Therefore

Psalms 46:1-3

God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble.

Therefore will not we fear, though the earth be removed,

and though the mountains be carried into the midst of the sea;

Though the waters thereof roar and be troubled,

though the mountains shake with the swelling thereof.

I love reading the word, "Therefore" in God's word! The words that always follow are a huge comfort to me. Read it again and see what I'm talking about. "God is our refuge and strength, He is our very present help in time of trouble." How awesome is that? God is our everything that we need. This scripture teaches us that He is our refuge and strength. He is our protector! He is our provider! He is our help!

Then here it comes...the word that I love! "Therefore." Now follow the rest of the scripture. It says we will not fear even if the earth is removed. Therefore we will not fear even if the mountains are thrown into the sea. Even if the waters roar and rage and the mountains shake. Why? Therefore is why!

Why should we fear these things if we know that God is our refuge, strength and help in time of trouble? I just love the "therefore" in the Bible. They always teach me that since God is my God, therefore I know He has me in His hands. 

All Of It?

Mark 10:28
Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee.

A difficult thing for followers of Christ is to leave all, and follow Jesus. It's very difficult to give everything to Him. Now some of you may be tempted to say that this is not you. You may say that you have given Him everything from day one, right? Peter says that they had left all and followed Jesus, but later on we see that Peter had hung on to some things.

Peter left the boat, the nets and the fishing. He had left family and his very way of life, but he did keep some things. One was his self-will and self-sufficient power. Peter trusted many times in his own wisdom or strength. He couldn't give everything to Him. One time, when Jesus needed him, he denied that he even knew Jesus.

May I ask you a question? Have you given Him everything? All of it? We won't God to move fully on our situation but only give God half of the truth. Everything will always be everything! Christ doesn't want half or three-fourths of you. He wants all of you. He doesn't want half of your confession. He desires to hear your whole story.


Listen to these lyrics...
Are you tired of chasing pretty rainbows
Are you tired of spinning round and round
Wrap up all the shattered dreams of your life
At the feet of Jesus lay them down

Give them all
Give them all
Give them all to Jesus
Shattered dreams broken hearts and broke toys
Give them all give them all to Jesus
And he can tuen your sorrow into joy

Right Out of the Clear Blue Sky

Psalms 34:8

O taste and see that the Lord is good:

blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

Sometimes things just seem to hit you out of the clear blue sky...

We were driving down the road on Sunday and it hit me. In my truck, Patti was across from me with Andrew and Jacob in the back seat. As we were entering the on ramp of the interstate I turned to the back seat and saw Jacob with his mouth hanging open wide catching flies. I asked Patti, "Is Andrew asleep?" She answered, "Nope, but he looks tired". She also added that she was tired. We had one of those weeks where you work and work. After working hard this week we were also preparing for Sunday services as well as a singing at a different church between our own church services. Needless to say everyone was tired from the laboring. 

But as I looked up again into the rear view mirror, it hit me out of the blue... I am one blessed man!  What has God seen in me that would bring these blessings? Then it hit me again...absolutely nothing!  God loves me and has blessed me. All I had to do was taste and see. Wow!  How many years had gone by without the blessings of God in my life all because I wouldn't taste and see. 

I saw a beautiful woman of God sitting beside me, that sings better than anyone I know. I saw a young man of God sitting behind me that picks up an instrument and just plays them because of the anointing of God on his life. And I saw my baby boy with his mouth wide open, who has such a huge heart for Jesus and is blessed with musical talent also. And it hit me..."Right out of the clear blue sky"... 

I am blessed, I am blessed, everyday that I live, I am blessed

When I wake up in the morning 'til I lay my head to rest

I am blessed, I am blessed?

I pray right now that it hits you out of the clear blue sky!

What’s at the Top?

Ecclesiastes 2:4-11

I made me great works; I builded me houses; I planted me vineyards:
I made me gardens and orchards, and I planted trees in them of all kind of fruits:
I made me pools of water, to water therewith the wood that bringeth forth trees:
I got me servants and maidens, and had servants born in my house; also I had great possessions of great and small cattle above all that were in Jerusalem before me:
I gathered me also silver and gold, and the peculiar treasure of kings and of the provinces: I gat me men singers and women singers, and the delights of the sons of men, as musical instruments, and that of all sorts.
So I was great, and increased more than all that were before me in Jerusalem: also my wisdom remained with me.
And whatsoever mine eyes desired I kept not from them, I withheld not my heart from any joy; for my heart rejoiced in all my labour: and this was my portion of all my labour.
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had wrought, and on the labour that I had laboured to do: and, behold, all was vanity and vexation of spirit, and there was no profit under the sun.

Good morning, I hope that you take the time to read the scriptures today very slowly. Take them in! Doesn't it make you stop and think?

It's almost as if he was climbing a hill called life and when he got to the top, there was nothing there. You could spend your whole life getting more and more as Solomon did, but at the end of life realize that you actually have nothing.

What is at the top of your hill? Me? It's a mansion on the hill! It's a promise that God will never leave me nor forsake me. It's a promise that He will come for me and take me to His home. It's salvation! What about you?

Where is the Gift?

Proverbs 25:14
Whoso boasteth himself of a false gift
is like clouds and wind without rain.

2 Timothy 3:5
Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

Have you ever sat on the grass during a beautiful fall day and watched the clouds as they came rolling in? I remember as a child (just the other day), lying on my back and watching those clouds take form. Some of them would look like dinosaurs, while others looked like gigantic dogs. Cloud after cloud would roll by. Changing into shapes like birds, tall buildings, Snoopy, Charlie Brown, etc... Sometimes you would even see shapes like hands, arms and faces in the clouds thinking if this was God. Angels and trumpets would take shape and you would wonder if the Lord’s return was coming right then and there.

Then something happened... as soon as these clouds would form into a shape or image, they would quickly lose their shape. In all seriousness, one moment the cloud could look like a huge angel of God and then immediately turn into a devilish demon. Also, some clouds would roll in as though the biggest rain of the month was about to pour down and when it finally reached over head, nothing! They were just empty.

The Word of God warns us of people who portray the same manner of life. He says that there are some who “boast of a false gift”. Jesus said they are like the seeds that were sown onto the rocky ground. They jump up immediately, but because they lack moisture (Holy Spirit) they wither away and lose the form they tried to take on.

If the gift of God, which is salvation through Jesus Christ, is in you then there will be a different you. It will not be a temporary form of something new. No, it will be a forever change. If you change form daily, if you blow in as a cloud without the rain, if you have a form and not a sure foundation then please come to Christ today and surrender your life. The most dangerous place you can be in this life is to look as if you have the gift and do not. It’s too look like you’re filled with rain, but to be a cloud that’s empty. It’s to profess that you are a Christian, but in works through your life you are opposite. It’s not Jesus on Sunday when the wind blows in and then nothing through the rest of the week. Please surrender your form to God today and find the foundation that is sure in Jesus. I love you.

There is None Like You

Psalms 86:8

Among the gods there is none like unto thee, O Lord;

neither are there any works like unto thy works.

I am taken straight to the throne of God by this song. Every single time I hear it I can’t help but rejoice in the Spirit. The words go...

There is none like you,

No one else can touch my heart like you do.

I could search for eternity long, and find,

There is none like you!

Think about it... Who else has ever loved you so unconditionally like Jesus?  Who has pursued you without you ever giving it a second thought like Jesus? Who has ever allowed you to slander his name and reject him again and again, but yet be gracious and still love you like Jesus?  

While I sat there on the front row listening to them sing, God once again showed me something spectacular. He loves me!  I've always known this, but He reminded me of it again. I've always known that there is no other God like our God, but I was reminded of it again through this song. 

Take time this morning to thank Him. Lord, thank you for reminding me that I have everything I need in you!  Thank you for showing me that there is none like you. No one can love like you. No one can forgive like you. No one can save like you. There is truly none like you... I could search for all eternity long and find there is none like you.  

Coming in Loud and Clear

Psalms 3:4
I cried unto the Lord with my voice,
and he heard me out of his holy hill. Selah.

If you scream out, yell out, speak out or even whisper, understand the God will hear. I know that He is not deaf that we need to yell. It's not the manner in which we call out that makes Him draw His attention toward us, right? But wait a minute. There is something that can be said for crying out unto God. Crying out to Him in tears has great potential!

It has no power at all in the shedding of tears or especially conjuring up some crocodile tears. No, you don't have to cry in order for our Lord to hear you. The tears are not a confirmation of His hearing, it's a reality of our need. Tears are an outward sign of the brokenness that is within us. Tears have a way of touching the heart of people as well as our Father.

Years ago a preacher shared a story of a visitation to a family in the church. This woman had asked the Pastor to come and talk with her husband about salvation. This Pastor and minister of music went faithfully to share the Gospel with this man. But the husband would not budge. No scripture, no illustration and no prayer broke through the hardness of this man's heart. It wasn't until the Pastor looked over at this husbands child in a wheelchair that things changed. This child was crying out in prayer for his daddy to be saved. Those tears fell from his face, then the wife's face, then the Pastor and music minister were crying as well when that dad opened his heart and accepted Jesus as his Savior.

You're heart may be broken this morning...may I say that you are that much closer to the Lord hearing you? Because now you will finally tell Him your whole heart. Cry out to Him now, He's always listening. With those tears, you're coming in loud and clear!