"The Case For Christ

 If you know of someone who does not believe the Bible is true.  If you know of someone who claims to be an Atheist or Agnostic, then I will suggest a book for you.  Lee Strobel has written several books in his search for truth.  Lee was at one time a self-proclaimed atheist.  When his wife became a Christian it inspired him to do research in answer to his many questions.  No doubt, to dissuade his wife.  You probably have had many questions or doubts yourself.  There is nothing wrong with that, as God tells us to "seek and ye shall find".  Many of his questions are indeed deep and worthy of asking.  His books have certainly answered my questions and once I got started reading them, it was hard for me to put them down.  The ones that I have read are "The Case For Christ', "The Case For Faith" and "The Case for Creation."  These books are well worth the read and will help you in your quest for truth.  Enjoy them, then share them.  

What Do We Say To The Sufferer

 I have been reading "The Case For Faith" by Lee Strobel.  I have only read through the first chapter but what stood out to me was a question Mr. Strobel asked a man named Mr. Kreeft.  He asked; "If a woman who lived in a land of extreme drought was standing here before you holding her deceased baby, what would you say to her?"  Mr. Kreeft's answer was "nothing".  He would not say anything to her.  Instead, he said he would listen to her and learn from her. 

 How can a person know how another person feels in their suffering without entering that person's body and mind.  Sometimes our very presence is more of a comfort to a person than any words spoken.  I have experienced the pain of the death of loved ones, so many of my friends have to.  We have all suffered in many ways to the same degree but to each of us individually it is different.  What may look to us as a horrendous amount of pain to one may be looked at as a great blessing to another. 

 A young person abused at an early age may later become a great counselor for others who experienced the same shame and suffering.  For every source of pain and suffering can come an unexpected blessing.  One may say to another, "I don't know how you managed through your pain, I would have fallen apart."  Sometimes we just don't know how strong we are until we have gone through the trials of pain and sorrow.  Jesus Christ is the only one who can say He suffered as we have suffered.  He suffered rejection and ridicule.  He suffered loneliness, He suffered abuse and He suffered death on the cross for us.  His presence is always with us.  He is our source of strength.  Jesus' words are a great comfort to us, but knowing He is with us and will never leave us is a blessing  that compares to none other.  My prayer is that we be like Jesus and comfort those who are suffering, not so much in words but in our presence.  In our helping hands. 

 

"People will not care about how much you know, until they know how much you care.

Grieve with Me

 As of date, there are 2,607 cases of Covid19. 36 people have died from it just in McDonald County.  There are over 12,948 cases of cancer in Missouri according to the CDC records and state records.  

The grieving that comes after this proclamation is almost always hard to bear.  But Jesus reminds us in I Thessalonians 4:13 that we do not have to sorrow as those who do not have hope.  We as believers have the ultimate assurance that Jesus died, rose again, ascended and is coming again.  We also believe that He will bring with Him those that have died.  One day, all believers will be reunited in the grandest reunion ever seen!  The Bible also tells us that all of this will happen in a twinkle of the eye, and no man knows when this is to happen.  In other words, it could happen in the next minute or hour.  We do not have to worry as God's timing is the best timing and He will see us through to the appointed time.  "Wait upon the Lord", is His admonition to us.  Praise God, He will never leave us nor forsake us.  Please "rejoice with those that rejoice, and weep with those who weep"  

Roller Coaster Ride

 Have you ever been on a roller coaster ride?  I remember as a child I went on a roller coaster ride and decided right then and there that I won't ever do that again.  If you have been on a roller coaster ride, you will know what I mean. all the scenery around you becomes blurry.  You cannot focus on one single thing.  When the ride begins to slow down things begin to take shape and are less blurry until finally the ride stops and all is in focus once again.  While on the ride there is nothing to do but accept it's motion and be patient for it to end. 

Certain aspects of our life can be like a roller coaster ride.  Especially if you are a caretaker of a loved one who needs extra special care.  I remember such a ride when my husband, (who died years ago) was dying of cancer.  Procedure after procedure was done on my husband to keep him alive and to give us hope for the future.  Every day we were confronted with an explanation of a new procedure, only to be told the next day that it didn't work.  For six months our days bounced between good news and bad news.  We had no choice but to wait and see when the end would be in sight.  During that time, my focus never left God, everything else was blurry and confusing but I knew God had great plans for both my husband and myself.  God did heal my husband and is now in heaven and He gave me strength that I never knew I had before.  

My prayer for all of you that have experienced this roller coaster ride or are now experiencing it, is for you to keep your focus on God and let him handle the confusion.  Put your trust in Him and all things will come out good.  Remember too, that sometimes our greatest ministry in life just might be through our death.  Such as was Christ's death, the stoning of Stephens and the death of all the apostles.

What Are Our Expectations of Each Other?

 Every now and then I witness persons snubbing another person because they don't add up to their expectations.  Does that person expect others to be like him/her?  Do they expect that all people should believe as they do or act as they do?  Maybe they believe all people should do as they say because they are superior to all others.

Let's ponder over this a minute and think to how Jesus treated people while ministering to the people on earth.  Did He snub others because He was the Son of God and we are like sheep who have gone astray?  In all your readings of the Bible do you once know of any incident where other than Satan himself, He turned others away? 

 It was reported that Jesus sat and ate with the prostitutes and tax collectors.  He beckoned little children to come to Him.  He even went as far as dying on the cross for US.  You and me, sinners who are in need of God and His teachings.  Sinners who are in need of each other and the comfort we can share.  Whenever we look at others, whether they are dressed nicely or poorly. whether they live in mansions or the slums. we must consider all are the creations of God and with our help and example they can become Children of God.  Not one of us is more important than the other.  God knows your weaknesses as well as mine but He Loves us equally.  We should do the same with all who come our way.  Who knows that God didn't put that person in your life for a specific purpose.

Priorities

 I have been thinking a lot about priorities lately.  I don't feel I have a real problem with getting my priorities into place, for one thing I am way too organized.  But I see many people in this world living their lives as though priorities don't really matter.  If a person puts their job in top priority above family, faith and all else, then it tends to cause problems in the home life.  The spouse usually complains that the other is not home enough, or they don't pay enough attention to the children.  The excuse is usually they work (for the family) to provide food and clothing for them.  We might say " I work to give my children the good life."  God has already given us a good life.  The complaint alone is a good sign the priorities are not in the right order.  Maybe our family is our top priority and we spend most of our time in sports or traveling together.  That is wonderful, but who gave us this family?  Shouldn't we show our appreciation to the one that made it all happen?   If our top priority is not God, the one who truly provides for our every need. The one who gives us our families, then everything will suffer because of our lack of appreciation to God.  My prayer is that each and everyone of us strive to put God as our top priority, family next, then our job and all else after that.  "Seek ye first the Kingdom of God."

The Blame Game

 Genesis 3:15 "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me of the tree, and I ate." 

 Everyone who has read the Bible knows about the dreaded first sin where Adam ate of the fruit of the tree and blamed his wife.  Then Eve turns around and blames the serpent.  Did the blame stop there?  No, we have been blaming each other from the beginning of time.  How many times do struggles come our way and instead of looking to our self, we look around for someone to blame?  There are so many things that can go awry in our lives and unless we seek to know the cause of it, within our own sphere of being, we will become miserable and make everyone around us miserable.  Have we not figured out yet that what problems arise in our lives is usually brought about by our own doings?  Blaming others do not solve our problems, it only escalates into more problems. 

II Corinthians 13:5 "Examine yourselves, whether you are in the faith; prove yourselves."  We must look deep into our life on a daily basis.  We must recognize our faults, admit our faults and carry them to God. Only He can help us overcome our faults.  Blaming others does not ease our pain, cover our sins, or give us rest.  

Look to God for guidance and direction, forgive those around you and ask for forgiveness for those whom you have blamed.  

I Corinthians 13:4-8 "Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up, does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil, does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; love bears all things, endures all thing, Love never fails."

The Lies We Believe Continued

 Lie #5 - "It is my Christian Duty to meet all the needs of others."  Sometimes we work so hard to please God and other people that we may suffer from an emotional burnout.  We try so hard that we cannot carry on the Ministry God called us to.  Dr. Thurman states "simply put, we are not called to do it all, only our part."

Lie #6 " A good Christian doesn't feel angry, anxious or depressed."  Even Jesus Himself felt these emotions.  They are not a sign of weak faith.  Many times we stuff these emotions deep within us until finally they spew forth in abundance.  It is better to experience the emotion intended for the experience than to hold it all in just to explode later.

Lie #7 - "God can't use me unless I am spiritually strong."  God can use us at anytime and any place whenever He wants.  It helps if we are honest about our weaknesses and struggles and share our experience with those who can benefit from them.  God always takes the bad and turns it into good.  He can use us!

How to defeat the Lies we believe

Dr. Chris Thurman tells us to:   "Openly rebuke the lies".  He calls them thought stoppers.  

Secondly, he suggests memorizing scripture and meditating on them.  

Thirdly, he suggests not just thinking about doing this, but Doing it!  

the Lies We Believe

 I have read a book called "The Lives We Believe" by Dr. Chris Thurman.  Some of the lies listed are as follows:

Lie #1 - "God's Love must be earned."  Not true, God loves us unconditionally.  When we fail, He lifts us up, When we fail, we don't need to run and hide, we only need to ask God for forgiveness and He forgives.  "God's Love is unchanging" It's always there.

Lie #2 - "God hates the sin and the sinner"  When a person believes this, they have a tendency to hate their self.  They feel God is punishing them, therefore they punish themselves.  God doesn't work that way.  Like the woman at the well, He merely says, "go and sin no more."  He wants us to move on with our life, He forgot our past and so should we.

Lie #3 - "Because I am a Christian, God will protect me from pain and suffering."  Have you not heard that it rains on the just and the unjust?  To believe this lie only leads to confusion and mistrust in our God when things go bad in our life.  God gave us free will, He gave us choices and sometimes, we make the wrong ones and things turn sour.  Other times we are faced with difficulties merely to strengthen our character.  We are not exempt from pain and suffering just because we are Christians.  God knows too well that we are in need of continuous learning experiences.

Lie #4 - "All my problems are caused by my sins" Remember the story about the blind man.  When others questioned who sinned to make him blind.  Jesus answered "neither, but this happened so that the works should be revealed in him."  If we have indeed sinned which brought on a problem, then we need to deal with it, but if the problem is a result of someone's sin or no sin at all, then we need to let ourselves off the hook and solve the problems as best as we can.

Trust In the Lord

 When I sit and ponder this life and I think of God and my relationship with Him.  I also think of what it is that the world is lacking when it comes to God.  I believe trust is a big issue that needs to be addressed among the children of God.  Mark 12:30 "You shall love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, with ALL your soul, with ALL your mind, and with ALL your strength."  He isn't telling us that He wants us to love Him only on Sundays, or just as you read the Bible.  He's telling us that He wants us to love Him every minute, every second of the day.  He's not telling us that we should only give Him the part that feels good inside, but He wants us to love Him in our weaknesses and in our strengths.  He doesn't want to be excluded from our life in any fashion.  He doesn't want us to invite Him into our homes, yet tell Him the bedroom or the close is off limits.  God doesn't want us to limit Him in any way.  He wants us totally.  But how do we trust Him with ALL of our heart, ALL of our soul, mind and strength?  Do we dare show Him our bad habits, our weaknesses, our failures when deep down inside we know that He already knows?  Do we trust Him only when we are happy and healthy?  Why can't we trust Him with our illnesses too?  Do we not know that in Mark 10:27b "with God all things are possible."  Mark 8:34-35 " Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself and take us his cross and follow Me.  For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the Gospel's will save it." What is our cross?  Is it a drug addiction, a bad attitude, a terminal illness, a bad relationship, unforgiveness?  Each of us has a cross to bear and Jesus tells us to take it up and follow Him.  We must take our burdens to Him and lay them down at His feet.  No man or woman can do for us as Jesus can.  Psalm 118:9 "It is better to trust in the Lord, than to put confidence in man.  Is it hard to understand why we are so weak when it comes to loving God with ALL our heart, soul, mind and strength.?  Yes, it is tremendously hard to trust God and to totally love Him when so much suffering enters our life.  But God doesn't expect us to understand the why's of things, He just tells us in Proverbs 3:5 "Trust in the Lord, with ALL your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Jeremiah 29:11-14 "For I know the thoughts I think toward you, says the Lord, the thoughts of peace and not of evil, to give you a future and a hope.  Then you will call upon Me and go and pray to Me and I will listen to you,  And you will seek Me and find Me, when your search for me with ALL your heart.  I will be found by you, says the Lord, and i will bring you back from captivity."  God is offering us quality of life.  He can heal us, mend us, rid us from or afflictions and take the load of our cross off our shoulders.  Trust in Him.

If We Gain The Whole World

 Matthew 16:24,26 "If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it."

Each of us has an established birth date and an established death date.  In between those dates represents the dash (-) of our life.  It is but a vapor, but it is how we use that dash that is important.  So do we "eat, drink and be merry" as Solomon said in Ecclesiastes 2?  Do we do whatever our hearts desire, knowing that when we are gone, all that we have done will end up in someone else's lap.  No, we rejoice in the fact that God gave us today.  A gift in which we can use to serve Him or not to Serve Him.  The choice is entirely ours, but if we chose not to serve Him and do all the things our heart desire, there will be an emptiness in our life that will cause us to search for fulfillment.  The only way that fulfillment will come about is if we chose to serve God.  

The verse above tells me, that we no longer belong to our self.  We belong to God, He makes the decisions for us.  Above all, He tells us to choose Him.  He is life over death.  He is happiness over sorrow.  He is quality of life versus quantity of life.  When God tells us to chose life, He is telling us to live in servitude to Him, knowing full well our life is for eternity.  We as Christians have forgotten how to deny our self and follow God.  Help us Lord to lean on you to make the hard choices in our life.  

Lean Not On Your Own Understanding

 "The way of a fool is right in his own eyes, but he who heeds counsel is wise."  Proverbs 12:15

"There is a way that seems right to a man but it's end is the way of death." Proverbs 14:12, 16:25

"The preparation of the heart belong to man, but the answer of the tongue is from the Lord." Proverbs 16:1

"A man's heart plans his way, but the Lord directs his step."  Proverbs 16:9

"There are many plans in a man's heart, Nevertheless the Lord's counsel - that will stand."  Proverbs 19:21

"A man's step are of the Lord; How then can a man understand his own way?  Proverbs 20:24

"Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts."  Proverbs 21:2

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; In all your ways acknowledge Him and He shall direct Your paths"  Proverbs 3:5 & 6

In this world there are so many things going on that we just don't understand.  Covid19, Why does a person lay in a vegetative state or coma for years on end?  Why do people have to suffer when they no longer have quality of life?  Why does God allow natural disasters to kill even His own children?  So many questions we can ask and never receive the answer to.  In fact, I believe that God desires us not to ask, but instead trust in Him that in whatever happens it is to our best benefit.  Most of the time when we or someone else is suffering, it is not about that person.  It is about the people around them that are affected by that persons suffering.  Most of the suffering that comes about is to build character or strengthen that person of those around them.  But most of it is to bring glorification to our Lord God.

When we go about our daily lives we must take in consideration that God's way is the only way that will bring peace in our life.  When we have a decision to make, we must first seek out God and pray about it.  When we teach others, we must first ask God to give us the words to speak and the listener the words to hear.  Amazing things will take place in our life if we first seek counsel with God and trust Him to know what is best for us and those around us.  Commune with God on a regular basis so that the path you take will be the path God directed you on.

Making Promises

 Proverbs 16:1 "My son, if you become surety for your friend, if you have shaken hands in a pledge for a stranger, you are ensnared by the words of your mouth; You are taken by the words of your mouth.  So do this, my son, and deliver yourself; For you have come into the hand of your friend; go and humble yourself, plead with your friend."

From my youth forward, my greatest peeve is for someone to tell me they will do something and then they don't. When we make promises to one another, we also make promises to God.  Our words have sealed that statement and causes us to become a liar when we don't carry it out.  I realize there are certain circumstances that can happen that can deter a promise being kept.  As I grow older I have become more tolerant and more compassionate towards people who don't carry out their promises to me. 

 However, I question how tolerant God may be when we make promises to Him but don't carry them out.  When we give our self to God, we make the promise to obey Him and keep His commandments.  God tells us that as long as we keep His commandments and statutes He will bless us continually.  He also tells us that if we don't, then curses will come upon us.  We, then have a decision to make, do we want blessings or curses?  Are we going to keep our promises to God, thereby keeping our words in tact, Not making promises to one another that we cannot keep. 

 When we carry out our promises to each other, there is a sense of accomplishment, a good feeling from the praise that come from the one we made the promise to.  When we don't keep the promise, we should feel remorse and feel the need to explain our actions to the one we let down.  likewise, when we don't keep our promises to God we should feel remorse.  God already knows the reasons but still we feel the need to explain.  We can't take back our promise to God, we sealed it with our baptism but we can be careful of what we promise to each other. 

Get Wisdom

 Proverbs 4:6-9 (paraphrased) " Do not forsake wisdom, and wisdom will preserve you; Love wisdom, and wisdom will keep you.  Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.  And in all your getting, get understanding.  Exalt wisdom, and wisdom will promote you; Wisdom will bring you honor, when you embrace wisdom.  Wisdom will place on your head an ornament of grace; A crown of glory wisdom will deliver to you."  

As you can see, I replaced the words she and her with the word wisdom.  When God asked Solomon what the one thing he would want from God, his answer was wisdom and understanding.  God tells us that if we ask for wisdom He will give it to us in abundance.  Wisdom and understanding are the two things that I sometimes feel lacking in, but on the whole we all have these qualities.  They guide us in the knowledge between right and wrong.  They guide us in making the right choices.  When we have wisdom and knowledge, it helps us guide others to what is most important.  Our Lord Jesus Christ.  When we have wisdom and things go wrong in our life, it guides us to God's word to hep us solve these problems.  All of us have a degree of wisdom and understanding.  It is how we put it to use that matters the most.  Are we wasting our wisdom and understanding on laziness, falsehoods, wrongful activities or are we learning all we can from God's word and sharing it with others.  Can we counsel another if we have not put to use the wisdom God has granted us?  

Think on these things and ask God to give you the wisdom and understanding in the areas that you need it most.  It is there, God will supply. What a wonderful thing God's wisdom is and more wonderful still that is is freely available for the asking!

God's Presence In Our Life

 Don't you love it when the colors begin to appear and the days start getting warmer.  Everything is in various shade of green.  It makes me feel more alive, more willing to get out and do whatever needs to be done.  The outdoors lends to many opportunities that winter months don't offer.  Like taking long walks, garage sales, and so forth.

  

Then, on the other hand, times are tough, it seems there isn't a day goes by that there isn't some kind of bed news.  Covid 19 is still on the increase.  So much cancer in the world. So many natural disasters.

 Having volunteered at a nursing center for 18 years, I came across death and funerals quite often.  It makes a person sad to know there is so much bad in the world until we think about God and what He is doing. He says not to fear that these things will come to pass. 

 He says that He will never leave us nor forsake us.  He is our sunshine in this world.  He is our encouragement, knowing that whatever comes to pass that God has our best interest at heart.  He will not harm us, but He will cradle us in His arms and protect us.

 If you are feeling sad or depressed, go outside and soak up the Son, God's warmth and remember God is as near as the breath we breathe.  He is the wind in the trees, He is the song in the bird.  He is the hello neighbor and the smile of a loved one.  He is ever present in our lives and He is the praise on our lips.  Rejoice in the Lord for He is good.  He is our ever present help in troubles.  He is our promise for eternity.  God breathes Joy, Peace and Blessing to all!

Proverbs 1

 Proverbs 1

"To know wisdom and instruction, to perceive the words of understanding, to receive instruction of wisdom, justice, judgement and equity, to give prudence to the simple,  To the young man,, knowledge and discretion."

These words were spoken by King Solomon.  Expressing his desires to God.  This is one prayer that should be our daily request.  Our true source of all wisdom come from God's Word, the Holy Bible.  Without wisdom and knowledge, selfishness and pride will take it's place.  That leads to a "know it all" attitude and can only bring discomfort for ourselves and those around us.  We cannot fully teach others if we think we know it all and do not draw our wisdom from God Almighty. 

 Only God can give us the wisdom and knowledge that we have.  It is wrong to claim more than God has given us.  I strive to be more like Christ every day but I do not claim to know as much as Christ does.  By far, I am simple in mind compared to Christ's wisdom and knowledge.  Reading Proverbs is a good way to learn how to live wisely and productively.  It gives us truths that work today as it did the day they were written.  Since there are 31 chapters in the book of Proverbs, it would be good to read each chapter on the day of the month that it falls on.  For example, today is the 12th so read Proverbs 12 today.  That is, if you want to gain wisdom and knowledge and be instructed in the way God would lead you.  I pray that  you relish this wisdom and will grow from it, not only in maturity but in the knowledge that God grants you.  God be with you in your spiritual journey.

Perfectionism

     Acts 22 

Paul could have been considered a "perfect" Jew.  He had the right pedigree, the right training, the right desires, the right enthusiasm.  But being "perfect" In one's own eyes doesn't make somebody saved before God.

When God met Paul on the road to Damascus, He understood two important facts,  First, He realized God could use every part of a person's background and upbringing for His glory.  Nothing is wasted with God.  As God fashioned his future servant, the events of Paul's life would be brought together into a perfect "package" that could accomplish God's great purposes.  Paul's training under Gamaliel gave him command of the Old Testament.  When Christ revealed Himself, Paul, unlike many of his fellow Pharisees, saw how Christ had fulfilled every prophecy regarding the Messiah.  Paul's logical mind saw the truth, and there was no turning back.  In addition, Pau's Roman citizenship allowed him to travel across the empire, and spared him at least one beating at the hands of the Roman Soldiers.

Second, Paul realized that his perfect pedigree was ultimately worthless for Salvation,  He wrote to the Philippian church; "If anyone thinks he may have confidence in the flesh, I more so; circumcised the 8th day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, a Hebrew of the Hebrews; concerning the law, a Pharisee; concerning zeal, persecuting the church; concerning the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.  But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ."  Phil 3:4-7.

Paul's Jewish "perfection" counted for nothing.  No one's pedigree, training, background, wealth, abilities, gifts, appearance, or anything else can be perfect enough to earn Salvation.  We must not be enslaved to the "perfectionism" of this world that is ultimately worthless.  Only when we cast ourselves before God and allow Him to use our backgrounds, training, and gifts for His glory will we find complete fulfillment.  Only when we repent of our sins and accept Him as our Savior does He do His perfect work in us. 

God Has A Positive Answer

 God Has a Positive Answer

May you always know peace, love, light, and laughter.  This week I want to share a handy little chart that I copied off the internet years ago.  It is still very valuable today.

You say "it's impossible"       God says "all things are possible. Luke 18:27.

You say "I'm too tired."         God says "I will give you rest. Matthew 11:28 -30

You say "Nobody loves me"  God says "I love you"  John 31:6, John 3:34

You say "I can't go on"  God says "my grace is sufficient" 2 Cor. 12:9, Psalm 91:15

You say "I can't figure things out" God says "I will direct your steps" Prov. 3:5-6

You say "I can't do it"            God says "You can do all things." Philippians 4:13

You say "It's not worth it"      God says "it will be worth it" Romans 8:28

You say "I'm not able"           God says "I am able" II Cor. 9:8

You say "I can't forgive myself"  God says "I will forgive you" I John 1:9

You say "I can't manage"  God says "I will supply all your needs" Philip. 4:19

You say "I'm afraid"  God says "I have not given you a spirit of fear." II Tim.1:7

You say "I'm always worried and frustrated" God says "cast all your cares on me" I Peter 5:7

You say "I'm not smart enough" God says "I give you wisdom" I Cor. 1:30

You say "I feel all alone"   God says "I will never leave you nor forsake you." Hebrews 13:5

Father God, bless all my friends in whatever it is that you know they may need this day! And may their lives be full of your peace, prosperity and power as they seek to have a closer relationship with you.

                                        The Holy Word

Psalm 119:11 "Your word I have hidden in my heart, that I might not sin against you."  The Bible, the Word of God, so powerful that it can actually keep a person from sinning.  Do you have a Bible?  When we open our Bible it can speak to us in many ways.  It is our sword to fight against our enemies.  It is our comfort to help through our trials.  It is our instructions to live on a daily basis for the Lord.  It is a way to praise God and be thankful for our provisions.  It is our path to eternal life.  It insulates us against the pressures of temptation.  To simply own a Bible isn't enough.  We must open our Bibles on a daily basis and not just read it, but study it, print in on our hearts and then live as though you might have written the words yourself.

2 Timothy 3:16 "All scripture is given by inspiration of God; and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction for righteousness."  

John 12:48 "He who rejects Me, and does not receive my words, has that which judges him.  The word that I have spoken will judge him in the last day."

That last scripture speaks to me in telling me I best get busy and find out what God wants me to know in His word.  "His word is sweeter than honey and the honeycomb."  Psalm 19:10 

 I am sitting here today thinking of all those who read my blogs.  I believe that most, if not all of you are God fearing, loving people.  So how can God use me to encourage you today?  I think of the earthquake and nuclear blasts in Japan, and I read the prophecy in Rev. 16:18-21 of what will become of us in the end times.  Then I wonder how it came to be that Moses could change God's mind on Mount Horeb when God wanted to destroy His people for making a golden calf and worshipping it.  When Joshua was near to dying  he called his people to him and reminded them of all the blessings God had given them and their deliverance from all their enemies. At the end of his speech he said, "if it seems evil to you to serve the Lord.. then choose this day whom you will serve, but for me and my house we will serve the Lord." Joshua 24:15.  I know this doesn't sound encouraging so far but believe me that sometimes we need to see the bad to understand the good that will come from it.  Right now, this minute, we need to strive to change God's mind about destroying us.  Look around you at all the people that make up your life. It is easy to love those people who are close to us, but what about that person that agitates us.  What about Judas who betrayed Christ, or Peter who denied Christ or even Paul who claimed to be the most treacherous villain on earth.  If they were here today and there are many like them, would you be judgmental or would we choose to love them as Christ did.  I encourage you today to strive to be a more loving, forgiving, exceptional person in God's eyes so that we can change his mind toward destruction.  The U.S. is a very generous nation.  No doubt we help foreign countries that are in need.  But we are not a perfect nation.  I encourage you today to go forth and spread the Good News.  Let everyone you come in contact with know that God loves them and He is merciful.  Let's not only talk the talk, but let's walk the walk, showing God's grace and in so doing help to save our nation.  God Be with you all.

 Nehemiah 1:5 " I pray, Lord God of heaven; O great and awesome God, you who keep your covenant and mercy with those who love you."  Nehemiah had the right attitude.  He prayed to God from the bottom of his heart.  He knew God would listen and he knew God would answer his prayers.  He knew God was powerful and was full of mercy and grace.  He knew how to pray.  We must never allow the Word of God to leave us.  We must know His promises as in Joshua 1:8 "For then you will make your way prosperous, then you will have good success."  Nehemiah prayed for the people and asked for forgiveness.  He prayed for their broken down ways in Jerusalem and God answered his prayers and made him prosperous.  Prayer is our source of happiness.  It relieves anxiety and it brings peace.  We are never alone when God is in our hearts and minds daily.  Pray my brothers and sisters.  Pray without ceasing.