The Day Star

II Peter 1:19 "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; where unto ye do well that ye take heed...until... the day star arise in your hearts."

In the book of John, we read: "In Him was life and life was the Light of men." We have the sure Word of God. It is a lamp to our feet and light unto our path. (If we want it to be.) Our hearts are darkened with the sinful nature that rests with in us, but when Jesus come into our hearts He lights up the Word of God and shines with the fullness of His glory. Every day is a good day and the eternal glory awaits us in Heaven.

May his Light shine in our hearts and may we live each day reflecting on His glory! Amen.

(ps. Sorry I am so late getting this one in today.)

"Understanding the Scriptures"

Luke 24:44-45 "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures"

When Jesus left this earth to return to Heaven, He left a command to us that we are to be witnesses for Him. We are to strive to fulfill this command, and I believe that we can fulfill if we choose to.

However, you and I cannot be witnessing about the Bible if we haven't witnessed what the Bible can do in our own lives. Have you memorized any Scripture? Have you hidden God's word in your heart? The Bible says that, "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God."

How can expect to have boldness in witnessing if we don't have an understanding of the Scriptures? How can expect to understand the Scripture if we don't first read the Scripture? We must be constantly in the Word of God, striving to have a better understanding of the Scriptures if we ever want to fulfill the command of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

"Back to School"

II Timothy 2:2 "And the things thou has heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."

It's back to school time. Kids everywhere are disappointed that they have to go back, while mom's and dad's are relieved and more than ready. Teachers have one of the most important jobs there is. They also have one of the most difficult tasks there is as well. Teachers don't only have to teach those who want to learn, but they also have to attempt to teach those who don't want to learn.

I was a horrible student through my elementary through high school years. I was one of those students that didn't want to learn. (Mostly because I thought I knew all I needed to know) Boy how difficult I was. I wish I could go back and tell each of my teachers that I am sorry for what I put them through. Teachers are to be commended. They are a special breed of people, and they put up with a tremendous amount of things no one should have to.

As Christians, we are given the task of teaching as well. We must teach and pass on the things that we learn through out our Christian lives. If the carpenter never teaches how to do carpentry work, his craft will die. If the doctor does not teach medicine, not only will that art die, but patients will die too. I could go on and on. What I am trying to say is this, teach someone else what it means to be a Christian. It's time to go back to school.

"Pleasure Pickers"

John 4:35 "Say ye not, there are yet four months and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."

There are thousands, maybe I would even say most, that have no vision or knowledge of this need. As a nation of churches we spend and send millions, possibly billions on world wide missions year after year, and yet the fields look as if they haven't even been touched.

When was the last time you saw a harvest in your area? I'm not talking about one or two getting saved (anytime anyone gets saved it is a wonderful thing, so please don't misunderstand me.) One or two getting saved is like going to an orange grove with thousands of orange trees that are ripe and ready to pick, then going home with two or three oranges.

I think we have become a nation of churches that are nothing more than pleasure pickers. We see the harvest, and we pick a few pieces of the fruit, but only for our own consumption. When we do this we do a disservice to the rest of the fruit that needs and long to be harvested. That's why we need to be about father's business, as well as praying that he would send forth more laborers into HIS harvest.

Our world today needs some Christians (my self included) to become more than just pleasure pickers. May we work together to become harvesters for the cause of Christ and actually see some progress in the fields of our areas. Let's get to work.

"For His name sake"

III John 7 "Because that for His name sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles."

What do you think about when you hear the name of Jesus Christ? The Bible describes it as a name that is above all names.
It's a name that has power. It has the power to save. It has the power to heal. It has the power
to calm. It has the power to change lives.
It's a name that should be praised. As you go through out your day today, think about and ponder on that name, the name of Jesus. It will make you day better.

"When I grow up"

I Corinthians 13:11 "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" I think this question has been asked of every child on the planet. I don't know how many times I was asked that question as a child and young teenager. The number would have to be in the hundreds at least. I have found myself asking children the same question.

There is only one problem with that question. It leaves God out of the equation. As Christians, we ought to raise our children to be more concerned with what God wants for there lives than what they want. We ought to be teaching them about God's will first. I think the tendency is to ask a young child this question when they reach the ages of 5-8. We think there responses are cute, and most of the time they are. Over the next several years of the child's till they are teenagers. We fill their minds with, "what do you WANT". By the time a teenager is face with what does God want in your life, they have been fed with "what do you WANT" for so long, they end up missing God's perfect will for their lives.

It is important for us as adults to teach the importance of God's will in children's lives. Next time you find yourself starting to ask a child the question, "what do you want to be when you grow up", ask this one instead: "I wonder what God is going to do with your life?" Or "Do you know what God has in store for you to when you grow up?"

"Finding God"

Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

This morning we must recognize two things. The first thing is the indifference of people to the things God. The second thing is spiritual hunger in the heart of man. As Christians we face both of these every day. As Jesus recognized these two things, and assuming these two things haven't changed over the past 2000 years it is safe to say that the first things calls for us to patient; the second should call us into action. "Seek, ye shall find"

What are we doing to move into action? Are you asking, seeking, and knocking? We must be doing our part to get spiritual food to those that are starving spiritually. Trusting Him is the first act of moving into action.

Let's do our part today to grow, develop, and bear fruit. Move into action, right now.