LORD and love others, even our enemies even more than we love ourselves should we as Disciples of Christ be deemed “not trustworthy”?
This is a very big question and I think the only one who has an answer to this is “us”. I remember myself the sinner; would I trust me, with my own life? I know in previous times I may have been sorely disappointed. But now, am I still that same creature that cowered in the darkness, always trying to justify my actions to others or myself, that those actions would not bring any harm to others only myself? Do you recall those days of guilty pleasures, pleasures of this world?
Well guess what? You’re best off forgetting them, because that is what the LORD has done. Shall we continue to dwell in that shame, shall we continue to not grow deeper in our faith and understanding of what it means to trust in the LORD? Seriously, I know it is hard to trust in man, especially when those who claim to follow Christ still stumble and fall.
In our lives will we continue to trust in Him and the relationship we have with Him?
Through it all, the LORD works in all who acknowledge Christ as Saviour. Let us not forget one example of which we had no other option but to place our trust, in our parents. This may not be the best example for some, but as a relationship of trust, this example mimics the example of God the Father and Jesus of Nazareth. In all things Christ came here to accomplish on earth, it was in His Father that he placed that trust. In these best of relationships you can literally hear this portion of scripture from 1 Corinthians 13:6-7 pour out “Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth, it always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.”
By trusting in those who come into our lives we are saying loudly and boldly "Yes LORD, I trust you!"
If there is still doubt, we only need test that spirit of those who are sent according to scripture use the scripture found in 1 John 4:1 (NIV)
Dear friends, do not believe every spirit, but test the spirits to see whether they are from God, because many false prophets have gone out into the world.
But even as this scripture says to test the spirit, only those with the gift of discernment may be readily able to do so, to all others including myself, we must continue to persevere in our faith and rely on the hope we have found through Christ. That same Christ who said we must also endure suffering. For the Lord whom we have spoken of as our Redeemer with our very own mouths, has said through Paul "Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. Romans 8:17 (NIV)
But through reading the Bible, we have also found that damned are those who come under false pretenses, bearing witness as a lover of mankind and then having their own mouths and actions repeatedly declare them forfeiting of any spirit given through God.
A friend of mine pointed out a verse in the Bible that I must repeat, for it has absolutely everything to do with this discussion about trust and that would be found in Psalms 118:8; The Bible says “It is better to take refuge in the LORD than to trust in humans.”
Now we should consider the author of this scripture in Psalms, of course that would be King David. I want us to reflect back in his life before he was king. Let us think back to what triggered his writings in Psalms and that would be his testimony while he was being sought by King Saul. Anointed by God, King Saul had many to lead and at one time in his reign, King Saul trusted in the Lord and the LORD blessed him abundantly, but this trust would not last, no it was doomed from the moment Saul decided to take matters in his own hands. If only Saul had obeyed the LORD and not put his trust in his own wisdom, he may have always had a member of his family upon the throne.
Trust, what is it, how would we describe it to someone who has had trouble with it? Well the dictionary says it’s a feeling of confidence based on honesty. But who has been more honest than God? The prophet Isaiah in chapter 59 speaks of those who have not trusted in the LORD, he speaks of their iniquities and of their rebellious nature. The LORD himself will come and He will be the arm of justice and of those who repent, He will be their Redeemer. In Isaiah 59:21 (NIV)
“As for me, this is my covenant with them,” says the LORD. “My Spirit, who is on you, will not depart from you, and my words that I have put in your mouth will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the LORD.
So let me ask you “Are you confident that Christ is your Redeemer”? Do you believe it, do you trust Him?
I want to revisit the life of David again. Before David was made king he trusted in the LORD, but unlike Saul he remained faithful. In another relationship David had before becoming king, he gave complete trust and that would be his relationship of trust with Saul’s own son Jonathan. Their relationship and the trust that followed came to be as a result of each of them trusting greatly in the LORD. This is a real example of one man entrusting another man so much, he would go in confidence and wait for a rescue from the hands of King Saul.
Surely we have all had to trust in someone here on earth; and to such an extent that I would venture to say “they and you are each in God’s confidence, each in God’s hands”.
I wish to close with the parable Jesus spoke of in Matthew 25 this is from the (NIV)
The Parable of the Talents
    14 “Again, it will be like a man going on a journey, who called his servants and entrusted his property to them. 15 To one he gave five talents[a] of money, to another two talents, and to another one talent, each according to his ability. Then he went on his journey. 16 The man who had received the five talents went at once and put his money to work and gained five more. 17 So also, the one with the two talents gained two more. 18 But the man who had received the one talent went off, dug a hole in the ground and hid his master’s money.
   19 “After a long time the master of those servants returned and settled accounts with them. 20 The man who had received the five talents brought the other five. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with five talents. See, I have gained five more.’
   21 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
   22 “The man with the two talents also came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘you entrusted me with two talents; see, I have gained two more.’
   23 “His master replied, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant! You have been faithful with a few things; I will put you in charge of many things. Come and share your master’s happiness!’
   24 “Then the man who had received the one talent came. ‘Master,’ he said, ‘I knew that you are a hard man, harvesting where you have not sown and gathering where you have not scattered seed. 25 So I was afraid and went out and hid your talent in the ground. See, here is what belongs to you.’
   26 “His master replied, ‘You wicked, lazy servant! So you knew that I harvest where I have not sown and gather where I have not scattered seed? 27 Well then, you should have put my money on deposit with the bankers, so that when I returned I would have received it back with interest.
   28 “‘Take the talent from him and give it to the one who has the ten talents. 29 For everyone who has will be given more, and he will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken from him. 30 And throw that worthless servant outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
As you have heard; those who can trust and be trusted, will be trusted with more, but those who can’t trust will never be trusted themselves.

Drink me in Lord

How might I enter into His kingdom if not through the Root. As surely as the rain falls from the skies and lands upon the branches of the tree, only some of these drops will penetrate deep enough to reach the Root.

We all rise and fall; like water falling from the sky, then flowing across the ground to eventually reach the sea, only to be drawn up again by the rays of the sun and then released from Heaven's storehouses.

If we cling only to the surface of the branches we could be lost to the sea or we could seek to enter through the narrower passage of the Root. For if we enter by the Root we will be used to feed the branches by the addition of nutrient,-in this way our own composition is changed, we are not the same as plain water-and we are absorbed into the same, releasing what is no longer needed.

We may only have so many chances to enter through the soil; for in years of drought the clouds themselves are dispersed by the arid winds and when finally they-those trapped droplets- are released from their lofty places, they reach a surface as hard as stone that only fewer than before might enter.

How many chances do we have to become one of God's children? There really is only one, just as that seed dropped upon the ground some take, but even more are lost, even some forevermore. None of us will ever be the same as we were before when we have truly become infused with the Spirit and none will ever receive the Spirit if they don't enter through the Root first.

Stubbornness and patience with a purpose.

In my life I have been stubborn and to some extent I still am; now this may not always seem to be a admirable trait, but I must say that during the last several years, stubbornness and patience have been a blessing to me.

In our lives we will face much adversity; we will endure hardship and we will endure pain, both physical and mental. I for one am not any happier about this than you would be, but sometimes I feel it is neccesary, at least it has been in my hard case. Do we expect happiness, of course we do, we even get upset if it doesn't come to us on a regular basis. We need not lower our expectations of receiving joy, we need only to wait patiently for it and we must pray in a sincere and stubborn manner till we possess it.

But what if it seems to never come, that happiness, shall we take matters into our own hands and try to force a positive outcome. Try looking to the book of Genesis, chapter 16, verses 1-5. Now Sarai(Sarah), grew very impatient with the LORD and desired a child so badly she took matters into her own hand, she did not rely on Providence and for this she suffered mental anguish from Hagar's taunting.

Let us look at another example of stubbornness; in the book of Daniel, chapter 1, verse 8 and again in chapter 3, verses 16-18 and finally chapter 6, verse 10. We see a continuing pattern of defiance in Daniel's behavior. Now look at this scripture passage; in the book of Matthew chapter 9, verses 1-8.

There are reasons for being stubborn and I have learned the best reason to be is when it involves our faith, but I must say we need to be equally patient, as this is the better of the two traits, as I stated in the previous posts, we will serve our Lord better through tolerance and compassion, but I never said "We should renounce our own faith in the process".

His only commandment was; "A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Book of John, chapter 13, verses 34-35. So I also say "yes, we should love one another, not only those who return our love, but those who are stubborn and even rude towards us. We remain steadfast in our faith, but we also remain patient and live in compassion towards each other. Have a blessed day ☺

Heart Exercises for Valentines Day and everyday

I would like to start off this with a story about a Catholic priest; his name was Valentinus.
The first representation of Saint Valentine appeared in the Nuremberg Chronicle (1493); alongside the woodcut portrait of Valentine, the text states that he was a Roman priest martyred during the reign of Claudius II known as Claudius Gothicus. He was arrested and imprisoned upon being caught marrying Christian couples and otherwise aiding Christians who were at the time being persecuted by Claudius in Rome. Helping Christians at this time was considered a crime. Now Claudius took a liking to this prisoner – until Valentinus tried to convert the Emperor – whereupon this priest was condemned to death.
The heart holds many secrets; it holds happiness for some while it seems to hold misery for others. St. Valentine’s heart seemed to revel in love; love shared with each other, while Claudius seemed to have had his heart turned to stone.
As a member of the body of Christ, I know Christ is the Head and He gave us a message of love to share. He told us that upon his physical absence from this world he would send us the Helper, that is the Spirit, and in the Spirit lies the continued promise of our inheritance of love. Now Christ being the Head of this body, it only stands to reason that the Spirit is the Heart of the body and throughout this body courses the blood of Christ, in every new believer lies this blood and as this new blood is added to the existing body it rejuvenates the body as oxygen does for our own bodies.
ntinued promise of our inheritance of love. Now Christ being the Head of this body, it only stands to reason that the Spirit is the Heart of the body and throughout this body courses the blood of Christ, in every new believer lies this blood and as this new blood is added to the existing body it rejuvenates the body as oxygen does for our own bodies.What is a heart; besides only the muscle that pumps the blood throughout the body?  Is a heart not also that which also shows love toward one another? I feel even in criticism, my heart shows love for others, and because of this love I speak my mind and heart rather than not saying anything at all. Yet this love is not always appreciated, it is even rejected, for pride has set up itself as a barrier to it, pride itself has hardened the heart of the recipient to this message.
So what shall I do? Proverbs, chapter three, verses three through five hold just that answer. The Bible says: 
3
Let love and faithfulness never leave you;
   bind them around your neck,
   write them on the tablet of your heart.
4 Then you will win favor and a good name
   in the sight of God and man.


 I know of one who had His message of love rejected, He had many ways of confessing His love for us all, yet even His own followers sometimes misunderstood or worse, thinking they understood without really giving the message much thought, just acting impulsively. I would like to share part of this message of love from a latter apostle, who is Paul. Paul as you may know did not always hold this all-encompassing love within his own heart, but he was shown a better way of life and he had ears that would hear and heed the call of Him who would cast away apathy and replace it with love. 
This is the message Christ came here to deliver and these are the words inspired by Christ and given to Paul to share with us. From 1 Corinthians chapter thirteen and beginning at verse four and ending with verse thirteen Paul writes;
4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
 8 Love never fails. But where there are prophecies, they will cease; where there are tongues, they will be stilled; where there is knowledge, it will pass away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part, 10 but when perfection comes, the imperfect disappears. 11 When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child. When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me. 12 Now we see but a poor reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.
 13 And now these three remain: faith, hope and love. But the greatest of these is love.
So it shall be out of patience that I will continue to persevere in my own message of love towards my LORD. My family and my enemy, can not withstand repeated assaults of love. I may not speak the message clearly where they could understand it in spoken word, but they will see it and recognize a difference in attitude and that difference is love.
So now that I have this message, do I hold it in my heart as a secret? Sometimes and regrettably I will do just that, then what will come out of my heart will be a perversion, for if I hold in the love the other emotion and action to bring forth would be apathy. Therefore I would show only concern for myself and as we know Christ – whom we are to imitate – did not hold that same feeling towards us and thankfully so.
As a member of the body of Christ, I know Christ is the Head and He gave us a message of love to share. He told us that upon his physical absence from this world he would send us the Helper, that is the Spirit, and in the Spirit lies the continued promise of our inheritance of love. Now Christ being the Head of this body,  it only stands to reason that the Spirit is the Heart of the body and throughout this body courses the blood of Christ, in every new believer lies this blood and as this new blood is added to the existing body it rejuvenates the body as oxygen does for our own bodies.
The heart as I stated is a muscle and being a muscle it can become soft, enveloped in fatty tissues, unless we exercise it with repetitive motions and make it stronger. The heart I speak of in this message is not purely physical. It is physical, spiritual and mental – for that is the heart the LORD desires us to possess for Him – it is a heart that is also capable of being exercised, we condition this heart through sharing, whether good or bad experiences, they can be shared in empathy towards one another. Does misery loving company give us such a bad deal, after all have we not felt misery at some point in our all too short lives and need to reach out and lay down our burdens upon someone else’s shoulders?
Oh how miserable we shall become and stay, if the only emotion we receive in return for sharing our feelings and dreams are apathy. This is not an indication of imitating Christ, this is not the body; this would be an indication of self-interest and this is the world we live in today. This is not who we are, but this may be who we were. In Second Timothy, chapter three, verses one through four it describes just who we were before we were transfused in the Holy Spirit by way of the blood of the Lamb.
The Bible says: 1 But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. 2 People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, 3 without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, 4 treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God
The Bible also gives us a word story to help illustrate who loves God and who does not; a man was walking from Jerusalem to Jericho and along the way he was accosted by robbers; they stole from him and left him for dead. A priest happened to be traveling that same road and as he saw the man, the priest moved to the other side of the road and proceeded on his way. So too, this same thing happened when a Levite came across this man.
But then, along that road comes a Samaritan; the Samaritan takes pity on the traveler, he cleans and dresses the wounds and puts him on his donkey. He then proceeds to take this stranger into town and to an inn where he continues to care for this man, the following day when the Samaritan must go about his business he hands the innkeeper two denarii then asks him to “look after him” and “after I return I will reimburse you for any additional expense”. This is a true exercise of the heart, this is the heart that the LORD desires for us all to possess and to regularly exercise with works of love and words of affirmation. For in this work and in these words we glorify the Father who is LOVE.
Who has the capacity and capability for such a wondrous love, that they could ask forgiveness for those who would even take away their life? The answer is, Jesus and only those who really know Jesus Christ as their Savior. Not those who would just say “I’m a Christian” we should never feel we have to say “I’m a Christian” or “we’re good people”. Others should serve as witnesses to whether we love others even more than ourselves, that is what a Christian is a lover. We are lovers of life and all that comes with it; good and bad, we understand each of us must go through times of grief, not to separate us from the love of God, but to draw us closer to Him.
 5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
   and lean not on your own understanding

Direction

Before GPS, even before Map quest there existed a way to plan your route from point "A" to point "B". There was and still is the map; it plotted roads, highways and towns and it would even show points of interest as well as topographical f...eatures, you may find one in your glove box of your vehicle.

Maps and cartography-which happens to be the name for the art and science of mapmaking- have been around since the days of the Babylonians. All of these ancient maps, made before aerial photography even existed were for the most part accurate, the cartographer would use visual aids and math to calculate and then estimate distances. Communication between individuals would add to the accuracy of the maps and aid in drawing the world as we know it today.

Hopefully I have shed some light on the mystery of mapping the continents and the world, but this world especially those areas with significant ice accumulations and volcanic activity is still evolving and maps will need corrections. Do you know what other parts of our daily routes require directions? We get plenty from our family and even more at work, yet the single most important direction we need in our lives is how to live them.

For this route we need a special roadmap, one custom tailored for our ever-changing lives; it starts by reading the instructions and the instructions are documented in a comprehensive work called the Bible. Now before I hear the "How can the Bible show me where I'm going or how to live" statement, let me ask "What your current plan is" and where does it put you? The map I propose you use delivers you safely every step of your life, certainly it will take you through deserts, but equally it will plot your course through fruited plain and more often than not extraordinary places where you will experience euphoria and it will be real and hopefully lasting.

The difference with this map is there are many turns and even a few unexpected twists - none that you will be incapable of steering through - and all these lead to the same and final destination for all who choose to follow; Jeremiah Chapter 29, Verse 11 in the Old Testament attest to this as does 1 Corinthians Chapter 10, Verse 13 in the New Testament, try reading the New International Version or the Message version of the Bible for complete understanding in plain language.

There is much more to this than can be written here so for the sake of your soul I will just conclude in saying "It is not to late to look at the map (The Bible) and even if you get lost, do not feel too embarrassed to stop and ask for directions, we all need to from time to time, find a church or a find a friend who has been driving for awhile to help steer you in the right direction again and surely you will begin to feel solid ground beneath you for the first time.

Have a safe and pleasant journey. God Bless.

 

Now I know there are plenty of mature Christians out there and one day I hope to find myself there as well. This message which has been layed upon my heart may help you, it will help me, but more importantly it is intended for those who may have not stopped and asked for directions before for whatever reason. Please, if you know of someone this may help, copy and paste/forward it to them. God Bless.

Anticipation

Anticipation is making me wait...Perhaps you may remember this catchy jingle from the Heinz' ketchup commercials? Try looking at this video from 1979. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoLoyg3JKRQ

We don't know the hour of His return, yet we wait patiently, the reward is far too great to lose focus, to divert our attention away from the prize, don't you think?
Let's take a little drive 'so to speak.' I'm sure you've been stuck in traffic; sometimes we just wish we could speed things up making our day run a little smoother, it can be downright agonizing waiting for all that traffic to move ahead of you, we only want to get home to our families, or get to our jobs, without all that trouble. Then we see a car ahead of us, they make a U-turn and speed off in search of an easier route, then another, pretty soon they create a mini jam trying to back the way they came.

I hope you are not one of those who turned back; if they had just waited, it was only a stalled vehicle and good Samaritans had just eased it over to the curb allowing traffic to flow freely once more. Do you know what those who turned away found? They found an even worse delay on the smaller streets, after all it is the rush hour.

And so, after he had patiently endured, he obtained the promise. Heb. 6:15
Are we willing to endure the wait? Will we take the wide path, the one without obstacles and forsake what we had already been waiting so diligently for? Have we forgotten this is the way home and did we not already know there could be trouble?

Be patient therefore, brethren, unto the coming of the Lord. Behold, the husbandman waiteth for the precious fruit of the earth, and hath long patience for it, until he receive the early and latter rain. Jam. 5:7

This is the message I have just received from the LORD and I pass it onto you, my brothers and sisters as a report of what lies ahead, our Prize, our Lord!

God Bless.

Give me Liberty!

Liberty is what we have and enjoy, but do we know what it really is? Only a man/woman who loses theirs may truly know what they had after losing it. I would like to discuss this liberty and other forms of it which we sometimes take for gran...ted here in the U.S. of A. as well as discuss a different type of liberty, one that can never be taken, but is offered freely to all, no matter where you are and under all circumstances.

In the U.S. as well as other countries, there is liberty; it was not always this way and in most cases it had to be fought for to achieve it. Thankfully, I am able to enjoy it's fruits, I am able to write my thoughts on the subject without any fear of repercussion. This was not always the case and a certain man by the name of Patrick Henry found himself the orator of perhaps one the greatest petitions to persuade his fellow countrymen to pursue liberty even to the point of death!

So what of this other liberty of which I have spoken. I believe you may already know the answer and if you do my intent is not to bore you by lengthy explanation, no, I would rather remind you of the promise of our inheritance, the one that can not be destroyed by moth and rust, that same inheritance which can not be stolen. One can't steal what would be freely given and that gift is the gift of liberty; with that liberty from God, He gives us liberation of the soul and furthermore He gives us freedom. The freedom we have in knowing we return unscathed by this world, unblemished in His sight; for we have become new again, new creatures through his Gateway to that freedom, His Son, Jesus the Christ. So what weapon formed against us could prosper? The LORD has already set into action the plans to prosper us, to give us what we don't deserve, that which is grace and also freedom. We are forever free from the confines of this world, upon accepting the offer of something more glorious, more illuminating than even the most precious of stones held facing the Sun. For what good would it be to give us a gift that could be taken from us by another, it would surely only become something of a snare, an object of envy. It is good to have liberty in one's place of dwelling, but it is better to possess liberty that dwells within and that kind of liberty only comes to those who can freely give of their hearts, minds and souls.

So I shout a new battlecry "In my death I am liberated to eternal life"

Something stirs inside my soul.

 In a moment; in this heated passion, may I bite my tongue a moment longer, and hold back my temper. When anger stirs inside my soul, I feel helplessly trapped, as if imprisoned in a dark, churning water. I can feel the turbulence, and cannot see through the turbid water that has clouded my every thought, but one.
Oh, how I try to abstain from a point of no return. It will take all that I have become to escape from this quagmire moment. Do I remember the LORD’s will? In this moment does His will coincide with mine, I fear not. What can I do to contain this incensing, tidal flow of emotion gone awry? If this continues the dam is certainly going to collapse .I must continue to keep my hateful emotion in check, while searching for the relief gate.
Does anyone really know the trouble I’ve seen? Even Jesus, had his trying times. Will He know me one day even though my best efforts sometimes go by the wayside? I hope He remembers my weaknesses in a light of a different shade, not the blackness that has my soul enveloped from bitter time, to not so happy endings. The anger if allowed to remain produces animosity, and from there revenge can’t be too far away.
Then enter my Savior, He surely will provide the much needed relief in my distress would He not? It depends, again it depends on me. He can only point to where I should be heading, He can not place me there. Still the fire rages inside, burning, and consuming all other thought as time wears on. I try to justify my anger through scripture, as I said Jesus displayed some acts that were somewhat defiant to His being, overturning tables of money-changers, withering a fig tree, and even calling the Pharisees a brood of vipers. Sure I could try this, and then later, as it has been before I know the remorse that will set in.
I can hear Him now “Ye of little faith”; Oh God, help me. I have bred this anger in, and of myself. What outside influence could ever separate me now from Him; I have lost my way, temporarily yet on display for others to critique. Oh look at the man of God, for shame on him; he has created a rift between himself, and others. Surely no one desires to be in the company of another who has just lost their temper and worse yet, they have given a victory to Satan.
“And this too shall pass”; I can hear this in my head, but still the deed has been done. I must now pursue any I have wronged, asking their forgiveness. How vicious a circle this all seems, does one ever truly break free of its grasp?
He came here for me, and for you, to show us our inequities. He has foretold us of the rewards that await, if we can only endure this tumultuous race, this human race.
The choice is still mine, and yours, do we have what it takes to accept? Stay tuned, one of the most joyful, yet stressful times, is closing in on us, culminating in an event that should be our lifelong pursuit. Peace on Earth, and goodwill to men, is it in us?
A prayer I need; Please LORD, help me hold back the hateful thoughts due to my current mental capacity. My ambition is to one day be with You LORD, I know I can not expect any more from you LORD than what I am willing to concede, help me to have secession from this harmful emotion.
I know my success is not only a victory for Your Kingdom; it will also become a powerful tool of testimony for others who have endured similar hardship. In Jesus name. Amen.
This may not be one of the emotions, or vices, that has been plaguing you, but working out the details, and your feelings with others and with Christ are tantamount to our future glory. As you can clearly see, I struggle, and I know we all do, for Jesus has opened my eyes to let me see there are others surrounding me, and each of us has a need. May most of that need be to have a more intimate relation with Him, until that time; do not give up on yourself, because He still has great plans for you. G.B.U.

Who's ministry is this?

His alone

When we say my ministry, we mean God's ministry right?

2 Corinthians 12:9 (NIV)

⁹ But he said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ’s power may rest on me.
I have observed, and even participated in ministries where the focus is Christ first, but statistics run parallel or a very close second. In this practice, the focus - at least for me - seems to have too much emphasis on bringing others into the church, therefore establishing what, a larger tithes base?
I'm sorry for sounding cynical with this message it's just that I know I'm not alone in this thinking. When can we expect to put God first again, instead of ourselves?
It should never be about how many attended, it should be about how many received the message, and believed. It should not be a ministry where we must always see results for our words, and deeds. It should be a ministry that believes through faith what we are doing will have a lasting effect on those we share the gospel with.
It should never be a ministry that has such a need to be rewarded in seeing the fruits of their labor, even Christ Himself said we would do greater things than He. But He was not concerned with how He would be received , He was only concerned in completing the task that the Father handed Him to do, and do it it He did at the cost of His mortal existence.
It is a time to rethink the way a church, and/or ministry operates. In the secular world as well as the non-secular, there seems to be growing a resentment towards organized religion. Perhaps this resentment comes from all the bad publicity concerning the treatment of those who attend services, and activities sponsored by ministries. Surely the incidents are few, yet they make great news reports.
It is time to identify the cause of these self-promotions in the various ministries we are members of, and do our best to rethink how we should proceed.
The benefit of doing this may not be realized in our own lifetime, it does however need to be done. Think of others, at all times ahead of ourselves, we must do what benefits the body of Christ, and we must render ourselves incapable of accomplishing anything truly meaningful without the help of our LORD.
This is a call to arms, to re-equip ourselves as workers for Him, and not the other way around.
Just as I feel the time for His second coming is near, I also feel we have abandoned the true purpose in spreading the gospel. Why did He come? He came because the Father sent Him. Why did He send Him; he was sent to save us from ourselves, to deliver us from the enslavement of sin, yet so quickly we forget.
We remember 9/11 I'm sure, but do we remember what events took place after that horrid day?
Do you recall the compassion, can you recall the courtesies we afforded one another? For many days on end, and day after day I experienced - at least in my corner of the planet - kindness that had not been seen since I was a child. I was reminded, if only so briefly of how days will be when everyone confesses Jesus is Lord. Do you remember those days from September, and after?
Pastors wonder why they are losing congregation members, politicians wonder why their constituents are unhappy, we would be better advised to worry what God thinks in these matters.
There are some countries/continents experiencing a revival of large proportion, I pray they are being fed the truth, and not being deceived with thoughts that are carnal in nature as we are experiencing here in the states. Do you recall the scriptures referencing the seven lampstands (Rev.1-3)?
I believe we, the United States of America, are in possession of one of those lampstands, but we are in grave danger of it's light failing. We have diluted, tainted, and cheapened the true message of the Bible, it is now time to reverse that process. We can not afford to let our light. our fire, be extiguished. G.B.U.

We are merely co-workers

1 Corinthians 3:1-9 (NIV)

The Church and Its Leaders  ¹ Brothers and sisters, I could not address you as people who live by the Spirit but as people who are still worldly—mere infants in Christ. ² I gave you milk, not solid food, for you were not yet ready for it. Indeed, you are still not ready. ³ You are still worldly. For since there is jealousy and quarreling among you, are you not worldly? Are you not acting like mere humans? ⁴ For when one says, “I follow Paul,” and another, “I follow Apollos,” are you not mere human beings?
 ⁵ What, after all, is Apollos? And what is Paul? Only servants, through whom you came to believe—as the Lord has assigned to each his task. ⁶ I planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God has been making it grow. ⁷ So neither the one who plants nor the one who waters is anything, but only God, who makes things grow. ⁸ The one who plants and the one who waters have one purpose, and they will each be rewarded according to their own labor. ⁹ For we are co-workers in God’s service; you are God’s field, God’s building.
We must stand guard over our behavior daily, minute by minute, and hour by hour. Satan does not rest, and neither should we when it comes to our faith, our morals, and what we share with each other in our interpretations of scripture.
All we say, all we do, should mimic those of Christ. We will each of us be scrutinized, first by man, and later by God Himself. Each of our words, and actions will be compared to the truth that is written in the Bible. The Bible itself is just one tool in building our relationship with God. The other tools are not the same for each of us, this is why we have so many interpretations of the truth that is listed as a whole in the Bible, and that is another truth, we can't take just bytes of the Bible to explain our actions to others just as we can't take one piece of scripture to explain the entire gospel.
Summarization of the Bible is not a cut, and dry neat package. Each of us upon accepting the Lord as our Savior, is challenged in numerous ways, one is to to and deliver the message of the gospel to others.
Unfortunately this is not possible without reading, and understanding the message first, and I mean the entire message, the entire Bible, not bits, and pieces. We must also understand that when we deliver the message, the task we were asked to do has been accomplished. We are not to judge others, rebuke yes, judge no. we are not to lead sinful lives, and then tell others to be without sin, or we are hypocrites, and we are not to worship idols, too numerous to list all, but money, gaming, and even computer habits could be considered worship if it separates us from God.
Let us remember what the Lord said "It is not the healthy that need a doctor, but the sick". We can all become sick from time to time, and if we find ourselves in that state of health, let us remove ourselves from direct contact with others so as not to make them ill as well.
Again God bless us all, and may we do His will not our own.

Shining stars

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vwc0AW67CmA