Who Can Hide?

Jeremiah 23:24 (NIV) "Who can hide in secret places so that I cannot see them?" declares the Lord. "Do I not fill the heaven and the earth?" declares the Lord. This verse was the verse of the day today on a particular website that I frequently visit. Isn't it just wonderful and absolutely amazing that wherever we go that God is there with us?! He sees us, both day and night, and knows where we are at all times. Because God and His ways are so infinite, and we are such finite creatures, this may be a difficult concept for us to fully understand. Whether we understand it or not, this is one of the many attributes of God, His Omniscience. He very clearly sees everything, hears everything, and knows everything. Not only is He Omniscient, He is Omnipotent, and Omnipresent. The prefix Omni simply means All. God is Omniscient—All-knowing. God is Omnipotent—Al–powerful. God is Omnipresent—All-present. He's everywhere, He's possesses all knowledge, and sustains us with His wonderful, working power. There are many verses in the bible that speak of God's amazing attributes. His Love and Grace and Mercy fill the earth, but only because He is Omniscient, Omnipotent, and Omnipresent. Dear Friend, you cannot hide nor escape from God's love for you! He knows everything about you, and also knows the number of hairs on your head. Take a few moments right now to recognize His amazing attributes, and thank Him for keeping a watchful eye on you. He loves you today, tomorrow, and every tomorrow that follows. He Alone is Worthy! Let us thank Him every day that we cannot hide from His stubborn love! Blessings to You! Dave Henry

Humility

 

Humility…

 

In what ways do you accept, respect, and honor those

who have more than you? Practice humility not by putting

yourself down, but by building others up. What friend, relative,

or co-worker can you regard as more important than yourself this week?

Think of at least three specific ways you can build that person up this week!

 

May the Lord bless and keep you;

May he make His face to shine upon you and be gracious unto you.

May He give you His peace now and forever

In Christ,
Rick

Shout for Joy!

Psalm 100 (NIV) Shout for joy to the LORD, all the earth. Worship the LORD with gladness; come before him with joyful songs. Know that the LORD is God. It is he who made us, and we are his; we are his people, the sheep of his pasture. Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name. For the LORD is good and his love endures forever; his faithfulness continues through all generations. Of all of the Psalms, this is certainly one of my favorites! Many hymn writers from years ago, and contemporary songwriters today have used this psalm to inspire the world through songs of worship and praise. As I have read the passage a few times and have spent quiet moments meditating on the beautiful words, I am amazed at God's great love for us! Have you ever wondered what it means to "worship the Lord with gladness" and "to come before Him with joyful songs?" Are you thankful for God's presence, and faithfulness in your life? The bible says that He made us, and we are His children. The passage further explains that we are the sheep of His pasture. Dear Friend, how about you? Do you worship the Lord and shout for joy, and come before Him with songs of praise? Read the last verse one more time, and read it aloud to our Savior. Can you truly say, "O Lord, You are good, and Your love endures forever?" Thank Him now for being so very faithful to all generations! Blessings to You, Dave Henry

Do You Serve God?

Matthew 25:31-45

 

   ³¹ "When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, he will sit on his glorious throne. ³² All the nations will be gathered before him, and he will separate the people one from another as a shepherd separates the sheep from the goats. ³³ He will put the sheep on his right and the goats on his left.

   ³⁴ "Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. ³⁵ For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, ³⁶ I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

   ³⁷ "Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? ³⁸ When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? ³⁹ When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

   ⁴⁰ "The King will reply, 'Truly I tell you, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'

 

We are all in Christ; and Christ in us through the Holy Spirit. When we treat someone badly, we are suffering another wound to Christ. We are all one in the body of Christ, and we all should be treating others the way we would want to be treated. I can't say I have done this all the time. As Christians we are called to serve. I ask you, when do you serve? Is it a service of convenience, or do you go the "extra mile", as Jesus taught His followers when the Roman soldiers would force them to carry their packs. Go the extra mile, it is a small price to pay for the rewards you will receive!

In Christ,

Rick

Many Parts, One Body

Ephesians 4:16 (NIV) "From him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work." Romans 15:5-6 (NIV) "May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you the same attitude of mind toward each other that Christ Jesus had, so that with one mind and one voice you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ." 1 Corinthians 12:12-14 (NIV) "Just as a body, though one, has many parts, but all its many parts form one body, so it is with Christ. For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink. Even so the body is not made up of one part but of many." Have you ever thought about the composition of a team, a choir, the staff in an office, or the church body? Many things have happened this week that have caused me once again to be reminded of the importance of teamwork. For the past 10 or 20 years especially, there has been an increasing emphasis on working together. As I attended church on Sunday morning, I noticed the full parking lot, the clean building, the presence of greeters, the worship team, and of course the pastor. Having our 'full team' in attendance was wonderful to see. However, I know if our pastor were out of town, we would have met at the same time and place to offer our worship to our God who loves us so much. At the office today, we began our work week without 2 members of our staff, who are enjoying much-needed vacations with their familes. Obviously, with set office hours, and a busy week ahead of us, it became extra important for the other members of the body to work hard to properly serve our base of clients who daily depend on our service. Dear Friend, the bible clearly instructs us to be joined and held together by every supporting ligament, to grow and build itself up in love, as each part does its work.' What are you doing to build up your team? Blessings to You, Dave Henry

Delight Yourself in the Lord

Psalm 37:3-4 (NIV) "Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart." Psalm 37:23-24 (NIV) "The LORD makes firm the steps of the one who delights in him; though he may stumble, he will not fall, for the LORD upholds him with his hand." Two different times in Psalm 37, we are instructed to delight in the Lord. What does it mean to delight yourself in the Lord? I asked myself the question, "Do I delight myself in the Lord?" In order to answer this question, it is important to truly know the definition of delight. A few synonyms and related words for the word delight are gratification, pleasure, satisfaction, joy and comfort. Now ask yourself the question again, "Do I delight myself in the Lord?" The bible tells us that if we delight ourselves in Him, he will give us the desires of our heart. In other words, if we are truly anchored and focused on the things of God, he will grant us the desires of our heart, which many of us may ultimately consider being in the center of God's will for our lives. Dear Friend, have you ever asked yourself if your life is being lived in the center of God's will? I think we will know the answer if we truly delight ourselves in Him. The bible also tells us that when we delight ourselves in Him, He will make our footsteps firm. What a wonderful benefit, don't you think? How about you? Do you delight yourself in the Lord? Blessings to You, Dave Henry

Fruit of the Spirit

Fruit of the Spirit       

 

Most of us have grown up learning the Bible and memorizing the Books…that was a tough one in Bible school huh? But how many of us know, truly know what it means to be in the fruit of the Spirit? How many of us live these daily in our lives?

 

First you must know and understand what it is to Love.

1 John 4:7-12 says:

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. He who does not love does not know God, for God is love. In this the love of God was manifested toward us, that God has sent His only begotten Son into the world, that we might live through Him. In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins. Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has seen God at any time. If we love one another, God abides in us, and His love has been perfected in us.

 

God calls us to love one another as He loved us. Are you an example of love?

 

Second you must have Joy.

Joy that is a fruit of God's Spirit has its roots in the realization of God's purpose and its outworking that transforms us into His image. Biblical joy begins when God calls and we hear the gospel, understand and believe it. Notice this in Isaiah 61:1-3, which Jesus quoted as He began His ministry:

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon Me, because the Lord has anointed Me to preach good tidings to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn, to console those who mourn in Zion, to give them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they may be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He may be glorified.

This is only the beginning because the process continues. Paul writes in Romans 5:11:

And not only that, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received the reconciliation.

And when our time here is done we will long to hear:

Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord. (Matthew 25:21)

Next is Peace.

 

Most dictionaries will define "peace" as freedom from war, harmony, concord, agreement, calm, tranquility, serenity, quiet, undisturbed state of mind, absence of mental conflict, contentment, and acceptance of one's state and the absence of anxiety. It will list its antonyms as war, anxiety, disorder, disturbance, disruption, conflict and commotion.

 

In the gospels Jesus did not make many direct statements about peace, but one given on the eve of His crucifixion is very revealing:

 

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. (John 14:27)

His use of "heart" reveals that the peace in which He is involved while we are in this world is a state of mind. John 16:33 confirms this:

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world.

Patience, Kindness and Goodness are the next three to be counted

God clearly holds Jesus up to us as the example of patience we must strive to follow.

For what credit is it if, when you are beaten for your faults, you take it patiently? But when you do good and suffer for it, if you take it patiently, this is commendable before God. For to this you were called, because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that you should follow His steps: "Who committed no sin, nor was guile found in His mouth"; who, when He was reviled, did not revile in return; when He suffered, He did not threaten, but committed Himself to Him who judges righteously. (I Peter 2:20-24)

Jesus vividly illustrates the kindness of God in His instruction in the Sermon on the Mount.

You have heard that it was said, "You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy." But I say to you, love your enemies, bless those who curse you, do good to those who hate you, and pray for those who spitefully use you and persecute you, that you may be sons of your Father in heaven; for He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward have you? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet your brethren only, what do you do more than others? Do not even the tax collectors do so? Therefore you shall be perfect, just as your Father in heaven is perfect. (Matthew 5:43-48)

 

 

Moses writes in Deuteronomy 6:18, 24:

And you shall do what is right and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with you, and that you may go in and possess the good land of which the Lord swore to your fathers. . . . And the Lord commanded us to observe all these statutes, to fear the Lord our God, for our good always, that He might preserve us alive, as it is this day.

He adds in Deuteronomy 12:28, "Observe and obey all these words which I command you, that it may go well with you and your children after you forever, when you do what is good and right in the sight of the Lord your God."

Faithfulness

Jesus says in His prophetic message about the church:

Who then is a faithful and wise servant, whom his master made ruler over his household, to give them food in due season? Blessed is that servant whom his master, when he comes, will find so doing. Assuredly, I say to you that he will make him ruler over all his goods. (Matthew 24:45-47).

Meekness

Meekness is so important that Jesus mentions it in His foundational teaching, the Sermon on the Mount: "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth" (Matthew 5:5). Obviously, the world's ideal of the perfect man is very different from His. The meek are among those so favored that they will share in Jesus' inheritance of the earth.

 

Self Control

 

In I Corinthians 9:24-27, the apostle Paul strongly advises us to self-control:

Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may obtain it. And everyone who competes for the prize is temperate in all things. Now they do it to obtain a perishable crown, but we for an imperishable crown. Therefore I run thus: not with uncertainty. Thus I fight: not as one who beats the air. But I discipline my body and bring it into subjection, lest, when I have preached to others, I myself should become disqualified.

 

I ask each of you as well as looking inward, what must be done to attain these attributes?

It is our calling by Jesus Christ to learn and live these. To teach others though our actions.

Today I buried my grand-mother, I felt a sense of joy and happiness to hear all of these remembered and seen by others in my grand-mother.

Grandma Pat. "Well done, good and faithful servant; you were faithful over a few things, I will make you ruler over many things. Enter into the joy of your lord."

In Christ,
Rick

Just Going Through the Motions

Lately I've been really lazy in my faith and honestly in life in general. I've let myself get comfortable with not reading my bible, not spending daily prayer time with God, and many other things. I've not wrote one of these discussions in quite some time either. It really just sort of hit me in the face the other day that I'm not being the image I used to be. And I wonder how many people have noticed that I'm not being the Christian example that I've told everyone else to be like. I used to pray daily for God to let me be a light to those in darkness, but now I've found myself in the deepest, darkest, loneliest place I can be in. So for not being the example many of you may look after, I apologize. I'm on it to fix myself and get back to where I once was with my walk. It's especially unacceptable considering I stand on a stage and play music for God weekly, but yet I've just been going through the motions. If anyone else has found themselves in a similar situation of just going through the motions, please send me a message and talk to me about it, I'd love to get back on track right along side you!!! *Striving to be God's Army* -Tyler