THE RAPTURE

1 Thessalonians 4:16-17 “For the Lord himself will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be with the Lord forever.”

          This sounds like something out of a new sci-fi thriller, but this will be a reality for millions of believers some day. It is referred to as the Blessed Hope of the church. It is also referred to as The Rapture or the catching away of the saints. Our faith and trust in God will lead us to this event in history where the clouds will part and the Lord Jesus Christ Himself will descend from heaven to take His children to their new home in the heavens. Faith and trust gives birth to hope and what an incredible hope it is. No more pain, no more heartache, no more sorry, no more sickness, no more bills to pay … My mind cannot fathom what is in store for us all when that day arrives.

1 Corinthians 2:9 (NKJV) “But as it is written*: “Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”

          The trials that we suffer this side of heaven are temporal and shall pass, yet our time with the Lord in heaven shall be forever. Who can even measure forever? All I know is that it shall be a time with no end. What a marvelous hope we have. We don’t have to work for it, we don’t have to purchase it, we only have to believe it and live our lives for Him that others may come to join us. These frail bodies will be no more. We shall be given new bodies and we will know even as we are known. If all this doesn’t put a smile on your face nothing will.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

* Isaiah 64:4

TRUST GOD!

Psalm 56:4 “When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. In God, whose word I praise - in God I trust and am not afraid?”

          David wrote this regarding men who were in pursuit of him with the desire to kill him. He was aware that mortal men can only kill his body, but never take his soul from him, nor his faith and trust in God. However, the words above as they stand should shine like a beacon into our hearts, for while men are likely not in pursuit of us, there are many things we tend to fear in this life. If we are a true believer, we have put our trust in the One who gave us life. As we have walked with Him, we have realized that He can be trusted and that His word is true. There is nothing to fear.

          When I say there is nothing to fear, I do not say it lightly. We allow worry into our lives regarding things we have no control over and that worry turns to fret which gives birth to full blown fear. If we truly believe in God then what do we believe in Him for, fluffy clouds and sunny days? We can believe in Him for everything. When we speak to Him, He hears us. When we are in trouble He saves us. We only need to ask. Some have trouble asking for anything, thinking that given enough time they will figure it out and provide their own solution. Wouldn’t it be so much better to ask and receive from the source Who knows the right solution instead of playing a guessing game? God can be trusted, His word is absolutely true and we have absolutely nothing at all to fear in this life. Trust God!

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

INFINITE LOVE

Psalm 103:17-18 “… from everlasting to everlasting the Lord’s love is with those who fear him, and his righteousness with their children’s children — with those who keep his covenant and remember to obey his precepts.”

          Simply put, the Psalmist is saying that God’s love for His own has no end and it directed towards those who respect and revere Him with awe. Those who call themselves Christians must keep His covenant and obey His word. It is all laid out for us; all we need to do is embrace it and live it with His help. We have to be careful with the word fear here. We aren’t to be afraid of God, but rather in awe of His might and power. Those outside the family of God should be very afraid, but those who strive to please God and live according to His precepts have absolutely nothing whatsoever to fear.

pre•cept n. 1. A rule or principle prescribing a particular course of action or conduct.

          “… a course of action or conduct”; God’s Word has it all spelled out. Our righteousness is secured through the actions of Christ on the cross at Calvary. The love of God is an amazing thing, if it is fair to even call it a thing. The love of God induces an emotion from us, or at least it should, that gives birth to reassurance and hope. Regardless of our situation or circumstance, God’s love remains the same; the one true constant in a world of inconsistency. Serve God with your whole heart. Don’t sweat the small stuff. Leave the details to the Lord. He knows us better than we know ourselves and knows every need that we have. He is our Heavenly Father. He loves us, now and forever. If you find that no one in this life loves you and I’m talking tangible love and not just lip service, know that the Creator of your beating heart loves you more than you could ever comprehend.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

ACCOUNTABILITY - Memorial Day

Romans 14:12 (TNIV) “… we will all give an account of ourselves to God.”

ac•count•a•ble adj. responsible to someone for one’s conduct; answerable.

          We have been given such a wonderful gift. It is called life. Some embrace it and live, others neglect or abuse it and waste away. What we do in this life that we have been given matters to God. He created us to worship Him and to live for Him that we might receive the multitude of blessings He provides for His creation. We so readily get drawn onto tangent paths which take us places that appear to be good, but turn out bad. We will stand before God someday. What will He say about our life? Notice I asked what He will say to us, not what will We say to Him. I truly don’t believe we will be saying anything, just listening, perhaps some of us for the first time.

          On a day when we recognize and remember our Armed Forces past and present, we should also remember that we too are called to serve. We serve a merciful God. He is slow to anger and abounding in mercy. Someday we will have the privilege to stand before Him. What will He say to us? Did we stand for Him? Did we live for Him? Did we live for others or did we live our lives solely for ourselves? A glorious life can be diminished by simply living for oneself rather than for others. God is watching, not to swat us into submission, but rather to protect and guide us into all truth. We should avail ourselves of all He has to offer us. We can look at His creation with new eyes and see the beauty in it, rather than the dysfunction. We are beautiful in God’s sight and a blessing to Him.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

** Thank you to all our Armed Forces past & present, some who risked their lives & others who paid the ultimate price to keep America safe & free.

May God Bless the USA once again! **

Random Ramblings 28

               I’m nobody special. Just your average guy; a sort of Joe Bagadonuts. Never done anything spectacular by the world’s standards. Never achieved financial success. Never made a name for myself in any way, shape or form. None of this matters because I know God loves me. And there are no conditions placed upon His love. I know now that my past mistakes, and there are many, do not and never will define who I am. I am a child of God. He created me to worship Him. He created me for His good pleasure. I try to live the best I can for Him in this dark world who has lost their way. It is the simple things, the common things of this world that God chooses to use to accomplish His purposes. He shares glory with no man. The creature can never be greater than its’ Creator.  

                I am humbled that He has so readily forgiven me when I fall; I am humbled by His patience with me; I am now humbled by the charge to write a book in His honor to encourage and edify the body of Christ. If it were not for God’s grace and mercy towards me only He knows where I would be and what I would be doing. I want my life to be a tribute to Almighty God. I want to let the world know in one form or another what He means to me. I want to take my common, unspectacular life and let everyone know that it is not what we do in this life for ourselves that matters at all, but rather what we do for Him. I love the Lord for who He is, for what He has done and for who I am because of it.  He loves us, for who we are, not who we should be.  

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

DISENGAGE YOUR ANGER

James 1:19-20 (TNIV) “My dear brothers and sisters, take note of this: Everyone should be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry, because our anger does not produce the righteousness that God desires.”

an•ger n. A strong feeling of displeasure or hostility. To make angry; enrage or provoke.

          Why do we get angry? Impatience could be one reason. When things just aren’t going our way on a given day we have a tendency to lose our temper. In the metallurgical world losing temper means simply that the material has either lost its hardness and become soft or lost its flexibility and become brittle. In our case, we have lost our flexibility. We have allowed circumstances beyond our control to get to us. We have allowed ourselves to get riled up, to become ticked off and it is usually all downhill from there. I know, I lose my temper when things don’t go my way at times. I am much better than I used to be, but that side of me still rears its’ ugly head from time to time … mostly when I’m driving. How silly. We allow things that we cannot control to get us so upset that we act in inappropriate ways and say improper things.

          Fortunately, this comes as no surprise to God. He knows us better than we know ourselves and I think He may just send some of these annoyances our way to see how we handle them. As believers we are to grow spiritually. The resources are at our disposal 24/7, we just always seem to be doing something else besides taking advantage of them. We need to remember whose we are; we are ambassadors for Christ. Are we acting like it? Are we living like it? I’m not at times. God knows we are frail and fault-filled. He also knows what we can be in Him. Let us all avail ourselves of His wonderful tools to become all we can be in God. It’s a learning process; we are constantly under construction. Let us learn from our mistakes and make adjustments in our behavior so as not to look foolish to others, thus being no different than the world.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

HONORING GOD WITH OUR ATTITUDE

Romans 12:18 (TNIV) “If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.”

          This can be a tall order at times. Some folks we know just seem hell bent on stirring things up. Chaos is their middle name. At times it would seem as if they were sent to earth to torment all whom they meet; revenge for being born. We are to live at peace with such people. Notice the verbal bridge “as far as it depends on you”. In other words, don’t you start anything with anyone else. Jesus, speaking to Peter, tells him that those who live by the sword shall die by the sword (Matthew 26:52). Aggression is to be avoided as much as it is up to you. Live in peace with those around you. There are times when peace is unachievable; I don’t believe God expects us to be a door mat. We are to be shrewd as a snake, yet innocent as a dove (Matthew 10:16). We need not allow others to trample us under foot; we just don’t need to be instigating trouble. Defending yourself is one thing, inviting trouble is quite another.

          In all this God is present; He guides and directs us by His Spirit. We must know Him, truly know Him in an intimate sense, to take full advantage of the resources His provides for us. It is not the part time Christian who will win the day, so to speak, but rather the individual who is devoted to following Christ daily. We will stumble and fail God more times than we intend to, but it is in the standing up after the fall that victory is won. So be at peace with those you encounter. Don’t allow yourself to be riled, but instead, practice patience and humility. God rewards those who are obedient, exhibiting their faithfulness for all to see. This will bring an end result that will honor God and cause others to see an alternative to their rage.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

ARE YOU TEACHABLE?

Romans 15:4 (TNIV) “For everything that was written in the past was written to teach us, so that through the endurance taught in the Scriptures and the encouragement they provide we might have hope.”

          A teachable spirit; it is necessary if a person wants to learn anything at all. A person has to be willing to listen intently and not just hear what is being told to them. There is a big difference between listening and hearing. You can listen to someone all day long and not hear a thing they are saying. The Bible was written to teach us. It is meant to encourage us and build up our faith and trust in God. If we have a teachable spirit we will glean many nuggets of truth from it’s pages. If you believe it to be God’s Word for man, then that which lies between the covers is sacred and holy; worthy of being read and adhered to.

          We are not in some crazy game. We are at war with an enemy who already knows the fate that awaits him. His lone desire is to drag as many down with him as possible. We are making it easy for him. We are not paying attention. We are doing as we please and not allowing ourselves to be taught. If we weren’t at war, why would God have wasted space on his pages to speak of spiritual armor in Ephesians 6? We must learn our lessons well and be prepared to stand our ground when the enemy comes prowling.

1 Peter 5:8 (TNIV) “Be alert and of sober mind. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”

          We have nothing to fear for we are the children of God. We do however need to be attentive to our surroundings and allow ourselves to be taught by our Lord and Savior. The knowledge is there for the taking.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

DO GREAT THINGS!

Galatians 5:17 (NKJV) “For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh; and these are contrary to one another, so that you do not do the things that you wish.”

1 Corinthians 10:23 (TNIV) “‘I have the right to do anything,’ you say—but not everything is beneficial. ‘I have the right to do anything’—but not everything is constructive.”

          ‘Whatever’ or 'Whuteva'* has become the catch phrase of a generation. It indicates a "total indifference to what is being said". In scripture, the word means something completely different. It means “anything and everything”. 1 John 5:15 tells us “whatever we ask” we shall receive; 2 Peter 2:19 tells us that we are “slaves to whatever masters us”. Our flesh wars against the Spirit within us. Sin is fun, for a time; however we fail to measure the cost of our actions. Because we have been created with a free will to do as we please, we can literally do whatever we want, but as scripture indicates, not all things are beneficial or constructive. We don’t think about that when we embark on our pleasure cruise. We want what we want and we want it now. We strain at the leash, wanting to go our own way, before and after we receive Christ. God’s desire is to teach us patience and humility; to succumb to the will of the One who knows us better than we know ourselves.

          Our ‘old man’ is continuously seeking to gain control of us. He must be put down. Feeding your spirit man is the only way to keep ‘him’ in check. We should be seeking the will of God; striving to live a life that is worthy of the price paid for our freedom. Walk away from those things which fly in the face of Godly living. Don’t be just another one of many who say they are a believer, yet show no evidence by their life. Let your light shine before men. Make a difference in this world for God. Leave a legacy that speaks of God’s mercy, patience and grace and not of your own accomplishments. The world is watching us to see if we will stand or fall. Stand tall in the name of Christ, regardless of what others say. God created you for greatness. Do great things for Him in Jesus’ name.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

* “Indifference to what a person is saying! Who cares!;Get a Life!” (www.urbandictionary.com)

RELEASE YOUR FAITH

1 Corinthians 1:25 (TNIV) “… the foolishness of God is wiser than human wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than human strength.”

          Man in all his supposed wisdom has invented a world in his own mind where there is no God. It has spilled over into reality where most avenues of media are secular* and do not recognize a monotheistic entity to which they are to worship. All the efforts of man, no matter how incredible they may seem to others, pale in comparison to that which has been done and can be done by the spirit deity we embrace and worship called YHWH. The great “I AM WHO I AM”**. It requires faith and trust to believe such things. Man has faith in himself and his own knowledge and abilities, never realizing where that knowledge and those abilities came from. They have deluded themselves into believing they are self-sufficient. It is only when they come to the end of all their own resources that they look heavenward.

          The creature can never be greater than its’ Creator. This is why satan can never be greater than God and it is why man’s best efforts are meaningless in the eternal scheme of things. God was and is and always will be. It isn’t logical; frankly, it makes no sense at all to our inhibited minds. It will never make any sense until we let go of the rational and embrace the seemingly impossible. Until we allow our belief in things unseen to become alive we can never see things with spiritual eyes. Until we entertain the notion that there just might be an unseen deity either causing or allowing all things, we shall forever remain weak and unwise. Release your faith.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

* Worldly rather than spiritual.
** Exodus 3:14

RANDOM RAMBLINGS 27

          “In 1962 Dr. Cook accepted the Presidency of The King's College in Briarcliff Manor, New York. In his twenty-three years as president, the college grew, became accredited and had a major impact on hundreds of young people. In 1963 he started "The King's Hour" radio broadcast. Dr. Cook retired from the Presidency in 1985, and was Chancellor of the college until his death in 1991.” *

          Back in the 1980’s I listened to a 15 minute broadcast done by a Dr. Robert A. Cook called “The King’s Hour”. Dr. Cook began each radio broadcast with “Good Morning, radio friends, how in the world are you?” He was an accomplished Christian man who had a warm, kind, friendly voice. I listened to his little broadcast each day for years. After his passing in 1991, The King’s College began re-airing his broadcasts at the request of listeners. He can still be heard at www.walkwiththeking.org.
He would end each broadcast the same way, saying “Walk with the King today and be a blessing”. I have always ended my devotionals with that in honor of Dr. Cook. He was a great man of God who has done many wonderful things for the kingdom. It is nice to know that his legacy is being kept alive with a website filled with his talks.  

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

* from http://www.walkwiththeking.org/content.php?page=aboutus

WE CAN TRUST GOD

Hebrews 6:13-15 (TNIV) “ … God made his promise to Abraham … saying, “I will surely bless you and give you many descendants.”And so after waiting patiently, Abraham received what was promised.”

          The two things that stand out to me in these verses are that God made a promise and fulfilled that promise. Something that is lost in all this are the words “after waiting patiently”. What’s that? We all know about waiting. We spend half our lives waiting. What is patience?

          Patience means being tolerant and even-tempered; showing perseverance; having the capacity for calmly enduring pain and/or trying situations.  Let’s be honest with ourselves. As a rule, we are not very patient. Abraham didn’t have to wait for five minutes or a day or two, he waited years. Now we aren’t going to have to wait years to get to the cashier at Wal-Mart, though it may seem like it to us, but we do have some circumstances in our lives that require patience. Everything takes time. If God gave us everything we requested instantly, how would our faith and trust grow, not to mention our patience? Waiting on God is a faith builder; it stretches us to our limits and then some. God isn’t a liar and He absolutely knows what He is doing, so the problem is ours. We are impatient. We must learn to accept that age old adage: “the best things in life are worth waiting for”. God, who is your creator and sustainer and who knows everything you are in need of, is worth waiting for … patiently. Cultivate patience in your life starting today.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

OUR OMNISCIENT GOD

Isaiah 40:13 (TNIV) “Who can fathom the mind of the Lord or instruct the Lord as his counselor?”

Omniscient means “having total knowledge; knowing everything.”

          While I have known people in my life who thought they knew everything, in reality, they did not (but don’t tell them). Our Heavenly Father is the only one who is truly omniscient. It is one of His three main attributes; omnipresent and omnipotent being the other two. We can neither know, nor comprehend the mind of God. While it is said that we only use 10% of our brain capacity, it could be surmised and generally accepted as true that God uses 100% of His capacity to think. Our intellect pales in comparison to His. There is nothing on this created globe that can compare to Him.

          I mention this for the following reason: if God knows everything, it stands to reason that He knows where you are at this very second and what you are doing as well. If God knows everything, than it also stands to reason that He knows your every thought before you think it, word before you say it and action before you do it. Both scary and comforting at the same time; it all depends on what you are thinking, saying or doing at that moment in time. Give yourself over to the Almighty Jehovah God, Creator of the Universe and man’s first breath. He loves you and seeks to bless you. You have nothing to fear if you are right with Him.

WALK WITH THE KING AND BE A BLESSING!!!

THE MIGHTY WARRIOR GOD

Zephaniah 3:16-17 (TNIV) “On that day they will say to Jerusalem, ‘Do not fear, Zion; do not let your hands hang limp. The Lord your God is with you, the Mighty Warrior who saves.’”

          There are folks in this world who seem to think that those who profess Christ are just weak willed individuals who are in need of a crutch to make it through this life. They obviously know nothing about God. The Lord God Almighty is a warrior who protects His own and before Whom all shall bow some day. True believers have nothing to fear, for their Lord and Savior is ever mindful of their circumstances and is ready to intercede on our behalf. If you are in a difficult situation today, know that God has His ever watching eye on you and is orchestrating circumstances all around you to enable you to win the day.

          Christians aren’t weak-kneed people we need to be propped up, they are people who have the guts to step out of their comfort zone and believe in the unseen. They have placed their faith and trust in a Deity whom they believe exists. Non-believers do not have the courage to believe in what they cannot see with their own eyes and understand. Living for God is not for the weak or faint hearted. It is an exhilarating ride through life that enables you to do things you never dreamed of if you let it. “Do not let your hands hang limp”; raise them high to the risen Lord and glorify His name, for He is worthy of all praise.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

THE WORKS OF GOD

Ecclesiastes 11:5 (TNIV) “As you do not know the path of the wind, or how the body is formed in a mother’s womb, so you cannot understand the work of God, the Maker of all things.”

          God, who is the Maker of all things, is so far above us in intellect and power that it’s impossible to comprehend all that He is let alone all He can do. Solomon, in all his wisdom, describes two things in this world that we cannot see or understand: the path of the wind and a fetus formed in a mother’s womb. They are both cause for wonder, yet we don’t understand the magnitude of what is taking place. If we would only spend time marveling at His creation and give Him praise for who He is, but instead we fritter away our days with things that seem important to us at the time, yet in the eternal scheme of things are, in fact, very trivial.

          God does as He chooses because He knows us intimately, even better than we know ourselves. He knows what we need and readily provides it. He looks after us as a shepherd looks after his flock. He protects us and seeks to guide us into spiritual prosperity, yet all we can seem to think about is prosperity of a monetary ilk. We seek to grab the leader’s staff and take control when any control at all is impossible without Almighty God giving it to us. Someday we will understand as we are understood; until that day, let us take the time to truly marvel at His majesty and be awe struck by His power and might. He loves us unconditionally, in spite of ourselves.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

GOD DID IT

Psalm 139:13-14 “For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.”

          These verses make no sense to the non-believer. To think that an unseen deity forming us in our mother’s womb is unbelievable and so they choose not to believe it. God, the supreme being in control of all things, made us for His good pleasure and yet the creature cries out to the creator, “I don’t believe in You!” How sad to actually think we can survive this life like we are a player in a Survivor reality game show, only to find out there is no million dollar prize awaiting us at the end.

          It’s only when we begin to accept that perhaps, just perhaps, there is someone who is greater than we are; it is only when we begin to comprehend that we really know nothing and cannot make it on shear force or will to the end game, that we can truly live. It is what we have done with Christ and Him crucified that matters. That is all that matters when eternity is on the line. Good acts done for self satisfaction are meaningless to God. Good acts done in the name of Christ will draw people to God. That is what matters most. It is not about us. It never has been. Surrender your will to the One who formed you and knows all about you.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

RANDOM RAMBLINGS 26

          When I think about my life and all I have been through, it is very hard not to think about the negative things that I have inflicted upon myself. God didn’t do it, I did. There are times when I have dwelled on those times so much so that I had become mired in a depressed state. In reality, the past is the past and cannot be altered in any way, shape or form. I know that to be true and always have, but sometimes our minds become a playground for the devil. He delights in pointing out all the reasons why God would not only not love us, but not have anything to do with us. This is why the Bible calls him a liar and the father of all lies (John 8:44). 

          Nothing can separate us from the love of God (Romans 8:39). We must leave the past in the past and focus on the present and the future, both of which are in God’s capable hands. We can resurrect our lives from the rubble of past mistakes. Our mistakes do not define us as people. God still loves us and He still wants to use us for His glory. If I have learned anything in my life it is that I am flawed and God is not. We will never be perfect, but that doesn’t mean we should stop trying.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

YOUR SPIRITUAL MATURATION

Ephesians 4:32 (TNIV) “Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.”

          We all have a tendency to say and do things we regret. There are times we wish we could hit rewind and have it to do all over again. Unfortunately, we cannot. It is in the maturation process of our spirit man that we begin to shed these ungodly habits. And that is exactly what they are; very bad habits. Things that we have allowed ourselves to think, say and do that have become ingrown in our psyche and in our daily routine. We must break the cycle. We can by lifting it up to God regularly and allowing the Holy Spirit to teach us the better way to handle ourselves as true believers. We must allow God to progressively work in us so that we are proper ambassadors for Him.

          This is not an instantaneous event, but rather something we grown into as we walk with Christ. Yet we must have the desire to change. Our salvation and resulting entrance of the Holy Spirit in us is the start. Now we must allow Him to guide and direct us. We must also seek it. We can ignore the Spirit’s leading without question, we are not robots. But don’t beat yourselves up about it; learn and grow at the feet of God and submit to His ways. He knows what He is doing, knows what He wants you to do for the Kingdom and His glory and knows how to take you there. Everything in life takes time; even your spiritual maturation. Surrender to His will for you and you will be amazed at the results.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

CHILDLIKE TRUST

Matthew 18:3-4 (TNIV) “… (Jesus) said: ‘Truly I tell you, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever takes a humble place—becoming like this child—is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.’”

          What characteristic does a young child have that Jesus might be referencing here? Little children display curiosity and wonder at the things around them, but trust is what I think the Lord is speaking of. Without trust, which is linked to faith, you cannot please God (Hebrews 11:6). Having trust means you are relying on someone other than yourself. We can rely on God for everything we need to sustain us in this life. There is no one else in this world who fits that description.

          Trust leads to humility. We must go about our lives with a humble spirit. The true believer tends to be humble because they realize and know that they are truly nothing without Christ (John 15:5). It is in our humility that we become strong. We are relying on the most incredible power source in creation … the Creator Himself. Becoming like a child is not to act infantile or childish, but rather to live with a trust in your God that allows you to rely on Him to provide for and sustain you completely. Let go of the rope and see that you do not fall. Christ is with you and is in you and He will never leave you nor forsake you … ever (Psalm 37:28; Hebrews 13:5).

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

WHAT AWAITS US

Romans 8:18 (TNIV) “I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us.”

          The suffering spoken of in Romans is the suffering done for preaching the gospel of Christ. Any suffering cannot be dismissed lightly, however, any suffering done for Christ’s sake is nothing compared to the glory and wonder of heaven that awaits all true believers. No matter how bad our life may be, there is always someone who has it worse. Our goal is not to focus on the pain, but rather on the outcome.

          Physical pain, mental stress and strain, emotional roller coaster rides are all things we are forced to deal with and endure, perhaps not for the cause of Christ, but they are real nonetheless and cause us to suffer. Know this: nothing in this world compares to that which awaits us in heaven. If heaven is anything like it is depicted in scripture and anything like the God we serve, then it is going to be one unbelievable place. God knows what He’s doing. Our sufferings are only for a time and shall pass. We must continue to exercise our faith and trust Him who has made us. Christians don’t have pristine, perfect lives. We stumble and fall; if we get cut we bleed just like anyone else. We are flawed, but we have a future that rivals anything Hollywood can conjure up. Our hope outshines any suffering we must endure this side of heaven.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

THE LIFE PRESERVER

Colossians 1:13-14 (TNIV) “… he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.”

          Picture yourself in a rough sea at night. Pitch darkness surrounds you. You are all alone in the water, fighting to stay alive. You see a light in the distance. It’s coming closer. You realize it’s a Coast Guard Cutter. You’ve been found. You’re being rescued. Hope blossoms into the realization that you are being saved and are safe. What relieve you experience.

          Now picture an equally life threatening set of circumstances: living in this world without forgiveness or hope. The darkness of rough seas at night is nothing compared to the darkness that awaits those who refuse to be rescued. Perhaps we need to begin to see people lost at sea, fighting to stay above water, without salvation, without hope. We can make a significant, life-changing difference in someone’s life today if we would only see their situation for what it truly is. They run around blindly in the dark while we have the light of the truth. They are walking a tightrope over a fiery abyss, while we have the safety net that can save them. “But for the grace of God go I.” We could still be lost, but we were rescued. Someone cared enough to share what they knew to be true. Shall we keep it to ourselves? I dare say we must not.

Lord, help us to awaken from our slumber and throw someone we know to be lost a life preserver … amen.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

THRU THE FIRE OF CIRCUMSTANCE

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (TNIV) “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.”

          Some folks spend years trying to find out what God’s will for them is. Well, here is part of it. There are two words that stand out to me – all circumstances. That is difficult to do most of the time. It is only when we spend time with God and allow ourselves to grow spiritually that we come to that place. Thanking God for a trying or even life changing set of circumstances can tend to be the last thing we would do, but all things happen for a reason and God is mindful of everything that touches us. He will see us through all circumstances.

          I believe it is when we can actually rejoice, pray and give thanks for any and all circumstances we find ourselves in that we find peace. God is watching and is only a prayer away. Rejoicing and giving thanks in spite of what is happening to us is a sign that spiritual maturity is taking hold and is changing us. Then we can be an example to those around us. It doesn’t mean we don’t feel the weight and pain associated with that circumstance, it means that we recognize in our heart and mind that God is truly in control and nothing will happen to us that He will not enable us to endure. He didn’t take us this far to leave us. He loves us and wants us to grow in His grace and knowledge.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

RANDOM RAMBLINGS 25

Sometimes we just don’t get it. No matter how hard we try we still get things wrong. When we think we were being selfless, in retrospect I were being selfish all along. It is a hard pill to swallow. Life can be complicated, but that is because we make it so. In the midst of this God is standing. He can take what we have made of our lives and help us put it back together. There is a catch though; we must allow Him to do that. Like an alcoholic must first admit he has a problem before he can get help, we must acknowledge our need. There are times when a friend must administer tough love by showing us our mistake. God uses brothers and sisters to constructively advise us to correct a wrong. In the end we are nothing more than frail creatures who over process the simple things and ignore those things that tend to be most important. May the Lord help us as we right the wrongs in our lives.

WALK WITH THE KING AND BE A BLESSING!!

BE SPIRITUALLY FIT

2 Corinthians 4:16-18 (TNIV) “Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal.”

Some of us spend an inordinate amount of time working our bodies as if we would live forever in this present state. The simple reality of it is that from the moment we are born our bodies start an unalterable move toward death. We can eat better foods and live our lives in a healthy state or conversely, eat and drink ourselves into a state far less desirable. In the end we shall all die. However, for the Christian, there is the hope of eternal glory that awaits them.

We must as believers allow our eyes of faith to see that which others cannot as we move through this life God has given us. A fit body is a very good thing, but being spiritually fit is far more important, for it has eternal implications. As we seek and serve God in our everyday lives we are being renewed each day. The troubles we encounter are nothing compared to what awaits us on the other side. Be of good cheer, God loves you unconditionally and shall lead you through the pot holes of life. This world is temporal … “a chasing after the wind”*.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

* Ecclesiastes 1:14, 17; 2:11, 17, 26; 4:4, 6, 16; 6:9.

REDIRECT YOUR FOCUS

Romans 12:12 (TNIV) “Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.”

Faith and trust in God gives birth to hope; patience comes with spiritual maturity and prayer is for our benefit and not God’s. That is a mouthful, but I believe each statement to be absolutely true. As we grow closer to God we learn more about Him and that leads to trust based on faith. All we begin to realize about Him provides that light at the end of the tunnel which isn’t always an oncoming train; it is hope. We can have joy and learn to be patient in the midst of anything if we understand who is truly in control of all things, all the time. Our prayers are the verbalization of our faith as we lift them up to the Almighty Jehovah God. He already knows everything about us, so our prayers can’t be for His benefit … it must be for ours. Why? Because we are in need of the encouragement an answer provides, not God.

You see, no matter what situation you may find yourself, you CAN be joyful, exhibit patience and pray faithfully for resolution if you know who God is and who you are to Him. You are His child. He loves you and wishes no harm to come to you. Whenever you find yourself in a difficult spot, know that God isn’t doing anything TO you but rather FOR you as He teaches you how to deal with circumstances that come your way as a true ambassador of Christ. You can do it if you focus on Him instead of your troubles.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

ACCORDING TO GOD'S WILL

1 John 5:14-15 (TNIV) “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.”

It’s funny how those four words get left out of most discussions about prayer; “according to His will”. Just what IS His will? I would suggest that God knows His will for us much better than we do. I would further suggest that while we COULD know it, we don’t because we don’t know Him the way we could.

We tend to ask that God’s will be done for us, but we could know His will for us so much better if we would just take the time. We don’t get whatever we desire, but rather whatever we ask for within the parameters of God’s will for us. That probably doesn’t include winning the lottery or getting a brand new European sports car we truthfully don’t need … those are things that would draw us away from God eventually. He honors requests that enable us to honor Him. He meets our needs, not our wants. We need to make our wants line up with His will. Take the time to know God better. That IS His will for us.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

EARNESTLY SEEKING

Hebrews 11:6 (TNIV) “… without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

ear•nest adj. 1. Marked by or showing deep sincerity or seriousness: an earnest gesture of goodwill. 2. Of an important or weighty nature; grave. 3. With a purposeful or sincere intent. 4. Serious; determined.

Just believing in something or someone isn’t nearly enough when it comes to God. We must surrender our entire being to His use. We must seek His face daily and learn from Him through His word. Faith is believing in that which we cannot see as if we can. Without faith we are a rudderless ship. Faith gives birth to trust which as a result gives birth to hope. A life without hope is a sad life indeed.

Seeking God is not a requirement, but rather should be the natural outgrowth of a life that has been transformed. If His Spirit is IN you, it will become a natural thing to seek Him and strive to BE like Him. We try to emulate all sorts of people in our lives and yet neglect the One who gives life. Seriously seek God with sincere determination … start today. It will change the trajectory of your life.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!