Life can be so difficult sometimes. It has been some time now since I have written in this venue and it is because I have felt trapped in the presses of time and lack of inspiration.
That is quite confessional, but it is true. The press of time has left my mind feeling empty and quite uncreative. Trapped.
I'm sure there are others who feel trapped in some way or the other. Circumstances can certainly feel like bars and walls when we want them to change and they seem hopelessly embedded in our lives.
Perhaps you feel trapped in your employment. Maybe, it's your marriage. Perhaps sickness seems to have you hemmed in on all sides.
Whatever it is, maybe your outlook about it all could change if you look at it from a different point of view.
What if you are not trapped, but wrapped?
Satan complained to God that Job was wrapped so tightly that he (Job) couldn't help but praise God. Job 1:10a says, "Hath not thou made an hedge about him, and about his home, and about all that he hath on every side?" KJV
Maybe your situation that feels like a trap is really God's protection wrapped about you so that unseen harm or loss will not befall you. It may be just a matter of perception and trust.
Trust God with all your heart, lean not on you own understanding and trust Him with all the circumstances of your life, see them as Him at work for your good and maybe, just maybe, those circumstances that seemed like a trap will now seem like freedom, protection and joy.
Trapped or wrapped? It may just be in how we choose to look at things.
In His Love
Walter
Thursday, April 16, 2009
Friday, April 3, 2009
Something To Hold On To
The Internet is an amazing thing. You can get so much information from so many different sources.
I think one would be wise to ask one's self just how much of this information is reliable? How credible is the source?
Anyone can express an opinion about anything at any time so some of this stuff just can't be true, can it?
I read today in an email that was forwarded to me that there is a real movement afoot to radically redistribute the wealth of Americans.
This email writer said that Nancy Pelosi and others like her are going to seek approval for a windfall tax on retirement funds, stocks and the like to use to raise the standard of living immigrants and others so that they can have the life they expected when they came to America.
Now I don't even begin to suggest that this is true. You'll have to determine that for yourself and I am sure there are ways to verify the truth or falsity of the claim made in the email I received.
What I am suggesting is that, with the ability of anybody anywhere to disseminate information, whether true of false, and knowing that is somebody who will believe whatever is disseminated ad if it's the gospel truth, I'm glad I know the real Gospel Truth.
I'm so glad that in this world of ups and downs, good news and bad, truths and lies, that I have something to hold on to that I know is genuine; God's Word.
It's old but true; I don't know what tomorrow holds but I do know Who holds tomorrow. And what's more, I trust Him completely with my life and all my circumstances. And that's enough for me.
When my eyes and focus is on Christ in faith, I don't need to worry about anything else. And I'm choosing not to.
He's the Something I hold on to and because He also holds onto me, we can never be separated. See Romans, Chapter 8. You'll be blessed.
And maybe you'll find something (Someone, really) to hold on to, as well.
Pray for revival. It's happening around the world. Keep praying. It will happen here.
In His Love
Walter
I think one would be wise to ask one's self just how much of this information is reliable? How credible is the source?
Anyone can express an opinion about anything at any time so some of this stuff just can't be true, can it?
I read today in an email that was forwarded to me that there is a real movement afoot to radically redistribute the wealth of Americans.
This email writer said that Nancy Pelosi and others like her are going to seek approval for a windfall tax on retirement funds, stocks and the like to use to raise the standard of living immigrants and others so that they can have the life they expected when they came to America.
Now I don't even begin to suggest that this is true. You'll have to determine that for yourself and I am sure there are ways to verify the truth or falsity of the claim made in the email I received.
What I am suggesting is that, with the ability of anybody anywhere to disseminate information, whether true of false, and knowing that is somebody who will believe whatever is disseminated ad if it's the gospel truth, I'm glad I know the real Gospel Truth.
I'm so glad that in this world of ups and downs, good news and bad, truths and lies, that I have something to hold on to that I know is genuine; God's Word.
It's old but true; I don't know what tomorrow holds but I do know Who holds tomorrow. And what's more, I trust Him completely with my life and all my circumstances. And that's enough for me.
When my eyes and focus is on Christ in faith, I don't need to worry about anything else. And I'm choosing not to.
He's the Something I hold on to and because He also holds onto me, we can never be separated. See Romans, Chapter 8. You'll be blessed.
And maybe you'll find something (Someone, really) to hold on to, as well.
Pray for revival. It's happening around the world. Keep praying. It will happen here.
In His Love
Walter
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
The Right Choice
My memory gets fuzzy on stories I have heard. Maybe I can make some kind of sense out of this one.
It's sort of an old American Indian proverb and it's about the inner spirits in all of us. Christians should know that God's Word teaches that there are two "persons" in us and we identify them as "Carnal" or "Spirit."
Of course the Carnal person indicates our fleshly tendencies and the Spirit person indicates the presence of Christ that lives in those who have been saved by God through Jesus Christ.
In the old proverb, the different "persons" are referred to as wolves. These two wolves are constantly fighting with one another.
Sound like anything that takes place in your heart? It sure does sound familiar to me.
The question is asked, "Which of the two wolves will win?" The answer in the proverb telling is, "The one you feed."
Boy, is that right!!
I get up every morning and take care of our two dogs. Part of that is feeding them.
What would happen if I began to withhold food from one of the dogs?
That dog would die.
I have to be aware of the needs of these two dogs every single day. I have to take definite steps to feed and care for them. It requires time and effort.
So it is in the case of my "Carnal, fleshly side" and my "Spiritual, Godly side."
I must be aware of both and take appropriate, deliberate steps to promote the life of one and appropriate, deliberate steps to promote the death of the other.
I have to make the right choice everyday. Each day I neglect my "Spirit man", he gets weaker. In neglecting him, I feed and strengthen the "Flesh man." And vice versa.
Make the right choice today. Feed the Spirit of God within you through Christ and let Him grow powerful and strong in you.
And in so doing, starve the flesh man in you to death.
Pray for revival. Pray for strength. Pray. Simply pray.
In His Love
Walter
It's sort of an old American Indian proverb and it's about the inner spirits in all of us. Christians should know that God's Word teaches that there are two "persons" in us and we identify them as "Carnal" or "Spirit."
Of course the Carnal person indicates our fleshly tendencies and the Spirit person indicates the presence of Christ that lives in those who have been saved by God through Jesus Christ.
In the old proverb, the different "persons" are referred to as wolves. These two wolves are constantly fighting with one another.
Sound like anything that takes place in your heart? It sure does sound familiar to me.
The question is asked, "Which of the two wolves will win?" The answer in the proverb telling is, "The one you feed."
Boy, is that right!!
I get up every morning and take care of our two dogs. Part of that is feeding them.
What would happen if I began to withhold food from one of the dogs?
That dog would die.
I have to be aware of the needs of these two dogs every single day. I have to take definite steps to feed and care for them. It requires time and effort.
So it is in the case of my "Carnal, fleshly side" and my "Spiritual, Godly side."
I must be aware of both and take appropriate, deliberate steps to promote the life of one and appropriate, deliberate steps to promote the death of the other.
I have to make the right choice everyday. Each day I neglect my "Spirit man", he gets weaker. In neglecting him, I feed and strengthen the "Flesh man." And vice versa.
Make the right choice today. Feed the Spirit of God within you through Christ and let Him grow powerful and strong in you.
And in so doing, starve the flesh man in you to death.
Pray for revival. Pray for strength. Pray. Simply pray.
In His Love
Walter
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
Overloaded!!
Overloaded!! WAAAAAYYYY overloaded!!
Do you ever feel this way? I sure do!
As a matter of fact, this is my first attempt at a blog this week just because I have felt so overloaded.
By overloaded, I mean too many important things to do in the time it seems that I have in which to do them.
But I have to face the reality that my days have the same 24 hours in them that everyone else's days do so the problem of overloading must be mine. There seems to be something inherently wrong with the way I do things.
I am excited about this today because God has reminded me what it is that I'm doing wrong.
I am seeking to do the things He has brought to me to do, FOR Him rather than WITH Him, and there is all the difference in the world.
Our wonderful Heavenly Father loves us so much that when He saves us, He comes to live inside us. Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence in our hearts. God doesn't save us to continue to be apart from us. He saves us to be with us in the most intimate way possible.
He (and what He wants is really what should matter) wants to be with us and wants us to be with Him in all that we do.
I actually have come to believe that He despises it when we do things FOR Him.
But He loves it when we do things WITH Him.
And overloaded is what we feel when we are operating FOR Him out of our own power and strength rather than WITH Him out of His power and strength.
If you don't believe this will make a difference, just try it. I think you'll find what God has helped me find; doing things WITH Him is a lot easier and less stressful than doing things FOR Him.
Now, Dear Father, Help me to practice what You've shown me. Knowledge not put into practice is just information. It does little good.
Please pray for Revival. I'll help to remind you each day.
In His Love
Walter
Do you ever feel this way? I sure do!
As a matter of fact, this is my first attempt at a blog this week just because I have felt so overloaded.
By overloaded, I mean too many important things to do in the time it seems that I have in which to do them.
But I have to face the reality that my days have the same 24 hours in them that everyone else's days do so the problem of overloading must be mine. There seems to be something inherently wrong with the way I do things.
I am excited about this today because God has reminded me what it is that I'm doing wrong.
I am seeking to do the things He has brought to me to do, FOR Him rather than WITH Him, and there is all the difference in the world.
Our wonderful Heavenly Father loves us so much that when He saves us, He comes to live inside us. Holy Spirit takes up permanent residence in our hearts. God doesn't save us to continue to be apart from us. He saves us to be with us in the most intimate way possible.
He (and what He wants is really what should matter) wants to be with us and wants us to be with Him in all that we do.
I actually have come to believe that He despises it when we do things FOR Him.
But He loves it when we do things WITH Him.
And overloaded is what we feel when we are operating FOR Him out of our own power and strength rather than WITH Him out of His power and strength.
If you don't believe this will make a difference, just try it. I think you'll find what God has helped me find; doing things WITH Him is a lot easier and less stressful than doing things FOR Him.
Now, Dear Father, Help me to practice what You've shown me. Knowledge not put into practice is just information. It does little good.
Please pray for Revival. I'll help to remind you each day.
In His Love
Walter
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Religion VS Relationship
There was an editorial in yesterday's Atlanta Journal-Constitution that addressed the decline of religion in America.
I suppose the writer, Leonard Pitts, thought that religion's decline was a bad thing for he seemed to offer some suggestions about how religion could be better.
Well, religion can never be any better than it is right now and right now religion is worth the same thing it was worth yesterday and that is nothing.
You see, religion is a man-made substitute for a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Religion uses some key relationship words like worship, sacrifice, kindness, forgiveness and other things but religion uses these words in the context of Man seeking to please some deity (people worship unusual things) through Man's own efforts.
God's own Holy Word tells us that pleasing Him that way can't be done. The concept of pleasing God by what we do is a works mentality and Man falls for it at almost every opportunity. There is something appealing to Man about doing something to "pay for" his salvation rather than receiving it at the free gift of God's grace.
But God has taught us, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:8-9 KJV
It is so easy even for Christians to slip out of the freedom of the practice of a relationship with Christ in the the slavery of the practice of religious activity around Christ.
Don't let your focus be anywhere else today but on Jesus. When He called us, He did not call us to follow a recipe for Christian living; He called us to follow Him.
There is all the difference in the world.
Make Jesus your focus today. He is all there is that is truly worth seeing anyway.
Please pray for revival. Please.
In His Love
Walter
I suppose the writer, Leonard Pitts, thought that religion's decline was a bad thing for he seemed to offer some suggestions about how religion could be better.
Well, religion can never be any better than it is right now and right now religion is worth the same thing it was worth yesterday and that is nothing.
You see, religion is a man-made substitute for a relationship with God through Jesus Christ.
Religion uses some key relationship words like worship, sacrifice, kindness, forgiveness and other things but religion uses these words in the context of Man seeking to please some deity (people worship unusual things) through Man's own efforts.
God's own Holy Word tells us that pleasing Him that way can't be done. The concept of pleasing God by what we do is a works mentality and Man falls for it at almost every opportunity. There is something appealing to Man about doing something to "pay for" his salvation rather than receiving it at the free gift of God's grace.
But God has taught us, "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast." Eph. 2:8-9 KJV
It is so easy even for Christians to slip out of the freedom of the practice of a relationship with Christ in the the slavery of the practice of religious activity around Christ.
Don't let your focus be anywhere else today but on Jesus. When He called us, He did not call us to follow a recipe for Christian living; He called us to follow Him.
There is all the difference in the world.
Make Jesus your focus today. He is all there is that is truly worth seeing anyway.
Please pray for revival. Please.
In His Love
Walter
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Tools
Tools come in all shapes and sizes. Many things that are tools are not thought of as tools. For example, when is the last time you thought of that pencil on your desk as a tool? We think of pencils as writing instruments, use them as drumsticks, but seldom place them in our mental category of tools.
I am typing this on a computer. I often think of this instrument as a communications device, a type of entertainment (hey, I like to play Free Cell, don't you?), a place to store information or a way to find information, but I seldom call it a tool.
But that is what it is, a tool.
Tools can be used for good or evil.
A hammer that drives nails to build a house can be used to commit murder. A gun meant for use as a hunting tool can be used as a weapon of destruction. A computer meant for many good uses can be used to poison the minds of many.
Statistics reveal that well over 50% of adult males who regularly attend church have willingly, deliberately viewed pornography in the last 7 days. These viewings were not something that was stumbled on by accident, but willingly and deliberately sought and viewed.
Those same statistics reveal that well over 50% of the pastors of churches have willingly and deliberately viewed pornography in the last 3 months.
Tools used for sermon preparation used to plant poison in the minds of those who deliver those sermons.
Ladies, please don't be too harsh with us men. Tools meant for good are all too often used for evil purposes by many, male and female.
Folks, we need to consecrate not only our minds but our possessions and tools to the glory of God. Only when they are fully given to Him are we able to use them properly and glean all the benefit of having them.
Never let anything He can use for blessing be used instead for evil. Consecrate your mind, heart and belongings to Him today.
Please pray for revival. Never stop seeking Him for revival. Only He can drive out pornography, drug dependency, alcoholism and the like. We need a Great Awakening Revival. Pray for it, please.
In His Love
Walter
I am typing this on a computer. I often think of this instrument as a communications device, a type of entertainment (hey, I like to play Free Cell, don't you?), a place to store information or a way to find information, but I seldom call it a tool.
But that is what it is, a tool.
Tools can be used for good or evil.
A hammer that drives nails to build a house can be used to commit murder. A gun meant for use as a hunting tool can be used as a weapon of destruction. A computer meant for many good uses can be used to poison the minds of many.
Statistics reveal that well over 50% of adult males who regularly attend church have willingly, deliberately viewed pornography in the last 7 days. These viewings were not something that was stumbled on by accident, but willingly and deliberately sought and viewed.
Those same statistics reveal that well over 50% of the pastors of churches have willingly and deliberately viewed pornography in the last 3 months.
Tools used for sermon preparation used to plant poison in the minds of those who deliver those sermons.
Ladies, please don't be too harsh with us men. Tools meant for good are all too often used for evil purposes by many, male and female.
Folks, we need to consecrate not only our minds but our possessions and tools to the glory of God. Only when they are fully given to Him are we able to use them properly and glean all the benefit of having them.
Never let anything He can use for blessing be used instead for evil. Consecrate your mind, heart and belongings to Him today.
Please pray for revival. Never stop seeking Him for revival. Only He can drive out pornography, drug dependency, alcoholism and the like. We need a Great Awakening Revival. Pray for it, please.
In His Love
Walter
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Great Deals
There are lots of great deals available in the marketplace today. That is, if you choose to believe the advertising that's being done now.
I heard this morning that an insurance company that is well known for their reptilian spokesanimal has just reduced their rates in Georgia on automobile insurance.
They also stressed that you could buy it over the phone, from a representative or on-line. Gee Whiz!! How easy can something be?
Low rates. Easy to purchase. Convenient. Good coverage, too. At least they think so.
Let me tell you about the best deal mankind has ever known.
It's free. It is easy to obtain. You can get it anywhere, anytime. No telephone needed. No computer necessary. You don't even have to deal with a special representative.
You deal directly with the Boss.
He also happens to be the Creator of the universe and all that has ever been.
But He has time for you. You don't need an appointment. You don't need any money. You just need to be willing to believe that Jesus, God in the flesh, came to earth, lived a sinless life, died FOR YOU on a cross at Calvary to pay the debt YOU owed God because of your sins, was buried, rose three days later and now has ascended into Heaven where He awaits the arrival of all who have chosen to place their faith in Him for salvation.
A certain insurance company may have made protection for your car cheap and convenient.
Jesus has made provision for your eternal soul free and as simple as bowing your head wherever you are, whatever else you are doing, and giving your life, heart and faith to Him.
Looking for a great deal today? This is it. The best deal of all time.
If you've already taken Christ up on His offer, be sure and tell someone else about it so that they can be blessed too.
Hey! If you would tell a neighbor about a great sale at a department store, wouldn't it be even better to tell them about the free salvation of Christ?
Sure it would!
Also, please pray for revival for our nation. We need God's power and presence to be poured out on us all.
In His Love
Walter
I heard this morning that an insurance company that is well known for their reptilian spokesanimal has just reduced their rates in Georgia on automobile insurance.
They also stressed that you could buy it over the phone, from a representative or on-line. Gee Whiz!! How easy can something be?
Low rates. Easy to purchase. Convenient. Good coverage, too. At least they think so.
Let me tell you about the best deal mankind has ever known.
It's free. It is easy to obtain. You can get it anywhere, anytime. No telephone needed. No computer necessary. You don't even have to deal with a special representative.
You deal directly with the Boss.
He also happens to be the Creator of the universe and all that has ever been.
But He has time for you. You don't need an appointment. You don't need any money. You just need to be willing to believe that Jesus, God in the flesh, came to earth, lived a sinless life, died FOR YOU on a cross at Calvary to pay the debt YOU owed God because of your sins, was buried, rose three days later and now has ascended into Heaven where He awaits the arrival of all who have chosen to place their faith in Him for salvation.
A certain insurance company may have made protection for your car cheap and convenient.
Jesus has made provision for your eternal soul free and as simple as bowing your head wherever you are, whatever else you are doing, and giving your life, heart and faith to Him.
Looking for a great deal today? This is it. The best deal of all time.
If you've already taken Christ up on His offer, be sure and tell someone else about it so that they can be blessed too.
Hey! If you would tell a neighbor about a great sale at a department store, wouldn't it be even better to tell them about the free salvation of Christ?
Sure it would!
Also, please pray for revival for our nation. We need God's power and presence to be poured out on us all.
In His Love
Walter
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