Confusion, Chaos, and Understanding

The Grand Canyon in Arizona

The rugged beauty of the Grand Canyon speaks to my soul. It calls to rememberance a favorite passage in Psalms that I turn to when my life is distressed. I turn to the word of God to bring me out of my difficulties.

Psalm 121 (New Life Version) www.biblegateway.com

The Lord - Our Helper

1 I will lift up my eyes to the mountains. Where will my help come from?

2 My help comes from the Lord, Who made heaven and earth.

3 He will not let your feet go out from under you. He Who watches over you will not sleep.

4 Listen, He Who watches over Israel will not close his eyes or sleep.

5 The Lord watches over you. The Lord is your safe cover at your right hand.

6 The sun will not hurt you during the day and the moon will not hurt you during the night.

7 The Lord will keep you from all that is sinful. He will watch over your soul.

8 The Lord will watch over your coming and going, now and forever.

When your life is in chaos, and trouble is on every side, you need a rock to stand on in the middle of the storm. One thing you can be certain of in this life is that trouble will come, problems will arise, and distress will grab you when you least expect it! All of us know there will be times of trouble. It is the way of life. The key to keeping your cool is to make up your mind before the storm comes. I heard a sermon by T.F. Tenney years ago that said it best, "When your life is in chaos, and you don't know where to go; be of good cheer! You just drove up to God's front door".

Gaining perspective is important. Never before has our world been so full of confusion and mixed messages. Just when you think you have it figured out, something comes along to upset your vision and you are back at the starting post! God is able to keep your mind at ease and your fears at rest. He will be your comforter. John 14 is a wonderful chapter. It gives is comfort, peace, enlightenment, and hope all within one chapter of the Bible. Jesus is talking to his disciples and said it like this:

John 14
1Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me.

16And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you for ever;
17Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
18I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.
19Yet a little while, and the world seeth me no more; but ye see me: because I live, ye shall live also.

Take the time to read the entire chapter of John 14. It will be a blessing to you and comfort your soul.

Blessings

Are We Living in Perilous Times?

Image retrieved May 30,2008 from bhmtx.org/hopeforamerica.aspx

II Timothy 3:1-7


1 But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: 2 For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, 3 unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, 4 traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God, 5 having a form of godliness but denying its power. And from such people turn away! 6 For of this sort are those who creep into households and make captives of gullible women loaded down with sins, led away by various lusts, 7 always learning and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth.

Timothy gives us a clear and terrifying word picture of the world in the last days. It is terrifying because we clearly see the reality of this world every day of our lives. Our world has become a place where evil is disguised as good, good is made to appear to be evil, and people are quick to judge one another based on their own personal world view of right and wrong. We have no absolutes, and are quickly losing our basic rights. We look for help, but our world leaders can no longer be trusted to place the interests of the people ahead of their own personal ambition, desire for power, or other agenda!

There have been other periods in history when people were certain they were living in the last days, and modern day prophets are loud in predicting the end of the world at every turn. While it is impossible to know if we really are living in the end of days, it is possible to receive comfort as our world turns chaotic before our eyes. In the book of John, Jesus gives us hope.

John 16:33

33 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.

I am not a prophet and cannot tell you that we are in the last days. However, I can tell you that Timothy's description of the world in the last days is a perfect description of the world in which we live. Whether the Lord comes today or a thousand years from today; there is only one way to keep your sanity in a changing, chaotic world. Make your calling and election sure...II Peter 1:10 10Therefore, my brothers, be all the more eager to make your calling and election sure. For if you do these things, you will never fall, 11and you will receive a rich welcome into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

There is no doubt that the world we living in has become a complicated place. Loyalty appears to be a lost concept in our day to day interactions with others on many levels. This makes our relationship to Jesus Christ even more important as we learn to trust and walk by faith every day of our lives. God loves you! No doubt our lives will continue to be complicated and fraught with difficulty but God is faithful and will walk with you every day of your life.

Blessings

How Do You Handle Crisis in Your Life?

Life has a way of reaching out to grab you when you least expect it. Your world rocks along on its axis and life is good. Maybe there are issues, but nothing life threatening...and then it happens! A life altering event rocks you back on your heels and makes you sit up and take notice. This event may come in the form of life-threatening illness for you or a loved one. Change can take the form of divorce, death, or loss of your job/career options. It is important to know that when the world around you becomes fluid and you do not see the end from the beginning...that God is in control. You can have comfort, joy, peace, and righteousness in the Holy Ghost.

Sometimes your problems are like this mountain wall. They seem to be immovable and block your path to the future. Sometimes you wonder what will become of you in the future. At times like these it is important to take comfort in the Word of God. He has promised to never leave you, nor forsake you. He will guide your path. He is strong, caring, loving and keeps His promises. He provides a window in the solid wall that is holding you back just like in this desert image.

Things may not turn out in the way that you expect them to turn out, but that does not mean that you will have a total loss. Be patient and wait on the Lord. Dottie Rambo, who was killed in a bus accident last week wrote a song that has given me much comfort through the years. The name of the song is I Go To The Rock. A few lines of this song are:

I go to the rock of my salvation; I go to the Stone that the builder rejected! I go to the mountain, and the mountain stands by me...When the earth all around me is sinking sand; On Christ the solid rock I stand! When I need a shelter, when I need a friend, I go to the rock!

I know I am talking music today, but that is the way I keep my sanity when my life erupts into chaos. Another old song whose author is unknown goes like this:

I don't know about tomorrow, I just live from day to day. I don't borrow from it's sunshine...for it's clouds may turn to gray. I don't worry o'er the future, for I know...what Jesus said. And each day, I'll walk beside Him...for He knows what is ahead.

Many things about tomorrow...I don't even understand. But I know who holds tomorrow...and I know... who holds my hand.

Luke 12 (NKJV)

22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on.

23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.

24 Consider the ravens, for they neither sow nor reap, which have neither storehouse nor barn; and God feeds them. Of how much more value are you than the birds?

25 And which of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?

26 If you then are not able to do the least, why are you anxious for the rest?

27 Consider the lilies, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin; and yet I say to you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

28 If then God so clothes the grass, which today is in the field and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, how much more will He clothe you, O you of little faith?

29 “And do not seek what you should eat or what you should drink, nor have an anxious mind.

30 For all these things the nations of the world seek after, and your Father knows that you need these things.

31 But seek the kingdom of God, and all these things shall be added to you.

32 “Do not fear, little flock, for it is your Father’s good pleasure to give you the kingdom.

Blessings

God Loves You!

This image makes a serious statement. How do you feel about your prayer life? Do you come to God in prayer when you have a need or do you prayer regularly? What about your life? Is it dedicated to God or do you ever think about what you owe to the Lord?

God loves every one of you! He wants to have an active part in your life! His love and mercy knows no boundaries and are from everlasting. Only the sin of blasphemy against the Holy Ghost is the unforgivable sin. There is no other sin so great that God will not forgive. The rest of your mistakes will be washed in the blood of the Lamb to be remembered against you no more. This is a promise.

Hebrews 10: 16-17

16This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, saith the Lord, I will put my laws into their hearts, and in their minds will I write them;

17And their sins and iniquities will I remember no more.

Satan wants to destroy your life. He dislikes the thought that any human will have a relationship with God. His hatred for God is all consuming. He wants to destroy the people that God loves. God loves you. Never forget that! God is reaching for you and wants to draw you close to His heart.

It does not matter what conflict or difficulty Satan brings against you! God is greater and stronger than the devil. God can and will deliver you from any test or temptation in your life. Seek the Lord. He loves you and wants to comfort you. Believe this word. God is Able!


Romans 8:31
What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us?

Trust God.

Blessings

Does Prayer Work?

What do you think about prayer? Do you receive answers to your prayers? Do you know how to pray? What does the Bible say about prayer?

These are valid questions and may be difficult for some of you to answer. Prayer is a serious issue in my life. I want to pray and receive answers to my prayers. I want to know that God is listening to me. I have no intention of merely going through the motions. Most of us make excuses when God does not answer our prayers in the manner in which we expected to be answered. We say, "God knows best...or it is not the Lord's will for this or that to happen..." The truth is something else again. God does hear our prayers and it is up to us to find out how he wants us to approach him. Think about this for a moment:
John 14: 12-15
12 Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto my Father. 13 And whatsoever ye shall ask in my name, that will I do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. 14 If ye shall ask any thing in my name, I will do it. 15 If ye love me, keep my commandments.

The book of John in the New Testament is interesting reading. The 14th chapter gives us insight. Jesus was speaking with his disciples and made a direct statement. (whatever you ask in my name, I will do it) he repeats this two times within two verses. Interestingly enough, the very next verse says, "if ye love me, keep my commandments".

It seems likely that getting answers to prayer is closely tied to keeping the commandments of Jesus Christ. As believers, we have an obligation to seek the truth in the Word of God and live according to the principles laid down by Jesus Christ and passed on to us through his disciples. I believe that we should have our prayers answered. There were no qualifiers in the above statements. I do not believe Jesus Christ has changed his mind in the past two thousand years. Therefore it falls to us to search for answers.

James 5: 16
16 Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

James was the brother of Jesus Christ and also the pastor of the church at Jerusalem. He understood the message that Jesus Christ brought to the world. Three things leap to my attention as I read his words. (1) Confess your faults one to another (2) pray one for another that you may be healed (3) The effectual fervent prayer gets results.

James was teaching humility, honesty, and love one for another. When you pray for someone else you forget about your own needs and desires. When you pray fervently you forget about your dignity and prostrate yourself before the Lord, no matter what your request. We need to forget about our own needs. This is not easy to do in a world where everything is "all about me," but is necessary if we plan to receive something from the Lord. To receive one's healing as a result of praying for someone else is a very new and interesting concept. It is definitely worth thinking about.
Blessings

What Do I Do When my Feelings Fail Me?

Feelings are funny things. People are always saying...I feel that...! Or I feel this way...! Unfortunately, feelings do not guarantee clarity in our thoughts. When we are hurting or distressed our emotions and feelings can get the best of us. Sometimes we view God through our feelings. This is particularly noticeable when we have expectations that God for whatever reason has not met. Many people find themselves discouraged during these periods and feel (there is that word again) that God has abandoned them. Or, at the very least, has let them down. There are two problems with this way of thinking. 1) God will never let you down, and 2) Your feelings, your heart is probably leading you astray.

God works on His time schedule. We want to rush Him and hurry Him along to get things done on our schedule. This is a lesson that must be learned. Even those of us who have years of experience trusting God sometimes have problems waiting on the Lord.

Jeremiah 17: 9-10

9The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?
10I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.

These verses point the wickedness of the heart and how you can be deceived by trusting your heart. There is another point. It is interesting that the very next verse explains that the Lord tries the reins of your heart and searches it and rewards every person according to the ways and circumstances his or her work has produced.

God understands us better than we understand ourselves.

Isaiah 40: 28-31

28Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? there is no searching of his understanding.29He giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.30Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:31But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.

Trust the Lord when your heart is hurting. When you are feeling lost and abandoned remember to wait on the Lord. You will regain your strength and your heart will once again be light.

Blessings

What is Spiritual Warfare?

What is spiritual warfare? We hear a lot of talk about it, but what is it? How is it done. Spiritual warfare, to put it simply is doing battle with spiritual forces in prayer and fasting.

Ephesians 6:10-18

10 Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil. 12 For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age,^[c] against spiritual hosts of wickedness in the heavenly places. 13 Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand.
14 Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, 15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; 16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. 17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; 18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

Now these passages make it clear that there are forces that war against the saints of the Most High God. These forces are not imaginary and are not weak. They are patient and it is their intention to wear out the saints through continuous aggravation and problems.
Daniel 7: 25
25And he shall speak great words against the most High, and shall wear out the saints of the most High, and think to change times and laws: and they shall be given into his hand until a time and times and the dividing of time.

This reference in Daniel refers to the Anti-Christ who is to come. However, it is conceivable to believe that our Adversary, the devil, already has plans to wear out the saints of the most High. He does this by bringing difficulties into our life which never seem to end. It is our responsibility as servants of the most High to take on the whole armor of God and stand fast in whatever situation we find ourselves. This is not easy to do. There are times when it seems that God cannot be found. However, that does not mean that He is far away. It means that He is giving us an opportunity to demonstrate our faith and trust that He means exactly what He says, and that we believe deep in our souls that His promises are true and will never fail.

God loves you. He is faithful and just. We must be willing to stand firm in the face of every trial that comes our way. Remember His promises. Not one of them will fail.
God Bless