The Problem With The Peanuts

As most of you know, I come from South Georgia. Peanut country. I've been around 'em all my life. Sold boiled peanuts as a boy to earn money for my school clothes. Loved doing it. Love peanuts, especially boiled. Down there, we know how to boil 'em right. Get 'em when they're green. Eat 'em up.

Blakely, the home of the suspected processing plant in the peanut salmonella outbreak, is less than an hour from my hometown. This problem could devastate the entire town. Early County is practically in mourning.

The problem with the peanuts is not really a problem with the peanuts. I can tell you from first-hand experience that there are no inherently bad peanuts. They are all quiet, very docile.

The problem with the peanuts is a problem with people. Someone has gotten lazy, or greedy, or both. And everyone is seeking to say, "It's not my fault."

The State has blamed the plant. The plant has said they did everything the State required them to do so it must be the State's fault.

The Feds have blamed the State and the plant and now seem to be blaming each other because back in September, something happened with some of these peanuts on a shipment that Canada refused and tried to send back but the FDA (a federal agency) would not let the peanuts back in the US and that should have jump-started an investigation into what was wrong with the peanuts.

Does this sound convoluted and complicated?

Covering up errors always is.

Perhaps somebody did not want to take responsibility for the losses that would be incurred if the peanuts were condemned and destroyed.

Perhaps someone did not want to take responsibility for the costs of fixing all the building deficiencies we read about.

Perhaps some State or Federal inspector was just too tired or too disinterested to follow through on what they had discovered.

There's plenty of reason to believe that something like this will be at the root of this salmonella outbreak because there are plenty of people trying to put the blame on someone else.

Take it from me, the root problem is sin. When Adam first sinned for himself and the rest of us, he opened the door for laziness instead of God's intended productivity.

That same door was opened for greed, the desire for easy money rather than God's intended work ethic whereby a man was rewarded for honoring God with everything he put his hands to and then enjoying the fruits of his honest labor.

The problem with the peanuts is the same problem with anything else that is wrong in this world. We are a fallen, sinful people very much in need of God's salvation.

If Man would focus on honoring God with the same energy he uses trying to gain ease and comfort and riches for himself, it would be a different world.

How about you? Where's your focus today? What are you pursuing? God's perfect will or your own aims and goals?

It matters, you know? Life is so much more than peanuts.

Pray for revival, please.

In His Love
Walter

Chicken Mull

Tomorrow night, if nothing out of the ordinary happens to prevent it, I will bring chicken mull to the One of A Bunch soup supper.

Now some of you are saying, "Ughhh! What's chicken mull?"

It is a delicious soup/stew concoction made of boiled chicken, milk, salt, pepper, butter and soda crackers. It is a very simple recipe and I just gave you all of the ingredients.

Now you can make chicken mull.

What's that you say? You can't make chicken mull by just knowing the ingredients?

You are right. Knowing the ingredients is not enough. You have to know something about how to utilize them together to create what is to me and Wanna a very delicious dish.

There is also a recipe for victorious Christan living. The ingredients are found in the Bible and a successful Christian life can begin for anyone who will take some of the ingredients and start to use them together properly.

But just like chicken mull, just knowing the ingredients will not get the job done. You actually have to take them and work them together. But when you do, you will have a most delicious life in Christ.

The chief ingredient is salvation through belief in Christ and His atonement for you on Calvary's cross and His subsequent resurrection from the dead three days later. You need this just like chicken mull needs the chicken.

When you take this most important ingredient and begin to stir in generous amounts of prayer, Bible study and heart-felt worship, a victorious Christian life begins to take shape.

Add things like forgiveness of others who have wronged you, a genuine love for those the world would consider unlovable and a generous heart that causes you to reach out to help others with your time, money and strength, and your victorious life gets better and better.

Now I know that the name of my dish, chicken mull, probably doesn't sound too appealing and it might take some convincing to get you to try it.

But a victorious Christian life should sound appealing to all. Who doesn't want to live victoriously? Who doesn't want to be on the winning side?

Whether or not you ever try my recipe for chicken mull, please try God's recipe for victorious living. You'll find all the details about His recipe in His Word. He's the Master of the Universe. You can be sure He is also the Master Chef of life.

Please pray for revival. Don't forget. It is the most important thing you can pray for our nation, our state, our church.

In His Love
Walter

A Foggy Day

It's a foggy day today.

I'll wager that you already knew that.

Kind of hard to miss, huh?

Foggy days make things seem blurry. And that makes me more careful as I drive. I don't want to fail to see something or someone and have an accident as a result.

I sometimes have foggy spiritual days, too. Days when there are questions I don't have answers to. Days when the direction of my life seems unclear. Days when I don't feel sure about what God is doing or what He would have me do.

And it just occurred to me this morning that those foggy spiritual days are days when I should be as extra careful living my life as I am extra careful driving in the fog.

God has a lot of ways to call our attention to truths He wants us to learn and today He used a foggy day to help me realize how important it is that I take whatever extra time is needed to be sure the way He has chosen for me is clear before I proceed.

Many people will have accidents or near accidents on the road today because they remain in a hurry even though the way is not clearly clear.

How about we agree with one another that we will take the extra time to look closely in every direction before we proceed on the highway or in our lives? That way we can avoid "foggy day decisions" that lead to accidents in life and please Him by waiting for His leadership.

Too often, these "foggy day decisions" can be as bad for our lives and those around us as a fatal accident on the highway and I'm quite sure that if we wait on God, He will clearly show us each step He wants us to take.

Don't be impatient in the fog.

And please remember to pray for revival. True revival, sent by Our Heavenly Father, will do more to clear the fog out of lives and minds that anything else that could possibly happen. Pray that it will be so and that it will be soon.

In His Love
Walter

Stronger Everyday

Many of you who read this blog know that I recently had both my knees replaced. Since the operations, one in August and one in November, I have worked at building up the muscles around my knees to eliminate all discomfort and to make sure that my new knee joints last as long as possible.

In the physical therapy that was ordered for me after my surgeries, I quickly learned that one of the things that seemed to help the most was to ride a stationary bicycle. We borrowed one from Chad and Christie so that I could continue this therapy at home.

The bike they loaned us is pre-programmed with a number of different ride simulations to provide the kind of workout that best suits the intended goal.

They all make me huff and puff. When I first started on it, I'd occasionally hear Wanna ask, "Are you all right?" All that heavy breathing and noise I made caused her to wonder if my heart was going to hold out.

You'll be glad to know that it has held out so far and I'm in the process of increasing my ride/workout a little each day.

And you know what? I can tell that my heart and lungs and legs are getting a little bit stronger everyday. I can literally tell that the residual discomfort of knee replacement surgery is going away, as well.

I love it when a plan comes together. (Thanks, Hannibal.)

Exercise works for Christian life as well as your body life.

Regular Bible study feeds your spiritual life proper food and you get stronger. Regular prayer brings strength directly from God to you and you get stronger. The exercise of obedience makes the most difference and provides the most growth. A little more each day and you get stronger everyday.

Stronger everyday.

Stronger to resist sin in all its tempting forms. Stronger to hold your tongue when what would come out will only make a situation worse. Stronger to capture the thoughts in your mind that do not honor God or reflect the glory of Christ. Stronger to be kind to those who have been unkind to you. Stronger to forgive those who have hurt you.

Regular spiritual exercise will make you stronger in every way a little bit everyday and each day you will become more confident and aware of the powerful presence of God with you to overcome all that Satan, the world and your flesh will throw your way.

Regular spiritual exercise makes you more like Jesus. What more could we want than to grow more and more to be like Him, the One Who died that we could be free?

Give it a try. Push yourself a little farther each day. You'll reap Heavenly rewards.

Don't forget to pray for revival. Please. Fervently and continuously. He is faithful. He will send it. You just keep on praying.

In His Love
Walter

A Song In My Heart

Yesterday at our weekly service at the assisted living home, one of the songs we sang was, "He Keeps Me Singing." The first line of that song is, "There's within my heart a melody..."

This morning when I woke up, I started thinking about how many times I wake up and there really is a melody within my heart and it's not just a song, it is a song to or about Jesus and my relationship with Him.

It seems that many mornings there really is that melody that Jesus whispers to me sweet and low.

It is a wonderful way to start the day and it's not me doing it. It is Jesus helping me get my day going on a joyful note with my thoughts fixed on Him.

This is not something I do for myself. It is a gift from God and it is wonderful. I would encourage you to ask Him for such a gift. It will be a real blessing to your day.

And don't be shy about asking Him for this type of gift. Remember that He is our Heavenly Father and He truly knows how to give gifts that lift and encourage and strengthen us for praise and service to Him.

And when He does give you that early morning song in your heart, hold on to it all day. It will help in all sorts of situations to keep you focused on Who and What really matters in life.

Remember His words through the Psalmist, "Sing unto the Lord!"

As you sing, multitask and ask Him for revival. Be faithful in prayer for revival and He will be faithful to send it. In His good time. In His good way.

In His Love
Walter

Today

This one's easy.

I had a conversation with a wonderful friend of mine just a little while ago and realized as we were talking that there are some things we've allowed the world to plant so firmly in our minds that it takes a good bit of digging to get them out so we can get on with right thinking.

The particular thing I refer to this morning is thinking like everybody else. The world wants those of us who have been washed in the blood of Jesus and claim Him as Savior and Lord of our lives to look and act like everybody else. That will weaken our testimony and will cause others to think that having Jesus really doesn't make much difference in a person's life.

The world and our enemy Satan wants us to fall into the trap of thinking like everybody else.

In the context of our talk this morning, my friend said something like this, "The economy is so bad these days."

I said, "Whoa. The economy is not bad. It is exactly what God has given us for today and we need to be thankful for it and rejoice in it. It is our reaction to the present condition of our economy that is bad."

What I mean is that our Heavenly Father has promised us many things. "All things work together for good" comes to mind. "I will never leave you nor forsake you" also pops up. "Yea, though I walk through the valley of death (or even difficult economic times) I will fear no evil, for Thou are with me."

You see, when our faith is in God our Heavenly Father, we are forever in His hands and whatever the circumstances, whatever happens to us, He holds it all and we are surely blessed by it. We will never know what tomorrow holds, but if we are His through Christ, we will always know Who holds tomorrow and that should be enough.

Faith must be put into practice and affect all the areas of our lives or it is not really faith. Yes, sometimes our faith can falter, but we must quickly get up and get on living totally dependent upon God and that means there are no bad days or bad economies, just times when His shaping of our character into the image of Christ is a bit more intense than at other times.

Please remember my dear friends: "This is the day that the Lord hath made. I will rejoice and be glad in it."

Also, please pray for revival. By now you recognize this as my mantra. Please keep it up. God is faithful. He will send it.

In His Love
Walter

Yesterday

Yesterday, I sent out an email plea for some wood and some help. Boy, did I get it.

Thanks to everyone who showed up to split, load, deliver and unload the wood that D donated.

Miss Ruby was very grateful.

I am, too.

God was pleased.

I am, too.

Yesterday was a day when the strength of the Body of Christ known as the church revealed itself and met a need in a family member's life.

Yesterday was a day when the love of a particular body of believers known as Hills Crossing Baptist Church shone forth in a mighty way.

Yesterday was a day when the cold of the weather (and, whoooeee, it was cold) was overcome by the warmth and caring of people who were willing to give of themselves to benefit someone else.

Yesterday was a day when many gave an offering of pure love to Our Heavenly Father by reaching out to meet a need.

Yesterday was a day when my heart was lifted and encouraged and I loved it. There was plenty of help and others who wanted to help that did not make it in time because those who showed up first stepped to and got the job done and I mean done.

Yesterday was a day when the church was the church in all the ways that the church is supposed to be the church.

Now, Church. How will we serve Him today?

Please don't forget to pray for revival. Earth-shaking, life-changing, nation-impacting revival.
Today could be the day God gives it. We just never know.

In His Love
Walter

A Very Special Day

Today is a very special day. Today Barack Hussein Obama will be inaugurated as the 44th President of the United States and the first President of color in our nation's history.

Today is a very special day. The Arizona Cardinals are preparing for the Super Bowl. It will be their first appearance in the NFL Championship game since 1940.

Today is a very special day. My daughter and her three children, Mea, Lily and Ezra are coming over to spend the next two nights with us. It is Ezra's first visit to Grandma and Granddaddy's house.

Today is a very special day. It is someone's birthday. Even three people in our church fellowship.

Today is a very special day. It is special for more reasons that we can possibly imagine. It depends on who you are and what is important to you that makes today a special one.

And, depending on who you are and how you view life, every day can be just as special as this one.

Today is a very special day for me because it is a day that I will spend with God and He with me.

I will talk to Him and He will talk to me. I will need His strength and guidance and He will provide it.

I will need Him to help me keep my mouth shut at certain times and He will help me. I will need Him to help me open my mouth at certain times and He will help me.

He will help me to recognize and be thankful for what is beautiful, good, pure, right and wonderful in the world today.

Today is a very special day and it is really all because of Him and His great love for me. And you.

Let Him be your reason to have a great day today. Forget circumstances. Just celebrate and live for Him.

That might make today the most very special day you've ever had. Who knows?

Pray for revival. Please. You know how. Just do it.

In His Love
Walter

Today's Lift

I think I may have stolen the title of the one minute talk that the gentleman from Community Travel does every morning on WCON. If I did, I hope they won't mind too badly. This missive is not meant to be a copy of what he does and I have to tell you the truth, sometimes I don't get the point of what he has to say. I hope you get the point of this blog, though.

This is meant to be a huge lift for all of you reading who know the Lord Jesus Christ as your Savior. It is meant to be an enticement and encouragement to those who do not know Him in that way in the hope that you will ask Him into your heart to be your Savior.

So many people feel badly about themselves. Professionals and lay-people alike know what low self-esteem is.

Well, here's something to make you feel great about yourself. Maybe this is the best remedy for low self-esteem on the market today, and it's free.

God delights in us. God loves us. He loves us as much right now as He ever can or will no matter who we are or what we've done.

(Here's a note to anyone who has never received Christ as Savior; God loves you, too. As much as He ever can or will. He delights in you.)

Now, I'll admit He may not delight in some of the sinful things we do, but He delights in and loves us just the same.

And He wants us to delight in Him. He wants us to realize His love so completely that we receive His love, celebrate His love and delight in His presence above everything else that might bring us pleasure.

He loves us so much that He died on the cross to rescue us from our sins. He loves us so much that He patiently continues to forgive the sins of those who have been redeemed and continues to offer His redemption to those who have not received His forgiveness of sin through Christ.

And I say again, He delights in us. Psalm 18:19b says. "He delivered me, because He delighted in me.

You and I bring joy to God's face. You and I bring delight to His heart. What a rapturous thought! You and I bring a smile to the face of the Creator of all that was, is and ever shall be!

Think of that! God, Almighty God, delights in you...and you...and you...and me.

Wow!! Oh, wow!! Thank you Father for that knowledge and encouragement.

Let's all try to be as delighted in Him today as He is in us. Maybe it'll show on the outside and someone who does not know what we know will want to know.

And, remember, what we know is not a verse of Scripture but the reality of the heart and mind of God.

Be blessed today. Be a blessing today. And please, please pray for revival. And don't stop praying for it. We need it.

By the way, I'm sorry about yesterday. I came in early to do the blog before I had to go to Athens for my yearly physical and the internet was down. I couldn't get online. And my physical was fine. You wish your cholesterol was as good as mine.

In His Love
Walter

The More Things Change

The old saying stated completely is: "The more things change, the more they stay the same."

The weather today is cold. It is supposed to be even colder tomorrow and then, Oh, Boy, watch out for Friday and Friday night!!

Of course after that it'll warm up. Then it will get cold again.

The Stock Market goes up then it goes down. People celebrate one day and moan the next.

Gas is up some. It was down some. Don't worry. It'll go one way or the other again real soon.

When the economy is good, Americans are spending, taxes are rolling in to our State Government and all is well except that credit debt is mounting up. When the economy is bad, Americans are not spending, our State government is moaning about taxes not coming in and folks aren't charging anymore.

Things change so fast. I spoke with someone on the phone today who said, and I believe her, that things are going so fast around her life right now that she doesn't know which way to go next.

I don't know about you, but I need to be reminded that there is One Who never changes. One Who is always steady. One Who is always right beside me, with me, helping me in all the changes and turmoil of life: Jesus.

Thank God for what He has told us, shown us about Jesus.

Hebrews 13:8 says, "Jesus Christ the same yesterday, and today and forever."

I need to know that. I need to hear that. I need Him to be my Rock in an ever-changing, ever-whirling world.

If things are about to get you down, take hold of The Rock. Not the wrestler and movie star. The Rock Who is the King of Kings and Lord of Lords. Hang on to Him for a while and the maelstrom of life won't even matter anymore. You might get so used to His steady hand that you resolve to never let Him go, even for a moment, ever again.

Don't for get to pray for revival. Pray. Please, please, pray. God will do it. Just be faithful to pray.

In His Love
Walter

A Thousand Words

Some of you may be laughing at the title. You may be thinking that a blog of only a thousand words would be nice. I don't know how many words I normally use, but I don't think I've come too close to a thousand yet.

I have been thinking about yesterday's post about the lottery and trusting God.

You know, we like to quote Scripture like Phil. 4:13, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." KJV We might also like Hebrews 13:5b, "And be content with such things as you have." KJV We might also go so far as to tell ourselves that we have, like Paul, "...learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." Phil.4:11 KJV

And we might actually believe that because we have surrendered to our current circumstances we have contentment. But that just isn't so. To be content means that we do not just bear our circumstances, we embrace them, we rejoice in them knowing that Jesus is there with us.

To be content before God means that we do not simply tell ourselves to look at the good things we have and be comforted or to look at others who have less than we do and feel good about it, it means we actually love just what we have just as we have it and do not long for more.

Think about the difference it makes in our hearts toward God. Think what He sees when He looks into our hearts searching for contentment.

He is not looking for simple surrender to circumstance. He is looking to see if Jesus is really enough for us to be satisfied.

We sing the song, "I am satisfied, I am satisfied, I am satisfied with Jesus. But the question comes to me as I think on Calvary, is my Master satisfied with me?"

One of the reasons Christians have lost much of their voice and influence in the world today is this matter of contentment. The world tells us that we need more, deserve more and that we are justified in wanting more.

The Holy Word tells us, teaches us that Jesus should be all we require for joy and contentment for our lifetimes. We also sing the song, "He's all I need, He's all I need, Jesus is all I need."

Is He? If He is, then you require nothing else. If He's not and you profess to be His, why is He not? What do you need to face in yourself so that He becomes all you need?

I hope this is less than a thousand words but remember the rest of that quote: "A picture is worth a thousand words." Let's be careful of the pictures that God and others see. May He and they see joy and contentment in us because if Jesus and nothing more.

Pray, please. For revival. You know by now. Please pray. Until God sends it in the mighty way we need it.

In His Love
Walter

What Are You Counting On?

I can't say that I'm surprised. Just disappointed. I suspected that it was so, but until this morning, I had no confirmation. But there it was at the bottom of the front page of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution; "Lottery Sales Get Boost During Recession."

I must confess that I know some people who play the lottery on a pretty regular basis. Things I have heard them say caused me to believe that more people were turning to the lottery during this time as a chance to rise above the present economic strain.

I have also heard comments from people I know who do not play the lottery that indicates that they are considering it more and more every day.

I'm pretty sure pawn shops are busy right now, too. I know that I've seen more non-essential items like boats, four-wheelers and campers for sale in front of houses.

People are desperate and are looking for relief from the strain of our difficult economy. And they are looking in many of the wrong places.

I don't have to wonder how all of this makes God feel. Things like this happen with His knowledge. He was not surprised at our national recession. He saw it coming thousands of years ago. He allowed it to come and He stands by His promise that "All things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to His purpose." Romans 8:28 KJV.

He wants people to turn to Him. Not the lottery or the pawn shop. Him. He has the answers. He has the resources. He is the One True Source of all that we need.

People need to seek His face. When they do they will find all that they need to make it through the difficulties of the day. It might not, probably will not, be money. But it will most surely be what will allow each one who seeks Him and His ways and His will to have what is more valuable than money or any other material resource: His abiding, guiding, sustaining presence.

When He is all you want, He is all you need. When He is all you need, He is all you want. Think about it.

Then pray. For our nation. For our community. For our church. To experience God in a mighty, wall-shaking revival. One that brings gratitude and rejoicing bursting forth from our hearts and mouths. One that changes hearts and lives.

God can, will send it. Just pray. As if our nation's life and health depended on it. It does. President-elect Obama and all the lawmakers on earth can't fix all that needs fixing. Only the One True Law Giver. Seek Him. Him only.

In His Love
Walter

TGIF

TGIF. I'm positive that when you first saw that title, you knew exactly what it means: Thank God It's Friday! You did know didn't you?? Sure you did.

Well, you know what? We should thank God that it is Friday. But I'm afraid that the feeling associated with TGIF is more negative than positive.

I believe that of all the times I've heard people use this abbreviation, it was expressing a sense of feigned relief that a tough week had finally come to its last work day far more than real thanksgiving to God.

Well today, this Friday, let's turn that trend around. Let's truly be thankful that it's Friday. We can then be truly thankful that God helped us through the other days of the week.

We can be thankful He fed us, protected us as we traveled to wherever it is that we had to go, gave us rest, woke us up, let the sun shine and allowed our muscles to work so that we could rise to experience all His blessings each day.

We can be thankful for the opportunities He has given us to experience His grace, hear His voice, live in His creation and be a blessing to others in His name.

We can be thankful for our spouses, children, grandchildren, brothers, sisters, parents, neighbors, bosses, co-workers and even strangers.

We can be thankful for our health, our sicknesses, our securities and our fears. We can be thankful because He is faithful.

We can be thankful for water to drink, doctors to help us stay healthy, people who serve us and make our lives easier, coffee, Diet Coke, song books, radio, good scrambled eggs, deer tenderloin, fried chicken, clothes to wear, the color red or blue and you name it.

If we make it our focus to be thankful, the list is truly endless and we quickly come to realize that God is good, so very, very good.

In fact He's so good, we might also recognize all over again how much He loves us. And, as the song says, "Oh, how He loves you and me."

So go ahead! Thank God it's Friday. But allow that to be the phrase that jump starts your mind toward all that we truly have to thank Him for, not just the end of a work week, but the blessings of life that He gives on and on and on.

And as you thank Him, tell Him again how much you love Him. He loves to hear it. He loves even more to see you live out that love in your life everyday.

When you've thanked Him as much as you can, pray for revival. We sure do need it. Pray for national, personal, county-wide, country-wide, life-changing revival. He'll come through. You can be thankful for that.

In His Love
Walter

What Do We Do With Him?

I remember a Christmas gift Wanna got one year. It was unusual, to say the least, and I can't describe it here because the person who gave it might read this blog. It was someone in South Georgia but they have the Internet there, too, you know.

Wanna looked at it and I looked at it and although it was obvious what it was, we weren't sure what we were supposed to do with it.

I've come to think that many Christians are like that when it comes to Holy Spirit. They know Who He is, they just don't know what to do with Him.

Jesus told His disciples in John's Gospel that Holy Spirit was a Helper, a Counselor, a Teacher and One Who would lead us into truth. I think we have this part down pretty well.

On the occasion of His ascension into heaven, Jesus told those assembled that they would receive power after Holy Spirit had come to them. I don't think we have the understanding God wants us to have about this power part.

Holy Spirit was given to us by God in a gracious act of kindness to equip us to be witnesses of great impact in the world. And we've obviously failed to utilize Him in this way. Far too many Christians had rather pay for others to do their witnessing and soul-winning for them than to allow Holy Spirit to equip and use them individually and personally.

Holy Spirit was also given to us to allow us to properly examine our lives and to take control of the sin nature within us and defeat it.

Why, Our Heavenly Father even teaches us in His Word that we are to bring "into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ." II Cor. 10:5

Now that's a hard assignment but that's also why God gave us the power of Holy Spirit to dwell in us. So that we could take charge over all the sin nature within us and conquer it. By His power and to His glory.

That's what we are to do with Him. Work to become more and more Christ-like by using Holy Spirit power to drive sin out of our lives.

And lest you think that's something that God has to do for you, read Judges, Chapter 1 through Judges, Chapter 2 verse 4. God made it clear to the Israelites that they were going to be hindered, beset and have great difficulty dealing with the Canaanites (representing sin to us)
out of the land He had given them.

Remember this: There is no room in the life of a person washed in the blood of Jesus for continuous, deliberate sin. Just as the Israelites suffered much and often as God withdrew His blessings and protection for their continued sin of idol toleration and worship, so Christians today who practice continual, deliberate sin will suffer much.

God will not be mocked and we will not long take advantage of His mercy and grace by acting as if our salvation allows us no worries about such continual, deliberate sins.

God has equipped us to defeat these sins. Let use Holy Spirit as God intended and clean out the sins in our lives that we may be pure and holy and effective as witnesses to Him.

Pray. Always. Constantly. For revival. We need it. Oh, Heavenly Father, how we need it. Grant it, Oh Lord, we pray.

In His Love
Walter

What Can You Do?

There's a great article in the Sports section of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution this morning about a football player from Troup County High School who is going to play for UGA.

He's got a 5.12 GPA at Troup County High and he has never made anything but A's since kindergarten. He was going to enroll early at UGA but decided to stay in High School until regular graduation because he has a chance to be valedictorian of his class.

Coach Richt has said he's never recruited another player like him. This guy is a standout.

He's big. 6" 3", close to 300 pounds and is a top flight lineman. Forgive me for not remembering if it's the offensive or defensive line. With his size, determination and skill he could probably play either side of the ball.

He would appreciate our prayers. He has a class right now that might result in his first B. It's a calculus class that he did not have to take but did because he wants to be as ready for college as he can be.

His High School Coach says he can be en engineer, doctor, astronaut or whatever he wants to be because he is so goal-oriented and determined.

His dad has found him up at 4 a.m. studying. He wants to be the very best he can be at whatever he does. Sounds like this young man is a winner, doesn't it?

He is. With all his extra-curricular activities, studies and just being a teen-age young man, since he decided to go to Georgia he has been taking the time everyday to text message Bible verses to other young men who are going to be his teammates. And not just random verses. He chooses ones that mean something to him believing that they will mean something to the others, as well.

You think they have any doubts about this young man's faith? I don't. It seems to me he knows what is really important in life and is doing what he can right now in spite of his busy life to share what's really important with others.

Are you?

Please pray. For revival. In me. In you. In our homes. In our churches. In our county. In our state. In our nation. In our world. We need what's most important. A powerful, productive relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ. Our nation needs a sweeping out-pouring of Holy Spirit.

Pray. Please pray.

In His Love
Walter

Engaged In The Battle

We must get engaged in the battle.

"What Battle?" you ask.

The one God tells us about through the Apostle Paul in Ephesians 6: 12; "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

The powers, principalities and other references here tell us much about our enemy. He and his followers are powerful even to the point of developing strongholds in the lives of individuals and in churches.

Yes, folks, we must realize that Satan comes to church every Sunday morning. He comes with us. We bring him in the front door.

We bring him in the unforgiveness that we carry in our hearts towards others. Even unforgiveness against God. That's a hard one to swallow isn't it? But it's true. Many people are angry at God and won't let go. Many are angry at others who have hurt them and won't let go.

We bring Satan in when we have wrong attitudes about our service and our attendance. "I've got to be here because nobody else will do it." Or, "I don't know why I keep coming. I sure don't get anything out of this." The right attitudes are "Thank you God that you allow me to serve you by serving all these other people in this way Sunday after Sunday," and "Thank you Father that I can come here and worship you. My heart is all about giving praise and worship to you and not about what I get out of the services."

There is no place in the hearts of the forgiven for unforgiveness. There is no place in the hearts of the redeemed for anger. There is no need in the hearts of the blood-bought for any other reason to gather for worship that the matter of worship itself.

Many in the church today take salvation to lightly, worship too casually and do not recognize the damage done to self and others by not taking the matter of belonging to God through Jesus Christ seriously enough to let that fact permeate and affect every aspect of their lives.

We've got to get engaged in the battle. How?

Prayer. Real spiritual warfare. Prayer that is desperate, dedicated, passionate, determined, specific and heart-felt. No going through the motions. Real prayer. As a body. As individuals.
It is our only hope.

Pray for revival. For yourself. For me. For the one you like most in church and the one you like the least. Revival for our nation. Our government. Revival to the glory of God. Pray. Please pray.

In His Love
Walter

Acting Like It

January 5, 2009. Seems like the new year is already old. Our lives are so busy that nothing seems new for long. We find it necessary in our busy state to observe what's new and move on quickly. That present mindset of doing this and then moving on to that is really hurtful to us in many ways.

It affects our relationship with God in that we often don't dwell on the marvel of what we have been given for more than a moment before we are desirous of something else that is new and exciting.

We have been spoiled. We have too much. So much that we don't really appreciate anything God has given. We don't give thanks as we should. We don't "take on" over what He has done.

At Christmas, we gave gifts of cowboy outfits to three of our grandchildren. One was reasonably impressed and said "thanks". Another wasn't impressed at all and pretty much walked away from his. The third one took one look, put it on, and began to strut and pose and act like a cowboy. He was proud of his gift.

"Can I wear it to church?" he asked. "I want to change my name," he declared. "Mama, can I go to the courthouse and change my name to Lone Ranger?" I'm pretty sure he'll wear that cowboy outfit out long before the other two have gotten theirs good and dirty.

Now which reaction do you think these grandparents liked? Of course, we liked the excited, never want to take it off reaction. It made us feel great to know that we had hit a home run with the gift.

God gives us many gifts and we just look over them, move right past them, sort of say "thank you" but without much enthusiasm. He reveals such wonderful truths to us in His Word and yet we read it carelessly, if at all.

Let's let this year be different. Let's take to heart what God had David write in the very first Psalm, verse 2, "But his delight is in the law of the Lord; and in His law doth he meditate day and night."

Now our son has reassured us that both the other children will come around to enjoy their cowboy outfits. How wonderful would it be if we could reassure God that this year, 2009, we would come around to delighting, meditating, and growing in His Word?

He gave it to us so that we could be close to Him, learn of Him, and love Him more and more each day. If that's not what's happening, we are neglecting, looking over, moving right on by a wonderful gift.

Let's not look for something new and exciting. Let's just take the time to develop a great love for something old and yet life-changing that we already have. Pick up that Bible, folks, and spend time with God. He is on every page, waiting for you.

In His Love
Walter