He is Here!

Genesis 28:16
And Jacob awaked out of his sleep, and he said, Surely the Lord is in this place; and I knew it not.

So many times we miss out on the presence and fellowship with God because we weren't really looking for Him. Churches are filled service after service with those who sometimes just aren't really seeking Him. I'm not saying that this happens all the time with everyone, but all of us are guilty at times of not experiencing God simply because we weren't really looking for Him.

What would happen if you woke today and really looked for the Lord in every thing and every situation? What if right now you made a decision to look for Him today?  Surely the Lord would reveal Himself.

I've heard great Christians say things like, "Miracles don't happen much anymore, those were mostly Bible day signs." Think about it...when is the last time you've seen someone raised from the dead? Did you know that it is still happening everyday? Seriously! You're just not looking for it. Every time someone places their life in Jesus they are raised from the dead. The Bible tells us that we were dead in our tresspass of sins, but Christ has made us alive.

Wouldn't it be great to say this morning, "Surely God was here in his place, and I knew it! I felt Him and saw Him working!" Wake up and start looking for Him today.

I Thought You Should Know

Romans 7:18
For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh,) dwelleth no good thing: for to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good I find not.

In our scripture, Paul says that he knows. There is no confusion on this matter for him. He understands very clearly the issue within himself. When he examined his life he could see that in himself, there is no good thing. Can you see what interrupted this thought? He said, "that is, in my flesh". Paul was testifying of the wretchedness of his carnal, fleshly man. This portion of him was despised and he struggled daily with it.

Look at what he says next. Paul's will was present and he desired to honor God by following His commands. He had a zeal or passion toward the will of God but how to perform the will of God was a different story.

The struggle that Paul had is the same that I have and even maybe you have. One of the things that has helped me is knowing that "my flesh" is carnal and weak. There is nothing good about it or me. My righteousness is as filthy as rags used by a mechanic. I want to honor God. I want to please Him and follow His will. So how can I do this if I find no good thing in me? Jesus! We need to know that we can't do it. It can only be done through Christ Jesus and the Holy Spirit that has saved us. He has redeemed us. He has set us free. He has made us, who were dead in our sins, to become alive through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Anyway, I just thought you should know also.

Say What You Want...

Matthew 21:28-31
But what think ye? A certain man had two sons; and he came to the first, and said, Son, go work to day in my vineyard. He answered and said, I will not: but afterward he repented, and went. And he came to the second, and said likewise. And he answered and said, I go, sir: and went not. Whether of them twain did the will of his father?

Men and women are judged by what they say. With the election season upon us, we have many candidates that are talking. With every breath they promise something new. According to some of them the whole United States will get whatever they want. Slogan after slogan they promise change and a better system. A better government with better leadership. A chicken in every pot and a dollar in every wallet. Word after word they tell of the great things that they will accomplish once they are elected.

How often have we found them to be faithful to their words? Even on a smaller scale, promises like this are made everyday and broken the next day. Husbands promise their wives that they will always love and honor them. Wives promise their husbands that they will love and respect them. Parents promise children that they will take care of and protect them. Employees promise their bosses that they will get the job done. Pastors promise the easy road of Christ. Altars are filled every service with people promising God that they will repent, they will serve, they will work in the field.

Then on the flip-side you have the ones who say, No, I will not go. They made no such promises. Rejecting the words of the father, they went their way only to find conviction tugging at their hearts. Maybe this young man was passing the field that his father asked him to work in and his heart began to beat faster as he realized that he was wrong. Repenting, this young man went to the field. He initially didn't obey his father, but in the end he did.

So, say what you want about this boys first response... He is the one who went away justified and surrendered to the will of his father, not the one with all the talk. So I leave you this morning with a question like Jesus asked... Which one are you?

So True!

John 8:32
And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free.

One of the hardest things to see, recognize or even hear now days is truth. Truth is so distorted among everyone and everything. From pictures that are photoshopped to people who are physician shopped. From movies with explosions and dramatic scenes to real-life war videos of people actually giving their lives. It is so difficult to determine what the truth actually is. 

Something that is far more dangerous is spoken or written truth. It seems that we have been duped for so long that we can't trust anyone's word. We have been told that certain things are truth and have found them out to be lies and deception. It's kind of like the magician and their tricks. It looks so real and it can be so fake. 

I'm so glad that Jesus tells me today I can know the truth. I love how He says that this same truth can also set me free. Deception and lies will bring you into bondage, but truth will free you. 

God's word is truth. Truth is God's word! Thank you Lord for the truth of your word that will stand forever. Thank you for setting me free with your Holy Word! Thank you for truth in a world with so much deception. 

I’m Tired

Psalms 37:7
Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for him: fret not thyself because of him who prospereth in his way, because of the man who bringeth wicked devices to pass.

Have you ever had one of those days where you are just slap worn out? You know what I mean? It's one of those days where you come home from work and all you want to do is sit down and relax. Or maybe it's that day where, over and over, people are coming against you and you just can't take it anymore! I know that I have had my share of those days. I still have many of them often.

Believe it or not, there are times in my life where I want to crawl into a hole and hide just for a while. I'm not talking about giving up, but I'm talking about taking a timeout. Kinda like the football team who is playing on the defensive side of the field. The other team is just ramming their helmets into their sides. Driving the ball down their throats play after play. The linemen have their hands on their sides trying their best to get some air. Then all of the sudden a loud whistle is blown! The home team has just called a timeout. The waterboy is on his way with some refreshing water. Maybe you can take the helmet off just for a moment and get readjusted. Then go back for that next play better prepared.

Well, that is my prayer life. I have to call a timeout often throughout my day. Just to take some rest in the Lord. At times it's to remind me that He is there right by my side. Sometimes it's to ask for help but many times it's to ask for forgiveness. I have to find my rest in the Lord and I do so in prayer. So when you find yourself about to give in, or wanting to hide in a hole, rest in the Lord. Talk to Him about it all. We all know that's what He did when He was weary and tired. He talked to the Father.

Precious Lord, take my hand. Lead me on, help me stand
I am tired, I am weary, I am worn
Through the storm, through the night, Lead me on to the light
Take my hand, Precious Lord and lead me on

Learning From Above, Teaching Below

Titus 2:1-4

But speak thou the things which become sound doctrine: That the aged men be sober, grave, temperate, sound in faith, in charity, in patience. The aged women likewise, that they be in behaviour as becometh holiness, not false accusers, not given to much wine, teachers of good things; That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,

The calling of a parent is one that comes with difficulties. There will be times of heartache as well as times of great joy. One of the things we as parents desire more than others is that our children behave and do the right things. As Christian parents we desire righteous and holiness in their lives and actions. 

So how do we teach them these things?  We first must learn from above. If we are not willing to learn from God above we will never learn the true way to act.  In Vietnam, a man said this statement. "You learn your job from the men above you, and teach your job to the men below you". - Hal Moore. 

So if we are to be great teachers, we must be great students. Lord help us to follow, who art above us, and teach others about you, who are below with us.  

Just Like He Said

John 16:4
But these things have I told you, that when the time shall come, ye may remember that I told you of them. And these things I said not unto you at the beginning, because I was with you.

Has someone ever told you something that you really didn't understand or maybe didn't know how to apply it? It could have been directions to a destination that you didn't really understand. Someone may have explained a landmark or a road sign and you gave the face of confusion to them. The whole time that someone is explaining it to you, you really don't understand it.

You set out on your journey and the closer you get to your destination you begin to see all of these signs that were told to you. That old oak tree you were told would be there, you see it in the distance and say to yourself, "There it is." The road sign and its highway numbers that someone told you about, there it is. The turn that was described to you by the color or shutters on the house, there it is. Suddenly it seem as if you have been here before because you have found that everything these people had told you were just as they said.

Jesus told the disciples what would take place when He would suffer on the cross. He told them in detail the things that would unfold after His death and ascension. They didn't understand it all while He was with them. I wonder what they thought when they began to see it all unfold and found it out to be exactly as Jesus said?

Someday, and it could be soon, we will see it just as Jesus said. "Let not your heart be troubled, I go to prepare a place for you... I will come and receive you unto myself... That where I am, there you may be also." Can you imagine what it is going to be like when we find Heaven to be exactly as He said? Maybe you are going through something now that you just don't understand. Hold on and listen.  You will find out that he knows exactly where you are going.

Lips of Wisdom

Proverbs 15:7
The lips of the wise disperse knowledge: but the heart of the foolish doeth not so.

This morning, as I read our scripture. I am very thankful for those who have spoken wisdom to my life. As I go through a list of them it makes me smile. Some have spoken very deep truths to my life. Their truth has shaped and molded me in my walk with Jesus Christ. One preacher once told me, "Never let your heart become bitter." Now that may seem simple and maybe not even profound as a philosopher would have said it but to me, it was spot-on wisdom. My dad once said, "If they could have gotten Humpty Dumpty to Jesus, he could have been fixed." Again, that is some of the most truthful and defining wisdom I've ever heard. What is funny to me and makes me smile is that some of those very people on this list, myself included, have said some of the most foolish things I've ever heard also. Which shows me that we are all guilty of speaking wisdom and sometimes foolish words.

Our scripture says that the wise person disperses knowledge. Disperse meaning to distribute or scatter the knowledge of God. It makes me think of the sower who sowed the Word of God. He distributed or scattered it everywhere. The seed that he sowed was not his own seed or his own wisdom, but it was given to him from God. The wisdom that we need to disperse is the Word of God. We can disperse this through writings, actions and etc... But the scripture says our lips need to distribute it.

How often do we end up being like the latter part of this verse? We so often speak foolishly. When we find ourselves speaking foolish stop and ask yourself this question... Am I speaking MY words or are they the words of the Lord? You will find that when you tend to speak from your own wisdom it primarily comes out foolish. But when you speak the wisdom of God, wisdom and knowledge is heard.

Lord, please help me today, not tomorrow or even yesterday, to speak wisdom from these lips you've created. Please put your hand of guidance upon my heart and lips. And as for my foolishness, please continue to allow me to decrease and you increase in my life. Thank you and I love you with all my heart. In Jesus' name... Amen.

The Perfect Plan

1 Peter 5:10

But the God of all grace, who hath called us unto his eternal glory by Christ Jesus, after that ye have suffered a while, make you perfect, stablish, strengthen, settle you.

Although we don't enjoy it, suffering is a part of the Christian life. Trials and storms come our way without any notice sometimes. In just moments things could change.  On January 30, 2014 we woke up to ice still on the roads from the snow. The temperature in our southern town was zero degrees on this morning.  The next two days are forecasted to be in the upper 50's and lower 60's. (Hahaha only in Alabama). This is a constant reminder of how things can change in a moment in either direction. We always say, "If you don't like the weather in Alabama, just stick around it will change quick". 

God tells us that "after we have suffered a while"... We could be high on the mountaintop one moment and then in the lowest valley the next. He knows that we will suffer. He knows that it must take place at times. He knows that it is good for us. God loves to work in us, and through us, during these moments.

Look at what God loves to do in our suffering...

  - Make us perfect (more like Him)

  - Stablish us! (set our feet firmly in Jesus)

  - Strengthen us! (hold us up during these trials)

  - Settle us! (calm our hearts)

What a Perfect Savior!  What a Perfect Provider!  What a Perfect Plan!

Obstacles and Opportunities

Galatians 6:10
As we have therefore opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them who are of the household of faith.

An obstacle is defined as a thing that blocks one's way, prevents or hinders progress. I know what you are thinking, this could be anything and everything right? Sure it can. Obstacles are things or people who try to get us off the mark and to hinder the work of God in our lives.

An opportunity is defined as a set of circumstances that makes it possible to do something. Could these circumstances be viewed as obstacles? I believe that they can at times. So how do we understand if they are just obstacles that have been placed on the course to trip us up and hinder us or opportunities to grow and honor God?

Is it in how we view them? Obstacles can look very, very big sometimes. So big that we could even stop running or look for a way around them. But what if we looked past the obstacle? What if we set our eyes upon the goal? Then maybe these obstacles could turn into an opportunity. But what if you flipped that around? Can opportunities turn into obstacles? Oh, yes. This is a very difficult subject to discuss because so many think that this is a glass half full or half empty talk. The truth is that in our lives there will be both!

We will have obstacles on the course. We will have opportunities also. Both of these can make, will make, you stronger in the Lord. How? Obstacles will make you depend and draw all of your strength from God. Opportunities will do the same. You see, without Christ you will trip at every obstacle and opportunity. With Christ... nothing, and I mean nothing, will keep you from the finish line.

Thank you Lord for my obstacles and my opportunities. Help me to see you in them both.

How Do You See People?

1 Kings 17:24

And the woman said to Elijah, Now by this I know that thou art a man of God, and that the word of the Lord in thy mouth is truth.

This scripture ends a great story in the Bible. The story of Elijah and the widows barrel is at the beginning of this scripture. Then a story of tragedy hits. The widow's son becomes sick and dies. She calls for Elijah and he sets him in a loft and prays over him. Three times he begs God for the life of this boy, and God answers him. He takes the boy back to his mother and she says, "Now by this I know that thou art a man of God,". 

I'm not asking if you have raised the dead or performed a great miracle this morning. But what I am asking is...can people say this about you?  Can people truly see that we are His children?  You know people say all the time... Andrew is musically talented like his dad, or the Jacob is so sweet like his mother. It's because we can see the parents in the children. Just like how people should see Jesus in us because we are a part of the family. 

Can people see the Father when they see us?  Or do they see some cheap, fake imitation trying to be sold as the truth?  

Lord, please let people see you when they see me!  Please let me be the man of God that you have called me to be. Never let people see me, but let them see Christ that lives within me.  How 

God Moved

Genesis 1:1-5
In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness. And God called the light Day, and the darkness he called Night. And the evening and the morning were the first day.

How Awesome! Can you see the greatness and magnitude in this scripture? You may be asking what the big deal is about God making the heaven and the earth. Maybe you say, "Sure, I believe God created all of this." But through our eyes of flesh we can't see the greater blessing of it. We create things right? Thomas Edison created the light bulb. Alexander Graham Bell created the telephone. Bill Gates created Microsoft Windows. Al Gore created the Internet, hahahaha. All of these men created something new from something that already existed. All the elements and materials in these creations already existed.

Look at the scripture... "The earth was without form, and void;..." There was NOTHING. There were no trees, dirt, land, birds, creatures,...nothing. God moved upon a nothing situation and created something beautiful.

My life was void and darkness filled my heart at one time. I was nothing but the elements that God had created. My purpose and will were empty. But something happened... Do you know what it was? The Spirit of God moved upon my life. He said, "Let there be light" and I received that everlasting light of Jesus Christ.

Maybe you feel alone and darkness is covering every where you look. Pray, ask for the moving of the Holy Spirit to come upon your life. Let the light of Christ shine upon, and through, you today and forever. When I feel as if I don't know what to do, or don't know where to go, I ask for the Holy Spirit to move. Thank you for moving God!

Now You See Me, Now You Don’t

John 16:22

And ye now therefore have sorrow: but I will see you again, and your heart shall rejoice, and your joy no man taketh from you.

I can remember as a child playing baseball or basketball at a friends house in our neighborhood. We would jump off the bus, run home, change clothes and hit the playing field. All evening we would play. Then that voice would call out. Oh, I hated it because I knew it was time to go home. Dad would yell from the front porch, and I could hear him at my friends house.  I didn't always go home immediately but I would linger and play just one more game or bat one more time. That was the worst thing in the world to do as a child. Because when I looked up, boom, it was dark. No street lights and not many porch lights in those days. My friend didn't have to walk home in the dark, but I did!  

You know, isn't it funny the things you remember?  Dad or Mom had called my name earlier. I can remember seeing them sometimes standing up at the top of the driveway. But when it got dark, because of my lingering, I couldn't see them anymore. So I would get nervous and scared. Back then I wasn't afraid of people. No, on my road it was dogs you had to look out for. So I would look for dad and couldn't see him. Sometimes thinking he went back into the house. I would start running, hear a noise and stop. But then it would happen. Dad would come into view, or I could see my Mom, I began to feel safe. Wasn't any dog around here gonna get me now!  

Our saying is... "Now you see me, now you don't". But Jesus said, "Now you don't see me, but you soon will". Although we don't see our Savior clearly today, He has gone to prepare us a place. Someday He will call our name, and we will not linger. Then Jesus, our King of Kings and Lord of Lords will come into our view!  Go and read John Chapter 16 and see Him for yourself. 

Give Him Everything

Colossians 3:17

And whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

How many times do we pray saying, "Lord, I'm giving this to you"?  Only to pick it right back up when we leave the altar or say Amen. Too many to count probably. 

Long ago a great old preacher man told me something that really helped me. He said, "Steve, when you give God your baggage, ask Him to take the handle off of it". See this way we will never pick it back up. When we pray we should ask The Lord to not only remove it from our lives, but also to take the handle off of it so that we aren't tempted to pick it back up as soon as we leave the prayer. 

Also, how many times have you told The Lord, "I'm giving you everything", but only give Him part of it?  God desires that we totally depend upon Him. He wants us to rely on His strength and not our own. He wants us to lean upon His words and not what we think we should say, or even what others would say. Today, He wants everything about you. Not just some of you, but all of you. 

Have you given Him everything?  Do it right now before anything else. Tell Him... "Lord, I give you my burden, my marriage, my children, my sickness, my love, my heart, my life...Lord, I give you Everything!  

Whatsoever ye do in word or deed, do ALL in the name of The Lord Jesus

Just One More Lord

1 Corinthians 3:5-8
Who then is Paul, and who is Apollos, but ministers by whom ye believed, even as the Lord gave to every man? I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase. So then neither is he that planteth any thing, neither he that watereth; but God that giveth the increase. Now he that planteth and he that watereth are one:and every man shall receive his own reward according to his own labour.

I love fishing. I think it would be on the top of my list of favorite hobbies. Bass fishing is fun but also it can be work at times. One cast after another cast, over and over again until you get that strike...! When those bass hit it's just indescribable. The feel of the fight and the thrill of seeing it come out of the water dancing. Not much like it in the world. 

But I also love to crappie fish. This is a little more laid back. You can throw a jig if they are biting good but most of the time I pull up to a bridge and drop some minnows in the water. Most times I'll have about three lines in the water and the people in the boat will have the same amount. Sitting and waiting, it is the best fellowship that you can have. Just talking and waiting for those crappie to move. 

The hardest part about either way I fish, whether it be bass fishing or crappie fishing, is leaving. I always struggle with one more cast or one more minnow. Because if I could just catch one more then it would satisfy me. But every time I catch that one, I need one more. 

Alot of times I begin to pray for "one more Lord". What is funny is that the other ones in the boat could catch that next one and not me. But that's okay, just as long as we catch them. 

Isn't that what God tells us? Some people plant, some people water but God gives the increase. God gives the "one more". So why don't you go out fishing this morning? Pray that God will give you one more. If it's not you that gets the "one more" then what does it matter? They all belong to God! It's His harvest, It's His fish. Just give us one more Lord. 

When Will It Be About Him?

John 3:30-31
He must increase, but I must decrease. He that cometh from above is above all: he that is of the earth is earthly, and speaketh of the earth: he that cometh from heaven is above all.

I don't like the songs they sing. I don't like the lighting in that church. They don't have a big youth group. I didn't see anything for singles or divorced. I like a small church. I like a big church. I like hymns. I like contemporary music. I don't wanna have to dress up. I feel the need to wear a suit and tie because that's my best. I don't want instruments. I can't sing or worship without music. I like pews. I like chairs. Choirs are so outdated. I love to hear a choir sing.

Over and over these phrases are spewed out like vomit from the children of God. It's not the world talking about the church and its so-called features, no it's the church. We talk of what we want so much that we have even adapted that theology to Heaven. We talk of Heaven and what will be there and many times it ends up be a drummed up idea of what we enjoy here on earth.

When will it be about Jesus? When will it be about the presence of the Holy Ghost? When will our lives and walk with Christ be about Him? Our scripture says that we must decrease and He (Jesus) must increase. He is above it all! He is worthy of it all! When we come together, and it is all about Him, then we will experience true worship. So when will it be about Him?

Lord I surrender today. I ask that you increase in my life. Lord, I desire and ask you to be so full in my life that when people hear me or see me that Steve Abney seems to disappear as they behold who you are. In Jesus' name, Amen

Static Electricity

Romans 1:16

For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ:for it is the power of God unto salvation to every one that believeth; to the Jew first, and also to the Greek.

During the winter months the static electricity is increased. When we get out of our vehicles...pow! When we stand from our furniture...pow!  When we shuffle our feet across the floor in order to shock our wife or children...POW! Even when we put our dress clothes on, it clings to us and we can't get away from it. 

The Bible teaches that the Gospel of Jesus is powerful. The word powerful is taken from the word used for dynamite. Just the slightest spark can set it off. What if we were that spark? What would happen if we ignited the Gospel?  God wants us to be that spark. He wants us to be intentional about spreading the Gospel (just like when I shuffle my feet to shock the family, for fun). He wants us to also be unintentional about spreading it (like the way it clings to us and there is nothing we can do to get away from it). Share it when getting out of the car...pow! Share it when we stand from our furniture...pow! Share it when we go to work...pow! Share it when we go to school...POW! 

There is a movie called "Patch Adams". In this movie Patch is accused of "excessive happiness". The board of physicians say that they could only hope his attitude would spread throughout the medical field like a wild fire. What if us Christians were accused of "excessive witnessing" or "excessive Gospel sharing"? 

Are you shuffling your feet? Is the Gospel clinging to you?  What a fire could start! POW! POW! POW!

Back in the Saddle

1 Corinthians 10:12

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

Have you ever heard someone say, "I'm back in the saddle"?  It's an idiom that means you're doing something again that you haven't done for a while. I'm back in the saddle of exercising again. I'm back in the saddle of doing school work. I'm back in the saddle after I healed from my surgery. Sometimes getting back in the saddle can be quick and other times it can take a while. Think of it like this... Some surgeries can cause you to be out of the saddle for a long time, while others not so much. 

I've also heard people use that term in this manner... "I got knocked off the horse but I jumped right back up into the saddle to show him a thing or two." If we lose respect for the horse and mistreat it through pride and selfishness, then that horse can become dangerous to us. A large man is nothing compared to a thousand or fifteen hundred pound horse. He could throw you off in a second. What's amazing is how we will saddle up these animals (horses, bulls, camels) that could really hurt us if they wanted to, but because of our respect and treatment of them they allow it. 

You see, pride will get you hurt every time. If you think you do things because of your strength, you are destined to fall out of the saddle. If you think your pride is what controls the horse, he could quickly show you that you are mistaken and fling you right to the ground. Well this morning read our scripture again. It says we need to be humble about our standing lest we fall and that could happen at any moment. Too many people think it's about getting back into the saddle, but maybe we should see it differently. Maybe we should be humble and respectful to The Lord who directs our steps. We should be respectful of our stand in Christ lest at any moment we fall. Our Lord is telling us that when we are in the saddle and we see others that have fallen off of theirs, we should be humbled and not prideful lest we also are thrown off. No doubt, if we fall we should get right back up in the saddle. But hopefully it will be with a little more wisdom and a lot more humility. 

So, you're back in the saddle? Be careful. Be watchful. Be humble.