Marriage is Good Medicine for Men

The LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone;
GENESIS 2:18 A KJV

WHEN A YOUNG MAN asked Socrates if he should marry, he replied, "My advice to you is to get married: if you find a good wife you'll be happy; if not you'll become philosopher." I am reminded, however, that Socrates died of hemlock, not wedlock!
   Nonetheless, one of the best things a man can do to live a long and fulfilled life is are you ready for this? Get married. Men, marry someone who loves you, who communicates  with you. Who is on the same page as you are spiritually, and cares deeply for you.
   The reality is that men are far more dependent upon women who cook better pamper them, find their lost socks, remember where things keeps them happy. The facts is that both need each other, and both have what the other needs. By coming together in marriage, needs in their lives are meet. Producing more harmonious and healthier lives. There is an emotional chemistry, a synthesis, that results from men and women bonding in marriage.  Both benefit from it, but men seem to derive more from marriage when it comes to health, longevity and general happiness.
    Moses, some 3,000 years ago, explained that a man should leave Hus father and mother and be united to his wife in such a way that the two becomes one flesh; it was  something that Jesus quoted, adding "those whom God has joined together, may no man separate."
   Men, are you interested in having a long and healthy life! Then follow the guideline of the scripture. Love your wife as Christ loved the church. Demonstrates your live by meeting her needs. Science only reinvents and demonstrates what Christians have known for centuries. We came from the drawing board of heaven. God designed us and He knows best what produced harmony and happiness.

HE WILL STOPS YOU

The devil is come down to you, having great wrath, because he knows that he has but a short time.
REVELATION 12:12

IF YOU THINK THAT LIFE TODAY is not an ongoing spirirual warfare, you need to raise your spiritual awareness. Satan stands in opposition to God His nature and character. And  if you are God"s child, you get dragged into the battle.
   Even the apostle Paul said, "Satan  stopped us!.
So how much power does Satan have, and what can I do when I feel that he has stopped me dead in my tracks? First, be assumed that he can do nothing that sovereign God does not allows. He is not all-powerful as God is. He knows that his time is running out fast.
  Writing the books of Revelation, John said, " The devil has
gone down to you! He is filled with fury, because he knows that his time is short" (Revelation 12:12). Seeing the developments of the past century and the rapid turn of world events, it is reasonable for us to believe that Satan  has intensified his effort to wreak havoc in the world and in the churches and in the lives of God's children. Satan  knows what Revelation 21 says about his doom. He knows that the Messiah, the Lord Jesus Christ, will rule and reign forever.
   I have time for just one caveat or warning. Don't give Satan an inch or space in your thoughts he will not pay the your bill or rent?  what you sow, you shall reaped indeed it happen! Read (John 10:10). For you are very familiar with His evil schemes "  (2Corinthians 2:11) keep the doors of  your heart locked and bolted Jesus who us in you is stronger than the enemy outside. Be spiritually armed and be alert. As Paul urged the Ephesian. " Be strong in the Lord and in his mighty power." (Ephesian 6:10).

HARD WORK

Therefore whoever hears these sayings of mine, and does them, I will liken him to a wise man, which built his house on a rock:
MATTHEW AKJV

The Christian life is hard work Christianity involves systematically striving to implement the truths of God's Word into your life. Spiritual depth and maturity do not come without consistent effort.
   Jesus had just concluded the sermon on the Mount, which sets forth some of the most profound truths ever spoken. The Son of God had clearly explained the kind of life that is pleasing to the Father. Yet Jesus knew even as He was concluding His sermon, that some of His listeners would leave and never apply a word they had heard.
   Jesus said that a man who takes the words of God and builds them into his life is like a wise man who builds his house on a rock. Rocks are hard to build on. It takes great effort to attach a foundation to a rock. A house built on sand provides instant comfort building on a rock is laborious and tedious. Yet building on sand leaves the builder in a vulnerable position, while the one building on the rock is secure.
   How can you tell what kind of foundation a life has been built on? Watch to see what happens when a storm comes. A built upon the Word of God will withstand the very storm that sweeps away the life that did not heed God's Word.
   There are no shortcuts to spiritual maturity. Maturity comes only through hard work and obedience to what God says. The next you hear Jesus speaking, begin immediately to firmly build His truth into your life, so that no storm can unsettle you.

Keep in Shape

yourselves in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. And of some have compassion, making a difference:
Jude 1: 21-22 AKJV

How do we we cultivate ours life in our lives? First, by building ourselves up in the faith. This requires that we study the Bible and the doctrines that have been handed down through the centuries. As we learn about Christ, we grow in our love for Him, and we add stones of knowledge to our wall of faith. When the enemy fires false doctrine at us, the arrows simply bounce off because we know they aren't true.
Second, the mortar that holds our knowledge in place is "praying in the spirit" (v.20). What exactly does that mean? It begins with an admission of our weakness. We can't pray as we should because we are limited in our spiritual understanding and power. That's where the Holy Spirit comes in. " He's intercedes for the saints according to the will of God" (Rom. 8:26-27). By admitting our weakness depending on the Holy Spirit to bridge the gap between us and God, and then submitting to God's will whatever that may prove to be we are praying in the spirit. God thoughts become our thoughts and His ways our ways (see sa55:'8-9).
    We start in weakness, but through prayer, we end in God's strength. It's amazing how the enemy intimidating threats lose their power when we commit ourselves and the battle to the Lord. We are never so strong as when we are on our knees.
  Finally, we stay in His love by keeping the torch of hope lit within our hearts. Like soldiers who dream of the day when they will return home to the warm embrace of their families and loved ones, we anxiously look forward to that day when we will see our Savioir face to face. At that moment, all our doubts and fears will fade into the eternal joy of His embrace.

When you Pass through the water

Since you were precious in my sight, you have been honorable, and I have loved you: therefore will I give men for you, and people for your life. Fear not: for I am with you: I will bring your seed from the east, and gather you from the west;
ISAIAH 43:4-5 AKJV

WE ARE LIVING IN AN IMPERFECT WORLD sometimes good people suffer while bad people stay well. But life also has a way of equalizing the footing. In other words, God keeps score. Isaiah looked around him and recognized that there are no exemption from being fully Human. He recorded God's message: "when you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you. When you walk through the fire you will not be burned; the flames will not set you ablaze. For I am the Lord your God" (Isaiah 43:1-3). Notice that Isaiah began each thought with the word when, not if. Which means it's eventually going to happen, so you had better be prepared.
   First, Isaiah spoke of the depth of your trial the deep water. If you have ever tried to cross a turbulent river, you understand that it's like experiencing an illness, a financial disaster or a broken relationship. At any moment you are about to stumble and be carried downstream.
   Then Isaiah mentioned the turbulence of your trial. He mentioned that the rivers won't drown you. The word he used is plural, it's means there will be move than few challenges before you knock on heaven's  door; but paraphrasing what he said, "You're going to make it."
    Finally, he speaks of the intensity of your trial you will go through the fire, but you won't be burned. The passage concludes with the words, " I Love you!" That the message of the New Testament in three words. It's why God sent His Son to provide a way of forgiveness and cleansing and hope.

Solution to despair

you shall seek me, and find me, when you shall search for me with all your heart.
JEREMIAH 29 : 13

DEAD END YOU SEE A STONE wall so high that you are convinced there's no way out. You turn desperate. And then you think, "What do desperate people do?" Dome do nothing at all, dinking deeper into the pit of despair. A few simply give up and take their lives. Then there are those who drink themselves to oblivion or use drugs to numb the pain. Still others have mental breakdowns and drift from reality.
   But there is another oath out of desperation: You can find God's help and strength for your weakness.
    You can he like the psalmist who testified, "In my anguish I cried to the Lord, and he answered by setting me free" (Psalm 118:5). The Bible is replete with stories of men and women who cried out to God in their desperation, and how God heard them. Some of these people include Daniel in the lion's den. Jeremiah in the slime pit and Esther who knew that if the king denied her plea, she would lost her life
    There are some instances when God may have allowed some of the circumstances in your life to help you realize that you had shut Him out if your existence. But whatever the case, there is only one way to find out whether God is strong enough to lift you out of the pit of desperation. Get serious with Him and experience His salvation. Cry out to Him in your despair and await His answer Jeremiah, who knew what it was to be at the point if despair, heard from God who said, "You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart" (Jeremiah 29:13).

No Turning Back

whoever does not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
LUKE 14:27 AKJV

JESUS ONCE TOLD HIS FOLLOWERS that if their love for Him would not be so great as to make ordinary relational love like what you have for your parent, spouse and children seem as nothing, they could not be His disciple (Luke 14:25-35). On another occasion His words must have shocked His listeners when He said, "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me" (Luke 9:23). Three steps, said Jesus, are critical if we desire to take the path of faith. Deny yourself, take up your cross and finally, follow Him.
    Doing all these, though, might run contrary to our nature. We are living in a culture of self. Denying yourself goes far beyond simply going into a cloister or convent and nailing the door shut. It means that Jesus Christ takes first place in your life. It means you no longer are in control of your destiny.
    There is no Christianity without a cross, Such a Christianity is powerless and useless. Following Him is the important part,  the sequel to acknowledge His control.
    God does have a purpose for your life and understanding it is exciting. It centers in obedience. It's about God, not you. Your obedience results in living out the concrete and specific will of God for your life. Walking in the footsteps of Jesus Christ is treading the path of obedience to the will of the Father and that is exactly what the Christian life is all about.

"Not Completely Bad"

So the carpenter encouraged the goldsmith, and he that smoothes with the hammer him that smote the anvil, saying, It is ready for the soldering: and he fastened it with nails, that it should not be moved.
ISAIAH 41:7. AKJV

FAITH SOME, my not completely bad friend, made the decision to be an encourager. He is determined that when his children do something well, they will not hear the German equivalent of "not completely bad!"
   So how you cultivate the habit of encouragement? Learning new habit never come easy: I'd suggest you first locate the reservoir of encouragement deep within your heart. If you've never discovered it, try this experiment. Start with your own family. Say something positive, encouraging, and uplifting. For a start, try complimenting your wife for a good meal, or your husband for advancing in his company.
   With practice it become easier, right? After having done this in your own family, strive to encourage someone beyond your immediate circle--people you work with, people you encounters even people who may not be nice to you.
    God gave specific instructions to the Israelites to encourage Joshua, the son of Nun, beside he was to lead the nation into Canaan. Paul Instructed the Thessalonians to "encourage one another and build each other up" (1Thesalonians 4:18, 5:11). Hebrews 3:13 exhorts us to "encourage one another daily." To counter this negative world, we need to give and receive encouragement.

God is in your side

And the LORD looked on him, and said, Go in this your might, and you shall save Israel from the hand of the Midianites: have not I sent you?
JUDGES 6:14

IN GIDEON'S MIND, Victory over the Midianites was an impossibility, and he was absolutely right! The Midianites, along with their allies, overwhelmed the feeble Hebrews. Yet the moment God told Gideon to fight them, victory was no longer an impossibility!
    When Jesus commanded His small group of followers to make disciple of all nation, was that possible ( Matt. 28:19)? Certainly, if Jesus said it was! when Jesus told His disciple to love their enemies, was He being realistic? Of course, because He was the one who would achieve reconciliation through them (2 For. 5: 19-20).
    Do you treat commands like these as implausible? Do You modify God's word to find an interpretation that seems reasonable to you? Don't discount what is possible with God (Phil.4:13). When God gives an assignment. it is no longer an impossibility, but rather it is an absolute certainty. When God gives you a seemingly impossible task, the only thing preventing it from coming to pass is your disobedience. When God speaks, it can scare you to death! He will lead you to do things that are absolute impossible in your own strength. But God will grant you victory, step by step, as you obey Him. His do you respond to assignments that seem impossible? Do you write then off as unattainable? Or do you immediately adjust your life to God's revelation, watching with anticipation to see how He will accomplish His purpose through your obedience? God wants to do the impossible through your life. All He requires is your obedience.

Two Trees in the Garden

And out of the ground made the LORD God to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight, and good for food; the tree of life also in the middle of the garden, and the tree of knowledge of good and evil. And the Lord God said, "The man has now become like one of us, knowing good and evil He must not be allowed to reach out his hand and take also from the tree of life and eat, and live forever."
GENESIS 2:9; 3:22

It's an old story. The serpent beguiled Eve, she and her husband ate from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, death, sorrow, and disease became a fact of life.
   Some people think that God was unkind in banishing Adam and Ever from the Garden. But not so. God was just. Not only that, God was kind for " After he drives the man out, he placed on the east side of the Garden of Eden cherubim and flaming sword flashing back and forth to guard the way to the tree of life" (Genesis 3:24).
    How good and merciful of God to keep diseased and sin-sick man from eating of the tree of life. Has Adam and eve done so, it's likely that mankind, in his sad and sorry state, would have lived forever. Who wants to live forever in a body of sin and death? Not me.
  Far from being a story of heavy-handed, cruel justice, the real story in the Garden is one of God's wisdom and compassion.
   The tree of life not only grew in the Garden of Eden, but it will one day grow in the heaven and earth. Revelation 22:2-3 says, "On each side of the river stood the tree of life, bearing twelve crops of fruit, yielding its fruit every month. And leaves of the tree are for the healing of the nations. No longer will there be any curse."
Thank You for showing such mercy in the Garden of Eden, Lord. And thank You for eternal life free from sorrow and sin.

Holding God to His Word

Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Philippians 1:6

HOLD GOD TO HIS WORD." Does that sound a bit cheeky? Well, to the timid person who prays, yes. But how does the prayer warrior feel about holding God to His Word? My, that's everyday praying.
   God enjoys it when we bring His Word before Him. He delights to do His will, and that we should expect Him to do it, only delights Him more. Charles Surgeon put it this way. "You and I may take hold at my time upon the justice, and the mercy, and the faithfulness. . . of God, and we shall find every attribute of the Most High to be, as it were, a great battering ram with which we may open the gates of heaven."
   This quotes inspired me when at the time, I desperately wanted, my friend show me Philippians 1;6 I decided to use the verse as a lever. I would do what it said: Be confident. So in prayer, I held God to His Word and believe that, He would complete His good work in me. And you know what? God is doing it.
    Presumptuously holding God to His Word is arrogance. Humbly holding God to His Word is meekness. We can confidently expect God to do what He says He will do in Scripture, but our confidence must be tempered with lowly and humble spirit. Blessed are meek, for they will heritage the earth. . . blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Today, let me look to Your promises with expectancy and assurance. For Your Word never returns to You empty but always accomplishes what you desire. Glory to God  in the highest!

LISTENING IN THE SILENCE

I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
Psalm 32:8

First of all, we need to be sensitive and skilled. Because God's will is unpredictable. In Psalm we find a dialogue between David and the Lord. By the way, notice that this psalm is not only called "A Psalm of David," it is also called "A Maskil." A maskil is an instructive psalm. Also notice that right in the heart of the psalm the word Selah. Appear three times. Selah is a bracketed musical hint included by the psalmist, which calls for pause. When you have a pause in music, you ponder what has just been played or sung as it lingers in the air, and then you anticipate what is coming next. In music, a pause can be very effective. In this case, there are three of them. And right after the third one come these words:
I will instruct you and teach you in the way which you should go; I will counsel you with My eye upon you.
God is silent, So He does not say, "I will instruct you with My voice." He says, "I will instruct you and teach you and counsel you with My eye upon you." The movement of the eyes is silent movement. Do like the lip reader, we must be very sensitive and skilled as we study our Lord and then respond to the inner promptings from the spirit of God.
   God's will is not only mysterious it is unpredictable. We"ve
Certainly established that, haven't we? Often it is not what we would have expected. Recently, we need to be perceptive and patient because God's plan is continually unfolding. What brought us to where we are right now us all part of His overall plan. But that plan us still in the process of unfolding in our lives, which means that taking us from where we are to His place for us in the future will involve change. And some of those changes we would never expect.

Salvation"s Dirty Work

And you shall cause a bullock to be brought before the tabernacle of the congregation: and Aaron and his sons shall put their hands on the head of the bullock. And you shall kill the bullock before the LORD, by the door of the tabernacle of the congregation. And you shall take of the blood of the bullock, and put it on the horns of the altar with your finger, and pour all the blood beside the bottom of the altar.
EXODUS 29:10-12

NOT A PRETTY PICTURE, THIS VERSE. The bleating of a bull being bound against its will. The brutal butchering with a knife. Dipping hands into the warm blood. What a gory and offensive scene. The bloody slaughter of the sacrificial animal was not even carried out behind the Tent of Meeting hidden from view, but in the front for everyone to see.
    Other ancient cultures employed animal sacrifice, but only in Israel was blood of a sacrificial animal central in worship. Leviticus 17:11 reminds us that " It is the blood that makes atonement for one's life."
    The shedding of blood is the "dirty work" of salvation. Just as there was nothing pretty about Old Testament sacrifices, the shedding if blood sealing the New Covenant was just as offensive. The brutal crucifixion of Christ was not hidden from the view of men but on a hill in broad daylight for all to see.
     In the Old Testament, the worshiper, who with hands placed on the head of the living animals saw it killed and its blood sprinkled, was being graphically shown that sin called for the surrender of a life. When we look at the cross, we discover a graphic picture of what remission for our sin demands the surrender of the Lamp of God.
Lord Jesus, show me the offense of my sin when I look at the crown of thorns. Yours pierced hands and feet, and bruised body. My guilt and sin must truly be awful to demand such a precious price as that of Your blood.

REMINDER

And the children of Israel did so as Joshua commanded, and took up twelve stones out of the middle of Jordan, as the LORD spoke to Joshua, according to the number of the tribes of the children of Israel, and carried them over with them to the place where they lodged, and laid them down there.
JOSHUA 4 : 8

Spiritual memory is crucial in the Christian life. Do you vividly recall times when you know God spoke to you? It would be tragic if, in your haste to advance in your Christian faith, you neglected to leave spiritual markers at key crossroad of your life. Without the help of these marker, you will lose your spiritual bearings.
   The Israelites experienced a tumultuous pilgrimage. Their doubt that God was powerful enough to give them victory cost them forty years of wandering in the wilderness. Then God miraculously parted the water of the Jordan River so they could pass over and continue their conquest. God knew that at times the Israelites would face intimidating enemies and would need a reminder that He was powerful enough to protect them. The Israelites might be tempted to think they made a mistake entering Canaan. For this reason God instructed them to build a monument on the banks of the Jordan River. Whenever they returned to this spot, they would see the monument and be reminded of God's awesome power. This marker would give then confidence to meet the new challenges they faced.
     A spiritual marker identifies a time of decision when you clearly know that God guided you. Can you remember the moment you become a child if God? Were there specific times when He called you to His ways of living? Can you point to times when He clearly guided you in a decision? Were there times He spoke powerfully to you about a commitment you should make? Keep track if these important moment! Regularly rehearse them and notice the steady progression in the way God has led you. This will help you understand God"s activity in your life and give you a sense of direction as you face future decisions.

The Real Deal

Christ rose again the third day. . . [and] was seen by over five hundred brethren.
1 Corinthians 15:4-6

Sometimes cleaning out Grandpa's attic pay's off. For an Ohio man, it pays off in the discovery of a more than 100 year old set of mint- condition baseball cards. Appraisers placed the cards value at $ 3 million.
   One key to the high value of those cards was the fact that they were well preserved. But beyond that, the true worth of the cards rested in the fact that they were authentic. If they had been fakes or counterfeit no matter how good they look tiled they wouldn't have been worth the cardboard they were printed on.
    The apostle Paul had something similar to say about  Christianity: He said that our faith would be completely  worthless and counterfeit if Jesus' resurrection were not the real deal. It took bravery and confidence in God's plan for Paul to say, if Christ is not risen,  then our preaching is empty and your faith is also empty (1 Corinthians 5:14) and if Christ is not risen,  your faith is futile; are still in your sins! (Verse 17).
    The Christian faith rests on the authenticity of this story: Jesus died on the cross and was raised from the dead. Praise God for the clear evidence of Jesus' death and resurrection (vv.3-8). It"s  the real deal, and we can stake our eternity and our total dependence on God on its truth.

Buffing up your musscle

When a strong man armed keeps his palace, his goods are in peace: But when a stronger than he shall come on him, and overcome him, he takes from him all his armor wherein he trusted, and divides his spoils.
LUKE: 11: 21-22

Jesus' offer of His kingdom was the star around which His entire ministry revolved. He didn't care about simply winning as argument; He cared about winning lives. He longed to drive His point into the people's hearts.
 The armed "strong man" is the Davil, who stakes his claim in a person' s life. Christ, "someone stronger," overpower s the strong man, assumes his command, and distributes his plunder. So who is greater? Who is worthy of our allegiance? Surely the conqueror Christ. Jesus climaxes His point in verse 23:
"He who is not with Me is against Me; and he who does not gather with Me, scatter."
 We are either for Him or against Him. We either gather or scatter, do good or do harm to His cause. We can't publicly pledge allegiance to His kingdom of light and privately make allegiance with Satan"s kingdom of darkness. There is no middle ground. And It"s not enough to merely clean up our behavior. A person can tidy up his or her life, yet neglect to put Christ at the center which, as Jesus warns, can lead to frightening results. Read the (verse, 24 - 26).
 What exactly is Jesus telling us?
First: unclean spirit prefer to inhabit human bodies rather than to wander aimlessly through the neitherworld (waterless places).
Second: a life that is clean but without Christ is still helpless against the Adversary: it has no armor of God, no prayer, no protective presence of Christ.
Third: a subsequent demonic encounter can be worse than the original one.
 We can't trifle with demons. Mere intellect or will power have no effect on them. They will not be shaken free apart from Christ's intervention.

Becoming a Living Sacrifice

Do not conform any longer to the pattern if this world. . .
ROMANS 12:2

WHEN PAUL WROTE to the Romans, he spoke of Sacrifice something that both Jew and Gentiles understood clearly. Though the readers were already familiar with sacrifices, Paul introduces a new and radical idea. Present our bodies as living sacrifices.
     Your body---not a dead hunk of meat purchased in the market is what he says should be given to God. Surprisingly, the Bible says a great deal about the human body. But what does it mean to present your body as a living sacrifice? The problem with living sacrifice us that they keep crawling off the altar, so whatever offering you make has to be done every day. Daily you must yield control of your life to Him who has redeemed you--- control over what your eye beholds, what you think about, what your hands touch, where your feet take you.
     God made all the parts of your human body, and He pronounced them good. Our reasonable response to what God has done, according to Paul, is act of the will. Your body is God's gift to you, and giving it back to Him is the highest form of worship and the greatest possible sacrifice. Why is this difficult for us?
     Sacrifice placed on altar s were consumed by fire. Living sacrifice in the same way, sometimes feel the consuming fire that purifies and conforms them to His image. Sadly, some of these living sacrifices prefer to crawl back into their caves of darkness and lust.
      Does God ask too much? Or do we simply give too little? God"s great mercies deserve our reasonable service.

On Earth as it is in Heaven

Your kingdom come, Your will be done in earth, as it is in heaven.
Matthew 6:10

In heaven, God's will is the only priority. A word from God brings angels to do His bidding, immediately and without question. Jesus instructed us to pray that God would accomplish His will in our world in the same way. This means that God's purposes would be preeminent in our homes, our business, our school, our churches, and our governments.
    Jesus taught His disciples to pray that God's purposes be carried out in the world around them. In modeling how they should pray, Jesus was teaching, His disciple how to share God's heart. He demonstrates this again at Gethsemane when He prayed, "Nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will" (Matt.26:39). It is as we seek God's kingdom on earth, and not our own purpose, that we gain the same mind as our heavenly Father. We become colaborers with God by praying faithfully in agreement with His desires.
    As you seek the Lord's will, He will guide your praying. He will invite you not only to pray, but also to become involved in His activity as He answers your prayer. If He places a burden upon you to pray for an individual's salvation, that burden is also His invitation to join His activity in that person's life. Prayer will prepare you tone servant through whom God can bring about His will on earth. Pray that the Lord's absolute rule on earth will begin in your life. Then watch to see how God uses you to extend His lordship to others.

FAITH THAT BLESSED

So those who have faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith.
Galatian 3:9

Over the last few months my backyard bird feeder hasn't been much to look at. No visitors except a few hardy sparrows. In fact, the other day I spent many long moments by the window, feeling a little blue, hoping to see a few birds.
     Suddenly the bird feeder was abuzz with new and different friends. Finches flew out of nowhere, mockingbird showed up, a couple of red-breasted robins hopped by to join the party, and two doves perched on a nearby fence to wait their turn for the birdseed.
     I sat there wide-eye and with the biggest smile. Without thinking, I exclaimed, "Thank you. Lord, for the birds" It struck me that the entire backyard party was organized by the Lord Himself, Just when I needed a lift, He brought by an array of brightly colored, happy birds. Doves and robins don't drop in by chance if the Lord notices when a sparrow falls, then surely He directs their flight paths.
     It"s simply a matter of faith---faith to observe God's hand in absolutely everything that happens. Faith to believe that the flashing wings of a blue jay fluttering across the yard is a gift orchestrated personally by the Lord.
     What a way to live! Those who are able to see God's sovereign hand in great or small things are full of joy. Look around you today and have faith to see His gift's. You will be b!Essex.

Jesus Pre-Cross Crash Course

However, when he, the Spirit of truth, is come, he will guide you into all truth: for he shall not speak of himself; but whatever he shall hear, that shall he speak: and he will show you things to come. He shall glorify me: for he shall receive of mine, and shall show it to you.
JOHN 16:13-14 AKJV

Have you ever crammed for a "now or never" exam? On Bible? Unless you're a seminary student, probably not. But you were thrust into such a situation? You'd probably panic. That's no doubt how the disciples felt the evening they enjoyed the Last Supper with the Lord Jesus. Up until the end, evening had been warm and personal there was even that touching moment when Jesus washed their feet. But the mood shifted when Jesus spoke those strange words to Judas, "What you are about to do, do quickly." Judas left and from that point on, the tone of the evening changed. It was as if the Lord realized He had pressing things to say and only a short time in which to say them.
    He spoke about vines and branches, peace and persecution. So much packed into those few hours! How would the disciples remember it all? Jesus knew their dismay. But the Lord also knew that everything would become clear. That's why He promised them the Holy Spirit. The Spirit would be teacher and guide.
     Are you any different from the disciple? Not really Sometimes you  feel that God is pouring million- gallon of truth's into your one-ounce brain! Spirit will help you to understand. He will bring God's to your mind and memory, making all thing clear

HIS PROJECT NEVER FAILS

Being confident of this very thing, that he which has begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
Philippians 1:6 AKJV

Can the dead be raised in today's world? It all depends on what has died. Sometimes bringing something to life is simply a matter of hard work and time....perhaps even centuries. The staff at Redwood National Park in California will tell you that attempting  to do this is definitely worth the effort.
    In 1978, the park "grew" by sixty square miles of clear-cut forest. Congress gave the park's managers a challenge: restore the land to its natural states. A warning was also given: the final results of your work won't be visible for hundreds of years.
    Work began. Since 1978, roads have been removed, stream and estuary habitats have been replanted, and hundreds of haul roads and ski trails have been erased. In the process, the park has become something of a living laboratory," a means of helping environmental researchers learn so far st Redwood has been beneficial to managing the Heath of other national and state parks.
     The next time you think your effort may be too little too late, remember the world's tallest tree located at Redwood did not grow to be 368 feet high overnight. It takes times to become magnificent.
    The Scripture do not tell us to be restored to our " natural" state, but to be transformed into the image of Christ Jesus. (:  see Romans 12:2 ) This transformation isn't immediate. Some habits and patterns take a long time to change. Hurtful memories require healing, and may never be fully erased. New ways of thinking and responding can be slow to develop.
     However, our transformation is the work of the Holy Spirit within us, and He never fails! Trust God today to be st work in your transformation  a project that may take all your lifetime and be compete only in eternity, but will end in your wholeness.

The Nevertheless of Faith

Although the fig tree shall not blossom, neither shall fruit be in the vines; the labor of the olive shall fail, and the fields shall yield no meat; the flock shall be cut off from the fold, and there shall be no herd in the stalls: Yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will joy in the God of my salvation.
HABAKKUK 3:17-18 AKJV

MARTIN LUTHER went through periods spiritual darkness. He felt that God no longer heard or cared about him. He wrote, "God often, as it were, hides himself, and will not hear; yea, will suffer himself to be found. Preaching g or teaching, the word freezes upon my lips."
     So what helped Luther break through the wall of darkness? It was the assurance that the God who could not lie had revealed Himself in His Word, in Scripture which cannot be broken; and that confidence in God's Word him through the dark night of the soul. The turning point was "the nevertheless faith."
      Wrote Luther, "when one is possessed with doubt, that though he call upon the Lord he cannot be heard, and that God had turned his  heart  from him, and is angry. . . he must. . . arm himself with God's Word, promising to hear him." In Luther's book Babylonian Captivity of the Church he wrotes, "For God does not deal, nor has he ever dealt, with man otherwise than through a Word of promise. . . . Promise and faith must necessarily go together. For without the promise there is nothing to be believed; while without faith the promise is useless, since it is established and fulfilled through faith."'
      You will never break through the darkness apart from absolute confidence that God will honour His promises not because of your goodness, but because of His nature and character He is bound by Himself to honor them.