A CHRISTMAS LETTER TO YOU WHO MEAN MUCH TO US (from Dr. David & Janice Clemens) December 22, 2009 Dear One, The year’s blessings have been rich and without number. They never would have been possible without this One we call Jesus. We lovingly devote this letter to Him and His birth. Bethlehem and her inn. Totally crowded and in great fuss and bustle. So much so that there was not a place made even for a mother-to-be, due in just hours, even moments! That’s pretty incredible, to be that caught up in your own world that even a lady just about to give birth can’t get some necessary consideration. Contrast that scene with the nearby open fields and sky (GOD’S Inn, if you will). Absent was the hubbub. Present was…The GLORY! It flashed and shone all about the shepherds. They were frightened, then they were comforted by the angel bringing Good News of Great Joy. The News? Finally, the long-awaited Savior had come! Then came the instruction: “Go.” And suddenly, on that lonely, expansive hillside under that endless swath of Heaven, there appeared with the angel “an army of the troops of Heaven - a heavenly knighthood – praising God and saying, Glory to God in the highest heaven, and on earth, peace among men with whom He is well-pleased – men of good will….” (Amplified Bible) Our response to that scene can only be/it must be a hushed and holy, “Wow.” Just think. If these shepherds had been in town with all the action, they would have missed the flashing lights, the “Good-News-of-Great-Joy angel, the heavenly knighthood/army, the instructions and directions to the birthplace, and, most important of all, they would have missed the God-Babe. How good it was that they were out in the fields where they could see, hear, listen to God point the way to His dear Son. Here we are, some 2000 plus years after the fact. Our inns are bustling, as is all of life around us. Even if we ourselves are not running from place to place, our hearts and minds are. In the midst of it all, today, this “grown-up” Son of God, Who was the co-equal God of the universe even before He ever was a temporary baby, is in His Heaven…and there He waits. HE waits for us. He has so much to tell us, just like the angels did so long ago. He longs for our undivided, peaceful, worshiping attention today. This Christmas, may we learn well from those wise shepherds this lesson: take time for the field, the quiet place, the place where just God, we, and His Word are alone together. And, as we do, we will be available to let the wonder in and let The Glory diffuse into even the very deepest parts of our souls. “Oh come to my heart, Lord Jesus; there is room in my heart for Thee.” In a nutshell, The Good News spoken so long ago was this: “For God so greatly loved and dearly prized the world that He even gave up His only-begotten (unique) Son, so that whoever believes in (trusts, clings to, relies on) Him shall not perish –come to destruction, be lost- but have eternal (everlasting) life. For God did not send the Son into the world in order to judge- to reject, to condemn, to pass sentence on- the world; but that the world might find salvation and be made safe and sound through Him.” (John 3:16-17 A.B.) Now, no matter where or with whom you spend Christmas, remember that the Guest of Honor always is waiting to be invited to your home and ours. May it be a happy and holy day. Wishing you special Christmas blessings, David and Janice Clemens

To those of you that follow Dr. Clemens Ministry: One prayer request, please: David’s 2nd cataract surgery is scheduled for December 28. Please uphold him in prayer, will you? Thank you. We look forward to catching you up on God’s workings (in which you have had a part) in future e-mails.

His Singular Gift – For All of Humanity…

His Singular Gift – For All of Humanity… I have been pondering this Christmas Blog Post in my heart for over a month now. Coming into this Christmas of 2009, my wife and I have carried a plateful of troubles and worries (losing site of that wonderful chapter John 14). That being said; I had several different messages I thought of bringing to you wonderful folks, yet this is the one He has laid on my heart as a Christmas Gift & Message. Please, forgive this layman's attempt at transcribing such a precious message. By one man, Adam, our complete fellowship with our Heavenly Father was disrupted. A veil between HIS Holiness and our Humanness was introduced through Adam’s choice to go his own way. God’s desire was to receive the unconditional Praise, Worship and Love of HIS creation. It was God’s design for us to walk with HIM in the cool of the evening, to commune as one family. His Love For Us – established before the very foundation of the earth. Adam chose to defy our Precious Father – hence convicting every single generation of his offspring to pain, suffering and death. Both spiritually and physically – death was the ultimate penalty for this transgression. There were several major transactions that took place that day in the Garden, not the least of which was curse of sin. Adam’s race through one simple act of eating of the forbidden fruit was condemned to slavery. Every child of the human race since that day has been born a sinner, born into the bonds of sin slavery, the direct results of a choice to have our will and not God’s. To fully understand the significance of a baby born in Bethlehem 2000+ years ago, you must fully understand the Theology of Creation, and the doctrine of sin. If you don’t understand or believe these things, then this celebrated day of remembrance has no meaning or value to you. The post modern culture that we find ourselves immersed in, simply replaces the True meaning, with symbolism and materialism to fill that emptiness. Truth be told, those things never truly fill the void of not having God present in a man’s heart. Satan has sold the lie to the world quite well, and he is smiling and rolling on the floor laughing in cynical joy for the souls he has destroyed. For the Truth of Christmas is that of a miracle, that a young Jewish girl named Mary was touched by the Holy Spirit of God. The Holy Spirit planted the seed of Truth & Life in this woman that the Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God could come into this fallen world. That a Single Child, one lone being (God incarnate) came into this world on a dark cold night with one purpose – and one purpose only. He came to save the human race from the curse of sin bondage. HE was born of a virgin, walked this earth for 33 years, ministering to common man, the down trodden, the oppressed, the poor, the sick, the needy and the dying. Jesus came to us and corrected our view of the Law by showing us the Heart of God, and announced to the world that He was here to fulfill the law and prophesy of old. He commanded us to LOVE one another, as He loved His Church, to the point of spreading HIS arms wide open, and dying for those that literally nailed HIM to the cross. A SINGLE GIFT OF SACRIFICE – He offered up Himself from his first breath in that manger in Bethlehem, to the last breath He took as He laid down His life on that Cross 33 years later. HE came to this earth with one purpose; to bruise the head of that old serpent with the heel of His foot, saving humanity from the bonds of sin. That Christmas gift of long ago tore the veil that separated us from the Heavenly Father giving us un-tethered access to God. For through accepting His gift (once again a choice we must make), dying to ourself, and yielding to Him we can once again stand before GOD – wrapped in the Love and Righteousness of HIS Son – Jesus Christ, the TRUTH in Christmas! Please, please let me introduce you to this Wonderful man that has called me friend! For yet a little time, HE holds the door of Grace open for those to walk through that heed the call. Don’t spend another Christmas without HIM, don’t be left to a dark empty eternity. Choose Christ, and have a very MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Your Friend,

RC Hall

O What a Savior! - © 1948 Marvin P. Dalton

Today was a day of mourning, a day of reflection and a day of prayer. I played this song 10+ times to help my mind, spirit and emotions stay in check. Trying to answer the questions - "did I say enough", "did she see Christ in me", "Lord, keep my head straight and seek Your Face"....... We will continue to miss my wife's dad, and now we will miss his wife Barbara as well, we can only pray they found the Christ and are of the Elect. O What a Savior! © 1948 Marvin P. Dalton (My favorite rendition of this song is by Rozie Rosell) Once I was straying in sin’s dark valley No hope within could I see They searched through Heaven And found a Savior To save a poor lost soul like me. (Chorus) O what a Savior, O hallelujah His heart was broken on Calvary His hands were nail scarred His side was riven He gave His life-blood for even me. Death’s chilly water I’ll soon be crossing His hand will lead me safe o're I’ll join the chorus in that great city And sing up there for evermore. (Chorus) O what a Savior, O hallelujah His heart was broken on Calvary His hands were nail scarred His side was riven He gave His life-blood for even me. 2 Samuel 22:3; "The God of my rock; in him will I trust: he is my shield, and the horn of my salvation, my high tower, and my refuge, my saviour." John 3:16; For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.

He said, if ye be ashamed of me....

He said, if ye be ashamed of me, then I will be ashamed of you – before my Father! Mark 8:38 Whosoever therefore shall be ashamed of me and of my words in this adulterous and sinful generation; of him also shall the Son of man be ashamed, when he cometh in the glory of his Father with the holy angels. My dear grandmother Hall had a real heart for Christ. She stood maybe five foot tall, but she had the over flowing Holy Spirit in her that made her a giant in the sight of ridicule or mockery. She was never ashamed or afraid to share the Gospel message. She tried to instill that in me, and thank our precious almighty God she was given plenty of opportunity to show me how it is suppose to work. I was with her when she talked with my aunt Mary on the street corner down town, sharing the gospel. A few other ladies gathered behind my grandmother listening, nodding their heads in agreement and moving on. She would talk to anyone on the street, some it was an unwelcome intrusion to their day, others stood and listened and would take the little tracks she carried with her. I have prayed to let the Holy Spirit fill me with that gift of boldness for the Lord. Many times I have been guilty of squelching the very thing I have prayed for. Our society – culture demands that we exercise political correctness in the public arena these days. Freedom of speech only applies if you have nothing related to Christ to say. You can talk profanity, talk about Buddha, talk about Mohammad, but look out if you whisper the name of Christ with any reverence on the street corner today. Why have we allowed ourselves to be stripped of the very rights this nation was founded on? Truth is – we haven’t – at least not totally yet! Most of our fear is that of public opinion and groups like the ACLU. It is the power that we have let the media confiscate and run amuck with, that holds our ability to articulate the Gospel message to those that need to hear it most. We have conveniently let the circumstances of the day create the excuse that we don’t want to get in trouble at work or in public places for sharing that which he commanded us to share. In which that message in itself is another topic for another day. We have lost Reverence for God, misunderstand His holiness and sovereignty and His commands are no longer the moral compass to live by; or so goes the world! As long as you believe, your OK? The demons believe folks – and they quake! They understand that God is a jealous God, and He is Sovereign and He alone can and will damn them eternally. God has commanded us through His Son’s ministry here on earth to Love and Honor Him as God, and to love one another! Matthew 22:37-40 Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. (38)This is the first and great commandment. (39)And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. (40)On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. I have said many times echoing great ministers and pastors of the day, we have lost our first love. In the process we have allowed ourselves to become fearful of speaking the truth outside our close circles. Whether it be real or implied – it shouts shame of our Lord and falling short of His two greatest commandments. God forgive this nation! Search your hearts, pray to Almighty God to give you the strength – to Trust Him, and to let Him mold your thoughts and words when presented with an opportunity to share the Gospel. Maybe, He will Bless you with the chance to introduce our Dear Jesus to a stranger, a friend, a brother, a sister, a family member or even your Spouse!God Bless, till next time - Keep Going!

Cause for concern and prayer....

Dear Folks, I have been blogging here for half a year now. Many of you have sent me encouraging emails, which I give all the Glory to our precious Lord. Quite a few months ago I was reading a blog on another site concerning the marriage of one man and one woman. It was meant to be a blog area for Christians supporting the issue. However; it became extremely diversified in opinions and rhetoric from all walks of life. I must admit, I had to leave the site because some of the conversations taking place were beyond vulgar. However; one young lady (from one of our universities) who made a post said something that may very well become reality in this country. So I grabbed a copy of her comment on my way out, and wanted to share it with my Brothers, Sisters and Friends here and over on the Gaither Community site as well. Please read it carefully, understand that this young lady is speaking from a student’s perspective, as well as from one of our Universities today here in this country. Also understand that her comments represent a very real and true agenda of Satan as he is grasping for ground before the King Returns! Here is the post: Chastity Hartman University of New Orleans '11 Academy of Our Lady '07 New Orleans, LA Chastity Hartman posted her comment at 2:22am May 2, 2009 "I truly empathize for the people who are strongly opposed to gay marriage. They're making fools of themselves by standing in the way of inevitable social progress. They'll soon be dismissed as extremists along with every other hate group." Please pray for wisdom, please pray for healing, please pray for "unconditional love", please pray for revival and more than anything please pray for His quick return... This nation has lost sight of our past, because things are being rewritten or dismissed as not factual or believable. We are bound to repeat the mistakes and sins of the past, because we as a nation, maybe even the world at large, has elevated man to God's status in the universe. Dear Father God please forgive us as a nation; pour out Your Spirit on your children to strengthen them in these trying days. Let us fall to our knees and pray that you may heal this land Father. In you Dear Son's name we pray, In Jesus the Christ we bind these prayers, Amen. Thank you, RC

Spiritually Minded and Earthly Good...

We are not to wear our Christianity on our shirt sleeve, nor is it to be sheltered or hidden from public view. Christianity is to be shared from the heart with unconditional Love and genuine concern for all those He puts on our path. Our Christian testimony isn't what we say it is; our Christian testimony is what we show it is. Through our generosity, our charity, our prayers and our sharing the Fruit of the Spirit that God so richly blesses us with when living a Godly Spiritual life.  We must show the world our Love for our Christian brothers and sisters, and then share that love with those around us that have not yet met the Master. He - Christ commanded it! 

I have a friend at work that tells me not to get a narrow vision of God’s character. He reminds me of that, because I often bask in God's Love and Grace, and that probably dominates my conversations and writings. However; I do believe that He is more than just “the big loving man upstairs”. Yes, there must be balance in recognizing, acknowledging and understanding all the attributes of God (that we can know). Balancing our meditation and worship, knowing He is both Loving and Just. Understanding that those same arms that offer His children tenderness, can and will also deliver justice and wrath to those that deny the Son. 

In the end it is that understanding and balance in our Spiritual life that allows us to revere Him and understand our rightful place, “positional truth” in the Kingdom. However; his 1st and 2nd command to us in Matthew 22 was to LOVE the Lord our God, and to LOVE our neighbor. We are to share the TRUTH and LOVE that He put in us through the indwelling Holy Spirit; it is required of every Christian, not just pastors, deacons and teachers. Matthew 22:37-40; (37) He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all of your mind. (38) This is the greatest and the first commandment. (39)The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. (40) The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.” Galatians 5:22-25; (22) In contrast, the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, generosity, faithfulness, (23) gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. (24) Now those who belong to Christ (Jesus) have crucified their flesh with its passions and desires. (25) if we live in the Spirit, let us also follow the Spirit. (26) Let us not be conceited, provoking one another, envious of one another. 

These two passages set the tone for our service, to love our neighbor while exhibiting the Fruit of the Spirit that lives within us! Exhibiting Meekness (strength under control), restraining ourselves when confronted and offering charity to those around us(our neighbors). How can we march ourselves into Church every Sunday, sing the hymns, listen to the message and offer worship and praise to Almighty God, when we can’t even speak to our neighbors? Unconditional Love HE took to the Cross, no and, no if, no but, HE willingly carried your name to the cross and paid the price that you could not. 

The Father demands that you accept His Son’s sacrifice and payment to have access to them and Heaven, and that we love our neighbor / brother / sister as HE loved us. It really seems so simple reading it, hearing it, talking about it – but practicing it, well that’s another story for some folks. For submission and yielding escapes us – for we have conditions to let people in, or to share or to love. God’s Son – Jesus Christ set the example, HE quite literally, spread His arms and died for EVERY MAN, He then offered a transaction to the Father, (in my words) My blood for their souls Father. Then the Father sealed the deal, and Christ told us in John 14:6 Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me”.   There are no other ways, but through Christ and the spiritual cleansing through His final Blood sacrifice – Period. 

So there you have it, the Gospel message, and the challenge to do right by Christ, The One that freely gave you eternal life as a joint heir with Him. Salvation is free, simple and easy to receive, however; practicing the Master’s commandments and statuettes laid before us – well, that put’s us squarely into the spiritual battle. Once in the battle it is easy to duck out and sideline ourselves, falling into the old ways and mindsets. 

I challenge you this Saturday, the 11th day of July 2009 to make a difference for Christ! Get back into the battle, go tell your neighbor you love them, and ask them if they need any help with anything around the house. Or better yet, take over a fresh batch of cookies or pie and greet them with a smile and ask them what’s on their mind today. Look at them through Christ’s eyes, then; let them see HIS eyes in yours! Love your neighbor with a Charitable Christian Heart! 

 “Dear Lord, help us see those you put on our path through YOUR eyes, help us greet them with YOUR heart, help us love them with YOUR compassion. Through these acts of submission to YOUR will, grow us Lord to want to strive for YOUR Righteousness and YOUR Holiness. As we conduct ourselves in YOUR likeness, may the Heavenly Father give us strength to stand up to the fiery darts that will follow from finding ourselves back in the battle! Help us Lord wear the Spiritual Armor rightly, and use it fearlessly. Dear Father, help us display to the world and to our neighbors the Fruit of He (Jesus)that lives in our hearts! May my neighbors see Christ in every aspect of my life, through Your Spirit and Your Strength. Comfort us Lord when we inevitably receive rejection or confrontation in Your name, rush peace to our hearts and minds and we will readily accept Your comfort and recharging of our Spirit. In these things Father we pray in your Mighty Son, Jesus Name, Amen” 

 God Bless – Walk in Christ, RC

This worlds wisdom? ©

1 Corinthians 1:19-21 (19)For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding of the prudent. (20)Where is the wise? Where is the scribe? Where is the disputer of this world? Hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? (21)For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God; it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe. 

That day is fast approaching when Christ is going to come in the clouds and take His Church away. Then seven short years later, it’s going to be “everybody out of the pool – the free swim is over”. Christ will intervene for Israel, they will finally recognize him as Messiah, and the world as we know it is going to stop for about a thousand years. Man’s infinite desire to express his wisdom and knowledge will find it entirely finite and worthless in the presence of the One True God. 

The wayward men, who have spent the last 2000+ years trying to explain away God, will be staring at Him on His rightful thrown. Bowing the knee and acknowledging Him as King and Lord, and Justice. True wisdom comes from the Truth of God. Very few are they that carry it without misplacing their way. A few, Martin Luther, John Wesley, Charles Spurgeon, Matthew Henry, C.I. Scofield, and a few I think qualify today that I will leave nameless have carried the wisdom of God’s truth to men. 

In researching those men you will find a common string of Faith, Humility, Reverence for God and a burning desire to learn and then share the gospel. They all sought God’s wisdom, and in many cases throwing the current wisdom of their day to the wind. They understood their place in God’s plan; then they ran their race to the best of their ability. They weren’t perfect, but they were servants of the One that was Perfect. Charles Spurgeon once said “if you can’t trace the hand of God, then trust His character”. 

God’s wisdom is perfect, His will is perfect and His power is complete. Dear Father, please teach us as a people to 1st trust your Heart, and then to seek your wisdom and will in our lives. Help us always weigh man’s wisdom of the day against your Truth of eternity. Thank you in all things Father, in Your Son’s name, Jesus we pray; Amen.

A peace that passes all understanding ©

PEACE... I belong to a Christian On-Line Community, called the "Gaither Community". Over the last 12 months or so, I have met some new friends. These people are warm, loving and tender hearted. Their love for Christ and His people leaps of the screen through their words of comfort and caring. I am deeply indebted to Mr. & Mrs. Gaither for providing an opportunity to meet Christian brothers and sisters on a global scale. I read a book by Mr. William Gaither awhile back, while it may have been a hard chapter to write, my favorite chapter is "Keep on pumping". The Chapter has at it's center, his Father pumping an old well, in the middle of emotional conflict. Before I read the book, I had sent an email to Mr. Gaither, with a few questions. The biggest question, "did he find himself sometimes going through the motions" he answered the email, and suggested I read his book. I did, and what a blessing. Thank You Mr. Gaither! Through some trials in my own life, I have learned to "keep on pumping (or keep at it, keep going) - even through the tears", and I appreciate your candor and tender heart Mr. Gaither in that chapter of your book. I can't express how much I appreciate your ministry and the wonderful music you bring to God's children. I have made it to every concert that you have brought to State College. Many times over the years I heard one of the Vocal Band's, or one of the old friends song's on the radio just at the exact time I needed to hear it, displaying God's divine providence in our lives. At that moment, the Spirit of God calmed my Spirit as though He was giving a hug of reassurance, or as though one of His strong arms were on my shoulder. Our Precious Heavenly Father offering that peace of the Spirit that passes all understanding. My Pastor has a similar phrase he offers quite often, he encourages us to "keep going". Your Friend In Christ, RC Hall

What is life, if you lose it due to lack of participation? ©

Together with my closest friend on this earth, we teach a High School / Colleged Aged Sunday School together. The tag team teaching arrangement originally started out years ago as protection from accusations since we had a majority of young teen girls. As things progressed, we began to get better and better material and the class began to take on a new dynamic. We decided that we would teach these teens how to think on their feet and defend the faith in the real world. We informed the kids and our Pastor that we took it as a personal mission to teach these kids to think – and question things from a Spiritual Perspective. We challenged them to participate, to risk engaging even if they thought it may be a funny question. We have not looked back once, but we have encountered a few minor stepping stones along the way. The worst of those are the famous “eggs” that occur occasionally when the class and I are not in sync for one reason or another. Through the lessons I ask a lot of questions to generate a mental exercise that produces spiritual results. We have a couple of kids that are home schooled, one or two in a Christian private school and the rest are in the local secular – public schools. These kids have learned to engage at a new and exciting level, asking tough questions that I don’t always have the answers immediately. So they give me to the following Sunday to get the correct answer and back it with the references. Well, we have this one teen that on most Sundays, would sit with their head down and for the most part non-responsive. Not really willing to risk involvement or participate. My buddy and I talked about this a few times, and always came back to – “oh well – that’s just the way they are wired” and left it go! A few months back our class took one Sunday lesson, and kept it the main topic for four weeks……. The teen that was always on the side lines began to participate and answer and ask questions. I would look at my buddy and smile; hey this was cool, right….. The particular Sunday that changed the tide the specific material was on “dating relationships - & God’s Word”. The material specifically dealt with “post modernism”, and the entire class was energized. We moved off topic slightly to discuss the variety of teen sub cultures in America – more specifically those found in local schools and churches today. They began to participate because the discussion hit them close to where they lived! It was now worth the risk to become engaged, to question the status quo and investigate why some of their friends were the way they are. Thanks to the folks at Regular Baptist Press – my teen Sunday School Class found new life. They looked at some things differently, which gave my buddy and I new energy to challenge them even further – to “expand their circle of friends and influence beyond those they were close with”. My friend and I now had a name to put on the life style choices we saw in the surrounding community. Our teens Sunday School Class introduced us to: (1) Ghetto, (2) Punk, (3) Skater, (4) Prep, (5) Gothic and the (6) Godly (or Jesus freaks). These were terms or classifications for different types of kids, or sub cultures of teens today and as the following 3 Sundays played out – it was my friend and I that ended up with the education. These kids were all participating in the discussions and debates, from what appeared to be firsthand experience. I found it intriguing and ask a ton of questions. Then I began to realize – it was me that had missed the mark on participation with these kids. They needed to trust, in a world and Christian culture where trusting doesn’t come easy anymore. The situations and issues that the kids today are dealing with are 100 times more difficult and volatile to deal with than we knew as young people. We, the parents and Christian teachers and leaders need to embrace and engage these wonderful kids or Satan will certainly win. Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. I don’t want to take this passage out of context, but how are these kids suppose to figure it out on their own – when a lot of the churches in America are worried about the political correctness of the message? Shame is on us for not taking the message to the streets, and our work places and educational institutions. It’s a spiritual battle, and the casualties of war may be our own children because we were too busy or too proud to engage. Who is winning the cultural war in this country – and the world? Engage, read the papers, no matter how horrid it sounds, Satan is in this war up to his eyeballs and he wants to win. The great commission was not just for Pastors, Preachers and Teachers – it was for all of us to grab as many on the way through as possible. Not to rest, not to stop along the way so that the world’s ways become our ways and we end up losing our way in the sea of sin. Repentance is a 180 degree turn, a complete change in our way of life, our outlook on the world and our investment of resources. I see Romans 12:2 as a challenge to participate in the Christian life, and engage in the Spiritual Warfare that is going on around us. Allowing ourselves to become spirit filled to where He can work through us to prove out His perfect will. It’s not always as a mouth piece, a lot of times it is best served as a doer, then finding the right time to speak the truth in love. Christians, engage – hold onto those promises of God, and share the gospel with someone this week. Reach out to a kid in your neighborhood and let them see Christ’s love in your eyes. In the process He will allow you to see them through His eyes! If they turn away, don’t be discouraged – practice continuance and as my Pastor keeps reminding me – KEEP GOING! They are worth it, God gave His best for them, why should we think any less – you may be the Christ that child, co-worker or neighbor may ever see! Dear Precious Father, let us purge the worlds way from our minds, renewing the regenerated Spirit that lives within us. Help us prove ourselves as faithful and good servants to You and Your Son. We will give the praise and honor to the sanctifying work of the Holy Spirit – in your Son’s strong name we pray – Amen.

Difference! ©

Are you making a difference? Does the world see a difference? We are to take part in this world, but not grow roots. We are to share His Love, His Compassion and His Message with all that we meet. God's power is beyond our comprehension, yet He knows of every hair on my head, every cell in my body. He loved us enough to give the Best of what He had to offer – Christ our Blessed Savior and Lord! Do they (the world) see the difference that HIS sacrifice has made in you? Do you show charity to those less fortunate? Do you share His Spiritual Blessings with those seeking? Do you dabble in the worlds offerings that appeal your senses? The world is watching, waiting to see what it will take to entice you to leave the path. Bless His Holy Name - We watch for your return Dear Lord! Come Quickly... By the way, have you traced His hand lately, or just been frustrated with the choices you have made on your own? How to they know the difference? By every word you speak, by every step you take, by watching how you react when you stumble - they are watching. Will you Honor God, and walk the straight and narrow? Or will you take the easy way, yielding to the lusts of the flesh and the path of least resistance. Truth - will stand the test of time... Will you stand for the Truth when the test comes? That's the difference!

Meekness? ©

Acts 7:54 – 60 Stephen, oh what a wonderful, purposeful example he showed us of Power, Strength and Conviction under total and complete control. Meekness, growing from the heart out; reflected in his physical, mental, emotional and spiritual condition. Composed to his last breath, Stephen kept his eyes on Christ to the very last second of his life. Why is it that in this day and age, we find it so easy to become distracted from our focus on Christ? Normally in my blog, I offer numerous examples of why or how we got to this place on the road. Not tonight, I want you Dear Ones to think about your walk with the Lord. What has it taken in the last 24 hours, the last week, the last month or the last year to hijack your focus? What little thing or what little squabble have you allowed to get in the way of righteousness? If you haven’t struggled with losing focus, and your walk is on target, then take time to share your insight and wisdom with a brother or sister that is struggling. Speaking the Truth in Love, offering unconditional Love, Guidance, Encouraging Scripture passages along with a few of your experiences and how God brought you through. These acts of loving kindness will help a struggling Christian see God’s hand in your life, and will teach them how to watch and trace God in their own life. This journey is not for the weak at heart, it takes faith and submission of the will to the Holy Spirit to grow. Growth is the end game goal, to grow in Spirit, to seek God’s face, to constantly reach for righteousness. As the Holy Spirit ministers to your heart and you are willing yield more of the corners and crevices to Him, you grow. That growth will happen though Reading your Bible, Praying, Meditating on the Word and disciplining your focus on Him.

= = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = = =

Do you possess Spiritual Meekness? Do you have inner Power, Strength and Conviction that is resolute under stress? Matthew 5:5 Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth. Christ thought that meekness was important, he mentioned as the third be-attitude when he was teaching on the mount.

Where does your light shine? ©

We that share the Faith in Christ, all have a part in the body. Some are teachers, some are encouragers, some are gifted with a servant’s heart, some are built for leadership and others yet to continually pray. No matter what the gift you have been blessed with, we all share the common Light of His Truth. The Gospel! That wonderful blessed Light that He has placed within us – through His Holy Spirit. How’s your testimony today? Are you shining HIS Light in all the places He opens the doors for you to share? Shine the Light in your part of the world, and then let your testimony be the seasoning or “the salt of the earth” that they are all looking for. Your joy in Christ will lead them to the Light, His word hidden in your heart will provide that precious Gospel message, and His Spirit will take care of the rest. Let His Light Shine In Your Life and He will bring those looking for that light into your life.

This new life You have given me...

I don’t understand this, the way YOU constantly apply Grace and Blessing. I have walked this road today and on numerous occasions wondered how in the world did I get here? Where did all this blessing come from, where did the right to escape the pain from failing originate from? Why is it in the midst of these failures I am blessed with joy? How many times in your week have you looked back and asked some of those same questions. Spiritual growth has both inward and outward signs, Paul spent a lot of time writing letters to the early churches explaining, exhorting and in some occasions admonishing those churches on this subject. As we grow in the Spirit of Christ, we take on some of His attributes; Paul gave us examples of that in Galatians 5:22 & 23. However; in Galatians 5:24 Paul specifically states that if we are in Christ, that we have crucified the flesh and the afflictions and lusts with that old man. So, then walking with Christ, seeking His will and His definition of life, we die to the old man, and the Blessings of the Father begin to manifest themselves in our lives. Occasionally when things get tough we have the rock solid fact in the promise of Philippians 4:13; I can do all things through Christ, who strengthens me… Yes when it gets to the point that we can’t see straight or think straight, Christ carries us THROUGH the trouble, not around, not over, He carries us through. The process then builds and strengthens our Faith in Him and the power of the Spirit grows in our heart. Our relationship to the Father is not of our own doing, lest we boast, it has been established through His strong Son’s willingness to pay the price. His strength, not our own and we are reminded of His power and sovereignty in 1st John 4:4; Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because Greater is HE that is in you, than he that is in the world… God is in control, so in spite of us, He takes everything and in the grand scheme of His awesome plan, when it comes out the other end – it’s all good. In the end because of the Doctrinal Truths provided through the work of those New Testament books we stand Blameless in Christ’s righteousness before God Almighty. Jude 24 & 25; Now to Him who is able to keep you from stumbling, and to make you stand in the presence of His glory blameless with great joy, 25to the only God our Savior, through Jesus Christ our Lord, be glory, majesty, dominion and authority, before all time and now and forever… These great promises are then backed up with 1st Peter 1:8; Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see Him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable full of glory… Ah, there lies the joy, an earthly reward for having faith in Him that we have not yet seen, but know Him and feel His presence in our lives. In spite of our failures, in spite of our vain attempts at righteousness, we are wrapped and secured firmly in His Righteousness. Then the Father sealed the whole deal. This life that YOU have given me… Father, thank you for having a plan to fix all that we as a people have broken through the ages of time, for all the sin that runs ramped through the world today; it can’t escape your judgment and your great plan. This life that YOU have given me, is more abundant and full, knowing that in my weakness you are strong, and your shed blood on the cross has paid the price that I could never in my life pay. Thank you for that wonderful Mercy, Grace and Blessings that I in no way deserve or measure up to. Help those loved ones that choose to read this Blog, see Your will in their lives; help them find Your blessings by honoring your commandments and lessons given to us through Your word. In all things we give You the Praise and Glory Dear Lord, in Christ’s name, Amen… Keep Going dear ones, KEEP GOING!!!

There is No Fire Insurance outside the truth!

There is No Fire Insurance outside the Truth of the Gospel! Repentance, Faith in Christ, Sacrifice & Service will bridge the gap between hell and heaven! Outside of Christ there is No Justification, No Righteousness and No Salvation - Period! Romans 3:10 Romans 3:23 Romans 10:9 John 3:16 - 18

Have you traced His hand lately? ©

1st Corinthians 1:9 "God is faithful, by whom ye were called unto the fellowship of his Son Jesus Christ our Lord." God is faithful, HE chose us, and we are a part of His family through His Son Jesus Christ - it is a matter of relationship. Even when we stray, and fellowship seems distant, the relationship remains the same. Today, I have a faltering perspective - but He remains faithful and constant. Perspective – I need a Heavenly perspective today. Lord why is it that I don’t take the time to look for Your hand in my life? Submission must go deeper to grow, yet when you teach me I fail to bury it in my heart. Your word constantly and consistently teaches me that You are faithful and True to Your promises. I need your perspective Lord, help me not focus just on my little corner, give me Your big picture perspective Lord to better understand how today fits into the end game. Up to today Lord, I didn’t look. I have been too busy, too wrapped up in the business of business to look for Your blessings through the course of the day. I thank you every day, but I don’t have a thankful heart or I would see your blessings in the small things as well as the bigger things. Lord, I think I must start with a thankful heart. I must begin by thanking you for the miniscule at first and work the scale upwards as I see your answer to prayer – regardless of the answer. In seeing answered prayer Lord, I can then begin to trace Your hand in my life. Dear Father, teach me to look for your hand in every moment of my life. Help me hear the morning birds and know that is your song to me today. Help me say thank you when I get onto the highway each morning, knowing that you protect me from all things. When the difficult challenges present itself in the meeting today, and you bless with a quiet peace – bring me to a thankful heart. When I end my day in prayer, give me a contrite heart when recognizing my short comings and my failings of this day. With that contriteness Lord, help me be mindful and thankful for your Grace in allowing me to grow from the lessons learned today. The Lord has given me new sight into His faithfulness to us, according to all His promises. Making me ever more the mindful of my shaky faithfulness to Him, watching for the small things first gives me motivation and heart knowledge to recognize the bigger blessings and His continual unending Faithfulness to us. Learning to trace His hand in all things in my life will strengthen my Faith and build my Trust in Him. As we learn to capture the message in His word, and be thankful for His blessings we will indeed learn to Trace His Hand. We will also learn to hear His still, peaceful small voice in our heart. Lord – Help us trace your hand through the valleys, trials, tribulations, joys, victories and blessings. In Christ’s name, Amen

Running the Race to win is the goal... ©

Running the Race to win is the goal, but encouraging the guy beside you to run harder shows a True Spirit and Heart for Christ. As Christians we sometimes get so focused on our own ministry or our own little piece of the Church that we forget the Christian life is a “team sport”. We are to offer encouragement, prayers, support and yes occasionally correction for our Christian brothers and sisters. However; we are also to love those on our path that do not know the Lord. Paul masterfully taught this point in his 1st letter to the Corinthian Church. The 13th chapter has 13 verses, each verse builds on the one before it, teaching us by verse 13 what our heart should, no, must look like upon claiming the name of The Holy and Righteous Christ Jesus. 1 Corinthians 13 The Excellence of Love (1) If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but do not have love, I have become a noisy gong or a clanging cymbal. (2) If I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing. (3) And if I give all my possessions to feed the poor, and if I surrender my body to be burned, but do not have love, it profits me nothing. (4) Love is patient, love is kind and is not jealous; love does not brag and is not arrogant, (5) does not act unbecomingly; it does not seek its own, is not provoked, does not take into account a wrong suffered, (6) does not rejoice in unrighteousness, but rejoices with the truth; (7) bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. (8) Love never fails; but if there are gifts of prophecy, they will be done away; if there are tongues, they will cease; if there is knowledge, it will be done away. (9) For we know in part and we prophesy in part; (10) but when the perfect comes, the partial will be done away. (11) When I was a child, I used to speak like a child, think like a child, reason like a child; when I became a man, I did away with childish things. (12) For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face; now I know in part, but then I will know fully just as I also have been fully known. (13) But now faith, hope, love, abides these three; but the greatest of these is love. "BUT THE GREATIST OF THESE IS LOVE"... I have been accused of having lopsided writings & Blogs, I have been told that I write and speak more on the Love in Christianity than any of the other Doctrinal topics available for me to research in depth. Those critical observations are correct! However; to those folks, I offer these points to ponder. If you have yielded your life to Christ, does not the Holy Spirit dwell in us? If that Spirit is dwelling in our heart and mind, then He is ministering to us, offering correction and balance to our walk. If we Love our Blessed Savior, obedience should not be a topic to discuss, because as a Loving Child of His, we will obey out of a desire to please Him. Just as we seek obedience from our teen children out of Love and Respect for us, should we be any different with our Heavenly Father? We have His Words to Us in this Bible we hold in our hands, where He clearly defines His expectations for us. What; you say you are having a hard time discerning the Spirit in your life? Do you read your Bible daily? Do you pray offering your petitions and requests, and offer Him Praise, Worship and Glorify Him? When you have ended your prayer, do you sit quietly and meditate with Him before going about your business? Does your life reflect the Blessings He has so lovingly showered your life with? Do you seek Christian counsel when you are struggling, and meet your Heavenly Father in your quiet place? Or do you shrug your shoulders or worse yet shake your spiritual fist at Him? Are you approaching the Throne of Grace as a strong willed child? Search your heart, as Paul stated, you must walk in the Spirit. Have you identified your Spiritual Gifts and put them into service – serving Him and the local body of Christ that He has led you to? When you look inward, can you identify His joy in your heart? Do you see true unconditional love in your heart for your neighbors, people at work, congregation members, and your Pastor? If not, I challenge you to start examining your RELATIONSHIP with Christ, not your fellowship, your relationship – for if you belong to Him, He will change your Heart from the inside out! Creating a True Change, you will begin to take on new character traits; you will begin to develop Christ’s heart. That "Change" in your heart is the identity of the Relationship with Him that is the doctrinal truth that a Repentant Heart holds testimony to. This is a process of change, sometimes it happens over night, sometimes it takes a life time, but one thing is sure, True Repentance at the time of Salvation, and submission to His Spirit will bear testimony to “change” in the heart of the believer. This is not to say that there won't be peaks and valleys in our Faith, it is to say that the yielded heart will show an upward climb on the Spiritual Growth Chart. That, while understanding we never arrive this side of Heaven, (there is always room for growth and improvement) we should be reaching for the mark, running the race to win. I am not saying Christianity is all rosy and perfectly pretty every day of your life. Nor am I saying that Salvation is anything but COMPLETE AND ETERNAL, for the Believer! What I am saying is that there will be a dramatic change in your outlook, how you see God, how you see people, the depth of the love you have for people you are close to, all will change. This change starts at the moment of salvation and continues through your entire life, as you read your Bible and spend time with the Lord, you become more like Him. Christ laid some of those inward changes out for us in the B-Attitudes when He said (3) “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (4) “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. (5) “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. (6) “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. (7) “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (8) “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. (9 )“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. (10) “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (11) “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. (12) “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. Did you get that, these B-attitudes are characteristics of the Heart in the Christian Faith, walking in and with Christ. Another passage I love is Matthew 5, and verses 43 through 48 where Christ nails it cold. (43) “You have heard that it was said, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR and hate your enemy.’ (44) “But I say to you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, (45) so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven; for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. (46) “For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? (47) “If you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? (48) “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect. Christ told us here that if we are of the Father in Heaven, we will love those beyond our envelope of friends and colleagues. We love the unlovable, we will pain for and show charity to those less fortunate than ourselves. Paul talked about these Spiritual Character Attributes in Galatians 5, the whole chapter is about Walking in the Spirit, and how we are to practice that. He gave us insight as to what we humans look like outside of the Spirit in verses 19 through 21. (19) Now the deeds of the flesh are evident, which are: immorality, impurity, sensuality, (20) idolatry, sorcery, enmities, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, disputes, dissensions, factions, (21) envying, drunkenness, carousing, and things like these, of which I forewarn you, just as I have forewarned you, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. It’s that whole living too close to the line… Folks I know I sound like a broken record here, but if you have one foot in the world, your other foot is not too far away… Christ wants it all, He wants your whole heart, and He is HOLY!! He can’t follow you into the world. If you truly belong to Him, He will let you go a little while, but you will be miserable, your Heart will ache for what is right. It may even take Him allowing you to have your own way until it forces you to make a decision. That is the wisdom He has placed in my heart, for I was there in the dirt, forced to look into His face when I realized I had messed up my life and some of those around me in the worldly desires of my youth. I was a thrill junky, fast cars, fast motorcycles, boats, and ultimately flying light fixed wing aircraft, a habit that became very costly. Then it was all taken away with a physical ailment that took my flight medical, depression set in, and abuse of prescribed medications followed. My family, my career all was ebbing away, and I was too stupid to see that it all evolved from one cause – and in the end, one purpose. The Cause of my fallen state was walking away from the Christ that I gave my life to at age 13. His Purpose in the end, to teach me that a yielded heart serving the Master meets every need and provides happiness beyond anything the world could offer. Through Christ I realized that I love my wife deeper, that my Children have a new place in my heart, and I saw my parents with new eyes – Christ’s eyes. When you look at the world through His eyes, things are different; as you grow in His Spirit you begin to feel His pain for the condition of this world. That pain creates a desire to reach out and show His love to those that don’t know Him. Occasionally, now that my Spiritual maturity is trying to catch up to my physical maturity, I see my old ways in younger folks in the Faith. Probably much like Paul saw his past in folks he encountered, the difference being, he was bold, and had not been tempered by Political Correctness. Yes, Political Correctness has entered the doors of the Church. Wisely choosing your words, as well as the issues that are worth fighting have become the new challenge for older Christians in the Church. Wisdom to see the Fruit of the Spirit (or lack of) in people and leaving judgment of motive and heart to God is a very thin line today. Partially because we Christians have misused it in the past, and tarnished the value of Spiritual Correction, with wicked fingers of men that were not qualified to offer counsel of any kind. Today, we must look at Galatians 5:22-24 for ourselves, as a Metric in measuring "ourselves". (22)But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, (23)gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. (24)Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. This is how we run the Race, we focus on the Spirit that Lives in us, and nurture that Spirit so that it may bear fruit, and then we share that fruit with those around us. We help our Christian Brothers and Sisters to keep in the race, and to run the race to make it to the finish line and win. We share the fruit of the Spirit with those folks God places around us at work, in our neighborhoods and family that does not yet know Christ. We stay in the race through continual submission to God’s will, ministered to us through the Comforter. We strive in the race by exercising our Faith in Him to care and provide for us. We realize joy in the race as we look over our shoulder to see how far He has carried us in His strength. We communicate with the Head Coach in the race by allowing ourselves to be wrapped in Christ’s Righteousness, and allowing Him to take our prayers to the Father on our behalf. Through the process of running to the finish line, we will KNOW Christ and He will KNOW us. We will understand His Grace and how that Grace paved the way for our Faith in God’s perfect gift in His Son’s shed blood, death, burial and resurrection which generated the trophy to be awarded at the finish line. To run the race to win, well it means you are committed, no matter how many obstacles fall on the course. It means that you don’t have Christ as your co-pilot; it means you have taken the 2nd seat, and put Him in command. That the very forgiveness that He died to offer you, you must now show to all that stand in your path, just as freely, just as willingly and just as completely as Christ did for you. If you can’t or won’t, then re-examine your heart, seek counsel from a solid Christian leader. Pray, Pray, Pray then Listen, meditate upon His Word that is how He talks to us. “Dear Precious Father, Thank You for giving fallen man the opportunity to be restored to fellowship with You through Your Dear Son. Lord, we understand that we are to take up our cross and follow you, in effect running the Race that Paul referred to in his letters. Help us Lord to submit ourselves to Your will, leaning not on our own understanding, but yielding to your Wisdom and Sovereignty willingly, selflessly, and all the while recognizing our subordinate state to You and the Father. Too often Father, I find myself trying to crawl back into the Pilot seat when things are going well. Fill me with the Spirit Father to overflowing, sensing your presence, and yielding my will to Your authority as a Loving child that wishes to please my Father. Touch the hearts of the dear folks that read this work, give them the encouragement and strength needed to run the race for You Father. In all things we bring to You, and all things that You show us and bless us with, let us always be mindful to give You the Honor, the Praise and the Glory for. We offer this prayer to You through Your Precious Son Jesus Christ, Amen.”

Two Judgments! Which do you plan to attend? ©

Two Judgments! The Great White Throne & the Bema Seat... Which do you plan to attend?

(A followup to last weeks Blog - Retirement Plan)

You would be surprised at the number of Christians that get this weird look on their face when you pose this question. My Grandfather taught me this since I was old enough to understand the Gospel. I have used it as an intro to folks that were inquisitive into my faith and why I am the way I am. From time to time at work I am in other co-workers offices for a meeting, a morning greeting or an infrequent social call. Too many times to comment on, I have walked out of a room in the middle of an off color joke or slanted Christian judgment from someone that ask too many questions and didn’t like direction the answers were going. For the most part my co-workers understand my low tolerance for the profane and immoral conversation and do not conduct such activities in my presence. But, the one thing that gets me in a pickle the most is my intolerance of a professing Christian taking Christ’s name in vain. I cannot and will never tolerate that behavior, from a person incapable of articulating the English language without taking our precious Lord’s name. My very soul shutters in those rare moments, I become angry and agitated. Where is the reverence, where is the sense of humility in uttering His name. How can people express their acceptance of His gift and then curse using His name in a foul, vulgar or heated angry setting? My favorite come back has been, “you claim to know Him personally, yet you take His name in vain, you better be careful, or the next time you utter that name you may be staring Him in the Face”! Yep, two judgments – one for those that truly know Him and the sacrifice He made willingly for us. One for those that have deceived themselves into thinking they know the way and keep on marching to the worlds drum. The Great White Thrown Judgment where every man not covered under the blood of Christ will stand before God and give an account for his or her life. Standing alone before the Almighty Creator, with no excuse, no righteousness to stand in before He that is forever Righteous. Not accepting Christ's perfect sacrifice, they will stand before God with no redemption. They will then finally bend their knee by force, and acknowledge He and His Son as Rulers of Eternity. In the end, those men and women will hear him command that they depart from Him. , and enter into eternal damnation.

Those of us that bent our knees and bowed our hearts before Him in this lifetime will face a different outcome. For we that accepted His selfless plan of salvation, truly repented of our sinful ways and turned around to follow Him will see the light of the Bema Seat! If we are growing in His Love and in His Word this is not a judgment to worry or fear. For this light will separate those works in our life that were done for His Glory, from the ones we did for our own glory or gratification. If we want the reward now, it’s only now that you will get it. If you give Him the praise and glory, that reward will follow you through eternity. I still battle daily with pride, but my heart is in the right frame, and He is constantly giving me new chances to improve. Dear precious Father, thank you for the daily reminders to seek your will and exercise humility. Keep me on the straight and narrow path, and I will gladly accept the spiritual scolding when I stray. Help me Father work my faith out giving you and your son all the glory and praise through this sanctification process. The jewels in the crown I may earn, I willingly, lovingly and reverently offer them to you on that day. Amen.

Lessons learned on this Journey with Christ ©

I have tried to help people see God’s influence on my heart, and the constant and total change in my way of thinking. A change that was deliberate and supervised by the Holy Spirit through this long track. All the while learning more about my selfish past and the path of destruction I was on due to a non-obedient attitude and lifestyle. Everyday I learn more about this new path I am on, and the constant desire to seek His face and His approval in everything I do. Why He chose me to be among His children will constantly amaze me and test me all the days of this life. So undeserving, and unfit to call His name, let alone to carry with me everywhere I go is so humbling that sometimes it becomes overwhelming. His blessings abound, His love forever filling, His peace touches the heart when all seems in disarray – His still small voice of the Holy Spirit comforts when I need it most. He is my Best Friend, He knows me best, and He alone I am learning to bow, yield and submit my will to. An unbelievable tale if I had heard it anywhere else. The warring of the Spirit is never done, while I still deal with the flesh and its short comings, I live for the Blessed Hope that is in the first fruits of His resurrection and the change that will take place. No longer will the battle wear on this fallen man, I will finally shed these old war torn clothes of unrighteousness. No longer will I need to stand before God wrapped in His Son’s righteousness – I will then wear my robes of white standing with His Son with the completed gift of righteousness paid for by my Dear, Precious and Blessed Lord Jesus – the Christ of eternity. He has used the people He has placed in my path to teach me and wear away at all those rough spots that I am constantly reminded of. The work in each of us is never done, He is constantly working in our hearts to show us His way, if we yield and submit to His will. Seek His Face! Watch and wait for His return, while running the race to win! Don’t just brush up against those lost souls around you, share the Good News. Let His heart be your heart, love them all, share – He’ll do the rest.

Five Precious Words ©

Five Precious Words - By John C. Hall (circa - early 1960’s) How great were the activities of our Lord when He was here on earth! As Mark tells us in his gospel, from the earliest morning, long before the day’s dawn, He arose to engage first of all in prayer, which was soon interrupted by the multitudes which sought Him. And so throughout the day, He worked incessantly and unsparingly. After the healing of the demon possessed maniac, as recorded in the fifth chapter of Mark, He was soon again surrounded by a large number of people. But suddenly there rushed into His presence Jairus, the ruler of a synagogue. He was deeply agitated. He fell in a worshiping attitude at the Master’s feet. He had at home a little daughter facing death. He knew that the One he had sought had the power to heal and to deliver, and to save her from death. And oh how readily the Lord responded to the faith of this trusting ruler. What a procession it must have been when the Lord Jesus and Jairus walked together, followed by the mass of people who swarmed around Him! Another miracle followed! Faith touched Him! A suffering woman, whom He later acknowledged as a daughter, hence a believing soul, touched the hem of His garment. Faith prompted her to say “if I may touch only His clothing, I shall be whole”. She did not trust in vain. For He said, “thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace and be whole of thy plaque”. Then the scene changed. A messenger appeared to speak to Jairus, it was sad news he thought. “Why trouble the Master any further, thy daughter is dead.” The Lord had heard the news and then turning to Jairus He spoke these five words “Be not afraid, only Believe”. Be not afraid, only believe. They are indeed precious words of comfort and of power which daily should be remembered as we follow Him. They find blessed application in different ways. He is still the friend of sinners. He still assures us, you and me, “He that cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out”. Some day that door will be shut, when the day of Grace and Salvation is over, then His gracious invitation will be withdrawn. For now it is “come unto Me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest”. “Be not afraid, only believe, cast yourself into My arms of love, trust Me, and then go in peace, thy sins are forgiven thee”. Be not afraid, only believe, is His assurance, His words of comfort and peace to the saint. Christ loves the sinner, but the sinner who has accepted Him as his Savior and acknowledges Him as LORD, has become a Saint. A separated one, called into His fellowship, the Spirit of God joins him to the body of Christ, the Church, and he becomes a member of Christ. The true Saint of God who lives in true fellowship with the Son of God is the constant target of the enemy of God. Against whom the fiery darts of Satan are aimed – and never as much as now, because Satan knows that before long he will be buried under the feet of Christ and His body. But we can hear His voice – “be not afraid, only believe”. Believe in the power of the Cross, and His precious Blood. When the fiery darts of Satan begin to fly, if we will grasp the shield of faith to quench them, we can hear the voice of our great victor, “be not afraid, and only believe”. Resist the devil and he shall flee from you. Our age is trembling, for it is a dying age. Soon, man’s day will end, and another day, Christ’s Day, the Day of our Lord will come. This old world has been plunged into a fear complex, the very thing our Lord announced to us “men’s hearts failing them for fear”. But this heart failure should never overtake the true child of God. If an atomic bomb should be dropped upon us, what should that dismay His beloved people? Man has never devised such a quick method of stepping into God’s presence. When the world trembles, fears, becomes despondent, loses hope, then Jesus speaks the louder, “Be Not Afraid, Only Believe”. Why should we fear when the dawn of our glorious morning is so near? We must Believe and Trust as never before. The great work a Christian is called to do is to give the Gospel to others. The blessed Gospel we enjoy has made us debtors; we owe it to everybody else. What joy will it be when in eternal fellowship we shall meet those in Glory that led us to Him, and those whom we have helped to know the Savior. If we would think more of that word – ETERNITY – and what it means, what it means to the unsaved, those who are out on the road to eternal night and eternal woe. We would be more concerned for those souls. We could try to become soul winners, but it is something we cannot do ourselves. The Lord, He who comes to seek and save that which was lost, must do it through us. We must put ourselves into His hands for this great work. This must be realized first of all, that He must do it through us, that it is He who gives the power to do it. We cannot do it ourselves, but we must look to Him. We must put ourselves at His disposal, follow His leadings, and trust in His guidance. Sometimes believers, excellent Christians who live saintly lives are grieved because they could not point to many whom they had led to the Lord. Such feelings are not right. No one knows just how the Lord uses His people in the salvation of others. Many an unknown saint, whose name was never heard in public, was used in the salvation of others by his or her quiet and devoted life. Every Christian ought to have a prayer list of names of those who do not know HIM, and should put these names in intercession before the Throne of the grace – daily! Let us remember the time is short. The day is fast approaching. The night is coming when no man can work. The fields are white with harvest and the laborers are few. We can be sure if we labor in HIS name, He will give us an abundant harvest. The first time the word “come” is used in the Bible, was when God said to Noah “Come thou and all thy house into the ark” (Genesis 7:1) The last time the word “come” is used in the Bible is in Revelation 22:7& 12, the last page in the Bible. “behold I come quickly”. “And the spirit and the bride say Come. And let him that heareth say Come. And let him that is athirst Come. And whosoever will, let him take the Water of Life freely”. The bride is the Church. She longs for her Bridegroom. The Lord Jesus Christ, the Beloved One, is the heart’s desire of every believer; to see Him as His is, to be with Him in glory, is the highest ambition of all who know HIM!

So where do you have your retirement plan invested? ©

Life – If Christ tarries, many of us are more than likely going to pass away at some point...So where do you have your retirement plan invested? Here – or – Heaven? (This is an excerpt from my manuscript for "Dear Father, How Did We Get Here?" I wrote a couple years ago) I have heard unsaved folks say in my presence, hey, it’s only life you’re not going to get out of it alive, so relax and enjoy it, live and let live - do whatever man, just have fun. Yet if you ask them about their 401K or retirement plans, in reflection of recent stock market activity, they get a little more serious and pay attention. Why is that? Has the church done such a lousy job in communicating the message to this generation that they are more concerned about the last days on earth than they are about all the days in eternity? Since this world as we know and more specifically this country no longer can be considered as a nation that believes in sin, there is no metric or measurement in which to measure ourselves. As a nation we are too wrapped up in making ourselves god; that we no longer require a moral compass – it’s all relative. In this political climate we have allowed ourselves to gravitate towards; morality is no longer a topic to be discussed in the town square. I believe that we Christians are partly to blame for that, directly to blame due to lack of participation. We have lost the stomach to confront our members in a biblical way. Which lends Satan a hand in dismissing loving, tender hearted church discipline; oh, perish the thought of even bringing that topic up? No one is accountable, so we have preachers with their hands in people’s pockets, running with fast women, adultery in our pulpits, and adultery in our congregations, all the while continuing to allow the offenders to remain in the office they were appointed to, or allowed to continue teaching our children, along with numerous other offenses to Righteousness. The Christian is to love their Brother and Sister, unconditionally - but he or she is to hate the sin, that offends the very God we serve and the Son that took that sin to the gates of Hell to destroy its claim to the world. Is it any wonder that we have lost souls looking at us and saying – “hey, why bother – they aren’t any different than the rest of us. Why should I seek out their God or be interested in their brand of faith”? Ouch, it’s that separation thing again, isn't it, you bet your life it's that seperation thing. When you walk so close to that line (flame) that your clothes get burnt, Satan is waiting to douse the flame with gasoline. Christianity has fast become a marketable commodity that is a multi-billion dollar business in this country. It kills me the amount of money that is spent annually to improve business practices by self proclaimed Christians that have a better way to teach biblical principals than the Bible itself can do. What has happen to genuine discipleship in this country, or spiritual mentoring? The glitz of business somehow can take the biblical – moral principles and spin them into successful business habits, better than teaching men to fish? I think not! Do we really live in a world that allowing the Holy Spirit to do His work in a man or woman’s life can be better done or “manipulated” by these business savvy Christians, and in their eyes do it better than God himself can do? I doubt it, and if you ask those men, they would tell you to your face that they are not competing with God and His word. They are just putting it into terms that men can easier understand, or delivering a message that they thought God wanted us all to know in the business world. I have no dreams of grandeur here; I have gathered 18 months worth of notes and personal daily reminders to share with my family and friends. I will pay my twenty five hundred dollars to a Christian publisher and hopefully walk away with enough books to share with those family and friends. I hope to share the lessons learned by reading the book, praying over those words and lessons and applying them to my everyday life. I have no super formula that is going to make your race any easier to run than the guy beside you. I am simply sharing the fortunate lessons I have learned sitting under an old fashion preacher that believed in teaching the word in an expository fashion. Showing an unbelievable capacity to love and forgive those fortunate to call him Pastor. LEADING BY EXAMPLE – wow, now there is a novel idea, actually work at living what you tell the world you believe. We should be fighting back the old man, giving God His due, and yielding more and more space in your heart to Him. We must practice submission, standing before the Throne of God every day humbly and reverently through prayer. I learned at the young age of 19 how this man (my Pastor) walked in God’s Grace and then practiced it every day. He taught me to fish, he taught me to study, and he mentored me and loved me at the times when I was un-lovable. He practiced discipleship, teaching me how to practically live this new life we claim in Christ. He was there to encourage me when I fell or walked off the path, to do my own thing, which never turned out the way I wanted. I want to share those lessons learnt through walking off the path, showing to my friends and family that it is survivable and that God’s Love is worth waiting on. I am not English major, I don’t have any real skills in writing, to that point I expect my editing fees will be off the chart. However; the message I wish to carry in this work is that Christ died for you! If you already know that and believe that and practice your faith and are running the race, I want to encourage you to continue. To renew your sense of urgency in making the finish line, on time and out in front. Run the race to win! I want you to work on that eternal retirement investment. If I can help through a word of encouragement or sharing a story that I experienced in life that is similar to one you are in or have faced in the past as a help – then Praise God. However; I must tell you, I am not a bible scholar; I am a layman that was saved at 13 years of age, but never gave my life to Christ until I was 33 years old. His Grace is sufficient, patient and enduring; He waited on me, and gave me formidable nudges when I needed them. Those lessons have been taught through the Holy Spirit – praise God. I didn’t always worry about my eternal retirement plan, even though I had parents and grandparents that gave me plenty of opportunity to see Christ. But the one thing I have learned is that God’s timing is the best timing and He had a plan! I don’t always do it right, but as I explained to my Sunday School Class, the trend line is steadily on the incline pointing skyward, there are a few dips from time to time, but the trend is up. That would look good in any board room in America, it’s all about conviction, and faith. My faith is in the unseen, the unheard and in the Light that men only see thru the glass dimly now. But when He sheds the light on that retirement plan, it will be blinding to those that failed to yield to the offer. To those of you that are reading this by chance, but have doubts or think the whole thing is bogus. I am praying for you. It is my hope and prayer that you won’t wait another second to reconsider God’s offer to secure you a place in Heaven. The offer stands as long as the Church Age continues, but it won’t be long, for Christ will return to gather that which rightfully belongs to Him – His Church. Once you have acknowledged Sin, more directly your sin, realizing that God and His Son are sinless, and that on your own, in your fallen sinful condition, you cannot stand before Them. Upon acknowledging these things, and accepting God’s Gift to us to pay the sin debt for us, with the bloodshed of His Son Jesus Christ, you can be saved from the current road to destruction. Placing your Faith in Christ, accepting His work on our behalf, will remove you from the Great White Throne Judgment. For Christ died for all that sin, it’s free and no strings attached, and God said He will remember it no more. Upon putting your Faith in Christ, you will never answer for your past transgressions, and He will send a Comforter to help you work out your Faith. Don't put it off, if you cannot answer beyond the shadow of a doubt that you know and walk with Christ, do it now. “Father, I pray that you will touch the hearts of those around me. I pray that you will continually yield my will to yours, and help me look for opportunities to help my unsaved friends and family start working on a new retirement plan. Help us make that retirement plan one that includes you at the core, and an understanding of their deficit in standing on their own. Let my unsaved friends and family not have a day of peace until they meet the author of peace. Let the seed be sown, and then please place a Godly man or woman on their path to bring them to the harvest. I will give you the honor, the praise and the glory. In Jesus name I pray, Amen.”

How is your Joy Today? ©

John 15:9-11 (9)“Just as the Father has loved Me, I have also loved you; abide in My love. (10)“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love; just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love. (11)“These things I have spoken to you so that My joy may be in you, and that your joy may be made full. (NASB) Hello Dear Ones, how is your Joy today? Are you weary of the walk? Do you have pain in your heart? He is here to bring you joy, to fill your heart to overflowing. Christ gave up all that He had at His disposal in the Glory of Heaven, to walk this earth as a human so that we might experience His joy. Cast those concerns and pains at His feet, then sit at those feet in prayer, and calm your heart and listen to that “still small voice”. He will bring you peace and joy!! Our Heavenly Father gave us the best He had in His only begotten Son, so that we might reach Him. We have no idea of the depth of that sacrifice this side of Glory, but we can understand the result of that submission of the Son to His Father. That result is the sin debt paid in full for the entire human race. However; we too must submit, sacrifice our will to His after accepting and believing in that redemptive gift through faith, to receive that stamp “Paid in Full”. Oh my, what a Joy it is once we hand over the deed to our heart to the Father. He then hands us an adoption decree giving us full family access to the Son’s inheritance. Then the joy begins to build, to an overflowing state as we learn to submit to His will in our lives. As a friend of mine states often to folks, “hey, it’s all about the Son friends, it’s all about the Son”! Then and only then do we really experience and understand the Joy Christ referred to in John 15:11. Those of you with Grandchildren truly understand this concept. Those grand babies, and grand kids listen a little closer and behave a little better when we’re around. They sense the Joy of that unconditional love, and they see the Light that has matured in your faces and eyes. As we mature as Christians, we see through that spiritual veil much clearer, and that sense of Joy becomes more evident as we draw closer to the Blessed Master. It becomes a little easier to keep on the path, because we are closer to Him and want to please Him. For those of you that have handed that deed over to our Lord, welcome to the table. There is room for more, so share when He opens the door, but know this – He is coming. Praise God, He is coming again to gather His Bride. My goal is to invite all that will listen, by prayer, by pen and by voice. Guard your hearts, love them all, and share HIS Joy in your Heart – the Holy Spirit will take care of the rest of the process. Be well and God Bless, your Friend, RC

Needs of People - Life Together ©

Needs of People - Life Together

• Originally Posted by Mercedes on August 11, 2009 at 11:56pm on GaitherCommunity.com God's Word tells us to "cast our cares on the Lord and He will sustain us; He will never let the righteous fall". (Psalm 55:22) And He tells us to "present our requests to God". (Philippians 4:6) We aren't supposed to fix ourselves. We aren't supposed to worry and fret; we are supposed to cast our cares and burdens on God. When we do what His Word tells us to do, we can then experience real fellowship and sympathy; sympathy is not giving advice or offering quick, cosmetic help - sympathy is entering in and sharing the pain of others. Sympathy says, "I understand what you're going through, and what you feel is neither strange nor crazy." As Christian people, we are expected to be sympathetic, kind, humble, gentle and patient." (Colossians 3:12) Sympathy meets two fundamental human needs; the need to be understood, and the need to have our feelings validated. Every time you understand and affirm someone's feelings, you build fellowship. The problem is that we are often in such a hurry to fix things that we don't have time to "sympathize" with people.........we're preoccupied with our own hurts. There are different levels of fellowship or life together, and each is appropriate at different times: a) The simplest level is fellowship of sharing and studying God's Word together. b) A deeper level is the fellowship of serving, as when we minister together on mission trips, etc. c) The deepest, most intense level, is the fellowship of suffering. This is where we enter into each other's pain and grief and carry each other's burdens. Christians who understand this level best are those around the world who are being persecuted, despised and possibly martyred for their faith. The Bible teaches us to "share each other's troubles and problems, and in this way we obey the law of Christ". How wonderful it is for God's people to live together in harmony! God intends for us to experience life together......in the Bible it's called "Fellowship". (Although today we usually refer to fellowship as socializing, food and fun.) Real fellowship is experiencing life together. It includes unselfish loving, honest sharing, serving, sacrificial giving, sympathetic comforting, and all the other "one another" commands found in the New Testament. Another important factor in sharing - smaller is better. If a group is larger than about 10 people, you lose some of the effectiveness. In Christian fellowship people should experience authenticity; i.e. not superficial, surface-level-chit-chat. It's genuine, heart-to-heart, sometimes gut-level sharing. It happens when people get honest about who they are and what is happening in their lives. They share their hurts, reveal their feelings, confess their failures, talk about their doubts, admit their fears, acknowledge their weaknesses, and ask for help and prayer. Authenticity is not found in many church groups.......instead of honesty and humility, there are pretending, politicking, superficial politeness and shallow conversation. People wear masks, keep their guard up, and act as if everything is rosy in their lives. These are the attitudes that kill real friendship. It's only when we become open about our lives that we experience authentic fellowship. "If any of us say we have no sin, we are fooling ourselves." (1John 1:7-8) Of course, being authentic requires both courage and humility. It means facing our fear of exposure, rejection, and being hurt again. Why would anyone take such a risk? Because it's the only way to grow spiritually and be emotionally healthy. The Bible says, "Make this your common practice: Confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you can live together whole and healed." (James 5:16) Share

In The Midst Of The Bumpy Road - Do You Find Joy? ©

I Thessalonians 5:16-18; (16) Rejoice Evermore. (17) Pray without ceasing. (18) In everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. 

Wow, my toes have been rolled over; especially after this past week. 

What a roller coaster ride it has been, as was pointed out by a dear friend this week, this was a practice what you preach week. Satan gave me numerous opportunities to weaken, allowing the spiritual vessel to crack and leak the water of Life for all those around me to see. 

He pushed my buttons through people, and because of some physical issues I began to wear down, life’s road was becoming very bumpy, and I was looking for a fast lane to by-pass it all. Christ knew perfectly when to intervene, who to place on my path, and what vehicle to use to calm the storms. 

Through the kind words of truth, He used Mr. Fred to speak the Truth in love, reassuring the truths I had hidden away in my heart. Through kind deeds, He used Ms. Tracey to take my mind away from the stress of the bumpy road. 

His Sovereignty this week was disclosed through His compassion for a child in distress. His grace is sufficient, but too many times we become so wrapped up in the events of our lives that we overlook or worse yet dismiss the very Hand that ushered us through the trials. 

Rejoice Evermore! 

Finding joy in life sometimes is a tall order walking in this flesh, yet Paul wrote this with great authority, as a commandment. He is reminding us of our heritage, that in Christ we are to live in the joy of the Spirit that lives within us. Remembering the Joy of the Spirit that lives in us can be tough when the storms of life are raging all around us, and the road becomes bumpy. It is when we remember our relationship to the King and who we are in Him that HE uses the trials to grow us and strengthen us. 

This is not just a feeling – this is knowledge, foundational knowledge as kin to the King – Remember, Rejoice Evermore. Pray without ceasing! We must develop a state of God consciousness, a sense of Holiness, reaching for Righteousness, a spirit of prayer, communion with Christ through the Holy Spirit constantly through the day. Wow, this is such a change from the cursed flesh we walk in, yet we all know people like this. 

Prayer warriors, the folks we looked up to when we were younger that you loved to be around, because they were close to God. This week, I lost touch with that sense of Holiness, and a few times Righteousness was not in the forefront of my mind. 

These Study Verses – well;  they rolled over my toes at just the time I needed to hear them. We must remember to yield our hearts to Him and develop a mind that Prays without ceasing. In everything give thanks! 

OK, here is where I must inject the Spiritual lesson learned this week. 

Last weekend as I was teaching my class, I began to feel like I had been dunked in 120 degree water, dumped into the washing machine, through the spin cycle and then run through a wringer. Physically I was fatigued, developed a fever, the sweats, achy and through the course of the day, developed swelling glands and lymph nodes. Being the Marine that I am, I complained a little, but kept going. I went to work Monday, as the day progressed, I began to feel like a Mack truck used me for target practice, then ran over me a couple more times just for good measure. 

In the afternoon, Ms. Tracey called me up and ask if I would be interested in an early morning flight (O dark thirty). Anyone knowing me knows I would fly with one foot in the grave, so I obviously answered in the affirmative for the flight. The rest of the day went downhill, and one of the projects I was setting up was hitting a brick wall. People were not cooperating, schedules were being rushed, and I was not keeping the mental gymnastics all together. 

Ah, 17:00 time to go home, but alas I had a house full of family, and I was in no condition physically or mentally to be cordial. I excused myself to the Hot Tub to try and relieve all the knots and aches. I was asked to please come to the dining room and at least sit with the kids since I had no appetite. Which, I prayed Lord, keep me upright long enough to visit with the kids and grand kids. 

Well, I made it through dinner and that’s it. I am a guy that normally can run 18 hours on 6 hours of sleep. That night I fell into bed @ 18:00 and did not rejoin the conscious world until 04:30 Tuesday morning, early enough to make the flight. Well, as rotten as I felt – getting above all that in Gods beautiful early morning sky somehow made it all better. 

It took no time at all until, I felt quite comfortable in that right co-pilot's seat. He filled a need without me knowing it, without me understanding it at the time or even giving Him credit for any of it until a few days later. He wiped the grim face of pain away and replaced it with a smile, and filled the frustrated heart with joy. As icing on the cake, Ms. Tracey gave me a second flight the next night out west, where I got some time with our “Chief Pilot” who is an amazing young man. There was more joy, peace and relaxation packed into those 4 hours than I can go into in this Blog post. 

That night after I got home late, I sat down and HE filled my tired, sore and fatigued old body with a boat load of joy. Then I got it, from Sunday morning through Wednesday night the road got bumpy, I wanted to take the highway – but He said, no, we will take the bumpy old scenic route. Wednesday night, I sat here at the computer reflecting on the past four days, and the smile on my face from flying made it to my heart. He showed me what I have been preaching for 15 years really does work. I have always tried to offer words of encouragement to those hurting, to those broken hearted and to those sick and afflicted. I was stricken with a pretty funky virus that has me down yet… MY God, saw me, heard me, and reached down and used people on my bumpy road to calm my heart and offer encouragement, filling my heart to overflowing with joy. 

IN ALL THINGS GIVE THANKS! 

To Fred, Tracey and David my heartfelt thanks for all that you did for me last week. God used all three of you through your words and deeds to wipe my eyes from the dust of the road and see the bigger picture. Sometimes in midst of life’s little road bumps, we often find ourselves annoyed and irritated with the rough ride. We often look for an easier route or head for the highway, too hasty to know or even realize that God allowed those bumps in the road of life to slow us down. He gives us these times to pause, to look around, and watch for bystanders. To take in His blessings in this life, and to touch those He has placed on our path. 

So the next time you feel the little bumps in this trek we call life, look around to see where you are and who you can help along the way. 

My Dear Precious Father, Thank You for the powerful promises and Truth you have provided us in Your word. Forgive this tired old heart for missing your hand through this rough week Lord, I felt the bumps of life, but neglected to look for Your hand to deliver. 

Thank You Father for giving such a friend in Fred, that I can trust his heart and accept counsel from this young man when I knew I needed to hear it. Thank You Father for this wonderful, joyful friend I have in Ms. Tracey. You have blessed her with a heart to see beneath the surface Father, something I truly needed this week, thank You Father for the vehicle you provided for her to get me back in the air. 

Then Dear Lord, I want to thank you for dear David, what a wonderful young man, talented and knowledgeable and lots of good stories. Father, this kind and gentle man single handedly left me see your hand in the week. He brought smiles, laughs and peace Father – I truly see your hand in that evening. I walked that pilots lounge in pain, and he came over and took my mind away, with stories and memories of days gone by. 

Thank You Dear Jesus for placing these kind, wonderful people in my path when the road was bumpy. Bless them as only You can this week Father, touch their hearts and lives and fill them to overflowing with the Joy of the Spirit. If any of them do not know You Father, or do not have a Saving knowledge of Your Son, then present them an opportunity do so, I pray Thee. In all things Father I will continually give you the Honor, the Praise and the Glory, in Your Strong Son’s Name I pray, in JESUS name. Amen