“HUMPTY DUMPTY”

Isaiah 61:1-3 

1 The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; he hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound;

2 To proclaim the acceptable year of the LORD, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all that mourn;

3 To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called trees of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he might be glorified.

The spirit of the Lord God is upon me because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek. The word meek is translated poor or in other cases as depressed. The enemy’s complete desire is to use the tactic of fear and terror to bring oppression and depression upon man and woman. Once someone has brought another person to the point of absolute fear and then they become obsessed with that thing that they fear, then oppression kicks in.

Then they discover that they are alone can’t do anything about the situation depression kicks in.

Even though Jesus promised “If ye have faith as a grain of a mustard, yea shall say unto this mountain, remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove and nothing shall be impossible unto you.

Matthew 17:20. The thing which are impossible with men are possible with God - Luke 19:27.

The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings to the meek. The depressed. The downcast. The dejected. The downhearted. The blue. The low-spirited. The sad. The weary. The meek. What are tidings? Tidings are a good word. Tidings are good news. Christ was to be a comforter. He is sent to comfort all who mourn. We are to do the same works or Christ and even greater.

What is the good news? The good news is that Jesus is no longer dead. He is alive. He rose on the 3rd day. He conquered death and the grave. He rose with all power and authority. You may be meek. You may be low. You may be depressed. But I know a man who is able to do exceedingly and abundantly above all we could ask or think. There is healing power in the name of Jesus. There is deliverance in the name of Jesus.

I remember a song that said, “Who can I run to?” 

The verse in the song says As I stand here contemplating, on the right thing to decide. Will I take the wrong direction, all my life? Where will I go? What lies ahead of me? The chorus says...Who can I run to? To share this empty space. Who can I run to? When I need love? Who can I run to? To fill this empty space with laughter.

I am here to tell you to run to Jesus. I am here to tell you to run to the savior. That is the good news. That’s the glad tidings!

A lot of us have been running to the wrong source. A lot of us have been looking to the wrong person for good news. These days women are looking to other women…men are looking to other men for the good news. Just cause you get a man/woman or get married....that ain’t the good news. You should be rooted and grounded in Jesus. Before the man/woman come and after he/she leaves. The right husband/wife will be a blessing. The wrong husband/wife will be a curse! Accept that good news! So many men/women are sitting in church picking out their perfect wife/husband. Planning the perfect wedding. Already planning the honeymoon night. You need to get another dose of Jesus. The bible says, he that findeth a wife findeth a good thing and obtaineth favor from the Lord. Let me be real careful here. You better make sure it was the Lord that told him/her to find you. That there were no hidden agendas or ulterior motives behind it. A lot of people are fame seekers. A lot of us have made ourselves sick and depressed trying to make someone want us that don’t want us. No gift is going to sway him/her if that is not who God has ordained for you.

The word says, He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. The word bind means to cover, as with bandage or dress. You can bind up a wound. Some people are stinking from their wounds. God has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted

Psalms 147 reads Praise the Lord. How good it is to sing praises to our God. How pleasant and fitting to praise him! The Lord builds up Jerusalem he gathers the exiles of Israel. He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. He determines the number of the stars and calls them each by name. Great is the Lord and mighty in power; his understanding has no limit.

In order for the Lord to build. Something was in ruin or non existent. Some ashes were there. You might have a broken heart. That might be your ashes. Broken or wounded hearts require as much care and time as any other wound.

God has sent me to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners. God wants to free your mind. Free your thoughts. Some of us are prisoners of our mind. The battle ground is the mind. If you are constantly replaying the memories of the broken heart the devil is having a field day and has enslaved you. But God holds the key to set you free!

Every wound needs 3 things. Cleansing. Protection. Time to Heal.

The bible says the blood of Jesus, God’s Son, CLEANESETH us from every sin 

 1 John 1 :7

 

Are you feeling vulnerable? Suffering with feelings of low self-esteem, emptiness, loneliness, sadness or depression? It is during your most vulnerable time that you need others to PROTECT and comfort you. God is the closest to those with a broken heart. The bible says he sent Jesus to heal the brokenhearted. Jesus wants you to know that your value comes from who you are, not from who you are with. You are beautiful in his sight. He loves you unconditionally. That means you don’t have to perform to get his love. Jesus knows and understands your pain and wants to heal your wounded heart. But you have to turn over all the pieces to him. Remember, the Joy of the Lord is your strength!

You need TIME TO HEAL. Have you ever picked the scab from a wound before it is properly healed? The same can happen when you have a wounded heart. You can go back and pick and relive things that happened in the past. There has to be a time of forgiveness, time of releasing the one who has hurt you and moving on. The bible instructs us to “Release and you will be Released  Luke 6:37. 

To release someone you have to forgive them. If you truly forgive someone (or yourself), you cannot blame that person, even though to the normal mind he/she is blameworthy. If you don’t blame  a person, you cannot resent. In the same way, if you don’t resent, you cannot hold bitterness and so if we don’t hold bitterness then you do not hate or dislike or talk about the individual. If you do not hate, then you are not held in bondage. If we release through forgiveness the one who has hurt us, we are released also and can move on to greater things!!!!!!!!!!!!

God is going to complete you and make you whole. When you give him your pieces. He will make you whole. Some of you are like Humpty-Dumpty that sat on the wall. You’ve had a great fall. All the Kings horses and all the Kings men cannot put you back together again. But a man named Jesus wants to step in and meet you in your time of trouble. God wants to comfort all who mourn. God wants to give you Beauty For Your Ashes. Double for your trouble. The bible says, weeping may endure for a night but joy comes in the morning. God declares new things!!!!

The Spirit of Contention .....(anger and disagreement)

The Spirit of Contention .....(anger and disagreement)

Psalm 119:165 Great peace have they which love the law of the Lord and that  nothing shall offend them”. 

Titus 3:9 But avoid foolish questions, and genealogies, and contentions, and strivings about the law; for they are unprofitable and vain. 

 

The Bible says..."Great peace have they which love the law of the Lord and that  nothing shall offend them”. 

When the spirit of contention is manifesting, or in a more practical way, when there is contention in the air....it does not matter whether you talk or not.....and it does not matter what you say or how you said it. 

If you talk....then that becomes the subject of the contention...in the sense of not just what you said but especially...how you said it....

If you do not talk...then it becomes don’t tell me you have nothing to say about this or that.  

So how do you deal with the issue of contention? 

How do you resist the spirit of contention?

 

Psalm 119:165 (KJV) says “Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them”.

 

Offence causes people to stumble. Consider how great the peace Jesus had at the time of His crucifixion...to the extent that whatever they did or said to Him...or how they said it or did it....did not stir up offense in Him. 

In the midst of it....He said Father forgive them…

Does this kind of response come out of an offended heart or mind?

How do you respond to what people say to you? 

Do you get offended and justify it by saying that you are offended because you do not like how they said it? 

This does not mean that it is okay for people to talk in nasty ways to others but we cannot really control how people talk to us.

Day in and day out we are being constantly subjected to these in various mixes. Jesus went through them all until He got to the cross where all of them came on Him.  

Sometimes people may talk to us in ways we consider as rude...often not intentional...but because of pressures of life. 

We must understand in Psalm 119:165 not to get offended but to walk in such a great peace.....that NOTHING offends us.  

It is like choosing to forgive no matter what people do to us. 

Shake your religion for a second. 

Jesus said in Mathew 5:44 to love your enemies.

So what does that mean??

The purpose of your enemies is to learn to love better.

**Another Lesson from The Lord's Prayer**

When we asked forgiveness from God it was for our own good....same thing when we need to forgive others..it's for our own good. 

We can't be healed, never really move toward wholeness, we will never really get on with our lives until we are able to let go of the resentment, until we can give up gaining revenge...and forgive. 

When we have been wronged, we need to look at who God is and what God has done for us. 

How far am I to go with this forgiveness ?.......

How far has God gone with you?.............

We are to forgive them. Not because of who they are or what they have done; but because of who God is, and what God has graciously done.

Take a look at Matthew 6, verse 12. Right in the middle of the Lord's Prayer is a prayer that you and I, if we are not careful, just pray as a motion when we say the Lord's Prayer. ***Forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors***.

We are asking God to treat us, to forgive us, exactly the way that we deal with other folks who have wronged us. 

Father, please forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. In Jesus name. Amen.

After all the Bible says that we should grow in grace 2 Peter 3:18 

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. To him be glory both now and for ever. 

The less you are offended by things that are thrown at you....the more you are lining up with The Word in Psalms 119. 

By the time you have grown in grace to the point where nothing offends you....then you have lined up with the word of God.

We should grow in the grace of not becoming offended...by growing in great peace.  

We can choose not to get offended....no matter how people talk to us....just like we choose to forgive no matter the offense. 

We should take responsibility to deal with our own response to the things we face in life....because you do not have the means to control them all.

Contention must be avoided as it will generate more contention. 

It produces loss of spiritual energy. 

Contention and offense go together and they create strife. “Great peace have they which love Thy law: and nothing shall offend them”. 

This tells us that the biblical answer to offense is to have great peace....and this great peace comes from loving the law of the Lord.

Fulfilling God’s Purpose requires

Fulfilling God’s Purpose requires... (1) OUR RESPONSE.....God does not say to you.....I'll show you my will and then you can decide if it is good or bad. When God speaks His will...it is not for us to talk about it....discuss it or bring it up to the board meeting and vote on it. God reveals His will it is for man to obey. We are called to RESPOND!! (2) OUR INVOLVEMENT....God’s purpose will not be fulfilled accidentally. Nothing is automatic. If you do nothing.....nothing will happen. We are to be very involved in the fulfilment of God’s will. It takes INVOLVEMENT!! (3) OUR FAITH.....If your heart is right....focused on God and in line with His purposes... you can run into the battlefield with a sling...like David. You can step into the Red Sea with a rod...like Moses. You can bring down the walls of Jericho with a shout.....like Israel. The problem will not be a problem. Faith is the issue!! Watch your heart. WHO are you really trusting? It takes FAITH!! (4) OUR UNITY......John 17:23 I in them, and thou in me, that they may be made perfect in one; and that the world may know that thou hast sent me, and hast loved them, as thou hast loved me. Unity is strength....no doubt. But here unity is also a WITNESS. Unity was the key to the success of Israel’s mission....it is also the key to our effective witness for Jesus Christ on earth. We are in this together......for God’s glory and to fulfill His will. The church will succeed because God is present and He has made His promise. It takes UNITY!!

#OUR RESPONSE
#OURINVOLVEMENT
#OURFAITH
#OURUNITY

The Empty Chair

A man’s daughter had asked the local minister to come and pray with her father. When the minister arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed.The minister assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit. I guess you were expecting me, he said. ’No, who are you?" said the father. The minister told him his name and then remarked, I saw the empty chair an! d I figured you knew I> was going to show up," Oh yeah, the chair,"said the bed ridden man. Would you mind closing the door?" Puzzled, the minister shut the door. I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the pastor talk about prayer, But it went right over my head." I abandoned any attempt at prayer, "the old man continued, until one day four years ago, A friend of mine said to me, Johnny, prayer is just a simple matterof having a conversation with Jesus. Here is what I suggest." Sit down in a chair; place an empty chair in front of you,and in faith see Jesus on the chair. It’s not spooky because he promised, I will be with you always’. Then just speak to him in the same way you’re doing with me right now." So, I tried ! it and I’ve liked it so much that I do it a couple of hours every day. I’m careful though. If my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she’d either have a nervous breakdown or send me off to the funny farm." The minister was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him, anointed him with oil, and returned to the church. Two nights later the daughter called to tell the minister that her daddy had died that afternoon. "Did he die in peace?" he asked. Yes, when I left the house about two o’clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me how much he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead. But there was something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on ! the chair beside the bed.What do you make of that? The minister wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we could all go like that."

"The Man in the Mirror"

After being away on business, a man thought it would be nice to bring his wife a little gift. “How about some perfume?” he asked the cosmetics clerk.She showed him a bottle costing $50.00. “That’s a bit much,” he said, so she returned with a smaller bottle for $30.00. “That’s still quite a bit,” he complained. Growing annoyed, the clerk brought out a tiny $15.00 bottle. “You know,” he said, “What I mean is that I’d like to see something really cheap.” The clerk handed him a mirror!
But on a more serious note, when we look in the mirror, who do we see? Do we see more of Jesus, or more of us?
2 Corinthians 3:18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.
When we look in the mirror, God doesn’t want us to see what we see with our natural eyes. Because what we see in the natural, is the drama of life, the strife around the world, the day to day going on’s around us. You see, in the natural you may be sick, weak, broke and depressed, yet God wants you to see yourself the way He sees you.... healed, strong, blessed and whole because Christ is in you. But you must make that change! If your going to change things, "you" must do something about you. If you don’t put any effort, nothing will happen. If you don’t start making changes, nothing will change. God doesn’t see our imperfections, they were washed in the blood, cleansed forever, never to be remembered again. So, when we look in the mirror, we should see the same thing God sees, His Righteousness, living in us! The late Michael Jackson sang a song that got the whole worlds attention.............I'm starting with the man in the mirror I'm asking him to change his ways And no message could have been any clearer If you want to make the world a better place Take a look at yourself, and then make a change.........
It's true, it all starts with the man in the mirror, But quickly becomes about Jesus, who lives in the heart of the man, or women in the mirror. Are you seeing His reflection in the mirror today, instead of your own? Start to see, what God sees, believe that He wants His very best for you in your life..... get ready and expect it to happen as you do!

Is it well with my soul?

George W. Truett, a well-known Texas preacher, was invited to dinner in the home of a very wealthy oilman. After the meal, the host led him to a place where they could get a good view of the surrounding area. Pointing to the oil wells and punctuating the landscape, he boasted, "Twenty-five years ago I had nothing. Now, as far as you can see, it’s all mine." Looking in the opposite direction at his sprawling fields of grain, he said, "That’s all mine." Turning east toward huge herds of cattle, he bragged, "They’re all mine." Then pointing to the west and a beautiful forest, he exclaimed, "That too is all mine." He paused, expecting Dr. Truett to compliment him on his great success. Truett, however, placing one hand on the man’s shoulder and pointing heavenward with the other, simply said, "How much do you have in that direction?"

#Isitwellwithmysoul?

Hebrews 10:25

Seeing a lot of post the last couple days calling out today's church being so judgmental...which I do not disagree with!! But the comments under this post is what has me worried!! Many say they haven't been to church or have no desire to go to church because of hypocritical people in the church.
How many judgmental people are at your work? Do you still go to work every day? Most cases 40 or more hours per week and you are there faithfully!! Going to church with judgmental people usually is only about 6-9 hours per week!!
The Bible tells us in Hebrews 10:25 Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together......
**Whether the church meets in a building that's designated as the church building or meets in someone's home it's still assembling yourself together.** and we should not forsake it!!
What if God looked at you with the same attitude? Look at that hypocrite over there, I'm not going where they go to church at!! I'm not gonna be at their workplace....I'm not gonna hang out at the mall with them, I'm not gonna go to their family functions, I'm not gonna watch over them!! Why? Cause they are hypocrites!!!
To be honest I'm sure He could look down on most of us, if not all of us and say....what a hypocrite!! But He doesn't!! He looks down with mercy and says I'm going to give you another chance because I love you!!
You think you too good (Holy) to be in church with hypocrites??
Isaiah 65:5 Which say, Stand by thyself, come not near to me; for I am holier than thou. These are a smoke in my nose, a fire that burneth all the day.
(NLT) Yet they say to each other, 'Don't come too close or you will defile me! I am holier than you!' These people are a stench in my nostrils, an acrid smell that never goes away.
Btw: I'd rather be in a house of hypocrites worshiping God than to be sitting at home complaining about this church and that church being filled with hypocrites.

Hypocrites in the Church

Yes....I know that there are hypocrites in the church, and yes....I know that there are people who don’t go to church who live better lives than some people who do go to church!! But don’t judge the tree by a few bad apples! ********************************************************************* Here's a story about a preacher who visited a farmer to invite him to church. The farmer said, "Well, I’m never coming to your church, Preacher." The preacher said, "Why not?" * The farmer said, "Because I know some of the members of your church & I live a lot better than they do." Sometime later, the preacher bought a pig from the farmer. He said, "I want you to sell me the smallest, ugliest, sickliest pig that you’ve got." Well, the farmer, amazed, gave him exactly what he asked for. After he paid for it, he said to the farmer, "I’m going to take this sick, small, ugly pig to everybody in the community and tell them that I bought it from you." The farmer said, "Now Preacher, that’s not fair, I’ve got a lot of hogs that are nicer and bigger and fatter than that hog." The preacher said, "Buddy, if it’s fair for the church, it’s fair for the hogs!"

*The Dangers of A Sleeping Church*

Acts 20:6 And we sailed away from Philippi after the days of unleavened bread, and came unto them to Troas in five days; where we abode seven days.
7 And upon the first [day] of the week, when the disciples came together to break bread, Paul preached unto them, ready to depart on the morrow; and continued his speech until midnight.
8 And there were many lights in the upper chamber, where they were gathered together.
9 And there sat in a window a certain young man named Eutychus, being fallen into a deep sleep: and as Paul was long preaching, he sunk down with sleep, and fell down from the third loft, and was taken up dead.

10 And Paul went down, and fell on him, and embracing [him] said, Trouble not yourselves; for his life is in him.
11 When he therefore was come up again, and had broken bread, and eaten, and talked a long while, even till break of day, so he departed.
12 And they brought the young man alive, and were not a little comforted.


THERE ARE MANY PEOPLE IN THIS WORLD WHO HAVE CLOSED THEIR EYES TO THE THINGS OF THE LORD. AS A RESULT.....THE BLESSINGS OF GOD HAVE SLIPPED RIGHT PAST THEM AS THEY SLEEP THROUGH LIFE. IN OTHER WORDS.....THEY HAVE BEEN HYPNOTIZED BY THE LURING POWERS OF THE WORLD AND HAVE CONSIDERED *THE GOOD LIFE* TO BE NOTHING BUT A DREAM. BUT LET ME SAY.....THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND THE BLESSINGS THAT COME OUR WAY ARE NOT A PART OF SOME SUPERNATURAL DREAM. GOD REALLY DOES BLESS THOSE WHO SEEK A BLESSING.

THERE ARE MANY CHRISTIANS WHO HAVE BEEN SLEEP WALKING THROUGH CHRISTIANITY. WHEN TIME COMES FOR GOD’S PEOPLE TO STAND UP AND FIGHT THE GOOD FIGHT.....MANY CHRISTIANS FALL ASLEEP AND MISS OUT ON THE BLESSINGS THAT COME FROM BEING A FAITHFUL SOLDIER OF THE LORD.


FOR EXAMPLE.....
1. GOD’S PEOPLE WERE SLEEPING WHEN ONE WOMAN....WHO BY THE WAY WAS VERY MUCH AWAKE.....SINGLE HANDLY REMOVED THE WORD OF GOD AND PRAYER FROM THE SCHOOLS.
2. THOUSANDS OF UNBORN BABIES ARE MURDERED EVERY DAY BECAUSE GOD’S PEOPLE HAVE GONE TO SLEEP.
3. THE ONLY PEOPLE STANDING UP TO FIGHT THE SCHOOL SHOOTINGS ARE THIS GROUP AND THESE GROUPS AND POLITICIANS....BUT THE CHURCH HAS GONE NIGHT NIGHT.
4. GODS PEOPLE WERE SLEEPING WHEN THE SUPREME COURT MADE ITS RULING TO LEGALIZE SAME SEX MARRIAGE THIS PAST FRIDAY.

Why is America in the shape it's in? Look no further than the church.....
I blame the church!! Every denomination, fellowship, organization and every belief!!

Much of today's ministry is all about money.....success and popularity. Your spirituality is judged by how big your house is....the size of your bank account or what kind of car you drive. That's why America is in the shape it's in today!!  There is more tolerated sin in the church than ever. The pulpits have gutless pastors (I call 6ft icicles) who are more concerned about getting a steady paycheck or getting bigger tithe payers and being liked rather than being ran out of the church for preaching holiness and separation.

Even through all this garbage....GOD IS STILL IN CONTROL !!  What a gracious and merciful God!!

2 Chronicles 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.



THE BIBLE TELLS US.....THAT THE SAME POWER THAT RAISED UP JESUS FROM THE DEAD LIVES INSIDE OF US. WE OUGHT TO BE SETTING MATTERS IN THE SCHOOLHOUSE...COURTHOUSE.....AND THE WHITE HOUSE.

*The Dangers of A Sleeping Church*

I. THE CAUSE FOR HIS FALLING ASLEEP
A. HE WAS CARELESS........

.......IN HIS COMPANY
*PS. 1:1-2 BLESSED IS THE MAN THAT WALKETH NOT IN THE COUNSEL OF THE UNGODLY, NOR STANDETH IN THE WAY OF SINNERS, NOR SITTETH IN THE SEAT OF THE SCORNFUL. (2) BUT HIS DELIGHT IS IN THE LAW OF THE LORD: AND IN HIS LAW DOTH HE MEDITATE DAY AND NIGHT.

......IN HIS CARES OF THIS LIFE
a. HE THOUGHT MORE OF THE THINGS OF THIS WORLD MORE THAN THE THINGS OF GOD.

......IN HIS CARELESS ATTENDANCE
a. HE WAS GOING OUT MORE THAN COMING IN. (GOD’S HOUSE, GOD’S WORK)


II. THE CONSEQUENCES OF HIS FALLING
     ASLEEP

A. THERE WAS PAIN (VS. 9)

1. THERE IS PAIN WHEN YOU GET OUT OF  
    GOD’S WILL.
2. FAMILY PAIN
3. CHURCH PAIN

B. PUBLIC WORSHIP WAS DISRUPTED.



III. NOTICE SOME THINGS THAT EUTYCHUS LOST BY FALLING ASLEEP.

A. HE LOST PREPARATION (VS.7)

1.WE NEED TO WAKE UP AND GET PREPARED FOR THE BATTLE.
a. PRAY
b. STUDY

B. HE LOST OUT ON GOD’S MESSAGE (VS.9)

1. SOME CHRISTIANS JUST DON’T GET IT .
(PREACH TO YOUR BLUE AND THEY STILL WANT GET IT.)
2.GOD’S GOT SOMETHING FOR ALL OF US. BUT IF WE SLEEP WE MISS OUT ON IT.

C. HE LOST HIS LIFE.
1. MANY WILL LOSE THEIR LIFE AND DIE AND
    GO TO HELL BECAUSE THEY HAVE SLEPT
    WHEN GOD WAS TRYING TO GIVE THEM
    THE MESSAGE.
2. HOW MANY HAVE LOST THEIR LIFE
    BECAUSE GOD’S PEOPLE WERE ASLEEP
    WHEN GOD WAS GIVING THE MESSAGE?

BBE Acts20:10 And Paul went down and, falling on him, took him in his arms and said, Do not be troubled, for his life is in him.
11 And when he had gone up, and had taken the broken bread, he went on talking to them for a long time, even till dawn, and then he went away.
12 And they took the boy in, living, and were greatly comforted.


It is our turn to bless America. It's our turn to do something good for America. God has and still is blessing America.
But we need to do our part to bless America!

We can do many good things. We can be good citizens...vote...be patriotic....salute the flag...sing the national anthem.Show kindness to everyone.

1 Timothy 2:1-6
Paul gives us some specific things we can do to bless America. They are......
1. We must pray for everyone.
2. We must live Godly.
3. We must evangelize.

#ItsOurTurn 2 #BlessAmerica

**SIMPLICITY**

I believe this is from December 2015

I pray you take time to read this today...............
Yesterday morning I had the privilege of listening to two awesome testimonies/experiences from a recent trip to Honduras. Of course we saw pictures of the visit in which we saw their lifestyle, their work ethic and of course their desire to travel miles to be in a Holy Ghost filled service. It was truly a blessing to hear the testimony and to see by way of pictures the awesome move of God in their service. But, one word stuck out to me when it was used by both yesterday morning and that word was *SIMPLICITY*!!
Simplicity = Being simple (Basic) (Plain) Well that's pretty much the common meaning to simplicity.
But look deeper into its other meaning.......*freedom from complexity, intricacy, or division into parts*
**FREEDOM from........!!!!
Made me think of truly how we are not a simple people...specifically the church.
I know we use and I am a huge advocate of social media to get the Word out and advertise our church. Which that will not stop because I believe it is a great tool to be used for the greater of the Kingdom of God!!
But, simplicity, simple....old school if you would, mouth and feet (mainly feet) was what filled their church the few days they were in Honduras.
Matthew 28:19-20 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen. What we have just read here is what we know as the *GREAT COMMISSION*
1.GO YE: Going is before teaching, preaching, or baptizing. In Psalm 126:6 God gives us a great outline on soul winning..... Psalms 126:6 He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him.
1. Go....weepeth (tears....compassion) 2. Spreading the word (seeds) 3. Bringing his sheaves with him (souls)
Here again *GOING* is before sowing or weeping or rejoicing. God certainly demands that we put feet in soul winning. Walking comes before talking. Ephesians 6:15 and your feet shod with the preparation of the gospel of peace; We are commanded to have our feet shod with the gospel. Why? For we are to go and tell the world...not them come to us. Do you want to have beautiful feet? God says the feet of a soul winner are beautiful. Isaiah 52:7 How beautiful upon the mountains are the feet of him that bringeth good tidings, that publisheth peace; that bringeth good tidings of good, that publisheth salvation; that saith unto Zion, Thy God reigneth! Bringeth good tidings to bring something means to go. To go means using your feet. The problem today is we have to many........
*BAREFOOTED CHRISTIANS* and I'm not exempt from that title!!!
Bottom line soul winning begins with *SIMPLICITY*.... it begins with the feet!!
#newburden #simplicity #back2basics #back2simplicity #soulwinningusingfeet
Thank you Bro. Tommy Russell and Sis. Karen Boswell Russell not only did your mission trip touch and change your lives it caused me to take inventory of my life.

Galatians 5:13-26

God is aware that sometimes we struggle, feeling divided in mind and heart. One part of us wants to believe that worldly pleasures are the paths to happiness. But the other part knows that true joy is found only in following Him. God is not forcing us to do things His way. He is holding out His hand to help us walk in the way that leads to life. With our hand in His...... we will have the strength to turn away from the distractions and temptations of the world. God desires to lead us to a life of peace and joy. He wants to give us patience and goodness, and enable us to be kind and faithful. He longs to lead us in love. Why not hold His hand and walk with Him to lead you on the best path in your life?

 Galatians 5:13-26
¹³ For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.
¹⁴ For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this; Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.
¹⁵ But if ye bite and devour one another, take heed that ye be not consumed one of another.
¹⁶ This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfil the lust of the flesh.
¹⁷ For the flesh lusteth against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that ye cannot do the things that ye would.
¹⁸ But if ye be led of the Spirit, ye are not under the law.
¹⁹ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,
²⁰ Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
²¹ Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
²² But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,
²³ Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
²⁴ And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
²⁵ If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
²⁶ Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another.

My Father

I'm not writing this for pity....I know there is those that had it worse than me.....but I've been asked several times this week about my father cause I never talk about him and ignore the very subject....well, here's why.
My childhood seemed pretty good till as I got a little older I realized my dad was a drunk and a woman beater. He gambled and or drank all the time. Don't get me wrong,we never went without for the essential things. I was forced to do things that I did not want to do ..not because I was a spoiled brat but rather he enjoyed making me and watching me do those things as he set back getting drunk and making rude hateful jokes about me. My mom was quite the church goer and faithful. But my dad was the total opposite. He would beat her simply for going to church just about every time she came home. I can remember several times he would be waiting in the driveway as we were pulling up. I finally had enough one night when I walked out onto my grandpas porch and saw him dragging her thru the gravel face first. I went out as a 12 year old kid and laid a 2x4 across the back of his neck. Well, from that point my mom finally left him for good and I was hated by him and dis-owned. I would later go back to visit with my grandfather and grandmother before they died.....my father would show up and he would immediately start something. Later in years I tried to reconcile with him after my daughter was born. I took her to see him and we wasn't there 5 minutes and he started again being argumentative and saying that my daughter was probably some other mans kid. I walked away that day for good, not just from his place but his life also. It was a couple years later he passed away due to pneumonia...but he went the way he said he wanted to go....beer in one hand and a cigarette in the other. So you see I had no father to look up to or confide in.
Now I did choose to let his life influence me in many ways daily!! His influence was that I would never live my life or my fatherhood mistreating and hating people, especially children. Instead,today, I long to reach out to those and show them.......that just because you come from an abusive home you don't have to turn out that way......but you can choose to be a person that rises above and help hurting kids as I try to do.

Hell is for SISSIES

What happened to all the REAL men and women of America and the Church?? It seems now that we are just a bunch of Sissies in the Church and America....No longer do we have real men and women!! In reality we have become a society of Sissies.....We are surrounded every day by those we elected that are too afraid to stand up for what’s right and try to influence change. If it's not politically correct we shun it and even come up with a compromise. President Obama is a coward and we as America.....have allowed his cowardliness to influence us. It is the same in the religious world. Feel good sermons.....watered down salvation and touchy feely services seem to be the trend of the day. We've had 6 foot icicles in power for too long and 6 foot icicles pastoring and leading our churches too long....these 2 together is the reason America is in the shape it is today!! America is going to hell in a hand basket on a greased pole!! But I say hell is for SISSIES!!! Stand strong and proud America....Stand strong and proud Church!! Revelation 6:17For the great day of his wrath is come; and who shall be able to stand?
I guarantee it won't be a bunch of SISSIES standing!! #StandStrongAmerica #StandStrongChurch #StandStrongPastors #StandStrongSpiritualLeaders #StandStrongChristians #HellisforSISSIES !!