....A man after my heart....

I was reading this morning and again came across another treasure from God's precious word. It is found in the midst of the Apostle Paul's teaching while he and Barnabas were in Antioch in Pisidia which is found in modern Turkey today. They made their way into the Synagogue on the Sabbath and sat down to hear the reading of the Law and Prophets (Old Testament). When the leaders heard that they were in the congregation they asked did they have a word of encouragement for the people. Little did the leaders know how much of a word of encouragement they had when they asked. Paul stands and begins to proclaim the unsearchable riches of Christ....from the Law and the Prophets! It is during this public preaching that God speaks so powerfully...and the following is one of those treasures....read on!!!

.....he raised up David to be their king, of whom he testified and said, "I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after my heart, who will do all my will." Acts 13:22

While preaching through the Jewish scriptures, Paul is recalling the history of Israel and how God has worked through various men to reveal His loving mercy to them. When he gets to David he gives a glowing testimony of David, a testimony any of us would love to have said about us. In fact what he says is actually from the book of 1 Samuel. Read it with me...

....the LORD has sought out a man after his own heart, and the LORD has commanded him to be prince over his people....1 Samuel 13:14

Now, what does your mind do when you read such a passage and know the testimony of David. While many things enter my mind.....David, a fearless young man... remember his first encounter with the Philistines and his notable defeat of the great, massive Philistine giant Goliath......David, a mighty warrior for Israel...remember the comments from the people regarding his exploits in battle....Saul has slain his thousands but David his ten thousands! David, a man of faith... Remember his words to the Philistine Giant...Who are you to defy the army of the living God!...

While many notable things come to mind, many of which were match the testimony of 1 Samuel and Acts regarding him. However, there are many other things that also come to mind to cause me to question the assessment given in those passages. David, a lustful mind and heart... Let me say this, in his sin with Bathsheba, we must acknowledge that he lost another battle before he actually sinned WITH Bathsheba...the battle in his mind/heart....You see, no battle is lost only physically, it is first lost mentally. David had a lustful mind and heart and that is why he was on the rooftop that fateful evening.....David, an adulterer...One thing is that David is often remembered for is his sin with Bathsheba..... when he should have been out with his soldiers, he was at home and ultimately found his way to a roof top first to look in lust, then to "send" for his prize to fulfill his own desires.....hardly a man after God's own heart.....David, a deceiver...now to make matters worse, once he finds out she is pregnant with his child, he seeks to cover his sin by sending for her husband hoping that indirectly this man will help David in his coverup...but thankfully God's providence prevails....Uriah shows the greater character here...David, a murderer....Now to make matters even worse he now conceives a plot on how to "eliminate" the secondary problem, kill Uriah. Once his mission is accomplished, he then takes Bathsheba into his "harem" to help somehow soothe his conscience.

Now, hardly any of us would be able to say, he is a man after God's own heart, now would we. In fact, this dear King of Israel would not even be considered for any position with in the local church. But how and why would God say such a thing regarding David? Did HE (God) not know what horrible sins David would commit in the future? Of course HE did! Then how could God call him (David) a man after His own heart....well now, here is where the treasure is....let's look first at the surrounding verses...Read 1 Samuel 13....here we begin to see the bigger picture...

Saul had been Israel's king, in fact the king they desired so much. Big, strong, powerful, but one thing we see about Saul, he was NOT a man of faith. He far too many times relied only only his wisdom, strength and resources. Here again he had violated the clear teachings of God because HE SAW instead of HE BELIEVED....

So God sought out a man, not a perfect man, not a man that would be without sin, but a man who would believe, who would trust, who would confess sin and who would repent of sin. David was that man. His life was dotted with both seasons of extreme faith and extreme failure. Powerful demonstrations and political downfalls. But one thing is constant, when David sinned, which he did many times, he acknowledged and confessed his sin before God. Here are some quotes from this sinners pen memorialized in God's word....Psalm 51

"Have mercy on me, O God"..... "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin"... "my sin is ever before me"... Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight"... "Create in me a clean heart, O God"...."and renew a right spirit within me"

 The beauty of this passage is that God was not looking for a perfect man or heart, just one that was willing to acknowledge truth. We are sinners. We cannot have a relationship with God with active sin in our lives. God see's those who so desire a relationship with HIM, that they will DEAL with their personal sin issues by acknowledging, confessing and forsaking them, as men and women after God's own heart. We so want HIM, His plans, purposes, to be fulfilled in us that we are willing to die to our own selves, our own lustful desires, our sin.

Is that true of you my precious brother or sister? Do you quickly acknowledge your sin? Confess it and forsake it for HIS glory? Are you willing to die to your selfish desires just because you love HIM more.  He is not looking for perfection, just devotion. Children that lovingly follow His truths, principles and commands not out of duty but more out of love and devotion. Calvary has that kind of effect now doesn't it!!!

So, are you a man after God's heart? A woman after His heart? Get real, be honest, deal with those sin issues that so easily hold you back.....
You'll be glad you did....
Blessings
Bruce

...they had been with Jesus

Have you ever seen the power of God transform a life? Now I am not speaking of His miraculous power healing a sickness, (though I do believe He still heals today!). But I am speaking of seeing Him transform someone from a meek, mild individual to a bold and effective witness for His glory. It does happen and it still excites and blesses those who know and love HIM and confounds those who don't.

Our treasure today is found in Acts (big surprise there) where Peter and John have just recently come from the upper room and their new found power is pulsating through their veins. They are experiencing and enjoying this wondrous boldness that the Spirit has brought them. In fact, this boldness and power had gotten them in trouble with the religious crowd. They were headed into the temple for prayer and encountered a crippled man about 40 years of age. He usually spent his time near the gate where worshippers came through heading to and from the temple as that is where he found a productive place to beg, receive funds and help because of his situation.

One fateful day, Peter and John passed by and he saw them and called out to them. Now, normally if he could get someone to stop and notice him, listen to him and hopefully talk with him, he might receive a little cash to help him along the way. But this day was going to be different. Today, he was going to get far more than he could ever imagine. When he called out, he could not fathom how these two rather normal looking worshippers would be used to change his life forever. I will give you Peter's response....

And Peter directed his gaze at him, as did John, and said, "Look at us." And he fixed his attention on them, expecting to receive something from them. But Peter said, "I have no silver and gold, but what I do have I give to you. In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth, rise up and walk!" And he took him by the right hand and raised him up, and immediately his feet and ankles were made strong. And leaping up he stood and began to walk and entered the temple with them, walking and leaping and praising God.
Acts 3:4-8

Wouldn't you like to have been there? To have seen this incredible miracle take place? Watch the cripple rise up, walk and go leaping and shouting into the temple praises to our God??? Man, what a sight that must have been. Now there have been a few times where I myself have felt this way as well. Just overwhelmed by His incredible grace, it does make us want to jump and praise HIM....now doesn't it?

While this is a rather notable miracle, I challenge you to look a little deeper into this whole passage and series of events it triggered. I believe there is an even greater miracle that has taken place. One that is still taking place today.... can you see it???? We have to go a little further into the text to see it but here we go....

IN Acts 4:13-14.... Now when they saw the boldness of Peter and John, and perceived that they were uneducated, common men, they were astonished. And they recognized that they had been with Jesus. But seeing the man who was healed standing beside them, they had nothing to say in opposition. 

As a result of the miracle the religious "authorities" and I use that term loosely....came to them to confront them regarding their teaching the people....What right did they have to teach the people, to cause such a stir in the temple complex? Just who did these "nobodies" think they were. Well, Peter and John, both now filled with the promised Spirit (John 14, Acts 1) spoke rather boldly and powerfully the words of the living God. So much so that the response of these leaders is astonishment.

Now remember Peters former testimony.....denial and sleeking away into the darkness.....John, what little we read of him is him just living in obscurity after the death and burial of his Lord....BUT NOW....since the coming of the Holy Spirit.....Acts 4 says their testimony was one of boldness....This created quite a stir in the minds and hearts of the religious crowd. There was no "human" explanation for their boldness. Look at the passage above...."they perceived that they were uneducated, common men....." Education can give you courage or boldness, but they were NOT educated men. Your position or prominence can give you courage......but here again they were just "NORMAL."

The religious leaders were astonished at this disparity. There was no real justifiable, human reason for their boldness and shall we say power that had been and was being demonstrated. A truly notable miracle had taken place. The weak, fearful, uncertain, confused, struggling disciples had been transformed. Bold and powerful was now their testimony. How could this be? What is their secret?

It too is hidden in plain sight for all of us to see and consider..... "And they recognized that they had been with Jesus." WOW, there it is, the secret of their boldness and power. The secret of their miraculous power. They had simply, been with Jesus!

Yes, my beloved, that is the secret, hidden in plain sight. Spending time with Jesus is our source of hope, strength and courage. He takes the weak, fearful, struggling and confused and infuses them with HIMSELF to make life transforming instruments of HIS power. John 15 clarifies this by saying HE is the vine and we are the branches, without Him we can do nothing! SO TRUE... 1 Cor. 1 teaches that HE chooses the weak to shame the strong. GOD uses us in all our weakness to accomplish HIS wonderful purposes. HE is our source of strength & wisdom. All we need to do....is spend time with Jesus. Time in prayer, time in His word, time in HIS work, time in HIS worship.....spend time, lots of time with HIM...

So now here is the million dollar question, can the lost around you tell that you have been with Jesus? Is there evidence of His presence filling your life as it was Peter and John? Whatever is hindering good, quality time with Him, remove it, change it, quit it, do what ever it necessary to prioritize HIM! May the world around us be able to tell.......we have been with Jesus!

You'll be glad you did!
Blessings
Bruce

HEARTLESS....

Have you ever heard the term that someone is heartless? Perhaps you've heard someone say it this way.... "man that was heartless" or some other similar usage. What they are saying is that whatever action prompted the statement was one that was so bad it was as if that individual had no heart. This simply meant that the action was one that demonstrated a serious lack of caring, or insensitivity toward another.

Now, in reality, heartless..... could that ever be true? Of course not. Physically, we could not function without our fist sized God given muscle pumping in each of us. Heart issues are really very serious issues. Heart disease is a major killer in our world today. Many die premature deaths because they do not deal with their own personal hearts. All because they do not make sure their own hearts are in "good" working order and take care to make sure they do all humanly possible to care for their own heart.

Now what is true for us physically is also true for us spiritually as well. Listen to what God's word has to say to us....

Proverbs 4:23.... Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Now from this simple little gift from Proverbs we learn some powerful life principles. First God gives us what we SHOULD be careful to do......Keep your heart......In some versions this says GUARD your heart. Both are accurate and give us a good understanding of what HE meant. When we read KEEP we think of tending, cultivating, protecting, etc....and when we think of GUARD we think of protecting, sheltering, covering and the like. Both help us to get the fulness of the passage. We should be careful with our hearts. Careful to tend it, cultivate around it, protect it, shelter it and cover it. Just as we should care for our physical hearts we should also care for our spiritual hearts as well.

In fact, scripture says to keep our hearts with all vigilance. This gives us the intensity level that we should apply to keeping and guarding our hearts. Intensely, vigilantly, diligently are words that describe  the priority and effort we should put towards this. God is saying to us that this should be a PRIORITY to all of us! Guarding our hearts vigilantly should be the norm rather than the exception.

Why is this soooo important? Because of the rest of the verse..... for out of it springs/flow the issues of life. Our heart affects every area of our life. Not just physically, but even more importantly, spiritually. The heart in God's word often refers to the mind as the center of thinking and reasoning, but also includes our emotions and our will. It represents our whole inner being. From the human heart (scripturally) everything of life flows!!!

Do you remember Matthew 15? Verse 18-20a... But what comes out of the mouth proceeds from the heart, and this defiles a person. For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false witness, slander. These are what defile a person......

What we do, say and the attitudes we reveal actually are reflections of our true hearts. In fact I have often said anyone can look like a believer when things are going well. But let things go wrong, or badly and our true hearts or self will be revealed. Sadly, far too many times what I see of myself reveals a heart problem. How about you? Now be honest! What do we do when we see a problem with our heart? Well, if it is a physical problem we would go to the Doctor and do as he says. But spiritually, we must go to the Master.

Heart issues are sin issues now aren't they? The heart doctor of the human soul teaches us to deal with our sin, quickly and honestly. So what do you actions reveal about your heart? Heartless, not at all. In reality, our hearts are far more involved than we can even realize. God's word is clear.....our hearts are critical in life.

Sin in our heart is revealed by actions that are not in line with God's word. The ONLY remedy to our heart issues is for us to acknowledge our sin, and then confess our sin to ourselves and to God as well. First to ourselves as we must be honest regarding our own actions/words and what they reveal. Secondly to God as only HE can cleanse us and set us free from our sin. This is the only way for us to be free from a HEART ISSUE!

My brother or sister, let our Lord search your heart. Let Him cleanse your heart. And then Guard your heart! With all your energy, search each and every area of your life and make sure you are sensitive to your heart. As you do and God corrects the areas that are not pleasing to Him, you will see the glory of God revealed through you......

And shall I say, You'll be glad you did....
Blessings
Pastor B

There is something about that name!

I just love this "new" generation and all their new names for everything. Here are just a few that have come to mind....... Relevant, Innovative, Revolutionary, Community, Connection, Intentional and the list could go on and on.... They get so "into" their new words. Like a newborn who has just discovered their hand or their foot they are so intrigued by their discovery. Now do not get me wrong, I am not against "new" names but what I am concerned about is that we can actually begin to believe that those names are the reason or source of what God chooses to do....

One of those names is Missional. It's like we have just discovered this phrase and now it must have some sort of power that is unleashed when we use it or title something with it. Well, as I always like to do, lets look at the Scriptures and let them direct us in our thinking. Today's study will be thinking through this word MISSIONAL and one particular verse I was reading in Acts.....

Acts 1:8.... "But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth."


What is so exciting here is that we actually see here the real source of becoming MISSIONAL, both personally and corporately as a church. Missional is not something derived by a new name but it is that which is a product of GOD Himself.

FIRST, the disciples needed power to do the work of God. They had failed miserably during the crucifixion of Christ and following His death. But once the Holy Spirit filled their hearts and minds, they burst out into Jerusalem with Heavens power. The change was more than dramatic it was SUPERNATURAL.... Now may I say, we too need HIS power to do HIS work. No name, title, methodology,  phase or fad can produce the genuine work of God. We, the christian, we the church need HIS POWER. We need HIS SPIRIT empowering us for HIS work. Far too much today is being done in the energy of man's flesh. So, let me remind you that you receive the Holy Spirit the moment you believe. It is not a secondary work of God in our lives. When you believe, you receive.....


Ephesians 1:13.... "in him, you also, when you heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation, and believed in him, were sealed with the promised Holy Spirit." 


But we must realize that even after receiving the power from God we can hinder HIS working in and through us..... Two passages reveal this .....


Ephesians 4:30... "And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption."


1 Thessalonians 5:19.. "And do not quench the Holy Spirit." 


Both of these we are capable of causing in out lives. Grieving would be as a result of sin in our lives that we are continually allowing and not confessing. Quenching would be to limit HIM by our sin or selfishness as we live our lives. Our goal and concern should be that we learn to co-operate with the Holy Spirit as HE works in us and through us. Be sensitive to Obey the word of God and obedient to HIS promptings as we live life!!!


SECONDLY, in our passage, we see that the FRUIT of the HOLY SPIRIT'S power is that the disciples were made HIS witnesses. This was not the fruit of some program, plan of man or methodology but was the SUPERNATURAL result of HIS presence and power at work in each of HIS disciples. They became witnesses because of HIS POWER at work in and through them. Those who were once intimidated, fearful and meek became bold, powerful and forceful. They exploded out into their community and 1,000's came to Christ. The life changing power of God had been unleashed. Today more than ever we need this kind of power working among us. Heaven's power, Holy Spirit power, HIS power......working in us and through us......


So, let's wrap this up....MISSIONAL while it may be a new word for our culture, it has always been in God's vocab. It cannot be mandated, measured or meted out by the work of man's flesh. It is the result of Holy Spirit controlled believers, in fellowship with God, going out into their world and sharing what God has done. So I agree, let's be missional. Let's join with God in HIS great work. It is not a new work, in fact its been going on for centuries even millenniums, but He is still at work.....and HE wants to work through us, His church. There is something about that name.... Let's Join God in His work.....


You'll be glad you did...


Pastor Bruce

Never Give Up part 4

Today is the final "chapter" in our study of Psalm 126. We have walked with the Israelites on their journey from Babylon back to Jerusalem. This "miracle" to them was nothing more than fulfillment of HIS word and an answer to their prayers.

Our treasure follows the line that even after we see God work powerfully He may still have some things to teach us, read on.....

"Those who plant in tears will harvest with shouts of joy. They weep as they go to plant their seed but they sing as they return with the harvest."

I can only imagine the Israelite who returned to his city. Seeing all the destruction, desolation and decay of 70 years must have been a horrible sight. Now, after a few days as reality starts to set in, they realize that their is no market, no farms, no fields or vineyards to supply for each family who had returned. It was on them to do the work and prepare for their future or the consequences would be life threatening.

Each family no doubt had brought some food, grains with them on their journey. Of course their purpose was to use the grains to make food to meet today's hunger needs. But then they realized they were in a dilemma. In order for them to plan and prepare for the future they would have to sacrifice their present supply. Interesting! ?

In order for them to survive in the future they would have to sacrifice themselves TODAY! This may help us understand the planting in tears and weeping part a bit. They knew that hungry days may be ahead. Difficult days, trying days not just for them but their families, their children etc. I can see with my minds eye those faithful men as the wept and planted in the same stroke. Step by step they cried, and sowed as they made their way though their fields.

But that is not the end of the story....They also understood the lesson. Planting today would mean survival tomorrow. To only eat today would mean to starve tomorrow. Simply put this was a lesson on FAITH. Those that planted believed that their would be a future harvest and they would one day bring their bounty with them. They planted by faith.

Isn't it exciting to see how God is STILL teaching them. Even after the huge answer to prayer they had already received, they still had lessons to learn and had to depend on Jehovah God to provide for them. But it did cost them. They had to choose to invest in their own future. They would return in the future with shouts of joy and songs of praise when they returned with the harvest.

Our lesson for the day.... 1) We are on a constant journey of faith. Just because HE has done great things in your life does not mean you (or I for the matter) have arrived at spiritual bliss. We still have lessons to learn. He will still take us to places where we have to depend on HIM.

2) Faith that does not sacrifice should not expect anything. What I mean is that it must cost us. We must have to be squeezed in some manner. Financially, materially, emotionally, traditionally and yes, physically to name a few. If we only give where there is no pain (weeping and tears) their is no faith. The Widow who gave her mite, gave all she had. It cost her. The disciples left all to follow Jesus. These fathers sacrificed their daily provision to supply for their future and others. If it cost us nothing then we should anticipate nothing. Without faith it is impossible to please HIM!

3) Our actions prove our position. If we are exercising faith, you can see it by our actions. James says it, show me your faith without your works and I will show you my faith BY MY WORKS!!! When we are depending on HIM, we are depending on HIM. When we are depending on self, we aren't depending on HIM. So what do your actions prove regarding your walk. Is it of faith? Or are you walking in the SAFE zone....

Let me simply say this, when going through troublesome times, pray, pray and pray some more. WHen HE answers, and HE will, give HIM praise. But that is not the end. There are more lessons to learn. More things to grasp of the awesomeness of our God. Faith will be required. Sacrifice is the key to the bigger picture. When we have nothing left to depend on but HIM, HE will make the way. He will provide, He will sustain.

SO my brothers and sisters, sow your seeds. Sow them by faith and in obedience. Sow them liberally and sacrificially and then wait for HIS harvest. It will come. He will show HIMSELF strong!!!! And you will SING, you will be able to celebrate but only as you allow HIM to have HIS way....in you!!!

You'll be glad you did.

Blessings

Bruce

Never Give Up! Part 3

We continue today in our study of Psalm 126. This psalm is such a blessing as we work our way through it and consider all it teaches us regarding prayer, faith provision as well as growing in our faith. Today's treasure is found in the 4th verse...

"Restore our fortunes, LORD, as streams renew the desert." Psalm 126:4

Now if you have a King James, man what a different translation. It says "bring back our captivity, O LORD, as the streams in the South." NKJV

Translators struggle with this as well. When we read the KJV it leads us to believe that the Psalmist says take me back to our captivity. Well, nothing could be farther from the truth. We must simply look a little deeper into the Hebrew word translated "captivity." This word is also translated fortunes, prosperity, resources, and some believe it can refer to the remaining captives. Interesting???

Well when the words give us a bit of a struggle we look deeper into the context. Remember the children of Israel were celebrating their return from Babylon. 70 years of praying and crying out to God has now resulted in HIS fulfilling HIS promise to them. The result was one of phenomenal celebration. But remember, that context as we look at verse 4.

They were headed home. Imagine coming back to your city after 70 years. The battle that destroyed the city had been decades earlier. Nothing but looting and decay had taken place since their departure. Once beautiful buildings, homes, streets, gardens, vineyards, and of course, the Temple, all in complete disarray. Hard to even grasp the magnitude of their first sight of home, Jerusalem.

I believe that verse 4 gives us a look into their heart. Their cry was one of desperation. One of complete and utter despair at what they now knew as home. As they walked once beautiful streets, they walked through a jungle like maze of destruction and desolation. They then remembered that they had seen desolation around them all the time.

It is the desert that resides to their South. They also remembered that yearly their gracious God would provide rain. Not just showers but rain and lots of it. So much so that those regions that often were parched and dry as well as barren would often become streams of running water that would flood into the lowest lying areas. Then a miracle would take place....those desert regions would then turn a beautiful green. Gardens would spring from desolation. Green would carpet their lands but only after those streams flowed from above.

Thus the motive of their prayers. God, the One who just delivered us from our captives, we now beg you to restore, to bring back our former glory. We ask that You restore our prosperity, our resources, just like You restore the desert places.

There are several beautiful principles here....1) Do you have a former glory? What I mean is, was there a time when you were more in love with your Lord? When you served Him more fervently, more sacrificially, more obediently? If so, is this your prayer for yourself? Bring back our fortunes, our blessing, our former glory Lord! It should be. Too many christians today are far too far away from the One who loves them so. Come home dear christian. Ask Him to restore unto you the Joy of your salvation, to bring back the fortunes of His grace.

2) Are you accessing the resources of heaven in your prayer life? Now what I mean by this is what are you asking God to do in your world. Tiny, trivial stuff that in reality you can handle yourself or something so big only He can pull it off. We need more of this kind of praying going on. God restore from Your resources of heaven. Show Yourself strong, move mightily among us Oh Father! This often happens only when we are in places of extreme difficulty.

So if your circumstances have you hopeless, overwhelmed and confused. Good, this is a great time to pray. Call upon the God of heaven. The God of the Universe, the God who loves His children so....Just don't quit! Don't give up. They prayed for 7 decades to see their deliverance and now they know that NOTHING is impossible for their Father!!! Remember, NEVER GIVE UP!!! Pray!

Who knows.....Their may be rain in your forecast for today!

You'll be glad you did!

Blessings

Bruce

Never Give Up! Part 2

When God answers our prayers it is a special time. We often forget that HE has noted in HIS word that we are HIS children and thus heirs of HIS kingdom. His desire is to be to us as a Father is to His children.

It is special to Him because He shows His love, mercy and watch care as He works in our lives. Special to us because the God of our universe cares for us. Nothing is impossible for Him. We just come as little children and allow Him to work in our most difficult circumstances, which of course are not even a remote obstacle to Him. As we saw yesterday, what a powerful event it is when our Father answers. The more difficult the situation, the more powerful the answer.

Let's continue on with Psalm 126:2b-3....

And the other nations said, "What amazing things the LORD has done for them." Yes, the LORD has done amazing things for us! What joy!

Another benefit of answered prayer is that it is a testimony to the unsaved world of His existence, His involvement, His power and His love. Often the unredeemed mock, ignore, laugh and many other signs of rejection and unbelief. In fact they can be quite brutal at times. Sadly, I can remember in my BC days that I too was a part of that type of mocking. Turn in your Bible to Psalm 137:1-3 and you will see a written record of the persecution Israel faced while in Babylon. This will help us understand their laughter, joy and proclamation of God's amazing work for them.

Notice what verse 2 says to us....That when God moves, they (the unsaved) witness His incredible working. They knew the enslavement of Israel but they also saw their deliverance as well. Sometimes answered prayer is a public proclamation of God's existence to the lost.

If they don't see it, then we need to tell it!!! As God works among us we need to be acutely aware that the lost/unbelieving are watching. When HE works, if it is not noticeable to them then we need to share what HE has done. Answered prayer can not only bless us but also point others to our Savior and our God.

I love what verse 3 does. It is a declaration of how significant God's working among us is. Amazing things! They reflected along with the lost only to shout in conclusion HE has done amazing things for us!!!! When we pray, we open the door for God to do AMAZING THINGS. The opposite is also true. When we do not pray, we get exactly what we ask for.....nothing.

Is that true in your world? Is HE working and doing mighty things? Perhaps, It doesn't seem that He is because you are not asking for Him to be involved in your life. Pray my brother and sister. Pray. Spend time with Him in secret. Tell Him your struggles, fears and obstacles. Let him be your burden bearer.

Don't give up after a few days, weeks or even years. Keep on praying, clinging to Him and His promises from His word. When He answers, not only will you be blessed beyond measure but the lost will see the glory of our God. And who knows, it may be just what they need to see, to open the door for you to share the gospel with them.

I love the way that verse 3 finishes....WHAT JOY!!! That is the testimony of God's saints. What Joy! Answered prayer brings God's joy to our hearts! Have you ever been there? I have and it is truly a place filled with laughter and singing! If you are in the valley today, do not despair, just pray, pray without ceasing. When He answers you will be filled with Joy! His joy...and there is nothing like it!

So my friend, never give up! Pray on!

You'll be glad you did!

Blessings'

Bruce

Never Give Up!

Well, here we are back after a long hiatus. No excuses, just far too much going on in my world for the past 3 years or so. But Lord willing, I am back for a season to share the wonderful truths of God's faithful word. May we all be blessed as we study/ponder through them together.

Today's treasure is found in Psalm 126...

"When the LORD brought back his exiles to Jerusalem, it was like a dream! We were filled with laughter, and we sang for joy...vs.1-2a

Now a brief reflection on history as we ponder these truths together. The children of Israel had been under the judgement of their God now for some 70 years. Some 7 decades earlier King Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian army had entered Jerusalem and captured God's people and took them away to Babylon. Daniel records this event in detail from the perspective of a prisoner of war, read it as it will help in understanding much of the journey of the people of Israel.

For decades God's people had cried out in prayer for their God to bring them back to His promised land, their home, Judah and Jerusalem. Now, our passage today records HIS answering their cry.

Have you ever prayed for something for an extended period of time? Now in today's instantaneous society, that would be a few minutes, but no, I am talking about months, years even decades. Some of us have! You know what it is like to pray, pray, pray and pray some more asking God to move, answer and intervene. You know the thoughts, struggles, feelings of helplessness and all the other related struggles of extended prayer. The Israelites had been praying for almost 70 years.....and then it happened......

I can only imagine what it was like, a cry went out through the land, a notice read, a decree made, and God's people were free. Free to return, free to go, free to leave and return to their homeland..... The scripture reads it well...."It was like a dream...." WOW....that is what it is like, a dream come true...

All they had longed for, prayed for had now, finally come to pass. They just could not completely grasp that it had finally happened. But it had....though it was like a dream, too good to come true, it was real and they were the lead players in it!!!

God even records for us what their response was like....."We were filled with laughter and we sang for joy." O Happy Day!!! Laughter and joy filled their hearts, homes and the community of Israelites. Man, give me some of that!!! I want to be where HIS joy has filled the heart! Nothing like it, is there!!!!???? I can imagine they sang, laughed, celebrated all the way back to their land!!!

Now what principles can we take from todays passage....

1) Never Give Up..... No matter what your burden is, never give up praying for our God to move. Now this first assumes that you are praying, if not shame on you! You should be. Quit griping, complaining and get on your knees and meet with HIM and tell all your troubles. (Matt. 11:28-30) Just remember, never give up! I personally know of two different wives who prayed for their lost husbands for over 50 years only to see them saved and serve God. What a privilege to see God work so powerfully in their lives. REMEMBER...NEVER GIVE UP!!!!

2) Ask God for that which only HE can do... So much so that when HE answers it will be like a dream....only when you open you eyes, it is true! This principle challenges me. My prayers are often so trivial by this standard. This is a problem in our christian culture. We have so much, we can "handle" so much that we often do not have many "needs" so we don't ask God for much. We need a crisis or either we need to learn to see through HIS eyes. Then we will be asking and asking big!!! Big, real Big, BIG BIG as Barney says.... SO what does your prayer life reveal about you and your dependence on HIM? Perhaps this is not a problem for you, then keep on asking, keep on believing....

3) Joy is His indicator of HIS working in Lives... mmmmmm, this is another biggie, Joy and Joyfulness is a sign of HIS having worked in a situation. As I reflect on this, my mind goes to the joyfulness of church and churches. Where has all the joy gone in our services? Where are the joyful worshippers and the joyful worship songs? A valid question I think we must ask....Perhaps the joy is not there because we are not asking and thus not depending and thus not experiencing HIS provision, protection and personal involvement in our lives. This may explain some of it.

Do you see Joy, His joy being manifested in your life, family and church? You should. If not, it is time for a check up!!! Perhaps it is because you no longer need HIM and are living in your own strength, thus no joy reveals our Christless lives.....mmmmmm, better think on that one....

As you pray over the needs of your life and family, it will be my prayer that HE will bring us to total dependence on HIM. Then when HE moves in answer we may join the joyful worshipful celebrators as they march triumphantly along singing the songs of victory. I will close with a beautiful song we sing that often lights my fire at CBF...." Come let us sing a song, a song declaring we belong to Jesus, we belong to HIM."

Trust Him, Depend Upon Him, Cry Out to Him, Pray...

NEVER GIVE UP! Victory is coming....

You'll be glad you did!

Blessings

Bruce

Don't Be Late!

Do you know of someone who is notoriously late? I mean they are late for everything. If they were coming to pick up a check from Publishers Clearing House for a cool million dollars they would be 15 minutes late. (that is bad!) In fact some of their family might even say "you're going to be late for your own funeral."

All of us know someone like that. In reality being late is not usually a life or death thing. It is not normally something that we should be proud of but it is not always critical. However there is one area where being late is an issue. Where later is not better than early. We see it nestled in a beautiful Psalm. Psalm 63....Read it with me...

O God, You are my God; Early will I seek You. My soul thirsts for You; My flesh longs for You in a dry and thirsty land where there is no water.

The phrase I want us to focus on today is "Early will I seek You." Now this can be interpreted in many different ways. I want us to reflect on a few of these in our time today.

We should seek God early.....

1) In Life.... Years ago I heard of a statistic that has stuck with me through the years. It gave the age and percentages of who and when people came to faith in Christ. It said that 85% of Christians surveyed had trusted Christ before the age of 18. 14% had trusted in Christ before the age of 65 and 1% had after the age of 65. Can you see that the vast majority had come to Christ at an early age.

Many who did not come to Christ when they were young have told me they wish they had. I remember one dear lady who had been through several marriages who shared with me that she wished she would have known earlier. She even offered to speak to our teens to share what a difference HE would make if they would give their lives to Him. We should seek God EARLY in our lives...

2) In Troubles.... When we are going through difficult times we should seek HIM early. Far too many times we are days into our struggle before think about seeking HIM. Why do we fret and struggle with our problems when we have a friend that sticks closer than a brother? Jesus Himself says this to us....

Come unto ME all who labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest.... Matt. 11:28...

We should seek HIM early when problems arise and troubles catch us by surprise. Turn to HIM first and seek HIS wisdom and graces.....

3) In Decision Making.... How many times we just "make" the decisions of life without even consulting our great God. We wrestle with the what's and the how's of decisions and make them without consulting HIM or HIS word. HE tells us to...

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, lean not unto your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge HIM and HE shall direct your paths..Proverbs 3:5-6

We should seek HIM early in our decision making process and save ourselves a lot of pain and struggle. He longs for us to turn to HIM and seek HIS wisdom. HE will lead us and guide us when we look to HIM for direction!

4) In the Day.... Now this is what I believe is the primary principle I see in this passage. We should come to HIM early in the day. Each day has its own issues, Its own struggles, its own decisions. Seeking HIM early will establish our hearts first thing each day. It will set the course of our day with HIM not only in mind but in the drivers seat. When we start each day with our Lord it is amazing how it fills me with HIS peace. IN fact Matthew 6:33 sets the priority for us...

Seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness.....

5) In Salvation.... You know that there is the awful reality that some will put off the most important relationship decision of their lives until it is too late. They actually are deceived into thinking that they can wait and wait they do..... until it is too late. Salvation is NOT to be delayed.

We must deal with this all important question. What will we do with the claims of Christ on us? What about those scriptures that say "you must be born again" and "there is one mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus?" What will we do with what they communicate? Do not delay. Do not believe you can put it off another day. No man knows the day nor the hour when death will come. Once we close our eyes in death, it is too late. So my friend if you have not received the free gift of eternal life come to Christ today....

So, when it comes to our relationship with our Great God we should plan to NEVER be late. No matter which area, we should NEVER be late. May we seek HIM early, each and every day......

You'll be glad you did!!!!
Blessings
Bruce

Details

Have you ever filled out a check, attached it to your bill and then mailed it in? Of course many of you have! But have you ever received the same check back in the mail after a few days returned to you because you forgot one little detail..... You forgot to sign the check! Well, if you haven't, you've missed one of the egg in the face moments where the evidence is before you....We missed a very important detail.

Did you realize that God is into details? Now I am not talking about signing a little check that in light of eternity, is so insignificant. But I am talking about the details of our lives. Minute' details that we are so often NOT privy to. Today's treasure is found in the book of Deuteronomy, chapter 7...

No, do not be afraid of those nations, for the LORD your God is among you and he is a great and awesome God. The LORD your God will drive those nations out ahead of you little by little. You will not clear them away all at once, otherwise the wild animals would multiply too quickly for you...7:21-22

The children of Israel were making their way on their journey to the promised land. God is reminding them of all the nations they had already seen HIM crush before them. HE knew that even more and greater nations and challenges were before them. He knew they would fall prey to fear of these mighty nations. So what specifically does He say...

1) DO NOT BE AFRAID... Looking into their future He knew one of their enemies was going to be fear. It's a dreadful enemy. It can surface in many ways and many places. For them it could have been the sheer size of their enemy. Or the number of warriors they possessed. Or even the type of artillery they had prepared. Or perhaps their past brutality on other nations. God said....(in Bruce's paraphrase of course) NO PROBLEM!!! Why? Because the LORD YOUR GOD is among you! HE is Great and AWESOME!

Fear is really about focus. If we are focusing on the enemy, the opposition, the problem or circumstance we will lose focus of HIM! God said....look to HIM! Look AT HIM! HE can and will turn certain defeats into victories!!

2) YOU WILL BE VICTORIOUS... This is HIS PROMISE to them. Now I love that. Many promises in life are broken but NEVER a promise from our wonderful GOD! That is why we should learn and lean on those promises. They are the ONLY ones to NEVER be broken. Notice the next portion of this verse however. He even tells them that their victories will be one by one or as HE says little by little.

I often tell those whom I counsel that sometimes God gives us home runs (complete and absolute, one shot victories) but most often HE gives us a single at a time (baseball terminology for those non baseball types). We want Home runs and HE gives us singles, one base at a time. We cover the same territory but not nearly as fast nor as easy as we would like. Sometimes we know why HE does this as in James 1:2-5 to grow us to maturity but often we do not get the full detail of what HE is doing.

In this passage God shares with them why HE is not going to give them quick, total victory all at once. ..."The wild animals would multiply too quickly for you." WHOA....This is powerful. They hadn't even considered any of that. All Israel saw was the enemy before them. The Nations who dwelt in the land. BUT God saw all the obstacles to Israel even those years down the road of their journey.

Isn't that just like our God? He see's so far in our future that HE orders today's events to not only prepare us but also to protect us. Israel would have gotten complete and total cleansing of the land if they had their way and then they would have brought the wild animal dilemma upon themselves. People would have been killed, maimed and fear would have gripped their lives as the wild animals would have overrun them.

So, when it doesn't seem like God is hearing or answering your prayers fast enough. When it doesn't appear things are happening in the fullness you desire, aka "homeruns" it may be because your loving Father is protecting you or even your next generation, your children. You see, He is into details....Trust HIM with and in the events of your lives....

You'll be glad you did.
Blessings
Bruce

The Tragedy of Unbelief

Then the LORD said to Moses; How long will these people reject Me? And how long will they not believe Me, with all the signs which I have performed among them?
Numbers 14:11

My mind goes back to seasons past when I have had the privilege of teaching someone to swim or to dive into a swimming pool. So many times I have coached them to jump or to dive and they would literally freeze on the side of the pool. Knowing that they would not drown because I would have never let that happen, I would call for them to come on in. Now to me the pool was as safe as them standing on the side of the pool. But to them it might as well have been them standing on a 100 foot cliff in Hawaii. Their struggle was not one of facing death, or extreme danger but simply of UNBELIEF.

Unbelief itself is extremely dangerous. In fact it can be downright deadly. As in our text today the children of Israel were facing a deadly enemy. It was not however in the promised land but was in their hearts. It was the enemy of faith.....it was UNBELIEF.

Here is the situation. God had led His children to the brink of the land He had promised them before He took them out of Egypt. Their journey had them standing before this new and exciting land. They had sent in 12 spies to check things out before continuing their journey. When they returned, there was a division among them. Ten of the spies reported all the negatives they had seen while only 2 saw the opportunity before them.

This created quite a stir in the congregation. They began to say and even do all sorts of things in their fleshly confusion. Their journey had moved from one of faith now to one of fear. From one of dependence on God to one of dependence on themselves. Our text today is God's view of this whole situation. Let's examine what He has to say...

1) He saw their actions as rejection of Him. Now this is important. When they moved from walking by faith to walking by sight they also moved from trusting Him to rejecting Him. Now I know we do not see anywhere where they specifically say that but it is clear that that is true. HE had promised to give them that land. Their refusal to just go was a rejection of God's promise thus a rejection of HIM!

We need to remember that in our personal journey's of faith. God often challenges us and leads us to places where we will have to exercise faith. In fact He says..."without faith it is impossible to please Him." Heb 11:6 We must be careful to follow HIM implicitly and without delay. Why? To delay is to Deny. To deny is to reject!

2) He saw their rejection as Unbelief. Rejection is the action and Unbelief is the real issue behind their actions. What was really going on was they just plain did not believe that God could do what HE promised. They saw people "stronger than we, a land that devoured its inhabitants, men of great stature and giants in the land." Numbers 13:31-33 The real issue was that "their" god was not big enough to "handle" their perceived problems.

It is obvious that they were not looking to the true God that had led them safely through but to a god of their own mind. Unbelief usually worships at that alter. An alter of a lesser god who does not have the power, wisdom or ability to go beyond our feeble understanding and ability.

Unbelief focuses on something or someone other than the true and living God. God even shows that in what He says....with all the signs which I have performed among them... He is simply saying that with all the evidence HE has provided for them regarding His promise and provision they are basing their decision on something else. HE had provided all the evidence needed for belief and they rejected Him and chose a different path. This is a tragedy!

But, before you condemn them to eternal hell, better look into the mirror. Don't we all have that same tendency? What promised land has HE led you to? What step of faith is HE asking you to take? Where is HE expecting you to conquer an enemy, face a giant or trust His promise? From personal experience I know HE loves for us to have to lean hard upon HIM. He often takes us to situations and circumstances we cannot control to cause us to face this crisis of faith. To find in HIM our all in all!

May I suggest you and I make a covenant together. Let us agree to walk in simple childlike faith and dependence upon God. Paul says it best..."if God be for us then who can stand against us." Rom 8 Let us trust His promise, His heart and His leading. "We are more than conquerors through Him who loves us." We must believe to receive and you will never receive unless you believe. Do not become the latest tragedy of unbelief.

Trust Him today. Depend upon Him. Believe what He has said and act upon it!
You'll be glad you did!
Blessings
Bruce

Come Ye Thankful, part 3

HE remembered us in our weakness. He saved us from our enemies. He gives food to every living thing. Give thanks to the God of heaven. Psalm 136:22-26

Well, here we are on our third and final session reflecting on this beautiful Psalm of praise. I hope our time on this verse has brought you to His throne of thanksgiving by its reminders of all He has done. It has me and may He continually remind us of His faithfulness. Today is one of those reminders for us....

I would like to focus on verse 25. "He gives food to every living thing." HIS PROVISION OF FOOD... How often do you, especially those of us in the USA, pause to give honest, heartfelt thanks for the food He provides for you? I mean each and every time you pause to eat. Now here in the US we have food everywhere. Grocery stores, Warehouse stores, Quickie marts, Drive thru's, restaurants, road side produce stands and even now with the spring and summer upon us in the back yard.

Just yesterday evening I had the privilege of walking on the edge of my yard up next to a patch of tall brush. Two of my granddaughters followed (or shall we say led the way) as we leaned into the brushy area to pick Blackberries. What a blessing. Not only the berries but also the kids. Each a gift from my heavenly Father. Watching them munch on the berries of HIS provision brings me much blessing even this morning as I remember this...

Do you see that? Have you paused to reflect on His provision for you lately? James 1:17 says... "every good and perfect gift comes down from the Father of lights." The God who created the evening lights (stars and moon) gives to us EVERY good gift is from His hands. Let's reflect on a few gifts on this beautiful day.

HIS Provision of Life... Have you paused to thank Him for the life He has given you? I am not speaking of the life you are living as in present CIRCUMSTANCES, but life itself. HE has given you LIFE itself. In Genesis it says He breathed into his nostrils the breath of life and man became a living being. Gen 2:7

Life is the privilege to connect with God and His creation. It really is awesome when you see the bigger picture. Everything about us is designed to do that. Look at your body and all of the senses HE has given you. Hearing, seeing, tasting, smelling and touching. Walking, running, sitting and standing to name a few more of those blessed privileges. Each of these are gifts (provisions) from God so we can connect with His world and yes HIM. When you lose one or part of one you will understand what I mean. Praise Him for His provision for you.

HIS Provision of Relationship... Here is where some of us will be stretched a bit perhaps. Have you thanked God for those He has placed around you? Your spouse, children, parents and even friends (if they point you to Christ). Now sadly we sometimes bring relationships into our lives that do not bless our life and suffer the consequences for our actions. But God's provisions bring His blessings to us. As we develop and build those godly relationships we will see His hand in each one of them.....if we are honestly looking.

Scripture teaches us that "faithful are the wounds of a friend." Pro 27:6 Even when friends wound us God uses that for good. He has a plan. Our godly spouses are His provision for us. Our godly children and parents are His provision for us. Have you given HIM thanks for His relational provision for you?

His financial provision! Many are realizing the blessing they had in the past. Sometimes we do not see His blessing until it is taken away. In good times and bad we must realize God is our provider. We often forget that however when we are riding the "wave" of good times. I have seen quite a change in some attitudes toward work in the last few years. Many who would often gripe or complain about their jobs today are just thankful to have one. Others are on the "rack" of stretching, living each day without a job while working hard to find one. God still provides.... those testimonies are such a blessing.

His blessing of peace and joy... Is there peace in your heart? Do you have the blessing of joy filling your soul? If you do (and every believer should) it has come from your Fathers hand of blessing to you. You did not earn this nor do we deserve this. But He has given this to us because He loves us. He does not desire for the curse that rests upon this world and humanity to rob us of the joy of Life.....

He has, by His power, chosen to fill us with His Spirit and He brings us peace... sweet peace into our lives. No matter what our struggles....He can calm those troubled waters...if we allow HIM to... Scripture again says "the peace of God will keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Phil 4:7 HIS Joy is called Joy unspeakable in scripture..Does that describe you today...filled with peace and joy....It can and should... He has provided ALL we need for life and godliness...

I could write a book on the blessings of His provision for all of us. But in the blogger world I am already in the land of nono by my the length of this. Shall we say that if we will press the pause button on our life and reflect on all of HIS provisions you will find yourself thanking God for His faithfulness. He has done so much for us.

Father, thank you....for just being you. So faithful, so gracious, so good! Forgive me that I am not as thankful as I should be. That I often do not see all you have done and provided. Open my eyes and let me see, that I may thank you and praise your most worthy name!

Thank Him for His provision for YOU....
You'll be glad you did!
Blessings
Bruce

Come Ye Thankful part 2

As we gather around His table again today let me encourage you to review Psalm 136 with me again. It is a quick 26 verses. We will again focus our hearts on the last four....

He remembered us in our weakness. He saved us from our enemies. He gives food to every living thing. Give thanks to the God of heaven... 22-26

Of course the meat of what we are wrapping our thoughts around is the fact that we should be thankful to our great God. Yesterday's verse reminded us of how He has helped and continues to help us in our weakness. I rejoice in that personally. Humbled and thankful for His presence in my life.

Now today I want us to reflect a bit on the second part.... HE SAVED US FROM OUR ENEMIES... Now for the Jew at the time of the writing of this Psalm there had been multitudes of enemies. Just a little reflection on this....Egyptians, Philistines, Hittites, Amorites, Moabites and the Arameans. The list was innumerable for them. Time after time they had seen God not only protect them but in many instances supernaturally work to deliver them and give them total victory. For that they were to come and give HIM thanks...

But what about us? Has He done anything like that for us? Have we enemies that stand in our path and seek to destroy us? I would say definitely! Our first enemy is SIN. Some may not think this is our greatest enemy but I do, because this enemy resides within every human being. Our nature towards sin and sinfulness is far greater than any of us can truly imagine. It runs deeper and further than we know.

Left to grow and develop to maturity in our lives SIN leads us to DEATH. Most of us do not consider that each time we are tempted but that is what God's word and life's experience teaches. Destroyed lives litter the highway of life. Broken marriages, broken homes and broken lives are the fruit of sin. BUT HE SAVED US FROM OUR ENEMIES!

When we trust Christ to save us from our sin the scripture teaches us that "we are no longer slaves to sin." Rom 6:6 and also shows us..." we were set free from the power of sin." These wonderful truth's and their personal reality bring me to thanksgiving....How about you?

Another enemy is Satan. He rules this world and is called the prince of the power of the air. He guides the affairs of the world and of unregenerated people directing them and the world system to their ultimate destruction. We are a fly in his ointment. As Christians, we are in the dead center of his target. His goal is to destroy Christ, Christ followers and anything that speaks of Christ.

Again, Christ has broken Satan's power just as HE did the power of sin....Heb. 2:14.."only by dying could could he break the power of the devil, who had the power of death." No longer do we have to fear this enemy. In fact Eph 6 teaches us to stand strong in the Lord in the power of HIS (God's) might against the schemes, plans, desires of the devil. Satan was and is defeated by the power of Christ!

Another enemy is fear. How many times do we allow fear to control a decision or affect a relationship. How many times do we avoid or deny because we fear what may or may not happen? All I can say is that God's word teaches us this enemy also is defeated. "God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, love and a sound mind. 2 Tim. 1:7 We do not need to fear because HE has given us power to overcome. We are more than conquerers, so much so Paul wrote and said to us " I can do all things through Christ who is my strength." Phil 4:13

HE is worthy of our continual thanksgiving because HE has SAVED us from our enemies. This list of course was not exhaustive but each and every enemy should be brought to Christ. Watch them bow before HIM in submission to HIS power and authority. Take time today to thank HIM for all the ways HE has saved you from all of YOUR enemies.....

You'll be glad you did!!!

Blessings

Bruce

Come Ye Thankful

There is a Hymn of our faith that declares "Come ye thankful people come" and that is just the truth I want us to consider today. Actually my text comes from the Book of Songs....do you know which one that is??? You are right! It is the book of Psalms....

Turn and read Psalm chapter 136 today. Read it slowly and carefully allowing each verse to fill your mind with its treasure. It's beautiful isn't it? I would like us to consider the whole chapter but most especially the last 4 verses...

He remembered us in our weakness. He saved us from our enemies. He gives food to every living thing. Give thanks to the God of heaven...

You may notice that I did not print out His faithful love endures forever. That is because that phrase was actually not in some of the best manuscripts. It was added probably by a scribe at some point in history. But our consideration must focus on what we know to be HIS word. Read those precious verses (22-26) and consider their truth.

Now certainly we know this Psalm is written by a Jewish man primarily for the Jewish people. But aren't its truth's just as applicable for us?

HE REMEMBERED US IN OUR WEAKNESS.... Wow. The sad reality is that we actually cannot fully grasp how truly weak we are. We are weak in regards to salvation. There will never be enough good works for us to earn or merit heaven. Sadly, many will appeal to their righteousness (good works) only to hear those horrible words..."depart from me you worker of iniquity for I never knew you." Matt 7:23 HE saw our desperately weak condition and sent HIS Son to die in our place.....By HIS stripes we are healed....Praise God!

We are also weak in our striving against sin. Heb 12:4...None of us fight against our sin nature to the point of bloodshed...Now do we???? Be honest.. we far too easily give in to those fleshly impulses. But HE again saw our need and sent us HIS Holy Spirit to enable us to WIN this battle. 1 Cor 10:13

We are weak in our Surrendering of the self life to truly live for our God. Far too many times we take the path of ease and comfort over HIS walk of struggle and pain. Over and over again HE calls us to the alter of sacrifice for our self life. Jesus phrased it this way...." if anyone desires to come after Me, let him deny himself....Luke 9:23....

We are so weak and in many other areas. All I want us to see and acknowledge is that HE knows how weak we are and has made preparation for that in and through salvation. HE has done many things to rectify this sad dilemma.

1) He has sealed us with HIS Holy Spirit. HE is God's power in us to accomplish HIS work in and through us. 2) He has given us HIS word to guide, comfort, convict and teach us. It is God's will in written form. Only as we learn it and apply it will we see His strength manifest in us and in His work. This only happens by belief!!! WE MUST BELIEVE WHAT HE HAS SAID AND ACT BASED UPON THAT BELIEF. 3) He has given us the Church. Now this is not a building made with human hands as many want to say. But is the beautiful body of Jesus Christ that is about His work each and every day. Through this body we are encouraged, held accountable, taught, strengthened and many other things that only our plugging into HIS body can accomplish.

So let's give thanks for the fact that HE has remembered us in our weakness. For all He has done to help us in our weaknesses. What is your weak spot? Where is it that you continually struggle and often seem to fail? Bring it to Jesus today. He already knows. Let Him bring His power to bear on your struggle. Watch what HE does. See how He loves you and what He has in store for those who come to HIM. Give HIM the thanks HE so rightly deserves.

You'll be glad you did!

Blessings

Bruce

Hurry Up and Wait!

Today our treasure is found in Leviticus 24:12

Then they put him in custody until the mind of the LORD might be shown to them.

Now to best grasp the power of this verse we must understand more of the passage. There was, in the camp of the Israelite's, a young man whose mother was an Israelite and his father was an Egyptian. This young man apparently got into a fight with another Israelite man and while doing so he blasphemed the name of the LORD. This news got back to Moses and his instructions were for them to place this young man into custody and here is the part I found such a blessing today, until the mind of the LORD was known.

The NLT states it this way.... "until the LORD'S will in the matter should become clear to them."

I am not going to discuss the event of his sin but more importantly I want us to consider Moses' instructions to them. He simply told them to hold him until they knew clearly what God would have them do.

I can only imagine this happening today in our Facebook/Twitter society where everything is instantaneous. Microwave meals, sound bites and text messaging are wonderful tools to bless and enable us in many ways. But they are also signs that we want and expect things quickly and without delay. This has no only infiltrated us but also our walk of faith.

This may be wonderful in some areas but when it comes to walking with the LORD this can be and often is catastrophic. I have seen it many times. People, good people making decisions quickly and off the cuff without ever consulting God and His word. Now if we are talking about where we are going to eat that is no big deal but when it comes to more important matters it may cost us the rest of our lives.

What ever happened to people truly seeking the mind of the LORD in their decision making? Proverbs 3:5-6 (a verse we should all memorize) says this.....

Trust in the LORD with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding. Seek His will in all you do, and He will show you which path to take.

Through the years I have seen time and time again God's children coming to me after they have made huge decisions, financial, emotional, relational, job related and even marriage decisions without ever consulting the LORD. Then they find that they have gotten themselves into hard and difficult places. Then they are ready to do it God's way. But why not before? Why not seek His wisdom and direction on the front end?

Often times it is because we are IMPATIENT. God may not tell us quick enough to make us happy. Other times it is because we do not really want His direction. He may say NO and we do not want to deny ourselves so we simply don't ask. This is SELFISHNESS. Perhaps we don't ask cause we feel we can handle it (this is one of my weak points). We just think we know what is right and go ahead and do it. In reality this is PRIDE. (Ouch) To see how bad this one works out see Leviticus 10 the story of Nadab and Abihu, they thought they had it figured out but found out they were dead wrong (pun intended).

So where are we going with this. We need God! We need Him every day and every hour as the song says. We need His wisdom and direction in every area of life. We must be careful in each and every decision to seek the LORD. We need His clarity to enlighten us. Whether it is family related, job or financial we need HIM, His clear direction to light our way.

I love the old song that says....When we walk with the Lord, in the light of His word, what a GLORY He sheds on our way..... Oh so true....what a glory HE sheds on our path!!!!

Now have you sought Him today? Spent sufficient time before Him just letting Him speak to your heart. Do it today. Open His word, read and pray. If necessary....wait..... Allow Him to speak into your life, your specific situation.....He will!!!!

And You will be glad you did!
Blessings
Bruce

Burning Bushes

Imagine coming home from the grocery store and pulling into your driveway only to see a bush burning in your front yard. As you watch it, you notice a strange phenomenon happening. The bush is burning and yet it is never burned up. It is just a continual burning bush....

Well today's passage is just that event and we find that in Exodus 3...

Then Moses said, "I will now turn aside and see this great sight, why the bush does not burn." SO when the LORD saw that he turned aside to look, God called to him from the midst of the bush and said, " Moses, Moses!" And he said " Here I am."

This scriptural life event is one of those passages we just stand and say WOW!!! Moses, a simple shepherd going through his normal daily routine has an encounter with God. All because of a burning bush. As a result of this event, his life would be forever changed.

Now back to our front yard burning bush. You get out of your car, approach the bush and just when you think things can't get any wilder, a Voice speaks to you out of the bush. In fact, the Voice calls you by name. He identifies Himself as God and by now you are a believer!!! Man, how incredible. How awesome! How powerful!

Yep, that is the event of Mose's call. His moment when he realized the wonder of God and His plan for his life. Now most of us know the rest of the story. What God's plan was and how He worked through His Man, Moses.

May I simply say today that God still uses burning bushes. Now some of you just turned the radio off, you just checked out mentally because you think I have lost it. But I only mean that God still uses everyday things in the lives of people to reveal Himself, to communicate His plan and call us to action.

For some, the burning bush is a major illness. For others it is a job loss, a sudden situation or an unplanned event or meeting. God reveals Himself and still speaks to people. Now we must be careful in our interpretation during these times as Satan often tries to imitate God. However his deceptive schemes, when compared to scripture will not stand in the light of God's word. It will be revealed as counterfeit.

I have been to hospital rooms where fellow believers have acknowledged that God had spoken to them very clearly through their event. Surrender to His plan, clarity of God's purpose, will often be their testimony. Often what seems to be a tragedy or an unusual event is God getting our attention.

Notice what and how God worked in this situation...First Moses saw the event and recognized it as "outside" the norm. (Big surprise here) Second, notice he did not just blow it off but he actually stopped his normal routine to investigate and observe. How many times we might have heard the Voice of God if we had only turned aside for a moment to pause and consider the event of our life. Moses did and when he did...God used Moses sensitivity to speak to him. It was then and only then that God spoke.

So let me just mention to you today,what events are happening all around you. Have you paused to consider them. Perhaps this is one of your burning bush opportunities. Observe and reflect and allow our Holy God to speak. Perhaps you need to reflect on your situation in light of God's word and see if He has a word, plan, call for you. As Moses learned, God's plan is so much greater than anything he could have ever imagined. He was blessed beyond measure and saw God work in ways no one in his family had ever seen. All because, one day he turned aside to see a BURNING BUSH!!!!

If you see one, do it....

You'll be glad you did'

Blessings

Bruce