Weight Lifting

   In Matthew 11: 28-30 Jesus said, "Come unto me all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, learn of me, for I am meek and lowly and you shall find rest for your souls." Do you need rest? Jesus promised rest ,so why don't we His children have it? Maybe, it's because we are trying to pull the whole load of our lives ourselves. We forget that Jesus invited us to yoke up with Him, so that He can help bear our life load.
   In 1 Peter 5:6-7, we are told to cast all of our cares upon Him for He cares for us watchfully. Peter tells us that the Lord is willing to bear the whole load of our cares. Paul reminds us in Philippians 4: 13  that we can do whatever we need to with Christ as our strength.
   Do you see that He offers to bear our burdens, provide strength of daily living, and be there to take the weight of our lives upon Him as we are willing to allow Him? It's up to you and me. Will you and I let Him be your weight lifter?

Have You Eaten Today?

   1 Peter 2:2 tells Christians to be like newborn babies and desire or crave the pure spiritual milk of God's work that they might grow thereby. Over a period of time, Christians should  take in so much of  God's work that they are chewing on the meat, and not just drinking the milk of God's Word. Hebrews 5: 12 instructs for when by reason of the time ye ought to be teachers, ye have need again that some one teach you the rudiments of the first principles of the oracles of God; and are become such as have need of milk, and not of solid food.
     Have you eaten your spiritual food for today? Do you want to grow as a Christian? Get your Bible and eat.

Daily Dependence On The Lord

   I have been struggling with daily dependence on the Lord. I have also been trying to figure out why. I have come to the conclusion that I really do not feel worthy of the Lord sustaining me daily. However, when I look into the Scriptures, I cannot find anything about deserving it, but I do find the Lord's promises that He will daily care for His children.
  Psalm 55:22 reminds me to cast my  cares on the LORD and he will sustain me.
  Psalm 31:15 tells me that my times are in His hands.
  Psalm 68:19 reveals the truth that God daily loads his people with benefits. 
  
  Returning from Ecuador a few days ago, I revisited the above statements written the week before I left for the mission trip. I can report based on experience that the Lord is indeed faithful. He was very faithful in leading us and using the team in witnessing to people in the Andes around Patate. I was privileged to see the Lord work the miracle of conversion in the hearts of many and the miracle of physical healing in the lives of some.

  The Lord also ministered not only to the people through us, through the people to us, but also, through us to other members of the team. It was a glorious, refreshing eight days of ministry. I praised the Lord for it all. I pray that the Lord will continue to bless those with whom we worked, ministered with, and ministered to. May His name be uplifted and praised and may His glory fill the earth.

Set My Soul Afire Lord

May the words of this hymn written by Gene Bartlet in 1965 become the prayer of each Christian's heart.

     Set my soul afire Lord, for Thy Holy Word, Burn it deep within me, let Thy voice be heard
     Millions grope in darkness in this day and hour, I will be a witness, fill me with Thy power.
     Set my soul afire Lord, set my soul afire.
     Make my life a witness of Thy saving power. Millions grope in darkness, waiting for Thy Word. Set
     my soul afire, Lord, set my soul afire!
     Set my soul afire, Lord, for the lost in sin, Give to me a passion as I seek to win; Help me not to falter
     never let me fail, Fill me with Thy Spirit, let Thy will prevail.
     Make my life a witness of Thy saving power. Millions grope in darkness, waiting for Thy Word. Set
     my soul afire, Lord, set my soul afire!
     Set my soul afire, Lord, in my daily life. Far too long I've wandered in this day of strife; Nothing else will
     matter but to live for Thee, I will be a witness for Christ lives in me.
     Make my life a witness of Thy saving power. Millions grope in darkness, waiting for Thy Word. Set my
     soul afire, Lord, set my soul afire!

 Lord let it be so even now in my heart and the hearts of all Your people. In the Blessed Name of Jesus. Amen!

Practicing the Presence of God

    The Bible is replete with the truth that God is omnipresent. The Maker of heaven and earth and all things therein does not hide Himself. If we respond to the divine light of revelation that He gives us through creation and through His Word, He gladly gives us more light. He is constantly drawing people to Himself for salvation and for sanctification.
    Those who are His children by grace through faith in the finished work of Jesus Christ have His Indwelling Presence. Therefore, we are constantly in His presence not only because of His omnipresence, but also because of the family relationship and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit made possible by Jesus' death, resurrection and ascension.
     There is never a time when He is not with His children in an intimate and personal way. However, there are many times that we may not be aware of His presence. Our lack of awareness of His presence is not due to a lack of His presence, but rather is due to our failure to reckon on the truth of His presence as presented in His Word. We, as Christians, need to practice the presence of God. We need to consciously, with His help, assert the truth that He never leaves us nor forsakes us (Hebrews 13: 5). If we would learn to do this, our Christian lives would be much less turbulent.
     Unfortunately, most of us focus on our daily routines, adverse circumstance, family needs, and situations around us rather than focusing on the reality that God is with us all of the time. Nothing that we face actually does separate us from Him. We need to mediate on that truth constantly and live our lives in the reality of His presence. That is the key to peace and rest on the inside of us not matter what occurs on the outside.

God's Instructions to Joshua

   In the first chapter of Joshua, we can find truths that are applicable for each of His children. Just as Joshua was called of God, each Christian has been issued a call from God, a call to salvation and service. Just as Joshua, we should be strong and of a good courage as we feast on the truths of God's word, remembering that God is with us, has made promises to us, and will be our victory as we walk by faith in His character, promises, and power. We must learn to consistently rely on Him, His abilities, and His equipping to give us triumph in the battles of life.

Our Dependable, Gracious, Merciful, Loving, Powerful God

  Personal quiet time alone with the Lord is a wonderful thing. Through His Word and His Spirit, He is able to communicate to us precious truths that reinforce His love, grace and mercy toward us. These truths become the fuel that energize our walk with Him and bring joy to our lives. As we walk in these truths, our lives  will become an outward expression of the truths that He has lovingly sown into our hearts.
  It is my joy to share with you some of the unchangeable, wonderful truths with which He has comforted me these past few weeks. The verses are taken from the Amplified Version of the Bible.
  Psalm 55:22, "Cast your burden on the Lord [releasing the weight of it] and He will sustain you; He will never allow the [consistently] righteous to moved-slip, fall or fail."
  Psalm 68:19, "Blessed be the Lord, Who bears our burdens and carries us day by day, even the God Who is our salvation! "
  Psalm 37:7a, Be still, rest in the Lord; wait for Him, and patiently lean yourself upon Him."
  May the Lord Himself seal the truths of these verse deep into your heart, and may they bring you rich comfort and great cause for rejoicing as you face your life and its challenges.

The Lord Is Always With US

31 soldiers died in a helicopter crash in Afghanistan. Each one who knew the Lord as Savior could count on His promises in Matthew 28: 20 and Hebrews 13:5, "Lo I am with you always. I will never leave you or forsake you." We can count on these promises also.

Circumstances

  It's been a rough few weeks with unfavorable and trying circumstances bombarding my family and myself. In the midst of the difficulties, I found myself wondering why these things were occurring. I did a personal check list to see if sin or spiritual laziness might be the cause. I sought the Lord in His Word and prayer. I waited for the Spirit to speak to my heart. He did and I heard Him say, "Trust Me. I'm in control."
  In reading from Dr. Henry Blackaby's devotional book this morning, I was reminded of things that I have a tendency to forget. "Faith does not eliminate problems. Faith keeps you in a trusting relationship with God in the midst of your problems. Faith has to do with your relationship with God, not your circumstances. Some may say, “I’m not much of a person of faith. I am more of a practical person!” Yet you will never do anything more practical than to place your trust in the Lord! Nothing is more secure or certain than that which you entrust to God."
  I thank God that He is a trustworthy, sovereign, loving God. His Word can be counted on no matter what. I thank God for Henry Blackaby and for others like him who have allowed themselves to be used by God to share His truth.