Peace

You know that feeling when you have nothing to do, no where to be and all the bills are paid.  For a lot of people that is peace and don't get me wrong it's a great place to be.  In most of our lives it takes what we deem is the perfect day to get there.  Let's see what we can find in scripture about peace.

Psalm 34:14

Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it.

 

Isaiah 54:10

For the mountains shall depart And the hills be removed, But My kindness shall not depart from you, Nor shall My covenant of peace be removed," Says the Lord, who has mercy on you.

 

Isaiah 26:12

Lord, You will establish peace for us, For You have also done all our works in us.

 

Isaiah 26:3

You will keep him in perfect peace, Whose mind is stayed on You, Because he trusts in You.

 

John 14:27

Peace I leave with you, My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.

 

John 16:33

These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world."

 

Alright, I have added verses from the Old Testament,  Psalms and a couple from John.  What stands out to you?  For me it starts with making sure I'm doing good and seeking peace.  How do we seek peace?  Don't do evil things.  Let us be honest with ourselves..when we do something bad does it keep you up at night?  If you tell a lie does it take all you can to keep the lie covered up?  That makes sense.

Seeking Peace?

It's often noted in the Bible despite me not posting scriptures that even Jesus needed time alone with God the Father.  In order for us to find God who the scripture above says gives peace when need that alone time.  It may be your drive to work or starting the day in prayer.  It might be when you go for a walk.  Those are just a few ideas.  If you wait until the end of the day it usually makes it tough to find that peace because you are physically and emotionally drained.

Peace I leave with you!!!

In John 14:27 Jesus says He leaves peace with you.  He goes on to say "Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid."  If we believe He is who He says He is then we should know nothing is impossible for Him and that He also knows the hairs on our heads.  God is involved in our lives everyday.  How much you want to be involved with Him is totally up to you!  Our lives aren't meant to be lived from worry to worry or trial to trial.  We were made to live in peace.

Next time you feel that anxiety coming up in your mind, where you pulse is racing and everything is spirally out of control..STOP!  Find some time away with God by taking a walk, talking to God in a quiet place where not only you can talk but also listen.  I won't guarantee you will hear an audible voice but a scripture may come to mind.  You might find just getting it out to God makes you feel better.  Finally it will let you know how deep your faith really goes.

That's all for this month.  Have a wonderful Christmas and may God make it a peaceful one for you and those you share it with.  God Bless you!

 

 

 

 

 

Put on the Armor

This might be one of the simple posts I will ever make.  We are all in a battle if we aren't we are going to be in one.  So we need to put on our armor.

Eph 6:10-17 (NIV) ...Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power. Put on the full armour of God so that you can take your stand against the devil's schemes. For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armour of God, so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled round your waist, with the breastplate of righteousness in place, and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace. In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one. Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Each day I make sure I pray the armor of God upon me before I leave the house.  I also pray for a hedge of protection to be around me and my family.  Job 1:10 "Have you not put a hedge around him and his household and everything he has? You have blessed the work of his hands, so that his flocks and herds are spread throughout the land.

God put a hedge around Job to keep him safe.  Satan himself had to come to God in order to attack Job.  We all need to put on our armor and get the hedge of protection up and around our families everyday.  God has given us the tools for protection and battle.  Take them up daily.

What did quitting ever accomplish?

Often we want something..maybe something to happen and we pray.  Months go by and then years but we don't get the desired results from our prayer.  We pray for salvation of friends and family members, children who have turned away from God, a better job, a new house, a wife, a husband, a restored marriage.

We get discouraged and say I prayed but it didn't work.  God didn't answer my prayer!  We doubt God and before we know it we are really in a mess and need prayer more than ever.  We try to fix it on our own.  Then we turn our backs on God totally and angrily because we don't get our way in our timing.  We want our answer now!  How dare God answer anyone's prayers but ours!

God is not a genie!  He is not Burger King who says "Have it your way." 

Do we even understand what prayer is?

According to Merriam-Webster's dictionary it's this 

Definition of PRAYER

1

a (1) : an address (as a petition) to God or a god in word or thought prayer

for the success of the voyage> (2) : a set order of words used in praying

b : an earnest request or wish

2

: the act or practice of praying to God or a god prayer

>

3

: a religious service consisting chiefly of prayers —often used in plural

4

: something prayed for

5

: a slight chance prayer

> 

 

When I see the word wish I cringe because it reminds me of wishing wells, genies and just fiction.

 

Here are some Bible verses on prayer to help you and keep you from quitting. 

2 Chronicles 7:14 (NIV)
if my people, who are called by my name, will 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.

 

James 5:13-16 (NIV)
Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective.

 

 1 John 5:14-15 (NIV)
This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us—whatever we ask—we know that we have what we asked of him.

 

Matthew 6:5-6 (NIV)
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

Matthew 6:9-15 (NIV)
“This, then, is how you should pray:
” ‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one. For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

 

Now these are just a few verses but lets take a look at them.  First we notice that God wants us to humble ourselves and seek Him and turn from our wicked ways(sin).  So we can't go to God all puffed up with our request like we are doing Him some huge favor by praying.  He knows our motivations when we pray. 

 

 Second we notice that we need to have faith and confess our sins.   Too often we pray but as a last resort.  That tells God right away where our faith is.  We have tried everything...so we might as well try God.  We must believe He is able to do that which we are praying for.  He don't do anything without our faith.  It also takes repentance.  That means we need to ask God to forgive us of our sins.

Third we need to be asking for things that are God's will.  Praying for a million dollars to spend on yourself doesn't seem to add up to His will now does it?  We need to pray for things such as salvation of others.  Pray for other people's problems, dreams and desires.  Pray is not just about getting what we want it's about praying for what God wants.  If you believe He wants you to use your talents for Him a certain way pray for it.  If you have a financial need(not a HD tv) such as rent after losing a job He can and will provide.  Not always in the way we want or how we expected but He does provide for His children.

Fourth we need to pray in private.  We don't need to spout off this super fancy prayer in front of everyone to get our prayers answered.  He hears us just as much in private as He does in public.  There are lots of prayer needs that require privacy of others as well.  We don't need to make prayer into a gossip session.  Example:Oh God, please help so and so for they are adulters who just can't find their way and my brother is a liar so please fix him, etc.

Fifth we need to prayer the prayer of Matthew 6:9-15.  It lays everything out there.  It covers everything that is at the core of our relationship with God.  It puts the emphasis on His will and our needs.

I would also like to add a few things.  Pray scripture!  Proclaim it over your life!  It is God's word.  Every word of God is pure: he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him. Proverbs 30:5 

Isaiah 55:10-11

New International Version (NIV)

¹⁰ As the rain and the snow
    come down from heaven,
and do not return to it
    without watering the earth
and making it bud and flourish,
    so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater,
¹¹ so is my word that goes out from my mouth:
    It will not return to me empty,
but will accomplish what I desire
    and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.

Last of all don't forget this 

Galatians 6:9

New International Version (NIV)

⁹ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.

 

The key is don't give up.  God works in His own timing!  It requires patience.  Here is a great example 

Genesis 21 - The Birth of Isaac

A. The birth of Isaac.

1. (1) God fulfills His promise to Abraham and Sarah.

And the Lord visited Sarah as He had said, and the Lord did for Sarah as He had spoken.

a. The Lord visited Sarah as He had said: It took a long time (25 years) for this promise to come to pass, but God was faithful to His promise. God’s promises never fail.

b. As He had spoken: The promise of a son was not fulfilled because Abraham was perfect in his obedience, but because God was faithful to His Word.

i. Some promises of God are conditional and depend on something we must do. Other promises of God are unconditional, and God will fulfill them not because of what we do, but because of who He is.

The Man In The Mirror

There are times in life when we actually become aware of our flaws and weaknesses. I am not a perfect man but boy have I treated people like I am. There are things carried over from my home life that I've projected even though it's not what God wants us to do.

Proverbs 27:17 As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another.

When we spend too much time alone we miss these flaws. We can read all the scripture and pray all the prayers we want but until we see ourselves through someone else's eyes we have no idea who we are. Now I'm not saying look at all the people who hate you and say wow they are right! Find good God fearing people and spend time with them. Make the changes necessary to honor God and grow.

Please take some time to focus and mediate on this teaching because I've been blind to it for many years of my life. It takes some patience, trust and more trust to do this.

I pray you take the time to look in the mirror.

Video and Reading

I've been very busy working on three documentaries. I hope to have at least 2 finished up by winter. It's been such a very busy year so far that I feel like it's slipping away before I was ready for it to begin.

I've been doing quite a bit of reading this month. I've almost completed the Anne of Green Gables series and read much of Dickens and Emily Bronte as well. It's very refreshing in a world that today is so different from that wonderful pace and time of life.

God is good and very soon my wife will be graduating from nursing school and I hope that will mean a much slower pace to our lives.

God Bless you and please spend some time with him in prayer today.

Make it a priority!

This year make it a priority to spend time in the bible and in prayer. It seems like the middle east and the rest of the world is falling apart before our eyes. God is moving and we are definatly getting closer to the end times here. Do not be lukewarm be hot! We don't know when he is coming and when the end is. Only God knows.

My good friend's testimony

No Such Thing

There is no such thing as enough prayer. We all need it..not just for ourselves but for everyone. Someone is always hurting, living, dying, healing, and breaking. As men and women of God it is our duty and privilege.

None of us are perfect no matter how well our lives are going in our minds. Let God keep us in humility, honesty, integrity, truth, and peace. We will all be accountable one day before God. That day can very easily be today.

Lord please help us to live lives that bring glory to You. Let us remember to build Your kingdom and not just our own. Give us eyes that see that which You desire of us. Help us to hunger and thirst for You and not the world and what it offers. God open our hearts and ears to listen, love, and be willing to do Your will. Please help us to build up and not tear down. Help us to be aware of our words and thoughts and how they effect others. God please help us to know that we are not alone and that our ways are not always the best way but Your way is. Lord we ask these things in Jesus name.
Amen.

Catching UP!

Been a very busy year and has continued to be so into fall. I've finished one book, started another, promoted two books,and released one. Things have been busy at my tv job and I signed up to do a documentary on The Underground Railroad in the county I live in. Wow! On top of that my son started kindergarten. So you can understand the lack of updates lately..right?

I've started writing "Healer" and so far it's been pretty rough. I can write about the pain but the healing parts aren't coming along so well yet. It's easy to understand pain because we all are going through it in one area or another but explaining how God can heal you from it without over stating the pain is proving to be extremely difficult. I could use some prayer for that.

Promoting the books hasn't been so easy either. It's hard getting people who don't know you to read your work. I'm learning and I feel much more comfortable with it now than I did. I send the books out to be reviewed and sometimes I expect to have someone just tear it to pieces so I can finally get that over with. So far everyone has enjoyed what they have read and some have cried, others have said it was exactly what churches should be talking about, still a few have found it simple but enjoyable, etc.

God give us all talents and time. We need to be wise stewards of both as well as everything He gives us. We only have so much time after all.

God Bless you.

Prayer

After reading about the response to the Americans killed in Afganistan I know it's time to pray. I knew a few people who personally knew one of those people killed. They are really hurting but know that they are with God. As I read post after post of people bashing them saying they had a death wish and shouldn't be forcing people to convert and Jesus on everyone. I can't believe the comments I'm reading.

Hate is spreading towards Christians all over the world. It seems like everyone wants to be tolerant of everything but Christians.

We need to pray like never before. Christians are continually killed, beaten and insulted all over the world. It's in this time we really need to dig deep and trust God. God warned us that this would happen..that we would need to pick up our cross daily and follow after him.

Prayers

Please keep this country, families, marriages, children and the government in prayer. They all need God and His protection!

New Year!

I am very excited for this New Year! I plan on releasing ebook versions of "He's the Pen, I'm the Paper" and "Thankful to Be Useful" on amazon.com. I am hoping to begin my first fiction book this year as well. I know that none of that can happen without God. Please keep me in your prayers. There are many challenges ahead and I'm hopeful for an even better year than last year. God is able to do far more than I can ever imagine or even dream of and I intend to continue to dream big. God Bless!!

Thank you

Thank you to all my supporters for all your visits and prayers. Thank You God for giving me a wonderful year of growth and transformation. God bless each and everyone! Have a happy new year!

Also..I am beginning to work on a fiction(novel) book. I have the main character named and alot of aspects about his life are coming into focus. I'm scared to death that it won't be any good to be really honest. I hope it's readable and one day released. Please keep me in your prayers.

I will begin putting all the corrections from the ebook versions of He's the Pen, I'm the Paper and Thankful to Be Useful this weekend. I'm not ready to set a date for either of those releases yet but they will be on amazon.com next year barring any major delays.

In need

I know that this year and this time of year there are alot of people in need. Please be praying and if you are able give to those who are going through a tough time. Some need food, clothing, and other items but remember they all need our love and prayers. Please take the time to make a difference this Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

The Fall Blues

New Video!!

Distractions

In life we will have many distractions that will keep us off course if we let them. It's easy to get caught up in the internet, television, books, you know stuff.

Thessalonians 5:17 (New International Version)

¹⁷pray continually;

That's not a suggestion but a command. It's in prayer that we really get close to God. It's not by our actions or thoughts that things happen in our lives. But by God who is our creator. There is not enough prayer going up. I think there never has been. There is so much hurting, sickness, disease, people who don't know or believe in God. Stop every day to pray.

What are we putting in and out?

Whatever we put into our minds is bound to come out. If we spend all our time watching trash tv, listening to Hollywood gossip and some pretty rough stuff on the radio then how to we expect to be Godly? So many people expect God to do something in their lives but they haven't spent the time with God to get there. If we spend time in prayer, reading the Bible and quiet time with God we will reap the fruit of a close relationship with God. When we praise Him no matter what God knows He can use and mold us because we truly want to be in His presence. We have His kingdom mindset. So when you get up everyday and before you go to bed...think about "Did I have His kingdom mindset?"