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​Scripture of the Week:
​
Psalm 92

Of David.

It is good to praise the LORD,
to sing hymns to Your name, O Most High,

To proclaim Your steadfast love at daybreak,
Your faithfulness each night

With a ten-stringed harp,
with voice and lyre together.

You have gladdened me by Your deeds, O LORD;
I shout for joy at Your handiwork.

How great are Your works, O LORD,
how very subtle Or “profound.” Your designs!

A brutish man cannot know,
a fool cannot understand this:

though the wicked sprout like grass,
though all evildoers blossom,
it is only that they may be destroyed forever.

But You are exalted, O LORD, for all time.
Surely, Your enemies, O LORD,
surely, Your enemies perish;
all evildoers are scattered.

You raise my horn high like that of a wild ox;
I am soaked in freshening oil.

I shall see the defeat of my watchful foes,
hear of the downfall of the wicked who beset me.

The righteous bloom like a date-palm;
they thrive like a cedar in Lebanon;

planted in the house of the LORD,
they flourish in the courts of our God.

In old age they still produce fruit;
they are full of sap and freshness,

attesting that the LORD is upright,
my rock, in whom there is no wrong.

















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2/22/2017

Are you Riding in the Right Boat?

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"Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified." John 7:38-39
"Then the angel showed me the river of the water of life, bright as crystal, flowing from the throne of God and of the Lamb" Revelation 22:1
     Life is like swimming in a river, when the current grabs you, either you travel with it calmly until it slows or you constantly try to escape it tiring out and eventually losing. There are many boats on the river to make you safe, but some of them sink while others drop you off in places where you do not need to be. These boats make you struggle to climb on board. Some see a golden ship and jump in only to sink with it. Some see a small yacht, get on board and eventually get run aground and become lost. Some see the canoe and drift easy without a care letting the current take them and eventually stop, sink, or go over the edge. These boats get you nowhere, the sustainment is temporary and the end abrupt. When traveling down the river and you see hands reaching out to you and a net that lifts you from the water; that is the boat of life. When you walk on the boat, if you slip, the captain will pick you up; if you stray too close to the edge, the first mate will pull you in. When you rest, the boat will not rock.  This River has no end but flows through the Kingdom where the banquet is waiting. When the time is right you will be led off the boat and into the Courts of Praise. Be careful not to jump from this boat too early, the water is not kind.
     It is our faith, trust, and belief in Jesus that keeps us safely on the boat. Sometimes when we question our faith, we may slip but He is there to renew it.  Temptations keep us on the edge and when we get to close the Holy Spirit reminds us of His Word which saves us.  He is our comfort, our strength.
     Be wary of the boats which promise worldly things for they are only temporary and pass away. Stay focused on God and keep a watch for the boat of Everlasting Life leading to the light.

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2/20/2017

The Prodigal Problem

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The Prodigal Son received his part of his father’s inheritance so he could experience life, he wanted to go his own way. He went stayed in lavish places and spent the money like it was nothing to him. When the money ran dry (because he did not work) he was left to find the work of a servant feeding pigs (an insulting profession for a Jew).  Of course he goes home and asks forgiveness which is freely given and the story has a good ending, but how would this work in today’s world.
The modern view of this individual can be called part of the “Entitlement”, the “Kid with Parents who Give In”, or “I got free money for college, how can I spend it” generations. These young folks are trying to find their place in the world. The search for identity sometimes leads to dangerous situations where people find themselves a pawn in a temporary human cause that fades away in history with either positive or negative results.
An example of this is the young person that decides to use their time after High School to explore the world, becomes trapped in a situation they cannot get out from and calls the parents to find relief. Some parents will send money, some will say you got yourself into the mess get yourself out. The latter are giving the tough love while the former are giving false reliance on material things. The issue is what would you do here? Buy a plane ticket and get the child home or let them suffer and deal with the consequences on their own.
Our youth need to understand that the safety net is not completely free, there is a price. We welcome them home but they should understand that there are responsibilities. When the Prodigal Son came home, he was greeted with open arms and was given a welcoming worthy of a prince. He was then given the responsibility to tell others the dangers of going it alone. When we are welcomed home we are obligated to tell others of His Saving Grace.
Brothers and Sisters the son in the story is us and the father in the story is God. When we fall away or try to do things on our own without the guidance of the Holy Spirit, we make ourselves more susceptible to temptations which lead to sin. God will take us back because of His Love for us but we must remember the time of Judgement will show our true nature which will lead to how we spend eternity.  
How do you want to spend eternity, in darkness or in the light????
1 John 3.1 - See what great love the Father has lavished on us, that we should be called children of God! And that is what we are! The reason the world does not know us is that it did not know him.
John 1:12-13 But to all who did receive him, who believed in his name, he gave the right to become children of God, who were born, not of blood nor of the will of the flesh nor of the will of man, but of God.

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2/12/2017

LONGING TO BELONG

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​       One of the concerns that a young person between 18-24 years old is one of belonging. Brothers and Sisters, this is a volatile time for a young Christian who is thrust into the world after High School and is seeing the world without the full cushion of home. Some young adults have the opportunity to stay at home while starting college or working for a bit before continuing education, the rest have spread their wings by pursuing higher education a good distance from family or serving their country in military service. Either way they all desire to belong to something.
       The ones that stay home have a safety cushion if things get too rough and they need comfort (but still are not satisfied), the ones that go into the world can possibly fall into the wrong crowd when enticed into a false sense of comfort and safety (unless they are in a school where Jesus takes the wheel).  How can we combat this when the young adult is not near a good group of Christ loving people? How do we let them know that they have a place they belong? How do we get those who fall away back into the loving arms of Christ?
Psalm 100:3 - Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His; we are His people, the sheep of His pasture.
      We are made in the Image of God. This “Image” is (as most reading this should know) is not the physical form but imaged in values, characteristics, morals and ethics. We were made to be caretakers of God’s Creation but there was an issue with a creature with a conniving tongue who coerced Eve into going against God’s Will. This was not Satan as many people are led to believe. It was an agent of the Adversary. We still have God’s Image ingrained in us, but we have an imperfection as we cannot fully balance the knowledge from the tree. We recognize right from wrong and the pull to the darkness is sometimes too great. This causes loneliness, worthlessness, a desire to belong to whatever gives us temporary joy and leads to deeper darkness.   
1 John 3:1-2-See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. Beloved, we are God's children now, and what we will be has not yet appeared; but we know that when he appears we shall be like him, because we shall see him as he is.
       This brings to mind the song, Hello My Name Is. In the song we are called Child of the One True King, saved, changed, and set free. The song begins with us after the fall, the regret of sin and the fear of exclusion. Then there is the defeat where sin has won us over and there is no relief. Through all this time God has known us, each of us personally, and has watched over us ready to enter in so that we can return to the family. All this time we have belonged to God but because we lost sight of His Glory, we lost sight of His Grace which has been gifted freely. We have received His mercy through the sacrifice of His Son who broke the veil and opened the locks of our hearts.
      The Adversary, loosed and in control of the world temporarily, sees that he is losing his grip and is still trying to hold on to us by pulling out all the stops. Greed, violence, disrespect, self-love, selfishness, anxiety, depression, lustful desires and breaking all Ten Commandments to keep us in the darkness has created the means for the false happiness and temporary joy which further distances us from God.
       Now there are those who have been called to a path that takes them into missions, youth ministry, and other inner workings of the church. For some they do not hear that call and cannot understand what is going on. Guess what, not everybody is meant for specific “church work” but everybody is commissioned to spread the Word. Being part of a Bible Study that includes work and study outside the four walls is a good thing. It is through our actions and the witness of the Word that those who are not called to service in the church are called for Spiritual service in the communities in which God places them. It may seem very odd but showing that we are Christian, part of something bigger than ourselves, is sometimes the catalyst for others to begin to follow Christ. Not everyone needs to be in a leadership position to lead others to learn of their salvation. As I said in the beginning, we are all part of the Body of Christ through our being made in the Image of God.  
      Where do you belong? You already are in a community called the Body of Christ, Body of Believers, but if you are still asking that question then it is time to be in prayer and listening to God so that you can receive guidance and direction.

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2/7/2017

Money is Not the Root of All Evil

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Money is a man-made inanimate object that has been used and misused by man for millennia and has been turned into an object of worship. The desire for this inanimate object has caused grief in many ways. It has fed the temptations of Greed, Lust, Gluttony, and Power. Money has been used by man to fuel dissention, an ungodly feeling of self-worth, and changed history.  The one thing this all has in common is that it was used by man for selfish intentions. Money is not the root, the root is our sinful desire for power, wealth, and a false sense of happiness for which the Adversary uses the inanimate object as a tool for temptation.  
Human power comes in many forms. There is the obvious power of leadership over a large grouping of like-minded or coerced individuals, but mostly power is the desire for control over an object used by people or people themselves. Many instances in the Bible tells of the lust for power and the damaging effects that trickle down and the eventual fall the leaders face. (Proverbs 8:15, By Me kings reign, and rulers decree justice) Jesus was given authority over the heavens and the earth. We are under His authority and no other but those given it by Him.
When a person wants a full satisfying life filled with material things that brings out the desire for wealth. The need to make as much money as humanly possible to buy what they believe satisfies their desire for making life easier for themselves and their families. Yes it is a good feeling to know that the children will be well off and not need for anything but what does that lead to? We have seen it in the entitlement population. People believe that they are entitled to things that they are not. Our ancestors worked hard to make life a little easier for us but we still must do something in order to receive. The money of the past does not help the generations of our future. If we misuse and waste what our parents worked hard to achieve (Prodigal Son anyone) without the appreciation of comfort and desire to do the same for our descendants, they will have nothing. “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth” (Matthew 6:19), do not become materialistic, stockpiling (hoarding) for later. You cannot take it with you.
This leads to the false sense of happiness. There is no amount of money in the world that can make anyone truly happy. They may think that gaining wealth and having power is a way to happiness but it is a mark of eventual destruction of the soul when it is misused. Greed has a lot to do with that. People get paid massive amounts of money to play professional sports, act on major stages or on film, a popular singer, or anyone who does things that gets them fame and amasses a fortune.  They are happy for a little while but that is a temporary feeling. When the pressure gets too much they fall into other temptations which sometimes ends their lives. The danger is when they care more for gaining money than for the joy of performing or playing the game (when it becomes a job), they lose sight of the truth in the happiness and it effects those around them like a virus.
True happiness comes in knowing and loving God, being obedient to the Father and living in His ways. Keeping His Word on our hearts and meditating on it daily.
Psalm 1
Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners,
nor sits in the seat of scoffers;
2 but his delight is in the law of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day and night.3 He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yields its fruit in its season, and its leaf does not wither. In all that he does, he prospers.
4 The wicked are not so, but are like chaff that the wind drives away.5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous; 6 for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish.

Remember:  We cannot blame inanimate objects for our sinful desires, those objects are created to express the material form of what makes people without God happy. Dependence on material things only lead to sorrow in the end. Delight in the Lord and eat the fruit of His Truth. Amen.   

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    The messages on the blogs written on this page are within biblical adherence. Though the Scriptures listed in the blogs are directly from the Bible and other related religious writings the explanations and interpretations are in line with Biblical thinking as it relates to today’s world. The use of historical facts are to assist in the validity of the writings. The main writer of this blog site is an Ordained minister in one denomination though the views are related to all denominations so if something is said that does not fall in line with your denominational background, pray for personal discernment and understanding.

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