RANDOM RAMBLINGS 21

I have often admitted something I am not very proud; that I have the bad problem of judging people by their appearance. I assess them in mere moments, sometimes seconds. I determine what their intellect is, what economic level they belong to, whether they are nice or not so nice, their sexual orientation ... you name it, I have it down. It is so automatic that I do it without even thinking. I know I am like this and I am not at all proud of it either. I have asked God to forgive me for such an ungodly habit, yet I continue to do it.

Within the last few days I believe God has revealed to me how I can combat this terrible, sinful practice; learn to see others the way He does. I once heard it said that we should see others as people walking a tightrope above a fiery abyss. I suppose I could do that or I could just begin to practice seeing people the way God does; lost souls who think, say and do the things they do because they don't know any better. It's not their fault, they are a product of the fall of man. I need to be Christ to people, not their judge and jury. I mean, with the track record I have SINCE I have received Christ 33 years ago I have no room to talk. As you can well imagine, I am eternally grateful for God's patience and mercy.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

OUR HELMET

Ephesians 6:14-17 (TNIV) “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

An individual's head is the focal point of the body. It is the epicenter from which your brain transmits impulses to every part of your body. It must be protected. The helmet of salvation does that. With such protection the gospel message is secure. Since the head is the seat of the mind, we are able ward off false doctrine and temptation.

It is imperative that we are mindful of the various doctrines and temptations that will undoubtedly pay us a visit. Focusing on God and the protective measures He has afforded us is a great place to start. That is why, especially now, it is very important that we immerse ourselves in Christ; seek to be more like Him and resist that which is ungodly. The Spirit of God will alert you. Be careful, be aware and keep your armor on.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

OUR SHIELD

Ephesians 6:14-17 (TNIV) “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

FAITH (def): strong or unshakeable belief in something, especially without proof or evidence.

Hebrews 11:1 (TNIV) “Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see.”
Hebrews 12:2 (TNIV) “… fixing our eyes on Jesus, the pioneer and perfector of our faith.”

Satan would put doubts in your mind about the faithfulness of God. The Shield of Faith enables us to stand strong in the face of all such attacks from the enemy. He cannot harm us unless we let our guard down and open the door to him. He comes in many different shapes and forms. He cannot create anything, but instead can replicate things. He can take garbage, wrap it in glittery paper and adorn it with a bow to make it look appealing. Don’t be fooled. God gives us armor for a very specific reason and purpose; to ward off the attacks of the enemy.

Avail yourself of the shield of faith, for without it you are liable to believe anything that comes your way and become vulnerable to Satan’s lies. God is the only One who does not change. His faithfulness to us is unparalleled and cannot be diverted. Keep your shield raised up to protect your heart so you do not fall victim to the devils wiles. Remember, we have already won, we just need to play it out to the end.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

OUR FOOTWEAR

Ephesians 6:14-17 (TNIV) “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

“In warfare, sometimes an enemy places dangerous obstacles in the path of advancing soldiers. … Satan has many obstacles placed in the path to halt the propagation of the gospel.”*

It is my belief, based on the opening chapter of Job in the Old Testament, that Satan, our great adversary, must first seek permission from God to attack one of His children. Attacks WILL come at us if we are living for God.  We NEED the full armor of God to stand. It is OUR choice to make. We don’t HAVE to do a thing, but know this, we CAN have a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe. We can share the gift His has freely given us to others who need it desparately and don't even know it. Does that not MEAN something to you?

Avail yourself of this piece of armor, for being spiritually in tune with where you are, where you are going and what you are to do is vitally important to you as a believer. Satan has no hold on you. He can do NOTHING to you that you yourself do not allow. You can be sure that if God is testing you, you must be in the center of His will and that is always the safest place to be.

James 4:7-8a (TNIV) “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come near to God and he will come near to you.”

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!!

* quote from www.gotquestions.org web site.

OUR BREASTPLATE

Ephesians 6:14-17 (TNIV) “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”
Romans 3:10 (TNIV) “As it is written: ‘There is no one righteous, not even one; … ‘.”

"A breastplate shielded a warrior’s vital organs from blows that would otherwise be fatal."*

Okay, so if no one is righteous on his own, then how do we become righteous so we can have this breastplate to protect ourselves against the fiery arrows of the enemy? We cannot earn it. We cannot buy it. It is ours when we receive Christ into our lives. His righteousness becomes our righteousness. We are now members of God’s family and therefore are seen by Almighty God as righteous in His sight.
We must wear it to ward off the slanderous accusations that Satan will hit us with. We are no match for him on our own, but with the power of God at our disposal we are unbeatable. One word in Jesus name and the devil and all his demons must flee. Take seriously your charge as a believer in Christ. Seek to live humbly and obediently to the word of God and strive to be more like Jesus each day. Bless someone today in word or deed.
WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!!

* from web site www.gotquestions.org

THE BELT OF TRUTH

Ephesians 6:14-17 (TNIV) “Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.”

“The Belt is not the most noticeable piece of the armor, however, it is actually the central piece that holds all the rest securely in place and provides for every need during battle.”*

A soldier would hang small food items and liquids for nourishment and hang his weapon from the belt as well. It is also meant to protect a most vulnerable area, our pelvic region.

The redirection of thought and distraction are ways our enemy, the devil, can distract us and cause us to fall. We must “gird our loins” as the King James translation puts it, to protect ourselves from attack. Feast on the truth of God and do not entertain that which is worldly or displeasing to God. To do so leaves you vulnerable to attack. We are in a spiritual war and will lose on a personal level if we are not alert and girded properly with His truth. Seek the wisdom of God to direct you in the ways that you should go daily. Immerse yourself in His ways. Study how to be like Him more each day. Don’t miss the opportunity to do something great for the kingdom. God wants to use you. Be ready.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!!

*by Tim Greenwood; www.tgm.org (this is simply a footnote for a partial quote from his website, not an endorsement of this man’s ministry.)

RANDOM RAMBLINGS 20

I am of the opinion that no matter how bad a person may have it in their life there is ALWAYS someone somewhere who has it worse. It helps me to think like that when things aren't going so well for me. We all have our little trials and tribulations. They come to good people and bad people alike. You can be a saint and still have difficulties. It is an inevitable part of life. How we deal with our difficulties says a lot about our character and our belief system. I have chosen to believe that God has everything under control at all times even when I do not. If God is truly who the Bible says He is, then how could I not believe in such a way. Putting my faith and trust in something or someone else is putting it in something or someone that is fallible, for no one is INfallible except God. Why would a person believe in anything that wasn't flawless? Beats me.

So I am going to go about my day today with the hope that all will go well for me today. If it doesn't I believe there is a reason for it and I will roll with the tide. Life doesn't have to be complicated. We make it that way, but it doesn't have to be that way. It's like the gospel; we tend to make that complicated too. It's simple really. God loves us so much that He saved us from ourselves by sending His Son to die for all the sins we have ever committed. We just need to receive and believe; He changes us from the inside out. Praise His name.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

NO WEAPON CAN DEFEAT US

Ephesians 6:10-13 (TNIV) “Finally, be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand.”

I believe in a Spiritual Realm. I believe in Angels and Demons. I believe that there is a Spiritual Battle taking place that has been fought for ages. I believe that though the outcome has already been determined by Almighty God, the Battle rages on until such time when Christ splits the sky and defeats Satan and his minions ushering in a New Age. I also believe that “no weapon forged against (us) will prevail.” (Isaiah 54:17) I believe that God has provided for His followers a full set of armor that shall enable us to ward off the fiery arrows of the enemy. Will you avail yourself of this armor? That is up to you. In the next few days I will look briefly at each piece of armor.

I firmly believe that as a believer in Christ, nothing can touch you that God does not allow for His own purposes. So take heart my brothers and sisters in Christ, WE WIN. We have provisions aplenty to succeed in this life as a Christian. We need to dig into God’s Word and find them. We must strengthen our faith and allow the Spirit of God to minister to us that we may bless those around us who are ignorant to such things. We must reach out to the afflicted; be God’s hand extended. There is nothing the devil can throw at us that is a surprise to our Lord. Trust Him with your life and “prosper, even as your soul prospers”. (3 John 1:2)

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

WE ARE GIVEN ARMOR

Ephesians 6:10-11 (TNIV) “… be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armor of God, so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes.”

There is no doubt that if you are trying to do that which is Godly and right in this life the enemy of your soul will come against you. If you are doing nothing for the Kingdom of God then you are no threat to the devil, but if you ARE, then be forewarned; you are a threat to evil and will be tested. I believe quite literally in what we read in the beginning of the Book of Job. Satan must come before God and request permission to harass us. If it were not so then how could God be all-powerful? There would be something out of His control. I don’t believe that to be true. God provides for us armor, as it were, to ward off such attacks from the devil. We are able to stand tall in the face of any attack if we use those weapons that are readily at our disposal.

In the coming days I will be looking at each piece of armor that God provides for us as believers. Suffice it to know at this time that if we trust in and rely on God as our provider and sustainer in this life, we shall not fall and can withstand ANY attack from the enemy. Trust in God for all things and you will never be disappointed or turned aside. You may count on that for the scriptures declare it to be so.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!!

ARE YOU BLESSED?

Jeremiah 17:7-8 (TNIV) “But blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him. They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

What a mental picture Jeremiah paints for us. A tree planted by a stream feeding it nourishment continuously. Have you ever known such a place? I have. I used to take long walks on Saturdays during my teen years. The serenity of those walks was unparalleled. The writer states that the person who places his trust in the Lord is blessed … not was blessed or will be blessed, but IS blessed or HIGHLY FAVORED. God favors His children and if you are a true believer in Christ, then YOU are highly favored by God.

What a wonderful thing to hear. Think on it. Don’t just read it and run. Consider who you are to God. Consider who God is. Do you realize what an honor and privilege it is to be not just favored, but HIGHLY favored by the creator of the entire universe? However, this doesn’t just happen, it happens to those who have placed their trust in Him. Though it is not specifically stated, the implication is that we are to give our entire life over to Him and trust Him no matter what comes our way. We are to rely on Him in all situations and circumstances. May the Lord enable us to do just that all the days of our lives.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

CHARACTER FLAWS TO AVOID

1 Peter 2 (TNIV) “… rid yourselves of all malice and all deceit, hypocrisy, envy, and slander of every kind.”

MALICE (def): A desire to harm others or to see others suffer; extreme ill will or spite.

DECEIT (def): The act or practice of deceiving; deception.

God, in His infinite wisdom, has given us an entire book which chronicles the history of the Hebrew nation; their rejection of Christ as their Messiah and the grafting in of the gentiles as recipients of the precious salvation gift that was originally meant for God’s chosen people, the Jews. In its’ pages we, as believers in Christ, are instructed in many ways regarding many important topics. Perhaps one that is most important, because it can be so incredibly devious and destructive both within and outside the body of Christ are those negative attributes listed above.

We are to rid ourselves of these heinous character flaws. We are still human and therefore prone to exhibit them from time to time. It takes a conscience effort to rid ourselves of such behavior patterns. Life can be cruel and those in it the ones administering the cruelty. We must not lash out. We must not be two-faced. We must not wish ill upon anyone. It is a battle that we will face so often that it will seem continuous. We must embrace Christ so we become all that God intends us to be. Without Christ in our lives, we WILL succumb to the temptation of living out each and every one of those negative personality traits and will be miserable in the process. Surrender your will to God. Only He can save us from ourselves.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!!

WATCH WHAT YOU EAT

Galatians 5:13-15 (NIV) "You, my brothers and sisters, were called to be free. But do not use your freedom to indulge the flesh; rather, serve one another humbly in love. For the entire law is fulfilled in keeping this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” If you bite and devour each other, watch out or you will be destroyed by each other."

Gossip and back biting is prevalent in society to a large extent. In the Christian community it is no different. We judge and choose who to saddle up next to and who to avoid. We bad mouth whomever we choose to without a single thought of how this might line up with scripture. Well here you go ... we are to love one another. Love is defined in 1 Corinthians 13. Have a look. It is not a romantic love, it is an patient, kind, forgiving, abiding love. We are to seek selfless behavior and yet behave selfishly. I am not pointing fingers; as the comical refrain goes, "I resemble that remark."

What must we do to avoid such behavior? I believe that the closer we get to God the less likely we will do those things which are contrary to His word. God knows we aren't perfect; no one is this side of heaven. But the tools to behave in a way that honors Him and is most beneficial to us is right in front of us and we are many times too lazy to pick it up and read it. I know I am. We dupe ourselves into thinking we know all we need to know, when in truth we really don't know much of anything. We need to surrender to God our wills so that we can become all He desires for us to be for Him. It is not all about "ME".

WALK WITH THE KING AND BE A BLESSING!!

RANDOM RAMBLINGS 19

Just the other day I passed the golf practice range of a local country club which was off a back road leading to a woodsy area. Parked on the side of the road was an Audi. I knew exactly what was going on; the driver had snuck onto the practice range to hit some balls without paying. I've seen guys sneak onto regular courses and play the better part of a round of golf to beat the cost. Some may call me a stickler, but that's cheating in its most basic form. I was raised to be a rule follower. The argument could be made that it is because I am German ... toe the party line and all that. I am just wired like that. I guess it makes me wonder if they will cheat at something so inane, what else would they cheat at; their taxes, sneaking in the back door at a movie or concert ... the possibilities are endless. Now I am not pure as the driven snow. I've made more than my fair share of judgment errors, but that doesn't make anything OK. The end does NOT justify the means.

God has a certain standard that He wants us to follow. It stands to reason that believers in Christ will be more prone to obey these standards than those who are not. There are no shortcuts to heaven. No back doors; no side roads entrances to sneak through. We must all receive Christ to be forgiven; there are no substitutes for that. None. So do what you please, but know that not all the things that we engage in will benefit us. I have found that out myself on a number of occasions. Forgiveness is for the asking and with that comes hope. Without Christ what hope does any person really have?

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!   

CHOOSE YOUR CLOTHES WISELY

Colossians 3:12 (TNIV) “Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. “

How would it look if you were a representative of the United States in a foreign country and acted like a fool, cussing and fussing, showing little compassion or patience with others and just plain being a jerk? It would undoubtedly be on all the media outlets for the world to see. On top of that humiliation you would probably be dressed down verbally by the President who appointed you to the position in the first place. Did you know that when you received Christ into your life you became a representative of His? Well you did. We are called to be like Christ, who set an example for us with His life over 2000 years ago. We can read all about it in the Bible. So what’s the problem? We’re human and painfully so. We seek to go our own way and act in ways that would make our own mother blush.

Some of us need to take our walk with Christ a little more seriously. Paul lays out for the Colossians some parameters for living. If we are clothing ourselves in something, isn’t it just like immersion? Weigh the words listed in the above scripture seriously. It may take some time for you to achieve these attributes in some cases, but to strive for it should be our daily aim. Humility. Selflessness. Reach for it … it IS attainable through Christ, but you have to have the “want to”.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

ONLY THROUGH CHRIST

Acts 4:11-12 (CEB) “This Jesus is the stone you builders rejected; he has become the cornerstone! Salvation can be found in no one else. Throughout the whole world, no other name has been given among humans through which we must be saved.”

Proverbs 14:12 (NKJV) “ There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.”

Man thinks he is king of the hill. He thinks he knows best how to run his life. He does not. Man strives for wealth only to see it slip through his fingers in the end. Man seeks power only to see it overthrown by another man more ambitious than he. Man seeks love in all the wrong places only to see it end in divorce and heartache. It all seems so right to man. It seems so perfectly planned. It is not until a man realizes that his best laid plans are no match for Almighty God and His perfect plan for him. Man cannot in his wildest dreams conceive of the blessings that await him if he would only surrender to his maker.

It is only through Christ that a man may be saved from his own sin. He cannot begin to repay the price that has been paid for his many misdeeds. Once a man realizes all that then and only then can he truly live. Even those who DO have a relationship with God strain at the leash time and again. We do not know what God is fully capable of in our lives until we surrender full authority to Him. Read His word. Get to know Him better. Seek to emulate Christ in all you think, say and do. Do it out of reverence and honor to your Creator and not for any particular gain you might receive and God will bless you so much more than you could ever ask or think.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!!

TRUTH vs. FICTION

Colossians 2:8 - Contemporary English Version (CEV) “Don't let anyone fool you by using senseless arguments. These arguments may sound wise, but they are only human teachings. They come from the powers of this world and not from Christ.”

There are many in this life who would challenge the believer with human arguments. Atheists pride themselves in their unbelief. Their words are powerless and useless in the face of the truth of God. They have chosen to not follow Christ because they desire to rule themselves. They do not want to have to answer to any higher authority. If that is the case one would think they would be against all government rule and become anarchists as well.

Some people who choose not to believe in God have a desire to make true believers out to be lunatics and fools. God cannot be mocked for as the scripture states, “what you sow, so shall you reap”
(Galatians 6:7). Just because they don’t believe a word of the Bible doesn’t keep its’ truth from coming to fruition. Don’t allow these babblers to influence you in any way. Immerse yourself all the more in God’s word and turn a deaf ear to their inane ramblings which amount to nothing more than idle verbiage, spoken for their own personal gratification. If you doubt the existence of God, open your heart and mind and ask Him today if He truly is who He says He is. If you are sincere, then you will find out what billions of others across the globe have found to be true … that God is real and Christ really did die to pay for your sins.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

GOD IS AT WORK

Romans 8:28 (CEB) “We know that God works all things together for good for the ones who love God, for those who are called according to his purpose.”

Do you ever have doubts that things would work out okay for you? I have. I do exactly what scripture tells us not to do as believers; I worry. I worry about things that normally never take place. I mull over every eventuality and play it out to its potential conclusion. What a waste of time and energy. That is me. How about you? Hopefully you are not like me. People tend to worry about the future; the great unknown. It’s like going into a pitch dark room. What is the first thing we do … look for a light switch, don’t we? Naturally; why?... because we want to see what we are walking into. It is no different in life.

God tells us not to worry and galvanizes that thought by having Paul write to the Roman believers that God works ALL things together for those who love God. Do you love God? Then you are who he is talking to. God knows all about any given situation you may find yourself in. As long as you are seeking His guidance and striving to live a life that glorifies God and not yourself, then you can count on all things in your life working themselves out for your ultimate benefit. It may not seem like it at first, but God knows all things and knows without question what is best for us. It is a matter of faith. Who else are we going to trust? Now if I could just get that through my thick German head.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

HIS PROMISES ARE TRUE

2 Peter 3:9 (TNIV) “The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. Instead he is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance.”

The promise of the Blessed Hope of Christ’s return shall come to pass when God has played His hand fully. Scripture is clear; He doesn’t want anyone to go to hell for all eternity. That flies in the face of the Calvinist doctrine of ‘predestination’ where some are born to go to heaven and some to hell and there is nothing they can do to alter their predestined fate, as it were. This is no time for impatience. Believers need not be concerned about their eternal destination if they are being faithful to their calling to follow Christ. It is those who are playing with the fine points of salvation, who like to go right up to the edge of the ledge that should be concerned, very concerned.

God doesn’t make promises that He intends to break. His word is His bond; He is faithful and true … now and always. Above all else God can be trusted and relied upon to fulfill His plan for us all. Have you read His word today? Neither have I just yet, but we both need to. Look for His promises and know that they will KEEP those promises. It happens in His time.

2 Peter 3:8 (TNIV) “… do not forget this one thing, dear friends: With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day.”

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

RANDOM RAMBLINGS 18

A strange thought went through my mind as I was sitting at a stop light looking in my rear view mirror. I saw two 20-something young men in what appeared to be fairly new BMW, or Beemer for all you 'in the know' My heart was saddened by the thought that they might be caught up in the NEW American Dream. The original American Dream was that one could start from nothing and make something of themselves through hard work and a certain level of integrity. Today people aspire to lofty financial heights and when they find them unattainable want the government to give it to them as if they are entitled to the fulfillment of that Dream without having to seriously work for it.

On top of all that is the fact that the most important thing of all may be missing in their lives; Christ. Life with Christ leads to contentment regardless of your circumstances. Life without Christ leads to one hopeless endeavor after another. They struck me as two young men who were reaching for the promised golden ring, never realizing that it shall always remain just out of their reach. Satan delights is doing that. In the end, all I can do is pray for God to become real in their lives so that they might attain that which they truly need, rather than what they wish to acquire. May we all not just see the things that need to be done, then crawl back in our comfort zone away from the fray. Lord, help us to BE Your hand extended selflessly ... help us surrender to Your will daily.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

GOD HAD A PURPOSE

2 Timothy 1:9 (CEB) “God is the one who saved and called us with a holy calling. This wasn’t based on what we have done, but it was based on his own purpose and grace that he gave us in Christ Jesus before time began.”

There is absolutely nothing we can do to get into heaven on our own. Do you realize that? God chose to create us for His own good pleasure and He chose to save us when we fell from grace. You can either choose to believe that or choose to blow it off as utter nonsense. That’s because when God created us He gave us a free will to decide things for ourselves. God wanted us to worship and serve Him out of conscience choice and not out of obligation; because we WANTED to, not because we HAD to. The salvation we elected to receive from Him wasn’t based on anything we have done or even anything we COULD have done.

The choices we make in this life define who we become. If we choose to serve Christ we are from that point identified with Christ and accountable to Him. He is not a tough task master. As Nehemiah puts it: “You are God, ready to pardon, gracious and merciful, slow to anger, abundant in kindness.” (Nehemiah 9:17b) God had His own reasons for what He has done, what He is doing and what He will do. Don’t bother trying to figure it out, you never could. He gave us Christ Jesus. It was His plan. God knew we would fall and had a plan ready and waiting to restore us to HImself. Who is like our God? No one. That is why He is Almighty and we are not. Submit yourself to Christ and bask in His unfathomable mercy and grace.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

BE A COMFORTER

2 Corinthians 1:3-4 (CEB) “May the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ be blessed! He is the compassionate Father and God of all comfort. He’s the one who comforts us in all our trouble so that we can comfort other people who are in every kind of trouble. We offer the same comfort that we ourselves received from God.”

In this “me first” society where selfishness reigns supreme, God stands alone as the one bastion of selfless comfort. He reaches into the lives of those in need when called upon to bring peace to a restless soul and comfort in the midst of pain. There is a significant reason for His actions. It is these actions we are to emulate in a lost and dying world. For by those actions the world will see that there IS a God and that He DOES care. Mere words are insufficient. Mere words can tend to be meaningless. Unless they are followed up by corresponding action they carry no weight. Seriously, how many times have we told someone we would pray for them and forgotten. How much more powerful is it to stop right where you are and pray for them immediately. Who cares what people around you may think. God is at work. Comfort is God’s way of touching lives. People can see God in others when they provide comfort. We are given comfort by God in our distress so we might be able to empathize with the plight of others and be God’s hand extended to offer solace.

Being selfless is not an easy thing to be. In a selfish world, selflessness is all but ignored. Except for Christians who seek to be such, it would not exist at all. I try to be selfless, yet find myself falling far short of the mark so many times. It is still my goal as I strive to be a little more like Jesus each day. Will you join me in my quest? Don’t give up, surrender.  Surrendering to God will change you in ways you never expected. It will turn your world upside down if you let it. Want excitement in your life? Serve God.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!

MATTER OF THE HEART

Psalm 139:23-24 (CEB) “Examine me, God! Look at my heart! Put me to the test! Know my anxious thoughts! Look to see if there is any idolatrous way in me, then lead me on the eternal path!”

Psalm 7:9b (CEB) “… you, the righteous God, are the one who examines hearts and minds.”

We may fool the entire world with our words and actions, but God looks us squarely in the heart and sees our true self. He knows our motives and every errant thought that crosses our minds. He looks intently at our heart and not at our outward appearance. He cares little what we may look like, for He Himself created us.  God simply wants what is best for us and will always lead us towards that very thing. We may choose to strain against the leash, so to speak, but we do it to our own discredit.

May we be a people striving to be like Christ each day so we can with boldness say along with the Psalmist, “Examine me, God! Look at my heart!” To be more like Christ, we must immerse ourselves in Him every chance we get. We must meet our daily obligations, that is true, however, Christ should be the motivating factor in all we think, say and do. Have you put on Christ today?

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!

REVERENCE FOR GOD

 Isaiah 25:1 (CEB) "LORD, you are my God. I will exalt you; I will praise your name, for you have done wonderful things, planned long ago, faithful and sure."

I have learned throughout the course of time that God is most worthy of praise, worship and honor. Many times when I pray, either in spoken or written prayer, I take the time to voice praise to God. It is a right and correct thing to do rather than simply rattle off a list of requests then say amen. God is not a genie in an invisible bottle, nor is He a good luck charm or candyman, present in our lives to fulfill our greatest desires. He is almighty God, the Creator of the Universe and man's first breath. Without a God we would not exist. Some choose to not believe that; billions do.

Proverbs 1:7 states that "wisdom begins with the fear of the Lord". Fear in this case means a reverential awe or respect. We need not be afraid of God, simply respect and revere Him for who He is. We can readily show that by making it a natural outpouring of our prayers, then allowing it to spill over into our lives. Embrace God and surrender to His plan for you.

WALK WITH THE KING TODAY AND BE A BLESSING!!