Honor the Lord at Christmas

Jesus was a great teacher. At the age of twelve, Jesus was found in the synagogue teaching and engaging in debate with the pharisees of His day. Just think, a boy teaching as though he were a man. Not only a man but a learned man with great wisdom and insight.

Jesus gave few sermons. His most important work was teaching, healing, and forgiving people of their sins. Preaching was not His primary goal. I am not suggesting in any way that preaching is unnecessary. On the contrary, the bible says that in order to have faith the Word must be preached and those who aspire to such an office are wise.

However, I believe that we have plenty of preaching today and not always enough teaching. Teaching allows people the opportunity to digest Jesus in smaller portions such that they can better understand Him and who they are in Him. As Christians, we must learn God's word in order that we may teach our families and whomever we can about the importance of Christ and His message.

As we celebrate the birth of Jesus this coming Tuesday, December 25th 2007, let us consider that we must continue to learn all we can about His coming into the world. Why did He come? What was His legacy? What did He teach or preach? Who did He die for? A thorough understanding of these things alone will make us effective witness for the Lord. II Timothy 2:15 reads:

"Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

The key here is study. You and I must study the Word of God. It is one primary way we can honor our Lord and Savior and His life and death and resurrection and ascension into heaven to be seated at the right hand of the Father -the one true God.

Merry Christmas! After celebrating and exchanging gifts (if you practice this), take time to read your bible and pray that we can all exchange heavenly gifts with each other and with our fellow man: goodwill, peace and love.

When The Pain Won't Go Away

There is a song titled "I've Been in the Storm Too Long", performed by the gospel group 'The Mighty Clouds of Joy'. Do you feel that you've been in the storm too long?

Is your heart heavy? Are your eyes weary? Do you groan and cry out to God Almighty but yet the storm rages? Are you tired? Do you feel like giving up? Do the winds seem to keep on blowing and yet you can find no shelter? If you answered "yes" to all of these questions then you really feel that you've been in the storm too long.

Where is God during the storm? We often ask if He cares. Why won't He help me? Why can't I just wake-up one day and it be over? My heart goes out to you. If it helps, know that you're not alone.

Many of us experience times of drought or even affliction in our lives. We can't see our way out of our problems. We've waited a long time and prayed all night and yet when the morning comes there still seems to be no end to the night.

Oh God, how long shall I be here? LORD please hear me. I am tired. This life is getting the best of me. I am not happy. Where is your joy? Where is my peace? Have you forsaken me?

Yet I have decided to still hold onto your hand. You are the only one who can help me. Please stop by my house, hospital bed, job, church, shelter, abandon house, car, ICU room and help me. My heart cries out to you continually. Please oh LORD, hear my earnest prayers and pleas and if you can just stop by for a moment to save me -that's all I need. I just need a touch. I need a word from heaven.

What must I do oh LORD? I have removed sin from my life and my heart is available to you. I am weak and you are so strong and able to do all things. In my despair, in my pain, please just take a little time to comfort me.

If I could just press through the trials and troubles of life and touch the hem of your garment, if I could just feel your presence in my despair, if I could hear a word from heaven letting me know that you see my pain and struggle, I would feel comforted knowing you heard my cry.

LORD save me from myself and my troubles. Help me to overcome and never to quit. Your calling is worth more than my life and with what I have left make it the best it's ever been. Bring joy into my life. Bless me with the desires of my heart. Deliver me upon high places and subdue my enemies that seek my destruction.

LORD, I need you. Father, your sons and daughters are calling upon you in their day of trouble and despair. You said in your word in Psalms that you would deliver us from trouble and that in turn we would worship you. I worship you now oh LORD. Please turn things around, make me the head and not the tail. Bless me to abound and not be abase for a season. Heal my son, daughter, and other love ones and make whole all the brokenness in me and in my loved ones.

Despite everything, I believe God love us. We may not understand it all but let's trust and believe that He will make a MAJOR way. That He will demonstrate His love in such a way that it changes our lives forever.

God loves you and so do I.

The Winds of Life

The wind cannot be seen but nevertheless, it can be felt. Wind has no taste or smell of it's own, yet it can carry the smell of any odor -sweet or foul. Wind is an unseen force that is necessary to circulate stale air to provide continuous fresh air.

It's strange how things in life have multiple purposes. A bullet can save a life through its destructive forces. Yet, a bullet can also kill and maim a person. Words can sooth us; A song or a poem can take us to a different place mentally and/or spiritually by filling our hearts with hope and our minds with new possibilities and new insights. Yet, words can "cut" a person down, destroy self-esteem, hurt feelings, cause misunderstandings, and even lead to spiritual or physical death.

We must at times accept and, if possible, ask God for understanding so we can discern the winds in our life. I can't always see trouble, but I feel it. Trouble has different "smells". Have you ever heard the expression "I think I smell a rat" or "I smell trouble"? I am sure you have. We can all feel and even "smell" trouble. Despite this, trouble can actually smell sweet if God is using it for our benefit and for His glory.

For example, if your trouble lead to great wisdom and riches like King Solomon or success in business and in relationships, you might feel that the trouble is/was worth it because the end is positive. On the contrary, some trouble is truly that -trouble. How do we deal with plain, hurtful and disheartening trouble? Consider the Psalmist words:

Psalms 138:7 - Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

NOTE: Please also read Psalms 31:7-24

Praise God! I ask that you pray for me that the Lord will be there for me and my family to deliver us from trouble as we face the winds of life. Pray that a good wind blows in our life. I'll do the same for you and your family.

The "winds of life" will and must blow. Life continues through God's grace and mercy. I pray that in the midst of our trouble, in the midst of our valley, that God will give us victory over fear and doubt. Give us peace or Lord to stay in the "race".

Please God comfort us and deliver us. We need your hand at work in our lives and your face to shine upon us to give us favor and protection. I love you and so does our God.

Be a good and faithful servant. Do the right thing.

Learning to Intercede

Intercede - to plead on another's behalf; to act as a mediator in a dispute.

Romans 8:26 - Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.

After a day spent at the hospital praying for a man recently made a paralytic by a unintended bullet and praying with his mother who is deeply saddened and troubled, I began to really understand what it meant to bear another's burdens and intercede.

If we truly love our neighbor as we love ourselves, then we absolutely must pray for each other and be there for each other. We must learn to trouble ourselves for someone else; make a sacrifice. Take time from you day and pray for someone you know who needs it. Your prayers make a difference in the lives of others -even if they never know you prayed for them.

As the Spirit of the Lord makes intercessory prayer for us, we must do the same for one another as best we can. Get to know your neighbor, co-worker, or anyone as the Spirit leads you and learn something about them that you can petition the Lord for help and deliverance.

Your groanings, words, and faith will make the difference in someone's life. Also know that even the way you live your life represents all that you are. Are you a child of God? Do you love God? Do you believe that somehow, some way, He can make a way? Let's act like it and encourage each other as believers and pray with or for non-believers that they will experience the awesome presence of God and learn to intercede for someone too.

Learning to Give

My Christian brother and friend, Larry Robinson has a remarkable calling on his life to teach believers how become richly blessed through their giving to God. Larry teaches us that giving is a reflection of our relationship to God. According to Larry, God is not as interested in the gift as He is the giver -or the giver's attitude. Attitude determines our "altitude".

Read Larry's blog which contains his complete work and information on his Podcast series. Larry's work is titled "More Than The Gift". He has been a blessing in my life and that of our church's. We wish him continued success in all things.

See http://christiangiving.blogspot.com

WARNING: Are you being watchful and prayerful?

Back in the 19th and 20th centuries, coal miners would place a canary (a yellow bird) in the mines to detect methane gas. Canary's are very sensitive to this gas and if the levels are too high, they will die. As a warning system, the miners used this technique so if the bird stopped singing and was found dead they would then evacuate the mines for safety. Do you see the warnings around you? Are you sensing the coming danger?

This posting is meant to encourage you to educate yourself in God's Word, the world, and current affairs. Despite our personal challenges, desires, dreams, and goals, there is much going on in the world today. The global economy is near depression, the U.S. dollar is at it's lowest point in recent history and social/political unrest is occurring in many countries. Oil futures prices are seemingly out of control and the supply and demand for oil balance in changing for the worse (e.g. more demand than supply).

We all studied the 1929 US Stock market crash but a global market crash is coming and it will be unprecedented and much worse than the 20th century's stock market collapse. Even then there were various scholars, political leaders, business leaders and even preachers warning the world of a pending calamity with global economic implications but no one seemed to listen. No one seems to really believe something like this can happen in our modern economy and world. For example, many people really believe that there's "someone" in charge when the reality is that no one person or entity is in charge that has world influence -at least not yet.

Countries, corporations, and individual investors all act as independent agents in today's global capital markets. Believe it or not, no one at the proverbial switch. Our global economy is a very delicate balancing act between large and small investors. All it takes is one major war, weather event, act of terrorism, oil shortage, etc and our economy as we know it will fall like a house of cards; consider the current sub-prime fiasco.

God said "...be not deceived: God is not mocked; whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.". This is God's ultimate axiom or law, that that as long as the earth remains there will always be a seed time and a harvest time. Many of today's economic seeds were planted long ago. Greed was the creed for the roaring 90's as Wall Street, Washington, and the world feasted on unprecedented success and prosperity. Even you enjoyed the benefits of this season. I am not suggesting you were greedy or did anything improper but that we all enjoyed this season of high home values, large gains in the stock market, jobs were aplenty, and nearly anyone qualified for a loan to buy cars and homes and etc.

So, am I saying that because our economy has taken a down turn, there will be no rebound? Am I suggesting that because times are tight now that they'll be this way forever? No. What I am saying is that you need to read the signs of the times. You need to now start learning more about your bible, biblical prophesy, and bolstering your relationship to God through His son, our Savior Jesus. Now is the time.

We may experience another "season of prosperity" before it's all over. But beware, God's anger is kindled and judgement is sure to come upon the earth. The world's financial markets will fall, the US dollar will fall, wars and rumors of wars are happening and this will give rise to a new world order -the season of the anti-Christ.

So what should you do? Pray and watch -which is EXACTLY what the bible tells us to do. Jesus told His disciples to NOT be afraid but that perilous times would come upon the earth and but He would NOT forsake us.

Do not do anything with yourself, finances, and family as a result of my comments but be wise and pray, seek God's direction. Did you know that TODAY, many of world's rich have fortified mountain retreats with security and stock piles of food as they see the coming financial disaster a far off? But there is no place for them to hide.

It's time to grow up now and get the facts and discern the changing times. Jesus REALLY IS coming back. His agenda, His primary agenda has been to build-up his church and bring to earth God's kingdom. If you happen to get rich while you're alive or before His return, GREAT! Jesus says the poor will always be among you and that it is our job to care for them.

Read, watch, fast, and pray. Read your bibles, study God's world, and get educated. Read the newspapers and pray to God for understanding and peace. Prepare your hearts and your family's hearts through prayer and devotion to God.

I have many dreams and I have material desires. But God comes first, then family, then friends and ministry partners, then money. God is asking us to start paying attention and get our houses in order. Do not get slack and think you have anymore time that what you have for the bible says no man knows the day or the hour or Lord cometh.