Who do you trust?

Do you trust the Lord? If some one asked you that question every one of us would immediately answer yes, of course. I heard this statement last week. Sometimes it is hard to trust the God when we know we might suffer. And it has made me think about that the question all week. Do I trust the Lord? I have trusted God with my life and eternal future, just like you probably have. (If you haven’t you need to now!) But can I trust Him when it might cost me, or I might suffer some. None of us want to suffer but sometimes trusting God will cause us to suffer.

In Luke 22, we see Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, and we know how He struggled with doing God’s will and fulfilling the Father’s purpose for why He came. We know the rest of the story, that Jesus suffered, died and raised again all for us. He suffered doing God’s will. But He trusted the Father.

In 2 Cor. 11:22-3, Paul talks about all the things he suffered for doing God’s will for his life. Paul trusted the Lord, even when he knew it was going to cost him something. Paul’s attitude about these things was this.

2 Cor.4:17-18 For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, is working for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory, 18 while we do not look at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen. For the things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal. So continue to trust the Lord and know that everything is going to work out for the good. God is in control

Psalm 84:12 O Lord of hosts, Blessed is the man who trusts in You!

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Are you satisfied?

We all know about the Parable of the Prodigal Son in Luke 15. But I want to look at a verse and go a little different direction.

Luke 15:16 And he would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything. He would of filled his stomach with the pods, but it really wasn’t satisfying. I think many of us feel like we are in that condition. We may feel full but we are not satisfied. We can be full on a lot of different things. We can be full of television; it can be sitcoms, sports or the news. We can be full on entertainment and all kind of activities. We can even be full on church life and still not satisfied.

Amos 4:8 So two or three cities wandered to another city to drink water, But they were not satisfied; Yet you have not returned to Me,” Says the LORD. It is only the Lord who can fill us and satisfy us. Are you willing to do what it takes to change the situation if you are not satisfied? When Jesus gives you something it satisfies. His desire is to fill you with the Holy Spirit. We are told to be filled with the Holy Spirit. Eph.5:18 And do not be drunk with wine, in which is dissipation; but be filled with the Spirit.

Jesus said this about the Holy Spirit:
John 7:37-38 On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. 38 He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.

Paul and Barnabas got ran out of town in Acts 13. But they didn’t get full of anger and bitterness. They didn’t fill up on the things of the world. Instead it says in.

Acts 13:52 And the disciples were filled with joy and with the Holy Spirit.

We have to fill ourselves on the things that satisfy. The Word of God, the Holy Spirit and God’s presence. As David said in Psalm 103:5 Who satisfies your mouth with good things, So that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. God brings satisfaction he fills us up and renews us for another day.

Lost Things

Ok, you ever had one of those days where it seems like everything goes wrong? Yesterday I was reminded of a sermon my brother preached years ago, called "Lost Things”. You see yesterday I lost my keys, and I had never done that before (honestly). And I was upset, mad you might say. And I looked everywhere tried to remember where I might of lost them at. I went out of my way, spent time and energy looking for my keys. I asked questions, asked for help and probably looked foolish. But I had to find my keys.

You see we seek for things according to their value. The more value, the harder we seek. What about spiritual things? If we have lost something do we seek for it, like it is something valuable?

Luke 19:10 for the Son of Man has come to seek and to save that which was lost.”

Jesus is looking to do something. He is seeking.

Save: sozo = make whole (spiritually, physically and mentally) restore anything lacking.

Lost: apollumi = not just people, but it can mean things. Matt.10:42. Not just lost but destroyed, broken or not working.

Notice not “them” but “that”. So Jesus has come to make whole and restore anything that’s lacking, been lost, or not working properly. It’s God’s will that we find and receive back anything that we’ve lost. So if you have lost something, turn to Jesus. He wants to restore those things that are missing or lost.

Oh, and by the way. I found my keys!!! Thank you Jesus.

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Pray and Watch

In our bible study group we have been going through the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah was such a great leader and a man of great vision. In chapter 4 we find that the wall is half way built, but the enemy is attacking. The enemy will always attack and ridicule the vision of God. And I love verse 9.

Nehemiah 4:9 Nevertheless we made our prayer to our God, and because of them we set a watch against them day and night.

These are the two things we are to do, when it looks like the enemy has us surrounded and is attacking us. Pray and watch. Jesus told us to pray and watch in Mark 13:33 and 14:38. Paul talked about praying and watching in Eph. 6:18. We are told in 1Peter 5:8 To be alert because our enemy is looking for someone to devour. We all know that prayer is a powerful weapon for the believer. But what I like also is the watching part. In Nehemiah they were certainly watching the enemy to see what they were up to. Just as we are to watch the enemy as well.

But the other side of watching that I like is we can also watch and see what God is up to. No matter what kind of situation you find yourself facing. God is still in control. And we are to continue to do what we know to do. Nehemiah and the Israelites prayed and kept a watch. We are to pray keep watch and keep doing what we know to do. We can watch and see what God is going to do. In fact Psalm 46:10 says it the best.

Psalm 46:10 "Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth." In our time of prayer and watching, we just need to be still and let God be God. Because He will be exalted in your life and circumstances.

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Are you that man?

It seems like every time I listen to the radio and hear some one teaching or preaching they have been using this scripture.

2Tim.4:3-4 For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but after their own lusts shall they heap to themselves teachers, having itching ears;
4And they shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables.

It seems that there are a lot people who are turning away from the truth of the scripture. And they seem to want to form their own doctrine, other than what God’s Word says. We need to be and have to be people of the Word. Sometimes the Word hurts. The bible says it is like a twoedged sword in Heb.4:12

In fact I heard one of my favorite preachers (Perry Noble) say this about grace. “When we use His grace as an excuse to continue a sinful lifestyle we are not worshipping HIM as God...we are worshipping ourselves...and... · ..asking Him to come along for the ride!”


I believe that God is looking for men and women who will stand up for the truth of God’s Word. People who will stand up for righteousness. I just finished listening to a message about people being tortured and put into prison for preaching the truth of God’s Word. I also heard about 4 men being beheaded for being a Christian. So the point is, it is not going to always be easy and it will cost you something to make a stand for God and His Word.

Ezek.22:30 And I sought for a man among them, that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.

Jer.5:1Run ye to and fro through the streets of Jerusalem, and see now, and know, and seek in the broad places thereof, if ye can find a man, if there be any that executeth judgment, that seeketh the truth; and I will pardon it.

God is always looking for a man or woman or a church that will stand up for God and make up the difference. Are you that man? Are you that woman? Are you that church or ministry?

Neh. 2:10 When Sanballat the Horonite, and Tobiah the servant, the Ammonite, heard of it, it grieved them exceedingly that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.
The world may look at you the way they looked at Nehemiah. They were upset that somebody cared enough for the things of God. But God was pleased and gave Nehemiah and the people success. It pays off to be that man or woman or church who will make a stand for God and His cause.

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