GOD LISTENS AND ACTS

I live in Oklahoma, USA. For the past several years, our state has been in a severe drought. The rivers, lakes, and ponds were empty. Our churches held pray for rain days last summer. We did not receive instant gratification, but God was acting upon those prayers. This spring, we have received record rain fall. Some may call these floods and rainy days bothersome, but they are people who did not pray for crops to be watered, cattle ponds to be filled, and lakes to be filled for general public water requirements. They are people who care nothing but for their own convenience. Never considering where their next drink of water will come from.

All praise and glory to our loving and merciful Father for his gift of this needed rainfall. All our lakes, rivers, and ponds are full and overflowing. Thank you Father for your gifts to those who do not deserve such. We love and honor you. Amen.

Pictured below is the Washita River in Oklahoma, one of the previously dry rivers and now full to overflowing. The name Washita is from two Choctaw Indian Tribe words, Owa Chito, meaning big hunt. This state had millions of American Buffalo traversing the land in herds that would take up to four days to pass by on their migrations when they exhausted the grass supplies in an area.

Our rivers are not just red from the flooding. They are normally red. Our state name, Oklahoma, is an Indian name meaning "Land of the Red Man", most of the Indian tribes were moved to Oklahoma in the 1800's in order to control them and let the white man steal their lands legally, and most of the soil is red too. Isn't our Holy Father wonderful? If all flowers, trees, land forms, people, etc were all the same color and look exactly alike, wouldn't it be a boring and hideous world? Thank you, Father.

Sheldon Bass, a guest post.

Sheldon Bass and I became friends through FaithWriters, a naitonal Christian writer's organization of which we are members. Sheldon is a minister working with an inner-city mission church in Indiana. He is the author of the devotional book MEET HIM on the MOUNTAIN.
http://www.xulonpress.com/bookstore/bookdetail.php?PB_ISBN=9781498401906&HC_ISBN=

GOLDEN SERVICE

Even to your old age I will be the same, and even to your graying years I will bear you! I have done it, and I will carry you; I will bear you and I will deliver you. (Isaiah 46:4 NASB)

Sometimes it’s difficult to accept the changing seasons of our earthly lives. Entering those golden senior years—our bodies may not be able to do the things they once did. We might have to serve the Lord in a different capacity than before. Aches and pains intensify and become more frequent, our memories grow weaker and our mobility limited, among other troublesome problems. Yet there are wonderful benefits that go along with our final season of life on earth, too.

Transitioning from a hands-on type of service for God to a less prominent position has no bearing on the importance of what God has for each of us to accomplish. The names of “Simeon” and “Anna” have been passed down through Christendom as being two mighty servants of the Most High (Luke 2). It wasn’t the work of their younger days which marks their memorial. It was their patient endurance and faithful service in the later season of their lives which sparks within us the desire to remain the kind of people God can use. Even in old age God can utilize us in mighty ways for His glory and grand purposes.

Leaving behind a good example of Christian love and diligent service that will last long after our physical death is a powerful legacy and witness for the gospel of Christ.

An elderly widow at my church, whom we call “Grandma Nancy” is one of our most beloved and respected members. When glaucoma weakened her eyes and additional health problems surfaced she could no longer print the newsletters for the church. Neither was she able to continue teaching children’s classes.

Grandma Nancy had difficulty accepting her plight and began feeling like a worthless old soul. But God was already employing that wonderful Christian woman in her most influential role yet. She’s like a strong anchor for the entire congregation, serving as a model for good Christian disciplines. Each Sunday, a long line forms to get a hug from everyone’s favorite Grandma. We look forward to that hug, which serves as a powerful reassurance that each one of us are loved, needed and appreciated.

Nancy now heads up our telephone prayer line, keeping the entire congregation up to date on the needs of each member. What a mighty prayer warrior she’s turned into! To us, Grandma Nancy is one of our most treasured members. Her legacy of loving service and commitment to the Lord will always be with us.

Because of our faith in Christ we don’t have to fear growing old. God will keep us relevant and occupied with useful service, until the day He takes us home. Isn’t it just like our Lord to do that? He thinks of every need we could ever have.

 

STILL NO RADAR CAPABLE OF DETECTING GOD

"Sir, still not not picking God up on the screen."

Trillions of dollars spent on science around the world each year, but still we have no radar, Doppler or otherwise, capable of detecting God. Nope, and no microscope, electron or otherwise, capable of seeing the smallest piece of God's creation. Yeah, we still don't have a telescope, Hubble or otherwise, capable of seeing the end of God's physical creation. Oh my goodness, no my child, we do not have any physical instrument invented by mankind capable of seeing into and photographing God's spiritual world or dimension (for the science buffs). We still do the spiritual manually and personally, thank God.

Where is this groundbreaking article headed? Here there and everywhere, but always for and about my God, my Lord. Looks like Christianity is dying according to doomsayers. Umm, do they really think there is a chance God will lose? Let me think. The last time God lost was...never. We give far too many human attributes - more like all the bad human attributes - to God. Yes sir, he is always angry and wanting us to kill non-believers or sinful believers, etc. Now, that's a timeless attribute. For some reason that doesn't seem to fit into a God that Jesus said loves us unconditionally and is forever forgiving us. I really think that if God wants someone murdered, he is quite capable of it himself with one flick of his eyelash. How about God throws us into Hell for dancing or merely listening to music. Does anyone remember David, Jesus' distant relative? I recall him playing the flute and dancing with joy for our Lord. Oh my dear brothers and sisters. How you love to find ways to bottle up God. When we box God in, we are putting limitations on him. The last time I checked God is still omniscient, omnipresent, and omnipotent. I hate to disappoint those seeking a bottled God, but it ain't going to happen. That's the God I know and love; without limit and divinely loving.

One of the world's leading and most revered scientists states that there is no proof that God exists. My thought is one of pity for this man that was born with a great scientific mind but with eyes so blind. I know he is confined to a wheelchair, but surely, he must have gone outside at some point in his life and viewed a sunrise or sunset. Has he never at least seen pictures of majestic purple mountains covered in their majesty with towering trees interspersed with open meadows decorated with a seemingly endless variety of flowers of varied and magnificent colors and shapes? Evidently, he has never noticed the deep blue sky lit by a brilliant fire-eyed sun that warms but does not consume and the decorous and infinite variety of clouds that drift constantly across that sky driven by an unseen wind that, though invisible to the eye, we know exists due its effects  - hmmm, sort of like God. But since when is an authority on physical science our go-to guy for info about our spiritual God?

Oh, no! Isis is going to take over the world. Iran and North Korea have nuclear weapons. Global warming is melting the ice caps. The younger generation is going to Hell. Put your trust in God, not in man, and keep in mind that Jesus taught us that worrying has never added one day to a person's life. Sit down wherever you may be and talk to God about all your worries. After all, it is his will that is being done, but he always has time to sit with you and talk about all your worries...always. Jesus told us that if we have faith, we will have eternal life. So, if we have faith, what or who can kill us besides God, himself? Cool the worrying bit about things you have absolutely no control over.

Kick back. Listen carefully. I'm going to get really serious. You can serve and give and love your fellow brothers and sisters all day and night for the rest of your life, but until you give a piece of your time every day to talk, listen, and get to know our Father on an extremely personal level the way he knows us, then you will never reap the full rewards of Christianity nor be spiritually fulfilled and connected with our Lord as he so deeply desires us to be. I cannot overstress the importance of a personal relationship with our Father. Do not relegate this part of Christianity to a place of secondary importance. This relationship will totally change your life. This relationship will strengthen you beyond your wildest imagination. This relationship will create an impermeable bond between you and our God. With this relationship, you will be able to translate God's love and forgiveness into the service you do for others in his name as he asked us to do. 

One last item before I close. If you express or come on as tight and tough (eg. you are going to hell unless you change) with your faith, then you are going to have a terrible conversion rate and most likely a high rate of driving people from the church. Lighten up. God is loving, gentle, compassionate, forgiving. We need to stick to the loving, forgiving, compassion, etc and leave the judging to our Father who judges based on a complete knowledge of a person's life and the causes behind their actions and what is in their heart. Let's be good and uplifting examples for those around us; believers or not. Let's be good stewards and walk in the true light of God as shown to us by our Lord Jesus Christ. God's Blessings and comfort to you all.

WHY ME?

I originally wrote this article as a guest post for Christian Ebooks Today on May 4, 2015. 

A frequent comment by Christians when they are confronted by tragedy is, "Why me?"  It is a question that has run through my mind occasionally. I cannot answer the "Why me?" question, but God can. He is the one that is in control...not us.

First of all, there is nothing in scripture promising us a life of perfection without problems, heartbreak, or calamity in general. Actually, it points out that we may be subjected to even greater torment in his name. As a Christian, we are to be different in the way we handle the pain that will surely be laid upon us.  We should stand out in a world where so many people put their faith in technology for deliverance, for a solution to every problem. We are instructed to love when the other person seemingly deserves none. We are instructed to show compassion when the other person seemingly deserves none. We are instructed to forgive when the other person deserves none. We must have faith in the seemingly unseen. We are to experience and exhibit spiritual joy in the midst of great personal pain. All these things put us potentially in harm's way. We are asked to give comfort and show kindness to any who need it including those of other faiths.  We must love and forgive those who torture us and make our life miserable and painful.

 

Why should we do these things?  Because God forgives us when we do not deserve it. God loves us when we do not deserve it. God shows us compassion when we do not deserve it.  As a Christian, we must show the world that we are not immune to tragedy and difficult times. We must be an example by the godly manner and spiritual joy we exhibit as we deal with tragedy and difficult times. We must not try to handle it alone for the very reason that we are incapable of handling it alone. In other words, God does not put things upon us that we cannot handle if done in conjunction with his assistance. In those times, we must pray for stronger backs and his wisdom and courage...not to take the burden away. Yes, be a glory to God in our trials.

In Mark 14:35-36, we see that our Father exempted not even his son, Jesus, from tragedy and the most horrendous of situations. Jesus, as always, was the perfect example of how to handle the situation. Knowing the dreadful events that lay before him and suffering great anguish, he talked it over with his Father, God. Jesus told God that he wanted that cup or that mission removed from his life, but acknowledged that it was what God wanted, his will, not what he personally wanted. As Christians, we do nothing wrong in asking for the cup to be taken from us, but, at the same instance, we need to let God know it is his will that counts...not ours. Why me? Why not me?