"What in the world is wrong with me?"

Have you ever asked yourself this question? "What in the world is wrong with me?" I know I have. Plenty of times. I John 4:4 says, "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, let's face it, if we look long and hard enough we can come up with some pretty good reasons as to what in the world is wrong with us. However, instead why not recognize our position in Christ and find out what is right with us. Don't worry about how you feel as much as what you know the Word of God tells you. Remove the weights from your life and press ahead, trusting Christ all along the way. Isn't good to be free?

"A Good Name is all about choices"

Proverbs 22:1 "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold."

What's in a name? When we hear certain names certain things come to mind. What do you think about when you hear the name, George Washington? Thomas Jefferson? John Wilks Booth? Jimmy Carter? John Wayne? Tom Cruise? Bill Clinton? There is a lot that we think about. But the Bible says that what ever it is that you think about a good name, or even a bad name for that matter, your opinion is derived from the choices made by the person that owns the name.

A good name is chosen. A person that has a good name has made several good choices in their life. Not that they are perfect, but they have considered what and how they are perceived in this life.

How is your name? Is it good? You know, it saddens me deeply to think that there may be people reading this paragraph today that would not have a good opinion of my name. But I have to live with the fact that I have made certain choices in this life that have very possibly caused my name not to be good with some people. You may be in the same place. But with God's help and good future choices to be made, our names can be good! It's all about how we choose. What will you choose? I hope you will choose A good name.

'The Bitter Waters were Made Sweet"

Exodus 15:25 "And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statue and an ordinance, and there he proved them,"

Oh, the trials in the wilderness! In Exodus 15, three days had passed since they made their voyage out of Egypt. Boy, were they thirsty! They wanted some water and they wanted it right then. When they finally found water, the Bible tells us that they couldn't drink it because it was bitter. Moses cried unto the Lord and God showed him how to sweeten those bitter waters. And the people drank. Because they trusted God, the next place that God led them to was Elim, where there was 12 bountiful wells waiting for them.

Whatever the trial is in your life, take it to the Lord. As soon as you pray, God already has an answer. Think about it. When Moses cried unto God, God showed him a tree. The tree was already in place before they ever arrived. What if Moses had not cried unto God at that time? What if he said, "Alright this water is no good, let's keep moving." Many would have lost their lives. God already had an answer and a solution. Don't make a decision first, act upon it, then expect God to just fix everything. Go to Him first, He has the answer. He'll make your bitter waters, sweet! Trust Him.

"Throw Some Wood on the Fire"

Proverbs 26:20a "Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out..."

We need a spiritual revival in our churches today. In order for that to happen we need someone who will be willing to cut down, prepare, and throw some wood on the fire that is already there.

Today the fire is out in many churches. That's because the fire has gone out of many of the homes that make up the churches. And that is the result from the fire going out in many hearts. You see all of these things are connected. We have allowed our own ambitions and desires to choke out the fire that once burned ablaze within our hearts.

Get a hold of the Word of God, stir the glowing embers of love and grace in your heart, and then throw some wood on and watch how God will once again cause the fire to burn brightly.

"Moments of Pleasure or a Lifetime of Happiness?"

Proverbs 21:17 "He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man..."

People are often seeking happiness through moments of pleasure. Unfortunately, our happiness is not ultimately derived from the pleasures that we experience in this life. The Bible does explain that while there me be some moments of pleasure from sin, but it is not lasting and in the end it only brings turmoil, sadness, distress, and death.

Many have ruined their lives by seeking happiness from a moment of pleasure. Think about it: The man with a bottle... The girl with her boyfriend...The man with a magazine or website. I could on and on.

The main thing we must remember is that moments of pleasure do not bring lasting happiness. However a life of happiness does bring great pleasure.

The following verses in the Bible explain how to have a life of happiness:

1. Psalm 144:15


2. Psalm 146:5


3. Proverbs 3:1-18


4. Proverbs 16:20


5. Proverbs 29:18

"Ten Principles on Making a Decision"

The following list is one that I wrote in the back of my Bible on Aug. 25th, 2002. I hope it is a help and blessing to you as much has it has been to me.

1. Never make a decision based on feelings.
2. Always wait before making a decision
3. Make the decision based on what God would want
4. The decision should be based on "will it bring Glory to the Lord"
5. Find out what the Bible says before making the decision
6. Research the matter before making the decision
7. Count the full cost before making the decision
8. Have a list of counserllors that help you make decisions
9. Never make a decision that will pull you away from God's Word
10. Once a good decision has been made, don't reverse the decision.