Friday, April 30, 2010

Trading in the old clunker........

Good morning everyone! It's Friday!!! I am so excited. Joslyn and I have date day today. We are going out for lunch, to a movie, and possibly ice cream afterwards. She is such a cool little girl and loves her daddy dates. But, I think I love my Joslyn dates more. I have a question for you. Who are you? Let's look at that today and dig into some of the good stuff.

Bible verse: 2 Corinthians 5:17 Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.

There is an old Arabia story about a lamp. This lamp was old and battered, but when rubbed, it produced a genie of great power and who ever rubbed it could command the genie to do anything. Well, this young man found the lamp and with it became rich and powerful and married a beautiful princess. This young man's name was Aladdin. Aladdin never let his wife know the power of the lap. One day a schemer, that knew of the lamps power, met the princess and offered her a brand new lamp for the old and battered one. The princess thought it was a great deal to trade the old battered lamp for this brand new, top of the line lamp. So, she traded lamps......

Now God also offers something. It's " new lives for old." Trading in our old clunkers (old lives). This is not a con like the schemer, but a blessed and thrilling reality. And with that new life comes God's blessed Holy Spirit and not a genie to make all things possible for us. God doesn't patch up our old lives, He gives us brand new ones.
When we accept Jesus Christ as our personal Lord and Savior. We really die and are born again. All the old is gone, we are a new creature. Does that mean as soon as we are saved, we are totally changed. Well, in a way yes and a way no. It means we are beginning a new life. We have changed on the inside. Once we have the Holy Spirit in us, we will begin to think different and act different. In Colossians 2:6,7, it talks about once you have received Christ as Lord of your life, it is the beginning. You must continue to follow his leadership by being rooted, built up, and established in faith. Christ wants to be there to help us with our daily problems. Paul talks about in verse 7, that we should draw our strength from Christ, just like a plant does so from the soil. The more we ask Christ to help with our problems, the less we rely on the world for our answers.

I know for me personally, before I accepted Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior. I tried to over and over to fix my problems. Everytime they might go away for a short period or be masked by something but, they would always resurface. When I finally gave control over to God, it was like a huge burden had been lifted off of me. I am not saying that everything changed right away. I am not even saying that I don't have problems now. What I am saying that things started to change little by little. I look back now and think "Wow, how could I have been that person and not realize it." I know the Bible says the old is dead and all things are new,and yes, the old Tony was dead and a new man was born. I believe that it takes work to become rooted in our Lord. When I gave my life over to the Lord, my growth was very minimal. I still wasn't always the best person heck, I still ain't now. But, in Colossians 2:7 Paul tells us " we must be rooted and built up in Him." I believe that our lives as Christians are just like gardens, it takes work. We must read our Bibles, we must pray, we must gather together with other Christians, and we must witness. The closer we draw to Christ, the stronger our roots will become. I know the more I read my Bible and learn about God and His plan, the better my life gets. How cool is that? We should all strive to become closer to God. I ask myself why everyone doesn't want what I have? Why are there some that deny God? Is it not great to know that all things are possible and we can have eternal life? That gift is so valuable and yet God gives it out freely to us if we trust in Him. How can we be greedy and not share that with every person we come in contact with. I think we should let everyone know how God has changed our lives and how He can change theirs. Let's do that today. Find someone and tell them your story of how you came to know Jesus. Have a great day, I love you, and God bless!

Thursday, April 29, 2010

You are valuable........

Good morning everyone. I hope everyone is having a great day so far. Day by day I read the newspaper and wonder. Have things always been this bad? I don't remember when I was growing up, there being all this bad stuff going on. There is so much bad and very little good. I think that little by little we can change that. We can be difference makers and here is how. We must realize this. Let's dig into the good stuff and see what I am talking about.

Bible verse: Matthew 10:29-31 Are not two sparrows sold for a copper coin? And not one of them falls to the ground apart from your Fathers will. But, the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Do not fear therefore; you are more value than many sparrows.

God is totally aware of everything that is going on, at all times. How valuable are we to God, that he would send His son to die for us. We should never worry about the trials or personal attacks in our lives. God's love and spirit is in us and there is no way any outside power or problem can take that away from us.

Saying that, we are all going to go through hard times. We are but sheep sent out among wolves. We will be tried and tested. We have to be aware and steadfast in our everyday walk. If we could all be like pillars of stone. Standing tall and strong in the face of the enemy and adversity. In Matthew 5:10 Jesus says "Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven". I was told by a coworker the other day that if I kept on talking about God and the Bible that people would start to shun me here at work. I thought about that statement for a bit and came to this conclusion. I would gladly accept being shunned by people for my faith in God and trying to share the Word of God with others. I was thinking,"Wow, this is just a hint of persecution. I can't imagine how Jesus felt". I know that it bothered me a little when this man said that to me. What about everything that was said and done to Jesus. What was it like to be in his shoes? Have you ever thought how life would be if Jesus never came to earth for us? What would our existence be like? If Jesus stood and took all that He suffered through. Can we not handle people saying hurtful things, talking bad about us because of our faith, making bad jokes, or challenging our faith. I really think that we will be tested from time to time and we should be. I also think that God will let this all happen to see how strong our Faith in Him is. Sometimes we have to be much stronger to turn the other cheek. There are other times that we show our true self. Let's try to show less of ourselves and more of Jesus. Are we true to God? Will we stand strong and stand tall? Remember we are Gods' children and we are so very valuable to Him. Have a great day, I love you, and God bless!

Check this out.....Even a fool is counted wise if he doesn't move his lips.

Wednesday, April 28, 2010

The Enduring Word......

Good morning friends! Man my allergies are kicked in high gear. it is funny when you start getting old how things start happening. I don't ever remember have allergies before. I have a story for you. I was talking to a man I work with yesterday and he told me about why he doesn't go to church. I have to say that I never thought this gentleman was a Christian. We have talked several times and I believe God opened a door up yesterday. This guy gets very aggressive when you talk about the Bible. I wonder why will apologize sometimes when we are sharing. We should never apologize for the Gospel. Well, to my surprise when he was asked if he believed the Bible he said "Yes". The door was opened The answer to all our questions are just a short trip over to pick up our Bibles. The word of God is how we should live our lives. It will never change. Gods rules and lessons will endure all time.

Bible verse: 1 Peter 1 24 "All flesh is as grass. And all the glory of man as the flower of grass. The grass withers, and its flower falls away, But the word of the Lord endures forever."

Have you guy's ever started a conversation about God and stopped to say "I don't mean to thump a Bible or I'll get down off my pulpit. Why do we sometimes apologize for the Bible? Or maybe apologize for bringing it up. For the word of God is living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword (Hebrews 4:12). It is our weapon, it should also be our comfort. We should run to the Bible in times of need. What ever the need be. Do you think the enemy wants you in the word of God. Absolutely not, he will do anything he can to keep you from it. If we realize that, then why do we still not spend the amount of time we should reading God's word. You know, I don't think the phase reading God's word is enough. The enemy reads and knows God's word. I think the phase should be, learning and living God's word. The enemy doesn't want you learning and living Gods' word. He doesn't want you to understand the authority of the word of God. He doesn't want you to get the power that will shield off the fiery darts and attacks from your heart. Your heart is the enemies most valuable target. But, when the word of the Lord and the Lord of the word become our guide and authority, then I believe the enemy and all his cronies (demons) will flee from us.

Many centuries ago there was a Roman emperor named Diocletian who was known for his hatred of Christianity. He hated the Bible so much that he took a Bible and burned it, and then on top of that burned Bible he erected a monument. Chiseled on the monument were these words: Extincto nomini christianorum- " The name of Christian is extinct." How many people over the years have been like Diocletian? How many have tried to eradicate the Bible and Christianity. The Bible is the incorruptible Word of God, and nothing can destroy that.

I have a mission for us this week. I would like for us all to go and buy a Bible. I want us to pray that God would show us a special someone that could use that Bible, and I want us to give it to them. If you would, let me know the story I would love to hear about it. If you need a Bible and cannot get one. Let me know, I can get you one. Have a great day, I love you, and God bless!

Tuesday, April 27, 2010

Put me in Coach..........

Hello friends! We had a real powerful men's meeting last night. There were over 30 men that came to fellowship and grow closer to the Lord. God knows what we need, when we need it. Sunday night I was sharing with the young people and this was one of the many Bible verses that we covered. How many of us are "Christians" but, people would never know it? Guy's there should be a neon sign hanging over our head with an arrow pointing down that say's "Born Again." Let's dig into the good stuff and see what God's Word has to say about it!

Bible verse: Eph 4:11-12 And He himself gave some to be apostles, some prophets, some evangelists, and some pastors and teachers, for the equipping of the saints for the work of ministry, for the edifying of the Body of Christ,

God has a mission. That mission is to tell everyone about Him, about eternal life in heaven and how to have eternal life in heaven. This is Jesus' great commission. This is our great commission. I remember playing sport's in school. I remember at times, sitting on the bench. Man, did I want to get in the game. I would sit there on the edge of the bench, just waiting for the coach to look my way. Sometimes even bug him. Boy, as soon as he would even start to tell me to get in, I was already on a dead sprint on the field. My question to everyone today. Are we sitting on the edge of the bench ready for God to put us in. Or, are we sitting back comfortable on the bench wanting to pick and choose what we do for God. God already has a game for us to plan in, it is our lives. He already has given us a plan book, the Bible. Now saying this, are we really doing all that we can for God? I think we have become picky at times where and to what extent we serve, if we serve at all. Guy's we have work to do. We have kingdom work to do. There are so many hurting and lost people in this world. Let's come a little closer, there are so many hurting and lost people in our communities that are just waiting for us to tell them about Christ and to help them get up when they have fallen. This is our great commission "to make disciples of all nations" Matthew 28:19. I know we all have lives and all the stuff of life going on. The vacations, the parties, the ballgames, the chores, the fun time, the TV watching, the little things. We all have these things, have we ever asked ourselves "Why we even have these things"? Because God allows us to have these things. So, I guess I'm saying that all I have is because God has blessed me with it. So, God I know You have already read this before I am even typing it. I have sat on my hands for long enough! So God, put me in Coach! Have a great day, I love you, and God bless!

Monday, April 26, 2010

Eyes are on you...........

Good morning everyone! Boy, did we have a great night at youth last night. We had two people accept Christ as their Savior and one young lady re-commit her life to the Lord! God deserves all the praise. He showed up and showed out last night. I still stand amazed at what He does sometimes. We talked last night about our insides matching our outsides. Are you who you say you are? Would other's say that you are real? One of the biggest reasons that I have heard people use for why they don't come to church is "The church is full of hypocrites". I shared with everyone last night that we need to 1. Be honest with ourselves 2. Be transparent with others 3. Be honest with God. So, let's dig into the good stuff a little and talk about this.

Bible verse: Colossians 3:17 "And whatever you do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, give thanks to God the Father through Him".

Do we act different on Sunday's when we get to church? Do we argue and fuss until we pull into the church parking lot and then put on our Sunday smiles? We are Christians and we should be very proud of that. Now, comes the hard part. When we have the pleasure and responsibility of being a Christian. We are looked at more closely sometimes. We are viewed by others that are not Christians or even other Christians that might be struggling. What do they see? Does the outside match the inside? Do they see a Christ honoring person or someone who just puts on a Sunday smile? We are the only church some people see. We are the church, not the brick or mortar. Wherever we go, whatever we do, whatever we say, we are to be doing in the name of Jesus. What impression did you leave on the last person you met? Do they know Christ lives in you? Christ lives in us 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, for ever and ever, all of eternity. He walks with you everywhere you go! How cool is that?

I read something that was pretty neat. Have you ever had a home inspection? Get a trusted friend or loved one to give you an appraisal of the home where the Holy Spirit dwells...you! Are there areas that need repair, restoration, or disposal? What changes do you need to make in your life in order to honor Christ? Well, I've got to go and get to work on my sub-floor and foundation. Have a great day, I love you, and God bless!

Friday, April 23, 2010

Little foot steps.........

Hello everyone! It's Friday! I am finally off from work and/or training for a couple days. I am so excited. I had someone ask me why I am working with young people. I sat and thought about it for a sec and couldn't see myself doing anything else. I guess God knows what's best for us. Then, I told this person that our children are our future and we need to remember what an honor God has given us to have them and to be around them. Also, we were there once too! Who helped us? Did anyone help us? Let's grab our E-Tools (military shovel) and dig into some of the good stuff!

Bible verse: Proverbs 22:6 Train up a child in the way he should go; and when he is old, he will not depart from it.

All of us have children, will have children, work with children, or will have some contact with children. Teaching and training children should be done by using principles written in the word of God. The Bible is a perfect road map on how we should teach or children. I have read of seven positive principles to help them all the days of their lives.

1. Moral and spiritual values- Deuteronomy 6:6,7
2. A sense of belonging- psalm 127:3
3. Listen to your children- Genesis 22:7,8
4. Develop their talents and abilities- Matthew 18:10
5. Provide quality time with them- Proverbs 17:22
6. teach them to respect authority- Romans 13:1,2
7. Don't start too late.......

The young years of a childs life are the formative years. They are moldable and are open to new things.
Now, I do think that we can't bring all children up or train them the same. We should build up the individuality and special strengths that God has given each child. By us talking to their teachers, other parents, youth leaders/pastors, friends, or maybe grandparents. We can learn how to develop the individual capabilities of each child.
Many parents and youth leaders want to make choices for the children, I think that this actually hurts the child in the long run. We can guide them but, not make the choices for them. If a child learns to make decisions on their own, it will be better in the future. We will not always have to watch every move they make. We will know they will do their best to make the right choices.

I believe anytime you are dealing with children, you really need to make sure your heart is in the right place and pray that God will guide you to be a leader to them. Not everyone is cut out to lead/teach the youngsters. Children are very trusting. They will take what you tell them and believe it. God holds parents and other adults who influence young children accountable for how they affect children ability to trust. Jesus warns in Matthew 18:6 "whoever causes one of these little ones who believes in me to sin, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck, and he were drowned in the depth of the sea". We must take that charge from the Word and remember it. Our children are the future, we should take time for them. We should love them. We should dust them off when they fall. We should cheer them on when they do good. We should sharpen them! Have a great day, I love you, and God bless.

Food for thought: No God = No peace Know God = know peace

Thursday, April 22, 2010

Circle the Wagons.............

Good morning everyone! We were blessed at the Potter's House last night by Pastor Mike Helton. Mike is a missionary in Mexico. He came to share about God's people getting to work and sharing Jesus with the world. As I sat and listened to brother Mike I got to thinking. We have all heard the saying that 10% of the church do 100% of the work. Well, I want to help change that. That brings me to today's Bible verse. Let's get out of shovels and dig into the good stuff!

Bible verse: Hebrews 10:24-25 And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.

Folks, have you looked around lately? Have you looked at what is going on in America? We have had two earth quakes here in East Tennessee in the last week. A volcano erupt in the Mediterranean causing problems everywhere. War in the middle east. Tsunami's, famine, school shootings, suicide's, crime rate rising, and so much more evil. Look around at the rest of the world? People who are claiming to be Christians are not getting involved. Some of us are not being faithful to our churches. Some of us are not being faithful to our pastors. Some of us just don't want to get our hands dirty. What is going on? We can't abandon gathering at every possible time with other believers in local fellowship. We gather together to strengthen and sharpen one another. It starts here at home. In little ole' Kingston, Harriman, or Midtown, Tennessee. We have to circle the wagons. When the cowboys saw trouble coming ahead, they would circle their wagons and get encouragement from one another and help. They would let everyone come inside for protection. Our wagon circle is our church body. If we are not gathering together at every possible time. What do you think the rest of the world is doing? Probably the same thing. It is like a huge wave rolling through our country and the world.
Let's look at why we should gather together at every possible time. First, we gather together to share our faith and to strengthen one another. Next, to be an encouragement and help to one another. The closer we get to the "Day" when Christ will return, the more struggles we are going to face, the more persecution we are going to see. The anti-Christian forces will grow tremendously. Heck, they are already pretty strong at my work place at times. Difficulties should never be an excuse to miss gathering at church services. Really, when difficulties arise and they will. We should make a greater effort to gather together. Look at Christians in the Bible, they would walk long distances to gather together in the name of the Lord. They would sacrifice much to gather together. What are we willing to sacrifice to gather together. Back in the Bible if you quit gathering together people thought you were guilty of apostasy (an abandoning of something that one once believed in, such as a faith, cause, etc.). Now, I know that sounds harsh. But what is so different now compared to then? It is so important that we gather together now more than ever, to strengthen each other for the coming times. The days are truly getting shorter. We should be a visible expression to our community of the body of Christ. We must gather and honor God in worship. Let's look at our schedules this week. Can we make some more time for God? I know we can. Let's have a great day, I love you, and God bless!

Tuesday, April 20, 2010

The Golden Rule..........

Good morning guys and gals! Did everyone have a great Monday? Misty and I got a lot of yard work done yesterday! I was at work yesterday and a friend of mine said something pretty mean to me. I looked at him and said "Now, let me ask you a question. Do I say things like that to you?" I believe he realized what he said wasn't very nice and knows I wouldn't say anything like that to him. Well, that brings me to today's Bible verse. Let's dig into the good stuff!

Bible verse: Matthew 7:12 Jesus said " Therefore, whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.

What is the Law? Well, back in my "lawdog days" I thought I was the law. Boy, was I a knuckle head. The Law is the ten commandments and a great number of other revelations divinely expressed by God of His will for our behavior and our lives. Who were the Prophets? Now, these are men who heard directly from God. These men led, taught, and warned God's people. They were men like Moses, Ezekiel, Samuel, and Isaiah.
Let's look at this Bible verse. This is been referred to as "The Golden Rule". Hey listen, it is not very hard to refrain from harming another person. But, it is much harder to take the time to do something nice and kind for them. This is not an easy thing to do. When we've been hurt by a friend, when a church member has lied about you, when we get cut off on the highway, when someone say's hurtful things to you, in every one of those examples, it takes the love of Jesus living in us to react to "others" as we would like them to react to us and how we want them to treat us. I know that this is so very hard sometimes and I fall and fail a lot when I should obey "The Golden Rule". But, that is what God's word say's and we should remember that we are called to obey God's word. Guy's we are not perfect. We are not even close to being perfect. But, we can desire to be more perfect and Christlike everyday. Think of a good deed you can do today and don't put it off. Just do it.....Have a great day, I love you and God bless!

Monday, April 19, 2010

Tag team wrestling.......

Good morning everyone! Boy, last week was a very busy one. I had in-service at the sheriff's office, SRT training at work, and had my normal shift at work. The world has a way of taking all of our time if we let it. So, let's get back in the saddle. This week at work I got to talk with another Christian on my shift. We were able to share our hearts with each other and it was pretty awesome. I look forward to getting to know him better. I must tell you that listening to what was going on in his life made me really think about all the problems we have in life. When we have problems with other people. Where do they come from? Why do they hurt so bad? How do we combat them? This brings me to the good stuff. So, let's dig in!

Bible verse: Ephesians 6:12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places.

If we can remember the first part of this verse it will help us greatly with our friends, family, or co-workers. We are not fighting against the flesh. You and me are flesh. When we have a problem with someone. What do we do? We go at that person. That person isn't causing the problem. See, there is an army right now waging war against Christians. they are all just puppets of our enemy. They are demons. I know what some of you are thinking. There are no such things as demons. I am sorry to tell you and wish I didn't have to but, there are demons. These demons don't always possess people. These demons try and do everything they can to turn us away from Jesus and back to our sinful ways. Hey listen, you and I have hope and His name is Jesus Christ. Without Him we are easy prey. Jesus is like our lead blocker. We are like running backs and He is like our full back leading the way. when we accept Jesus as our Savior we are assured of a big "W" (a win). Although, we are going to have struggles and battles until the day He comes again. That is why God has given us His armor to put on everyday. We have supernatural powers too! We have the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is like the wrestler at the ropes waiting for you to tag Him in. We just have to reach up and tag Him in! Hey guy's, I know at times we all feel a little discouraged. We feel a little down. Remember Matthew 16:18 Jesus says to Peter "...On this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hades shall not prevail against it". Jesus is our rock and our enemy will not prevail against Him. Let's strap our armor on everyday and resist the wiles of the enemy. Have a great day, I love you, and God bless.

Friday, April 9, 2010

The Man..........

Good morning guy's and gal's. I hope all is well with you. I am back on shift work. So, I am just getting off work and heading to bed once I am done with my studies. I want to ask you to pray for a man that I work with. God knows his name and his situation. This man needs to find out who Jesus is and what He did for him. I have been witnessing to this man for years and he puts a wall up every time. Pray that God can guide my thoughts and mind to give me true discernment in this situation. Thanks in advance and let's dig into some of the good stuff.

Bible verse: 1 John 4:4 You are of God, little children, and have overcome them, because He who is in you is greater than he who is in the world.

The apostle John is trying to reassure Christian in their faith. We are faced with all kinds of evil everyday. Everywhere we go in everyday we meet or see someone who is not very nice or just evil. And some of us get to see the really bad people of this world. In my days of being a police officer, I have seen some really bad people. Bad is not a strong enough word. They were pure evil. It is very easy to be scared by these evil people of just the pure evilness in the world sometimes. It is sometimes all around us, everywhere. It is in the problems we face from day to day that overwhelm us at times. Hey listen, evil is stronger than us sometimes. I don't care how strong we are. Sometimes we can't fight it. But, the great news is we don't have to. John is telling us that God is stronger than any evil we will ever run into. God will whip any evil. We need to remember that God is "The Man". As Christians, His Spirit and His Word are in our hearts. One of the names of God is Jehovah Shamah, this means Lord ever-present. Ever-present! Boy, do I like to hear that. God is going to be by my side always and I know God is greater than any evil. God is pure and He is devoted to us. Do you have that assurance? If you don't email me with your number ruff1033@att.net and we'll talk about how to get it. I promise I will call you lick-itty split. Wherever Satan throws a shadow or evilness, God will win the battle and help us through it. Let's do something today. Let's tell someone of this great message that was inspired by God through John for us. Have a great day, I love you, and God bless.

Thursday, April 8, 2010

Does somebody have a flashlight...........

Good morning everyone! I looked outside and it became real dark a minute ago and a storm started coming in. The darkness reminded me of when my family first moved to Tennessee in the mid 80's. Something happened on one of the first nights we were here. This brings me to us digging into the good stuff.

Bible Verse: Luke 23:46 And when Jesus had cried with a loud voice, he said, Father, into thy hands I commend my spirit: and having said thus, he gave up the ghost.

Some of you may know that I grew up the first 12 years of my life in Southern California (Santa Monica). Really, don't hold that against me. Well, in California there were street lights everywhere. They were kinda taken for granted. So, we arrive in Tennessee and I was not prepared for the black darkness of a Tennessee night in Oakdale. See, we had a street light outside my window and it gave a glow in my bedroom. Now guess what? My first night in Oakdale I woke up in the middle of the night and was terrified! I thought something was wrong with me. I thought I might be blind! For the first time I experienced real darkness. Where was a flashlight when you needed one?

For three hours the whole earth was covered in total darkness while the pure Jesus battled with Satan's power to hold the world in sin forever. Jesus even quoted scripture (Psalm 31:5). He defeated the powers of evil, and guy's the bast part is He won total victory over sin! He did this for you and me, so that we could be saved from the total darkness.

Please remember this! Even in your darkest moments, know that the battle has already been won. We have victory when we truly place our faith in God! I am so very thankful today that I can live in His light forever! Are you in the darkness? Do you feel all alone? Remember that God made you. He made you just the way you are on purpose! You are special to Him and He wants you to stand in the light with Him. Just take one step at a time until your by His side! Have a great day, I love you, and God bless.


Wednesday, April 7, 2010

Construction Ahead........

Hello friends! Boy what a beautiful day yesterday. I was able to get a bunch of stuff around the house done and work a little on our up coming Golf Tournament. I got to thinking about the Crusade a little bit and something I heard from some one that was helping pass out banana's to everyone. She told me that there was a woman complaining that we were backing traffic up and it was affecting the roadways. I got to thinking about this and want us to dig into some of the good stuff.

Bible Verse: Philippians 1:6 Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.

Our roads here in Tennessee seem to always need work. Everything from weather to heavy traffic cause damage. We have an increasing amount of traffic every year. So, it pretty much leaves our roadways under construction. Now, I have to ask you. When do they normally do construction on the roadways here in Tennessee? In the summer months you will see construction going on everywhere. On rural roads, interstates, main highway's, and they are even doing a major bridge in Knoxville. Next, I have to ask you another question. Do you see that it always takes longer than we think it should to complete the project? It leads to detours that we don't expect and sometimes one's that we get turned around on. It is just like the woman complaining about the Crusade backing up traffic. There was a detour around if she would have looked for it instead of focusing on the negative.

Just like the roads in Tennessee, our lives are always under construction. God is always working on us, healing the hurts, fixing the wounds, strengthening the weak spots, and smoothing out the pot holes. Guy's, pretty much, we are a work in progress!

Is that not awesome to know that, according to God's Word and His promise, He will continue to construct us into His image of Jesus until the day we stand in front of Him. Listen, until then, we must slow down. We need to not blow our cool over delays or detours. We need to pay attention to the sign thats posted "God at Work"!!! Have a great day, I love you, and God bless!!!


Tuesday, April 6, 2010

Sun & Shield........

Good morning everyone! We had an awesome weekend. The Crusade for Christ was a true blessing. There were over 350 people to walk in it and others to help with logistics. What an amazing sight to see so many walking for Jesus! Then our easter service's were perfect. It is amazing to see the church grow right before your eyes. God is doing some truly great work at the Potter's House. Well, I want to talk to you about two things. The sun and the shield. So, let's dig into the good stuff.

Bible Verse: Psalm 84:11 For the Lord God is a sun and shield: the Lord will give grace and glory: no good thing will he withhold from them that walk uprightly.

We are fixing to plant our missions garden for our church. Well, for that garden to produce good vegetables and fruit it has to get plenty of sun shine. The sun forms the center of our solar system. We get heat, light, and energy for the sun daily. Pretty much life on earth depends on the sun. Without it our garden would be impossible, plant growth would be impossible.

Now let's talk about a soldiers during Bible times. When he went to battle he never went without his shield. No truly trained soldier would go toe to toe with the enemy without his shield. It was used as an offensive and defensive tool. He was vulnerable without it.

Next, let's look at this scripture. It say's the Lord God is both a sun and shield. God gives us those same blessings today. He provides grace and glory when we follow Him. God will be our sun and provide the power for us to produce good fruit and grow. But, He wants us to walk upright. He wants us to do the things that we know are right. God promises to reward those who walk with Him. Is that not an awesome promise? I don't know about you, but I like rewards!! Then, God tells us He is our shield also. He will protect us in battle. He will shield us from certain things. He will help us resist the wiles of the devil. But, we must walk with Him. I must tell you this God always keeps His promises. So, be sure of this you will receive both mercy and glory in heaven if you follow His path. Let's thank God today for being our sun and shield. Now, let's grow and prepare for battle. Let's produce good fruit and ready for our adversary! Have a great day, I love you, and God bless!

Friday, April 2, 2010

Walking in Jesus' steps......

Good morning friends. Tomorrow is the big day. The day of the Crusade for Christ. We have over 300 people signed up to walk with us and 15 churches. That is just amazing in itself. God deserves all the credit and honor. Today I want us to think about Jesus's footsteps. Let's dig into the good stuff.

Bible Verse: 1John 2:6 "He that saith he abideth in Him ought himself also so to walk, even as He walked."

What does it mean to walk as He walked? Do we have to find 12 disciples and go out trying to perform miracles? Do we have to be crucified? We cannot copy the life of Christ. Because He was the Son of God and was identified that way. What we can do is mirror Him and His actions. First, we must obey His teachings and apply them to our lives. We must follow His example of love and compassion. We must also have a love to serve others. There is a book called "In His Steps" by Charles M. Sheldon. The main message of this book is compelling us to remember who we belong to, to remember to walk the Christian walk, and to realize that Christ is in us.

Here is the thing if you claim to live in Jesus, then walk as He did. Let us take up our cross and walk in His steps Saturday. Let's take one step at a time in the name of Christ. Let us be uplifting to one another. Let us show the love of Jesus to all we encounter. Let us let our light shine so bright that many from far away can see Jesus. Let us be the hand of God reaching out to other here in Roane County, Tennessee. Let us carry our cross 14.1 miles with courage and determination. Let us be happy to carry our cross. Let us be excited to just be able to carry the cross. I get goose bumps every time I talk to someone about carrying the cross. Guy's, God is so good and amazing in all He does. I ask you today if you are reading this devotion to please say a prayer for the Crusade. Pray for safety of all who are walking and that seeds will be planted everywhere. Pray that our light shines so bright for many to see that we have a risen Savior and that He died for them also! Thank you in advance for your prayers and if your not busy come join us tomorrow at 8:30 am at Paradise Baptist in Rockwood! Have a great day, I love you, and God bless!

Thursday, April 1, 2010

Sleeping??????

Hello everyone! I pray that everyone is having a great week. I had to go to training yesterday. It was awful to have to shoot all day and night and get paid for it.But, someone has to do it! Really can't complain, I love to shoot. Guy's it is only two day's until Crusaders for Christ! I am getting excited! I am sending this call out to all who are reading this and that are participating in the Crusade. It is time that we awake. Let's dig into the good stuff and see what God's Word say's.

Bible verse: Romans 13:11 "And do this, knowing the time, that now is high time to awake out of sleep; for now our salvation is nearer than we first believed.

Do you think that we are alive? Do you think the church of our Lord Jesus Christ is alive? I don't know how many history buffs we have reading this but, I love history. Let me tell you what a treacherous warrior said in the past about China. He said "There lies a sleeping giant, and let him sleep, because if he awakens, he will shake the world." This man was Napoleon. I think the devil is saying just that about our church. And I also believe that the church is really just that, a sleeping giant. So, are we alive or are we asleep? This world has kind of drugged us. There is so much going on to take us away from the church and fellowship that we are kind of being overwhelmed. Look around, on every side of us is so much amusement and distraction. Have you ever looked up amuse? It means to keep pleasantly interested or entertained. Now let's break that word down: muse means to think and the prefix in front of it means not to. I couldn't believe it when I looked it up.Do you think the devil is about amusing us? I believe that as long as we stay amused with the world that we will stay asleep. Now, God's word says to wake up out of sleep and get to business. What a better time than this Saturday? It is time to wake up and shake the world up! Are we taking our Christian lives as serious as we should? Look at it this way, If today was your last day on this earth, how would you spend it? Do we spend it in amusement? Or in evangelism? I have one statement, it is game time, God's game time. Have a great day, I love you, and God bless.