Remembering

I just wanted to take some time to remember my Mother In-Law today. She passed away seven years ago today. I only got to know her for a short time, as I met my wife 4 years prior to her passing. However, it may have been short, but boy did she touch me. She was an amazingly unselfish person, who cared for and did anything for anyone. I have yet to meet someone quite like her. My wife is pretty darn close though, and I can only imagine how similar the two are. Though we miss her, we will be with her before we know it. She is praising our Lord and Savior in the most spectacular place, His dwelling place!! Again I can only imagine!! It's hard at times to think our three children are missing out on her love and compassion. Our oldest does talk about her, which is great, but for her to have met he Nana, again I can only imagine! I just pray that not only can we be more like her, which is as close as you can get to being like Christ as you can, but that we could and would raise up our children in that manner. To be compassionate, loving and caring. This what we are to be. Scripture reminds us this in 1st Corinthians 13:13 "Faith, Hope, and Love, and the greatest of these is Love.", by the way that's where we got our oldest daughter's name, Corinthia, how ironic!! So let us all remember to be more like Christ and love more than anything. This way we can bring out the best in the body of Christ and nurture those in need as best we can! God Bless!!

God's Patience

Well, I am sorry to say that it has been over a year since my last post. So for those of you who stop in from time to time, thank you for your patience. Over the last year God has truly shown me His patience for us, as a world and a whole. I have been through a tough season these past few years. I wasn't reflecting God's love and wasn't getting in His word. He has showed me His patience by prevailing through this season with me.

I recently was hired as an Assistant cost estimator, which propelled me out of the oppression that I had been feeling. I had been second guessing everything that God led me through and sent me to do before I was let go from my previous job. I wasn't sure if God knew how I felt about not being able to do what I enjoyed to do for a living. I thought for sure that I had failed Him and my family with the decisions that I had made about my education and my pursuit of a career. God stayed true threw all that though and knew that I was to be where He was going to be putting me. So my point, God stayed patient with me, even though I was screaming why and how, angrily, at Him. He took all that abuse from me and still stayed true and patient to bring me to a new and prosperous season.

I now know that I should have gotten into God's word and let Him minister to me throw that and I am sure that if I would have done that, that all the anger and all the worry and all the negative feelings would have been replaced by love and happiness. I missed out on joy during that time. I led my family through a not so joyful time. However now that I have returned to getting in the word daily, thanks to my awesome pastor and his B90X bible reading, I have felt more positive and joyous. I have also started to experience some more patience! I still have a long way to go there though! I can surely say that God's patience prevails and due to that we can be happy in knowing that He will always and I mean always take care of  us!!

Thank you Jesus for all the patience that you have for us individually and more importantly as the world. Cover us Lord with your Love and keep from the sufferings of evil. Amen and Amen

Patience

What a lovely subject, patience. It is such an interesting concept for the human mind. Our God and Savior is the most patient of all beings. We know that God is patient for He sent His Son to die on the cross to cover the sins of our worldly habits and mind. He did this because He is the essence of Love, and scripture says Love is patient.

1Co 13:4-7 (GNB)  Love is patient and kind; it is not jealous or conceited or proud;  (5)  love is not ill-mannered or selfish or irritable; love does not keep a record of wrongs;  (6)  love is not happy with evil, but is happy with the truth.  (7)  Love never gives up; and its faith, hope, and patience never fail.

1Ti 1:16 (ISV)  But for that very reason I received mercy, so that in me, as the worst sinner, Christ Jesus might demonstrate all of his patience as an example for those who would believe in him for eternal life.

So how do we acquire this patience? I know that I for one struggle every single day and almost every waking hour with my patience. I do need to grow more patient, so that I and my family can live a happy life. For instance, if I let the Holy Spirit grow my patience then the little things in life that irritate me won't any more.

And that is simply that, we have to allow the Holy Spirt to grow our patience. God tests us in all aspects of our lives in order to grow our patience. We have to take in what we learn from the Word for this patience to grow and for the Holy Spirit to start transforming us.

Rom 15:4-5 (GNB)  Everything written in the Scriptures was written to teach us, in order that we might have hope through the patience and encouragement which the Scriptures give us.  (5)  And may God, the source of patience and encouragement, enable you to have the same point of view among yourselves by following the example of Christ Jesus.

The Bible shows us in these particular verses not only that God is patience, but also the simple fact that the Word was written to teach us.

So if we make ourselves get into the Word more often and on a regular basis, which is something I struggle with, then the Holy Spirit will bring about the patience we need for our simple little lives! And as we are continually faced with those obstacles in life, and we pray over them and for the answers in patience, we are ultimately growing our patience for the little things in life that can irritate us. In a nut shell to bring about more patience we need to wait patiently for the Holy Spirit to teach us as we get into the Word.

Here are just a few more interesting and powerful verses on patience.

Pro 15:18 (GNB)  Hot tempers cause arguments, but patience brings peace.

Ecc 7:8 (GNB)  The end of something is better than its beginning. Patience is better than pride.

Lam 3:26-27 (GNB)  So it is best for us to wait in patience---to wait for him to save us---  (27)  And it is best to learn this patience in our youth.

Power of Prayer

The power of prayer, let me tell you about the power of prayer! My wife and I went to Erie this past Saturday specifically to pray. We went to Saint Vincent's Hospital to pray over our brother in-law, who was flown up there from Warren General. At one point in Warren General he was actually "code blue".

We found out that he had a mass in his abdomen and that he had severe blockage in his arteries. So Melissa and I prayed over him Saturday, specifically for Christ to remove the mass in his abdomen and to clean out his arteries. We all ready knew that Jesus was at work in him when we first arrived, cause we didn't expect him to be coherent when we saw him and he was. We joked around and his spirits seemed quite well.

So the power of pray was all ready at work. But we found out yesterday after they did a sono on his abdomen, which was done after we prayed over him, that there was no mass what so ever!! We also found out today that he only has one artery blocked and that he will be coming home Wednesday!

So how powerful is prayer? It's as powerful as you let it be! The more faith you have in it, the more you can expect to receive from it! God's word tells us this same thing. So think of the miracle that we have received with no mass in our brother in-law's abdomen as you read over these few scriptures about prayer and what you can expect to receive.

Matthew 7:7-8 (GNB)  "Ask, and you will receive; seek, and you will find; knock, and the door will be opened to you.  (8)  For everyone who asks will receive, and anyone who seeks will find, and the door will be opened to those who knock.

Matthew 21:22 (GNB)  If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

John 14:13-14 (LITV)  And whatever you may ask in My Name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son.  (14)  If you ask anything in My Name, I will do it.

James 5:13-18 (GNB)  Are any among you in trouble? They should pray. Are any among you happy? They should sing praises.  (14)  Are any among you sick? They should send for the church elders, who will pray for them and rub olive oil on them in the name of the Lord.  (15)  This prayer made in faith will heal the sick; the Lord will restore them to health, and the sins they have committed will be forgiven.  (16)  So then, confess your sins to one another and pray for one another, so that you will be healed. The prayer of a good person has a powerful effect.  (17)  Elijah was the same kind of person as we are. He prayed earnestly that there would be no rain, and no rain fell on the land for three and a half years.  (18)  Once again he prayed, and the sky poured out its rain and the earth produced its crops.

Now go and pray believing, receiving, and expecting what you have prayed for with the faith that will move a mountain!! God Bless!!

We Are All Part of the Body, the Church

We are all a part of  the body that makes up the Church. I was inspired to write this blog today after a story that my wife told me today about her jail ministry. No matter how little of an impact we may think we make each of us, as proclaimed Christians, has a part to do in forming the body of Christ. It doesn't even matter what "denomination" we may describe our selves as! In the few verses below you will see that your "denomination" and how big or small your roll is, doesn't matter at all!

These first few verses show us that it doesn't matter what kind of "rules" or "laws" within our "denominations" that any of us follow as believers, we are still all God's children!

1Co 3:4-9 (GNB)  When one of you says, "I follow Paul," and another, "I follow Apollos"---aren't you acting like worldly people?  (5)  After all, who is Apollos? And who is Paul? We are simply God's servants, by whom you were led to believe. Each one of us does the work which the Lord gave him to do:  (6)  I planted the seed, Apollos watered the plant, but it was God who made the plant grow.  (7)  The one who plants and the one who waters really do not matter. It is God who matters, because he makes the plant grow.  (8)  There is no difference between the one who plants and the one who waters; God will reward each one according to the work each has done.  (9)  For we are partners working together for God, and you are God's field. You are also God's building.

Now these last verses show us that no matter how minute the task may be, everything that we do to expand God's kingdom is superior to doing nothing. They also show us that all who believe in Christ and His kingdom are part of the Body, the Church.

Rom 12:1-13 (GNB)  So then, my friends, because of God's great mercy to us I appeal to you: Offer yourselves as a living sacrifice to God, dedicated to his service and pleasing to him. This is the true worship that you should offer.  (2)  Do not conform yourselves to the standards of this world, but let God transform you inwardly by a complete change of your mind. Then you will be able to know the will of God---what is good and is pleasing to him and is perfect.  (3)  And because of God's gracious gift to me I say to every one of you: Do not think of yourself more highly than you should. Instead, be modest in your thinking, and judge yourself according to the amount of faith that God has given you.  (4)  We have many parts in the one body, and all these parts have different functions.  (5)  In the same way, though we are many, we are one body in union with Christ, and we are all joined to each other as different parts of one body.  (6)  So we are to use our different gifts in accordance with the grace that God has given us. If our gift is to speak God's message, we should do it according to the faith that we have;  (7)  if it is to serve, we should serve; if it is to teach, we should teach;  (8)  if it is to encourage others, we should do so. Whoever shares with others should do it generously; whoever has authority should work hard; whoever shows kindness to others should do it cheerfully.  (9)  Love must be completely sincere. Hate what is evil, hold on to what is good.  (10)  Love one another warmly as Christians, and be eager to show respect for one another.  (11)  Work hard and do not be lazy. Serve the Lord with a heart full of devotion.  (12)  Let your hope keep you joyful, be patient in your troubles, and pray at all times.  (13)  Share your belongings with your needy fellow Christians, and open your homes to strangers.

So I leave you with this, we all as Christians need to put our differences and discrepancies aside and come together as one body to gather the lost sheep and bring a massive harvest to our Great Savior's home! God Bless!!

Alone Time.

Alone time, or quiet time, whatever you may refer to it as, is what we need to do to grow in spiritual maturity and in our personal relationships with God! The major thing that we need to be doing during this time is talking to our Savior Jesus and to Abba, PaPa, Father. It doesn't  matter how we go about this, even if it is as simple as sitting alone and having a conversation with God that is as casual as you would have with your youngest child, for scripture says we are to become like children.

Mat 18:2-3 (GNB)  So Jesus called a child to come and stand in front of them,  (3)  and said, "I assure you that unless you change and become like children, you will never enter the Kingdom of heaven.

We know that we need to have this alone time with our PaPa, because His Son, Jesus did this, and we are to, as scripture says, conform to the image of Christ!

Rom 8:29 (LITV)  because whom He foreknew, He also predestinated to be conformed to the image of His Son, for Him to be the First-born among many brothers.

Mar 1:35 (GW)  In the morning, long before sunrise, Jesus went to a place where he could be alone to pray.

Luk 18:1 (GNB)  Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to teach them that they should always pray and never become discouraged.

So we need to have this alone time and talk to God. I've been encouraged by my most favorite Pastors that the easiest and best way to grow in my spiritual maturity and for an intimate relationship with the Father, I should be praying and reading the word during my alone time.

When you are talking to God, ask questions and ponder thoughts to Him that you have. When you are doing this, guess what, you are praying! Also take this alone time to engage in a powerful relationship with Him, the Word! For reading His Word, the Bible, is literally engaging yourself with the Lord like He is sitting right in our very laps!! Isn't that just an amazing image, God sitting in our laps!!

Now don't let me fool you. I'm sure you are thinking that I must have an awesome alone time when I am able to have time to post on this blog. Well in all actuality, I struggle with being obedient in finding alone time. I don't like to read, so that discourages my time in the Word. My prayer life is growing but could be a whole lot better.

So if you find yourself overwhelmed with the thought of making and having alone time, just remember become like a child and have fun with it! Just start by having that casual conversation. As for reading the Word, become like a child and start with memorizing some verses, like you did for vacation bible school! God Bless!!

Fear Not Little Ones.

The following few verses are from John chapter 16. This chapter is where Jesus is explaining to His disciples when He will be going home to His Father. I am including the first two verses just so we can see in the last verse some of the things that Jesus has told His disciples. So take in these verses and I shall explain more following them.

John 16:20 (ISV)  Truly, truly I tell you, you will cry and mourn, but the world will rejoice. You will be deeply distressed, but your pain will turn into joy.

John 16:27 (ISV)  For the Father himself loves you because you have loved me and have believed that I came from God.

John 16:33 (ISV)  I have told you this so that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have trouble, but be courageous-I have overcome the world!"

So as I stated my main focus is on this last verse, John 16:33. Here, I go to the title of the blog, Fear Not Little Ones. Jesus is telling His disciples, in a nut shell, that though He may not be with them any longer that they have nothing to fear because Jesus has taken on the world and joyously overcome the world. Thusly the disciples can go out into the world and profess the Kingdom of God and do so without fear or hesitancy.

Now let's relate this to our lives. We can see this as Jesus telling us not to fear for He has overcome the sin of this world and we can then be forgiven from our sins and not fear the wrath of the Lord on judgement day. Once we have come to an understanding that we are forgiven of our sins due to Jesus' overcoming of the world, we can go out, just as the disciples did, and walk in the word to disciple to the broken world that we live in. We can do this and rely on the fact that no matter what this world throws at us, such a death, sickness, etc., we need not fear for Jesus, our God, has overcome all the world can throw!! God Bless!!

The Miracle of Life.

It's unreal to think that 5 years ago today, Melissa and I had our first child, our son Hayden. He was stillborn and is living in Paradise! Below is a small testimony that I prepared for Advent a while back. It reflects what I have learned and gained through my son Hayden. Enjoy!

                                                   The Miracle of Life
Because of God’s love He sent His own Son to us, a miracle to the Virgin Mary.

Joh 1:14 GW  The Word became human and lived among us. We saw his glory. It was the glory that the Father shares with his only Son, a glory full of kindness and truth.

Through God’s love for Melissa and I, He has sent us three miracles of life. However our first son Hayden never took a breath on this Earth. Because Hayden never knew the sin of this world, he gets to spend his life in Heaven with Jesus.

Joh 1:13 LITV  who were born not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but were born of God.

Melissa and I believe that because of God’s love for us he took our son Hayden home to be with Him. God took him home to Heaven so that Melissa and I would discover the best Miracle of Life! After losing Hayden and Melissa’s mom we were curious as to where they were and if we would ever see them again. We realized that when we asked these questions we wouldn’t have an answer until we came to know and accept our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. On August 13th of 2005 we got our answers to our questions. This is the day that, together, Melissa and I accepted Jesus as our only Lord and Savior. That day we learned how much Jesus loved us, and how much Hayden loved us. Hayden loved us so much that he, like Jesus, sacrificed his life for us, so that two sheep could be led to the Sheppard!

Joh 1:12 LITV  But as many as received Him, to them He gave authority to become children of God, to the ones believing into His name.

We will never forget the miracle of life that brought us to Jesus. God’s love for us is so great that we can never forget the best Miracle of Life the world will ever know, Jesus! As you ponder these words, I ask that you not only remember Jesus, but also remember the miracles of life that helped you come to know God and His awe inspiring love for us! God Bless!

Jesus on a bench.

So I was lead by the Spirit and my wonderful wife to share my encounter with the verses from Matthew 25:34-46. First take some time to refresh your memory concerning these verses and then I will share with you what happened to me today.

Mat 25:34-46 (ISV)
"Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who have been blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.  (35)  For I was hungry, and you gave me something to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me something to drink. I was a stranger, and you welcomed me.  (36)  I was naked, and you clothed me. I was sick, and you took care of me. I was in prison, and you visited me.'  (37)  "Then the righteous will say to him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and give you something to eat, or thirsty and give you something to drink?  (38)  When did we see you as a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you?  (39)  When did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?'  (40)  The king will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, in that you did it for one of the least important of these my brothers, you did it for me.'  (41)  "Then he will say to those on his left, 'Get away from me, you who are accursed, into the eternal fire that has been prepared for the devil and his angels!  (42)  For I was hungry, and you gave me nothing to eat. I was thirsty, and you gave me nothing to drink.  (43)  I was a stranger, and you didn't welcome me. I was naked, and you didn't clothe me. I was sick and in prison, and you didn't visit me.'  (44)  "Then they will reply, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or as a stranger or naked or sick or in prison and didn't help you?'  (45)  Then he will say to them, 'Truly I tell you, in that you did not do it for one of the least important of these, you did not do it for me.'  (46)  These people will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous will go into eternal life."

Now that these verses are fresh in your head, I can tell you of my experience. Well, while I was running errands this afternoon one of them happened to be to Dollar General in the South Side Plaza in Jamestown. As I was headed in I noticed an older gentleman talking with one of the employees. Anyways, on my way out this same gentleman said, "Hey Sir." Knowing I was the only Sir around, I ignored him and kept walking. Then I heard this gentleman say something along the lines of, "Sir? Sir? You've got two ears to hear me. Fine, looks like you have a long road ahead of you." I continued to the van and got in.

As I pulled away I noticed a parking spot right in front of this gentleman, so I pulled into it. I got out and asked the gentleman if I could help him. He asked me if I could run and get him a McDonalds' dollar sandwich. I told him that I had no cash and that I was sorry I couldn't help him. He told me thank you and it was the thought that counted. I got back in the van and started to leave.

As I was backing up, the verses you just read came to mind. Of course not word for word. Then I thought of the gentleman sitting on the bench, and immediately I saw Jesus sitting on that bench!! Now mind you I haven't even made it out of the parking lot, but I didn't have room to turn around to go to the McDs at the other end of the plaza. I looked up and there across the street was Arbys. So I went over there and got a Junior roast beef and went back to the same parking lot and gave the gentleman his sandwich.

The smile on the gentleman's face and the peace that I felt were out of this world!! So two things to take out of this,one is keep your ears and eyes open, for God can show up in the most unusual ways!! And two, when He does trust and obey, for yours is the Kingdom of  Heaven!! God Bless!

Time Alone

Time alone, and not alone time. What do I mean? I am talking of the time that we spend alone with the Lord. Do you do it often? I know that I don't do it often enough. I take the next few words from a devotional by Daily Disciples.

Only Jesus can fill our cups, and only Jesus can love us in the way that brings rest and peace to our souls. After knowing what it is to have true fellowship with the Lord, nothing (and no one) can take His place. At times we may feel empty, this emptiness is a result of not finding time to be alone with Him.

Frequently in the Bible, Jesus spent time alone with His Father. He knew that He needed that uninterrupted time alone in prayer and fellowship. If Jesus needed time alone with God, how much more do we? The Lord promises that in His presence is fullness of joy. Having experienced that joy, we long for quality time alone with Him. Once we have the love of the Lord, we know that nothing else feels so right!

Ask the Lord to help you find time every day to be alone with Him. He hears our prayers and He desires to have fellowship with us. Jesus has made a way for us to come to Him freely. He will make a way for us to walk with Him daily if we are truly seeking Him.

I will be doing this very thing as much as possible! I try to spend time alone with the Lord on my way to school in Erie everyday. He has touched and changed my life when I am seeking His presence beside me in the car! God Bless!

God's Plans

Well I certainly struggled with excepting God's Plans at first. But I have overcome the darkness's ability to tell me that what I am doing, as far as going back to school and the loss of my job, is not where I am supposed to be. I can now turn to God's word whenever this comes to my mind, with one verse in particular. That particular verse would be Jeremiah 29:11.

God's word in this verse says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (NIV)

I had some time when I first started going back to school in which I was very oppressed. During this time I would continually question why I was where I was. Why God would take a job I loved and let it go by the wayside! Why I felt I was struggling so much at school. Well in all actuality I have kept straight A's through this first semester! And the job thing, where I was working, the truth is the company may be moving to Houston.

So back to the scripture, obviously God is all knowing, for I have more hope now than ever and the future is still ever shining! I have an awesome God, a beautiful family, and a new found understanding of letting God's plans grow!

So if you are ever wondering why am I here or what is to come next, just remember that God loves you and He knows what He is doing! He will never leave and never let you down! Even if you don't understand the bad things that are happening, God will always bring the goods things to light! God Bless!!

The Lord will ALWAYS find His way back!!

So, It's been about a year since my last post here. I begin with the title to this post, The Lord will ALWAYS find His way back!! I guess I should say the Lord will ALWAYS bring us and accept us back to His presence. I had been struggling quite a bit in some areas of my life and though the Lord and I collectively have not conquered all the areas of my struggles, He has at least brought me back to His presence and He will of course always accept me!

I will be taking my next few thoughts from the devotional Daily Hope by Rick Warren. In his devotional he talks about giving God our fears and temptations. So I will let him take it from here.

And don’t let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the evil one. Matthew 6:13 (NLT)

Let me ask you to think about these questions –

• In what area of your life do you need more self-control?

• What is your greatest fear?   The fear of failure?  The fear of bad health?  The fear of a divorce?  The fear of rejection?  The fear of the future?  

 Jesus says these things are the things you ought to be talking to him about. He wants you to talk to him about the areas where you're most tempted. He wants you to talk to him about the things you most fear.

The Bible says Jesus came to earth; He walked around for 33 years; and He experienced every temptation known to man, the same ones we experience.  It is not a sin to be tempted; the sin is when we give in to temptation. The Bible says Jesus experienced the greatest temptations ever; yet, He didn't give in.

And that means when you pray -- "Jesus, I'm struggling in this area.  I'm just not making it here.  I keep stumbling.  I keep failing” -- Jesus understands because he’s been there. He knows what it's like.


The Bible says we can have “confidence, then, and approach God's throne, where there is grace. There we will receive mercy and find grace to help us just when we need it.” (Hebrews 4:16, TEV)

Well I have been able to find His mercy and grace and I pray that you do too!! I am still taking everything to God and making sure His blessings and His blood has covered me in each situation! I hope you can find and understand that this is what we need to do to grow in an awesome relationship with Our Savior Jesus Christ! God Bless!!

The Eternal Love.

The Eternal Love it is!! We need to remember that the Love that we desire, that we yern for, can come from only one place. That place is from the Lord of Lords, the Alpha & the Omega, the Beginning and the End, the Godhead Three, the King of Kings, and most importantly the Daddy of All Daddys!!! We can only get the love we desire by embracing the Word of the Lord and developing a relationship with our Papa! So as you read this Psalm, think of His arms wrapped around us and His loving embrace!! Praise Him daily for this relationship that we can have with Him because of His love and the Love His Son had for us, by taking upon our sins and our iniquities as He was slain upon the Cross!! Thank You Jesus, Thank You Oh God for this Eternal Love!! Amen!

Psalms 118:1-29 (GNB)
(1)  Give thanks to the LORD, because he is good, and his love is eternal.
(2)  Let the people of Israel say, "His love is eternal."
(3)  Let the priests of God say, "His love is eternal."
(4)  Let all who worship him say, "His love is eternal."
(5)  In my distress I called to the LORD; he answered me and set me free.
(6)  The LORD is with me, I will not be afraid; what can anyone do to me?
(7)  It is the LORD who helps me, and I will see my enemies defeated.
(8)  It is better to trust in the LORD than to depend on people.
(9)  It is better to trust in the LORD than to depend on human leaders.
(10)  Many enemies were around me; but I destroyed them by the power of the LORD!
(11)  They were around me on every side; but I destroyed them by the power of the LORD!
(12)  They swarmed around me like bees, but they burned out as quickly as a brush fire; by the power of the LORD I destroyed them.
(13)  I was fiercely attacked and was being defeated, but the LORD helped me.
(14)  The LORD makes me powerful and strong; he has saved me.
(15)  Listen to the glad shouts of victory in the tents of God's people: "The LORD's mighty power has done it!
(16)  His power has brought us victory--- his mighty power in battle!"
(17)  I will not die; instead, I will live and proclaim what the LORD has done.
(18)  He has punished me severely, but he has not let me die.
(19)  Open to me the gates of the Temple; I will go in and give thanks to the LORD!
(20)  This is the gate of the LORD; only the righteous can come in.
(21)  I praise you, LORD, because you heard me, because you have given me victory.
(22)  The stone which the builders rejected as worthless turned out to be the most important of all.
(23)  This was done by the LORD; what a wonderful sight it is!
(24)  This is the day that the LORD has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it!
(25)  Save us, LORD, save us! Give us success, O LORD!
(26)  May God bless the one who comes in the name of the LORD! From the Temple of the LORD we bless you.
(27)  The LORD is God; he has been good to us. With branches in your hands, start the festival and march around the altar.
(28)  You are my God, and I give you thanks; I will proclaim your greatness.
(29)  Give thanks to the LORD, because he is good, and his love is eternal.

Let's Please the World in a Godly Way.

We as believers need to spread the Good word. In fact we are commanded to by Our Lord and Savior, Jesus, to do the works that He has and even greater works. So what are we waiting for? We need to go out of our box, the four walls of the church and take that Good word that we have faith in and spread it to the those who are being held captive by the darkness and by the wrath of the unrighteous ruler. So take the below scriptures and believe in them and have faith that Our Lord is with you always, no matter what!! Amen!

Romans 15:1-21 (GNB)
(1)  We who are strong in the faith ought to help the weak to carry their burdens. We should not please ourselves.
(2)  Instead, we should all please other believers for their own good, in order to build them up in the faith.
(3)  For Christ did not please himself. Instead, as the scripture says, "The insults which are hurled at you have fallen on me."
(4)  Everything written in the Scriptures was written to teach us, in order that we might have hope through the patience and encouragement which the Scriptures give us.
(5)  And may God, the source of patience and encouragement, enable you to have the same point of view among yourselves by following the example of Christ Jesus,
(6)  so that all of you together may praise with one voice the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(7)  Accept one another, then, for the glory of God, as Christ has accepted you.
(8)  For I tell you that Christ's life of service was on behalf of the Jews, to show that God is faithful, to make his promises to their ancestors come true,
(9)  and to enable even the Gentiles to praise God for his mercy. As the scripture says, "And so I will praise you among the Gentiles; I will sing praises to you."
(10)  Again it says, "Rejoice, Gentiles, with God's people!"
(11)  And again, "Praise the Lord, all Gentiles; praise him, all peoples!"
(12)  And again, Isaiah says, "A descendant of Jesse will appear; he will come to rule the Gentiles, and they will put their hope in him."
(13)  May God, the source of hope, fill you with all joy and peace by means of your faith in him, so that your hope will continue to grow by the power of the Holy Spirit.
(14)  My friends: I myself feel sure that you are full of goodness, that you have all knowledge, and that you are able to teach one another.
(15)  But in this letter I have been quite bold about certain subjects of which I have reminded you. I have been bold because of the privilege God has given me
(16)  of being a servant of Christ Jesus to work for the Gentiles. I serve like a priest in preaching the Good News from God, in order that the Gentiles may be an offering acceptable to God, dedicated to him by the Holy Spirit.
(17)  In union with Christ Jesus, then, I can be proud of my service for God.
(18)  I will be bold and speak only about what Christ has done through me to lead the Gentiles to obey God. He has done this by means of words and deeds,
(19)  by the power of miracles and wonders, and by the power of the Spirit of God. And so, in traveling all the way from Jerusalem to Illyricum, I have proclaimed fully the Good News about Christ.
(20)  My ambition has always been to proclaim the Good News in places where Christ has not been heard of, so as not to build on a foundation laid by someone else.
(21)  As the scripture says, "Those who were not told about him will see, and those who have not heard will understand."

Plant the seed.

So we should plant the seed that God has blessed us with. We as Christians have been given an opportunity to have a huge ministry for our Lord! How, your a not preacher or a minister, you say. Easy, as you go out in your daily endeavors, take the seed God has planted in you, and plant it every where you go! All you have to do is act as God wants you to. As people who see you day in and day out at work, the stores, the park, etc. you can be planting a seed in them by just being a good example of Christ. Show love, mercy, and joy. Let those blessings that God has given unto you be used to spread the gift of knowledge to everlasting life. Let the people see through you the eyes of Christ and the relationship that you have with him. By doing this you have started to sow that seed into their hearts and have showed them what they are longing for, a relationship that they need!! Thank You Lord God for these wonderful and awesome blessings and gifts you have blessed us with, and bless us more to be able to use them! Amen!!

2 Corinthians 9:5-15 (GNB)
(5)  So I thought it was necessary to urge these believers to go to you ahead of me and get ready in advance the gift you promised to make. Then it will be ready when I arrive, and it will show that you give because you want to, not because you have to.
(6)  Remember that the person who plants few seeds will have a small crop; the one who plants many seeds will have a large crop.
(7)  You should each give, then, as you have decided, not with regret or out of a sense of duty; for God loves the one who gives gladly.
(8)  And God is able to give you more than you need, so that you will always have all you need for yourselves and more than enough for every good cause.
(9)  As the scripture says, "He gives generously to the needy; his kindness lasts forever."
(10)  And God, who supplies seed for the sower and bread to eat, will also supply you with all the seed you need and will make it grow and produce a rich harvest from your generosity.
(11)  He will always make you rich enough to be generous at all times, so that many will thank God for your gifts which they receive from us.
(12)  For this service you perform not only meets the needs of God's people, but also produces an outpouring of gratitude to God.
(13)  And because of the proof which this service of yours brings, many will give glory to God for your loyalty to the gospel of Christ, which you profess, and for your generosity in sharing with them and everyone else.
(14)  And so with deep affection they will pray for you because of the extraordinary grace God has shown you.
(15)  Let us thank God for his priceless gift!

Wow and wow.

I am taking advantage of my devotional again today. I have been extremely busy at work, thus the reasoning for not having much posted lately. So bare with me again please.

I say Wow and wow for the title, because, I am a man who has and would have responded to this differently before I read it. Now I can see that God has an ever forgiving heart and while somethings are not good for our bodies He will take care of us till that conviction of the Spirit to quit things, like smoking, comes upon us and He will always love us without judgment or ridicule!! Thank You Lord for that unending Love and Mercy!! Amen!!

Rylisms (James Ryle)
Holy Smokes!
"Happy is the man that condemneth not himself in that which he alloweth." (Romans 14:22)

There may be a few raised eyebrows among our more impassioned brethren when I tell you that each Wednesday morning, from 8:30 to 10:00am, I gather with a small group of Christian men for hearty Bible study and a fine cigar. We call our group Holy Smokes. I can tell you that over the past couple of years we have witnessed the Lord do many wonderful things in our gatherings.

Now, before one is too quick to pronounce their disapproval, perhaps a fair reading of G. K. Chesterson's thoughts would be helpful.

"It is true that tobacco," he writes, "though not an intoxicant, is in some sense a drug: but so is tea. It is true that tobacco, taken out of season and reason, spoils your appetite: but so do sweets. It is true that it is a luxury, a mere keen and passing titillation or pungency: but so are peppers and salt and mustard and a hundred other blameless gifts. It is true that it ends in smoke: but so do all the worldly powers and pleasures. It is true that it falls into ashes: but so do we. There is nothing immoral about smoking a cigar. To regard smoking as immoral shows not merely a lack of clear thinking but a lack of clear standards. Lumping the wrong things together as evils blurs the real lines between right and wrong and leads to chaos. It also leads to legal and practical confusion." (The Power of the Expert, June 22, 1914).

In the fourteenth chapter of Romans, which I encourage you to read for yourself, the apostle Paul presents a compelling case for keeping a clear conscience in matters of faith and conduct; showing how easy it is for us to condemn one another for things which are in fact indifferent — things like eating meat, or not; drinking wine, or not; worshiping on one day, rather than another, and so on.

Paul concludes with this wise and liberating counsel, "If your conscience is clear in the matters of choice that you decide, then be at peace as you do what you have decided to do; but don't impose your opinions upon others. And always act in love toward another, especially if they are of a different mind about these things."
While there are certainly clear guidelines in Scripture about some things — such as adultery, stealing, lying, killing; to name but a few — there yet are many things left in somewhat of a gray zone. It is a matter of personal conscience acting with faith toward God, and love toward others, that we are to make our choices regarding such things.

For this band of brothers, a puff on a fine cigar as we turn the pages of scripture is time well spent. Holy Smokes!

Taken from the Devotional authored by James Ryle, titled Rylisms.

We are all like this.

Below is 1st John, chapter 2. You may wonder how are we all like this? Well in one sense or another we all have looked at something of this world and envied it or longed for. Putting it before our Savior and Christ! I know I have, I also know at times I still do! I covet the opportunity to have a bigger home and a nicer car, or just more money. I sure we all do this, however, all of these things are of this world and as the scripture below states, is not of the Lord and not worthy in His eyes. So let us as Christians, even in this time of need, not covet the things of this world. Yet let's covet together the eternal life we have been promised by the Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. Let His blood wash us of the things we long for from this world and look toward, and walk toward the eternal things of His blessings!! So as you read this scripture weed out the things of this world that you covet and hand them over to God and lean on His promise of eternal and everlasting life!!! Amen!

1 John 2:1-29 (GNB)
(1)  I am writing this to you, my children, so that you will not sin; but if anyone does sin, we have someone who pleads with the Father on our behalf---Jesus Christ, the righteous one.
(2)  And Christ himself is the means by which our sins are forgiven, and not our sins only, but also the sins of everyone.
(3)  If we obey God's commands, then we are sure that we know him.
(4)  If we say that we know him, but do not obey his commands, we are liars and there is no truth in us.
(5)  But if we obey his word, we are the ones whose love for God has really been made perfect. This is how we can be sure that we are in union with God:
(6)  if we say that we remain in union with God, we should live just as Jesus Christ did.
(7)  My dear friends, this command I am writing you is not new; it is the old command, the one you have had from the very beginning. The old command is the message you have already heard.
(8)  However, the command I now write you is new, because its truth is seen in Christ and also in you. For the darkness is passing away, and the real light is already shining.
(9)  If we say that we are in the light, yet hate others, we are in the darkness to this very hour.
(10)  If we love others, we live in the light, and so there is nothing in us that will cause someone else to sin.
(11)  But if we hate others, we are in the darkness; we walk in it and do not know where we are going, because the darkness has made us blind.
(12)  I write to you, my children, because your sins are forgiven for the sake of Christ.
(13)  I write to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you have defeated the Evil One.
(14)  I write to you, my children, because you know the Father. I write to you, fathers, because you know him who has existed from the beginning. I write to you, young people, because you are strong; the word of God lives in you, and you have defeated the Evil One.
(15)  Do not love the world or anything that belongs to the world. If you love the world, you do not love the Father.
(16)  Everything that belongs to the world---what the sinful self desires, what people see and want, and everything in this world that people are so proud of---none of this comes from the Father; it all comes from the world.
(17)  The world and everything in it that people desire is passing away; but those who do the will of God live forever.
(18)  My children, the end is near! You were told that the Enemy of Christ would come; and now many enemies of Christ have already appeared, and so we know that the end is near.
(19)  These people really did not belong to our fellowship, and that is why they left us; if they had belonged to our fellowship, they would have stayed with us. But they left so that it might be clear that none of them really belonged to us.
(20)  But you have had the Holy Spirit poured out on you by Christ, and so all of you know the truth.
(21)  I write you, then, not because you do not know the truth; instead, it is because you do know it, and you also know that no lie ever comes from the truth.
(22)  Who, then, is the liar? It is those who say that Jesus is not the Messiah. Such people are the Enemy of Christ---they reject both the Father and the Son.
(23)  For those who reject the Son reject also the Father; those who accept the Son have the Father also.
(24)  Be sure, then, to keep in your hearts the message you heard from the beginning. If you keep that message, then you will always live in union with the Son and the Father.
(25)  And this is what Christ himself promised to give us---eternal life.
(26)  I am writing this to you about those who are trying to deceive you.
(27)  But as for you, Christ has poured out his Spirit on you. As long as his Spirit remains in you, you do not need anyone to teach you. For his Spirit teaches you about everything, and what he teaches is true, not false. Obey the Spirit's teaching, then, and remain in union with Christ.
(28)  Yes, my children, remain in union with him, so that when he appears we may be full of courage and need not hide in shame from him on the Day he comes.
(29)  You know that Christ is righteous; you should know, then, that everyone who does what is right is God's child.

We brought nothing, we'll take nothing.

You may be asking yourselves what this means. It means simply this, "What did we bring into this world? Nothing! What will we take out of this world? Nothing! This is the 7 verse from 1 Timothy, Chapter 6. Below is part of this chapter and it talks about wealth. We always think that the wealthy must have it nice. Did you ever think that the wealthy might think that the poor have it nice? I know how it is to be in hard times with little money, however I know that my wealth doesn't come from the money of this world. It comes from the relationship that I have with our Lord! So as you read these scriptures ask yourself, am I grateful for the wealth that I have in the Lord, or do I dwell on not having the wealth of this world? I hope and pray we can say the first, but I know that I have thought both myself. I just need to remember these scriptures and say to myself, if I was wealthy from this world would I be a lost sheep and destined for darkness? Thankfully not all wealthy are like this and spread their monetary wealth to those in need, we need to be like this and spread our Godly wealth to those in desperate need of such wealth!! Thank you God and Jesus for the wealth that I have in you!! Amen!

1 Timothy 6:6-19 (GNB)
(6)  Well, religion does make us very rich, if we are satisfied with what we have.
(7)  What did we bring into the world? Nothing! What can we take out of the world? Nothing!
(8)  So then, if we have food and clothes, that should be enough for us.
(9)  But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and are caught in the trap of many foolish and harmful desires, which pull them down to ruin and destruction.
(10)  For the love of money is a source of all kinds of evil. Some have been so eager to have it that they have wandered away from the faith and have broken their hearts with many sorrows.
(11)  But you, man of God, avoid all these things. Strive for righteousness, godliness, faith, love, endurance, and gentleness.
(12)  Run your best in the race of faith, and win eternal life for yourself; for it was to this life that God called you when you firmly professed your faith before many witnesses.
(13)  Before God, who gives life to all things, and before Christ Jesus, who firmly professed his faith before Pontius Pilate, I command you
(14)  to obey your orders and keep them faithfully until the Day when our Lord Jesus Christ will appear.
(15)  His appearing will be brought about at the right time by God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and the Lord of lords.
(16)  He alone is immortal; he lives in the light that no one can approach. No one has ever seen him; no one can ever see him. To him be honor and eternal power! Amen.
(17)  Command those who are rich in the things of this life not to be proud, but to place their hope, not in such an uncertain thing as riches, but in God, who generously gives us everything for our enjoyment.
(18)  Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share with others.
(19)  In this way they will store up for themselves a treasure which will be a solid foundation for the future. And then they will be able to win the life which is true life.

Married or unmarried, woman or man, this should always apply!

So married or unmarried, we all should treat others in the manners expressed in this scripture. Peter, here, is talking to the wife and the husband, however if you apply this to your life and treat all in these same ways how much better society would be. Just think if those who have harmed others in any way were treated with the love and respect that we should show our spouses, according to our Lord, how many lives would have been saved or people who wouldn't have been injured or harmed!! God wants us to treat others to show His love for the world! If we love like He loves, then we could have Heaven on Earth. Just imagine the great things we would see if we could all treat each other in these manners! I will strive not only to love and cherish my wife in these ways but also any, who is a part of my life, no matter what. I pray that we all can! So as you read this think about applying it to your everyday life!

1 Peter 3:1-22 (GNB)
(1)  In the same way you wives must submit yourselves to your husbands, so that if any of them do not believe God's word, your conduct will win them over to believe. It will not be necessary for you to say a word,
(2)  because they will see how pure and reverent your conduct is.
(3)  You should not use outward aids to make yourselves beautiful, such as the way you fix your hair, or the jewelry you put on, or the dresses you wear.
(4)  Instead, your beauty should consist of your true inner self, the ageless beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit, which is of the greatest value in God's sight.
(5)  For the devout women of the past who placed their hope in God used to make themselves beautiful by submitting themselves to their husbands.
(6)  Sarah was like that; she obeyed Abraham and called him her master. You are now her daughters if you do good and are not afraid of anything.
(7)  In the same way you husbands must live with your wives with the proper understanding that they are more delicate than you. Treat them with respect, because they also will receive, together with you, God's gift of life. Do this so that nothing will interfere with your prayers.
(8)  To conclude: you must all have the same attitude and the same feelings; love one another, and be kind and humble with one another.
(9)  Do not pay back evil with evil or cursing with cursing; instead, pay back with a blessing, because a blessing is what God promised to give you when he called you.
(10)  As the scripture says, "If you want to enjoy life and wish to see good times, you must keep from speaking evil and stop telling lies.
(11)  You must turn away from evil and do good; you must strive for peace with all your heart.
(12)  For the Lord watches over the righteous and listens to their prayers; but he opposes those who do evil."
(13)  Who will harm you if you are eager to do what is good?
(14)  But even if you should suffer for doing what is right, how happy you are! Do not be afraid of anyone, and do not worry.
(15)  But have reverence for Christ in your hearts, and honor him as Lord. Be ready at all times to answer anyone who asks you to explain the hope you have in you,
(16)  but do it with gentleness and respect. Keep your conscience clear, so that when you are insulted, those who speak evil of your good conduct as followers of Christ will become ashamed of what they say.
(17)  For it is better to suffer for doing good, if this should be God's will, than for doing evil.
(18)  For Christ died for sins once and for all, a good man on behalf of sinners, in order to lead you to God. He was put to death physically, but made alive spiritually,
(19)  and in his spiritual existence he went and preached to the imprisoned spirits.
(20)  These were the spirits of those who had not obeyed God when he waited patiently during the days that Noah was building his boat. The few people in the boat---eight in all---were saved by the water,
(21)  which was a symbol pointing to baptism, which now saves you. It is not the washing off of bodily dirt, but the promise made to God from a good conscience. It saves you through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,
(22)  who has gone to heaven and is at the right side of God, ruling over all angels and heavenly authorities and powers.

Be awake, be the Light of God.

We need to be awake to the word of the Lord and take in what it has for us every day. Then as we gain the wisdom God provides for us, then we have to be the Light of God and help to set the captives free! We know of that Day that the Lord will come, but there are others in darkness that need someone with the hope of Light to lead them to the Light! Let us take up the hands of the lost and lead them to the foot of the Cross were the all forgiving blood of the Lamb was spilt. So as you read this scripture keep in mind what we have to look forward to because of our salvation and pray that peace upon those who are stuck or held by the chains of bondage from this world! Keep them in your Light and show them to It!! Amen!

1 Thessalonians 5:1-28 (GNB)
(1)  There is no need to write you, friends, about the times and occasions when these things will happen.
(2)  For you yourselves know very well that the Day of the Lord will come as a thief comes at night.
(3)  When people say, "Everything is quiet and safe," then suddenly destruction will hit them! It will come as suddenly as the pains that come upon a woman in labor, and people will not escape.
(4)  But you, friends, are not in the darkness, and the Day should not take you by surprise like a thief.
(5)  All of you are people who belong to the light, who belong to the day. We do not belong to the night or to the darkness.
(6)  So then, we should not be sleeping like the others; we should be awake and sober.
(7)  It is at night when people sleep; it is at night when they get drunk.
(8)  But we belong to the day, and we should be sober. We must wear faith and love as a breastplate, and our hope of salvation as a helmet.
(9)  God did not choose us to suffer his anger, but to possess salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
(10)  who died for us in order that we might live together with him, whether we are alive or dead when he comes.
(11)  And so encourage one another and help one another, just as you are now doing.
(12)  We beg you, our friends, to pay proper respect to those who work among you, who guide and instruct you in the Christian life.
(13)  Treat them with the greatest respect and love because of the work they do. Be at peace among yourselves.
(14)  We urge you, our friends, to warn the idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone.
(15)  See that no one pays back wrong for wrong, but at all times make it your aim to do good to one another and to all people.
(16)  Be joyful always,
(17)  pray at all times,
(18)  be thankful in all circumstances. This is what God wants from you in your life in union with Christ Jesus.
(19)  Do not restrain the Holy Spirit;
(20)  do not despise inspired messages.
(21)  Put all things to the test: keep what is good
(22)  and avoid every kind of evil.
(23)  May the God who gives us peace make you holy in every way and keep your whole being---spirit, soul, and body---free from every fault at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.
(24)  He who calls you will do it, because he is faithful.
(25)  Pray also for us, friends.
(26)  Greet all the believers with the kiss of peace.
(27)  I urge you by the authority of the Lord to read this letter to all the believers.
(28)  The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you.