"Word of Encouragement"

 "And I beseech you, brethren, suffer the word of exhortation: for I have written a letter unto you in few words." (Hebrews 13:22 KJV)

  "And all of this is a gift from God who brought us back to himself through Christ. And God has given us this task of reconciling people to him. For God was in Christ, reconciling the world to himself, no longer counting people's sins against them. And he gave us this wonderful message of reconciliation. So we are Christ's ambassadors; God is making his appeal through us. We speak for Christ when we plead, "Come back to God!" For God made Christ, who never sinned, to be the offering for our sin, so that we could be made right with God through Christ." (2 Corinthians 5:18-21 NLT)

 More than anything else, I want to finish well! Yet, the more I persevere to be holy, the more I feel that I am not; as weird as that might sound, it just is what it is! To be totally honest, I think that is how it is meant to be: We are what we are, and whatever we try to do to correct ourselves, we seldom can make it happen. It's like when you tell yourself, 'Don't think of pink elephants,' and you struggle to get the pink elephant out of your head! 

 So, this is what I believe, whether it works or not, it is something we must strive for and make every effort to make it our goal...

"Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again - rejoice! Let everyone see that you are considerate in all you do. Remember, the Lord is coming soon. Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God's peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:4-7 NLT) 

"Wellpleasing in His Sight" - To

 "Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ: to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:21 KJV)

  "So we have not stopped praying for you since we first heard about you. We ask God to give you complete knowledge of his will and to give you spiritual wisdom and understanding. Then the way you live will always honor and please the Lord, and your lives will produce every kind of good fruit. All the while you will grow as you learn to know God better and better. We also pray that you will be strengthened with all his glorious power so you will have all the endurance and patience you need. May you be filled with joy, always thanking the Father. He has enabled you to share in the inheritance that belongs to his people, who live in the light. For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transformed us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins." (Colossians 1:9-14 NLT)

 I am sorry if I offended anyone with my closing statement. It is something I felt strongly about when I left the church I was a pastor at, back in 2018 or 2019; actually, I don't remember when; except that my niece was going to start going to Country Christian School, and I used that as a way out; bring her family to LCC and making it my opportunity to go there also. If you don't understand what I mean, it is really not that hard to understand: You shouldn't leave a church simply because you might have been offended; but you could leave a church if you have a good reason, that is justifiable. 

 Maybe you still didn't get the point; but it is really more about structure than anything else. We are not really meant to rebel against anything we might have issue with; especially anything that might cause others to also be concerned or upset about. I have seen that happen too many times in certain churches, and it is ugly and causes many to actually fall away from church, all together. 

 My leaving was done in a celebratory manor; where everyone prayed over me and my family, as we were departing to be a part of another fellowship. Believe it or not, it was all about tithes and offerings; as crazy as that might seem. I believed that it should be out in the open and structured; where there is actually a passing of the plate or bag. As it turns out, that isn't what we do at the current church either...

"Let the message about Christ in all its richness, fill your lives. Teach and counsel each other with all the wisdom he gives. Sing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs to God with thankful hearts. And whatever you do or say, do it as a representative of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks through him to God the Father." (Colossians 3:16-17 NLT)  

"Wellpleasing in His Sight"

"Make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in you that which is wellpleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen." (Hebrews 13:21 KJV)

  "Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience. Make allowances for each other's faults, and forgive anyone who offends you. Remember the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others. Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds us all together in perfect harmony. And let the peace that comes from Christ rule in your hearts. For as members of one body you are called to live in peace. And always be thankful." (Colossians 3:12-15 NLT)

 I have a feeling to not spend any time doing this blog during Man Camp this weekend. I have always committed myself to do this as much as I could; these last few visits in the hospital have given me the opportunity to slip away from this, a few days at a time; even not feeling guilty! That said, this has been something that causes me to dive into the Bible, each and every day; something that I failed doing prior to starting this journey, back on January 1st, 2010. 

 Before my first hospital visit, I had never missed a day; even though I might have had to be late, I still made every effort to stay committed to not missing a single day. As I have said before, there are times when I feel as though I am too committed, as if this has been too much of a journey. But since my first stay in the hospital, I feel that two or three days off is really actually refreshing. 

 Anywho, this passage reminds me of a message I heard back in the late 90's, which was a time I felt as though I needed to go to a Calvary Chapel Conference, in San Jose. It was a very critical time in my life, as the business was having financial issues and the IRS was pressing me to get caught up on my taxes. I almost had another side that didn't want to go; but my heart felt that it needed to happen. 

 The first speaker was Pastor Damian, who I had never heard before. As he opened up the message, he asked us to open our Bible's up to a certain Scripture, which I can't recall. But as soon as he read the very first word, by heart was broken, and I began to weep. As much as I have been to many different gatherings, this was the very first time that this had ever happened. 

 As Pastor Damian continued, my mind was focused on everything he had to say. He began speaking about this passage that I typed out this morning, from Colossians 3. As he was illustrating certain actions, involving laying out clothes, he was actually motioning out what it might look like to lay out clothes on a bed. There were a couple other Pastor's nearby, who were laughing to each other, as if what he was demonstrating was a joke. 

 My heart felt a little broken, for a moment; but I soon realized it was actually not that unusual for some Pastor's to mock each other's teachings...

"And so, dear friends, while you are waiting for these things to happen, make every effort to be found living peaceful lives that are pure and blameless in his sight. And remember, our Lord's patience gives people time to be saved. This is what our beloved brother Paul also wrote to you with the wisdom God gave him - speaking of these things in all of his letters. Some of his comments are hard to understand, and those who are ignorant and unstable have twisted his letters to mean something quite different, just as they do with other parts of Scripture. And this will result in their destruction." (2 Peter 3:14-16 NLT)    

"Our Great Security!" - Too

"Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd on the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant," (Hebrews 13:20 KJV)

  "Once you were like sheep who wandered away. But now you have turned to your Shepherd, the Guardian of your souls." (1 Peter 2:25 NLT)

 Maybe I didn't make my point strong enough, seemingly the way I explained myself wasn't fit for some, shall we say, that might not believe that our eternal Salvation is something that can never be taken away, even if we might fall away! If that might be something you can't except, that is totally up to you; but I feel sorry for you, if you think that falling away is a deal-killer, and that is enough to cancel your Salvation. 

 Over the last 45 years, I might have fallen away at least half-dozen times; each and every time, there has been something that has caused me to come back; each and every time I have learned that I am always welcomed back: His arms are always wide open, ready to hug me and welcome me home! 

 This fallen away I am talking about is not really about turning my back on the Lord, if you think that is what I mean. The falling away that I mean is that of doing things that I should not, things that cause my fellowship with the Lord to draw distant, for a season. I am just being honest, because I know it isn't just me; there are several people I know that slipped down that slippery slope from time to time. 

 One thing is sure; I have never really forsaken fellowship! I might have missed a few services from time to time; but I truly believe that we must not quit trying! Even if we fall, we must aways get up and stay loyal to Christ and our fellow believers! Whatever it is that has caused up to slip away, however you think that looks like, we are always still part of the family of God, always! 

 I remember a Men's Meeting we had back in the 90's, out in Palo Cedro. Pastor Bill was sharing about the fact that we were all members of the Body of Christ. There was a brother who stood up, who didn't think he was good enough to be a member of the Body of Christ, saying, "If I am a member of the Body of Christ, then I must be a Hemorrhoid!" 

 Hopefully that doesn't offend anyone, because we all got a kick out of the way he said it. None of us are perfect! We all mess up from time to time; but we also have one great thing in common: We are saved! As long as we have been saved, we have been given eternal life in Christ! This eternal life can never be taken away, because it is secure, waiting for us in heaven...

"All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. It is by his great mercy that we have been born again, because God raised Jesus Christ from the dead. Now we live with great expectation, and we have a priceless inheritance - an inheritance that is kept in heaven for you, pure and undefiled, beyond the reach of change and decay. And through your faith, God is protecting you by his power until you receive this salvation, which is ready to be revealed on the last day for all to see." (1 Peter 1:3-5 NLT) 

"Our Great Security!"

 "Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of the sheep, through the blood of the everlasting covenant," (Hebrews 13:20 KJV) 

  ""My sheep listen my voice; I know them, and they know me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish. No one can snatch them away from me, for my Father has given them to me, and he is more powerful than anyone else. No one can snatch them from my Father's hand. The Father and I are one."" (John 10:27-30 NLT)

 Because we aren't perfect, yet, we have some difficulties trying to live perfect lives; which is a thing, pretty much everyone has to deal with, from time to time; we struggle now and then with doubting our security. It's not that we don't feel saved, because I believe all of us that have been saved remember that day of our salvation; but we feel unworthy from time to time, as if we don't fit the mold.

 When I first got saved, both my wife and I would go forward if an alter call was given, just to renew our commitment to follow Jesus, probably once or twice every other month or two. Call it being cautious, if you will. But the only reason we did was because we weren't feeling perfect! 

 In this world there is nothing that is perfect; the whole world has been cursed ever since Adam did what God told him not to do. Before that time there was no cancer, no dying; everything was perfect in that Garden; even all the animals got alone and lived together, as it was, the lion and the lamb would hang out together, (so I have been told.) 

 My point is very simple, and I will hold onto it with all my heart: Jesus is my Savior, He died on that cross to pay the penalty for my sins, (even the sins I do now and the sins I will do tomorrow,) and He rose from that tomb as the First Born to eternal life; and He is coming back to get me, whether I am alive or in the grave, to take me with Him, for all eternity! 

 Now, if you have an issue with that, you can take it up with the Father, and see what He has to say about all of that; because it was the plan of both the Father and the Son, to get it done...

"How are these things possible?" Nicodemus asked. Jesus replied, "You are a respected Jewish teacher, and yet you don't understand these things? I assure you, we tell you what we know and have seen, and yet you won't believe our testimony. But if you don't believe me when I tell you about earthly things, how can you possibly believe if I tell you about heavenly things? No one has ever gone to heaven and returned. But the Son of Man has come down from heaven. And as Moses lifted up the bronze snake on a pole in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, so that everyone who believes in him will have eternal life. "For God loved the world so much that he gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. God sent his Son into the world not to judge the world, but to save the world through him."" (John 3:9-17 NLT)  

"Benediction"

  "Now may the God of peace - who brought up from the dead our Lord Jesus, the great Shepherd of the sheep, and ratified an eternal covenant with his blood - may he equip you with all you need for doing his will. May he produce in you, through the power of Jesus Christ, every good thing that is pleasing to him. All glory to him forever and ever! Amen.

 "I urge you, dear brothers and sisters, to pay attention to what I have written in this brief exhortation. I want you to know that our brother Timothy has been released from jail. If he comes here soon, I will bring him with me to see you. Greet all your leaders and all the believers there. The believers from Italy send you their greetings. May God's grace be with you all." (Hebrews 13:20-25 NLT)

  "We then, as workers together with him, beseech you also that ye receive not the grace of God in vain. (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succoured thee: Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.) Giving no offence in any thing, that the ministry be not blamed: but in all things approving ourselves as ministers of God, in much patience, in afflictions, in necessities, in distresses, in stripes, in imprisonments, in tumults, in labours, in watchings, in fastings; by pureness, by knowledge, by longsuffering, by kindness, by the Holy Ghost, by love unfeigned, by the word of truth, by the power of God, by the armour of righteousness on the right hand and on the left, by honour and dishonour, by evil report and good report: as deceivers, and yet true; as unknown, and yet well known; as dying, and, behold, we live; as chastened, and not killed; as sorrowful, yet always rejoicing; as poor, yet making many rich; as having nothing, and yet possessing all things." (2 Corinthians 6:1-10 KJV)

 For what it is worth, there are so many things that we go though in this life, whether we win or lose, in the end, we are still winners! As I have said, several times, over and over: When Jesus says we are going to the other side, we are going to the other side; regardless of the storm and the threat of death or despair; nothing, absolutely nothing, can keep us from making it to the other side! 

 Whatever you think that looks like, if your heart is set upon believing in the salvation you have been given, then nothing in this life can take your salvation away! You are the only one that can make any sort of harm to yourself; and even then, He still loves you! Never stop believing...

"This then is the message we have heard of him, and declare unto you, that God is light, and in him is no darkness at all. I we say that we have fellowship with him, and walk in darkness, we lie, and do not the truth: but if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us." (1 John 1:5-10 KJV)   

"The Rather" - Two

 "But I beseech you the rather to do this, that I may be restored to you the sooner." (Hebrews 13:19 KJV)

  "Yes, everything else is worthless when compared with the infinite value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God's way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!" (Philippians 3:8-11 NLT)

 If I could, I would do whatever it takes to be a missionary or serve somewhere that gives me the chance to minister to those who feel as though their life doesn't matter; because we must all believe that our lives matter to God! To be more positive and direct, our death also matters to God, because death is our door that opens to fellowship with God in person; which is what faith and hope is all about! 

 As it is, my purpose in this life right now is caring for my wife, which is something I have been doing for over 23 years now; and I am willing to do is another 23 years, if the Lord keeps us going. At that time, I would be 91 years old, and my wife would be 88; but I would rather the Lord come back much sooner than that, then we both would be perfect, in every way! 

 Today I am taking my wife and her mother to the movies; which I really enjoy doing, as Marianne will be super attentive to the big screen; and her mother will also enjoy hanging out with us. It really isn't about enjoying the entertainment, but more about just having some time together and relaxing from the rigors of life. My wife's mother is also busy at home taking care of her husband; besides putting up working for me, 30 hours a week.

 All that said, I feel blessed, far more than I deserve! God keeps providing more and more; even when I think it is time to quit, He gives me the strength and desire to keep on going! We must believe that our lives matter! We are here for a reason, and rather you believe it or not, the Lord is working through you, even if you don't realize it, He will never give up on us...

"LORD, you alone are my inheritance, my cup of blessing. You guard all that is mine. The land you have given me is a pleasant land. What a wonderful inheritance! I will bless the LORD who guides me; even at night my heart instructs me. I know the LORD is always with me. I will not be shaken, for he is right beside me. No wonder my heart is glad, and I rejoice. My body rests in safety. For you will not leave my soul among the dead or allow your holy one to rot in the grave. You will show me the way of life, granting me the joy of your presence and the pleasures of living with you forever." (PSALM 16:5-11 NLT)   

"The Rather"

 "But I beseech you the rather to this, that I may be restored to you the sooner." (Hebrews 13:19 KJV)

  "Several days later a man named Agabus, who also had the gift of prophecy, arrived from Judea. He came over, took Paul's belt, and bound his own feet and hands with it. Then he said, "The Holy Spirit declares, 'So shall the owner of this belt be bound by the Jewish leaders in Jerusalem and turned over to the Gentiles." When we heard this, we and the local believers all begged Paul not to go on to Jerusalem. But he said, "Why all this weeping? You are breaking my heart! I am ready not only to be jailed at Jerusalem but even to die for the sake of the Lord Jesus." When it was clear that we couldn't persuade him, we gave up and said, "The Lord's will be done."" (Acts 21:10-14 NLT)

 When we might ever get a chance to be pressed, it is very important that we make up our minds about how far we are willing to go, even if it means losing everything, possibly, even our freedom or our lives. I know that might sound a little extreme, especially in this country we live in; but there are several countries where that is actually happening, where people that confess to be followers of Christ are put in jail or killed, just for proclaiming that Jesus is their Lord!  

 We are not there yet, but I am sure that it is bound to happen, sooner or later! And if it does, we need to be ready and willing to go all the way; meaning that we must never stop saying that Jesus is our Lord, no matter what the consequences might be; we must be prepared for anything! 

 I know that might sound pretty harsh, but it is happening in several places all over the world; it could happen here too, without much effort. Things can change without much opposition; we should have figured that out, back in 2020. I remember planning a trip to Mount Rose with some family members. As I checked with the park a few days before we were going, they said that there was no place cleaner than 8,000 feet in the air. Yet, when arrived in Reno and checked into the hotel, Mount Rose was closed, and things got really weird. 

 People started telling other people to put on a mask, saying, "Don't you care about spreading Covid! Don't you care about the people around you!" It was really hard to resist, being shunned and put on the spot. There are still some people wearing mask even today; I have even seen people driving alone in their cars wearing a mask! It is really not that hard to turn the world upside-down, in hardly any time at all.  

 That said, "The Rather," is basically the same as saying, "What come what may!" Meaning, no matter what, Hold Your Ground...

"Be on guard. Stand firm in the faith. Be courageous. Be strong. And do everything with love." (1 Corinthians 16:13-14 NLT) 

"Accountability" - Too

 "Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly." (Hebrews 13:18 KJV)

  "Dear friends, I warn you as temporary residents and foreigners to keep away from worldly desires that wage war against your souls. Be careful to live properly among your unbelieving neighbors. Then even if they accuse you of doing wrong, they will see your honorable behavior, and they will give honor to God when he judges the world." (1 Peter 2:11-12 NLT)

 As far as the world goes, there are certain things that are totally upside-down, when it comes to family matters and the things which the secular world allows; most of which is due to the fact that the church does not get involved in what the world does. The school system, which was once founded by churches, is now almost completely against anything that has to do with God. 

 Not that it wasn't meant to happen, because we all should know that it is all listed in the Bible, as all the things shall be in the last days! Whether you can except it or not, we are actually living in those days, waiting and expecting for the Lord to come and take us home! At least that is what I am waiting for, because I believe that it is going to happen, very soon! 

 That said, I pray that I am found worthy to be taken; not because of something I did, because I believe those things are already forgiven; but because of what I might do, that might not be right, something that does not please the Lord. I have seen to many that have fallen from grace, who I pray for to be made right again. It is just too easy for some to stumble, taking worldly desires over living honestly. 

 If we think that we are strong enough to not fall, we are going to find out that we are weak and frail; hopefully it will only be a lesson learned, and we recover. But there are some that don't recover and think they are doomed! It is never ever too bad that you cannot be forgiven, ever! The Lord is always willing to forgive us, no matter how bad we have been! 

 We must realize that we are all vulnerable; that we must depend upon the Lord to keep us on the right path! The moment we might think that we have won the battle and have what it takes to live rightly, is the moment we will discover that we don't have any strength at all...

"You adulterers! Don't you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God. What do you think the Scriptures mean when they say that the spirit God has placed within us is filled with envy? But he gives us even more grace to stand against such evil desires. As the Scriptures say, "God opposes the proud but favors the humble." So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you. Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners: purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world. Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy. Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor." (James 4:4-10 NLT)  

"Accountability"

 "Pray for us: for we trust we have a good conscience, in all things willing to live honestly." (Hebrews 13:18 KJV) 

  "This is all the more urgent, for you know how late it is; time is running out. Wake up, for our salvation is nearer now than when we first believed. The night is almost gone; the day of salvation will soon be here. So remove your dark deeds like dirty clothes, and put on the shining armor of right living. Because we belong to the day, we must live decent lives for all to see. Don't participate in the darkness of wild parties and drunkenness, or sexual promiscuity and immoral living, or in quarreling and jealousy. Instead, clothe yourself with the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ. And don't let yourself think about ways to indulge your evil desires." (Romans 13:11-14 NLT) 

 This might not be a good time to bring this up, but this is another part of the book where Paul shows us that there is more than one person who is taking part in writing this; of which, as I have said before, that Mark and Luke were both with Paul while he was being held in prison. You might not think it matters much, but they were both not actually Apostles of Jesus, yet they ended up as two of the four Gospel messages, which were sandwiched between Matthew and John, who were His Apostles. 

 Don't try to figure out what that all means, because there were banners in the wilderness which had representation of all four of them, "The Four Gospels." I do believe I shared on that before; but there was also a formation the children of Isreal march through the wilderness in, and it was in the shape of a cross! 

 Anyhow, this is about accountability, not about history or who is what and why. Each and every one of us should have a good conscience when it comes to walking with the Lord. As I have shared before, and I will share it again, I probably ask the Lord to forgive me, at least six or more times a day. I don't even need to do anything wrong; but just thinking about something wrong is enough to ask for forgiveness. 

 Hopefully, this is something we all have some basic rule for, to ask the Lord's forgiveness when we might do something or think of something that is wrong. The thing about "willing to live honestly," is that which means that we are living the truth; meaning that there is no room for blame! 

 Don't get me wrong, I have many things in my life that I blame myself of doing wrong; but isn't that what asking for forgiveness is all about? We can count our blessings, naming them one by one; but we should also make sure we eliminated those things which we need forgiveness for, one by one; as soon as possible...

"Then Jesus said to his disciples, "If any of you wants to be my followers, you must turn from your selfish ways, pick up your cross, and follow me. If you try to hang on to your life, you will lose it. But if you give up your life for my sake, you will save it. And what do you benefit if you gain the whole world but lose your own soul? Is anything worth more than your soul? For the Son of Man will come with his angels in the glory of his Father and will judge all people according to their deeds. And I tell you the truth, some standing here right now will not die before they see the Son of Man coming in his Kingdom."" (Matthew 16:24-28 NLT) 

   

"A Servant's Heart" - To

 "Obey then that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch over your souls, as they that must give account, that they do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." (Hebrews 13:17 KJV)

  "Do everything without complaining and arguing, so that no one can criticize you. Live clean, innocent lives as children of God, shining like bright lights in a world full of crooked and perverse people. Hold firmly to the word of life; then, on that day of Christ's return, I will be proud that I did not run the race in vain and that my work was not useless." (Philippians 2:14-16 NLT)

 Most all of us know what it's like to feel discouraged about failing to do something that you feel God has given you to do; even though we might try, we will sometimes give up, thinking that it is too much; as if there is just no way we can work it into our busy lives. Believe me, I have known what it's like, having wished that I did what I felt God told me to do; instead, I found an excuse, like providing for my family, or making my business work, in order to pay the bills. 

 All that said, I must not be discouraged about that which I cannot change or do over! Doing so is not good; nothing is good about feeling sorry for not doing what you thought you should have done. But if you really want to know, there are several ways that we can serve, without having to give up on our life of family, business, and whatever else is keeping us busy.

 We must be faithful in giving our tithes and offerings! Most of us don't really know, but there are only 5-10% of those in churches who actually tithe 10% of their income to their church. That is not an easy thing for a pastor to share about, because those who don't or won't give at least 10% will feel offended if the subject even comes up.

 Don't doubt me on this, because I was once in charge of counting the offering and doing the banking; it is pretty easy to see who pays a tithe and who does not! That said, we should all be willing to give what we can; it is not only Biblical, but it is the caring thing to do. You would be surprised to know how many senior Pastors actually have to work some sort of secular job, just to feed their own families. 

 What a difference it would make if the church had enough to spare and do things for their towns and families! What a difference it would be to have everyone giving a tithe; think of all the different things that could be offered and provided for the poor and the needy, instead of them having to depend upon the government; who will just keep them, shall we say, dependent and needy.

 All that said, I seriously doubt anything will change. Those who don't give, won't, because it is all about money! More than you know, God really does bless those who give; giving is also being a servant...

""I am the LORD, and I do not change. That is why you descendants of Jacob are not already destroyed. Ever since the days of your ancestors, you have scorned my decrees and failed to obey them. Now return to me, and I will return to you," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies. "But you ask, 'How can we return when we have never gone away?' "Should people cheat God? Yet you have cheated me! "But you ask, 'What do you mean? When did we ever cheat you?' "You have cheated me of the tithes and offerings due to me. You are under a curse, for your whole nation has been cheating me. Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there will be enough food in my Temple. If you do," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies, "I will open the windows of heaven for you. I will pour out a blessing so great you won't have enough room to take it in! Your crops will be abundant, for I will guard them from insects and disease. Your grapes will not fall from the vine before they are ripe," says the LORD of Heaven's Armies."" (Malachi 3:6-11 NLT)    

"A Servant's Heart"

 "Obey them that have rule over you, and submit yourselves: for they watch for your souls, as they must give account, that they may do it with joy, and not with grief: for that is unprofitable for you." (Hebrews 13:17 KJV)

  "For we must all stand before Christ to be judged. We will each receive whatever we deserve for the good or evil we have done in this earthly body." (2 Corinthians 5:10 NLT)

 Good to know, who it is the rules over us, because we all must serve somebody, one way or another! As Bob Dylan said in a song, "Gotta Serve Somebody!" For whatever it's worth, I spent several decades being a servant of sorts; even during the first decade of my wife's condition; which has been the last 23 years. After having been discouraged in leadership, I decided that I would just chill out and focus on taking care of my wife. Yet, I still enjoy serving whenever there is an opportunity; never asking or expecting anything in return.  

 That isn't bragging, it is me telling you what it should be like for anyone that is in the ministry; no matter who you are or how hard you work; when it comes down to serving in the ministry, your real purpose is to serve the Lord! Even though you might be serving someone else, the one who holds you accountable is Christ Jesus; He is the judge who has the final say, whether we are good or bad, we will all stand before Him, and be judged accordingly, no matter who we are and what we have done.

 Having a servant's heart, although it doesn't always appear noticeable to some that we serve, it is always noticeable to the Lord! So don't complain, not even to yourself, because He will be listening; even if you just thought about it, even for a second! Always be grateful and ready to serve; knowing that it is the Lord you are serving, more than anyone else...

"As the Scriptures say, "If you want to boast, boast only about the LORD." When people commend themselves, it doesn't count for much. The important thing is for the Lord to commend them." (2 Corinthians 10:17-18 NLT) 

"Well-Doing" - Too

 "But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifices God is well pleased." (Hebrews 13:16 KJV)

  "Don't be misled - you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let's not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don't give up. Therefore, whenever we have the opportunity, we should do good to everyone - especially to those in the family of faith." (Galatians 6:7-10 NLT)

 I know that I have shared on this verse before, several times already; but it is important that we always remember that we must be busy about our Father's business, in season and out of season! If you don't know what that means, it simply means, whether you feel like it or not, you should always be ready to do whatever the Spirit prompts you to do!

 If you want to know, one of the things the Holy Spirit prompts me to do, is to pray for someone, especially strangers. As I am having conversations with them, I feel the Spirit telling me, "Pray for this person," and it will be my duty to find an opening in the conversation, when I just simply say, "Can I pray for you?" Hardly anyone refuses to be prayed for!  

 You must understand that the Holy Spirit will not make you do things; but He will prompt you and guide you along the way. However, if you refuse to do that which He tells you, then He will simply leave you alone; and what a waste that will be! Think of all the characters that the Holy Spirit represents; each and every one is to be meant to strengthen us and make us useful, in one way or another. 

 The "but" in this verse is not meant as an exception, but is meant for motivation, to mean, "and" "now" "also" "nevertheless" and "moreover"! In other words, there are greater blessings in store for us, the more we do good and share the Good News! You don't really need to be well-taught to share, you just need to be willing...

"The woman said, "I know the Messiah is coming - the one who is called Christ. When he comes, he will explain everything to us." Then Jesus told her, "I AM the Messiah!" Just then the disciples came back. They were shocked to find him talking to a woman, but none of them had the nerve to ask, "What do you want with her?" or "Why are you talking to her?" The woman left her water jar beside the well and ran back to the village, telling everyone, "Come and see a man who told me everything I ever did! Could he possibly be the Messiah?" So the people came streaming from the village to see him." (John 4:25-30 NLT) 

"Well-Doing"

 "But to do good and to communicate forget not: for with such sacrifice God is well pleased." (Hebrews 13:16 KJV)

  ""Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the Kingdom prepared for you from the creation of the world. For I was hungry, and you fed me. I was thirsty, and you gave me a drink. I was a stranger, and you invited me into your home. I was naked, and you gave me clothing. I was sick, and you cared for me. I was in prison, and you visited me.' "Then these righteous ones will reply, 'Lord, when did we ever see you hungry and feed you? Or thirsty and give you something to drink? Or a stranger and show you hospitality? Or naked and give you clothing? When did we ever see you sick or in prison and visit you?' "And the King will say, 'I tell you the truth, when you did it to one of the least of these my brothers and sisters, you were doing it to me!'"" (Matthew 25:34-40 NLT)

 This might seem judgmental, or at the very least, something to think about, as you ask the Lord for opportunities to share and care for others; because I am certain that many of us don't do it as often as we should. Most of the time I am so busy just trying to keep up with my own busy schedule, that I do forget; even though I asked the Lord in the morning for opportunities and special encounters with people. It's as if the race I am running is not the race I wanted to run in! 

 Maybe it's just me, but if I could only slow down time, there might be more I could do that involves the work of sharing the Good News! But maybe that is the whole problem, making it work! If it is made into work, we can sometimes have a tendency to feel burdened by it, as if it is something we have to do; when in reality and in the way it should always be, it is a blessing! Just knowing Christ and sharing His love to others, is something that makes us have Running Water the flows through us, every time we share...

"On the last day, the climax of the festival, Jesus stood and shouted to the crowds, "Anyone who is thirsty may come to me! Anyone who believes in me may come and drink! For the Scriptures declare, 'Rivers of living water will flow from his heart.'"" (John 7:37-38 NLT)     

"Sacrifice of Praise" - Two

 "By him therefore let us offer the sacrifice of praise to God continually, that is, the fruit of our lips giving thanks to his name." (Hebrews 13:15 KJV)

  "So be careful how you live. Don't live like fools, but like those who are wise. Make the most of every opportunity in these evil days. Don't act thoughtlessly, but understand what the Lord wants you to do. Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ." (Ephesians 5:15-20 NLT)

 Just to be clear, that message yesterday was meant primarily for me. It is not that I don't try to plan things out, because there are certain things that need structure and accountability; but when it comes to serving the Lord, each and every step is given to us one step at a time. Those who try to think they know what God has planned for them, as if they say, "I got this," risk the opportunity to be blessed by waiting and listening to God, by thinking they have it figured out! 

 That might not make sense to some, because this current world teaches us to plan and make things happen on our own; instead of waiting on the Lord and listening for Him to give us instructions. Whatever we do, we need to do it as unto the Lord, with His guidance and by praying for doors to open or shut, giving God the glory in everything, even those things that might not turn out well; everything counts, both good and bad, somehow or another! 

 Anywho; the thought I was looking to share about was based upon the word, "continually," as if it was not just thrown into the verse, but that it actually means something very important. Everything isn't always going to be roses and candy; there will be times where we are overwhelmed and feeling as though life is too hard, that we are being tormented, or nothing is working out the way we thought that it would. Even then, we need to give thanks! 

 Believe it or not, but even the hard things we might go through, as terrible as they might seem, they build character and cause us to draw closer to the Lord...

"Look here, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we are going to a certain town and will stay there a year. We will do business there and make a profit." How do you know what your life will be like tomorrow? Your life is like the morning fog - it's here a little while, then it's gone. What you ought to say is, "If the Lord wants us to, we will live and do this or that." Otherwise you are boasting about your own plans, and all such boasting is evil. Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it." (James 4:13-17 NLT)