Blessings from the Heater Vent

1 Chronicles 4:10
And Jabez called on the God of Israel, saying, Oh that thou wouldest bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me! And God granted him that which he requested.

In the winter time every morning before school and every night before bed, by brother and I would fight over the living room vent in the floor. In the mornings after eating breakfast we would grab our blanket and fight over who would get that one particular vent. Then in the evenings, after taking our showers, we would fight over that same vent. Although there were others in the house, there was only one in the living room with the greatest view of the television.  I would push his feet away and he would shove me away. This whole problem could have been solved by using one blanket instead of two, but we didn't want our feet to touch and we wanted it for ourselves.

Is there something wrong with asking God to bless you? No! The problem comes into play when all we do is ask for a blessing and never desire to be a blessing. I have asked God many, many days to bless me. Not in my wallet, but rather my heart. Christian's today are begging God to bless them with money, cars, things and people and they use this prayer in order to justify it. Jabez was praying that God would bless him not just in enlarging his coasts, which is used way out of context, but he desired that God would bless him in ALL areas of his life. "Bless me indeed, and enlarge my coast, and that thine hand might be with me, and that thou wouldest keep me from evil, that it may not grieve me!" The problem comes with everyone stopping their prayer at... enlarge my coast.

God wants to bless you. He wants to bless you with all of these requests. Are you willing to serve Him in all these areas? Just like me and my brother fighting over the heater vent, I wanted it all and he wanted it all. God I pray this morning that you would bless me just as you did Jabez. Lord, if I could request one greater portion of the prayer it would be that your hand might be with me and you would keep me from evil.

Get your feet off of my vent! This is my blessing today! Man, I'm about to blow up...

We ALL Fall Down

Psalms 72:11
Yea, all kings shall fall down before him: all nations shall serve him.

Do you remember the scriptures that speak of Jesus saving a man who was possessed by many devils? His name was Legion, because there were many devils in him. The Bible tells us in the book of Luke that the man saw Jesus and acted in a certain way. It says he... "When he saw Jesus, he cried out, and fell down before him, and with a loud voice said, What have I to do with thee, Jesus, thou Son of God most high? Luke 8:28"

Some people that knew this man probably thought that there was no hope for him. I can hear many of them saying, "There is no way you can keep that man bound. He breaks every chain that we bind him with. He will never be tame or at peace." But they didn't know Jesus! As many devils that were possessing this man we would be tempted to think that they would never bow a knee to Jesus right? Well we would be wrong. In the account from the book of Mark it says that he fell down and "worshiped" Jesus. What? Yes, that's right, he worshiped Him.

Are there people that you can think of that you would say will never bow a knee to Jesus? David said in our scripture this morning that ALL kings shall fall down before Him. He said that ALL nations shall serve Him. I know that from viewing our society and world it doesn't look like ALL nations, people and even demons will fall down and worship Him, but looks can be deceiving. That's why we need the scriptures. It's where truth is found. Some day, and maybe it will be soon, ALL kings, ALL nations, ALL people, ALL demons will bow down unto the King of Kings and the Lord of Lords whose name is Jesus!

Think About It...

Haggai 1:5
Now therefore thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.

What an amazing time you could have with the Lord right now. Just stop for five minutes and think of what is going on in your life. Ask yourself these questions...

Am I going forward for the Lord?
Have I included God in every decision?
Is there anything that I would change?
Am I satisfied with my walk with the Lord?

Now I'm almost certain that if you took the five minutes to think on these questions that you will probably spend more time on trying to figure out the answer to them. What would happen if we would consider our ways? Most people never do.

The person who decides to go out on the town and drink it up, will never consider the persons life they could take when they get behind the wheel until they are sitting in a police car. The person who flirts with another ones spouse never considers the children of these people until they are crying in a courtroom during a divorce trial. What if we would consider the results of our ways at the beginning and not at the end?

What have you considered today? Maybe there is something that you haven't actually thought through today. Considering is not just merely thinking about your ways, but it is considering your ways "carefully". Giving much care or attention to what you will decide. How much trouble and heartache could you save today alone by considering the outcome of your decisions?

Think about it!

Cast on... Cast off... Slip... Loop...

1 Samuel 18:1
And it came to pass, when he had made an end of speaking unto Saul, that the soul of Jonathan was knit with the soul of David, and Jonathan loved him as his own soul.

It's funny, but out of all of the revivals that I had the honor to preach, I stayed in a hotel once. Every state I went to preach a revival meeting I stayed with a member of the church. Years ago I was preaching a revival meeting in Roxie, MS. The family that allowed me to stay with them were older in years. Besides the revival itself, my greatest memories were sitting around a fireplace after each nightly meeting shelling pecans and talking. Sister Ruth would be knitting while Sonny and I were shelling the pecans talking about Jesus. Cast on, bind off, slip... These are the words that you would hear from Sister Ruth as she would knit. I remember watching her loop those threads of yarn together over and over. Pushing and pulling until they seemed like they became one piece.

The scripture today tells us that Johnathan and David had that same kind of friendship. Their hearts were woven together. Some of you would say, "What's the big deal? I have friends like that."  You aren't seeing the bigger picture of this friendship. This would be one easily attacked by Satan given the opportunity. You see Johnathan is the son of King Saul. Saul hated David and was jealous of him. Johnathan could have hated David in this same manner but he didn't. Johnathan could have hated David even on his own terms. David was anointed to be the King over Israel but rightfully Johnathan could have argued that he was the one who should be the next King. He was the King's son, so next in line should have been him. But that's not what happened. The soul of David and Johnathan were knit together. Friends for life they declared.

I've had friends and then I've had knitted friends. Thank you Lord for knitting my life with some of the most faithful and encouraging people I've ever known. Loop after loop you have given me some great friends, but above all of them... My friendship with You is the greatest! Let my heart beat to the same rhythm as yours Lord. Let my love be shown daily Lord Jesus. Thank you for being my friend that is closer than any brother. Pushing and pulling you have made our hearts one with every knit.

Sudden Destruction

Proverbs 29:1
​He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck,
shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

Don't do it! Don't do it! Words they have told to us over and over. Trust Jesus as your Savior. Repent for Jesus is coming. These are also words that have been spoken to us over and over. What happens when we don't listen?

Look at the scripture... "He that being often reproved... continues to hardeneth his neck".  When we continually choose to reject the truth of Christ we become harder and harder. Our hearts become so calloused that we no longer hear Him. Farther and farther away we find ourselves from hearing Him. God warns us and warns us of our ways. He says that our sins will lead to death and destruction forever and we blow it off by saying we have all the time in the world but then what happens? "Shall suddenly be destroyed..." is what the scripture says. We may beat the odds today, tomorrow and maybe for years but soon and suddenly destruction could over take us. Satan could come upon us with destruction at any time. He is like a roaring lion seeking to devour us.

Everyday people tempt the odds. They roll the dice and say, "Whew! That was close". I had a friend who would come to school and tell how fast he would take a certain curve where we lived. Each day he would increase the speed and let us all know. Until one afternoon after school. He pushed the limits until he couldn't control it anymore and lost his life. Look at the last part of the scripture. "That without remedy..." As much as they tried, no one could bring him back and put him into the arms of his mother.

Let me say this today... Listen to Christ calling you now. If you continue to walk away or think you will have more time, sudden destruction could come upon you any minute and that would be without remedy. There is no second chance beyond the grave. There is no redo, or do over. Stop being stiff necked and surrender your life to Jesus now. Oh what a remedy is found in the blood of Christ.

It's All Over Your Face

1 Samuel 16:7
But the Lord said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the Lord seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the Lord looketh on the heart.

Have you ever heard someone say, "It's all in how you look at things"? This is so true! Let's look this morning at two different views. You may think that we are going to discuss the glass half full and the glass half empty scenario, but we aren't. We are going to look at how God sees us and how we see each other.

First of all let's look at how God views us. Our scripture this morning tells us that He looks upon the heart of man. God bypasses our looks, strength and position in life and goes straight to the heart. God even knows the intent of our hearts. That could be scary for some of us, but it could also be amazing for us as well. Why? Because God is not concerned with our status but rather our condition. The Israelites chose Saul to be a king over them but man did they ever pick the wrong guy.

Lastly, look at how we view people. We look on their appearance. Did you read that right? God looks on the heart, He can because He is God, and we look on the appearance. So God looks on the inside and we look on the outside. God knows that if the inside is pure and holy that the outside will reflect what is on the inside. So we see opposite as God. We should look for purity and holiness on the outside of men and women because this would be a reflection on what is on the inside of them.

Have you ever thought, "I wonder if people know I'm a Christian?" Well if you were reflecting what Christ has done inside of you through the working of the Holy Ghost then people could see it. How else are we gonna know you are saved if you don't show it? We can't look inside the heart remember? I love it when people say, "You don't know my heart!" Yes we do... It's all over your face.

I Swear...

Acts 20:27
For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God.

As you approach the witness stand you are met with the bailiff who asks you this question... "Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God?" Although through the years this oath or promise has been altered it is still basically the same everywhere. It's a question to your witness of the truth.

Well there would be no need to ask the Apostle Paul this question. In the scriptures he has already stated that he told every truth that he knew of God. As Paul is about to board a ship and depart he reminds the people of what his mission was unto them. With every ounce of Spirit inside him he never shunned or missed an opportunity to tell them all the counsel of God. Letting them know always of the truth that had set himself free from sin.

I wonder if Paul were permitted to approach us today with the question, "Did you tell them?" what would be our answer? Notice that God chose the word have not "shunned" to declare unto you... You see when we aren't willing to tell the truth then we are leaving the people in darkness. We are really shunning them when we don't reveal the light and life of truth unto them. Some today believe that you are shunning them or even downing them when you call the truth to their lives, but the scripture teaches us that to not tell the truth would be shunning them.

God has called us to speak the truth of His counsel unto the people today. Can you answer this for me? Do you solemnly swear to tell the truth and nothing but the truth, so help you God? What is your answer? Lastly, don't attempt to share your version of the truth. Do as they say and "Just state the facts for us..."

Using a Proper Tool

Philemon 1:11
Which in time past was to thee unprofitable, but now profitable to thee and to me:

As a child every time my dad would go outside and work on something I was there right beside him. I have always been interested in how things work. One of my favorite things is tools, especially new tools. I can remember when dad would say, "Go get me the split-ring pliers." I would have absolutely no clue what he would be talking about but then he would show them to me and I would remember for the next time. Some of the memories that I have is using all those tools in the yard for digging and my experiments. Dad would go looking for those tools and he couldn't find them and then all of the sudden I would remember that I used them last. I would run out, find them and bring them to him. (not much has changed today except he is the one getting the tools now, haha)

I remember once we were changing the brakes on a vehicle and dad asked me for the "brake tool". This is a funny shaped tool that is used for adjusting the brakes in a wheel drum. There is absolutely no other use for this tool than adjusting the brakes in these drums. Sure you could open a paint can lid with it but that's really not it's purpose. As I read the scripture this morning I recall how many times we pulled out that "brake tool". Out of all my life it has probably been used five to ten times. In all of our working together, and in all of our building things together, it was never really profitable unto us.

You know, there are days that I am sure I was of no use. Things that God needed done, and I was unprofitable. You see I haven't always been the choice tool. But what fills me with joy this morning is that although at times I was unprofitable, or not the tool of choice that day, God finds me profitable today and hopefully chooses to use me. Can you just imagine all of us in a giant tool box together? God searching for that perfect tool to use and fix a broken heart or life?

Maybe it's you today! Maybe you're the tool of choice. You know that the Bible says... "some plant, some water, but God gives the increase." Like a song that my friend sings, "Lord, let me be the glove in which you place your hand."

You Mad?

John 8:45
And because I tell you the truth, ye believe me not.

Jesus was having a very hard conversation with these people. He was trying to show them the error of their ways. Jesus told them that they could not see the truth because they were blinded by their sins. He said that if they would listen to the truth that it could set them free but because they wouldn't listen they had become angry with Jesus. 

Isn't it just like us to get angry with people when they tell us the truth? It is probably because we know that it's the truth. You see people lie everyday just to make others happy. Husband's tell their wives, "Yes, you look great" only because they want them to hurry. Wives tell their husbands, "No that shirt isn't tight." What happens when you actually tell them that they couldn't possibly be ready yet or that the shirt isn't tight but that it's their belly poking out? We get angry because of the truth.

The truth brings us to an action to do right or do the right thing. This is why the people hated Jesus. When He spoke the truth, it caused the people to see themselves in light of what God sees. They saw their flaws and sins. The truth revealed their wrongs and their wrongs brought them to repentance or rejection. In this case the people rejected Jesus and notice how they turned the tables. They said Jesus must have a devil in Him. 

One of the funny things in the life of a preacher is that when truth is read or spoken from God's Word people will either respond in repentance or rejection. They will either trust that God sent them help for their lives or they will completely reject it and turn their anger toward the messenger. You ask how I would know this? Let me just say that I know it all too well. So can I remind you today that when you speak truth, let it first be filled with love and lastly be finished in grace. Speak the truth as though you are speaking it to yourself and then leave it alone. Some will repent, some will reject but all will respond. 

Always and by All Means

2 Thessalonians 3:16
Now the Lord of peace himself give you peace always by all means. The Lord be with you all.

Do you see the key word today? It's "all". Keep that in mind as we look at the rest of the scripture.

God's Words says, The Lord of Peace HIMSELF..." First of all thank you Lord for the fact that it's you. You didn't send someone else to give us peace but you brought it yourself. Thank you Jesus for not sending another messenger because they weren't recieving it from them. Thank you for not sending another sign because the people, like myself, were blinded by those same signs. Thank you so much for coming yourself. Thank you for bringing me Your peace, delivered by your own nail pierced hands.

Second, look at what He is giving. It's His peace! This is what the world is looking for and coming up short so often. What is peace? Never having a problem and a life full of ease? No, it's knowing that through all the struggles and problems, He is the greater answer. Peace is knowing that God is there, that He cares and understands what our pain and hurt is. It's knowing that He has the answer and that He is with us every step.

Third, notice how often He will give us this peace... "Always by all means". No matter what, God will give us His peace ALWAYS and by ALL means. This tells me that God is ready to give you peace right now and in any way possible. Ask Him!

God, through your Son Jesus, please give us the peace that passes all of our understanding. Please send us the peace that only you can give. God for the one thinking that they can't handle another problem or situation, give them peace. Lord, just like the demonic man in the graveyard who couldn't find any rest, give them that kind of peace as they fall down before you right now.

But Ye, Brethren...

2 Thessalonians 3:13
But ye, brethren, be not weary in well doing.

But Ye... But Ye... Brethren. Before you can understand this scripture you must understand that it's not to the world, but to the church people. It's not to the person in the White House, but unto you. It's not to the leader of the Hells Angels, but unto you. It's not even to the person sitting beside you in the pew or the one behind the pulpit, but it's to Ye!

Now that God has your attention listen to what He is trying to tell us. "Be not weary in well doing..." God doesn't tell us that we shouldn't be weary. Jesus himself was weary and sat on a well one time. Weariness will come in our lives daily. We come home from working a full day and all we can do is pass out every night because we are tired. Weariness will come!

But He says to not be weary in in well doing. Now some have never gotten tired of well doing, but I must confess that I have. So what is well doing? It is righteousness. It is seeking God or sharing God. He is reminding us today that we should not let ourselves get tired of seeking God. We should not let ourselves get tired of sharing God. Oh, but we do don't we?

The truth is that we all can become weary in serving and sharing. The reason for our weariness is that sometimes we depend upon our own strength and our own wisdom. God tells us that when we are laboring in the Lord that we must depend on the Lord for the strength. Today, put your strength away and rely on Jesus. Put away your wisdom and pick up His Word.

Something To Build On

Habakkuk 2:12
Woe to him that buildeth a town with blood, and stablisheth a city by iniquity!

The Babylon that Nebuchadnezzar built was one of great beauty. The walls, gates, and streets of Nebuchadnezzar’s Babylon were a tribute to the king’s love of beauty and its magnificent hanging gardens were one of the wonders of the ancient world. The people built this city on the plundering and pillaging of other cities, even Jerusalem. The saddest part of it all is the fact that it fell to the Medes and the Persians. Babylon was great and beautiful but built from sin and blood. It's destruction was in its foundation.

Few people today attempt this same construction work. They believe by tearing down others that it will establish them more. How is this done? Many people do their most destructive work with their tongues than a hammer. When someone finds out that another person has sin in their lives they pillage off of them. Word after word, they lay a foundation of other peoples faults so that their own lives seem equal or better.

Do you remember getting in trouble as a child? Dad would call your name out and you would listen to him correct you and just before the discipline time would come you would say, "Clint did it too". A call out for justice and equality right? No! You just wanted someone else to go down with you. You saw the crack in your foundation and was ready to point out the one that someone else had in theirs.

Stop building your home or life on the faults and blood of others. Stop laying blocks that are not even yours. Start your foundation off on the only foundation that is laid in truth, righteousness and salvation. This foundation is Jesus!

1 Corinthians 3:9-11
For we are labourers together with God: ye are God's husbandry, ye are God's building. According to the grace of God which is given unto me, as a wise masterbuilder, I have laid the foundation, and another buildeth thereon. But let every man take heed how he buildeth thereupon. For other foundation can no man lay than that is laid, which is Jesus Christ.

Something You Can Be Sure Of

Numbers 32:23
But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.

What a word of God this morning. If we will not obey, behold, it is sin against the Lord:... But look at that last part...and be sure your sin will find you out. Man what a strong word of God. So strong that it shakes our foundation, or at least it should.

When I was growing up in my teenage years my parents would give me that speech before I went out on a Friday night. You know the one... "Son, I'm trusting you to do the right thing. If you don't, then know this... I will find out." In the beginning I would be terrified. I was trying my best to do the right thing and make the right decisions. Then the weekend came that my choices were not so good, as a matter of fact they were very, very sinful. When I came home that night no one caught me. Hmmmm, I had gotten away with it! So that next time I got the "talk" I kinda thought, "Yeah right, I know, I know...you'll find out."

Then it happened. My sinful choices brought the law into action (literally). My phone call home that night was one that I never wanted to make (and thank God that I have never made again). But my sins had finally caught up with me. The police had a list of three different laws broken against me. There was no hiding anymore. I'll never forget waking up the next morning and answering the telephone. My grandmother was on the other end asking what I had done. I said, "How do you know?" She told me that she heard about it somewhere (beauty shop!).

Monday morning when I walked into school people were pointing and eventually asking me about it. How did these people know all this stuff? It found me! No, all the stuff that I had done up until that point never found me out, but this one did. Look at the scripture one more time with me this morning. "BE SURE" your sin will find you out. God says you can count on it.

How do we deal with this? Confess your sin and don't cover your sin. God says you will be blessed when you confess your sins.

Just a Poor Rich Man

Ephesians 2:7
That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.

Is it possible to be a poor, rich man? Yes! You may think that there is no way this could be possible. You are either rich or poor. Someone could not be poor, without possessions and declare that they are rich at the same time. But let me tell you today that I am that poor rich man.

No my possessions of this world are not many. I don't live in the largest mansion in town but rather a quaint mobile home in the country. I don't own the largest truck with all the bells and whistles but the standard pickup truck that fits my family in nice and cozy. No my income doesn't exceed Donald Trump's but is more likely that of Donald Duck. The truth of it all is that according to this world and society I am poor. Even as I look back on my childhood, I must have been dirt poor. Because I have much more now than I did back then.

But let me tell you about my riches. I look at a woman everyday who makes my heart flutter. A woman who loves me and selflessly gives her all for me. A woman that sees me down or discouraged and lays her small hands on me in prayer to uplift my broken heart. I walk down the small hallway to my boys rooms and see them sitting on their bed in the mornings seeking God in the Word. I see them serve God with their talents. I hear them pray for their friends at church who are struggling. I attend and serve at a church where God speaks to us and uses broken people to deliver His beautiful message.

That's not all! Let me tell you about the greatest treasure I have. The biggest golden nugget. The largest diamond from the field. His rich salvation of grace. You see my poverty may be seen through what you think I don't have, but my riches are seen through what I do have. whT I know I have been given in Jesus.

Thank you Lord for saving my soul,
Thank yu Lord for making me whole.
Thank you Lord for giving to me,
Thy Great salvation, so RICH and so FREE

Made Me Blush

Jeremiah 6:15
Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore they shall fall among them that fall: at the time that I visit them they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.

Can you hear the brokenness in Jeremiah's heart in this scripture? Or more than that, the heart of our God? We know that Jeremiah was the broken-heart weeping preacher. So I don't believe that there is any pride or arrogance in this question. I don't hear a man who is condemning the nation for their sins. I hear a man who is so broken for the people of God that he gets down to some very fine details about their condition.

Me and my wife a couple of years back was doing our normal routine of dropping off a one hundred dollar bill at Walmart. (Seems like they need one every week or so) While we were walking down one of the aisles a young teenage boy (about 16) was walking toward us with a black shirt on with huge white letters. From the far distance I thought, "There ain't no way that shirt says what I think it says!" Well he had to get a little closer for Patti to read it. And then there it was... Plain as the sunshine in the middle of the day. The words, "F--- You". I'm telling you I almost passed out. I didn't know what to say except, "Does your Momma know you got that shirt on?" Not an answer, not a blush.

Did you know that even a few church members are this way also? Yes! Christians today seem to be satisfied with the sin that they commit. Remember now that Jeremiah is broken about the nation of Israel, God's people. Now we can't expect the world to reverence God or be ashamed of sin. I know that when I was lost I didn't respect God or was embarrassed of my sin. But shouldn't we expect the people of God to be ashamed of sin? Shouldn't we believe that they would want to be as far away from sin as possible?

It's time the House of God and its people stop putting on fake rouge, pinching their checks to make them seem like they are blushing. It's time we truly become ashamed of sin. Ashamed to the point of repentance and walking upright. I hope as you read this, you're blushing.

Gimmie One, Gimmie One!

Colossians 3:23-24
And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

Have you seen the Progressive commercial with the man juggling chainsaws and there is another man on the side saying, "Come on... Gimmie one, Gimmie one"? Isn't that just like us? We think we can do anything or I should say everything. I know this to be true in my life. I have always been that person who would tear apart everything in order to know how it works. If someone ever told me that I couldn't do something, I would try so hard to prove them wrong. So much that I often ended up hurting myself by trying to accomplish the task.

Once some of my friends wanted to jump off a bridge into Smith Lake. They were all putting their life jackets on and looking over the edge. I could hear some of them talking about how high it was and what if we got hurt. Well by this time I heard someone say, "I ain't doing it, here is my life jacket." Like the man on the commercial, I said, "Gimmie one". "If you are gonna jump of this bridge (click of the first buckle) then you are just (click) gonna have to (click) juuuuuuummmmmmp!" I had never though of pointing my toes when entering the water and when they hit I thought they split in half. I wanted to do it because someone said that we couldn't.

Listen, so many times in my life and in my ministry I've made that statement, "Gimmie one". But God has shown me over these years of my life that I need to do the one thing He has called me to do, and to do it well. Whatever God has called you to do in life, do it and stop asking for the other things. Just do the one thing well, faithfully and obediently with all of your heart. If not, you will suffer failure as I have many, many times.

He's Coming!

Revelation 1:7
Behold, he cometh with clouds; and every eye shall see him, and they also which pierced him: and all kindreds of the earth shall wail because of him. Even so, Amen.

In the book of Acts chapter one the Bible gives the clear picture of the ascension of the Lord Jesus Christ into the clouds. It says that people were in amazement as they gazed into the sky and watched Jesus go up into Heaven. So much that the angels standing by said unto them, "Why stand ye here gazing...?" But think about it for a moment. These people had never seen anyone like Jesus. They had never witnessed such love and power in a person like they had in Jesus. Maybe they gazed into Heaven thinking to themselves that this could be the last time they see this man named Jesus. This could be the last time they could hear His words of authority. This could possibly be the last time they witnessed those nail pierced hands stretched out toward them in love. The thought of never seeing Jesus again caused them to stare or gaze into the sky as He went up.

God's message didn't stop at a question. Those angels asked, "Why stand ye gazing up into Heaven? (and then they answered with) This same Jesus, (the one who healed the broken, blind, lame, diseased. The one who saved the wretched, idolater, fornicator. The one who gave His life's blood on the sinful cross of Calvary) This SAME Jesus, which is taken up from you into Heaven, shall so come in like manner as ye have seen Him go into Heaven."

Can you imagine what it would have been like to see Jesus ascend into the clouds of Glory to Heaven? What a great site they witnessed in their day. But may I remind you of something this morning? While they got to see Him go up, we may be the ones to see Him come again! I love our scripture this morning... "Behold, he cometh!" Someday, which could be today, Jesus will come again! Are you living like today could be that day? Are you ready? Even so, Amen!

I Need You Lord

Psalms 38:9
Lord, all my desire is before thee;
and my groaning is not hid from thee.

How about we start our day off the right way together? What if you start your day with a desire to hear from God? What if you desire the moving of the Holy Spirit in your life right now?  What if it was above every other thought and the only thing you can think of? What would happen?

Some of you may be in the lowest place you've ever been right now or facing the highest mountain that has ever been in front of you. You could possibly say, "Steve, I don't even know what to say to the Lord this morning."

Can I tell you that He will understand what your need is when you call out to Him in prayer? He will understand your desire or need. He will even understand the groaning. My wife can sense when I am in need or broken by my facial expression. She understands when I need prayer all the way to when I need water during my preaching. Without me even saying a word, she can pick up on what I desire or need. Why is this? Because she is concerned with me. She is in love with me and wants me to be complete and cared for.

If my wife understands this in my life, how much more does God know and love me? Tell Him this morning! Let your desire be open to the Lord. Don't hide who you are or your need before the Lord. Listen, if you can't talk to Him or find the words to say, just allow your heart and spirit to cry out unto Him.

There is no God like our God. No one who cares. No one who loves. No one who listens so closely like our God. Start your day right!