Last week’s church camp was a great week. I was privileged to have Jared as the other represented church in my cabin with me. Jared is also my neighbor right across the road and this was his first time to ever go to church camp. Continue reading
Children
Excuse me – Part 4
Still another said, ‘I have married a wife, and therefore I cannot come.’ Luke 14:20
What a lame excuse this is. I always thought a spouse would be a good reason to go to church but I guess some could use love as an excuse. Continue reading
God Provided a Memory!
I remember over 30 years ago, when I was a contractor for the telephone company, I would get a job that contained a description of the work needed to be done, complete with directions to the location.
One day I got a job that described the work area as “just past Johnny Weatherford’s old place.”
I knew Mr. Weatherford. He was a supervisor at the telco. But I did not know where he once lived. In fact, I found out later he had not lived there in more than 15 years. Only the old-timer phone men remembered that.
Each of us do much the same thing – making reference to homes and stores that no longer exist, like the old Wal-mart or someone’s old homestead.
I still refer to my uncle Curtis’ property, though he has been dead and gone for over 30 years and his daughter and son-in-law own it all now.
Abraham called the name of the place, The-Lord-Will-Provide; as it is said to this day, “In the Mount of the Lord it shall be provided.” Gen 22:14
The place where Abraham would sacrifice Isaac was around Mt. Moriah. But after the events he named it Yahweh-Yireh (Jehovah Jireh) or “The Lord Will Provide”.
I’m pretty sure that not too many people called it that. Perhaps Abraham, Isaac, maybe the men that had traveled with them, and a few other family members through the years.
What a wonderful testimony it would be if to do things like this today. And you can.
You can share with our children, grandchildren, family and friends such things as where you were saved, baptized, or first went to VBS as a child.
You can show them the pastor’s house or some old church where you experienced a great revival.
Make a memory like Abraham did for his family.
Abba, I praise You for the Godly memories throughout my life. May I pass those memories down to my family and help them make memories of their own. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN
The Sacrifice of a Child
And Abraham stretched out his hand and took the knife to slay his son. Gen 22:10
Child sacrifice has been part of many civilizations and cultures from the earliest of time.
It would have been part of Abraham’s world and a part of worship that he and Sarah were denied, since they were childless.
It may have been they wanted children so bad they could not comprehend how others could so carelessly toss away those innocent lives to a god.
God’s calling came to Abraham and it removed him from the land of the Chaldeans to the land of the Canaanites.
In time Abraham and Sarah had a son, Isaac. For me the test of Abraham and Isaac is perhaps about Abraham’s giving of Isaac because he loves God as compared to the devotion of those pagans he left behind all those years ago; pagans that willingly gave their children to a god of wood or stone.
Then again, Abraham’s faith is in the ability of what God can do.
He concluded that God was able to raise [Isaac] up, even from the dead, from which he also received him in a figurative sense. Heb 11:19
As for God, He gave His only Son for us.
He became sin for us!
He became despised for us!
He was rejected for us!
He was cursed for us!
That we might become the righteousness of God in Him.
For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. John 3:16-17
Today children are still sacrificed but only for the god of selfishness. Abortion is a blight on our land and it is the demise of any civilization – when it’s citizens are destroyed even before they are born.
There is forgiveness, even after abortion!
If you know someone that has had an abortion, you could minister to them or at least pray for that person. Perhaps seek the council of a pregnancy help center for advice.
Abba, children are a blessing. Help me to touch the life of a child today or the life of someone that has loss one. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN
Little Children
I am surrounded by children. I have my 12 year old granddaughter, 9 year old grandson, and 10 month old grandson living with me.
Each of them have something in common – they depend on me.
Each of them are in a daily learning process. Haylee and Braeden may go to school every day and learn the three R’s; but the youngest is learning the basics of how to crawl, stand, and the meaning of the word “No!”
I’ve watched how Braeden will do just about anything he is told to do, while Haylee wants to resist it and Dawson is learning the meaning of the word “No!”
All of them are dependent on me for transportation. I provide the means, the way, the gas, the insurance, and I usually determine the route.
I buy the food for the house. I pay for the roof over their head and all the utilities to run the home.
Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Matt 18:3
I feel that God wants you to be totally dependent on Him for everything – like little children.
He wants you to learn from the Bible, obey Him, and depend on Him to lead you where you need to go. He will give you what you need.
Abba, You are my Father. I depend on You for assurance and safety. Please tell me what I need to do today! In Jesus name, YES&AMEN
Wait for the Best!
Gen 15:3-4 Then Abram said, “Look, You have given me no offspring; indeed one born in my house is my heir!”
And behold, the word of the Lord came to him, saying, “This one shall not be your heir, but one who will come from your own body shall be your heir.”
Abram was willing to settle for Eliezar of Damascus to be his heir; he was willing to forgo the stress of waiting and wondering for it just to be over and life move forward.
There are times you can be so desperate to move forward you will compromise for something less than God wants for you.
God has a plan. His plan is perfect. Your plan is flawed, unless that plan is to wait on God.
There are people right now settling for less than God wants for them. They are living in their sin when God wants them to live in Christ.
Some are praying to trees or dead religious leaders when God wants to answer their prayers.
You may be struggling to make ends meet or you may make lots of money but aren’t truly fulfilled or happy. God wants you to be dependent on Him for all you need, including happiness and joy.
Don’t settle for less. Wait on the Lord.
Ps 37:7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him; Do not fret because of him who prospers in his way,
Ps 27:14 Wait on the Lord; Be of good courage, And He shall strengthen your heart;
Wait, I say, on the Lord!
Isa 40:31 But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.
Abba, I want the most that You desire to give to me. In Jesus name, YES&AMEN
What will You give me?
Gen 15:2 Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me…
What did Abram already have?
The Bible reports he was rich in gold, silver, and cattle. He had a beautiful wife that was desired by other men even though she was in her 70’s.
He had trained servants that could take on the armies of four different kingdoms. He had the promise of possessing all the land.
And most importantly, he had God!
It’s not what you have from God that you are concerned about – it’s what you don’t have.
Though Abram was a rich man with a lot to be happy about, he had no children.
Gen 15:2
Abram said, “Lord God, what will You give me, seeing I go childless, and the heir of my house is Eliezer of Damascus?”
Abram had one other thing – God’s promise of an heir from his own body, but it was one promise he struggled to patiently wait on.
Look around your home at all the things you possess. It’s proof that people are never satisfied. Garage sales are further proof of too much around the house.
Can your possessions compare to the gift of eternal life from God?
Matt 16:26 For what profit is it to a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?
How much of your life can you give God credit for having?
Are you coming to Him and asking for more?
Can you wait for God’s promises to be fulfilled?
Abba, I am rich because of You! My greatest possession is my salvation. Every day I only ask that I can encourage someone else, in Jesus name, with the Good News.YES&AMEN
Build the House
1 Chron 22:6 Then he called for his son Solomon, and charged him to build a house for the Lord God of Israel.
For Better – For Worse
For some reason I got up this morning thinking about Job. That doesn’t happen very often.
Job is an interesting fellow. It is said of him, he was blameless—a man of complete integrity. He feared God and stayed away from evil. Job 1:1
It’s quite a great honor when God takes time to say these things about you. Continue reading
Your love should be God’s love.
For the past few days I’ve looked at what dad’s leave behind for their children in the way of inherent sin and the Way to handle it.
I want to continue along that thought again today.
Paul instructs both the Colossians and the Ephesians with almost the same words – Fathers, do not provoke your children to anger by the way you treat them. Rather, bring them up with the discipline and instruction that comes from the Lord. Eph 6:4 Continue reading
Morning Thought with Pastor Tim 