Abraham's faith - DN

Abraham's Faith

Abraham's life was a life of faith.

The demand for Abrahams faith is the same demands for everyone's faith.
Many want a life of faith, but fear and fret and even refuse the demands for this blessed life.
The Scriptures speak in regards to his faith of two outstanding demands:
1. Looking for a city, that hath foundations, whose builder is God without knowing where he was going.

(Can you imagine how his wife must of felt When she got the news of this endeavor?)

2. He's to be a papa when he was past age for being a papa.
Hebrews 11:3 Faith is the substance of things hope for the evidence of things not seen.

The two elements that arises here,

1.Substance of things hope for
2.Evidence of things not seen
Or The evidence of things hope for, is not seen!

Notice some things that stand out:

1. There were Promises:
I have a place for you That hath foundations!
I will bless you with a son in your old age Not just a son but a son whose seed will be as the stars of the Heavens and the sands by the sea.

2. There was the Promiser:

Promises are only as good as the one who promises.
He leaned more on the Promiser than he did the promises..
Faith in God is not believing God can do anything, but that he is God whether he does or doesn't !
God has no fear, and he expects you to have no fear when your hand is in his.

3. Problems: Any demand for faith will be met with problems; circumstances To side track us.

Family problems,
If it wasn't Lot it was,
Sara and Hagar
Physical Problems - His own body

Work place problem, his herdsmen against Lots herdsmen

4. Possibilities:
A life of Faith is Possible.
Hebrews 11 are filled with testimonies of the possibilities of faith.
F B Meyer said,
Faith's possibility is this, a contentment to set sail with the orders still sealed, due to unwavering confidence in the wisdom of the Lord High Admiral;

So fretful traveler give God your hand, he made this path, he has no fear and he does not want you to be fearful!

Rev DN

Elijah

FOR WHAT IT IS WORTH: 

In King Ahab's day (I Kings 17) God was said to not exist. (Much like today) 

An unknown man named Elijah appeared on Ahab's doorstep with a message "As the Lord God of Israel, before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." 
First he wanted Ahab to know God was alive.

Second, he wanted Ahab to know he had a message from God. 

Third, God was sending judgement and there will not be a drop of rain until I say so. 

We need men who will stand before this wicked generation and repeat Elijah's message. God is alive, He is here and judgement is coming. The Lord Jesus is soon coming to remove His church and this wicked will face the Tribulation. What will it be like. Read Revelation chapters 4 - 19. 

Such judgement that this world has never seen. 

Thank God I am saved and will be with the Lord Jesus. 

What about YOU?
Rev CB

The Gospel - JM

Thankful for the opportunity to preach

"The Gospel" this morning from I Corinthians 15:1-11 1.

The Declared Message of the Gospel. Vs 1-2 2.

The Details Mentioned about the Gospel. Vs 3-7 3.

The Difference Made by the Gospel. Vs 8-10. 4.

The Duty Mandated by the Gospel. Vs 11

Rev JM from twitter

Blessings from Unlikely Places - DN

After talking to one of the men from the church yesterday, Romans 8:28 began to resonate in my heart.

All things work together for the good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his Purpose.

It's challenging seeing the effects these times are having on the way we do church.
Though we may not see it, God is working.

I've never shared these thoughts about my daughter until now. I do so hoping it's a blessing.

Blessings from Unlikely Places

Romans 8:28 states, And we know that all things work together for the good to them that love God. To them who are the called according to his purpose.

The lessons that God teaches us can come from the most unlikely places.
We must guard against being in too big of a hurry to escape these places.
Take the time to linger and see, what it is that God is trying to show us.

Thoughts about Rebekah

Rebekah is her name but we call her
Sissy. A gift from God with Cerebral Palsy..

She was born one winters night
We held her close we held her tight
Just thankful for this gift from God above.
What We didn't know back then
She was a part of Gods master plan
Till we reach our home by and by

She's never opened a Bible
Sang in a church Choir
She's never prayed at an altar
Or even prayed out loud.

She just sits and waits in her chair Each day,
Smiling at others along life's way.
Lessons she has taught us from this
unlikely place, of God's abiding love and His Amazing Grace.

Rev DN

Seeing it to Believe it - DN

After asking the Lord for a word this morning, may this small devotion be a blessing today.

Seeing it to Believe it

2Ki 6:15. And when the servant of the man of God was risen early, and gone forth, behold, an host compassed the city both with horses and chariots. And his servant said unto him, Alas, my master! how shall we do?
2Ki 6:16 And he answered, Fear not: for they that be with us are more than they that be with them.
2Ki 6:17 And Elisha prayed, and said, LORD, I pray thee, open his eyes, that he may see. And the LORD opened the eyes of the young man; and he saw: and, behold, the mountain was full of horses and chariots of fire round about Elisha.

Intro:
I'm sure it doesn't need to be said, but we have an enemy. He is a powerful enemy. He is not all powerful, but powerful none the less. He is also a persistent enemy, he doesn't give up. He can be a perplexing enemy, as this host from the King of Syria, that had gathered and compassed the city.
The young servant cried, what are we going to do? You ever been perplexed? Has life and the things that go with it, just overwhelmed you .
At first, this is what we have here in this story of Elisha and his Servant.
Sometimes a believer has got to see it to believe it.
Note a few brief thoughts I find here..
1. The Siege: Through the night and unaware, Elisha and his servant had been surrounded. They were cut off, well this is what Syria's army thought.
You ever feel like you are cut off without a way of escape? Have you ever lost hope, due to the fact the adversity seems greater than your strength?

2. The Scare or the Suspense:
This is the natural response.
The servant saw it from a natural realm.
We must always guard against dealing with the spiritual realm from a natural spectrum.
Paul said, the weapons of our warfare
are not carnal...

3. The Solicitation: Elisha, solicited the help of the God of Heaven. This is the sensible thing to do. If you are surrounded, call in help from the source that above the circumstances..

4. The Secret: There were more for Elisha and hhis servant than against him.. But he had to see it to believe it..
To be honest, if I dwell too much on the negativity, my faith takes a hit.
But in the words of the great apostle,
1Jn 4:4 Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world.
Hey God is greater than this Pandemic
God is greater than the people who are in charge of this Pandemic
God is greater than the problems caused by this pandemic....

Rev DN

 

Prayer begins with repentance - DB

Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. James 5:16

While most of Georgia has been spared the worst of this pandemic so far, there are communities in our state and around our nation who have been hard hit.

I want to invite you to join me in praying for the sick and all the first responders, doctors and nurses who risk their own health to care for them.

James shares with us a key to effectual prayer. It begins with repentance. If I am to pray for the physical and spiritual health of others, I must first confess I am sinner and repent of my sin.

Rev DB

For what it is worth

For what it is worth, 

I spent most of my ministry as a young preacher, trying to please others.

I wanted the older preachers to be proud of me,, I wanted to be accepted. I reached a place though, where I knew what I believed, but did not know why I believed it. Here I am, after 42 years of ministry , trying to sort things out...

Pastoring in my sixties is different from pastoring when I was in my twenties.
I made so many mistakes then, some I know will effect the Judgement Seat.

The difference now, at my age the only one I need to please is the one that called me. I have said recently, at this aged I have nothing to prove.

Pastoring in the midst of this pandemic is challenging. You cannot visit those who need visiting whether it be a shut in or someone having surgery. We are in a place where our faith is exercised that our prayers are working, and that the people of your flock know you love them.

There's the fear factor regarding the drifting of the sheep.
I heard it said, but never thought I would be living it , " in time of peace you prepare for war ".
Now is a little late, to fret over what the flock will do. It's a time that will reveal what has been instilled in times of peace and a non-pandemic society.

Then on top of this, the worry of what other preachers and Pastors will think if you fail to do like they think you should. Shame on us, if we have placed unnecessary pressure on the Men of God trying to do right by their church.

I have listen to some who it was almost an apology, explaining why they feel the need of taking care of their sheep by not meeting in a public, crowded place. They did not want to be branded.
Personally, I am prone to err, not intentionally. It's just in my genes.
If I am to err in this pandemic, by God's Grace I want to err on the side of caution and love.

Hey Soldiers of the Cross, we are in this together, we really are !!!!