Here we are at the doorstep of Resurrection Time and Activies for many of God's people, and already we have entered into another season called "SPRING."
With that thought in mind I am reminded of the passage of Scripture that says, "For all flesh is as the flower of grass. The grass withereth, and the flower thereof falleth away." (1 Peter 1:24)
If we are only thinking in the temporal, we as believers are deeply in trouble.
Hebrews 9:27 says "And as it is appointed unto men once to die, but after this the judgment: ..."
You and I as believers in Christ will face our BEMA [Judgment Seat of Christ] and must give account for our deeds (2 Corinthians 5:10) which may not be rewarding if indeed our eyes are only focus on what our flesh can or cannot accomplish.
But if we are thinking eternally ["... looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith" (Hebrews 12:2)], praise the Lord because our "redemption draweth nigh." (Luke 21:28)
I trust you are living in the light of our Saviour's return today (Titus 2:12-14) and that as believers in Christ, you'll not be caught with your hands in the cookie jar of sin and thus to be "ashamed before him at his coming" (1 John 2:28) but that your deeds or "those things" (2 John 8) or "all that we and you have labored for" (2 John 8, AMP) will be that which can receive a "full reward" or "a perfect reward [in full]." (2 John 8, KJV and AMP respectively)
If you know not Jesus Christ as your personal Lord and Saviour, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house." (Acts 16:31)
The verse that precedes 1 Peter 1:24 says, "Being born again, not of corruptible seed, but of incorruptible, by the word of God, which liveth and abideth for ever." I trust that you are born again by the living word of God, and that indeed you are living in the light of His return.
That makes each and everyday a special day for it may be your last day to be living on this side of eternity, and as Ephesians 5:15-16 says, we ought to be walking circumspectly (exactly, accurately, diligently or "purposefully and worthily and accurately", AMP), not as fools, but as wise, Redeeming the time, because the days are evil."
God also says of your life,
10 "The length of our days is seventy years- or eighty, if we have the strength; yet their span is but trouble and sorrow, for they quickly pass, and we fly away.
11 Who knows the power of your anger? For your wrath is as great as the fear that is due you.
12 Teach us to number our days aright, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.
Believer, may you and I live each day as we are living in the realm of eternity and may it be with eternity's values in mind and heart.
Praise the Lord, let the time be as it may, for we are now one day closer to our Lord's return when we shall see Jesus Christ face to face. (1 John 3:2-3).
WHAT ABOUT DISCOURAGEMENT? Current mood: peaceful Category: Friends
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Spending time in God's Word can give one great strength for a given day.
Psalm 119:25, "My soul cleaveth unto the dust: quicken thou me according to thy word."
Psalm 119:28, "My soul melteth for heaviness: strengthen thou me according unto thy word."
The first verse has to do with "giving up on life" ... "cleaveth unto the dust."
How many times do we as God's people just want to give up, throw in the towel, or just wish the rapture would happen so we do not have to face whatever experience God is having us to go through.
There is so much strength that comes from focusing on and being in God's precious Word, "... quicken [which means to revive, stimulate] thou me according to thy word."
It is God's precious, life-giving, life-transforming Word that provides the strength that we need to face the experiences that God would have us to walk through. He is the One that will provide the direction through those experiences and it is always through His precious Word. (Psalm 119:9, 11, 105)
The second verse has to do with discouragement.
Yes, even God's people can easily become discouraged when facing all that is in their lives.
Discouragement is simply being deprived of courage or confidence." The Amplified Bible says "My life dissolves and weeps itself away for heaviness." Discouragement is always a heaviness in life, so many burdens, so many cares, so many things to have to contend with, and so many things to worry about.
In Matthew 14:27-33, Peter is declared to be walking on the water toward Jesus, and when he took his eyes off of Jesus and looked around and saw the waves which we compare to the storms in life), he was afraid, losing courage and began to sink.
Jesus was there reaching out his hand and taking Peter's hand into His and saying to Peter "O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt [me]?" (Matthew 14:31)
So many times when we take our eyes off of the Lord Jesus and we see and do things in our own fleshly ways, desires and strength do we begin to lose faith, courage or confidence.
That will always lead to discouragement, and many times, discouragement will lead to depression. Faith, courage or confidence always comes by focusing on Jesus Christ and His precious life-sustaining Word, "... quicken [make be alive, or revive] me according to they word."
As the song "Thy Word" so says in its second stanza, "When I feel afraid, and I think I've lost my way, Still You're there right beside me. Nothing will I fear as long as you are near, Please be near me to the end."
Focus believer, on Jesus Christ, and His precious, life-giving, life-transforming, life-sustaining Word, and He will take care of your or my wanting to throw in the towel on life and he will take care of your or my being discouraged, and He will do so by renewing our faith, courage or confidence in Him.
Remember ... FOCUS on HIM (Colossians 3:1-2; Hebrews 12:2)
Have a GREAT DAY in the LORD! (Psalm 118:24) Gary L Folz
Tuesday, February 20, 2007, 01:18 PM GMT [General]
GOD'S WAY OF PROSPERING
Hi Everyone ...
2 Chronicles 26:5b (KJV) ... "And as long as He sought the LORD, God made him to prosper."
The same part of this verse in The Amplified Bible says, "and as long as he sought (inquired of, yearned for) the Lord, God made him prosper."
Here we are in February of the new year of 2007 and are looking toward GOD's Blessing in our lives. At the same time, I hear that there are alot of God's people facing new trials, circumstances, adversities that may plague their lives.
When looking for God's blessing, they face hardships.
They pray for God's sufficient grace and all they get is more in the way of hardships.
Many times, believers end up fretting, and up being filled with anxiety, and many experience tremendous fear.
Believers also have a great way of of reversing the Bible's teaching in Proverbs 3:5 and seek to "lean on their own understanding" of things and try to figure out why things are not going as they thought they would, even after they have prayed for the Lord's blessing.
Something to put into that whole mix is the passage of Scripture above and know in mind and heart that if we as believers continue to seek after, yearn for the LORD, [delight in or enjoy Him according to Psalm 37:4] , we can be sure of the biblical fact that God will make us to prosper.
To many times we as believers when falling into the various trials, adversities, and other circumstances that depleat our strengths, further fall into the me, myself, and I syndrome and fail to seek after the LORD in all that we do and say or we fail to seek after the LORD whenever we involve ourselves in decision making, or accountability on our part after making those decisions.
2 Chronicles 26:5b, we can change that.
Focusing upon the LORD is an absolute key to God making us to prosper.
The word "sought" is from the word "seek" which in simple words means "to go after".
It is all about a relationship with our LORD rather than a relationship with the things we have.
Things come and go. Trials and adversities soon will pass.
God's blessings live on (James 1:17).
We as believers need to commit ourselves, really commit ourselves, "yearn for, to go after" our LORD, and in the case of the New Testament believer, the Lord Jesus Christ (Hebrews 12:2) ...
keeping our eyes FOCUSED upon Him (Hebrews 12:2),
to never let Him out of the mix of what our desires are (Psalm 37:4),
decisions we seek to make (Proverbs 4:23),
or what we purpose to do in our walking with and serving Him (1 Corinthians 10:31),
as well as to enjoy prospering as the LORD is willing to give (James 1:17).
Instead of being "anxious about our lives, what we shall eat, or what we shall drink, or what we should put on our bodies (Matthew 6:25-34), we should "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness" (Matthew 6:33) and then "all these things shall be" or the "prospering" will begin.
God loves to bless, BUT, He is a jealous God and want our complete and absolute attention. Then and only then will we begin to see and to experience His marvelous blessings. (Psalm 1:1-6)
I trust you all have a GREAT DAY "those in New York, a "SNOWY DAY" in the LORD! (Job 37:6; 38:22; Psalm 118:24)
Thursday, January 18, 2007, 04:48 PM GMT [General]
Hi Everyone ...
I am a born-again Christian whom God has saved me from my sins and called me into full-time pastoral ministry (of 28 years), to preach the Gospel, the good news that "Jesus Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures, was buried, and rose again the third day according to the Scriptures," and I am really enjoying the "newness of life in Christ" and "delighting myself in LORD." (1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 6:3-4; Psalm 37:4)
As a pastor, I not only seek to obey my Lord in preaching the Gospel (1 Corinthians 1:17) as well as the whole counsel of God's precious Word (Acts 20:27), but I seek to obey Him in all things. (2 Corinthians 2:9) Myspace Layouts
I love people and love to minister to God's people (Galatians 6:9-10) by helping and comforting them through the many trials and adversities they face, helping and comforting them with the precious truths of God's Word (2 Corinthians 1:3-7; Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11).
I have a tremendous burden on my heart, wanting to be sure that each and every person whom God entrusts to my care and friendship has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ that is a guarantee for life eternal and by believing on Christ as their personal Lord and Savior, escape the wrath of God to come (John 3:3, 5; 10:27-29; 1 Corinthians 15:3-4; Romans 5:8-9)
What is a tremendous opportunity for me is reminding people as to how special they are to the Sovereign God Who made them (Psalm 139:14).
The Psalmist says, "...I am fearfully and wonderfully made, o how marvelous are thy works O Lord." (Psalm 139:14)
I enjoy lifting the spirit with words of encouragement, praise, and challenge to my loved ones, my dear friends, and my wonderful neighbors, seeking to brighten the corner where they are (Ephesians 4:29).
Marriage between one man and one woman (Genesis 1:27; 2;24) and families are precious and sacred to God (Hebrews 13:4; Ephesians 5:21-33; 6:1-4).
I love encouraging couples in their relationships with their spouses with the wonderful truths of God's Word. (Ephesians 5:18-33; Colossians 3:17-19; 1 Peter 3:1-7)
Life, work, and society is very difficult and sometimes demeaning and dstructive to those who are married and thus, married couples need all the biblical encouragement that we can give to them.
Children can sometimes put stress on a marriage as well BUT we always need to remember that children are a precious GIFT from the LORD (Psalm 127:3).
But all in all, God created marriage and as we apply His principles, we will enjoy to the fullest, the blessings of being married to the one God has blessed us with. Every husband needs to be faithful to his beloved wife and every wife needs to be faithful to her beloved husband with words that build a marriage up, not tear it down. (Ephesians 5:33)
As I said, "Children are a gift from the Lord." (Psalm 127:3) It is a challenge to raise our children and we always need to remember that children are given as a gift from the LORD, and scripturally, we need to treat them as gifts with reverence and respect, especially as we raise them in the nuture and admonition of the Lord. (Ephesians 6:1-4)
Most of all, I try to remember, we are to be a blessing to all who would come along our way as we live our lives each day (Colossians 3:16-17)
Lastly, FRIENDS, how special and precious they are. Oh, that we would treat our friends with reverence and respect. I am so thankful for friends who love me and care for me as their friend. As Cathey McNabb said about a friend in her poem entitled "I Will Always Be Your Friend", I say to my friends,
You are never alone, I am always near, When you have troubles or feeling blue, All you have to do is call me, I am always around for my friends.
It does not matter where I am, And it does not matter when, When you need someone to talk to you, Then I will always be your friend.
If you need someone to hold your hand, Or all you need is a great big hug, I will be the shoulder to cry on, I will always be your friend.
So never think that you are a burden, When the world gets you down, You do not have to be alone, For, I will always be your friend.
This world with its system of thoughts, passions, and worldly endeavors are deeply disturbing, and not Christ-honoring, so, many need to hear words of life that are of reverence and respect, spiritually lifting, truly from God's precious Word, and cause our focus to be on GOD Who loves us and cares for us deeply (1 Peter 5:7), especially the love and care that comes to us through His precious Son, Jesus Christ, Who died for our sins to give us eternal life as we believe on HIM (John 3:16; Romans 5:8-9).
BRIGHTEN THE CORNER WHERE YOU ARE
We cannot all be famous or be listed in "Who's Who." But every person, great or small, has important work to do.
For seldom do we realize the importance of small deeds Or to what degree of greatness unnoticed kindness leads.
For it's not the big celebrity in a world of fame and praise, But it's doing unpreteniously in undistinguished way.
The work that God assigned to us, unimportant as it seems, That makes our task outstanding and brings reality to dreams.
So do not sit and idly wish for wider, new dimensions where you can put in practice your many good intentions.
But at the spot God placed you begin at once to do Little things to brighten up the lives surrounding you.
If everybody brightened up the spot where they're standing By being more considerate and a little less demanding.
This dark old world would very soon eclipse the evening star If everyone brightened up the corner where they are!
