Minute Musings...Gods Loom

Have you ever seen pictures of the old fashion looms?  Perhaps you've been fortunate
and have been able to visit somewhere and seen one working!  A loom is not for the
faint of heart.  Hours of backbreaking work is spent seated at the loom.  Attention
must be paid to every single detail, no matter how small or insignificant it seems, or
the whole pattern will be thrown off!  The Master weaver works steadily, never taking
his eyes off the pattern that he is skillfully weaving with his hands.

 

Our lives are like that tapestry that is being spun on the loom.  We however are not
the weavers...God is.  He alone knows what the finished pattern will look like.  We
cannot see what is taking shape in His hands, we instead only see the underside. 
Have you ever viewed the underside of a weaving?  It just seems to be a mess of
jumbled threads, knots everywhere, and no semblance of a beautiful pattern is in
sight.  One would become discouraged only seeing this side of the weaving!  Our
lives in our eyes resemble a mess of threads and knots.  We see the mistakes that
happened, wrong choices made, the place where pride took over, the shameful

actions and sinful thoughts that corrupted our hearts.  It all is just a mess to us.

 

But God in His rich mercy and grace is taking that rough fabric of our lives and is
making something beautiful out it.  Only He has the skill needed to turn a disaster
of a life into a masterpiece of glory! 

We sometimes look back on our life and wonder why God allowed such sorrows,

pain and trials to encompass us.  If you are honest with yourself, you will realize
that it is in these darkest hours that God became the most real to us.  These times
of greatest heartache produce the fruit of the Spirit in our lives like no other time
can.  What God allows is always for our best and His ultimate glory!

Philippians 2:13  "For it is God which worketh in you both to will and to do
of His good pleasure.  We only need to look around us at the masterpiece of God's
creation to know that God does all things well!  Psalms 8:3 & 19:1  "When I
consider Thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which
Thou hast ordained:  The heavens declare the glory of God;  and the firmament
sheweth His handywork."  How can we doubt that God is making our lives
beautiful and full of glory?

Take heart today.  God is making your life into
a vibrant masterpiece of breathtaking beauty that
will tell the story for ages to come of His glory,
grace, mercy and love.

My life is but a weaving
Between the Lord and me;
I may not choose the colors–
He knows what they should be.
For He can view the pattern
Upon the upper side
While I can see it only
On this, the under side.
Sometimes He weaves in sorrow,
And I in foolish pride,
Forgets He sees the upper
And I the underside.
Not ’til the loom is silent
                                               And the shuttles cease to fly
                                               Shall God unroll the canvas
                                              And explain the reason why.
                                              The dark threads are as needed
                                              In the Weaver’s skillful hand
                                              As the threads of gold and silver
                                              In the pattern He has planned.

                                                                                                  Author Unknown
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v_nKk0x2e8s
 

 



Minute Musings...Broken Crayons

One of my favorite things to do as a child was to color, in fact if the truth were to be
told...I still do!  I always felt a twinge of excitement when I'd open up a box of new

crayons.  Somehow the pictures always seemed to turn out a little better when I used
brand new crayons.  However in reality, the crayons still left the same marks on the
page, whether they were new or old.  But to our human minds, nothing is better than
new.  Then I grew up, and all of a sudden found myself having this same argument with
my children.   When the crayons became broken, in their little minds it was time to throw
them out, they were no good anymore.  No matter how much I tried to explain, and show
them, the crayons got tossed aside.  I'm sure you are all too familiar with that discarded 
container of broken crayons, that sits on a shelf, forgotten. 

Do you realize that this is how from our limited human minds we view lives.  We see
broken humanity as a life passed its usefulness.  Sin has corrupted and there is nothing
good left.  What a blessing it is to know that God does not view our lives in this fashion.

2 Corinthians 5:17  "Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature:  old
things are passed away;  behold, all things are become new."

There are many of you today who feel that you are no good, there is no way in your mind
that God could ever accept you.  You feel cast aside, discarded and forgotten.  May I tell
you that this is a good way to feel!  You might be surprised that I say this, but one cannot
come to God unless they recognize their brokenness before Him.  It tells us this in Psalms
51:17,  "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:  a broken and a contrite heart, O
God, Thou will not despise."

When we approach God Almighty, it must be with brokenness of spirit and heart.  God
will reject any attempt at approaching Him in our perceived righteousness.  Isaiah 64:6
"But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags;
and we all do fade as a leaf;  and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away."

When we acknowledge our brokenness before a Holy and righteous God, we are essentially
saying, "Only You can restore me to a state of usefulness;  only You can reverse my souls
brokenness."  I'm sure that you've all seen broken crayons melted down, molded, and placed
back with the other useful crayons.  This is what God does to us.  He melts us, remakes us,
and places us back into useful service for Him!  Our brokenness is the first step of a dedicated,
surrendered life in Christ Jesus!  Malachi 3:3  "And He (God) shall sit as a refiner and
purifier of silver;  and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the
LORD an offering in righteousness." 

Don't fret if you find yourself in the refiners fire.  You might feel that you are passed the
point of God ever being able to use you.  But the only way to be of use to God is through
the brokenness that we lay at His feet.  God's glory shines through our brokenness! 

Start viewing things from the Lords perspective.  Brokenness is a good thing!  Psalms
38:18  "For I will declare mine iniquity:  I will be sorry for my sin."  God is melting
you, remaking you and will place you back into a place of productive service for the King.  Remember, broken crayons can still color!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fnn0hlV1kzc

Minute Musings...Excuse Free Zone

Do you realize that you can find almost any excuse to fit any scenario?  We are so good
at doing this aren't we.  We were late, sick, too tired, not home, lost our phone, forgot,
ran out of time, can't sing, it's out
of my comfort zone, no babysitter,
too short, too tall, too fat, too small,
shy, can't drive, no money, I don't
have the energy...are you starting
to get the picture?  There is always
an excuse.  Have you noticed that
you don't have to teach your
children the art of excuse making! 
"I can't" is a phrase that comes
quickly and easily to the lips of a
child...and to the child of God.

However...God doesn't buy that. 
God is the One person to whom
excuses won't cut it because He
can see right through them.  It's
not that people haven't tried! 
Right back to Adam and Eve, people have been trying to make excuses to God.  Whether
it's trying to excuse ourselves from our sin like Adam and Eve;  or excuses as to why we
are not able to do as God has asked us, like Moses.  Five times Moses doubted that he
could do what God was telling him to do; and five times he questioned God and gave
excuses as to why what was being asking him to do would not work! 

Exodus 4:14  "And the anger of the LORD was kindled against Moses,"  God had
already told this to Moses in chapter 3 verse 12, "And He (God) said, Certainly I will
be with thee;"  Had God made a mistake?  Did He chose the wrong man to lead the
Children of Israel out of the land of Egypt?  We sit and shake our heads in disbelief at
how Moses could have the audacity to doubt God after he had received such a promise!

Guess what...we do the very same thing!  We have all had times in our lives when we
know that God wants us to do something specific for Him, but we start the excuse game.
Just like Moses, we tell God that He is wrong in His assumption that we are the right
person for the task, even though we are in possession of the exact same promise that
Moses was!  Hebrews 13:5  "I (God) will never leave thee, nor forsake thee."  In
jumping on the bandwagon of excuses we are literally telling God, "I don't believe
You!"

Who are we to tell Almighty God anything...let alone that He is wrong and a liar!  I
have learned over the years that my God will never ask of me anything that His power 
will not enable me to complete.  This is why the Christian life is called the Life of Faith. 
It is our faith in God that empowers us, that moves us unto bigger and better things for
Him.  Does this mean that we never shake in our boots at some new calling of God upon
our lives?  NO!  But, if we had our way, we would never venture out of our comfort zones
and do anything that made us the least little bit uneasy.  Seeing God work wonders
through our human limitations is what grows our faith, deepens our commitment and
strengthens our zeal for the Lord.  Faith is our key to the Christian life.

 

The Apostle Paul tell us in 2 Corinthians 5:7, "For we walk by faith, not by sight."
Can you imagine how little we would do for God if we only did that which we could see
the outcome for!  There would be no missionaries or mission fields;  church building
projects would be non-existent;  Bible Schools would not be needed for God would not
be equipping people for an unknown path;  communion with the Lord in prayer would be
greatly reduced as direction sought for the future would not happen.  The Christian life is
one that has its foundation on the Lord, and the Lord's will is not a hand delivered letter
to us when we are saved.  It is revealed bit by bit as we walk along in our faith.  This is not
a life that has any place for the safety net of excuses, it is a life of excited expectation as
we learn to lean on the Lord and to wait for Him to reveal our next step. 

How's your faith today?  Is it weak, like that of Moses', or do you have a faith like that
of Abraham?  Abraham obeyed without question when God called to him to leave his
country, kindred and father's house;  and to go to a new land which God would reveal
to him.  Genesis 12:4  "And Abram departed, as the LORD had spoken unto him;"
No questions, no hesitation, no excuses, just obedience.  Determine today, with the Lord's
help, to make your life an excuse free zone;  then watch the impossible unfold before you!

 



 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PwJfwYMuZEQ

 

Minute Musings...I'm Free

Have you ever put a lot effort into a project only to find out that it wasn't good enough? 
It failed to meet the expectations of others because you didn't have what you needed to
make it work on your own.  It is a very humbling experience to realize that no matter
how hard you tried, you failed, you were unable to accomplish your goals. 

 

Do you realize that this is the problem we encounter with God?  We try in our own
strength to meet His expectations, and we fail over and over again.  Why?  Because
man cannot appease a Holy God.  And there we have it...HOLY.  We come in our
unrighteousness before a Holy God and expect Him to accept us!  But it doesn't work
that way!

We read in Hebrews 10:31  "It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living
God."   We will have the wrath of a Holy, righteous God fall upon us if we try to please
Him with our attempts of holiness.  However, God commands us in 1 Peter 1:16,
"Be ye holy:  for I am holy."  So, what are we suppose to do?  I want you to notice
something very important here;  God will never tell us to do something that He does
not provide us with a way to do!  A way has been provided for us to fulfill Gods command
to be holy...but it has nothing to do with us!

There was a night long ago when the Children of Israel had followed God's directions
and had sacrificed a lamb without blemish,
and put its blood upon the doorposts of their
houses.  God passed through Egypt that night,
and judgement fell upon those homes that did
not have the blood covering them. 

Exodus 12:13  "And when I see the blood, I
will pass over you."  This is a beautiful picture
of the perfect Lamb of God, Jesus Christ, God's
perfect Son.  He died on Calvary, shedding His
precious blood.  Just as the shed blood of the
lamb that long ago night on the doorposts of the
houses, spared the occupants the judgement of God upon them;  so the blood of Jesus Christ,
the LAMB of God covers us, and spares us the wrath of a just and holy God!  2 Corinthians
5:21  "For He (God) hath made Him (Jesus) to be sin for us, Who knew no sin;  that we
might be made the righteousness of God in Him."

How about you today?  Have you been going along, trying with your own attempt at
holiness to please God?  I'm sorry to have to tell you, that you will always fail in this
endeavor. To please and obey God we must do things His way.  Repent of our sin and 
accept God's free gift of salvation which was bought by the blood of the Lamb.  When
God looks at you, He will not see sin, He will see the blood...and His judgement will
pass over you.

1 Peter 1:18 & 19  "Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible
things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation (lifestyle) received by tradition
from your fathers;  But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish
and without spot."

My soul has been set free by the blood of the Lamb!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RzLY3nUGBNM

Minute Musings...Upheld

Do you have a traditional Sunday lunch?  Many families gather at lunchtime on Sundays
to spend time together before the craziness of another week begins.  Grandparents get to
enjoy their grandchildren, brothers and sisters visit over mom's good home cooking.
There is merriment and laughter as good times are remembered and memories made to
look back upon.  Do you remember what was served at those meals?  I certainly hope that
it wasn't "Roasted Pastor!"

My dad used to warn people about partaking of this.  You certainly can't ask the Lord's
blessing on it!  It is very easy to criticize isn't it.  Easy to judge someone when you really
don't know what it's like to walk in their shoes.  The majority of us do not know what our
Pastors go through on a weekly basis.  The discouragement they face, the heartbreaks
that they have to deal with, the comfort, rebuke and exhortation that they must mete out.
They bear the burdens of the church.  This is a daunting task to which they have been
called, but they have not been called to do it alone.

We read in Exodus 17 about a task Moses was called of God to perform.  The enemy.
Amalek had come to fight the Children of Israel in Rephidim.  Moses, Aaron and Hur
went to the top of the hill to watch the battle unfold.  Vs 11, "And it came to pass, when
Moses held up his hand, that Israel prevailed:  and when he let down his hand,
Amalek prevailed."

Have you ever done arm curls, or tried to hold your arms up over your head for any
length of time?  It is not very long before your muscles are screaming out in agony at
you, and they begin to get very heavy and shaky.  Before you know it, they are hanging
limp at your sides.  Vs. 12,  "But Moses' hands were heavy;  and they took a stone,
and put it under him, and he sat thereon;  and Aaron and Hur stayed up his hands,
the one on the one side, and the other on the other side;  and his hands were steady
until the going down of the sun." 

Aaron and Hur came alongside Moses and held up his hands for him, and they were not
only witnesses that day to a mighty victory, but active participants in the battle themselves! 
How are you doing with holding up your Pastor's hands in the battle of the Lord?  Or are
you the one who knocks the rock out from under him with your backbiting and criticisms? 
Please to not misunderstand, we are not glorifying man here today, instead we are exalting
and magnifying the One Who works through a dedicated and surrendered heart. However 
this man is not in the battle by himself!  How can we hold up our Pastors hands, and those
of the other leaders in our churches? 

1.  Pray for him.  Ephesians 1:15 & 16  "Wherefore I also after I heard of your
faith in the Lord Jesus, and love unto all the saints, Cease not to give thanks for
you, making mention of you in my prayers."

2.  Do not tear him down.  Ephesians 4:29  "Let no corrupt communication proceed
out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister
grace unto the hearers."

3.  Don't complain when asked to help.  Philippians 2:14 & 15  "Do all things without
murmurings and disputings:  That ye may be blameless and harmless, the sons
of God, without rebuke, in the midst of a crooked and perverse nation, among
whom ye shine as lights in the world."

4.  Show him respect for his place of service.  1 Thessalonians 5:12 & 13  "And we
beseech you, brethren, to know them which labour among you, and are over you
in the Lord, and admonish you:  And to esteem them very highly in love for their
work's sake.  And be at peace among yourselves."

5.  Help him bear the burdens.  "Galatians 6:2  "Bear ye one another's burdens,
and so fulfill the law of Christ."

We might have an epidemic of fainting Pastors and leaders this week if their
congregations began praying for them; building them up instead of tearing them down;
offering to help; if they respected them instead of ridiculing and gossiping about them; 
and if they helped them carry their heavy demanding loads instead of adding to them.

I encourage you this week to spend time in prayer for your Pastor's and leaders!  When
we do things God's way He has promised to bless.  I challenge you to become an Aaron
or Hur for your Pastor and the other leaders in your church, then stand back and watch
the mighty victories unfold before you!

The Pastors Song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE8MFHF6B5Y

Minute Musings...Marvellous In Our Eyes

Psalms 118:23  "This is the LORD'S doing;  it is marvellous in our eyes."

Today was a special day at Westney Heights Baptist Church in Ajax ON.  It was our
25th Anniversary!  Anniversaries are special, these are days of remembrance of the
past, thankfulness for the present, and renewed commitment for the future.  The praise
today centered, not on the Pastor's, the congregation, the workers (although they all
have a dedicated heart to serving the Lord and we are thankful for them!), the praise
was directed to the Lord God, the only One whom is truly worthy of our praise!

Approximately 250 times the word "praise" in connection with God is mentioned in
the Bible.  I think that He is trying to tell us something!  Psalms 145:3 & 4  "Great
is the LORD, and greatly to be praised:  and His greatness is unsearchable.  One
generation shall praise Thy works to another, and shall declare Thy mighty acts."

During the course of the service we heard the history of the church.  We heard the
declarations of the mighty and great acts of God and His faithfulness.  We were told
of the struggles encountered in the early days, the obstacles faced as God expanded
the work, the victories won, the sowing of the Gospel, the reaping of the harvest, and
the sustaining hand of blessing from the Lord on this vibrant work.  Yes, God is to
praised!  Yet, it made me pause and consider another work of the Lord that needs to
be praised.  Psalms 13:5 & 6  "But I have trusted in Thy mercy;  my heart shall
rejoice in Thy salvation.  I will sing unto the LORD, because He hath dealt
bountifully with me."

I am a work of the Lord;  you are a work of the Lord!  His mercy, grace, love and
faithfulness have been bountifully bestowed upon us;  His hand upholds, and His
eye guides, His comfort bathes us, and His power sustains us.  We are a work that
will be completed in that happy day when we shall bow at His blessed feet, and meet
Him face to face.  Philippians 1:6  "Being confident of this very thing, that He (God)
which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:" 
God is working in us, to make us into the image of His dear Son, Jesus Christ!  Malachi
3:3b  "And purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the LORD an
offering in righteousness."

Sometimes it's hard to see that there is something praise-worthy in the midst of
tribulations.  Yet, all that God allows is for our good.  Our church went through a
building project a few years back, and vandals set fire to the building.  God knew what
was happening, it didn't take Him by surprise!  He had a plan.  Trials in our lives do
not take God by surprise, He knows what is happening, He has a plan!  We are being
purged, refined, in order that our offering to God will be righteous and acceptable. 

Just as the church can look back and see the hand of God which has guided and
sustained all these years, we can look back on our personal journey through the
wilderness of this old sinful world and see the mighty hand of God which has led us
all the way.  We can be confident that the good work that He has begun in us, He will
complete...for His honor and His glory!

Isaiah 48:17  "I am the LORD thy God...which leadeth thee by the way that
thou shouldest go.  Psalms 150:2 & 6  "Praise Him for His mighty acts:
praise Him according to His excellent greatness.  Let every thing that hath
breath praise the LORD.  Praise ye the LORD."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BB27OjUFZjs

Praise Him!  Praise Him!

 

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Jesus our blessed Redeemer!

Sing O earth, His wonderful love proclaim!

Hail Him!  Hail Him!  Highest archangels in glory;

Strength and honor give to His holy name!

Like a shepherd, Jesus will guard His children,

In His arms He carries them all day long;

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Tell of His excellent greatness;

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Ever in joyful song!

 

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Jesus our blessed Redeemer!

For our sins He suffered, and bled and died;

He our rock, our hope of eternal salvation,

Hail Him!  Hail Him!  Jesus the Crucified.

Sound His praises!  Jesus Who bore our sorrows,

Love unbounded, wonderful, deep and strong;

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Tell of His excellent greatness;

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Ever in joyful song!

 

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Jesus our blessed Redeemer!

Heav'n-ly portals loud with hosannas ring!

Jesus, Savior, reigneth forever and ever;

Crown Him!  Crown Him!  Prophet, and Priest, and King!

Christ is coming!  Over the world victorious,

Power and glory unto the Lord belong;

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Tell of His excellent greatness;

Praise Him!  Praise Him!  Ever in joyful song!

 

                                                Fanny J. Crosby

Minute Musings...Are You Stiffnecked?

Exodus 14:31  "And Israel saw that great work which the LORD did upon the
Egyptians:  and the people feared the LORD, and believed the LORD, and His
servant Moses."

The children of Israel had just been witness to the mighty miracles of Almighty God!
These divine acts of God had delivered them from the bonds of slavery in the land of
Egypt.  They had watched in wonder as these 9 plaques befell the Egyptians; the water
turned into blood, frogs, lice, flies, cattle died, boils, hail, locusts, death of all the
firstborn in the land.  The Israelites saw first hand the power of their God...yet a mere 3
months later we find them suffering from memory loss!

Moses had just spend 40 days with God on Mount Sinai  Exodus 24:18  "And Moses
went into the midst of the cloud, and gat him up into the mount:  and Moses was
in the mount forty days and forty nights."  In a mere forty days and nights the
Children of Israel went from fearing and believing the Lord God to idolatry!  Exodus
32:3 & 4  "And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their
ears, and brought them unto Aaron.  And he received them at their hand, and
fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf:  and they said,
These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt."

Don't we find ourselves just shaking our heads in bewilderment at the Israelites!  How
could they, which had seen such mighty miracles performed on their behalf, and for
their own deliverance, so quickly fall into the sin of idolatry?  We are bewildered at
their actions, but what about God?

Exodus 32:7 - 9  "And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down;  for thy
people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves;
They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them;  they
have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed there
unto, and said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the
land of Egypt.  And the LORD said unto Moses, I have seen this people, and behold,
it is a stiffnecked people."

God was angry, displeased at the total disregard of what He had done for them.  They
had turned aside out of the way.  They were worshipping idols!  Do you realize that God
feels this way towards us at times?  How often do we forget that God Almighty delivered
us from death and has bestowed upon us new life through Christ Jesus His Son?  How
often do we depart from the way of life, and go off on our own, seeking our own pleasure
and fulfilling our own selfish wicked desires?  How often do we set up idols in our hearts
in the place of God?  Yes, what the Israelites did was a terrible sin against God...but we
are no better. 

Is God looking at you today and saying, "They have corrupted themselves;  They have
turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them.  They are stiffnecked?"
It is a fearful thing to have the judgement of a righteous God fall upon you! 

God will give ear to the prayer of the repentant.  Psalms 41:4  "LORD, be merciful
unto me:  heal my soul;  for I have sinned against Thee."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jsIqHS_Qx5w

Make Me A Stranger

 

Make me a stranger on earth, dear Savior,

Make me a stranger more like Thee.

Help me keep my focus on heavenly treasures,

And not on earthly things may it be.

 

Lord, I've found myself loving earthly treasures;

Simple pleasures taking Your place.

Nothing can measure to heavenly treasures:

Hearing "Well done," and seeing Your face.

 

Lord, lead me onward as a pilgrim,

Bound for heaven, never to roam.

Make ma stranger on earth, dear Savior,

Till I see my heavenly home.

 

                                           Mac Lynch

Minute Musings...No Where But Up

Do you ever experience those times when you can't seem to do anything right?  What
you say is taken the wrong way, even your thoughts seem to get you into trouble.  Trouble
seems to be coming at you from every direction and you just want to take cover and hide!
It's times like this that I am my own worst enemy.  Satan uses these days to slip depression
and self-doubt into the mix, and you end up a real mess.

Psalms 9:9  "The LORD also will be a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge in times
of trouble."

So, what do you do when you go through times of despair?  You look up!  We have the
promise of God that He is a refuge for the oppressed, a refuge for us when we experience
trouble.  My favorite Bible verses are Psalms 121:1 & 2  "I will lift up my mines unto
the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the LORD, which
made heaven and earth."

Is there anything too hard for the Lord?  This God Who has promised us His help is the
great Creator of the universe.  This is the everlasting God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. 
This is the Almighty God who delivered His chosen people out of the land of Egypt.  This
fierce God delivered His people from their enemies time and time again.  This all power-
ful God performed miraculous wonders.  This loving God became flesh, He lived, died
and rose again for us.  This wonderful God is right now preparing a place for us in Heaven. 
Can we not trust Him to help us?

Jeremiah 32:27  "Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh:  is there any thing
too hard for me?"

When we live our lives carrying our burdens, we are essentially saying to God, "I don't
need your help, I am capable of taking care of myself."  As sinful human beings, we do
not like to relinquish control of anything.  We see the loss of control as a weakness. But
the opposite is true when it comes to letting God have control.  It is a sign of wisdom
when we say to the Lord, "I need Your help, I cannot do this without You."  We are
admonished in Proverbs 3:5 & 6  "Trust in the LORD with all thine heart;  and lean
not unto thine own understanding.  In all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall
direct thy paths."

I would encourage you today not to look to man for your help, but to look up!  God will
never force you to trust Him, He will not snatch your burdens from you.  He is waiting
for you too willingly hand them over to Him.  He is more than capable of helping you,
so why do you insist on stumbling along on your own?  Look up, let Him be your refuge...
He's waiting!

Psalms 27:14  "Wait on the LORD:  be of good courage, and He shall strengthen
thine heart:  wait I say on the LORD."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iMm0MZs5G18

You Are My Fortress

 

You are my fortress, You are my hiding place.

In time of trouble, I run to the Rock and seek Your face.

Though others fail me, my dearest friend is always true;

O how I love You, You are my fortress, I trust in You.

 

                            Ron Hamilton 

Minute Musings...Ponder Your Path

For the most part we go through our days not really considering "where" our paths are
taking us!  We have a routine and we tend to stick to the familiar...well most of us!  I'm
a creature of habit, I like to know what I'm doing tomorrow, next week, next year.  I don't
function well when there is no schedule...summer time for me has always been hard.  But
for the more adventurist among us, it's the not knowing, this spontaneous life style that
energizes them.  However, no matter what our preferences are, we are admonished in
Proverbs 4:26 to, "Ponder the path of thy feet, and let all thy ways be established."

God has a path chosen for His children.  This is not some spur of the moment path we
chose lightly, this is the way of the Cross.  It is the path of righteousness.  This is a path
that will be ridiculed by the world.  It is a path that is filled with pitfalls and snares by
Satan, to trip us up and to ruin our testimony.  It is a path that will conform us to the
image of our Heavenly Father.  There is one other very important fact about our path
that we find in verse 18 of Proverbs chapter 4.  "But the path of the just is as a shining
light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day."  Our pilgrim pathway through
this wicked world is to be a light to the lost.

May I encourage you to stop today for a moment and consider what ways are being
established by the path your feet are taking.  What we do, think and say are all working
to establish our way.  Is your way building up or breaking down the testimony of Christ
in your life?  I'm afraid that many of us are walking around with lights that are blackened
by sin in our lives.  Our once shining lights are dull and are serving no purpose for the
Lord.  People cannot tell by our actions and speech that we belong to the King of Kings
and Lord of Lords.  It tells us in verse 19 that "The way of the wicked is as darkness:
they know not at what they stumble."

Those that are in the way of the wicked are blinded to the truth by the darkness in
which they dwell.  Sin has become so normal to them, that they cannot see that the
path they are on is leading to death and destruction.  As Christians, we cannot lose
our salvation, but we can lose our way.  We can become once again entangled and
enticed by this old world and the sinful pleasures that it offers, and before we know
it, we have veered from the path of the just, and we are walking in the way of the wicked.

Those of you who have had the blessing of reading Pilgrims Progress will understand
exactly what I'm talking about.  Little Christian was on his way to the Celestial City,
but different times during his long journey he got off the right pathway and ended up
in serious peril.  By listening to the lies of the devil, being lured by the pleasures of
sin, he lost his way and became snared by the world and all its terrible dangers. When
he saw the error of his ways, he repented and found his way back to the Kings
Highway again.

Why would one chose to stumble along in the darkness, when all that is needed is to
clean their light and get back on the pathway of the just.  Proverbs 4:20 - 22  "My
son, attend to my words;  incline thine ear unto my sayings, let them not depart
from thine eyes;  keep them in the midst of thine heart.  For they are life unto
those that find them, and health to all their flesh."  Giving God first place in our
hearts will direct us back to the path of the just, and our way will be established for
Him.  We will have a testimony of light that will shine brightly till we reach our
Heavenly home. 

God has ordained our path and He travels right beside us on the way!  What a blessed
promise we have in the Word of God that He will never leave us or forsake us!  He
is our guide and our strength for this journey through the wilderness!  We need not
fear the unknown way, for He knows the way home.

Stop today and ponder the path of your feet, let your way be established and become
the shining light that will bring the blessing of God upon your life as you travel on
the Kings Highway to Glory.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RsMAXhc0QTs

God Will Make A Way

 

God will make a way,

Where there seems to be no way;

He works in ways we cannot see,

He will make a way for me.

He will be my guide,

Hold me closely to His side;

With love and strength for each new day,

He will make a way,

He will make a way.

 

By a roadway in the wilderness He'll lead me,

Rivers in the desert will I see.

Heaven and earth will fade,

But His Word will still remain,

And He will do something new today.

 

                                                        Don Moen

Minute Musings... Set Your Heart

1 Chronicles 22:19a  "Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your
God;" 

This exhortation is given by King David before his death to all the princes of Israel,
whom he had commanded to help Solomon his son.  Why would David have to
remind them of this?  If you are familiar at all with the history of the nation of
Israel in the Old Testament, you will remember that all too often they forgot all that
God had done for them, and they left following Him and instead followed after the
idols of the nations around them.  Unfortunately we read these words many times in
reference to Israel, 1 Chronicles 5:25  "And they (Israel) transgressed against
the God of their fathers, and went a whoring after the gods of the people of the
land, whom God destroyed before them."

Before we throw the proverbial stone at Israel for their sin, lets take a look at our-
selves.  Have we transgressed against God, and gone a whoring after the gods of
this world?  I'm sad to say that we must answer yes to this question, if we are to be
honest!  As stated in an earlier devotional, an idol is anything that we give more
importance too in our lives than God.  How long is your list of things?  Prestige, job,
money, education, looks, popularity, fame, family, possessions...and on and on it goes.

There are some who give place to the devil and try to live as though they love God.
It might fool people for a while, but it doesn't fool God.  He knows whose heart is
His and whose heart has gone after other gods.  It tells us in Jeremiah 17:10a,
"I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins,"  We can't fool God.  We have to
guard our hearts, Proverbs 4:23 "Keep thy heart with all diligence;  for out of it
are the issues of life." 

There is always much talk about our heart health now a days.  Regular check-ups
include making sure that there is nothing wrong with our hearts.  If something is
found, immediate action is taken to rectify the problem before it further damages
our health.  How is your spiritual heart health today?  Is your heart healthy and
following after the Lord your God.  Or have problems been detected which must
be addressed immediately before your spiritual health is weakened and you become
sick.  There is a very simple remedy for heart problems, Psalms 51:7 &10  "Purge
me with hyssop, and I shall be clean:  wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Create in me a clean heart, O God:  and renew a right spirit within me."

Is your heart set to seek after the LORD your God?  If not, apply the remedy and
start living with a healthy heart today!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2fVliokreqE

Create In Me A Clean Heart

 

I came to the Lord with my heart full of sin,

Empty of purpose and troubled within.

My flesh had the victory, my heart sought release,

Lord, wilt Thou cleanse me and grant me Thy peace?

 

I cried to the Savior, "Forgive me, I pray."

He granted cleansing and sins fell away.

My bondage was ended, my heart was set free;

Lord, nevermore may I wander from Thee.

 

Create in me a clean heart, my Father;

Renew a right spirit in me.

Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation;

May Christ be seen in me.

 

                                                  Mac Lynch 

Minute Musings...Pitching Your Tent

I would like to look at an activity that looks average and is very common placed.  There
is an account of this normal activity in Genesis chapter 13.  Here we find that a problem
had arisen between the herdsmen of Abram and those of his nephew Lot.  Lot had left
with Abram when God had commanded him to "Get thee out of thy country and from
thy kindred, and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee:"
Genesis 12:1.  We find no problem with them traveling together until Genesis 13:6 & 7,
"And the land was not able to bear them, that they might dwell together:  for
their substance was great, so that they could not dwell together.  And there was
a strife between the herdmen of Abram's cattle and the herdmen of Lot's cattle."

Abram told Lot to choose where he wanted to go, wherever Lot decided, Abram would
go the opposite way.  Verse 10a & 11  "And Lot lifted up his eyes, and beheld all
the plain of Jordan, that it was well watered every where,  Then Lot chose him all
the plain of Jordan:  and Lot journeyed east:  and they separated themselves the
one from the other. 

The first mistake that Lot made was that he based his decision on what his eyes beheld.
No where in the passage does it tell us that Lot asked the Lord God for direction.  We
are warned in the Scriptures about the dangers of what we behold with our eyes!  We
read in Job 31:7  "If my step hath turned out of the way, and mine heart walked
after mine eyes,"  Lot had turned out of the way of God, his eyes had seen a land of
prosperity and his heart walked after his eyes!

Now we find Lot's last fatal action in verse 12 of Genesis chapter 13  "Abram dwelled
in the land of Canaan, and Lot dwelled in the cities of the plain, and pitched his
tent toward Sodom."  Lot pitched his tent toward Sodom!  His eyes had started him
down the slippery slope of ruin and destruction.  We've looked before at this progression
in Psalms 1:1  "Blessed is the man that walketh not in the counsel of the ungodly,
nor standeth in the way of sinners, nor sitteth in the seat of the scornful."  Walking,
standing, sitting.  Giving place to sin is quick and easy!  Lot looked, he pitched his
tent, and then we find in Genesis 19:1, that Lot was sitting.  "And there came two
angels to Sodom at even:  and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom." 

Sodom was a evil, sinful city, it is a clear picture of sin.  To sit in the gate of any city,
one had to have a place of pre-eminence in that place.  Lot was sitting in the gate. 
One's sin always affects more than just the person sinning, the affects of sin can be
felt on the generations to follow.  We see that when the angels warned Lot to take
his family and flee the coming destruction of the city, that his family balked!  They
had become comfortable in that sinful place.  The angels had to take him and his
family by force in order to spare them.  Genesis 19:16  "And while he (Lot) lingered,
the men (angels) laid hold upon his hand, and upon the hand of his wife, and
upon the hand of his two daughters:  the LORD being merciful unto him;  and
they set him without the city."

Even knowing that utter destruction was eminent, Lot, his wife and only two of his
daughters, had to be forced to leave.  Sin totally blinds one to the truth.  Sin will
cause ones decisions to be marred.  Lot lost his wife that day because she could not
help but look back at what she was losing.  He lost his sons and other daughters
and their families because they were so entrenched in their sinful lives that they
did not believe him and laughed at him.  Lot's decision years earlier to pitch his
tent toward Sodom (sin) cost him mightily.

Where have you pitched your tent today?  Are you being lured by the world and
the pleasures of sin for a season?  Or can you say with the Psalmist in Psalms
101:3  "I will set no wicked thing before mine eyes:"  Remember the decisions
you make today will not only affect your relationship with God, but your childrens'
and grandchildrens' as well!  Make sure you are pitching your tent in the right
direction!

Psalms 15:15a  "Mine eyes are ever toward the LORD:"

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6QCK3ZVHtw

My Eyes Are Fixed On You

My eyes are fixed on You O Lord,
Your loving face I see;
I set my heart hard after You,
And I'll follow faithfully.
Each weight I lay aside,
By grace I will abide,
Your rod and staff they comfort me,
And open up my eyes...
And open up my eyes.
To see Your holiness,
To be Your righteousness,
O how I need You Lord...
To see Your majesty,
To be Your family,
O Lord, I praise Your name.

                                                     Bob Fitts

Minute Musings...Then Came The Morning!

Matthew 27:59 & 60  "And when Joseph had taken the body, he wrapped it in a
clean linen cloth, and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had hewn out in the
rock:  and he rolled a great stone to the door of the sepulchre, and departed."

The followers of Jesus were in mourning.  They had watched Him tortured, hung on
an rugged cross.  They had watched in horror as their Lord's blood ran down that old
cross and saturated the ground.  They had heard Him say, "It is finished" (Mark 19:30),
and then watched Him die.  He was now buried in a borrowed tomb that the Roman
soldiers had sealed (Matthew 27:66), and the faithful followers of Jesus Christ were in
mourning. 

But...then came the morning!  Mark 16:2  "And very early in the morning the
first day of the week, they came unto the sepulchre at the rising of the sun." 

That early morning, at the rising of the sun, their sorrow turned to gladness, their
tears to rejoicing, their broken hearts mended for the Savior had risen...just as He
had promised them He would!  Their sorrow burdened hearts had contained no room
for the hope of His promised resurrection.  Aren't we the same!  We become so overwhelmed
with heartaches, sorrows, and fears, that we forget the precious promises of God.  His
promises of comfort, help, guidance, peace and deliverance.  The night will not last forever,
joy will come in the morning.

That glorious resurrection morning sealed the fate of Satan, for Jesus had conquered
the last enemy...death!  1 Corinthians 15:20  "But now is Christ risen from the
dead,"  Why should our feet drag, our countenance be downcast, our outlook gloomy?
We serve a RISEN Savior...He Lives!

He Lives

 

I serve a risen Savior, He's in the world today;

I know that He is living, whatever men may say;

I see His hand of mercy, I hear His voice of cheer,

And just the time I need Him, He's always near.

 

In all the world around me I see His loving care,

And though my heart grows weary, I never will despair;

I know that He is leading thru all the stormy blast,

The day of His appearing will come at last.

 

Rejoice, rejoice, O Christian, lift up your voice and sing.

Eternal hallelujahs to Jesus Christ the King!

The Hope of all who seek Him, the help of all who find,

None other is so loving so good and kind.

 

He lives, He lives, Christ Jesus lives today!

He walks with me and talks with me,

Along life's narrow way!

He lives, He lives, salvation to impart!

You ask me how I know He lives?

He lives within my heart!

 

                                                                           Alfred H. Ackley

 

What does this morning mean to you?  1 Corinthians 15:22b  "In Christ shall all

be made alive."  The Resurrection of our wonderful Lord and Savior means new life

in Christ for all that accept His gift of salvation which was made possible by His

death on the cross.  We serve a risen Savior...hallelujah, the morning has come!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ijknLpg0woM

 



Minute Musings...Look And Live

Easter...what does this mean to you.  Unfortunately to countless many the weekend will
go by with Easter egg hunts, chocolate bunnies, big ham dinners and family gatherings.
But as with Christmas, the reason for this special day is lost to the multitudes.

John 3:14 - 17  "And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must
the Son of man be lifted up:  That whosoever believeth in Him should not perish,
but have eternal life.  For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten
Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world;  but that the world
through Him might be saved."

Easter should not glorify the Easter bunny, but the Savior, not the eggs but the cross,
not chocolate but the resurrection. How messed up society has become when more
importance is placed on a rabbit then the Lord!  Easter is a time to remember the world
changing event that happened on an old rugged cross.  This old Roman cross bore the
sacrificial Lamb of God, as He willingly offered Himself up as the payment for our
sins. 

The reference to Moses in John 3:14, refers to the Old Testament account of the children
of Israel that we find in Numbers chapter 21.  The children of Israel had spoken against
God and Moses, and God judged them by sending fiery serpents into the camp.  When
the Israelites came with repentant hearts to Moses, God instructed Moses to make a
serpent of brass and set it upon a pole;  vs 8  "...that everyone that is bitten, when he
looketh upon it, shall live."  Everyone that day that beheld the serpent of brass lifted
high on the pole, lived. 

In the Word of God, brass symbolizes judgement.  This brass serpent, lifted high, was a
foreshadowing of the cross of Christ.  The cross was a place of judgement, God's holy
judgement fell upon the spotless Lamb of God on this darkest day in history.  Jesus Christ
bore the sin of the world...our sin!  He endured the judgement of God, so that we might
look upon Him and live.

Have you looked to the Lamb of God and found newness of life?  What He endured on
that cross, He endured because of His love for you.  Raise your eyes to the cross, to the
Lamb...look and live!

Isaiah 53:5  "But He was wounded for our transgressions, He was bruised for
our iniquities:  the chastisement of our peace was upon Him:  and with His stripes
we are healed."

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vudmSE2yZQ



                                                                     Look And Live

 

I've a message from the Lord, Hallelujah! 

The message unto you I give;

'Tis recorded in His Word, Hallelujah!

It is only that you look and live.

 

I've a message full of love, Hallelujah!

A message from the Lord for you;

'Tis a message from above, Hallelujah!

Jesus said it and I know it's true.

 

Life is offered unto you, Hallelujah!

Eternal life your soul shall have,

If you'll only look to Him, Hallelujah!

Look to Jesus, who alone can save.

 

Look and live, O will you live,

Look to Jesus now and live;

'Tis recorded in His Word, Hallelujah!

It is only that you look and live.

 

                                                                    William A. Ogden