God is Good………………………..All the Time!

How many times have we heard these same words? 

How many times have we said them ourselves?

Do we really believe that God is good “ALL of the time”?

I can hear the overwhelming reply to the above answer as “OF COURSE I BELIEVE THAT!”  It is time to test this question and answer in our own walk with God.

Each of us, as believers, makes a critical decision in our walk with God when we accept Jesus as our LORD and SAVIOR.  Well, at least we accept Him as our Savior.  What do you mean by that you ask, thank you for asking…

Most people, including myself said the prayer of salvation, and we were born again.  We miss one of the most important lessons that we are supposed to learn.  We are supposed to accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior, not just our Savior.  Do not get me wrong, I did not figure this out at first either, but when I did, it hit me like a brick.

The Bible says in Philippians 2:9-11 (New American Standard Bible)

⁹For this reason also, God highly exalted Him, and bestowed on Him the name which is above every name, ¹⁰so that at the name of Jesus EVERY KNEE WILL BOW, of those who are in heaven and on earth and under the earth, ¹¹and that every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

I can see that some of you may be scratching your heads asking; “The Bible says ‘every tongue will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord’, what does that mean?”

The definition of Lord in the dictionary is; “one having power and authority over others” When we accept Jesus as our Lord, we give Him ALL authority over our lives.  When we are saved, we accept the greatest gift that Jesus has given us; Eternal Salvation.  In return, we are to give Him authority over our lives and everything in our lives.

It is said in 1 Corinthians 10:26 (Amplified)

For the whole earth is the Lord’s and everything that is in it.

Once we recognize Jesus as our Lord, we learn to give everything to Him, good and bad.  We thank God for everything, whether it “feels” good or not.  We finally understand that it is no longer about us, it is always about Him.

Keep you focus on God and not the world and you will be blessed.

Stay tuned for Part 2: It is not too Late…

 

In God We Still Trust

I am not sure if any of you are Country Western music fans, but I love my country and more importantly, I Love God…

Check out this video, real neat.  2 versions, the 2nd one has the lyrics…

 

 

 

To those who Serve and those who have served…

I know that this video is labeled as Memorial day, but it should be seen 365 days a year.

God Bless the men and women who have served our country.

 

 

Our prayer for our Pastors

Our Pastors are under a lot of scrutiny at all times.  They are scrutinized by their congregation, they are scrutinized by their peers and they are scrutinized by their closed friends. 

We should all realize that the primary source of our Pastors’ vision is supposed to come from the Holy Spirit.  At times, when all of the scrutiny is placed upon our Pastors, it can really take its toll.

I have been blessed with a wonderful prayer book, Prayers for our Pastor.  Which are available @ http://www.renewalministries.com/store/.

There is a prayer on page 20 that I have been praying for the last 2 weeks.  It is time that we all take this prayer and start praying for our Pastors.

Feel free to comment and share your thoughts and any other prayers you would like to share. 

Insert you Pastor’s name in the blank spot.

Lord, I stand against the enemies of my pastor’s prayer life – “busyness” (Acts 6:2-4), compulsions, compromise (Acts 5), unnecessary phone calls, chronic counselees, fatigue, sleepiness, (Matthew 26:41), appetites, television, late meetings, over-commitments,  and doubt.  Let nothing hinder ________________’s time with you.  Let him/her rise up to seek you (Mark 1:35), pray with other pastors (Acts 1:14) and pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

To God be ALL of the Glory

 

The Chisel

Sometimes we may say we want God to be able to take over our lives, but do we really? 

Please watch this video, I know it is 9 minutes long, but it will be the best 9 minutes you have spent in a long time.  After watching this, please share your thoughts.

 

 

When were you Born?

To Those of You Born

1930 – 1983

At the end of this email is a quote of the month by Jay Leno.

If you don’t read anything else, please

read what he said.

Very well stated, Mr. Leno.

TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE

1930’s, 40’s, 50’s, 60’s and 70’s!!

First, we survived being born to mothers who smoked and/or drank while they were pregnant.

They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing, tuna from a can and didn’t get tested for diabetes.

Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.

We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles, locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode our bikes, we had baseball caps not helmets on our heads.

As infants & children, we would ride in cars with no car seats, no booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes no brakes.

Riding in the back of a pick- up truck on a warm day was always a special treat.

We drank water from the garden hose and not from a bottle.

We shared one soft drink with four friends, from one bottle and no one actually died from this.

We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon. We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar. And, we weren’t overweight. WHY?

Because we were always outside playing…that’s why!

We would leave home in the morning and play all day, as long as we were back when the streetlights came on.

No one was able to reach us all day. And, we were O.K.

We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps and then ride them down the hill, only to find out we forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes a few times,we learned to solve the problem.

We did not have Playstations, Nintendo’s and X-boxes. There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable, no video movies or DVD’s, no surround-sound or CD’s, no cell phones, no personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms.
WE HAD FRIENDS and we went outside and found them!

We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth and there were no lawsuits from these accidents.

We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt, and the worms did not live in us forever.

We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays, made up games with sticks and tennis balls and, although we were told it would happen, we did not put out very many eyes.

We rode bikes or walked to a friend’s house and knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just walked in and talked to them.

Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team.. Those who didn’t had to learn to deal with disappointment.

Imagine that!!

The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law was unheard of. They actually sided with the law!

These generations have produced some of the best risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.

The past 50 years have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.

We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility, and we learned how to deal with it all.

If YOU are one of them? CONGRATULATIONS!

You might want to share this with others who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives for our own good.

While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know how brave and lucky their parents were.

Kind of makes you want to run through the house with scissors, doesn’t it ?

~

The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:

‘With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control, mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms tearing up the country from one end to another, and with the threat of bird flu and terrorist attacks, are we sure this is a good time to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?’

For those that prefer to think that God is not watching over us…go ahead and forget this.
For the rest of us…pass this on.

Compliments of the Nooner, thanks for a walk down memory lane…

 

A new beginning…

We are in the holiest weekend of the Christian calendar.  Take the time to think about what Resurrection weekend means to you.

As you see above, I did not call this “Easter Weekend”, anyone who knows, that the real meaning behind this weekend is not the “Easter bunny”.  It is not about “Easter eggs” (silly people actually think eggs come from rabbits?).  It is not about “baskets” or “chocolate”.

Friday night, I watched the movie Passion of the Christ for the 2nd time.  This time had a new meaning.  If you have not seen it, I will not spoil the ending.  (If you do not know the ending, even without seeing the movie, please visit your local church or better yet come to DiscoverLife Church.tv and someone there will be glad to illuminate you.)

Friday night I was able to search what I needed to receive.  God was able to show me that I have been at one time or another; a Judas - I have betrayed God at one time in my life, a Peter - I have, in times in my life, said that I knew Jesus, but when the time came to acknowledge it, I denied it.

To God be ALL of the Glory, I am free.  I now recognize that no money in the world will ever allow me betray God.  I also recognize that Jesus is my Savior and if anyone asks, I will tell them boldly YES, on top of that, I will continue to show, those who do not ask, the LOVE that Jesus has for us, and is inside each of us.

Do these descriptions of myself speak to things you have done?  Were you ever a Judas?  Were you ever no better than Peter?  Where are you now? 

If you are still struggling, I have a little secret, I still have to work on my walk daily.  I am not the example you need to look up to, the ONLY example we need to look at is the example that Jesus set for us over 2000 years ago.

Let’s join together, in one accord, life up Jesus, and finally give Him the Glory He deserves.

Be BOLD and proud of our faith in the one who suffered and died for ALL of us.

 

What time is it?

What time is it?

 

It is time for everyone to get serious about God.

My heart has been hurting for those people that are not taking God’s Word seriously.

If I may, please allow me to share what is on my mind about these people. 

Answer the following questions and then go back and put someone you know in your place and see if you can answer those questions for them…

What if?

• What if Jesus was to return to earth 5 minutes from now, did you do everything you can do to insure you will be rising up to meet Him in the clouds?
•           Or will you be wondering; “Where did everyone go?” and wishing you did things a little differently.
• What if you were standing face to face with God, will you hear those amazing words; “Great job my faithful servant!”?
•           Or will you be standing face to face with God and being ashamed that you did not give 100%.
• What if you were presented with an opportunity to bless someone, will you have to think about it?
•           Or will you trust in God to hold to His promise that you will reap MORE than you sow.
• What if God gave you they opportunity to be wealthy behold all imagination, but your eternity was not guaranteed would you accept?
•           Or the other option was a life of serving Him and others but just barely getting by, until the day when He returns when you are guaranteed a place with Him in heaven.
• What if you were asked to invite others to know the things you know about God, will you extend the invitation?
•           Or will you do what most people do, will you just let someone else do it?

It is time, it is way over due for the “Christian” people to stop being so darn selfish.  God is not a secret.  The opportunity to get to know God does not require any special password or expensive ticket to reserve a seat.  We, believers, need to step up and be BOLD about our faith.  We also need to take every opportunity we have to share God with others and just run with it. 

I have heard too many excuses why ”Christians” do not either share God with others, or those who do not have that a personal relationship with Jesus Christ do not make an effort to get to know Him.  Here are a few, feel free to add a few, maybe those people who use those excuses will be able to learn from this.

1. I am too busy – too busy for God – Does God ever say He is too busy for us?
2. I am not comfortable with it – Step out – Part of Faith is stepping out of your comfort zone.
3. I do not know how – Get over it – If you can invite people over to watch a football game (or soccer for you other people), you can invite them to church.
4. Nobody invited me - you are wrong – someone sowed a seed sometime in your life and God did the rest.
5. I go to church – really where and how often? – If you say you are going to church, yet are lying, you are not lying to me, you are lying to yourself and God, if you do go to church, to God be ALL of the Glory…
6. I do not need to go to a church – OK, you do not have to be IN church to pray – Luke 4:16 tells us that Jesus went to church regularly, we need to be like Jesus…
7. I am too old – real simple- Pastor David Gant – I hope that when I am his age I have half of his energy – If you do not know Pastor Gant, come to visit our church, I will introduce him to you…  www.discoverlifechurch.tv
8. I am too young, or I have not been a “Christian” very long. -  What a better opportunity- invite the people you hang around now to come experience God.  If you saw a good movie, or for the women a real tear jerker, I bet before you got home from the movies you would have called or texted at least 3 friends to go see it – When is the last time you left church and called just 1 person to come experience God.

I can go on and on, but I am saving some good ones for those who are reading and replying…

What time is it?  It is time for us ALL to step up for God…  Will you?

Praise God!!!

 

God can work through anyone

Just when you said you have seen it all, check out this video.  I cried like a baby.  I hope it touches you also…

 

Remember these words:

The Sky’s the limit…

Give all of the effort that you can to catch a dream…

Never give up…

 

The Wisdom in Hot Chocolate

   The Wisdom in Hot Chocolate

A group of graduates,

well established in their careers,

were discussing their lives at a class reunion.

They decided to go visit their old university professor,

now retired, who was always an inspiration to them.  

  During their visit, the conversation turned to complaints about stress in their work, lives and relationships.  

 Offering his guests hot chocolate,

the professor went into the kitchen and returned with

a large pot of hot chocolate and an assortment of cups.

Some cups were porcelain, glass, crystal, some plain looking,

some expensive, some exquisite.

He invited each to help themselves to the hot chocolate.

  When they all had a cup of hot chocolate in hand, the professor shared his thoughts. 

  ”Notice that all the nice looking, expensive cups were taken,

leaving behind the plain and cheap ones.” 

  ”While it is normal for you to want only the best for yourselves,

that is the source of your problems and stress.” 

  ”The cup that you are drinking from adds nothing to the quality of the hot chocolate.

In most cases it is just more expensive and in some cases even hides what we drink.” 

  ”What each of you really wanted was hot chocolate.

You did not want the cup . . . but you consciously went for the best cups.”  

  ”And soon, you began to eye one another’s cups.” 

  ”Now friends, please consider this . . .

  ”Life is the hot chocolate . . . your job, money and position in society are the cups.”

  ”They are just tools to hold and contain life.” 

  ”The cup you have does not define, nor does it change, the quality of life you are living.”

  ”Sometimes, by concentrating only on the cup,

we fail to enjoy the hot chocolate God has provided us.” 

  Always remember this . . . . . . . . . . God brews the hot chocolate, He does not choose the cup. 

  The happiest people don’t have the best of everything. 

  They just make the best of everything that they have!!

  Live simply . . .

Love generously . . .

Care deeply . . .

Speak kindly . . . 

 Leave the rest to God.

~ and remember ~

The richest person is not the one who has the most,

but the one who needs the least.

Enjoy your hot chocolate!!