May I Have Some More

James 4:6
But he giveth more grace. Wherefore he saith, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace unto the humble.

As if His grace wasn't enough, He tells us that He gives more grace. Maybe today you think that God's grace is running low. Maybe you think there is some kind of shortage on the grace of God. I want you to know that nothing could be farther from the truth.

Have you ever stopped to think of the grace of God? This grace is best explained as...God's Riches At Christ's Expense. Grace is a sinless man being born unto a virgin woman. This same son living a life of honor and devotion unto His Father's will. Being obedient unto death, even the death of the cross. This same grace is found in His Father raising Him from the dead. Then the grace of all grace, Jesus reaching to your broken heart to save you and lead you home. Wow! That's enough right?

As I heard a friend preach once, "But wait there's more!"  What about when you are hurting? What about when you need a healing? What about when you are dying? Is His grace available for this also? Yes, yes, yes! He giveth MORE grace.

But there's a catch. What's that you say? You must leave your pride aside. I have seen, and still see it today, that many people can't find the grace they need because of their pride, our pride. I know men who will hold on to their pride until they die. They would rather die thinking they had pride, when what they really needed was grace.

Grace is found in humility. When we realize that we don't deserve this grace our God extends to us,  we can then receive it. Remember when dinner was so good that you would ask for more? Lord, may I have some more of your undeserved grace today?

Need Help?

Isaiah 50:7
For the Lord God will help me; therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint, and I know that I shall not be ashamed.

I have needed help on many occasions and felt like I could find none. Have you ever felt this way? Maybe you're just like me. Maybe you don't get the help you need because you haven't asked for help.

I am the worst person at asking someone to help me. It's just not in me. I suppose I could say it was because of the way I was raised. I could probably say it's because I don't want to bother anyone. But the fact of the matter is that sometimes we all need help and we don't ask. How much burden could we relieve if we would just simply ask for help in the beginning? So often I have tried to do things all on my own and end up being so physically beat that I became hurt or even sick.

Now on the other hand, I have always loved to help others. I would help stranger or friend, doesn't matter to me. I love to help and I can't stand it when people won't let me. Then one day it hit me... I love to help and won't let people help me. That's wrong. Other people may love to help and I may be like the ones who won't let them.

Think of this... Our Lord loves to help and will help. But will you let Him? Have you asked Him? Today before you leave for work or school, ask for help from our Lord. He would love to do it. Don't try it on your own.

Thank you Lord for all your help in my life. I know that I could never do it without you! I love you.

To Know Him More

Philippians 3:10
That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;

Can we stop for a moment this morning and think of something? First, how much do we know about Jesus? And second, how far are we willing go to follow Him? Think about it before you read on.

Most of us know about Jesus, really much of the world knows of Jesus, but do we KNOW Him? There is no question that Christ knows us. The scriptures tell us that He loved us and died for us while we were yet sinners. When we say we know Jesus, what do we actually mean? We know that He loves us. We know that He gave His life for us. We know that He is willing to rescue and save us. We know that He has promised to protect and supply our our needs according to His riches in glory. We know that He will walk with us every step of the way. To follow someone like this should be simple right? I mean it is basically laid out that He will help in every step and situation when we call on Him. So why don't we follow like we should?

Maybe it's because all we really want are the thornless roses. We want Heaven without death. We want blessings without sufferings. We want a perfect life without any persecution or trials. But once we get to know Jesus, the one from our Bible and not the one some preach today, we understand that He suffered all of these things that we are discussing. He endured them all so that He could say, "I'm here right beside you, I know exactly how you feel, come on one more step." So many think of Jesus as the way out... No, He is the way through and to!

Could you be honest enough this morning to say that you would like to know Jesus more? Can you say it like Paul did? "That I may know Him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto His death;" Lord lead me on... I'm following you.

If...

2 Timothy 2:12-13
If we suffer, we shall also reign with him: if we deny him, he also will deny us: If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself.

Don't you love the "if's"? An if is almost always inserted to bring you to an action or decision. Like this for example... If you come to my house, I'll cook you dinner. If you will cut my grass, I'll pay you for it. If you will come to church I think you'll enjoy it. Some of them at times could also point out a definite truth. Just like in our scripture this morning.

Look at what He is telling us. "If we suffer..." Can I say this before we go further? We will suffer. There is no need for an "if" here. We will have trials and suffering in this life. Jesus has already told us this. But our scripture says that if we suffer, we will also reign with Him. Our suffering cannot be compared to the glory that we will share in with Him.

Then it says a truth that needs a decision. "If we deny Him, He will also deny us:" It's hard to understand, but there are many who deny the Lord Jesus. Notice though that He says "if". This means that you don't have to deny Him. You can choose today, right now, to love and serve Him. But know this... If you choose to deny Him don't be shocked when He denies you before His Father.

"If we believe not, yet He abideth faithful: he cannot deny Himself." There is nothing more that I would love than for you to believe upon Jesus. My joy would be so full if you surrendered your life to Christ right now. But I understand that I cannot make you. God himself cannot make you, or better yet, will not make you. You can choose to believe right now. You could also choose to not believe in that same manner. But can I tell you that it will not take away from God if you choose to not believe? Also it will not add to God if you choose to come and believe upon Him. God is God.

There are some big "if's" out there for you this morning. Go over them carefully. I love you all!

Follow Me!

Ephesians 5:1
Be ye therefore followers of God, as dear children;

A few years ago I went to the place of my birth, Fort Benning, GA. I was born in Martin Army Hospital on the base of Ft. Benning. I was just curious about my beginning I suppose. As we toured the Army base and local town, one of the stops that I wanted to make was at the infantry museum. My dad was an infantry man and I had heard great things about the museum.

When we arrived I saw this huge statue. It was labeled, "Follow Me." I looked at this bronze statue for a moment and tried to think about it being a real soldier. You know what? After reading more and more... Major Eugene Wyles was his name. He is the one who posed for the statue but has always maintained that it was not him, but the infantry men and their spirit.

This statue was a soldier waving his comrades forward with a rifle in his hand. On his face was an expression of urgency to move forward. "Follow Me!" you could almost hear him say. Oh, the men that took in this statue and followed the one in front of him. With every step, knowing that their leader would not lead them astray. Knowing that their leader was in the front taking them to the battle lines of war. Never alone, never left to fight by themselves, always someone there to fight along side of and definitely never, and I mean never leaving anyone behind. Can you hear him? "Forward men! Victory is just ahead... FOLLOW ME!" (Thank you to every one of you reading this who have followed and currently follow. I pray for you often and my family and myself are grateful.)

Today, right now, I'm asking you to follow Jesus! With all the urgency I can muster up, I'm pleading with you to follow Jesus. While I have no doubt that the men who were encouraged to follow this soldier gave everything they had, some even their lives, Jesus must be and has to be the perfect man to follow. Jesus is the only one that I know whose leading has never failed.

Before you decide this morning please understand one thing. Just as the steps of this soldier were not easy or rosey, to follow Christ doesn't mean that it will be easy or everything gravy so to say. The Christian life is a difficult one. Just as the struggle for all the soldiers who followed this man into battle, so it is with the Child of God who follows Jesus. But as promised by Him, He will be there every step of the way. As one Army leader said, "I'll be the first one on the battlefield and the last one off." Christ has said, "I will never leave thee nor forsake thee... I am with thee always, even unto the end."

FOLLOW ME!

Waiting for Daybreak

Psalms 130:6
My soul waiteth for the Lord more than they that watch for the morning:
I say, more than they that watch for the morning.

Can you see the people of Israel camped around the tabernacle? Each in the divisions of tribes camped out... three on the west, three on the east, three on the north and three on the south. The night has engulfed them, and all but the fire of God is burning over the holy of holies. They look on in wonder and somewhat fear. That holy fire of God representing the presence of their holy God. But in that night, that is not the only fire that they visibly see. A fire toward the entrance of the gates is seen. It is the fire of the brazen altar. One that continually burned in judgment toward sin.

I can see the Israelite children as parents tucked them into their sandy, wilderness beds. The glow of the presence and judgment of God looming across the ceiling of their earthly tents. Steadily, the fire of the altar is burning as the family falls to sleep hoping for the morning to rise. Over night the fire of the altar dwindles down. All that is left before the night finally falls are embers and a small flame or two.

As the day begins to break, the priest and levites have made their way to their tabernacle duties. One begins to stoke the fire at the brazen altar while the others trim the wicks, check the bread, offer the incense upon the golden altar. Then the morning sacrifice is placed on the brazen altar and the fire laps up the flesh, signifying judgment of sin being atoned by the blood of a sacrifice. The morning wind begins to blow....

As the sun rises, the families are waking up and coming out of their tents to help the tribe. The wind blows in the smell of the sacrifice on the altar. "What's that smell dad?" says one of the children. A dad turns with tears and says, "That's God's mercy son." Oh what joy to know that the lamb had taken their place. Although the judgment seemed to loom over their heads during the night, when the day broke in the morning they found out that God was merciful, forgiving, and graceful!

My soul will wait for you Lord! More than those that wait for the morning! This world may get dark. Judgment may seem as if it is looming over me but the Lamb has taken my place! My sins are gone and I could wake up tomorrow to the daybreak of my first day in Heaven. I'll wait!

That Cat Was Getting It...

Romans 12:21
Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

I know you may think I'm crazy, but then again there wouldn't be much change in your view of me. While I was driving my morning school bus route the other day I saw something that I really needed to see. I love how God reveals Himself in everything. Sometimes we don't see it because we don't have our eyes open or looking for Him.

When I pulled up at a routine home, I saw a big, fat, white dog. I've seen this dog on numerous morning routes. I know the owner and also know that she is eating well. She is an outside dog with an inside home life. So needless to say, she lacks for nothing and fetches the same (hahaha). On this morning things were much different when I pulled up. See a black cat had pranced across the yard of this dog. In just one glimpse, this dog was getting it! She took off after that black cat in a blink of an eye. Now this cat knew her prancing days were over and she better do something quick. That cat was gone! It jumped up in the air, then ran down the side of that brick home. It was out of that yard!

As I saw this I couldn't help but laugh. Then God nudged my heart. I began to cry and pray, "Lord, let that be me! Do that same thing for me! When my flesh prances itself in my life, please let your Spirit in me be strong and well fed so that it runs that fleshly desire away." Our scripture tells us this morning how we can feed the white dog (Holy Spirit) enough to run off the old black cat (flesh). Don't be overcome with evil, but overcome evil with good.

You know what? I'm sure that old black cat will come back someday. But I guarantee you that it won't be so prissy and prance across the lawn this time. Because that white dog will be waiting and maybe, just maybe this time he will be fed enough to catch him.