August 2022 Archives

Keep Standing

  • Posted on August 31, 2022 at 7:17 pm

Now flee from youthful lusts and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, with those who call on the Lord from a pure heart.  ~2 Timothy 2:22

I was told of a man who had a sin issue. He had reportedly prayed for years, asking God to take away the desire to sin but, since it hadn’t happened, he came to the conclusion that God must be OK with it. Otherwise, the man was convinced that he would magically stop sinning. Unfortunately, this is not the first time I have heard similar beliefs. People criticize Adam and Eve for blaming others for their sin, but even they knew better than to blame God.

In the above verse, Paul tells Timothy to flee youthful lusts and to pursue righteousness. That is the crux of Christianity, the part that makes us different from the world. If it were easy to stop sinning, more people would do so. The fact is that sin is constantly dangled on a string in front of us until it looks overwhelmingly tasty so that many lose their self-control and go after those youthful lusts which lead them straight to the gates of Hell. Some see what’s coming and turn around before they get there, but many refuse to see the warning signs until it is too late.

God is not a genie whose job is to obey our commands. He created us with minds, wills, and emotions. When you become His child, He begins to change your heart and your desires, but you have got to surrender those things to Him. You have to be willing to take the path of escape that He provides. If you don’t, He is not going to force you to do so.

The Bible is full of instructions for God’s children. It frustrates me when professing Christians excuse behavior or don’t believe that God really meant things that are clearly outlined in His Word. The Church needs to wake up and pursue righteousness! Don’t just open the door if it happens to show up; go hunt it down. Find people who have it and learn how to get it for yourself. The Christian life is not a passive existence; it is an active war. We need to be arming ourselves with the sword of the Spirit, the helmet of salvation, and the breastplate of righteousness. Don’t wait until the fiery darts of temptation are cast your way. Start now to equip yourself to stand. Then, having done all, keep standing.

What Do You Believe about God?

  • Posted on August 30, 2022 at 6:11 pm

I have come to the conclusion that how you view God can greatly affect whether you stand or fall when trials come.

I have lost track of how many church leaders have fallen in the last several years. Whether they have turned their backs on Scripture, their families, or God Himself, I have struggled to understand why. If we don’t know where others are going wrong, how can we be sure to stay on the straight and narrow path ourselves?

I was visiting some friends a couple of weeks ago when the lightbulb came on.

They went out from us, but they were not of us; for if they had been of us, they would have continued with us; but they went out that they might be made manifest, that none of them were of us (1 John 2:19)
This doesn’t mean that they don’t know the Word or haven’t experienced God in some way, but they don’t really know Him. They have false ideas about who God is so they turn their backs on Him when circumstances arise that they don’t understand.
For myself, I believe God to be good. I know that He loves me. When hard times come, I trust that He is walking beside me because I would be a basket case if He wasn’t. These assurances cause me to lean on Him regardless of what life throws at me. I don’t believe that He causes every bad thing that happens to me, but He carries me through them and, for that, I am grateful.
Sometimes I think God is saying with Lynn Anderson, “I beg your pardon. I never promised you a rose garden.” God’s original plan was for mankind to have a rose garden but, because of sin, life is now full of thorns. So don’t blame God when trouble comes. Instead, draw near to Him. Learn from Him. Get to know Him when life is going well so that your faith does not waver when the storm begins to beat on your foundation. Then praise Him for being a friend that sticks closer than a brother.

CD Report: Favorites (Bobby Bowen Family)

  • Posted on August 23, 2022 at 3:13 pm

Bobby Bowen and his family recently recorded a CD of favorites. With 19 songs featured, including the powerful Land of the Free, this CD has a little of everything: old Mid South songs, praise and worship songs, and a couple I hadn’t heard before.

Other songs included are: I Won’t Be Frightened Anymore, Without You I Haven’t Got a Prayer, I Could Sing of Your Love Forever, Mighty to Save, Resting Place, Every River Has a Bridge, One Lost Sheep, Finally Home, He Paid it All, To Go to Heaven, Get on Board Little Children, Heart Collector, Home, How Great is Our God, Jesus Use Me, Little Man, Rise Again, and The Greatest Gift.

More Than You Can Bear?

  • Posted on August 4, 2022 at 11:53 pm
If you have ever made the statement, “This is unbearable,” you may have been correct. There is a common misconception that God does not give His children more than they can bear, but this is not true. Many martyrs experienced horrendous things that were unbearable except for the immense grace they received from the Father. It was more than they could humanly bear, but it wasn’t more than He could.
Life is not easy, even for Christians. This is what makes the promise of Heaven that much sweeter. This world is not our final home, but it is where God has us at this point. Therefore, we need to learn how to cast our burdens onto Him. I confess that I am not good at this yet. I go through life as though everything depends on me until I reach the point of exhaustion and realize that I have been trying to deal with life in my own strength.
If you are experiencing heartache, I urge you to give your burden to Jesus. Lean on Him. It will not eliminate the pain, but it may make it more manageable.
Image by Ulrike Mai from Pixabay

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