Tag: Faith

The Days of Noah (Devotional)

I’ve got a question for you:  Doesn’t it feel like we are living in the Days of Noah?  What’s going on out there?  Are you paying attention to what’s going on in the world?  

On Friday, there was a shooting at a grocery store in Fordyce, Arkansas, and on Thursday you probably received an Amber alert on your phone about someone that allegedly killed multiple people was found in Morrilton, Arkansas.  That’s too close to home.  it’s getting dangerous out there. 

1 Thessalonians 4:13 “But we do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about those who are asleep, that you may not grieve as others do who have no hope. 14 For since we believe that Jesus died and rose again, even so, through Jesus, God will bring with him those who have fallen asleep. 15 For this we declare to you by a word from the Lord,[d] that we who are alive, who are left until the coming of the Lord, will not precede those who have fallen asleep. 16 For the Lord himself will descend from heaven with a cry of command, with the voice of an archangel, and with the sound of the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. 17 Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. 18 Therefore encourage one another with these words.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

1 Corinthians 15: 50: “I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality. 54 When the perishable puts on the imperishable, and the mortal puts on immortality, then shall come to pass the saying that is written:

“Death is swallowed up in victory.”
55 “O death, where is your victory?
    O death, where is your sting?”

56 The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. 57 But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ.

58 Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

The other day I was leaving work.  I walked out of the building to where our parking lot is and this strange feeling came over me, that I have never experienced before.  I felt a strong feeling that Jesus could come back at any time, or I could die at any second.  I thought, I might not make it across the parking lot to the truck.  So, I walked across the parking lot and got in the truck and here I am.  No-one knows when Jesus will return except the Father, but it sure feels like it could be any second.  It feels like we are living in the time of Noah. 

Matthew 24:36 “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son,[b] but the Father only. 37 For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 38 For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, 39 and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. 40 Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. 41 Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. 42 Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming. 43 But know this, that if the master of the house had known in what part of the night the thief was coming, he would have stayed awake and would not have let his house be broken into. 44 Therefore you also must be ready, for the Son of Man is coming at an hour you do not expect.”  (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

Men, I don’t know when Jesus is coming back, and I don’t know when I am going to die, but I know one thing for sure.  I’m either going to die or Jesus is going to come back.  One of those two things are going to happen, and that goes for all of us and I know we are running out of time. 

Genesis 6: 11 “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. 12 And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth. 13 And God said to Noah, “I have determined to make an end of all flesh,[c] for the earth is filled with violence through them. Behold, I will destroy them with the earth.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

17 “For behold, I will bring a flood of waters upon the earth to destroy all flesh in which is the breath of life under heaven. Everything that is on the earth shall die. 18 But I will establish my covenant with you, and you shall come into the ark, you, your sons, your wife, and your sons’ wives with you.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

This is from Got questions .org 2024 I searched what was it like in the days of Noah:

“The biblical account of Noah begins in Genesis 6. Approximately 1,600 years had passed since the creation of Adam and Eve (Genesis 1:26–27). As the earth’s population exploded in number, it also exploded with evil. Long forgotten was the righteous sacrifice of Abel (Genesis 4:4) as “the Lord saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every intention of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). Verses 11 and 12 say, “Now the earth was corrupt in God’s sight, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and behold, it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.” However, “Noah found favor in the eyes of the Lord” (verse 8).

When Jesus described the events that will surround His second coming, He said, “Just as it was in the days of Noah, so will it be in the days of the Son of Man. They were eating and drinking and marrying and being given in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and the flood came and destroyed them all” (Luke 17:26–27). Jesus was pointing out that, although the people of Noah’s day were totally depraved, they were not the least bit concerned about it. They were carrying on the events of their lives without a single thought of the judgment of God. Noah is described as a “preacher of righteousness” (2 Peter 2:5), meaning he had spent years warning his friends and neighbors what the Holy God was about to do. No one listened.

The depravity and ungodly lifestyles of the entire world at that time were enough to cause the Lord to “regret that He had made man” (Genesis 6:6). Many scholars believe that part of the need to destroy every human being except Noah and his family was the sin mentioned in Genesis 6:1–4, when “the Nephilim were on the earth in those days, and also afterward, when the sons of God came in to the daughters of men, and they bore children to them.” As evil reproduced and overtook the world, the most merciful act God could perform was to start over.

It is interesting that God allowed Noah nearly one hundred years to complete the building of the ark. Through all that time, God patiently waited (1 Peter 3:20). Scripture seems to imply that Noah preached to the people of that time about what was coming (Hebrews 11:7). They did not believe Noah and were content with their wickedness and idolatry. Their hearts were hard and their ears dull. No one repented, and no one cared to seek God.

Jesus said that the world will be much the same before He returns to set up His earthly kingdom (Matthew 25:31–33). He warned us to “be ready, because the Son of Man will come at an hour when you do not expect him.” Second Timothy 3:1–4 gives us a clear picture of the state of the world before Jesus comes and most likely also describes the world in the days of Noah. That verse says, “But mark this: There will be terrible times in the last days. People will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boastful, proud, abusive, disobedient to their parents, ungrateful, unholy, without love, unforgiving, slanderous, without self-control, brutal, not lovers of the good, treacherous, rash, conceited, lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.” It is becoming increasingly obvious that, to understand what the world was like in the days of Noah, we only need to watch the evening news.”  (Got questions. Org 2024)

2 Peter 3:8“But do not overlook this one fact, beloved, that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day. 9 The Lord is not slow to fulfill his promise as some count slowness, but is patient toward you,[a] not wishing that any should perish, but that all should reach repentance. 10 But the day of the Lord will come like a thief, and then the heavens will pass away with a roar, and the heavenly bodies[b] will be burned up and dissolved, and the earth and the works that are done on it will be exposed.[c]

11 Since all these things are thus to be dissolved, what sort of people ought you to be in lives of holiness and godliness, 12 waiting for and hastening the coming of the day of God, because of which the heavens will be set on fire and dissolved, and the heavenly bodies will melt as they burn! 13 But according to his promise we are waiting for new heavens and a new earth in which righteousness dwells.

14 Therefore, beloved, since you are waiting for these, be diligent to be found by him without spot or blemish, and at peace. 15 And count the patience of our Lord as salvation, just as our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you according to the wisdom given him, 16 as he does in all his letters when he speaks in them of these matters. There are some things in them that are hard to understand, which the ignorant and unstable twist to their own destruction, as they do the other Scriptures. 17 You therefore, beloved, knowing this beforehand, take care that you are not carried away with the error of lawless people and lose your own stability. 18 But grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

This is something that is on my heart is that only eight people made it on the Ark, eight people!    When God destroyed the earth, he could only find eight people that were called righteous! There’s more people in this room right now. (Hopefully) And like I said before, it feels like we are living in the times of Noah. 

But it doesn’t have to be that way Salvation is being saved or rescued from the penalty of sin. We are all sinners, and the consequence of sin is death—not just physical death, but eternal separation from God. To be saved from your sin, you must do three things: Ask forgiveness for your sins; be willing to turn from your sins; and believe that Jesus Christ—our Lord and Savior—died for your sins and rose again. If you have done these things, you are saved! You have salvation, which means you have accepted God’s love and forgiveness, are adopted into His family and have fellowship with His people—your fellow Christians. You are free from the power of sin—a child of God! The Bible promises you eternity in heaven (Romans 10:9-10). How Are We Saved? John 3:16-17 and John 10:10 tell of the great love God has for us. Because of His love, He wants us to come to Him just as we are. He wants to have a personal relationship with us and longs for us to talk to Him freely about our sins and our needs. God revealed His love for us by sending His Son, Jesus, to die for our sins more than 2,000 years ago. Jesus understands us because He lived as a man on earth for 33 years. He lived a sinless life and paid the price for our sins by offering Himself as the perfect sacrifice on the cross. He rose from the dead three days later and went up into heaven, where He intercedes on our behalf (Romans 8:34; Hebrews 7:25).

Guys I don’t know all your hearts, but God does.  I don’t know your walk with Christ.  But if you need to talk to someone about that.  There are people in this room that you can talk to.     

Do Something (Devotion)

Have you heard the song by Matthew West called Do Something?  I just happen to have the words to the song, let me read them to you:

“I woke up this morning
Saw a world full of trouble now
Thought, how’d we ever get so far down
How’s it ever gonna turn around
So I turned my eyes to heaven

I thought, God, why don’t You do something?
Well, I just couldn’t bear the thought of
People living in poverty
Children sold into slavery
The thought disgusted me

So, I shook my fist at heaven
Said, God, why don’t You do something?
He said, I did, I created you
Now listen

If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now
It’s time for us to do something

If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
Oh, it’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something

Na-na, na
Na-na, na
Na-na, na
Na-na, na

I’m so tired of talking
About how we are God’s hands and feet
But it’s easier to say than to be
Live like angels of apathy who tell ourselves
It’s alright, somebody else will do something

Well, I don’t know about you
But I’m sick and tired of life with no desire
I don’t want a flame, I want a fire
I wanna be the one who stands up and says
I’m gonna do something

If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now
It’s time for us to do something
Yes, it is, c’mon

If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
It’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something

We are the salt of the earth
We are a city on a hill
We’re never gonna change the world
By standing still
No we won’t stand still
No we won’t stand still
No we won’t stand still

If not us, then who
If not me and you
Right now
It’s time for us to do something

If not now, then when
Will we see an end
To all this pain
It’s not enough to do nothing
It’s time for us to do something (na-na, na)

It’s time for us to do something
It’s time for us to do something (na-na, na)”

Songwriters: Matthew West. For non-commercial use only.

Men, we can’t sit on our hands, we need to be the leaders of the church.  Let’s see what the Bible says about Men in the church:

As leaders of the church, men have a great responsibility.  Paul told the elders at Ephesus “Therefore take heed to yourselves and to all the flock, among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which he purchased with His own blood” (Acts 20:28 Bible Gateway NKJV 2024)

And elder must hold “fast the faithful word as he has been taught, that he may be able, by sound doctrine, both to exhort and convict those who contradict: (Titus 1:9 Bible Gateway NKJV 2024)

Peter said, “Shepherd the flock of God which is among you, serving as overseers, not by constraint but willingly, not for dishonest gain but eagerly; not as being lords over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock” (1 Peter 5:2, 3 Bible Gateway NKJV 2024)  

“Younger Christians are to submit to their elders: “Likewise you younger people, submit yourselves to your elders.  Yes, all of you submissive to one another, and be clothed with humility, for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble” (1 Peter 5:5 Bible Gateway NKJV 2024)

Can we change the world?  We may not be able to singlehandedly change the world, but we can change someone’s world.

The floor is open to any suggestions on how we can serve the church and the community?

The Woman Who Fears The Lord (Devotion)

You may know that Manuela and the girls are out of town visiting family in Germany.  And I already knew how much she did for the family but, you really do realize how much of a contribution your wife makes when she is gone. 

Yesterday, I ate a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with the heels of the bread.  And I normally go around the heels of the bread.  That is where I am at right now. 

Men cherish your wives.  They are a gift from God.  They certainly do a lot for us and others.

 Proverbs 12:4: “An excellent wife is the crown of her husband, but she who brings shame is like rottenness in his bones.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

Psalm 128:3: “Your wife will be like a fruitful vine flourishing within your house, your sons like olive shoots sitting around your table.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

Proverbs 31 The Woman Who Fears the Lord 10-31 21 virtues of a God-Fearing Woman. I am not going to read that one to you.  When you have time read Proverbs 31 10-31.   

And there may be some men in here that the Lord has gifted with singleness.  You can use that to your advantage by having more time to serve.  

Proverbs 31 10-31 The Woman Who Fears the Lord

10 [d] “An excellent wife who can find?
    She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her,
    and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm,
    all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax,
    and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant;
    she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night
    and provides food for her household
    and portions for her maidens.
16 She considers a field and buys it;
    with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.
17 She dresses herself[e] with strength
    and makes her arms strong.
18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
    Her lamp does not go out at night.
19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.
20 She opens her hand to the poor
    and reaches out her hands to the needy.
21 She is not afraid of snow for her household,
    for all her household are clothed in scarlet.[f]
22 She makes bed coverings for herself;
    her clothing is fine linen and purple.
23 Her husband is known in the gates
    when he sits among the elders of the land.
24 She makes linen garments and sells them;
    she delivers sashes to the merchant.
25 Strength and dignity are her clothing,
    and she laughs at the time to come.
26 She opens her mouth with wisdom,
    and the teaching of kindness is on her tongue.
27 She looks well to the ways of her household
    and does not eat the bread of idleness.
28 Her children rise up and call her blessed;
    her husband also, and he praises her:
29 “Many women have done excellently,
    but you surpass them all.”
30 Charm is deceitful, and beauty is vain,
    but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised.
31 Give her of the fruit of her hands,
    and let her works praise her in the gates.” (Bible Gateway ESV 2024)

The Woman That Fears The Lord

It’s hard to be married to someone as nice as my wife.  Don’t get me wrong, she is amazing!  She is everything I am not.  I’m nice too, but I can’t compare to my wife.  She is so selfless.  She puts everyone before herself.

I love to help people too, most of the time.  My wife will stop what she is doing, all the time, and make it her number one priority to put your needs before hers. 

And I am learning from her to put myself last, but it’s a hard trait to learn.  The Lord blessed my wife with a huge, selfless heart.

My wife is teaching me that it’s ok, if people take advantage of you, so what if you are taken advantage of.  We are here to serve God and serve one another.

She is storing up treasures in Heaven.   Yes, there will be treasures in Heaven waiting on us because of our good works here on Earth.  No, our good works won’t get us into Heaven.  Having faith in Jesus Christ and repenting of our sins get us in Heaven, but good works equals treasures in Heaven.

See these scriptures about good works and storing up treasures:

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” (Matthew 6:19 – 21 ESV)

“Sell your possessions and give to the needy. Provide yourselves with moneybags that do not grow old, with a treasure in the heavens that does not fail, where no thief approaches and no moth destroys. For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.” (Luke 12:33 – 34 ESV)

“As for the rich in this present age, charge them not to be haughty, nor to set their hopes on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly provides us with everything to enjoy. They are to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share, thus storing up treasure for themselves as a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is truly life.” (1 Timothy 6:17 – 19 ESV)

See these scriptures about eternal life:

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” (John 3:16 ESV)

“For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.” (John 6:40 ESV)

And finally The Woman That Fears the Lord:

 “An excellent wife who can find?  She is far more precious than jewels.
11 The heart of her husband trusts in her, and he will have no lack of gain.
12 She does him good, and not harm, all the days of her life.
13 She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands.
14 She is like the ships of the merchant; she brings her food from afar.
15 She rises while it is yet night and provides food for her household
    and portions for her maidens.  16 She considers a field and buys it;
    with the fruit of her hands she plants a vineyard.17 She dresses herself[b] with strength
    and makes her arms strong.18 She perceives that her merchandise is profitable.
    Her lamp does not go out at night. 19 She puts her hands to the distaff,
    and her hands hold the spindle.20 She opens her hand to the poor
    and reaches out her hands to the needy.” (Proverbs 31:10: 20 ESV)

So, the next time someone you know wants to help someone, even if you think they are being taken advantage of or you think it’s too much, let them help, help them help.  We can’t out give the Lord.  It’s never too much.  They are storing up treasures in Heaven, where treasures really matter, not here on earth, where things rot and decay and can be stolen by others and we can’t even take them with us when we are called to Heaven.  The treasures that really matter are in Heaven.   

Do I Have Enough Faith?

I had this article on my mind and was going to write it and we received an email from the Occupational Health and Safety Manager at work stating “masks are a critical part of keeping our community and family members healthy, and I can’t emphasize this enough! I encourage you to mask up, educate your friends and family and set a positive example for those around you. Let’s make masks the new norm together.”

My wife refuses to wear a mask, she will not frequent a place that requires her to wear the mask. because of her strong conviction of faith that she has. She says, if God wants me to get the Corona virus, then I’ll get it, and that God has this predetermined. And while I feel the same way. I almost question my faith because I feel the need to wear a mask when I go to Walmart, or assisting customers at work because I don’t know where these people have been, maybe they are coming from a State that has higher numbers, however, I don’t feel the need to wear the mask at Church, and that may be a mistake.

We went to Lowe’s the other day and she didn’t wear her mask. You know what they say about peer pressure, peer pressure is a (insert your own word). I didn’t wear a mask either, however, if she hadn’t been with me, I probably would have worn a mask.

Now, I am questioning my faith. Do I have enough faith to walk around without a mask? If you believe the news, or media, the numbers are going up and staying cooped up in our houses will only postpone the inevitable. So what are we supposed to do? Are we supposed to accept that masks are the new norm? I have a hard time with that.

Am I being naïve that I don’t want to wear a mask? I don’t want my family to get this virus. I don’t even want to call it by name anymore. I guess, it’s to each their own. We can make our own decisions regarding the wearing of the mask.
Instead of mask, we could insert weapon. Every night I pray that I don’t have to use force on anyone trying to force their way into my house to protect my family. Do I have enough faith to rely on God to protect my family or do I take matters into my own hands? How much faith do you have?

Love, Pray, Fish

I think this is going to be my new catchphrase from now on; Love, Pray, Fish

John 13:34 “A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, that you also love one another.  35. By this all will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.” (Bible Gateway 2020)  

The World we live in is consumed with so much hate right now, we have people killing each other, we have riots, we have violent protests, Antifa, terrorist groups, and the Corona virus.  The World is a scary place right now.  However, instead of hating, we should love one another, like Jesus told his disciples.

I got up around 530 in the morning the other day and I went fishing, on the way to my favorite fishing spot, I admired a beautiful sunrise.  I was also able to pray and share my thoughts and concerns with God and take in God’s beautiful World he created to include eight deer, what I found interesting was that they were so spread out.  There was one group of three and the other five were scattered out.  I could not believe how many deer I kept seeing.  I arrived at the ponds and jumped into a boat, the fog was lifting off the pond, it was so beautiful, and it gave me a peaceful calming.  I didn’t’ have a care in the world while I was fishing.  It was a great place to escape from the crazy world we live in.

God’s Beautiful Work
Pond relection
Boat
God’s Country
Feeding the Family
Fish Fry

 

Later that day, I had a Pastoral Committee meeting and I told them I went fishing and I didn’t have a care in the world at that time, and one of them said “I wouldn’t go as far as saying that.”

But, what do we really have to worry about?  Yes we live in a sinful world that is being taken over by sin right now, like I stated above, we have the Corona virus running rampant, there are people killing each other, we have violent protesting, and riots, people are blocking the roads, it’s just crazy out there in the World, but what is the ultimate goal of a person of faith, that believes that Jesus died for their sins and we are saved through God’s grace?  It’s to meet our maker in Heaven, right!  I’m not saying I want to get the Corona virus, but as followers of Christ, what do we really have to fear?  Yes, we are persecuted for being different, Yes, we are different, and we have a strong belief in Jesus Christ.  There is a common thread here, being different whether it is what color of skin we have or what country we are from.  So, love like Jesus, pray and give it to God, and fish.  That is what I did.  I was able to relax and forget about all my worries and I fed my family in the process.

 

How Do You Thank God?

How do you thank God when he answer’s a prayer?  I was praying the other day that God would keep us safe in this weather coming into Arkansas from Oklahoma.  There was a tornado on the ground from Idabel, Oklahoma.  The local TV channel had two tornado warnings close to Dequeen, Arkansas, 38 miles away from us, apparently it didn’t turn out to be too serious, but it got my attention. 

How do you thank God, when he answers your prayers?  I thanked God for keeping us safe.  But I wonder if we pray more asking for something than thanking God when he does deliver. 

The best thing we can do is make sure we do pray and thank him for answering our prayers and to live a pleasing life towards God.  We’re all sinners, it’s hard to live a pleasing life to God, without mistakes, or judgements in error, but he must try our best and ask for forgiveness when we do sin. 

We also can make sure we are spreading the good news about Jesus, taking opportunities to tell people about Jesus and about being a Christian.  To put our faith in Jesus, that he will take care of us, that he paid the ultimate sacrifice for our sins, so that we can be forgiven for our sins and are saved by God’s grace, that we will spend everlasting life in Heaven with him. 

Don’t forget to shine our light and sow the seed with unbelievers and let God convict their hearts and be patient.  It may take a long time for their hearts to become convicted, but we need to have faith that it will happen. God bless and thank God.          

Should We Live In Fear?

Should we live in fear?  With all the uncertainty of staying at home, or going out in public, and opening up the economy.  Should we live in fear?  No, having said that, I am not taking unnecessary risks.  I am following the guidelines, six feet apart, no gatherings of more than 10 people, all that jazz.  Only one person from our family goes and does the shopping, we don’t take the whole family to the store.  I don’t even know if that is allowed? 

I did go to Walmart a few weeks ago to get necessities and I didn’t wear a mask.  I don’t think I had one to wear, now we are wearing one when we go.  I’m saying all this to say that, while we are following our State’s guidelines, we shouldn’t live in fear. 

I have faith that God will take care of us, one way or the other.  Maybe I need to have more faith, but I’m not taking unnecessary risks.  My work has closed the office to the public and only a few people are allowed to work in the office at a time, the rest are tele-working from home. 

I’m not afraid to go out in public. 

Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego had faith, they didn’t worship the false God. 

13 “Then Nebuchadnezzar in his rage and fury commanded to bring Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego. Then they brought these men before the king.

14 Nebuchadnezzar spake and said unto them, Is it true, O Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, do not ye serve my gods, nor worship the golden image which I have set up?

15 Now if ye be ready that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery, and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye fall down and worship the image which I have made; well: but if ye worship not, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace; and who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?

16 Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, answered and said to the king, O Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter.

17 If it be so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace, and he will deliver us out of thine hand, O king.

18 But if not, be it known unto thee, O king that we will not serve thy gods, nor worship the golden image which thou hast set up.

19 Then was Nebuchadnezzar full of fury, and the form of his visage was changed against Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego: therefore he spake, and commanded that they should heat the furnace one seven times more than it was won’t to be heated.

20 And he commanded the most mighty men that were in his army to bind Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, and to cast them into the burning fiery furnace.

21 Then these men were bound in their coats, their hosen, and their hats, and their other garments, and were cast into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

22 Therefore because the king’s commandment was urgent, and the furnace exceeding hot, the flames of the fire slew those men that took up Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego.

23 And these three men, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, fell down bound into the midst of the burning fiery furnace.

24 Then Nebuchadnezzar the king was astonished, and rose up in haste, and spake, and said unto his counsellors, Did not we cast three men bound into the midst of the fire? They answered and said unto the king, True, O king.

25 He answered and said, Lo, I see four men loose, walking in the midst of the fire, and they have no hurt; and the form of the fourth is like the Son of God.

26 Then Nebuchadnezzar came near to the mouth of the burning fiery furnace, and spake, and said, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, ye servants of the most high God, come forth, and come hither. Then Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, came forth of the midst of the fire.

27 And the princes, governors, and captains, and the king’s counsellors, being gathered together, saw these men, upon whose bodies the fire had no power, nor was an hair of their head singed, neither were their coats changed, nor the smell of fire had passed on them.

28 Then Nebuchadnezzar spake, and said, Blessed be the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, who hath sent his angel, and delivered his servants that trusted in him, and have changed the king’s word, and yielded their bodies, that they might not serve nor worship any god, except their own God.

29 Therefore I make a decree, That every people, nation, and language, which speak anything amiss against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut in pieces, and their houses shall be made a dunghill: because there is no other God that can deliver after this sort.

30 Then the king promoted Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, in the province of Babylon.” (Bible Gateway King James Version, 2020)

Believers, we certainly shouldn’t live in fear, maybe we just need to have more faith.  

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Make Jesus Famous

How can we make Jesus Famous?  You say isn’t Jesus already famous?  According to Learn Religions 32% of the World’s population are Christians.  That’s less than a third of the World that are going to Heaven. I believe in Heaven and Hell and right now, there will be more people in Hell than Heaven and that is SAD! https://www.learnreligions.com/christianity-statistics-700533

I wrote an article not too long ago where I talked about handing out donuts, and if you think about it, it’s the same concept.  To hand out donuts or knock on people’s doors, whatever it takes to make Jesus famous and build God’s Kingdom.  Isn’t that what we’re supposed to do? 

We’re all sinners, but I’m a hypocrite.  I recently bought this cool necklace with a cross made from small nails on it.  I’m a hypocrite because I keep the cross inside my shirt. I shouldn’t hide my necklace.  I shouldn’t hide my faith.  I should shout it out from the rooftops.  Why do we hide our faith? 

We should want to make Jesus famous, or more famous, according to that statistic, only 32% of the World population is going to heaven.  We should want every single person to believe in Jesus and we should be out there spreading the good news. 

Are you sitting on your hands or are you trying to make Jesus famous?  What are you doing to make Jesus famous? Let’s Make Jesus Famous!        

Faith and Patience

Our Church is currently searching for a Pastor, and in our Wednesday night message, someone commented that our Church’s faith and patience may be being tested now since we have been searching for five months, for such a long time.  And my argument is maybe five months is not a long time to God.  Maybe God is trying to teach us something, maybe he is trying to teach us patience and faith.  Maybe, if we found a preacher in the near future and it took six and half months or seven months or even less than a year, maybe that is a blessing because it didn’t take years.  I think it depends if you look at the glass half empty or half full. 

Our Church has always had a Preacher either filling in or in view-of-a-call so there has been a preacher preaching every Sunday and I firmly believe that God has used or Church for inexperienced Preachers to gain experience.  We’ve truly been blessed with the different sermons from the different Preachers filling in.  And meeting with the Pulpit Committee is a blessing in itself too.  We have developed a camaraderie that we will miss when we do fill the position, we joked that we may continue to meet even after we find a Pastor. 

God puts us through trials and tribulations and tests our faith to teach us, for us to grow as Christians.  “God’s ultimate purpose for us is to grow more and more into the image of His Son” (Got Questions.Org 2002-2020)

“This is the goal of the Christian, and everything in life, including the trials and tribulations, is designed to enable us to reach that goal. It is part of the process of sanctification.” (Got Questions.Org 2002-2020)

Romans 8:29 “For whom he did foreknew he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.” (Holman KJV Study Bible 2015)    

“Trials develop godly character, and that enables us to rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance, character and hope.” (Got Questions.Org 2002-2020)

Through all of God’s trials and tribulations, we overcome adversity and it makes us stronger in our walk with Christ. 

I watched the movie Overcomer a few days ago and I highly recommend it to you.

“And he that overcometh and keepeth my works unto the end, to him will I give power over the nations.” (Holman KJV Study Bible 2015) 

Are you an Overcomer?