June
2008 What
Does Faith Mean... I found several definitions
of faith, one was confident belief in the truth, value, or
trustworthiness of a person, idea or thing. Another is a belief
that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence. These
are great definitions of what the word FAITH means and you are probably
saying, why are we dealing with FAITH again? Simply because it is
absolutely necessary. The word faith is used only twice in the Old
Testament and 243 times in the New Testament. This in itself is a sign
of the moving away from living under the law in the Old Testament, to
living by faith in the New Testament. Noah lived in the midst of
wicked people, yet he was an example of one who could live a godly
life in an evil world; a life pleasing to God in his everyday
environment. “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord”
(Gen.6:8). His favor with the Lord was through no merit of his own but
through personal faith in God. From the biblical
standpoint, Hebrews 11:1-3 reads : Now faith is the substance of things
hoped for, the evidence of things not seen, for by it the elders
obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the
worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are
seen were not made of things which do appear. If we notice in
reading the Bible it talks about faith but the only definition that
explains what faith is – is found in Hebrews 11:1. Now faith is
the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.
These two descriptions of faith, substance and evidence denotes the
essence of tangible goods. Roman 10:17 “So when faith cometh by
hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” The evidence and substance
of faith then is the Word of God. God is ever seeking to
teach us the way of faith, and in our training in the Faith life there
must be room for the trial of faith, the discipline of faith, the
patience of faith, the courage of faith, and often times many stages are
passed before we really realize what is the end of faith, namely, the
victory of faith. The real moral fiber is developed through discipline
of faith. You have made your request of God, you have asked for all
these things of him, and you are waiting and waiting, but the answer
does not come – So what are you to do? Simply keep on believing in
God’s Word; never be move away from it by what you see or feel;
therefore as you stand steady, enlarged power and experience is
developed. The fact that we can look at the apparent contradiction as to
God’s Word and being unmoved from our position of faith makes us
stronger on every other level. Often times God delays doing things
purposely and the delay is just as much an answer to your prayer as is
the fulfillment when it comes. If we remember the lives of
the greats of the bible; Abraham, Moses and Elijah were not
necessarily great in the beginning, but all were made great through the
discipline of their faith, and because of the trials they were
fitted for the positions to which God had called them. So many of
us can fall into the same categories because of our trials and
tribulations. When God has spoken his
purpose in our lives, as to what he is going to do, and yet the days go
on and he does not do it, that is truly hard because we now want to
question God. But it is a discipline of faith that will bring us
into knowledge of God which would otherwise be impossible. Now
the question becomes what happened to faith when we as saints of God
have to make decisions because it seems like things are forever changing
in our lives. A marriage dissolves and we as women linked to husbands by
a thousand threads, find those threads snapped, and now we are wondering
who we are? Or cherished friendships change, our career paths in which
we knew was the right one, is no longer there, or is being threatened.
Our finances are at and all time low. What are we to do? The price of
gas is going up, up and up, the price of food continues to rise, but the
money on the job stays the same. What are we to do? Are you telling me I
need to have faith? Go back to Hebrew 11:1, Now
faith is the substance/sustaining of things hoped for, the evidence
conviction/rebuttal of things not seen. In other words the spiritual
realm, which is the invisible realm moves into the natural realm and it
rebukes the things that are. It places a rebuttal against the things
that are seen and the things that are temporal. The existence of things
that are touchable, feel-able and see-able. It crushes against all these
things and tears them down. It rebukes all those things that are against
God’s Word. It comes from the spirit realm. It is a rebuttal of or
from the spiritual world. In Hebrews we are dealing with effective
faith, this type of faith makes us grow under pressure. Hebrews
encourages believers to persevere in their Christian faith and conduct
when facing persecution and pressure. We don’t usually think of
suffering as good for us, but it can build our character and our
patience. During times of great stress, we may feel God’s presence
more clearly and find help from people we never new or thought would
care. Just knowing that Jesus is with us in our suffering and that he
will return one day to put an end to all pain, helps us grow in our
faith and our relationship with him. If you understand faith is
a position of being and doing, then you can understand when Peter was
walking on water in Matthew 14, faith was being exercised.
But as he was walking on water he saw the wind and waves coming,
suddenly his thoughts went into that area where he was no more in a
position of substantiating his faith and entertained the possibility of
drowning. That was when he started drowning. If Peter had great
faith walking on water, where did the substance go? But if faith is a
position of being then we understand that he moved out of that position
and started to drown. So faith is the position of bringing a substance
into being. Other examples of what it means to have little or great
faith. Again in Matt. 14:30-31 (But when he saw the wind boisterous, he
was afraid, and beginning to sink, he cried out saying, Lord save me.
What did Jesus do? He immediately reached out his hand to him saying
“O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?” So what
happened he put his eyes on the wind, and the waves he was afraid and
cried out. This shows that Peter had little faith. How many of us will
do the same thing today if we feel that our jobs, meaning the only means
we have for survival is being threaten? It should be the time to put all
the faith we have into action. Sometimes when we talk with
people we find even though they have gone through faith and all its
teachings, they still don’t understand faith. We can talk faith and
still have fear. Having faith in eternal life is more than
believing for life in heaven after death of the body. Paul tells
Timothy in 2nd Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by
inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for
correction, for instruction in righteousness.” Eternity begins
in the beginning and our personal eternity began when we were born. God
help us to hear the Spiritual meaning of the Word: Job 32:8 “But there
is a spirit in man: and the inspiration of the Almighty giveth them
understanding.” John 14:26 “But the Comforter, which is
the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you
all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have
said unto you. As Christians, faith in the
Word of God is the beginning of our salvation and help in any endeavor.
James 1:7 “But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering; James
5:16 “The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth
much.” We can know the will of God in every situation. Romans
12:2 “And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good,
and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.” So saints of God let
us read the Word of God daily, which will renew our minds and
build faith in all the wonderful promises that our most loving Father,
God has for our every day eternity. Staying in his Word and
praying to God our Father will give us the strength we need when all the
obstacles of life and this world come against us. God
Bless you,
Missionary Almedia Burgess May
2008 Remembered
By "My Shepherd" Scripture
Reference Mark 16:7 But
go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into
Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you. I preached a message years
ago "The Jesus No One Knew" that dealt with Jesus brutal death
on the cross and how the very human minds of His disciples could not
grasp His coming back to them after what their eyes had seen Him endure
on the cross. Isaiah 52:14 prophesied hundreds of years before
this event "as many were astonied (Greek for astonished) at thee;
his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the
sons of men...not even Mel Gipson's magnificent depiction "The
Passion" was as truthful as this scripture stated but it was
terrifyingly close. Let's give the disciples a break and be honest with
ourselves. If we witnessed first hand what our Lord and Savior
went through for us, how unrecognizable He really was after the beatings
he received, we would have been as mysteriously absent from the His
Crucifixion as the disciples were and equally doubtful of His return. One of the 7 last words He
spoke were "woman behold thy son, behold thy mother" (John
19:26 & 27). Many believe it was Jesus saying to His mother that
John (the beloved disciple) would now be his mother and to John, take
care of your mother. Another view on that passage of scripture is
that Jesus was beaten so badly, no one could recognize Him and these
words spoken by Him were validating that yes it is me on this cross
saying these words. Remember "marred more than any man"
and endured this humiliation for His sheep which includes you and I. During His ministry, Jesus
said He was the "Good Shepherd" (John
10:11) the Good Shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. John 10:14 &
15...I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.
As the Father knoweth me, even so know I the Father: and I lay down my
life for the sheep. He had hand picked 12 ordinary men to
nurture, teach and show that He was to them what He said, a shepherd.
David, in one of the most treasured passages of scripture said "The
Lord is My Shepherd, I shall not want, He maketh me to lie down in green
pastures, leadeth me beside still waters, leadeth me in paths of
righteousness, thy rod and staff comfort me" (23rd Psalm). He was
describing what a shepherd does in his most poetic way and that is what
Jesus did with those 12 and others touched by Him during His 3 1/2 year
ministry. One of the responsibilities of being a shepherd is the
willingness to endure great hardships to protect the flock. He taught
day after day the need to suffer unbelievable anguish for His sheep. Peter was the out spoken
one, the speak now and think about what I said later guy. He was totally
sincere when he told Jesus that I would defend you to the death during
their final evening together. It was because of Jesus that he stepped
out of the boat in the middle of a stormy sea and walked on water
because His Master said to him "Come"...it was Peter who
correctly said that Jesus was the "Son of the Living God" when
Jesus asked "whom do thou say I am...it was Peter who was fishing
and was told "I will make you fishers of men"...so naturally
he felt there would be no problem defending Jesus. But when it
came time to stand up and be counted, Peter denied Him. Sheep have
some degree of boldness when they have numbers but get them off to
themselves and they become fearful. Imagine how Peter felt when he
saw Jesus being beaten and humiliated while he (Peter) warmed himself by
a fire, afraid to admit he even knew Him as cowards plotted to end his
Lord's life. When Peter heard the cock crow and replayed the voice of
Jesus saying Peter would betray him, the Bible say's Peter wept
bitterly. (Matthew 26:75) Tell the truth, how many of
us would have been just like those during Jesus time of need who were no
where to be found . Then find out later that He had told the truth about
being raised from the dead. How deep a hole would you dig to cover
yourself so you would not have to face Him. How in the world could you
or I or Peter look Jesus Christ, the risen Savior in the eyes. But
like the "Good Shepherd" He is, words of encouragement were
left for us at the grave to be delivered to us by an angel...tell the
disciples "AND Peter" to meet Him. Do this for me, think about
all of the times you promised to do good only to fail, think about how
Jesus has done for you time and time again knowing you didn't deserve
His goodness, think about how you had the chance to witness to someone
about His goodness and mercy but didn't, think about how He got you the
job you wanted, healed your body, got you the new house, car, money in
your pocket, food on your table...think about all of that. Go to the
scripture reference Mark 16:7 and read it again, when you get to
"AND Peter" put your name instead of Peter's....it would
read "but go your way, tell His disciples AND __________that he
goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see Him, as He said unto
you.
A Praise God or Hallelujah would be good right about now.
Think about how He
suffered, bled and died more than 2000 years ago to pay a debt you or I
could never pay and in the process made provision that one day everyone
who substituted their name for Peter's would have the chance to see Him
face to face and have eternal rest and peace and be with our Glorious
Shepherd forever. God Bless you,
Elder Thomas and Missionary Almedia Burgess
April
2008 Thank
You Lord While meditating on the
message for this month, I began to just thank God. My thanks wasn't for
anything specific at that precise moment, I wanted to just say thank
you. This message has come from just saying "Thank you Lord".
Scriptural reference comes from any given verse in the Bible. Thank you Lord for your
Word...for the inspiration you provided for each writer that penned the
books contained in it... thank you for the timelessness of it, though it
was written thousands of years ago I thank you for the relevance it has
in my life today...thank you for allowing me to have a sound mind...for
the clarity of thought...for eyes to read...ears to hear...a mouth to
speak and yes I will thank you for my aches and pains...for my valley
experiences and for taking me to the mountain tops...thank you for
giving me hinds feet (18th Psalm verse 33) so I can escape my enemies
when they pursue me by jumping from one rocky crevice to another without
having to worry that I might fall because your arms of protection are
around me...my job may not be meeting my financial needs but you put me
there for a reason and whatever that reason is, Lord I thank you...maybe
I am there to minister to someone who needs to hear uplifting
encouraging words and you allow me to speak those words, Lord I thank
you...I thank you that I even have a job...thank you for people you
bring into my pathway for they sometimes speak words of caring to
me...thank you for my car and if there is no car, thank you for public
transportation and if there is no public transportation, thank you for
my legs and feet...thank you for being able to get to your sanctuary
Sunday mornings so I can enter into Your gates with thanksgiving and
Your courts with Praise and Worship...friends and loved ones have gone
on to be with you but thank you Lord their life and thank you for
letting me know them...Lord thank you for the Pastor, the congregation
and those yet to come to you...thank you Lord for the days of sun,
clouds, rain and snow...thank you for the beauty of your seasons...thank
you Lord for the city of Memphis and though all we ever hear about is
the crime rate, thank you for the University of Memphis Tiger basketball
team for they have united people in this city of all races to cheer for
a common cause and given the youth of Memphis dreams that they too can
become champions...thank you Lord for the out pouring of your precious
Holy Spirit that gives believers Power to witness to the unsaved that
you are indeed alive and can provide Salvation to them just as you have
for me...thank you for our homes and if no homes apartments and if no
apartments wherever we lay our heads...thank you for your healing Power
and for miracles that happen even today...thank you Lord for being our
Shepherd...for providing for us...thank you Lord for keeping us...for
loving us...for saving us...thank you for your Son Jesus Christ...thank
you Lord for everything you have done, what you are doing and for what
you will do for us. God Bless you,
Elder Thomas and Missionary Almedia Burgess
March
2008 The
scripture reference for this month's message comes from the Gospel of
Mark 9:14-29. It can also be found in the Gospel of Matthew
17:14-21 and the Gospel of Luke 9:37-42. In the Mark account of this
story, Jesus has taken Peter, James and John with him to the top of a
high mountain (verse 1) which is either Mount Tabor or Mount Hermon
(Charles Ryrie Study Bible) and while there, the disciples witness Jesus
being transfigured before them and then see two of the Old Testaments
most important prophets, Elias (Elijah) and Moses with him (verses 2 -
4). The reason for this was for Jesus most trusted disciples to see for
themselves 3 things. First; how Jesus would look when his kingdom rule
would take place, they witnessed Jesus in His true body of Glory.
Secondly; Elias (Elijah) and Moses represented who Jesus would be
bringing with Him when He returns and the disciples presence
represented those who will behold Him. The 3 disciples witness what has
to be the most important conference ever recorded with Elias (Elijah),
Moses and Jesus talking. Then they hear a voice from the cloud that
suddenly overshadowed them saying "This is my beloved Son; hear
Him" verse 7. Jesus, comes down from the
mountain with the 3 disciples who had been with Him and sees the scribes
questioning His disciples that had not gone with Him to the top of the
mountain, asking What question ye with them? Verses 14 - 16. In verse
17, the father of a son who has a dumb spirit (what we now would call
epilepsy) tells Jesus that he is bringing his son to Him because the
disciples could not do anything to help his son. The father says to
Jesus, "if thou canst do anything, have compassion and help us) in
other words if you can, please help us. Jesus responds to the man with
this statement "If thou canst believe all things are possible to
him that believeth" do you truly believe all things are possible to
anyone who believes? Verse 24, the father say's Lord I believe, help
thou mine unbelief. Jesus then tells the dumb and deaf spirit to come
out of him. Today, we have accepted
Christ (you can tell because of the size of the cross we wear and the
number of rings we have on our fingers spelling faith, belief, Jesus,
God, etc) but with the evidence of our faith so obvious, we can't seem
to pray illness, spirits, or anything that people today are dealing with
out of them. Truth be told, we are lucky the spirits are kicking us in
the tail (or maybe they are). We can believe our car will get us to
work, that the job will pay us on pay-day, that our insurance will pay
for medical expenses (hopefully) but we don't have enough faith to
believe that we can buy a car or home if we have credit issues or that
an unexpected check in the mail can't happen to us or that prayer works
for some but God doesn't answer our prayer to protect our children from
these demonic spirits in Memphis. What is the answer? Verse
28 the disciples ask why they couldn't cast the spirit from the man's
son. Jesus answers verse 29 This kind can come forth by nothing but
prayer and fasting. What helps our unbelief, prayer and fasting.
Spending time with God in those wee hours of the morning and pushing
food or whatever we tell ourselves we can't do without away from us and
truly believing all things can be ours. God Bless you
Elder Thomas and Missionary Almedia Burgess February
2008 Lord, in the midst of my
everyday life, I have stumbled already. I said at the start of the year
"nothing will stop me from my early morning time with my
Father". February barely got here and I have not made time for you.
Oh, you have been faithful, waking me at the same time every morning for
our time together but I was so tired, my mind so cluttered with stuff
that I rolled over pulled the covers over my head and went back to
sleep. When I woke up, I felt so separated from you I said to
myself, why didn't you get up and spend time with God. You had spoken to
my spirit to come to you, what did I do...I spent time trying to decide
whether to get up or not. Now I want to talk with you but guilt makes me
feel you won't be there to listen. Maybe this one is you; I know I
promised to go with you to Bible study but I have to get this project
finished after all someone has to be the responsible one. I have faith
too but I am responsible for this getting done and I could use the extra
money because these bills have to be paid. Or this one...The way I was
hurt, I just can't forgive and forget. This one is intensely
personal (you can tell by the number of times "I" is used) but
if anyone wants to contribute an Amen, it would be fine with me.
The Scripture reference comes from Psalm 51:10...Create in me a clean
heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. This Psalm is called a
Penitential Psalm (as is Psalm 32, 38, 102, 130 and 143). In these
Psalms, the distress afflicting David is his sin, the lament is his
confession of the sin. David s sin was the killing of Uriah (Bath-sheba's
husband) and the adultery committed with her which led to Bath-Sheba
having David's child. Some would say "my sin isn't no where
near that drastic" but let me remind you that in the sight of God
there isn't a big sin and little sin. To God sin is sin. My sin is fear
and because of fear I found that it lead to something else which for me
was loss of time with my Heavenly Father, which lead to feeling
inadequate not just as a husband to my wife but also about ministry,
which lead to not enjoying the blessings God has provided for me and it
stemmed from "fear". Isn't it interesting how
what we hold so dear (our relationship with God) is damaged in our
mind because we get side tracked with the world and its issues and wind
up in a downward spiral with seemingly no way to get back up. We
can have a good heart but when we allow our focus to be taken off God,
other things creep into the mindset, the next thing you know is even
with this good heart, you aren't treating others the way one with
a truly clean heart and right spirit would treat them. There is however hope for
us, just as with David, we can go to our Heavenly Father asking for
forgiveness, asking that He not turn from us but with His grace and
mercy, wash the sin from us, wash it from our heart and renew within us
a right spirit. The right spirit is one that can't wait to talk with
God. The spirit that says when I wake every morning, the first thing I
want to do is that my God, when my feet hit the floor, I want to thank
my God because they work. When He wakes me early in the morning in the
wee hours, I in my anxiousness to talk with him literally run to the
place where we meet like a child waking to Christmas morning. God knows
that I am in no way perfect but because my heart longs to commune with
Him and that my spirit yearns for His directions. The Apostle Paul in
Romans 12:2 said "And be not conformed to this world: but be ye
transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that
good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God. When we aren't giving
our Father what is due to Him, its time renew our spirit. God Bless you
Elder Thomas and Missionary Almedia Burgess December 07
Isaiah 9:6...For unto us a child is born, unto us a Son is given and the government shall be upon His shoulder: and His name shall be called "Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. The famous composer George Frederic Handel composed "Messiah" probably his best know work in 1741/42. I can remember as a kid the Church Choir rehearsing this work that was performed for Easter and Christmas. It always struck me (even at an early age) that the "For Unto Us" part of this work was quite compelling. Later as I began my study of God and the Bible I realized just how special this work truly is. Handel was able to capture musically the essence of what scripture says about the baby that was born over 2,000 years ago. After the fall of man in the Garden of Eden, a way had to be made for us to be redeemed, for us to be able to have the relationship with God the Father as He intended when He created man in Genesis. Oh how God loves us, He prepared the birth of His son through the virgin named Mary. It had to be a special birth because sin had crept its way into existence and no ordinary conception would do, there had to be purity because this is Gods child to be loaned to Mary and her husband Joseph. God had to prepare Joseph for this birth so he would know that his espoused wife was not unfaithful fooling around with some guy so he sent an angel to speak with Joseph. These things had to be done to fulfill Old Testament prophecy about the child to be born and called the Messiah. Noted Theologian Charles Ryrie said "Messiah" (which means anointed) will come as a baby who is born and as a gift from God to be a ruler (Luke 1:31-33). His perfections are described; Wonderful, Counsellor or Supernatural Counsellor who at His first coming brought words of eternal life and who when He comes again, will rule with perfect wisdom. (Isaiah 11:2). The Mighty God is a term applied to Yahweh and in Deuteronomy 10:17; Isaiah 10:21 and Jeremiah 32:19 predicted ultimate victory of Messiah over evil. Everlasting Father (literally Father of Eternity) Messiah is eternally a Father to His people, taking care of and supplying their every need. The Prince of Peace is the One who brings peace in the fullest sense of wholeness, prosperity and tranquility"... (From the Charles Ryrie Study Bible KJV) God (in all - His splendor) lit up the sky in announcing the birth of His baby son. How proud God had to be, no there were no bombs bursting in air but there was something much more profound. Luke (in his Gospel) describes it as the glory of the Lord shone round about the shepherds abiding in the field and they were sore afraid (2:8 &9). Verse 10: And the angels said to them "fear not: for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which it shall be to all people". Verse 11: For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Verse 12: And this shall be a sign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manager. Verse 13: And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying. Verse14: Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men. No wonder Handel was given the inspiration to pen such a vibrant aria. I can hear in my mind the trumpets signaling the birth and putting to music what the heavenly host would have sounded like. This joyous season, make a point to go to someone's church or auditorium that is featuring Handel's Messiah. Why? Jesus Christ was born to bring His people (the Jews) back into relationship with God His Father. When they rejected Jesus as "The Christ, The Son of God" Jesus said...take this Gospel and offer it to the Gentiles (non Jews)...that my friends is you and me. We were given the opportunity to take advantage of Gods gift (Salvation) through His Son Jesus Christ. John 3:16 For God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son that whosoever believeth on Him should not perish but have everlasting life. When the choir and the orchestra combine for this magnificent presentation remember Gods baby Son who came for you and I. Yes, He is Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father and Prince of Peace. He is Kings of Kings and Lord of Lords, King of Kings and Lord of Lords and He shall reign for ever and ever Hallelujah - Hallelujah Hallelujah - Hallelujah God Bless you, November
2007 Let's see how many are going to be honest by answering this question; you have been going to Church all of your life, been faithful to everything the Church has to offer in ministry yet the more you hang in waiting on what you have earnestly petitioned God for, the more you feel left behind. Finally you ask the question that has been welling up within you that you have tried and tried to squash...when is it going to be my turn? I will be the first to raise my hand. I was brought up in the Church, Junior Deacon, Usher Board, Junior Choir and on and on. I fell down but got back up, came back to Christ stumbling along the way, really got involved with my Church and felt passed by because the more I tried to give my wife the things I thought she deserved, the more it didn't happen. I can recall asking managers here if I could take a Lexus home for the weekend to be able to feel validated about my life. Every Sunday, in Church listening to my Pastor preaching faith, having faith but still feeling unfulfilled because what I thought I needed wasn't coming to pass. Our scripture reference for this month's message is found in the New Testament Book of Galatians Chapter 6 verse 9...And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not. 1st Peter Chapter 5:6...Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt you in due time: "If we faint not" doesn't have anything to do with passing out, it has everything to do with losing our courage. This Christian walk is no piece of cake, no walk in the park or anything else you can come up with that would describe Christian Dom as sedate. Being Christ-like is difficult at best, what makes the Christian victorious in our way of life is unshakable faith. The fears we are faced with as part of our every day life are very real, the fear of losing our jobs, fears of standing up for what we believe when we know we are being asked to do something that we know we should not do, fears about losing something that we treasure, fear of not being successful and the feeling that we can't do better than we what we are currently doing. Leviticus 26:4...Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit...Deuteronomy 11:14...That I will give you the rain of your land in his due season, the first rain and the latter rain, that thou mayest gather in thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil. Due Season is Gods time not ours
and every time we are obedient to His voice we are rewarded beyond
belief. If you are wondering when will it be your "Due
Season" just hold on. If you are saying everybody keeps
telling me to wait or hold on...I don't think I can do that an longer, I
would say to you every day that passes brings you one day closer to your
"Due Season". What can you do to help bring it closer,
remain faithful to Him, fast, pray and get deeper into His Word.
Ask Him to make His voice plain to you. If you haven't been close
to Him, draw nigh to Him and He will draw
nigh to you James 4:8...make attempt to get closer to Him,
when you do he will get closer to you. Seed time and harvest is not just
for farmers, its for Christians as well. Hold on, when the storms
come...hold on, when temptations come...hold on, when trials come...hold
on, when friends leave you because you are trying to live a different
life...hold on, when the job threatens you...hold on, when folks talk
about you because you are always trying to encourage someone...hold on
for in "Due Season" you will reap if you faint not. October
2007 Every single day we are hearing about a young person's life tragically coming to an end, mothers killing their babies, family members doing any and everything to other family members, corrupt politicians becoming more corrupt and on and on. The church isn't being spared either, there is plenty of wrong in God's house. The demonic spirits that have their grip on people are very real and unless we as Christians start standing up and speaking out as the Bible say's we should, it is only going to get worse. For those of you saying "show me where the Bible says Christians can do this"...The Gospel of Luke chapter 9:1...Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases. 2 And he sent them to preach the kingdom of God , and to heal the sick. God is just so amazing, not only does he offer us His grace (unmerited favor), not only does He offer us the opportunity to have Eternal Life through His Son Jesus Christ (which we don't deserve), not only does He give us the chance to talk about His goodness to those who are lost (power to witness from the Holy Spirit)...He through Jesus Christ trusts us with AUTHORITY to say to any demon possessed person..."I rebuke this spirit of whatever is in you in the name of Jesus Christ" and that spirit has to leave...not because of us but because of the Power in the name of Jesus. We have the God given authority and more importantly, the responsibility to do this. How else will those who are in darkness (sin) ever know they have hope and that every Christian isn't as bad as what they see or hear about. For those who are saved, we get so caught up in the daily mess of the job, kids, folks we have to deal with daily that we too lose sight of how tremendous the power in us truly is. In the 9th Chapter of Mark, Jesus comes down from the mountain after being transfigured before Peter, James and John. The remaining disciples at the bottom of the mountain have been unsuccessfully trying to cast out a demon from a man's son. The father say's to Jesus in verse 17...Master, I have brought unto thee my son, which hath a dumb spirit; 18 And wheresoever he taketh him, he teareth him: and he foameth, and gnasheth with his teeth, and pineth away: and I spake to thy disciples that they should cast him out; and they could not. Imagine the embarrassment of Jesus disciples (Christians), with Him everyday (today, we would be saying I know my relationship with God is tight), learning from Him everyday (reading the Bible everyday)...and still not prepared. You can probably see with your mind's eye that the people in the crowd were talking about the inability of these chosen folks to do anything helpful and Jesus Himself has a pretty harsh word for them in verse 19. The father of the child makes a key request in verse 22...Have compassion on us and help us...Jesus in verse 23 gives the father the basis for everything any one who feels hopeless needs...Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth. Jesus went on to say that some demons only come out by fasting and prayer (verse 29). Today, Christians seem to have lost or don't care anything about compassion, we can talk a good game in front of folks but don't ask them to put their words into action because the grim reality is they don't believe they have the authority and if we don't believe, we are powerless which is just what Satan wants those in darkness to see. Patti Labelle had a song our years ago that had the line...ooh ooh ooh ooh ooh, I got a new attitude. Christians today need an attitude adjustment...stop complaining about the job, thank God you have one and start exercising your authority over the demonic spirits within your work place...when you see things wrong within families that you know, stop talking about them behind their back...pray and fast for them...when politicians are exposed for wrong doing, pray for them and remember, if you look for dirt hard enough, you are guaranteed of finding some but as Jesus told the blood thirsty mob that was ready to stone the woman caught in the very act of adultery...let him without sin cast the first stone...We have to be thankful that we are in our right minds, that our homes are secure and that we have the authority and power to bring this dark world into Gods marvelous light. God
Bless you September
2007 There have been so many times we have said, how we wished we knew God’s voice so we would know what to do in this situation or that situation. The truth is, you do know His voice, the problem? Doing what the voice say’s do. We tend to think that since God is so big, when He wants to talk with you thunder rolls, lighting flashes and you hear this echoing loud voice telling you what to do. Personally, I think if we hear God’s voice in that manner we are in big trouble. In the 22nd chapter of Genesis, God speaks to Abraham telling him to sacrifice his beloved son Isaac. Without giving this unusual request a second thought, Abraham takes Isaac and goes to the mountain of sacrifice. Genesis 22:11&12…Abraham is about to slay his son when the angel of the Lord called unto him out of heaven saying Abraham, Abraham (Abraham replies) Here am I. And the angel of the Lord said lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him for now I know that thou fearest God. In the 46th chapter of Genesis, God speaks to Jacob (the son of Isaac and grandson of Abraham) Genesis 46:2…God spake to unto Israel in the visions of the night and said Jacob, Jacob (Jacob replies) Here am I. 46:3…And he said, I am God, the God of they father, fear not to go down into Egypt for I will make thee a great nation. The 3rd chapter of Exodus finds Moses tending the flock of Jethro (his father in law) when he see a bush burning but not consumed. Verse 4: And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush and said Moses, Moses (Moses replied) Here am I…verse 6: Moreover he said, I am the God of thy father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. And Moses hid his face; for he was afraid to look upon God. 1st Samuel 3rd chapter verse 4:...the child Samuel hears God calling his name but goes to Eli the priest thinking it was him saying Here am I. Eli tells Samuel to go back to sleep but the 3rd time God calls Samuel, Eli tells him the next time you hear that voice, say Speak Lord for thy servant heareth you. Verse 11: And the Lord said to Samuel, Behold, I will do a thing in Israel at which both ears of everyone that heareth it shall tingle. In each story, God spoke to the one he needed to perform a specific job. For Abraham and Jacob, they answered without so much as a thought about anything other than following the instructions of that voice and God blessed them in unbelievable ways. Moses feared, trembled and actually angered God with his excuses before finally accepting his call. It is quite understandable with Samuel (since he was a child) that he would have a problem discerning that voice but thank God Eli was astute enough to help him and even though Samuel was a child, he wanted to do God's bidding. Here is the question...are you ready to say "Here am I, your servant heareth you" or are you ignoring it? Are you awakened in the wee hours of the morning, feeling compelled to commune with our heavenly father only to turn over, pull the covers over your head and go back to sleep? God speaks softly to us and generally early because there aren't any distractions. We owe Him so much, the least we can do is listen and do what He asks. Yes, it can be nerve wrecking to think about your doing something for God but as with those above, when you say yes, God equips you with everything you will need to accomplish the task and He blesses you in ways you can not imagine because of your obedience. Try it, the next time you are awakened thinking its a bathroom call and can't get back to sleep, get your Bible (buy one if you don't have one), go to the quietest room and tell Him, I don't know what you want from me or why you want me but "Here am I...Your servant heareth you." God
Bless you, June 2007 It would not be an understatement to say that this world in in one chaotic state. Every day, we hear about something that makes you just shake your head wondering when it's going to get better. The war is dragging on with no end in sight, with politicians talking about what needs to be done to attain victory in what some still call a "conflict", crime is at a all time high at home, gas prices are climbing higher and higher while the oil companies record profits that are staggering to our mind. CEO's of companies are retiring with compensation packages that have so many zero's you wonder "how can I get into a plan like that" (yeah, right)...the cost of beef is reportedly going up and because of drought conditions in parts of the country that we depend on for produce, we are being told to expect a price increase. If you aren't grounded spiritually, things can seem to be so depressing, you could lose hope. But (I love that conjunction because it means something is about to change)...But Isaiah 26:3 & 4 Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever: for in the Lord JEHOVAH is everlasting strength This chapter in the Book of Isaiah deals with his prophecy about the Millennium and what believers can depend on happening for them when Jesus returns. If you are a child of God, you don't have to wait, you can have the "perfect peace" right now. Have you noticed there are some people around you that seem to have a calm that just blows you away. No matter what is happening or how much hell is breaking loose, they don't let it bother them. It's because they trust God so much with every area of their life that God gave them "perfect peace" in every situation. Jesus said in the Gospel of John chapter 14 verse 27 Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you, Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid. He told His disciples this to comfort them because He was preparing to leave them. Isn't it wonderful knowing that God cares about us so much that he repeatedly tells us "trust in Me and everything will be alright." I used this passage of scripture in the message for March this year and the Holy Spirit brought me back to it again to remind you that He will never leave you nor forsake you. He told this to Adam and Eve, Abraham, Moses, David, and every Old Testament figure. Then He sent His son Jesus in the New Testament to tell us the same thing. This would be a good time to give God some "PRAISE" Perfect Peace is knowing beyond any doubt that God will work things out for you, no matter how hopeless things may seem to you. When you want a new house but have credit issues, "Trust in the Lord and He will give you Perfect Peace" about your credit, when you have more month than money "Trust in the Lord and He will give you Perfect Peace" about your finances, when you are having marriage difficulties "Trust in the Lord and He will give you Perfect Peace" with your mate, when a doctor is telling you he found a tumor or cancer "Trust in the Lord and He will give you Perfect Peace" with you health, when the job is becoming drudgery and there doesn't seem to be any way for you to advance "Trust in the Lord and He will give you Perfect Peace" on the job, when God has called you to a higher place in Him and you are fearful because of what friends may say or fearing the loss of friends "Trust in the Lord and He will give you Perfect Peace" in Him, when you have lost a loved one suddenly and you are having trouble coming to grips with God for the loss "Trust in the Lord and He will give you Perfect Peace" to sooth your hurting spirit. You can call it crazy faith if you want but trust Him no matter what happens in you life. One day the very person that tries to give you so much grief at work will ask why you act so calm in the face of adversity. The door will be opened for you to witness to them about God and how he keeps you in perfect peace because your mind is stayed on Him. God
Bless you May 2007 Scripture
Reference Ye shall not need to fight in this battle: set yourselves, stand ye still, and see the salvation of the Lord with you, O Judah and Jerusalem: fear not, nor be dismayed; to morrow go out against them: for the Lord will be with you Jehoshaphat (King of Judah ) has brought his people back to worshipping God instead of idols (found in 2nd Chronicles chapter 17.) Everything in his kingdom is prospering and moving along quite well until the rumors of pending war with a people whose numbers against he and his people are so staggering, Jehoshaphat "fears" 20:3 but in his fear does a simple yet profound thing. He set himself to seek the Lord and proclaimed a fast throughout all Judah . If you have never done either (prayed and fasted) you have missed the most powerful and direct way to God and the riches of answered prayer he has for you. Jehoshaphat leads not only himself but his entire nation into fasting and prayer, seeking God to deliver them from this pending disaster. Through the prophet Jahaziel, God tells Jehoshaphat not to worry about anything. God will not only fight this battle for you but to prove just how much God He is, Jehoshaphat and his people are told to to stand still and see the salvation of the Lord. In our everyday lives, we face enormous challenges. We are challenged when there is too much month at the end of the money, when the rumor mill at work is buzzing with folks getting pink slips and your name is on the list, when the mortgage is behind, you have no money and are being told foreclosure is staring at you . When you are faced with what seems an impossible task, push the thought of food from you mind, lie face down on the floor and Worship the God who can change everything with just a word and that includes your circumstances. Fasting and prayer shows Him that your reliance on Him is essential for your existence and that you won't let food or television or people or whatever it is that you feel you can't do without get in the way of Him and you. Jehoshaphat and his people faced what anyone would call the impossible but had God with them which is more than the world against them. When your battle seems too much for you, remember, you serve a God who specializes in making the unimaginable real. When you are saying my child is thinking about joining a gang, stand still...when all hope is lost, stand still...when you have lost the job you have worked so hard on, stand still...when the marriage seems to be in ruins, stand still...when life throws everything it has at you and you are reeling from the blow, stand still...when you are losing family member after family member to death, stand still...when you do your best and it is not appreciated, stand still. Some
fights in your life are not for you. You can make them yours if you
choose but when you do you have set yourself up for a loss. Believe in
the one true and living God, He spoke this world into existence from
nothing and can easily handle your toughest battle. When you finish this
story, you will see that God so destroyed this enemy, it took 3 days for
Jeshoshaphat and his people to finish collecting the spoils of the
armies that had come to wipe them out. Make sure you are in God's will,
follow the leading of the Holy Spirit and witness for yourself the
awesome Salvation Of The Lord. April 2007 I remember my mother collecting S & H Green Stamps (can I get an Amen for remembering Green Stamps). Back in the day, grocery stores and gas stations gave customers stamps when they purchased a certain dollar amount of food, goods or gas. Mama saved these stamps, putting them into a book and after collecting a lot of stamps (or books of stamps), she would take them to a store where she could redeemed them. She could select items like toasters, skillets or pots and pans or whatever the stamp equivalent of cash would allow her to redeem. The stamp company rewarded us for customer loyalty but there was an irony. You still received items from the S & H Green Stamp Catalogue, even though you personally didn’t buy anything. You could be rewarded for simply finding stamps lying on the floor or given to you by a friend. It seemed like the company really didn’t care how you got the stamps; their concern was having them returned so they could be redeemed and reward the person for their effort. These folks didn’t earn the right to participate in the redemption process by spending money; they participated in the redemption process just because they had what the owner needed. Scripture Reference Isaiah 52:3 & 4…For thus saith the Lord, Ye have sold yourselves for nought; and ye shall be redeemed without money. Israel had been sold into captivity for nothing of value and would be released from Babylon without paying any ransom. Egypt and Assyria had caused much suffering on Israel without cause and God delivered them. In our world today, we have sold ourselves. We have sold ourselves to friends, jobs, houses, cars, sold trying to advance within the company at any cost, sold to alcohol, drugs, gambling, women/men who don’t care anything about you (other than getting what they want from you) and for what reason? Why do we endure this and why do these gods that we are now worshipping (in essence what they are…gods) want us to become sold to them under the guise of success? Because they take our minds and focus off God and His will for our lives. But God in His infinite wisdom and AGAPE (unconditional love) for us had a plan from the beginning. His crown creation (you and I) were to be redeemed back to him, the plan...sending Heavens best, His Son Jesus Christ to pay for our sins. Isaiah prophesied hundreds of years before Jesus birth, in order for us to be “redeemed” back to God, His Son Jesus Christ would have to pay the ransom. Jesus Christ would be the Green Stamps that would be redeemed for us. Redemption would be guaranteed, even for those who don’t go to Church, who are strung out or who could care less about God, His Son and what He did. Why would God do this? God wants to have a relationship with us. He did it so we could have a relationship with him that would last forever. Romans 10:9 That if thou shalt confess with thy mouth the Lord Jesus, and shalt believe in thine heart that God hath raised him from the dead, thou shalt be saved. 10: For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation. 11: For the scripture saith, Whosoever believeth on him shall not be ashamed. Just like the Green Stamps given to us by our friend or found lying on the floor that we know we didn’t buy, whenever we come to our senses and realize we need redemption, we have the opportunity for eternal fellowship with our Heavenly Father because of the debt paid for us by His Son Jesus Christ. Jesus paid it all, all to Him I owe, sin had left a crimson stain on me but because of His precious blood shed on the cross that fateful day over 2,000 years ago, He washed me white as snow. The price He paid was tremendous, one that you and I could never pay. Isaiah 52:14…As many were astonied (our word astonished) at thee; his visage (face or countenance) was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men. God sent His Son to endure this for us. Amazing isn’t it, Jesus would suffer more than anyone has ever suffered, beaten so badly, no one could recognize him, a crown of thorns on His head, whip lashes that pulled flesh from His body and never said a mumbling word…Why? His love for you and me and His obedience to the will of His Father, even unto death. I am reminded of the lyrics to this song by Gospel legend Jesse Dixon I
am redeemed, bought with a price, I'll
tell of His favor, I'll tell of His love, God Bless you Minister Tom Burgess March 2007 The Gospel of John Chapter 14:1 Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. What a calming and comforting way to begin a chapter in the word of God. Our lives today are so hectic, we don't have time to really enjoy anything. We are faced with turmoil in our streets at home, a seemingly never ending war in the middle east, weather patterns that are creating extremes from cold to heat, rain to drought. The scripture reference for this month's message comes from the 14th chapter of John. "Believe" (whether used in past, present or future tense) is mentioned more in Johns Gospel than the Gospels of Matthew, Mark or Luke. One may argue that because John deals with the deity of Jesus it is only fitting that the word "Believe" should be recorded as spoken more often by the "Holy One" to His people because the only way you gain access to our Heavenly Father is to "Believe" on His Son. You will also find all of the "I am" statements made by Jesus The Christ in Johns Gospel. The context of this passage: Jesus is preparing his disciples for his leaving them. They have been with him for 3 plus years. They were drawn to him through Jesus words "follow me and I will make you fishers of men". They saw him praying to His father in heaven and then watched as he performed miracle after miracle, turning water to wine, bringing sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, food to the hungry multitudes, peace to the demon possessed, life back to the dead and through all of this first hand witnessing, his disciples still had doubt issues about just who Jesus is. He had made his triumphal entry to Jerusalem (Palm Sunday), given the disciples instructions regarding forgiveness (chapter 13 and had the last supper leading up to His betrayal). The end of chapter 13 finds Jesus preparing his disciples for his departure while telling Peter that though he said he would stay with Him, the reality would be Peter denying Jesus 3 times before the cock could crow. Chapter 14: 1...Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in me. Verses 2...In my father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. Verse 3...And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. As you continue to read this chapter, you will notice that 2 of his disciples Thomas ( in verse 5) and Phillip ( verse 8) ask Jesus questions that prove after all this time, they still didn't get who He is. Jesus answered Thomas with one of His "I am" statements in verse 6..."I am the way, the truth and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me" Jesus then tells Thomas in Verse 7... If ye had known me, ye should have know my Father also: and from henceforth ye know him, and have seen him. Phillip then asks for Jesus to shew them the Father and it sufficeth us. Now if I am Jesus, Phillips head would still be spinning from the slap he would have received. What still has to happen for them to get it. In fact, verse 9 shows the irritation Jesus had toward this question from Phillip...Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Phillip? he that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest then, Shew us the Father? Jesus then repeats 3 times in 3 verses (10-12) the basis for Christian belief...Believe, Believe, Believe. This foundational element of Christianity was mentioned twice in the opening scripture reference and to this point (chapter 14) has been mentioned 85 times in the Gospel of John. Jesus has stated time and time again," Believe on Me, Believe in Me, Believe in My Name, you Believed in My Father, now Believe in Me because the Father and I are one". It's the same with us. We attend were nourished by our parents taking us to Church to learn about God, now that we are grown, we attend Sunday service and mid week Bible study but still allow ourselves to be troubled by stuff. No we have never seen Him but we have seen His work (Creation) and it is beautiful and awe inspiring, no we have never talked with Him as His disciples did but He still speaks to us through the Holy Spirit who brings us comfort and provides guidance in our everyday day lives, no we never read an original manuscript but we have still read the words by Him because all scripture is the inspired word. John begins His Gospel in chapter 1 verse 1..."In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God. We let things in our lives cause our hearts to become troubled because we can't see any way out of our situation. Our intellect and rationale doesn't comprehend anything beyond what we see. Jesus said Let not your heart be troubled, "Believe"... we may not have enough money for all the bills but Let not your heart be troubled, "Believe"...the report from the doctor wasn't a good one but Let not your heart be troubled "Believe"...the job isn't giving you the respect or income you may deserve and the ones who do nothing are getting all the raises, Let not your heart be troubled, "Believe"...your child isn't doing well in school and is being intimidated by gangs, Let not your heart be troubled, "Believe"...the problems with the marriage isn't getting any better in fact its getting worse, Let not your heart be troubled, "Believe". You
may be saying, I know I should believe but sometimes you get to the
point of saying what's the use? As you finish this chapter you will
discover Jesus then adds the one word that brings the
"Believe" theme into perspective in Verse 27:
Peace I leave with you: my peace I give unto you: not as the world
giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it
be afraid. The more you "Believe" the greater
"Peace" you will have. Minister Tom Burgess
February 2007 "Strength” is defined by Webster as; strong, the quality or state of being strong; the capacity of exertion or endurance; or the power to resist force. Scripture reference (KJV) Psalm 27:1 & 14; The Lord is my light and my salvation, whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; whom shall I be afraid. (14) “Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait I say on the Lord”. As we all know, the Psalms are all about praise, worship and prayer. Therefore one of the really wondrous things about prayer is that it opens up avenues for us to see the hand of God in our lives. We begin to see a pattern emerge. We (like David) call on the Lord when we are in despair…What does God do? He hears us and delivers us from all our troubles. When God delivers us our faith in Him soars. We see God as a caring God. To us this means we put our faith in him and he will never leave us and he will never fail us. As we put our trust in him, we begin to see his power manifested in our lives…Why? Regardless of what we have endured or are going through we become “strong” because our strength comes from Him… We begin to see that he does exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we ask of Him. When David said; be of “Good Courage” and He shall strengthen your heart, we must believe that and see how God will answer our prayers. Now, it is time to be bold. Get bolder knowing He will answer you. His promise is, “I will show thee great and mighty things which thou knowest not” So when we continue in prayer, just believe that God is a rewarder of those who diligently seek after Him. Embark upon this in continued prayer, seek God in all things. Go to the father in Jesus name, God does not withhold any good thing from His Son nor will he withhold any good thing from any of us. As we approach and ask in Jesus name, God’s answer to us is yea and amen. Remember, His Word says so. .Ask him that your Joy may be complete. We must never tell God how we want our prayers answered, turn it over to Him and trust Him for the answer, exceedingly and abundantly above all that you ask or think. Don’t limit God. Let Him show you great and mighty things. Are you suffering? Are you in need of answers? Pray...give God free reign to answer your prayers…above all we ask or think….Please don’t limit God in any way. “The effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous man avails much.” James 5:16 KJV, that your joy may be complete. God Bless you Missionary Almedia Burgess January
2007 Have you ever read something in the Bible
or heard something that hit a spot within your Spirit so strong, it
won't leave? The Sunday School lesson Christmas Eve was about Jesus, the
"Word" becoming flesh John 1:1 - 18. John 1:12; say's
But as many as received him, to them gave he power to become the sons of
God, even to them that believe on his name (KJV)...the word
"Power" has stayed in my spirit ever since. I have
learned when God speaks something like this into my Spirit, its because
He wants me to stop here for a while so He can explain something
powerful to me. Getting to this point in my spiritual walk with God
is something that has taken quite a while to learn. M. Scott Peck MD
wrote "this is a long, up hill process, requiring much work".
But we can gradually develop an inner God - like spiritual power as we
go higher in Him and you will find this "Power" is only
attainable to those who are willing to take the higher, steeper, more
disciplined road - The Road Less Traveled. ( Taken from "A New
Psychology of Love, Traditional Values and Spiritual Growth" by M.
Scott Peck MD Simon and Schuster, New York, N.Y. 1978.) 2nd Samuel chapters 11 &12 is the story of David and Bathsheba. David is King, powerful and chosen by God to rule over Israel. David has an affair with Bathsheba, has her husband (Uriah) killed to cover up her pregnancy by David but God sends the prophet Nathan to have a talk with him. Nathan tells a story of one who has total power and everything he wants taking the sole possession of one who has far less and asks the King what should be done. David answers as any powerful person with responsibility over subjects would, the man who did this should be killed, Nathan the prophet then says to him, you King are the man. When reading this story, pay particular attention to chapter 12: 7 - 12...Nathan speaks the words of God to David. The King has some Power but his is nothing compared to Nathan the Prophet. At the other end of the spectrum is the story of a man who just appears (with no apparent background) but is an anointed prophet, Elijah the Tishbite. In 1st Kings chapter 16: 29 Ahab the son of Omri begins his rule over Israel and does evil in the sight of the Lord, marries Jezebel (verse 31) and did more to provoke the anger of God than any king before him (verse 33). Elijah appears in chapter 17: 1 and says to Ahab, this powerful king; "As the Lord God of Israel liveth before whom I stand, there shall not be dew nor rain these years but according to my word". The Power of the spoken words of Elijah stopped any rain or dew for 3 and a half years. The power of the king was nothing compared to the anointed power of Elijah. Even the President of the United States would consult the man of God before using catastrophic force against an enemy. In your everyday life how many times has someone come to you asking for deeper insight regarding an issue that could require someone losing a job or getting a job or asking your opinion because they knew you are living the life of a Godly person? The operative words are "living the life". When you realize God has spared your life for His purpose, been too good to you for you NOT to seek a closer walk, deeper relationship, accepting His higher call in your life, that is when you begin to understand the true Power you walk with everyday. When you allow yourself to be used by God, His Power in you causes people to recognize you when you enter a room. All hell could be breaking loose but when people see you they realize, there is something about this person that is different and when you speak, a hush can fall over a room. Curse words can be coming out of someone's mouth but when they see you they apologize and change immediately. God is looking for willing vessels that don't mind being humble enough to allow yourself to be used by Him for His purpose. Last year, my wife and I experienced a time of real financial struggle which got worse and worse month by month. We thought about questioning God but with the words of our Pastor and the Bible we realized that we had to praise our way through this period. Friends began to fall away, things we wanted to happen didn't, but in the midst of this, messages that God gave me spoke of adversity in Gods people sends us deeper into Gods word because that is where our strength is. Then the answer regarding our struggle was revealed Christmas eve in the Sunday school lesson. My wife and I chose to walk this "Road Less Traveled", saying yes to Gods will and way in our lives no matter what. Last years struggle was to remind us of His Power already in us. God told Moses to remind the children of Israel that He gives us Power to get wealth so they would remember God and His Power (Deuteronomy 8:18), Jesus disciples became aware of their Power when Jesus sent them out to do His work. Upon their return the disciples excitedly told Jesus of their success in casting out demons (Luke 10:17). Jesus reminded them He had already given them Power to tread on serpents and scorpions and Power over the enemy (Luke 10:19) then Jesus prayed to His Father thanking Him for the revelation to His disciples of the Power they had because their Power Glorified God (Luke 10:21) We have Power not fear, we have Power to reach heights that had been unreachable, we have Power to speak life and not death, Power to speak good health and not illness into our lives If you are going to resolve anything for 2007, make the resolution to allow the tremendous Power of the Living God to elevate you to a new level of Power in Him by walking on the Road Less Traveled. God Bless You December 2006
Over 2,000 years ago the world received an unbelievable gift. It is a gift that was never deserved but given anyway, a gift that has changed the lives (for the better) of more people than stars in the sky, a gift that is so awesome in its splendor that the human mind still can't comprehend it to this day. God gave heavens best, His Son...just for us. Jesus is His name, a gift to us from God to ensure a personal relationship with Gods crown creation...you and me. God in His infinite wisdom knew when he created the earth that he would also have to create a way for man and woman to redeem ourselves to re-establish our relationship with Him. Our relationship with God is so important to Him that the promise of redemption was prophesized in the Old Testament time after time...Isaiah 9:6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. Its all about "LOVE" to God. The Gospel of John chapter 3 verse 16: for God so loved the world that he gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him shall not perish but have everlasting life. A gift that keeps on giving is one of such simplicity that it is mind numbing. Give LOVE. If you have accepted Jesus as your personal Lord and Savior, you have a wellspring of Love within you. If you have not done this already, this special season of the year, give Love to someone. Its the one gift that will continue to give long after we have gone. There is nothing more lasting than to be remembered for sharing what Christ gave us with someone. God Bless you November 2006 My
friends, we have made it to the 11th month of 2006 (and dare I say it)
Christmas is literally around the corner. For some it has been a
tremendously successful year, others have experienced pain and sorrow
and some have just been getting through it as best as they can. For this
season of reflection and Thanksgiving, the message is one from a year
ago. A very good friend sent me an e-mail last year that has
stayed with me and ministered to me. I used it on the hard copy
newsletter last November and felt led to use it again. The title is
quite simplistic but the message is powerful. Heavenly Father, help us remember that the jerk who cut us off in traffic last night could be a single father who worked nine hours that day and is rushing home to cook dinner, help with homework, do the laundry and spend a few precious moments with his children. Help us remember that the pierced, tattooed, disinterested young man who can't make change correctly could be a worried 19 year old college student, balancing his apprehension over final exams with his fear of not getting his student loans for next semester. Remind us, Lord, that the scary looking bum, begging for money in the same spot every day (who really ought to get a job) could be a slave to addictions that we can only imagine in our worst nightmares. Help us remember that the old couple walking annoyingly slow through the store aisles and blocking our shopping progress could be savoring this moment, knowing that, based on the biopsy report | ||||||
How
many gifts did you give this year? Between birthdays, anniversaries,
special occasions, those "just because" gifts and now
Christmas; we gave quite a lot, again. How many of the gifts given this
year have continued to give? Someone is saying "I gave a
plant this year to whomever". Plants do continue to give but
they at some point die, either through neglect or change in climate. The
answer to the question is probably a resounding...none, 0, zip, nada. I
can see the light bulbs in your minds going on and this expression on
your face that is saying...yeah, he' right. Now, before you get all down
on yourself, let me remind you there is hope. There is always hope.