Praying Selflessly

In Samuel, Hannah, married to Elkanah, couldn’t have children and Hannah desperately wanted to give her husband a child. In those days, if you couldn’t have a child, you were considered inferior. Peninnah was also married to Elkanah and she taunted Hannah about not being able to have children, driving Hannah to the point of tears. Also, in those times, if you couldn’t have children you were looked at as inferior.

Hannah wanted to give Elkanah a child so bad, she prayed this prayer: “O Lord of Heaven’s Armies, if you will look upon my sorrow and answer my prayer and give me a son, then I will give him back to you. He will be yours for his entire lifetime, and as a sign that he has been dedicated to the Lord, his hair will never be cut” (Holy Bible Gift & Award Edition, New Living Translation, Second Edition 2007) And the Lord blessed Hannah with a son, she named Samuel. You can read more about Samuel in the Bible.

This is Jesus’ instructions to his disciples when asked how to pray: Luke 11:1 “And it came to pass, that, as he was praying in a certain place, when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him, Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples. 2. And he said unto them, When ye pray, say, Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come. Thy will be done, as in heaven, so in earth. 3. Give us day by day our daily bread. 4. And forgive us our sins; for we also forgive every one that is indebted to us. And lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil.” (Holman KJV Study Bible 2012)

Hannah wanted a to give Elkanah a son so bad, she dedicated him to the Lord, for his service. When we pray, are we praying for our own selfish desires? Or are we praying to honor the Lord, for God’s glory?

I was recently listening to a daily devotional from an old Air Force friend and he inspired this article. It’s easy to justify just about anything, when we pray. I just recently bought a truck and I prayed that if it was God’s will, I would be able to buy it, that it would still be there when I went to look at it and that I would be approved for the loan. I also said that I would use the truck to haul things in, like firewood, or whatever, trash to the dump. I mean everyone in Arkansas has a truck, but like I said, it’s easy to justify it to the Lord, but is it really justified in God’s mind? I was able to purchase the vehicle. I use it to go fishing and it’s better to drive down dirt roads, than my other vehicles. I make sure to thank God for allowing me to have it, every day.

But we must be careful when we pray to ask ourselves, are we praying for our own satisfaction, or are we praying worshipfully? Are we ready to hand over our children to the Lord for his service, like Hannah did, or are we praying for their health and safety so we can hold on to them longer?

Are we praying to be able to use our possessions to glorify God and for his will to be done, or are we simply asking for things to fulfil our selfish desires? I hope that is not the case with the purchase of the truck.

If we are not careful, our selfish desires could turn out to be things we idolize or covet and that would anger God. We’ve read many times in the Bible not to have false idols, whether it be worshipping false Gods or possibly other things we could idolize. We certainly want to put God first in everything we do.

Kobe Bryant recently passed away, I am sympathetic towards his family and friends, but we must be careful not to idolize entertainers, actors, athletes or anyone else. We now have the Corona virus wreaking havoc on the World, and it could be because we are not putting God first, we need to turn back to God. I especially feel bad for the lost people that do not know Jesus.

I’m guilty of this, my password should be based off Jesus. I should do a better job of putting Jesus first.

One question we can ask ourselves when we pray is: How is my prayer seeking God’s glory? Or is my prayer for my own selfish desires? We need to pray more like Hannan did.

Accept Jesus as your Savior

If you don’t know Jesus Christ and haven’t accepted Jesus into your life as your personal Savior, now would be a great time to, especially with the uncertain times we live in now.

Below is a site that tells you how to accept Jesus Christ into your heart as your Savior.

https://www.wikihow.com/Accept-Jesus-Into-Your-Life

How to Accept Jesus Into Your Life – Steps

Trust Jesus Christ today!
Admit that you are a sinner and that you need God’s help.
Be willing to change your mind and turn from your sin (repent).
Believe that Jesus Christ died for you, was buried, and rose from the dead.
Through prayer, invite Jesus into your heart to become your personal Lord and Savior.

Here is a prayer you can say to invite Jesus into your life:

Please forgive me for my sins. I believe that you sent your Son Jesus to die on the cross for my sins.

I believe that you love me. I believe in my heart who you are. You are theSon of God. I confess with my mouth that I am a sinner. I accept you Lord Jesus as my savior. Please cleanse me from my sin and create a new and clean heart in me. I do believe that you are my savior and I now want to live for you as my Lord and my God. I know that I have eternal life in you because of the work you did on Calvary’s cross for me. Thank you, God. In Jesus Name. Amen.Here are the scriptures behind this prayer:

Prayer to Accept Jesus

This is not an all inclusive list, if you want more information, contact your local Church.

Inside Goosebumps

I was praying the other day, and I was talking to God, telling him that I was a sinner and thanking him for sending his only Son to die on the Cross for our sins. I thanked him for being a sinner saved by his grace. I told him that I had backslid for a while, that I had gotten away from going to Church that I only prayed when I wanted something, used to drink alcohol (I’m not saying drinking is a sin. I’m saying I told God that I quit drinking and it’s best for me not to drink) and was asking for his forgiveness, but I told him I was back that I was thankful for all his blessings and how I didn’t deserve them, but he continues to bless me anyway.

And I got the most peaceful feeling I have ever had. I felt goosebumps all over my body, but these goosebumps weren’t on the outside of my body, they were on the inside of my body and they traveled from my head to me toes real slowly. I was thanking God for his presence. I was feeling the Holy Spirit. It was amazing and I didn’t want it to end. It lasted for a few minutes. I believe God was telling me it’s alright, that I’m back now, going to Church, worshiping him, reading the Bible, shining my light, spreading the good news about him to others, and that everything is going to be alright, as long as I don’t take him for granted again and continue on his path he has set out for me.

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?

Handing Out Donuts

Our old preacher started a ritual where he and some of the Church congregation would hand out donut holes to people at a local gas station. It was a good ice breaker, a way to invite people to our Church, it was also a way to talk to people that may not know Jesus Christ, and it was a way to let people know we care about them.

Our Church has been without a preacher since the end of August. We’ve formed a pastoral committee and have been searching for the preacher the Lord has picked out for us. We’ve been praying for God’s will. It has been a very fulfilling endeavor; we understand we are at God’s mercy and he will provide when the time is right.

As servants of God, we are supposed to go out and tell Jesus Christ’s story of good news.

Today’s Sunday school lesson was about “The Banquet”. Have you ever invited people over for a gathering and they cancelled on you or just didn’t show up? It’s disappointing to prepare a big feast or schedule a party and no one show up. That’s what happened at the Great Supper a meal was prepared, and the guests all had excuses to why they couldn’t attend.

One person said, “I have bought a piece of ground, and I must needs go and see it: I pray thee have me excused.” (Holman KJV Study Bible)

Another excuse was “I have bought five yolk of oxen, and I must go to prove them: I pray thee have me excused.” (Holman KJV Study Bible)

Another stated” I have married a wife and therefore I cannot come.” (Holman KJV Study Bible)

Luke 14:21 “So that servant came and shewed his lord these things. Then the master of the house being angry said to his servant, go out quickly and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt and the blind.”

Luke 14:22 “And the servant said, Lord it is done as thou has commanded, and yet there is room.”

Luke 14:23 “And the lord said unto the servant, go out into the highway and hedges and compel them to come in, that my house be filled.”

Since the people invited had other things to do with their time, they went into the streets and invited the common people into their house to fill it up. As Christians, we should also not discriminate. We should want to tell our story to anyone and everyone that will listen after all there is not better deed than to lead someone to Christ.

Can you imagine being invited to sit with Jesus and eat at his table? How could anyone refuse such an offer? How many times will Jesus ask us to do work for him? And how many times can we refuse to do what God asks us to do? How many times are we going to make excuses to not accept Jesus into our hearts? We may say next time, or next week, but the reality is there may not be a next time or a next Sunday. If God asks you to hand out donuts, then hand out donuts.

A Busy and Blessed Sunday

Sunday my wife got up and decided she wanted to go help with the 4^th Sunday morning Brotherhood breakfast that started at 730 am. Of-course, I wanted no part of that. That means I would be getting the kids ready, which she helped before she left, and I would finish getting the kids ready and ensure we are there at 830 am for breakfast.

We have an almost four year-old, December 18, and a six year-old. Anyway, I finished getting myself and the kids ready and show up to Church with the girls for brotherhood breakfast and Sunday morning devotion.

When we got there, there was pancakes being grilled outside on the grill, bacon, eggs, the works. It was very good.

I had worked on my Sunday school lesson the day prior and was proud of myself for studying the lesson and filling out the answers. I even blogged about it here on my website. Well, our Sunday school teacher couldn’t make it to Sunday school and his fill-in found out about taking his place the day before, since my wife knew I had studied the lesson, she made sure to tell “Pistol” that I had studied it, basically, volunteering me for the job. Pistol said he had heard that I did my homework and asked if I wanted to lead the Sunday school this morning, Sunday school is in two hours. But, who am I to say no to God (“Pistol” is not God, but we are in God’s house. Who am I to say no in God’s house?)

Plus I like to be challenged. I don’t really like being in front of people, but I like to try to overcome my fears and I accepted the chance to present the material.

Anyway, next up was a beautiful devotion from one of our beloved Church members that was another blessing to listen to her speak. It was a touching devotion about making sure we have our body armor on to fend off the devil while we are searching for a Pastor. She reminded us, her Son is in the ROTC (Reserve Officer Training Corps) program and she went to pick him up from training and she noticed how everyone had a battle buddy, reminding each other not to forget their back pack, or luggage or whatever and they were genuinely concerned for each other and their well-being, just like our Church is checking on each other, praying for each other, praying for the Pul-pit Committee and for our Church in this time without a “Shepherd”, her words were inspiring and a blessing and we haven’t even had Sunday School yet.

It was an honor to go over the material with the Sunday school and I felt good that I was helping out any way I could in Church. There was a lot of class participation. It turned out to be a blessing to help out. I guess that’s what happens when you show up to Church early for breakfast.

For our Church service we had a visiting preacher come to share his sermon with us and it turned out to be a wonderful message, one that the Lord put on his heart and I am sure that we all needed to hear about Paul being “all in” when he went to deliver his sermon in Colossian. The preacher said Paul really had nothing to lose in Colossians. He surely wasn’t afraid to die, because he knew he would go to heaven to be with the Lord anyway. And he was asking if we are “all in” for Jesus? It was another beautiful message and another blessing and it’s not even 12:30 pm now.

Next, since it’s the fourth Sunday, we have youth night at Holly Springs Homestead scheduled and I am helping with security, making sure vehicles are parked in the parking lots.

There was a crowd of about 180 that showed up, there were games to play at the Homestead from Frisbee toss to corn hole and a corn maze for the youth to traverse. There was hamburgers, chicken sandwiches, and even hobo soup. After, the kids were fed (eating again, we’re Baptists, what can I say, we like to eat), we sang songs and had a message for the youth. We even had one soul saved and planted seeds in many more. Again, another blessing. The day was filled with blessings. I was exhausted at the end of the day, but I slept great. Who am I to say to say no to helping the Church and serving God? Are you All In for Jesus?

The Importance of Knowledge in our Walk with Jesus

What does the word “walk” mean when referenced to our relationship with Jesus? In our Sunday school lesson we are studying Colossians 3:5-11. Colossians 5 “So put to death the sinful, earthy things lurking within you. Have nothing to do with sexual immorality, impurity, lust, and evil desires. Don’t be greedy, for a greedy person is an idolater, worshiping the things of this world. 6 Because of these sins, the anger of God is coming. 7 You used to do these things when your life was still part of this world. 8 But now is the time to get rid of anger, rage, malicious behavior, slander, and dirty language. 9 Don’t lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature, and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn’t matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us.” (Holy Bible, Gift & Award Edition, New Living Translation, second Edition)

In my Sunday school lesson it says “Paul offers two very good reasons why the sins in 3:5 must be avoided. First, the wrath of God is coming for those who practice such things. God’s wrath is real against those who sin and the Bible is full of examples in both the Old and New Testaments. Specifically, Paul mentions that God’s wrath is coming upon the children of disobedience. This key phrase is mentioned two other times in Ephesians 2:2 and 5:6, related passages. Paul uses this phrase in Ephesians 5:6 after listing some of the same sins in that letter. The wrath of God is serious and often met with eternal consequences.” (Baptist Expositor, Learner 2019)

It goes on to say “The second reason Paul offers the Colossian believers as to why they should put these sins to death is because this is how they used to walk. The key word walk speaks of ones behavior and is a repeated word from 2:6. Paul used the word previously to speak of how the believers should now walk in Christ, but here in 3:7 he is referring to their behavior before Christ when they lived in these sins. There was a certain time in the past when these sins were part of their ongoing lifestyle. The point of emphasis is that these sins were part of their past, but should not be part of their present. Just like all believers who have committed their lives to the Lord, there are certain past behaviors that are no longer appropriate.” (Baptist Expositor, Learner 2019)

“Walk” in this Sunday school lesson refers to our behavior before and after accepting Jesus into our lives and one of the questions in the lesson is Colossian believers should put these sins to death is because this is how they used to walk. And the new man (after accepting Christ) is characterized by a renewal to knowledge.

The more we study our Bible and meditate on it, the more we learn what is expected of us as Christians. We’re to leave the sinful earthly nature behind and live a life pleasing to God in our renewed life.

Doing What We Want To Do

I was at an event called Fields of Faith Wednesday at Bearcat Stadium in Mena, Arkansas. Before I go any farther, I want to explain what this is.

Fields of Faith is a student led event where students invite, pray for, share with and challenge their peers to read the Bible and follow Jesus Christ. The venue is an athletic field to provide a neutral rally- point where a community can come together.

And it was awesome seeing young adults come together and worship Jesus. There was pizza provided by a local pizza place, there was a band. There were testimonials and guest speakers. I would certainly call it a success.

But I heard the phrase doing whatever we wanted to do in some testimonials and this applies to us at Church as well, sometimes we hear someone say that they just did whatever they wanted to do when they were younger or before they were saved, referring to going out drinking, getting drunk, passing out, doing drugs, cheating, lying, stealing, basically living Worldly. Instead of doing whatever we want to, shouldn’t we want to follow Jesus, shouldn’t we want to do the right thing, read our Bibles and worship God. The more we read the Bible the more we learn how we as Christians need to live our lives.

I’m not trying to pick on the kids. It’s just some constructive criticism that applies to all of us even at Church. And I’m not trying to sound better than anyone either. I’m a sinner too. I just want to change the perception that living for Christ is a choice we should want to do as opposed to living a sinful Worldly life. We can still do what we want to do and live for Jesus Christ and leave the Worldly sinful life behind. It’s the least we can do for Jesus since he died for our sins and with the grace of God we can all have everlasting life in Heaven, all we have to do is believe in Jesus.

Are you doing whatever you want when you read the Bible, go to Church, pray and worship God or are you doing whatever you want and living a sinful Worldly life?

Acquaintances

I’ve been blessed with a job opportunity in Mena, Arkansas, where I live. I currently commute to work 1 hour and 45 minutes a day one way. I’m looking forward to working in the same city that I reside in. My new place of employment will be 2.5 miles away from my residence as opposed to 85 miles away, maybe I can keep my car clean now.

I wanted to pay homage to the people we come in contact on a day to day basis that I will no longer see (maybe not on a daily basis).

I travel on highway 8E from Mena to Arkadelphia so the first person I won’t see anymore is the policeman directing traffic at Centerpoint school district. If I leave early enough he’s not there, but if I am running behind at all, he is out directing traffic, keeping everyone safe.

Other places I won’t frequent as much is Norman Truck Stop, sometimes I stop there to get gas, when it doesn’t look too busy. Another place I won’t frequent as much is the Big Red in Glenwood, a place I stopped to get gas or grab a snack.

I will also miss the friendly people that operate Davidson’s Sporting Goods and Grocery store in Amity. I stop there to grab a pack of M&Ms and a Sprite for the ride home. I also found Zoom Brush Hog Watermelon flake tackle that I used to catch that 6lb bass. I will miss the nice people there.

Another place I won’t frequent anymore is the Chick-fil-A at Henderson State and Ouachita Baptist Universities. There’s no Chick-fil-A in Mena, but I will get to eat at Meyers Cruizzers Drive in more, or probably just drive home for lunch.

I also will miss Allen’s BBQ and catering. I have to hit these places up before I leave.

I’m leaving old acquaintances and making new ones and I just wanted to take some time to make sure we don’t take people for granted that we see on a daily basis, from the policeman directing traffic to the people working at your favorite convenience store.

I’m ready to start the next chapter of my life and none of this would be possible if it wasn’t for God! God is Good (All the Time).

Just Believe

I couldn’t sleep last night. I’ve got insomnia and I had this article stuck in my head. I got up twice to literally put pen to paper in the dark so I don’t wake up the rest of the family. I was up first at 1:30 am and again at 2 am. My best ideas come at night when I can’t sleep and if I don’t write them down, their gone the next day, no matter how much I rack my brain, I can’t remember it.

I was up last night wondering what it’s like to be a non-believer. What’s it like to not believe in God? You can either choose to believe in God and Jesus or you can believe in nothing or maybe you believe in science. Don’t you think it takes more energy being a non-believer than it does being a believer? It’s kind of sad, when you think about it. How do you fully love if you don’t believe in Jesus? That’s a big part of being a Christian, is to love like Jesus or to try, how can we ever love like Jesus, but as a Christian, we must love one another. If you don’t believe in Jesus, it almost sounds like the absence of love.

What does it take to be a believer? I’m no expert, but I think it takes a person with an open mind and a willingness to believe in something greater than yourself.

Something that I think we take for granted, is the sun rising every day. Another miracle that we take for granted is the miracle of human life leading up to child birth. I don’t believe that these things just came about on their own. I believe that God created all living things and created Heaven and Earth. Genesis 1. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. 2. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of waters. 3. Then God said ‘Let there be light’, and there was light. 4. And God saw that the light was good. Then he separated the light from the darkness. God called the light ‘day’ and the darkness ‘night.’ And evening passed and morning came, marking the first day,” Holy Bible NLT, Second Edition. But I believe in the bible, if your an atheist you don’t believe in the bible.

It’s hard for me to fathom not believing so I’ll chose to Just Believe.