At the Crossroads by: Pastor Aaron D. Smith

"Can you love yourslf too much?"

2010-05-03T11:47:00.000-07:00

Philippians 2:4-5 "Look not every man on his own things, but every man also on the things of others. Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus:"

According to dictionary.com the word "Selfish" means: "Devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one's own interest, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others."
I am convinced that selfishness may very well be our own detriment. For years now, I have been observing how selfish people have become. I'm sure there has always been selfish people, but I not sure selfishness has ever been so prevalent in the Christian Church. This really concerns me, because I have observed this horrific character flaw in many places that ultimately it has ended up destroying not just the individual but also those around them. I've seen the spirit of selfishness ruin and destroy marriages, parents, children, siblings, and even pulpits. As Bible believers, we must get serious about getting rid of this horrible character flaw from our lives and ministry. May we do as the Apostle Paul instructed in our text and stop looking at ourselves and begin looking at others! Stop being selfish, do something for someone else before your are left with no one else to care for except yourself. This was not the mind of Christ, He was anything but selfish. When you read the verses following vs. 5 you will see what He gave up unselfishly for and for me. Stop being a selfish brat!

"Feeling Good?"

2010-04-28T08:19:00.001-07:00

Psalm 73:1 "Truly God is good to Israel, even to such as are of a clean heart."

I have just realized something recently and I don't have a clue why it took me over 32 years to learn it either. I realized that when I do right instead of wrong, I feel better. The psalmist said, "God is good, even to such as are of a clean heart." What a concept! God is good, to those that are good. I don't know about you - but I'm gonna do my best to keep my heart clean today because I want to feel good!

"Someone is watching"

2010-04-26T05:53:00.000-07:00

I Corinthians 11:1 "Be ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ."

No, I am not trying to get people to follow me. These are the words of the apostle Paul. However, as I read this verse this morning, I am reminded that no matter where I may be in my Christian life - someone is always watching.

It is of utmost importance that we have a pretty good understanding about this. Basically what Paul is saying is this: "As long I am following Christ, it is okay to follow me, but if I stop following Christ, stop following me." The hardest part most people have with this is the fact that when we begin following a man, it is sometimes hard to determine when they are following Christ and when they are not. Let me give you a few things that may help you figure this out a little bit:

Someone who follows Christ, always points people to Christ. (See I Corinthians 11:3)

Someone who follows Christ, is aware that he/she is a sinful creature (See Romans 7:18-20)

Someone who follows Christ, understands that even though they may follow Christ right now, it is possible that they may stop and if they do - stop following (See Galatians 1:8)

The most important thing to remember is that following Christ must be the most important thing. As we live our lives for Christ - someone will always be watching to see who we follow. Are you following your own desires and ambitions, or are you following Christ?

"Double Honor"

2010-04-25T06:43:00.000-07:00

I Timothy 5:17 "Let the elders that rule well be counted worthy of double honour, especially they who labour in the word and doctrine."

Today marks the 25th anniversary celebration of Lighthouse Baptist Church in Indianapolis, IN. This church has been so influential in my life and ministry. Under the leadership of Pastor Dan Tidd the Lord has blessed this church to touch thousands of lives over these last 25 years. I want to extend my gratitude to my Pastor. For the last 19 years I have had the privilege of calling him my Pastor. Even without knowing, he has impacted my life in ways that I can't even explain. It is my prayer today that he would receive the double honor that he has earned for his faithful service to the Lord and to His church. I can only hope that as I remain faithful to that same call, I too, would have the opportunity to impact lives in the same manner and pattern as my Pastor.

"Life long learning"

2010-04-23T07:16:00.000-07:00

II Timothy 2:15 "Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth."

I wasn't sure I was going to like getting older. But I kind of do like it. While I don't care to much for the aches and pains that come with getting older, I do like the fact my knowledge of things is always increasing. Getting older isn't really as bad as everyone makes it out to be.

As a young boy and a teenager, I didn't care too much for school. Homework annoyed me, tests and quizzes frustrated me, and reading books bored me. I was not good student at all. I know I frustrated every teacher that ever had me...I know that because most of them told my parents as much! However, now that I am getting older I find myself wanting to learn more. I enjoying reading now more than ever. And I find myself want to increase my knowledge about several things. Maybe it's because I am getting older. I can't play baseball, basketball, or football like I could when I was younger and now my interests are changing.

With all that being said, we have a mandate from the word of God to be always learning. In II Timothy 2:15 the Bible instructs us to study. We must all give ourselves to life long learning. Just because we may not be enrolled in a school any longer doesn't mean we have to stop learning things. Now go grab you Bible, sit down and learn something.

The Spiritual Diet

2010-04-22T14:10:00.000-07:00

I Peter 2:2-3 "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby: if so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious."

Several months ago I began a diet. Let me begin by saying I hate dieting, as a matter of fact I hate everything about dieting. Well even so, I began one. Within the first 8 weeks I had lost a little over 20 pounds. (Now, don't think that I'm bragging here, because there is a whole lot more to lose!) The problem with the diet, was that I started it just a few weeks before Thanksgiving. That was not the most opportune time to began trying to lose weight, especially given the love affair that I seem to have with pecan pie. I did quite well through Thanksgiving, only indulging in a couple of slices of pie. Then Christmas came and the diet has been set aside for the last few months. Although I was able to maintain my weight within a few pounds here and there, I still had not reached my final goal. So now it is time to diet again. The funny thing about dieting is this, it cannot be a fad thing. It must be a lifestyle thing. Now while I may not allow myself the opportunity to indulge in a piece of pie, or a gallon of ice cream, I could if I wanted. Now if I choose to do so, I would be defeating the purpose of the diet, or should I say my new lifestyle. All in all in the end, when all of the weight is off, I will feel much better about my self and the accomplishment.

The Christian life is not any different than the physical life. It's not really a diet but yet so many Christians treat it as one. If something horrible happens in their life they will make a run for the church for a few weeks determining to "lose a few pounds". And after they feel better, the "diet" is off and it's back to the same old game. The same problem happens in the spiritual body, as it does with the physical body. The weight only stays gone for so long, and when the old habits come back, so does the weight.

What we need today is for Christians to make spiritual lifestyle change rather than following some newly finagled dieting fad. Get in the word, taste it, and let it change you for the better. Let Christ make the difference in your life.

When you let Christ make the difference you will feel that spiritual weight lifted, you will feel so much better about your Christian life.

Happy New Year? Hows that working out for you?

2010-01-28T08:26:00.000-08:00

Today is January 28th, 2010, and 28 days ago most of us were wishing each other a happy new year! How's that going for you? Has the first four weeks of this year been happy for you? Some one once said, "Success is getting what you want; happiness is wanting what you get" So, I will ask you again, are you happy? Are you happy with what you are getting out of life? Happy with your marriage? Your children? Your financial status? Your spiritual growth? Your choices? Are you happy with you???

Proverbs 16:20 tells us that, "whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he". If you are trusting in anything else to bring you happiness, lasting happiness that is, You won't find it. If you are relying on your spouse, your children, or your situation to make you happy you will be let down time and time again.

Learn to rejoice in your life no matter what the circumstances may bring. Trust in Him and Him alone, and you will have a truly happy new year!

"Being Productive"

2009-11-18T06:12:00.000-08:00

Physical skills need to be developed. No matter what the skill, a pianist, a juggler, a basketball player, a singer, all need and become better with practice. If we are going to increase our spiritual qualities we must practice and develop them into what God wants them to be.

Have you ever seen an inactive or barren Christian? I have seen plenty of them. Most of them became that way because they never developed the skill of making their Christian life productive. God wants our lives to produce fruit. If we are going to have fruit that remains we must be developing our lives in such a way that we are able to bear that fruit.

No one becomes a solid, grounded Christian on accident. It must be done on purpose. Become productive. You can do it.

Paul's View on Life

2009-11-17T05:41:00.000-08:00

In II Timothy 4 the Apostle Paul, reveals to Timothy that he is coming to the end of his life. In doing so, Paul gives what his view of life had become over the years God granted him life.

The first thing I see is that Paul viewed life as an offering. Not just any offering, but he offered his life for the Lord. What have you offered your life for? Your spouse, your children, your job, your recreation, your church or your Lord? If you have offered you life for anything other than for the Lord, all of those other things mentioned suffer. In order to be the right spouse, parent, worker, or church member, we must first be the right kind of Christian, and that requires offering your entire life to the Lord.

The second thing I see about Paul's view on life, is that he viewed it as a battle. We are not going to have a good battle in this life if we do not take orders from the Commander in Chief, and that's the Lord Jesus Christ. There are a lot of things that can happen during battle and we must be in direct contact with what the Lord wants for our lives.

The third thing I see is that Paul viewed life as a test of Faith. Don't base your faith on others. They will let you down every time. It doesn't matter if it's you own mother or father. They will disappoint you at sometime. Put your faith and trust in the Lord. No matter what happens in this life, keep the faith. Life may test your faith, but you must pass the test.

"When God Speaks - Do you listen?"

2009-11-16T06:11:00.001-08:00

John 15

Have you ever tried to go an entire day without speaking? I find it near impossible. I like talking so much, I even talk to myself from time to time and have even had disagreements! Speaking is one of the most vital aspects in our lives. Communication is highly important. It's how we express everything. Now while there is verbal communication, there is also non-verbal communication. You know exactly what I'm talking about. When your spouse is across a crowded room and your about to say something very stupid (men, we probably already did) then you get the look. Yes, everyone knows "the look." That is the non-verbal communication.

Have you ever been ignored, or maybe been the one doing the ignoring? Of course you have! We all know what being ignored feels like, yet even so, we still do it to others.

The question today is simply this: When God speaks - do you listen? Does God have your undivided attention? In John 15, Jesus said, "My sheep hear my voice". Have you placed your life in a position to hear God's voice? You must be near by in order to hear him. I have found in my life that God often speaks to me in 3 different ways.

Sometimes He speaks directly - that still small voice. That voice that if I'm not close enough I miss what He's saying.
Sometimes He sends a messenger - the preacher. I can't even begin to count the times that God has spoken to me through the preaching of His Word.
Sometimes He sends a Text message - the Bible. Again, to count the times God has given me something just from reading His Word would be a lame attempt.

Notice the similarities between these three ways. We must be in the right position. If we are not walking daily with Him we may miss that still small voice. If we skip church for a ballgame or a family reunion we may miss what God wanted to say to us. If we neglect our Bibles, how can we expect God to speak to us. Stop ignoring what He is trying to say to you. Listen.

"What in the world is wrong with me?"

2009-11-13T05:44:00.000-08:00

Have you ever asked yourself this question? "What in the world is wrong with me?" I know I have. Plenty of times. I John 4:4 says, "Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you, than he that is in the world."

Hey, let's face it, if we look long and hard enough we can come up with some pretty good reasons as to what in the world is wrong with us. However, instead why not recognize our position in Christ and find out what is right with us. Don't worry about how you feel as much as what you know the Word of God tells you. Remove the weights from your life and press ahead, trusting Christ all along the way. Isn't good to be free?

"A Good Name is all about choices"

2009-11-12T05:32:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 22:1 "A good name is rather to be chosen than great riches, and loving favor rather than silver and gold."

What's in a name? When we hear certain names certain things come to mind. What do you think about when you hear the name, George Washington? Thomas Jefferson? John Wilks Booth? Jimmy Carter? John Wayne? Tom Cruise? Bill Clinton? There is a lot that we think about. But the Bible says that what ever it is that you think about a good name, or even a bad name for that matter, your opinion is derived from the choices made by the person that owns the name.

A good name is chosen. A person that has a good name has made several good choices in their life. Not that they are perfect, but they have considered what and how they are perceived in this life.

How is your name? Is it good? You know, it saddens me deeply to think that there may be people reading this paragraph today that would not have a good opinion of my name. But I have to live with the fact that I have made certain choices in this life that have very possibly caused my name not to be good with some people. You may be in the same place. But with God's help and good future choices to be made, our names can be good! It's all about how we choose. What will you choose? I hope you will choose A good name.

'The Bitter Waters were Made Sweet"

2009-11-11T07:09:00.000-08:00

Exodus 15:25 "And he cried unto the Lord; and the Lord shewed him a tree, which when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statue and an ordinance, and there he proved them,"

Oh, the trials in the wilderness! In Exodus 15, three days had passed since they made their voyage out of Egypt. Boy, were they thirsty! They wanted some water and they wanted it right then. When they finally found water, the Bible tells us that they couldn't drink it because it was bitter. Moses cried unto the Lord and God showed him how to sweeten those bitter waters. And the people drank. Because they trusted God, the next place that God led them to was Elim, where there was 12 bountiful wells waiting for them.

Whatever the trial is in your life, take it to the Lord. As soon as you pray, God already has an answer. Think about it. When Moses cried unto God, God showed him a tree. The tree was already in place before they ever arrived. What if Moses had not cried unto God at that time? What if he said, "Alright this water is no good, let's keep moving." Many would have lost their lives. God already had an answer and a solution. Don't make a decision first, act upon it, then expect God to just fix everything. Go to Him first, He has the answer. He'll make your bitter waters, sweet! Trust Him.

"Throw Some Wood on the Fire"

2009-11-10T06:39:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 26:20a "Where no wood is, there the fire goeth out..."

We need a spiritual revival in our churches today. In order for that to happen we need someone who will be willing to cut down, prepare, and throw some wood on the fire that is already there.

Today the fire is out in many churches. That's because the fire has gone out of many of the homes that make up the churches. And that is the result from the fire going out in many hearts. You see all of these things are connected. We have allowed our own ambitions and desires to choke out the fire that once burned ablaze within our hearts.

Get a hold of the Word of God, stir the glowing embers of love and grace in your heart, and then throw some wood on and watch how God will once again cause the fire to burn brightly.

"Moments of Pleasure or a Lifetime of Happiness?"

2009-11-09T05:46:00.000-08:00

Proverbs 21:17 "He that loveth pleasure shall be a poor man..."

People are often seeking happiness through moments of pleasure. Unfortunately, our happiness is not ultimately derived from the pleasures that we experience in this life. The Bible does explain that while there me be some moments of pleasure from sin, but it is not lasting and in the end it only brings turmoil, sadness, distress, and death.

Many have ruined their lives by seeking happiness from a moment of pleasure. Think about it: The man with a bottle... The girl with her boyfriend...The man with a magazine or website. I could on and on.

The main thing we must remember is that moments of pleasure do not bring lasting happiness. However a life of happiness does bring great pleasure.

The following verses in the Bible explain how to have a life of happiness:

Psalm 144:15

Psalm 146:5

Proverbs 3:1-18

Proverbs 16:20

Proverbs 29:18

"Ten Principles on Making a Decision"

2009-11-08T05:21:00.001-08:00

The following list is one that I wrote in the back of my Bible on Aug. 25th, 2002. I hope it is a help and blessing to you as much has it has been to me.

Never make a decision based on feelings.
Always wait before making a decision
Make the decision based on what God would want
The decision should be based on "will it bring Glory to the Lord"
Find out what the Bible says before making the decision
Research the matter before making the decision
Count the full cost before making the decision
Have a list of counserllors that help you make decisions
Never make a decision that will pull you away from God's Word
Once a good decision has been made, don't reverse the decision.

"I'll Use My Burden"

2009-11-07T08:48:00.000-08:00

Galatians 6:5 "For every man shall bear his own burden."

In life, no one is exempt from having burdens. They come to all of us. To the rich and to the poor. To the mighty and to the weak. Everyone from time to time has burdens. In Galatians chapter 6 the Bible gives us some insight to our own burdens. We must learn to carry them on our own.

When it comes to our own burdens we need to learn to look at them as a tool. When we have a burden we often say to God, "God I can't be used by you as long as I have this burden distracting me." And yet in my life it always seems to be that God says back, "It was with that burden that I was planning on using you." Turn your burden into a tool that can be used, rather than just allowing it to weigh you down.

The second thing I see about burdens is that we can carry more with our burdens than with out them. Our burdens make our shoulders broader. They make our backs stronger. They make our minds keener. They make our hearts softer. Our burdens will allow us to perform what Galatians is instructing us to do - assist in the carrying of other peoples burdens.

Stop fighting the burden God has allowed into your life and use it to bear the burdens of others.

"Building A House"

2009-11-06T05:54:00.000-08:00

Psalm 127:1 "Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

As a pastor, I am always thinking about the strength of our church. There is only one difficult thing to understand when pondering on that. It's this, the church is only as strong as it's strongest member. But it doesn't stop there. The church is also as weak as it's weakest member. I believe today that it is imperative that we have a strong churches. But I have come to a conclusion, we will not have strong churches if we don't have strong families. We will not have strong families unless we have strong, faithful husbands and fathers. We will not have strong, faithful husbands and fathers without strong, supportive wives, mothers, and children. Basically in the end we must have each member in each family striving together in service to the Lord. Let's purpose to become what God would have us to be. Strong in the Lord, and in the power of His might!

"Can't or Won't?"

2009-11-05T14:09:00.000-08:00

II Corinthians 12:9 "And he said unto me, 'My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.' Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me."

"I can't get along with my wife/husband." "My spouse and I can't communicate with each other." "I can't discipline the kid's the way I should." "I can't stop overeating." "I can't find the time to pray." "I can't find the time to read my Bible." "I can't quit gossiping." "I can't be faithful to church." I can't, I can't, I can't......or should it be, I won't?

We tell ourselves these statements all the time. I can't do this or I can't do that. The fact of the matter is, is that most of the time it truly is not that we can't it is that we won't.

In II Corinthians 12:9 the Bible tells us that it doesn't matter what is going on in our lives - We can. We can because His grace is sufficient. In Ephesians 3:16, we can because He has given us His might. In II Peter 1:3-4, We can because of His promises. In I Corinthians 10:13, We can because He has provided us a way out. In Philippians 4:13, We can because the Bible says we can.

What is it that you think you can't do? You can if you take God at His word. Trust Him and you CAN! Do it today. You CAN do better.

"Committed to Christ"

2009-11-04T06:06:00.000-08:00

Romans 12:1 "I beseech you therefore brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service."

Commitment: "The act or process of consigning, delivering or entrusting, as for safekeeping." Here in Romans 12 we find commitment is defined for us. The Lord wants us to put our trust in Him for safekeeping. Not just part of our trust but our full trust, our whole body. Our whole body means everything there that defines who we are. When you think about it, it means what we eat, where we live, where we go, what we wear, what we say, what we think, etc. All of these things are to be committed to Christ for His safekeeping.

For those of us who are Christians, commitment is not optional. It is a demand from Christ. We must serve God in His timing and under His conditions. If we are going to live our lives committed to Christ we are going to have to have patience and perseverance in the race of life.

So go ahead, commit your life to Christ for his safekeeping. It is truly a reasonable life to live.

"The Great Appraiser"

2009-11-03T05:35:00.000-08:00

Matthew 6:21 "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also."

If you take the time to go back and read in verse 19 of Matthew 6, you will find the instruction not to "lay up treasures upon the earth." We are told this because those treasure are temporary. We have valuable things here on earth, but compared to the heavenly treasures they don't even compare. Usually when you want to know how much something is worth, you take it to an appraiser. The appraiser evaluates the item and then gives the item a value. We must understand that God is the appraiser of all things in this life. God places more value on a man's soul than he does upon anything else. When we spend our time on things and activities that are temporary, it often frustrates our relationship with God. May we learn to place our obedience to the principles found it the Word of God. Obedience is a life long lesson that we all must apply to our lives if we are going to live the way God would have us live.

"The Uncertainty of Life"

2009-11-02T03:23:00.000-08:00

James 4:14 "Whereas ye know not shall be on the morrow. For what is your life? It is even a vapour, appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away."

Here in our verse today, James tells us that our lives are nothing more than a mere vapour. It's here for a while then it is gone. We only get one life to live. We need to spend it wisely, doing the will of God, and preparing ourselves to meet Him when this life is over. As you read this devotion, can you see the vapour dissipating from your life into the air of eternity?

If we were totally honest with ourselves, we would have to say one of two things today. Either, "I am living my life based on the Word and the will of God." Or, "I am going my own way, doing my own thing, rarely considering what God wants for my life." I know that these are two extreme places to be, and that most are going to find themselves somewhere in the middle of both.

Wherever you find yourself today, watch for the vapour dissipating from you life, and do your best to draw yourself closer to God. Let it be a challenge to you, to live your life according to what God wants as opposed to what you want. You only have one life, spend it for Him.

"The Secret Place of God"

2009-11-01T05:30:00.000-08:00

Psalm 91:1 "He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty."

I remember as a little kid trying to learn how to make shadow creatures with my hands. You know what I'm talking about. I used to watch people that knew how to that and I thought it was the coolest thing in the world. I actually learned how to make a bunny and an alligator. Boy did I think I was big stuff.

There are 71 references in the Bible that have the word "Shadow" in it. And in our text this morning we see that God has a secret place. This secret place is under His shadow. What a blessing this is. Usually, shadows are considered to be a scary of spooky kind of thing. But here in the Word of God, the shadow is something that is to be an encouragement to us.

When was the last time you went to the secret place of prayer to the Father? The Bible tells us that we are to pray with out ceasing. If we arrive at the secret place of the Father through our prayer lives, then I guess the shadow of the Almighty could be a scary thing if are prayer lives are suffering.

May I encourage you to day, to get out of the heat of this life, and to get under the shade of the Shadow that is in the secret place of God. Get in your prayer closet right now and ask Him to cover you in His calming shadow.

New devotionals coming Nov. 1st, 2009

2009-10-28T23:55:00.000-07:00

Thank you all for being so patient with me. We have been so busy over the last couple of months. We have been making some pretty big changes at church which has required a little more time and attention from me. I look forward to blogging once again, beginning November 1st.

Aaron Smith

Integrity vs. Talk

2009-09-17T09:07:00.000-07:00

Proverbs 25:19 "Confidence in a an unfaithful man in time of trouble is like a broken tooth, and a foot out of joint."

Anyone can say they have integrity, but their actions are where the real test of integrity and character are really at. As Christians, our character determines who we are. Who we are determine what and how we see things in this world. What we see determines what we do. If our actions and intentions are constantly battling against one another, then we must look to our character to find out why. We must do more than just talk. Our actions are the most important aspect of who we are.

"Commitment"

2009-09-12T08:46:00.000-07:00

Philippians 3:14 "I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus."

From John C. Maxwell:
"When it comes to commitment, there are 4 types of people:

Cop-outs: No goals in life, rarely commit to anything.
Holdouts: Don't know if can reach their goals, afraid to commit.
Dropouts: Start but usually don't finish.
All-Outs: Set goals, commits to them, and willing to pay the price it costs to finish them."

When it comes to your Christian life, where do you fit in here? Are you a finisher? Never starting is just as bad as never finishing. In the Christian life it is not about how you because you are competing with your own self. Just determine to commit to Jesus and finish your race with patience and endurance. You'll be glad you paid the price in the end.

"Let's eat"

2009-09-11T06:37:00.000-07:00

I Corinthians 10:2-5 "And were all baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea; and all did eat the same spiritual meat; and did all drink the same spiritual drink: for they drank of that spiritual Rock that followed them: and that Rock was Christ. But with many of them God was not well pleased: for they were overthrown in the wilderness."

As a pastor, it never ceases to amaze me how sermons that are preached affect people in different ways. During the same sermon some are encouraged, some are moved, some are ticked off, some are offended, some are excited, some are bored, some are challenged, some are critical, some are resolved, some are blessed, some are eased, some are assured, some are discouraged. But it's the same sermon!

How does this happen? I am not really sure, except to say, we all have different tastes. Not everybody in this world loves to eat pecan pie. To me that's just crazy! There is nothing better in this world than pecan pie for dessert. But not everyone agrees with me. THAT'S OKAY WITH ME! Just means more pie for me. Now, back to the spiritual stuff. We must all realize first of all that we are all eating the same spiritual meat. And even though there are times we may not like the taste of what we are being given, we must trust God that he knows what we need at that moment. If are feelings are wrong, we need to change them, not the sermon. Just be grateful God cares enough about us to feed us what He knows we need at the time.

"We would see Jesus"

2009-09-10T05:37:00.000-07:00

John 12:21 "The same came therefore to Philip, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and desired him, saying, Sir, we would see Jesus."

Let's take a moment to set this scene. Jesus had just made the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. There was a crowd of several people already there worshiping and glorifying Jesus. The pharisees were complaining about the public display of worship for Jesus.

While all of that was going on, there were some Greeks that came to Jerusalem to worship at the feast. While there, they observed what was going on with Jesus. They found Philip, and asked if they could see Jesus. Not knowing what to do (more than likely because they were Greek) Philip finds Andrew and tells him. Andrew also doesn't know what to do, so he tells Peter, who in turn finally tells Jesus.

Wow, who would have thought, even among Jesus' disciples they didn't know what to do with people. The Greeks that came unto them came very sincerely. All they wanted to do was see Jesus, and they were not sure if they would be able to.

You know times haven't changed to much over the last 2000 plus years. We still look at how someone looks, acts, or behaves, and wonder whether or not they can truly come to Jesus.

May God help us look beyond who or what someone may look or act like. When they want to see and meet Jesus - Let them come!

"What's in your hand?"

2009-09-08T10:24:00.000-07:00

Exodus 4:2 "And the Lord said unto him, 'What is that in thine hand?' And he said, 'A rod'."

Here in Exodus God asked Moses a very important question, "what is that in thine hand?" This verse illustrates to us God's ability to use anything or anyone, anytime He chooses. Moses had never even thought that God could use him, let alone his rod. Boy was he wrong! Not only did God use it, but he use it is a spectacular way.

I want to ask you the same question. What is in your hand? Is it a hammer? Then let God use that hammer. Is it a drivers license? Use it to pick someone up for church. Is it a baking dish? Use it to encourage one of God's children. Is it a pencil or pen? Use it to send someone a note or a card. What ever ability you think you have or don't have - give it to God. Let Him decide how to use it to further His work.

You never can tell what the Lord will use to accomplish His work. You never can tell, He may even want to use you!

"The Father's Love"

2009-09-06T05:32:00.000-07:00

John 16:27 "For the Father himself loveth you"

God's never-ending love for us is very far from my human understanding. He loves us as though we, as individuals, were the only lost soul in the entire world. He would have given His Son if we were the only ones who needed to be redeemed. Don't ever forget this fact. We are very precious in His sight.

"The Ten Commandments"

2009-09-03T09:39:00.000-07:00

Read Exodus 20:1-18

God wrote the 10 commandments, which you can read about in Exodus 20:1-18. They are meant to be a guide for people to know and determine the difference between right and wrong. They protect us from impurity, falsehoods, murder, idolatry, theft, and many other things that rob us of our joy and peace.

God's law is like a mirror, pointing out wrong doing as a mirror points out a dirty face. There is hope for this mixed up world that we live in today. I understand that we don't live under the law of 10 commandments, due to the grace of God. However, does that really give us a reason to just cast them aside? When we ignore them, the result always ends badly.

I am tired of hearing Christians complain about our government removing the 10 commandments from public places. The one place you would expect to find a copy of the 10 commandments is usually the last place you find them - the church house! Churches all across our country removed them before the government even thought about. Next time you're in your church, look for a copy of the 10 commandments. If you can't find one ask your pastor if you can put one in.

"Thinking about Death"

2009-09-02T11:01:00.000-07:00

When was the last time you thought about death? Now, for the Christian we know death is not an end of something, just a continuation of from passing from this life to the eternal life provided by our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.

I am not trying to be gloomy. However, are you prepared to die? First of all if you're do not know Christ as your savior, then you are not ready. Trust Him now.

Most of you that read this blog are Christians and on your way to heaven. Praise the Lord, for you death will be a wonderful thing. To be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord.

Believe it or not, I don't really want to talk about the spiritual aspects of death today. (However they are very important) But I want to talk about physical death. Are you prepared? Is your family prepared? Have you discussed your funeral arrangements with your family?

As a pastor, I have done a lot of funerals. Let me tell you something, pre-plan your own funeral! I know it's not something you want to think about, let alone talk with your family about. Do it anyway, even if it is a little uncomfortable. Your family will be so grateful that you did. Go ahead plan as much as you want. Pick out a casket, buy a plot, plan your own music, pick your own minister. There is so much involved with a funeral, take the load off your family by pre-planning.

I always think about these things when I am dealing with a family that just lost a loved one. The first thing I ask is, "did they pre-plan anything?" Most of the time they didn't but the family always wishes they had.

So don't wait till your dead to plan. Because while you enjoying your new found eternal life, your family is mourning your death. Go ahead, pre-plan, they will be glad you did.

"We all need teachers!"

2009-09-01T06:21:00.001-07:00

II Timothy 2:2 "...the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."

A good English student is not one who follows an English teacher in conjugating a verb, and then when that teacher is gone finds another to follow. No. A good English student is one who eventually learns how to conjugate a verb for himself. A poor student is one who must perpetually have a teacher. We all need teachers. They are wonderful people. I am very grateful for the teachers that I have had in my life. I am grateful because they taught me how to think for myself, rather than just how to rely on them to always be there for me.

In the Christian life, we need teachers too. But just like in school, we cannot merely copy down the answers and never figure out how to solve the problem. We must be taught how to think spiritually for ourselves.

Find a good teacher, learn from them, solve what needs to be solved. Then, go and teach someone else what you have been taught.

I know you can do it.

"Taking the Initiative"

2009-08-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

Are you an initiator? Do you look for opportunities for God to use you, or do you wait for it to come to you? Do you endlessly analyze everything before making a decision? Former Chrysler chairman Lee Iacocca said, "Even the right decision is the wrong decision if it is made too late."

When was the last time you initiated something? When was the last time you got out of your comfort zone and tried to accomplish something special for the Lord? David took the initiative the day he killed Goliath! Moses took the initiative when he lead Israel across the Red Sea! Elijah took the initiative the day he prayed down fire from heaven!

Do yourself a favor today, take the initiative and accomplish something great for God! You'll be glad you did.

2009-08-30T05:42:00.000-07:00

Acts 23:1 "And Paul, earnestly beholding the council, said, Men and brethren, I have lived in all good conscience before God until this day."

I think this may be the very reason the Apostle Paul is considered to be the greatest Christian to have ever lived. He lived his life in all good conscience before God. He didn't live his life for anybody. Not his parents, not his family, his friends, his employers, or even his church. He just lived how God wanted him to live.

As Christians we ought to be doing our best to live our lives for the Lord, and not for man. If we live longing to have a good conscience before God, then we will also have a good conscience toward man too.

Watch your testimony, not for man's sake, but for your own conscience sake. Do right, and have a clear conscience before the Lord.

"It's More Than a Children's Song"

2009-08-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

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

"My God is so BIG, so STRONG, and so MIGHTY there's nothing my God can not do" We used to sing this song all the time when we were kids. We teach it to our own children and grandchildren. It's one of those songs that we have "branded" as a children's song. What a shame.

What a shame that we have allowed that song to only be for kids. Jeremiah was not a child when he penned this verse. He understood (as an adult) that his God was capable of doing anything. I say it is about time that we as adult Christians start believing what we are teaching the next generation.

How big is your God? Is He big enough to solve your problems? There is nothing too hard for Him. Trust Him with your whole heart. You will be thankful when you do.

"Unavoidable Change"

2009-08-27T07:36:00.000-07:00

Psalm 71:18 "Now also when I am old and gray headed, O God, forsake me not; until I have shewed thy strength unto this generation, and thy power to every one that is to come."

Is this your prayer this morning? As a Christian, is it your desire that everyone around you would know God's goodness, power, and strength? Is it your desire to serve the Lord with the years you have remaining in this life? I know we automatically assume that we will always be doing the same thing we are doing today 20 years from now. We think that we will have the same belief system and that we won't ever change.

The fact of the matter is, is that all people change. Some for the better, some for the worse. Over time we gain knowledge and wisdom that we didn't have in our younger years. There are some things in life that we don't want to change. When it comes to those things we have to be like David and purpose in our heart that we don't want those things to change. If we don't make a conscience decision to remain the same, we more than likely will not.

Change is unavoidable. It's going to happen. Determine to change the things that need to be changed, and the things that you want to remain the same purpose in your heart to get on your knees before God and ask Him for His help. He'll do it for you.

"Just be Quiet and Listen"

2009-08-26T05:15:00.000-07:00

Genesis 17:3 "And Abram fell on his face; and God talked with him..."

In Genesis 17 God establishes a covenant between Himself and Abraham. I don't think we talk about Abraham enough. He was such a humble man of God. I can't even begin to imagine what was going on in the mind of Abraham during this time. He was a ninety year old man. When God spoke to him, he listened. "He fell on his face, and God talked with him"

What a picture, of humbleness. In the major realms of Christianity today, I feel that as Christians we have tried to hard to bring God down to our level. Abraham understood that God was to be high and lifted up. He understood that when the Almighty God spoke, you stop what your doing and listen. I think that too often as Christians we don't shut up long enough to hear what God is trying to say. We do all the talking, making demands, telling God what we think He ought to with our lives.

You will find in the Scriptures that the men and women that God used in mighty ways didn't tell God how things were going to go on. As a matter of fact, God told them every time, what to do, when do it, and how to do it. And since the Bible still says that God is the same yesterday, today and forever, I'd say it's about time we stop trying to tell God what is best for lives. Be quiet and listen, for God often speaks with a still small voice.

"Can you fix it?"

2009-08-25T06:24:00.000-07:00

Psalm 108:1 "O God, my heart is fixed, I will sing and give praise, even with my glory."

Two weeks ago I had new brakes put on our families minivan. Brakes all the way around. New brake pads, new rotors, new front calipers the whole kit-n-caboodle. Yesterday while driving the van, I started to hear a grinding noise each time I came to a stop. The longer I drove the worse the sound got. Finally, after coming to resting place, I got out and did some investigating. Boy was I surprised to find my rear caliper hanging off the rotor rubbing the inside of the wheel. I immediately took the van back to where I had the breaks put on only to find out that a bolt had broken (which they said they rarely see happen) on the caliper.

I use this event to illustrate my point this morning. The caliper at one time was fixed in place. It wasn't supposed to move. It wasn't supposed rub around inside the wheel. It was supposed to be fixed in place.

The Psalmist said that his heart was fixed. His heart was firm, happy, resolved, established - fixed. His heart was in its right place. In Psalm 57:7 the Bible says, "My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed." In the 108th Psalm we see the very same words being written again. I know David didn't write this, but he could have written, "My heart is still fixed." It was fixed back here and praise God it is still fixed today.

Is your heart fixed, or is your heart like a yo-yo? One moment your up, and the next your down. Isiah said, "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is STAYED on thee, because he trusteth in thee." We must keep our hearts and minds fixed and stayed, completely focused on God, and God alone.

May I encourage you today to bolt down your heart close to the Word of God. Tighten it down tight so that it is fixed in its place and cannot be moved.

"Get a hold of this"

2009-08-24T03:24:00.000-07:00

Luke 9:44a "Let these sayings sink down into you ears..."

I can remember when I was teenager always hearing my pastor say while he was preaching in church, "You better get a hold of this!" Now, as a pastor myself, I find myself often saying the same thing as I preach. It's kind of funny in a way.

The question we must all ask ourselves this morning is this: how far are we letting the things of God's word sink down into our ears?

It's Monday and most of you attended church yesterday. I know that some of you may not have and that's okay too. How far down did yesterday's sermon penetrate into your spiritual ears? What will you do with what God gave you yesterday?

In Luke 9:44, Jesus is speaking of His own death. He wanted His disciples to get a hold of what He was saying. He knew that one day into their future they would need what He was telling them on that day.

A lot of what we read or hear from the Word of God may not be something that we need right at that moment, but if we get a hold of it when it presents itself to us, how much farther along will we be at that time when we do need it?

Get a hold of this today, you might need it tomorrow! "Let these saying sink down into your ears."

"Keep Standing"

2009-08-22T10:46:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 6:16 "Above all, taking the shield of faith, wherewith ye shall be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked."

Faith is an amazing thing, isn't it? For the Christian, it is faith that either makes or breaks us. When the darts come, make sure your faith is in its proper place, because when the darts are coming at you, they are coming at your faith first.

Keep your faith exercised and make sure you know how to use it, the rest of the armour is dependant upon how strong your shield of faith is.

"Having done all to stand, stand therefore!" Ephesians 6:13b - 14a

"It's a brand new day"

2009-08-21T08:31:00.000-07:00

II 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."

Can you imagine if we never went to sleep? No, really, stop for a moment and ponder on that question. Can you imagine if we never had to sleep? Some of you are thinking about the number of things you would be able to accomplish through out your day, aren't you? That we definitely could do. But I want you to think about one of the benefits of a good nights rest.

One of the benefits of a good nights rest is the fact that when we wake up (most of the time) it is a brand new day. A brand new day, with its own challenges, its own victories, and its own losses. If we never slept or got any rest, we would miss out on that feeling we have when we wake up in the morning to face a new day. Now, I know there are those mornings when we would love to just crawl back in bed and sleep the day away. I'm not talking about one of those mornings.

The Bible says that, "all things are become new" when we get saved. Just like a new day, we have a new outlook on life. We must start looking at our lives differently. Living them only for Him. We have been given a brand new day, let's make the most of it.

"Spiritual Weapons"

2009-08-20T04:55:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places."

It is very clear from this verse that a war being waged against the saints of God. As Christians, we are the enemy of the devil and those that follow him. They are encamped all around us. They are watchful and stay on alert. They are aggressive and roused to fury!

Don't be too alarmed though, because we have a mighty weapon of faith and prayer. No matter your status on this earth, you can still move the heavenly forces into action. As you utter your words to our heavenly Father rest assured that hears each uttered breath you make.

As you face the opposing enemy today, remember to make good use your weapons of pray and faith.

"Speaking of..."

2009-08-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

Romans 1:8 "First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world."

I want you to pay close attention to this verse this morning. I know that it is written to the church at Rome, but I want you to notice something that Paul said to them here.

Look at the last phrase, "that your faith is spoken of throughout the whole world." Now look at the words, "Your faith". I am being very specific this morning, I know. Just stay with me, the point is coming.

When people speak of you, what do they saying? I have always lived my life as someone who doesn't really care what people think of me. I have thought before, "If they don't like me, tough." Does it really matter what people think of us? Ultimately, I know that the only one that matters is God. However, our faith should be known among other people. I have come to a conclusion this morning, that because of "my faith" it does matter what other people think of me.

When people think about or speak of Aaron Smith, I want them to think of a Godly man that did is best to live his best for the cause of Christ. It does matter what people think.

What is it about you that everyone is talking about? Let's hope it is our faith and our relationship with Christ.

"What do you think about God?"

2009-08-18T07:06:00.000-07:00

Psalm 19:1 "The heavens declare the glory of God; and the firmament sheweth his handiwork."

I am convinced that there is nothing more important than what we as people think about God. What we think about God shapes our standards. It motivates us in how we look at fortune, fame, power and pleasure. It develops our strength when we are tempted. It determines how we live our lives and view other people. Our thoughts and how we approach God is the foundation upon which everything rests.

Can you see the value of knowing God? Lift up your eyes. Behold His glory, let it be high and lifted up. His kingdom will not fail. That's the God I serve. What about you?

"What's your schedule look like?"

2009-08-17T07:03:00.000-07:00

I remember when I first got married, I heard a preacher say something like this, "You young preachers need to learn to live your life by a schedule. If you don't schedule your time so you don't waste it. . . Schedule time with your family and your wife." I thought that sounded great. I bought myself a day-timer calendar book and started scheduling everything. I think I may have even written down shower times. One time I wrote down, "Spend time with Rachel." I thought I was doing a great thing, scheduling time with my wife. Boy was I wrong! When she saw that in my day-timer that I had scheduled time to be her, she told me that I she was my wife not an appointment. And she didn't like being scheduled into a day-timer. She wanted to know that I wanted to spend time with her because I wanted to, not just because It was a scheduled thing that I had to do.

Our relationship with God shouldn't be any different. I am all for scheduling time for prayer and Bible reading. If the only reason we are doing it is because we have scheduled it, we are not going to get the most out of our relationship with God.

Being a Christians needs to be more than just what we do, it needs to become who we are.

Spend time with God today, not because you have to, but because you want too.

"What do you look like?"

2009-08-16T03:34:00.000-07:00

Romans 8:29 "...to be conformed to the image of His Son."

A sculptor was going to make a horse out of a huge block of marble, and as he was just beginning his work on it, someone came along and asked, "How are you going to do that?"

The sculptor replied, "It's simple. I just start chipping away, and I chip away anything that doesn't resemble a horse."

And so it ought to be so in the lives of Christians today. God starts out with the big block of our lives. He begins to chip away at them. What is He molding us into to? As He chips, He is trying to rid the rough and ragged edges off our lives and mold us into an image that would resemble His Son.

In order to for God to begin chipping away on our lives we must first surrender our lives to Him. To often we submit our lives and God begins the chipping process. Then it gets uncomfortable so we remove ourselves from the process because we don't like how it feels. Then we go back, then we leave again, then we go back, then we leave again. What a process we go through! Would it not be easier to let God just finish what He began in our lives? Let God continue what He began in you - conforming you "to the image of His Son."

The Day Star

2009-08-15T16:07:00.000-07:00

II Peter 1:19 "We have also a more sure word of prophecy; where unto ye do well that ye take heed...until... the day star arise in your hearts."

In the book of John, we read: "In Him was life and life was the Light of men." We have the sure Word of God. It is a lamp to our feet and light unto our path. (If we want it to be.) Our hearts are darkened with the sinful nature that rests with in us, but when Jesus come into our hearts He lights up the Word of God and shines with the fullness of His glory. Every day is a good day and the eternal glory awaits us in Heaven.

May his Light shine in our hearts and may we live each day reflecting on His glory! Amen.

(ps. Sorry I am so late getting this one in today.)

"Understanding the Scriptures"

2009-08-14T05:55:00.000-07:00

Luke 24:44-45 "And he said unto them, These are the words which I spake unto you, while I was yet with you, that all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses, and in the prophets, and in the psalms, concerning me. Then opened he their understanding, that they might understand the scriptures"

When Jesus left this earth to return to Heaven, He left a command to us that we are to be witnesses for Him. We are to strive to fulfill this command, and I believe that we can fulfill if we choose to.

However, you and I cannot be witnessing about the Bible if we haven't witnessed what the Bible can do in our own lives. Have you memorized any Scripture? Have you hidden God's word in your heart? The Bible says that, "faith cometh by hearing and hearing by the Word of God."

How can expect to have boldness in witnessing if we don't have an understanding of the Scriptures? How can expect to understand the Scripture if we don't first read the Scripture? We must be constantly in the Word of God, striving to have a better understanding of the Scriptures if we ever want to fulfill the command of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

"Back to School"

2009-08-13T05:17:00.000-07:00

II Timothy 2:2 "And the things thou has heard of me among many witnesses, the same commit thou to faithful men, who shall be able to teach others also."

It's back to school time. Kids everywhere are disappointed that they have to go back, while mom's and dad's are relieved and more than ready. Teachers have one of the most important jobs there is. They also have one of the most difficult tasks there is as well. Teachers don't only have to teach those who want to learn, but they also have to attempt to teach those who don't want to learn.

I was a horrible student through my elementary through high school years. I was one of those students that didn't want to learn. (Mostly because I thought I knew all I needed to know) Boy how difficult I was. I wish I could go back and tell each of my teachers that I am sorry for what I put them through. Teachers are to be commended. They are a special breed of people, and they put up with a tremendous amount of things no one should have to.

As Christians, we are given the task of teaching as well. We must teach and pass on the things that we learn through out our Christian lives. If the carpenter never teaches how to do carpentry work, his craft will die. If the doctor does not teach medicine, not only will that art die, but patients will die too. I could go on and on. What I am trying to say is this, teach someone else what it means to be a Christian. It's time to go back to school.

"Pleasure Pickers"

2009-08-12T05:45:00.000-07:00

John 4:35 "Say ye not, there are yet four months and then cometh harvest? Behold, I say unto you, Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest."

There are thousands, maybe I would even say most, that have no vision or knowledge of this need. As a nation of churches we spend and send millions, possibly billions on world wide missions year after year, and yet the fields look as if they haven't even been touched.

When was the last time you saw a harvest in your area? I'm not talking about one or two getting saved (anytime anyone gets saved it is a wonderful thing, so please don't misunderstand me.) One or two getting saved is like going to an orange grove with thousands of orange trees that are ripe and ready to pick, then going home with two or three oranges.

I think we have become a nation of churches that are nothing more than pleasure pickers. We see the harvest, and we pick a few pieces of the fruit, but only for our own consumption. When we do this we do a disservice to the rest of the fruit that needs and long to be harvested. That's why we need to be about father's business, as well as praying that he would send forth more laborers into HIS harvest.

Our world today needs some Christians (my self included) to become more than just pleasure pickers. May we work together to become harvesters for the cause of Christ and actually see some progress in the fields of our areas. Let's get to work.

"For His name sake"

2009-08-11T06:25:00.000-07:00

III John 7 "Because that for His name sake they went forth, taking nothing of the Gentiles."

What do you think about when you hear the name of Jesus Christ? The Bible describes it as a name that is above all names.
It's a name that has power. It has the power to save. It has the power to heal. It has the power
to calm. It has the power to change lives.
It's a name that should be praised. As you go through out your day today, think about and ponder on that name, the name of Jesus. It will make you day better.

"When I grow up"

2009-08-10T06:41:00.000-07:00

I Corinthians 13:11 "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things."

"What do you want to be when you grow up?" I think this question has been asked of every child on the planet. I don't know how many times I was asked that question as a child and young teenager. The number would have to be in the hundreds at least. I have found myself asking children the same question.

There is only one problem with that question. It leaves God out of the equation. As Christians, we ought to raise our children to be more concerned with what God wants for there lives than what they want. We ought to be teaching them about God's will first. I think the tendency is to ask a young child this question when they reach the ages of 5-8. We think there responses are cute, and most of the time they are. Over the next several years of the child's till they are teenagers. We fill their minds with, "what do you WANT". By the time a teenager is face with what does God want in your life, they have been fed with "what do you WANT" for so long, they end up missing God's perfect will for their lives.

It is important for us as adults to teach the importance of God's will in children's lives. Next time you find yourself starting to ask a child the question, "what do you want to be when you grow up", ask this one instead: "I wonder what God is going to do with your life?" Or "Do you know what God has in store for you to when you grow up?"

"Finding God"

2009-08-09T06:09:00.000-07:00

Matthew 7:7 "Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you."

This morning we must recognize two things. The first thing is the indifference of people to the things God. The second thing is spiritual hunger in the heart of man. As Christians we face both of these every day. As Jesus recognized these two things, and assuming these two things haven't changed over the past 2000 years it is safe to say that the first things calls for us to patient; the second should call us into action. "Seek, ye shall find"

What are we doing to move into action? Are you asking, seeking, and knocking? We must be doing our part to get spiritual food to those that are starving spiritually. Trusting Him is the first act of moving into action.

Let's do our part today to grow, develop, and bear fruit. Move into action, right now.

"Much needed rest"

2009-08-08T06:00:00.000-07:00

Mark 6:31 "And He said unto them, Come ye yourselves apart into a desert place, and rest a while: for there were many coming and going, and they had no leisure so much as to eat."

Today is Saturday. What are you doing? Working? Playing? Running much needed errands? Resting? I don't think that at any time in our world's history have the majority of people been so busy. We have become a society of constant activity. I can remember when I was a kid, watching television until the flag came on, the Star Spangled Banner played, and then the TV went to snow. Now you will be hard pressed to find a television station that goes off the air. The reason that is, is because in general, we as people aren't resting.

I am advocating that at some point this week you find time (no don't find, make time) to rest. Put some leisure into your life. Do however find yourself your own little dessert place and rest. It will energize your life. You wont miss anything too important, I promise. Get yourself some much needed rest. You need it.

"What are you taking with you"

2009-08-07T08:22:00.000-07:00

Hosea 14:2a "Take with you words, and turn to the Lord..."

I love quotes from people. Allow me to give you some quotes today that you can take with you this morning. Ponder on them and turn to the Lord.

"We serve a God that delights in impossibilities" - Billy Sunday

"The Scriptures are not given to increase our knowledge, but to change our lives." - D.L. Moody

"The worlds greatest need is preaching preachers" - Lester Roloff

"Care more for a seed of faith, than a ton of excitement." - C.H. Spurgeon

"Never despair, but when you do, work on even in despair." - Jack Hyles

"The Bible fits man for life, and prepares him for death." - Daniel Webster

"God uses people who are weak and feeble enough to lean on Him." - Hudson Taylor

"The measuring of our faith"

2009-08-06T06:00:00.000-07:00

John 9:29 "Then touched He their eyes, saying, 'According to your faith be it unto you.'"

According to your faith. There is so much that is contained is one tiny little word - faith. We tell people all the time, “You just need to have more faith.” The fact of the matter is, is that faith is measurable. The only problem is that we don’t know how much we have of it, until it is needed.

How much faith do you have right now? Do you have enough to go through a bout with cancer? Do you have enough to go through losing a loved one? Do you have enough to get you through financial struggles?

I would like to say that I have a tremendous amount of faith. However, my faith, no matter how tremendous it may be,still gets tried, and it still needs to be added to. The disciples ask Jesus to increase their faith. What is going on you life today that is causing your faith to be increased?

Faith, you never know how much you have, till you need it. Don't run out it, you may need to use at some point today.

"In the Beginning"

2009-08-05T03:48:00.000-07:00

Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

This is the best possible opening for the Bible. (Would we really expect anything less than the best from God?) Beginning with God, the Bible never ceases to be a God-centered book. God first, me second. God absolute, man relative. God's not obligated to me, but yet I am obligated to God.

As Christians we need to get a hold of the concepts of duty, discipline, and responsibility in every aspect of our lives, including our primary responsibility to God. We live in a society that thinks otherwise. They would have you believe that it begins with man. They get lost in philosophy, psychology, and social service, and in the end if they might get around to God.

Let's put God in our lives where He intended on being - in the beginning. When you begin, continue with, and end with God; you finally have success in your life. Begin you today with Him, in the beginning.

Where Seeing is Believing

2009-08-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

John 1:39 "He saith unto them, Come and see. They came and saw where he dwelt, and abode with Him that day: for it was about the tenth hour."

Many today are confused by religion. Sometimes they hide this under a veil of cynicism. They feel that science has ruled out Christianity. This message of "come and see" is a powerful message to those who doubt.

There is also a message for Christians here. Faith is not always a overwhelming flood of emotions. Sometimes we have to "come and see," what is taking place in our lives. I am so thankful that God has preserved His Holy Word for us to "come and see." One of the reasons He has left us the Bible is so we can "come and see"

Come and see the faith of Abraham. Come and see the trials and triumph of Joseph. Come and see the closeness & purity of David's heart. Come and see Elijah in a moment of deep depression. Come and see Jonah run from God. Come and see Peter walk on the water. Come and see the feeding of the 5,000. Come and see the blind see, the deaf hear, the lame walk, the dead live once again. Come and see. Believe. May the Lord increase you faith as you come and see.

"Building Up"

2009-08-03T06:15:00.000-07:00

Jude 20-21 "But ye, beloved, building up yourselves on your most holy faith, praying in the Holy Ghost, keeping yourselves in the love of God."

Notice the text says, "Building up yourselves on your most holy faith." In order to build something, one must first have a plan of what to build. The problem with most Christians today is that we leave the building up of our faith to mere chance. It is often the one thing that we don't plan.No worthy building gets built that way.

We plan everything in today's society. We have our daily planner in our phones for crying out loud. We have daily planners, weekly, monthly, and even yearly planners. But yet the most important thing we ought to be planning is the building up of our faith. It must be built according to a plan.

Get a plan on how you are going to build your spiritual life. Bible reading, prayer time, faithful church attendance, witness, tithing. All of these are commanded to every Christian, but yet because we don't plan that part of our lives, they often go undone. Today, get yourself a plan. Stick to it. Build yourself a spiritual house you would be proud to entertain our Lord and Savior in. Don't plan to do it tomorrow, do it today.

"Try it, you'll like it"

2009-08-01T03:49:00.000-07:00

I Peter 2:3 "If so be ye have tasted that the Lord is gracious."

I remember as a child, my parents constantly attempting to get me to try new foods by saying, "if you would just try it, you'd like it." There were times that I would try something and love it. Then there were times when I thought they were the cruelest people on the planet for tricking their only son into trying something so vile and disgusting (brussel sprouts).

My attempt this morning is not to convince you to eat your spiritual veggies, but rather indulge yourself in the only thing you should be consuming in your spiritual lives, our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. When you go back to verse 2, the Bible says, "As newborn babes, desire the sincere milk of the word, that ye may grow thereby:" You see, babies only get there nourishment from one source - MILK. They do not eat veggies, meat, or even dessert, they only get milk.

Have you tasted the Lord? He is good, every time and all the time, He is good. So go ahead, have a sip, taste how loving and wonderful He truly is. He is pleasantly kind and gentle to your soul. Go ahead, try Him, you'll like Him!

zSHARE - 7-26-09AM.mp3

2009-07-31T13:40:00.001-07:00

Click the link below to listen Sunday Morning's sermon from July 26th, 2009
zSHARE - 7-26-09AM.mp3

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"Face to Face"

2009-07-31T09:04:00.000-07:00

I Corinthians 13:12 "For now we see through a glass, darkly; but then face to face: now I know in part; but then shall I know even as also I am known."

There are two kinds of mirrors, plate glass and window glass. One gives a clear reflection, the other not so much. Ancient mirrors were made out of highly polished metal, as opposed to glass. The metal mirrors were far from perfect. It doesn't matter what kind of mirror you are looking into it is always much different looking face to face.

Paul is saying that everything we see now is just a little blurry. We don't fully see everything. We only see part of it. There are so many mysterious things in this life that we don't have all the answers for. They are puzzling to us in the imperfect state in which we current live. But, praise be to God that one day we will have all things revealed to us, face to face, and then we will know even also as we are known.

Update from Crossroads Camp 2009

2009-07-30T08:20:00.000-07:00

This week we took a group of kids from our church to Flint Creek State Park for a half week of camp. What a time we had. It always amazes me how much at you can spend a couple of hours a week with someone and you think you know them pretty well, the you spend a couple of days with the same person and find out that you didn't know them as well as you thought you did. That is what camp does for you.

All the kids seemed to have a good time. We went swimming in the lake, down water slides, out for pizza, bowling, and a few church services too! Staying up late and getting up early reminded me of how I am getting to be too old too fast. Camp always seems to remind me of that.

Today is a lazy day, and tomorrow is back to reality. See ya then!

"Assurance of Faith"

2009-07-28T06:00:00.000-07:00

Hebrews 10:22 "Let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water."

"Assurance of faith" means a clear, definite knowledge of the forgiveness of sin, of reconciliation with God, and of our relationship with Him as our Father. We must be able to say, "I know" not,
"I hope so" or "I think so"

The absence of this assurance plaques many Christian's today. As Christians we cannot serve the Lord joyfully when there is a doubt of our relationship with Him.

How does this assurance come? Simply by believing God. What God says, we can believe; and when we believe, assurance comes. "These things have I written unto you that BELIEVE on the name of the Son of God; they ye may KNOW that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God." I John 5:13

Surely we can trust God and accept what He says without any further questioning.

"I'm Sorry, but Is it Raining on You?"

2009-07-27T06:24:00.000-07:00

Matthew 5:45 b "... He maketh His sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust."

What a topsy-turvy world we live in today! Everywhere you look, the wicked and unsaved seem to prosperous and happy, and while the Christian suffers. Does God just not care? Is it worth it while to live a separated, consecrated life?

If these thoughts have ever entered your mind, and you ever doubted the ultimate worth of godly living, don't worry. The devil whispers that kind of propaganda to everyone. There are so many trials that we are going to face in this life. When the trials come, rather than asking your self what's the use, tell yourself to, "Look up.''

Although the ungodly seem to prosper, their prosperity is only for a season. In the end the ungodly lose and the godly prosper. Rest assured, the father knows and cares.

"Grace and Peace"

2009-07-26T05:32:00.000-07:00

I Corinthians 1:3 "Grace be unto you, and peace, from God our Father and from the Lord Jesus Christ."

Grace and peace have always been fascinating topics to me. Grace being the receiving of a positive benefit that one does not deserve, and peace being that inner feeling of rest that almost can't be described.

John R. Rice said, "God's grace always comes before God's peace." How true is that statement in our lives. We get ourselves in these places of uncomfortableness, then we get to the point where we are in need of God's peace. The only problem is, we don't deserve God's peace. So what has to happen? God's grace must come first in order for us to get God's peace.

So next time you are in need of peace, remember to pray for God's grace so that His peace can soon follow.

"Pleasing the Father"

2009-07-25T07:42:00.000-07:00

Ephesians 6:6-8 "Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; with good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men: Knowing that whatsoever good thing any man doeth, the same shall he receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free."

In the life of the Christian, God tries to orchestrate and conduct their lives. Many are too worried and concern with what everyone else around them thinks or wants. Ephesians says that we need to only concern ourselves with what God wants. His opinion should be the only one that matters.

When we keep our eyes on the Father, and do exactly what He wants us to do, we will do just fine in life. Follow His lead, and He will orchestrate a wonderful life in you. Don't worry whether the pastor thinks your doing a good job or not, what matters the most is what God thinks of you. Seek to please the Father, and your spouse, pastor, children, everyone around you will be pleased as well.

"What is your Motive"

2009-07-24T08:20:00.000-07:00

II Corinthians 5:14 "For the love of Christ constraineth us; because we thus judge, that if one died for all, then were all dead"

When was the last time you considered what Christ did for you? When you think about what He has done for you, what does it cause you to do? Do you love Him more? Do you want to live your life for Him? Do you want to serve Him in a greater capacity? We ought to!

When we come to personal witnessing, what are our motives? The need of mankind or our love of Christ? The Bible says that "the love of Christ constraineth us" When we have the motive of man's need, we pick and choose which man, women, or child we will or will not witness to. But when our motive is to obey Christ out of our love for Him, it doesn't matter the man, woman, or child - we will witness to them out of our love for the Savior.

We need a new motive - the Love of Christ! Examine your motives today, and get a fresh look at what He has commanded us to do, to win the lost. Do it today.

"Acknowledge Him"

2009-07-23T07:31:00.000-07:00

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."

Acknowledge means "seek to know God and to see God in all your ways" Do you have a relationship with God that causes you to know more of him? God should be part of your daily routine. You know something, when God has been incorporated into ones daily life, doing God's will, to them is easy. We must accept the fact that we are the lesser ones in this relationship, and it needs to be a natural thing that we follow His guiding and do what pleases Him. Acknowledge Him. Seek Him. In every part of your life, place God where He ought to be placed. You'll find Him, when you acknowledge that He's there.

zSHARE - Pastor Aaron 7-19-2009 Am.wma

2009-07-22T18:32:00.001-07:00

Download Sunday Mornings Sermon "This Little Light of Mine"
zSHARE - Pastor Aaron 7-19-2009 Am.wma

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"Can we Fix Broken Relationships?"

2009-07-22T04:08:00.000-07:00

If we are going to fix a broken or wounded relationship we are going to have to have Christ-centered, and God-focused solutions. You can try some of the more popular psychological theories, and most likely you will find them wanting. The reason for that is that they fail to address the deepest need in our lives. Christ. If it is true in Philippians 4:13 that, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me," then it is also true that "without me ye can do nothing." Jesus Christ is not an add-on in relationships. He is the relationship. Our goal ought to be, to bring Christ to his rightful place, the center of the relationship.

It doesn't matter if it's your marriage that's failing, your relationship with your parents, your children, your siblings, whoever it may be. Christ must be at the center. If He is not, then expect problems in that relationship. This is not about theories, it's about facts - Christ at the center works every time. Yes, every time. For those of you who are doubting this, I dare you to try it. Place Christ at the center, focus on what you should be doing in the relationship, and do it. Can a broken relationship be fixed? Yes, with Christ in the center, the answer is always yes!

"From Glory to Glory"

2009-07-21T07:38:00.000-07:00

II Corinthians 3:18 "But we all, with open face beholding as in a glass the glory of the Lord, are changed into the same image from glory to glory, even as by the Spirit of the Lord."

As Christians, we must understand that our relationship with God is based on the sacrifice of His Son, Jesus Christ. Don't allow yourself to be trapped in a performance-oriented, defective concept of Christianity. We must recognize that God gives His grace freely to us, we don't have to "earn" anything or prove anything to Him. We must be reminded that it is not what I do for God that gets me into heaven; it is what Jesus has already done on the cross.

What we do for God, ought to be done out of a heart of love, and a desire to please Him, not gain His approval. We need to live our lives as Christians from His approval, not for His approval. What a difference this will make in your daily life.

"Give Him you Best"

2009-07-20T06:35:00.000-07:00

John 2:5 "His mother saith unto the servants, 'Whatsoever he saith unto you, do it.'"

Our Lord always demands our best. He doesn't want our second best, or our left overs. When we give Him our best, He tranforms it into His better. He turned the water into wine. He turns the handful of seeds into a great harvest. He turned 5 loaves and 2 fish into a full meal with leftovers.

What are you holding back? Does Jesus have your best? You'll be amazed what he can do when you decide to give it to him. Give Him your best - He deserves it!

"Let's Get Stirred Up!"

2009-07-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

II Timothy 1:5-6 "When I call to remembrance the unfeigned Faith that is in thee, which dwelt first in they grandmother Lois, and thy mother Eunice and I am persuaded that in thee also. Wherefore I put thee in remembrance that thou stir up the gift of God, which is in thee by the putting on of my hands."

This is one of my favorite passages of Scripture. I love seeing the Christian heritage of Timothy. I am so glad that I am not a first generation Christian. My Christian heritage goes back at least 5 or 6 generations. Not that there is anything wrong with being a first generation Christian, I for one am glad for the Biblical teachings that have been handed down to me from my distant relatives.

Do you ever get stirred up about anything? Something that just gets you going and you just have to talk about it? In verse 6 Paul tells Timothy that he remembers stirring up the gift of God. What a testimony we could have if we would just get stirred up about the things of God in our lives. Could you imagine the people that we could win to Christ if we would get stirred up. We must get excited about what God is doing here if we ever expect our lives to influence someone else's life. Let God do something special in your life today - Get stirred up!

"The Heritage of the Lord - Children"

2009-07-18T08:33:00.001-07:00

Psalm 127:3 "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is His reward."

Our church just finished an awesome week of Vacation Bible School. We had 63 kids enrolled, raised $116.00 during the penny wars, dressed up goofy, used 144 balloons for balloon animals and hats, and saw 7 children added to the Lambs Book of Life. Our church did such a phenomenal job. From the decorations, registration table, the crew leaders, the classroom teachers, the photographers, the snack preparers, nursery workers, to the the teen workers. Everyone made our VBS a huge success!

Psalm 127:3 says that, "children are an heritage of the LORD" What an opportunity we had this week to minister to God's heritage. I think the the people of Crossroads Baptist Church in Mobile, Alabama have pleased the Lord greatly this week.

Great job Crossroads! Thanks for all your hard work.

"I Will Sing!"

2009-07-17T08:01:00.000-07:00

Psalm 66:2,4 "Sing forth the honour of His name: make His praise glorious. All the earth shall worship Thee, and shall sing unto Thee: they shall sing to thy name."

Do you ever find yourself upset? Angry? Mad? Depressed? Disappointed? All of your inner feelings in torment? I know I've been all of those places before. All of those things have something in common - they are all emotional responses to something taking place in our lives.

There are plenty of genres of music out there. And the fact of the matter is music often changes the way we feel emotionally. So the next time you feel one of these ways - I want you to try something. SING, SING, SING! Sing praises to GOD! You know something it's hard to stay mad, angry, or even disappointed when the song "O Say but I'm Glad" comes to your lips. "There is a song in my heart today, something I never had. Jesus has come and my cups over run, O! Say but I'm Glad" I always find it difficult to stay depressed when I sing, "Blessed assurance, Jesus is mine! O what a foretaste of glory divine"

When you feel those feelings of emotion getting to be to much for you - SING!

"Which Way Do I Go?"

2009-07-16T08:07:00.000-07:00

Job 23:10 "He knoweth the way that I take: when He hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold."

When I was in high school I worked at a gas station. From time to time we would have people come in the station and ask for directions. Most of the time we would kindly tell them how to get there as long as we knew the way. But then there were other times, for no good reason at all, we would give them the wrong directions. It was pretty funny at the time, but this is also the reason I hesitate asking for directions at gas stations, cause I know what goes around comes around. It amazes the amount of people that head out to go somewhere, and they have know idea how to get there. Now, I know that some start out thinking they know where they are going but in the end they have to ask for directions.

Christians are the same way sometimes. We start off in our Christian lives on a journey, and we are pretty sure where we are going. But somewhere along the way we get lost and have to ask for directions. The fact of the matter is we often ask the wrong ones. Sometimes the people we ask know the way, but sometimes the people we ask have no clue at all and they send us on a wild goose chase. Why not just consult a map? Or better yet, the map's creator. By map I mean the Bible, and by map's creator I mean GOD. He always knows the way, the best short cuts, the roads to avoid due to closing or heavy traffic. God will never steer you wrong, He knows the way you need to take. Trust HIM and follow the path He lays out for you. He'll get you there safely. Have a good trip!

Devotion for Wednesday, July 15th - "A Restful Place"

2009-07-15T08:11:00.000-07:00

Exodus 33:14 ". . . My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest."

Vance Havner said, "We can take a vacation within if not one without. You need not seek rest in the mountains or by the sea if you do not have it in your heart. You cannot get away from it all if you carry it all with you." What a true statement!

The summer months of June, July, and August are also know as the great vacation months. If your family is anything like my family when you arrive home from a vacation you are more tired then you were before you left! People are always looking for rest. We try the vacation thing and that doesn't work. The most restful times for our family is when we just stay home for a couple of days and do nothing, but in the end we are still tired.

I am convinced that the key to finding rest is not in the ceasing from activity, but rather having our lives hid in Christ, and to learn as Paul did, whatsoever state we are in to be content with what ever is happening at the time.

Wouldn't it be amazing if you and I could find rest right now in the business of our day? We can, In the presence of God! Go there now and find the rest you have been longing for.

Devotion for Tuesday, July 14th, 2009 "Do it on purpose"

2009-07-14T07:16:00.001-07:00

Daniel 1:8a "But Daniel purposed in his heart that he would not defile himself with the portion of the kings meat..."

I like that phrase, "Daniel purposed in his heart." What a statement that is. In the Christian life, we must realize that if we are going to be exactly what God would have us to be, then we are going to have to do somethings on purpose.

If we are going to have a spirit-filled marriage, it's going to have to be done on purpose. If we are going to raise Godly children, it's going to have to be done on purpose. If we are going to grow in our Christian lives, it's going to have to be done on purpose. I could go on and on with the things that we need to purpose in our hearts, but I think you get the picture. These kind of things don't happen on accident, they happen on purpose.

What is your purpose today? Have a happy, spirit-filled marriage, raise some Godly children, grow in your Christian life, and do it on purpose.

Devotion for Monday, July 13th, 2009 - "Hear and Do"

2009-07-13T08:01:00.000-07:00

Deuteronomy 30:11-14 "(11) For this commandment which I command thee this day, it is not hidden from thee, neither is it far off. (12) It is not in heaven, that thou shouldest say, 'Who shall go up for us to heaven, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it?' (13) Neither is it beyond the sea, that thou shouldest say, who shall go over the sea for us, and bring it unto us, that we may hear it, and do it? (14) But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth, and in thy heart, thou mayest do it."

Vs. 12 ends with "that we may hear it, and do it." Vs. 13 ends with "that we may hear it, and do it" and Vs. 14 ends with, "thou mayest do it". Notice that in verse 14 the hearing is not there. Maybe the Lord is telling us that we have heard enough and now it is time to go into action and "do it"

Our churches are filled with hearers. So, somebody tell me why 75% of the work gets completed by 15% of the workers? We have all heard and heard what we are to do. It is now time that we take what we have heard and get something done! When was the last time you won someone to Christ? When was the last time you served in church? Our churches are filled with people who used to do, and now they don't. Where do you think our churches would be if they were filled with people that STILL DO, not just used to do people?

Let's hear it and do it this week. Most of you reading this were challenged to do something in a sermon yesterday. You heard it, but will you do it? It's up to you now, get it done, before it's too late!

Devotion for Sunday, July 12th, 2009 "It's Sunday! Are you glad?"

2009-07-12T05:55:00.000-07:00

Psalm 122:1 "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord"

Is today just another Sunday to you? Here in Psalm 122:1, David said that he was "glad" when he got to go into the Lord's house. Does that describe how you feel this morning. Some of you, I know went to bed last night dreading the fact that you had to get up and get ready to go to church today. I've known people that have said, "Church really isn't all that important." Well, if it's not, what was David so glad about? If you can be an outstanding Christian without it, why did God establish it?

I hope this morning, this afternoon, or even this evening, whenever you may be reading this, I hope that you will be glad for the next opportunity to attend the house of the Lord. Get glad, church is worth getting excited about. It's Sunday! Are you glad? Get glad and get to church.

Devotion for Saturday, July 11th, 2009 "From a Child"

2009-07-11T07:22:00.000-07:00

II Timothy 3:14-15 "(14) But continue thou in the things thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them; (15) And that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation which is in Christ Jesus."

It's VBS time here at our church, which is one of my favorite times of the year. Kid's never cease to amaze me. The things they remember. The questions they ask. The excitement and energy they bring into a room. Children are a very important aspect of the ministry.

You hear it said all the time, "Our kids today are the church of tomorrow." I believe that statement to be very true. There are, however, some things about that statement that scare me. Those of us that are still raising children are going to have to realize that we are responsible for the future of children and our children's churches.

The Bible says, "that from a child thou hast known the Holy Scriptures." As parents and grandparents it is our responsibility to teach the Bible to them. Biblical principles are going to have to be established within the homes of Christians, because kids pick up on the smallest aspects of life. If we are going to expect them to be in church 35 years from now, it is of utmost importance that we are giving them what they need today, not just what they want. Now I am not foolish enough to say that just because we teach them right they will always do right. I understand that each person makes their own decisions, and will give an account to God for those decisions. What I am saying, is, as Christian parents our children are going to learn the most about the Bible from us. Let's not take that lightly.

Devotion for Friday, July 10th, 2009 "Tips for having a Daily Quiet Time with God"

2009-07-10T10:21:00.000-07:00

Psalm 63:1 - 3 "(1) O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is; (2) To see thy power and thy glory, so as I have seen thee in the sanctuary. (3) Because thy loving kindness is better than life, my lips shall praise thee. "

Finding time is not an easy task. We constantly have something or someone clamouring for our time. I believe that time is our most valuable commodity. It is the only thing that we spend all of what we have. We can't save or manufacture more of it. Any relationship we have in this life requires time. Our relationship with God is not any different. I share some tips that I hope will enhance the time you spend with the Lord each day.

How?

Pray: Praise, Confess, and renew your dedication to the Lord.
Read: Re-read, mark where you read, memorize a daily verse.
Act: Think through, live it out, and pass it on.

What?

Spend time alone with God and His Word everyday.

Who?

All Christians who want to all God wants them to be.

Why?

For a daily cleansing of your sin: renewing your dedication to the Lord.

When?

Do it before you do anything else.

Where?

A definite, quiet place.

Devotion for Wednesday, July 9th, 2009 - "Pleasing, bearing fruit, and Increasing - It's all in a day's work"

2009-07-09T06:39:00.000-07:00

Colossians 1:10 "That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God:"

As Christians we must remember that we have a work that needs to be done. And because we have work to do, we must also remember it is important how the work gets done. Here in Colossians 1:10 the Bible says that we should be walking worthy of the Lord, and what we do should not only bear fruit, but it should be fruit that is pleasing to Him. As we bear pleasing fruit we should increase in our knowledge in order to keep on producing that pleasing fruit.

We have all heard the saying, "if it's not broke, don't fix it." You know the same is true in the Christian life. The things that were pleasing to God and bore fruit 75 years ago, are still just as pleasing to Him and still bear just as much fruit.

Increase you knowledge today, and bear some fruit that would be pleasing to the Lord. What worked for you last week will work again. Keep on keepin' on! It's all in a days work.

Devotion for Wednesday, July 8th, 2009 - "Are you ready to be successful?"

2009-07-08T06:31:00.000-07:00

Joshua 1:8 "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success."

I believe it was Jerry Falwell that said, "Being successful in the Christian life means that one must find God's will, follow God's will, and then finish God's will." Amen to that. True success is not about the size of ones bank account or the number of influential people they may know. The Word of God does not place a heavy emphasis on being successful. As a matter of fact, Joshua 1:8 is the only place in the Bible that it is even mentioned.

With that being said, every believer in Christ can be and should be a successful Christian. To do so, we must first find God's will. God's will is not hidden to us. He has revealed, and preserved it in the Bible. Now that is not say that God does not have a specific will for you as an individual, because He does. People struggle with the difference between the two. That is God's revealed and unrevealed will. Let me try and help here a little bit. God is not obligated to show any of us His unrevealed will for our lives as long as we are not doing His revealed will found in the Bible. It's kind of like having an engine for a car with out having the car. The car would represent God's revealed will, the engine His unrevealed will. We need both in order for us to enjoy the journey God has for us. So finding God's will is important.

Now once we've found it, next we must follow it. This of course is easier said than done. Sometimes we may not like what God's will is for our lives. Doing something that we don't like is part of maturing as a person and a as Christian. If we want to be successful though, we must follow God's will no matter what.

The last thing we must do is finish God's will. God's will does not change. However, there are many times that God may only reveal a portion of what He wants us to do for a particular amount of time. Once completed he reveals another part. The key to being successful is to finish God's will as He reveals it to us.

Everyone wants to be a success in this life, but few are willing to do what it takes to be. Find, follow, and finish God's will. Are you ready to successful?

Devotion for Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 "The Necessity of Storms"

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Nahum 1:3b "...the Lord hath His way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of His feet."

We all know that we have to have rain. With out the rain, the plant life would wither and die, the wells & water supplies would dry up completely. Rain is a necessary part of our lives. But what about the storms? What makes them necessary? I'm not real sure why storms are necessary in the physical world but I do have some thoughts as to why they are necessary in our lives spiritually.

Think about how when the physical storm arises. It starts out with a color change in the sky. Next the wind may pick up a bit, and then it starts to thunder and lightening. Then the rain begins to pour. During a storm, destruction is possible if the proper shelter is not sought out and found.

When a spiritual storm arises God is often times trying to get our attention. Maybe we are to increase our faith and trust in Him as were His disciples when they were in the boat. Maybe, just maybe, God is stirring up the storm in our lives because there is somthing we are holding on to that we need to let go of. The winds from the storm come and rip it from the clutches of our spiritual hands. Don't be surprised by storms of life, just learn what God is trying to show you in your life.

Devotion for Monday, July 6th, 2009 - "You're almost there"

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Galatians 6:9 "And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap if we faint not."

Don't you just love traveling with kids in your car? It doesn't matter if you are going 10 minutes or 10 hours the ride always seems to bring the same questions and comments. Are we there yet? I have to go potty. I'm hungry. I'm thirsty. When are we going to be there? She's looking at me! Stop touching me! WOW! - that can be very wearisome.

You know something though? The Christian life can be very similar to taking a trip with kids. The only difference is we are the kids. We are the ones who are constantly complaining to God about how we are not getting what we want out of our trip. We tell him about the people bothering us, and about our physical needs. Now don't get me wrong, it is okay to talk to God about these things, it's just that all of those types of things are what is making us so weary most of the time. Just imagine how much fuller our fellowship with Him would be if we were not so weary with the journey.

Now our verse tells us not to get weary. Because if we get weary and fall asleep, we may miss the harvest. We are going to make it. We must keep going, and don't allow our selves to get discouraged along the way no matter how so and so looks at us or not. Keep going, you're almost there.

Devotion for Sunday, July 5th, 2009 "One Thing I know"

2009-07-05T05:36:00.000-07:00

John 9:25 "He answered and said, whether he be a sinner or no, I know not: one thing I know, that, whereas I was blind, now I see."

"One thing I know." What a powerful statement! Jesus had just healed this man. This man used to sit at the gates of the city and beg for money, food, clothes, whatever he could get. Then one day Jesus passed by his way and noticed him. He knelt down, made some mud, put it on the blind man's eyes, and told him to go wash it off. As he washed the mud off from his eyes, he received his sight. After much questioning from the the religious leaders of the day about how it happened, and whether or not the Man that did this wonderful thing, was a sinner or not. His response was " One thing I know, whereas I was blind, now I see."

What is the one thing you know today? Is it that Jesus Christ died to save you from the place of hell? Or is it something else. Now I understand that we can know for sure several things today. But the most important thing we can know is that we are saved and on our way to Heaven. This one thing I know, I was lost in the trespasses of sin and when I trusted Jesus as my Savior, by faith, he change my life. This blind man's life was forever changed. How is your life different since you came to know Jesus? "One thing I know" What is it?

Devotion for Saturday, July 4th, 2009 - "I Love America" By: Dr. Jack Hyles Happy 4th of July

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I love Thanksgiving when we pray,And July 4th and Labor DayWith picnics, ants, and hungry flies,And barbecue and hot French fries,With Cokes and chips and apple piesBeneath some hazy, lazy skies.

I love Miami's royal palmThat oozes forth a healing balmBeside the ocean's quiet calm.
And Betsy Ross, and Orville Wright,And dear Ben Franklin's flying kite;And Thomas Jefferson's mightly quill,And Alamo, and Bunker Hill,And Paul Revere's midnight ride,And Wilbur Wright's successful glide.

I love United's friendly skies;And baseball when the umpire cries,"Play ball!" as thousands quietly riseTo turn their moistened sober eyesToward waving flag that proudly flies.
And Casey Stengal's Stengaleze,And Dairy Queen, and Tastee Freeze,And cotton candy at the zoo;And corny dogs and Big Macs too;And Burger Kings, and shopping malls,And hockey pucks, and basketballs.

And Mississippi's cotton fields,And Holland, Michigan's spinning wheels;Monotonous midwestern plains,Florida's sun, Seattle's rams.

Atlanta's lovely, dogwood trails,And Santa Fe's long clicking rails.I love the Rocky Mountain peaksBeneath a sky which mutely speaks;

And Disney World, and Disney Land,And Georgia's fertile blood-red sand:The Mississippi, and Rio Grande;Wisconsin's cheese and dairy land.

I love McDonald's chocolate shakes,And Minnesota's thousand lakes;The Royal Gorge's mighty yawn,A sleepy Alabama dawn;The harvest moon that shineth on.

I love to gaze at YellowstoneWhile licking on an ice cream cone;And Howard Johnson's Motor Lodge;And Ford, and Chevrolet, and Dodge.I love the stately Empire State,And San Francisco's Golden Gate.

I love St. Louis' friendly arch,The Statue of Liberty's burning torch,The Washington Monument's prickly goad,And Colorado's trail ridge road.

I love "My Country, Tis of Thee,"Oh, blessed land of liberty.Long may our glorious land be bright,With freedom's wondrous holy light,Protect us by Thy matchless might.

I love to stand with hand o'er heartAnd think of those who did their part,Who left a mom a lone gold star,Whose bodies rest 'neath fields afar.

I love New England's rolling farms,Its quaint decor and blushing charms.I love the azalea's freshened blooms,East Texas' roses sparkling plumes.

I love it when my church choir sings, And know the peace that worship brings.
There beats within my breast a dreamThat that small faint and flickering gleamWill soon become a mighty flameTo spread to all His matchless name:That those dear four who call me "Dad"Will know the country I have had;Where freedom's flag flies proud and high,And those dear ones may loudly cry,"I'm free! My dad helped make it so.That faint small gleam is now aglow!That Christian land that he once knewIs now the kind that we know too!God's judging hand has now been stayed,So I and mine are not afraid,For churches like our own aboundIn every city, village, town! We're free to witness, visit, teachThe same dear truths we heard Dad preach! And now we vow to God aboveTo pass it on to those we love."

Devotion for Friday, July 3rd, 2009 - "Be a man!"

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I Corinthians 16:13 "Watch ye, stand fast in the faith, quit you like men, be strong."

Here in our verse today, the Apostle Paul is encouraging the church at Corinth to stand up "be a man" if we were going to put it in a more modern slang. Let's take a few moments to closer examine this verse.

1. Watch ye: As Christians we must be always watching out for those things around us that might be harmful to us. We do that as parents. We watch when our children play outside. We don't let them play in the street, play with chain saws, or throw knives at each other. I know those are extreme examples. But what in our spiritual lives? As God's children, are we "playing" with spiritual knives or chain saws that could slip at any moment and cut us? We must be watchful.

2. Stand fast in the faith: It is of vital importance that we keep our faith strong. Unwavering faith will get us through the attacks of the Devil. The Bible tells that the shield of faith is the most important piece in the Christian armor. Stand fast, don't sit down, keep on standing, hold your ground and don't give up ground.

3. Quit you like men, be strong: "Man up" "Don't be a sissy" "Be a man" "Quit whining" that's what Paul may have written if he were writing it today. Bravery and strength are generally characteristics given to men. Not that women cannot be brave or strong, it just that men are expected to be the things. As Christians, all men, women, and children need to be brave and strong in order to repel the darts that are sometimes hurled at us by the Devil.

So today, "be a man" increase your faith, and take a stand against sin and the Devil.

Devotion for Thursday, July 2nd, 2009 - "Two Things"

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Proverbs 30:7 "Two things have I required of thee: deny me them not before I die."

Love God & Love Others! I almost stopped the devotion right there. I figured, what else needs to be typed other than, Love God & Love Others. I know that Proverbs 30:7 is not talking about these two things. However, my mind immediately went here. What two things have been required of me? Love God & Love Others.

"Two things have I required of thee:..." LOVE GOD & LOVE OTHERS! Period. That's it. LOVE GOD & LOVE OTHERS!

Devotion for Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 "Consider Your Ways"

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According to Thorndike Barnhart Advanced Dictionary, the word consider means "to think something over, to give it some careful thought before making a decision about it".

In Haggai 1:5 & 7 the Lord told Israel to "Consider your ways" Of course as God was speaking to Haggai He was refering to the rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem when He said to "consider your ways"

For the Christian, we are told in I Corinthians 6:19 about our temples, "What, know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?" As we realize that our body are the temple of the Holy Spirit, we must, as God spoke in Haggi, "consider our ways."

What do we do? What do we say? Where do we go? Who are we? What do we allow to entertain ourselves? How do we respond? Consider your ways. You are building a temple for the Holy Spirit. Consider.

Devotion for Tuesday, June 30th, 2009 - "Missed Opportunities"

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Galatians 6:10 "As we therefore have opportunity, let us do good unto all men, especially unto them that are of the household of faith."

I found the phrase, "as we therefore have opportunity" to be very interesting. Galatians 6:10 closes out a set of verses about bearing one another's burdens, and deals at length with sowing and reaping. Then you get to vs. 10 and the Bible says, "as we therefore have opportunity"

We have all had some missed opportunities in this life. As I think about the ones that I've missed, I could almost kick myself as I wonder, "what could have been" or "where would I be now if I had..."

I think most of our missed opportunities are missed because we are focusing on the wrong thing, ourselves. Look at the rest of that verse, "let us do good unto all men, especially unto them that are of the household of faith." The verse is talking about us taking the opportunity to do right, on purpose, by other people.

Think about the relationships that we have with others. Now think about the relationships you used to have. How many of the old relationships aren't there today due to a missed opportunity? Take full advantage of the opportunities that are placed in front of you today, and do right by all men, but especially those that are closest to you. Don't let the opportunity pass.

Devotion for Monday, June 29th, 2009 "Perfect Peace"

2009-06-29T08:14:00.000-07:00

Isaiah 26:3 "Thou wilt keep him perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee."

We hear so much about peace these days - world peace, peace in the middle east, lasting peace. We hear statements such as, "help us to keep the peace." The truth of the matter is, the only place where there IS peace today is in the heart of the believer.

Peace is the exact opposite of strife, discord, and conflict. All we need to do is stop, look, and listen. We live in a world that is filled with discord, strife, and opposition. There world is not able bring the peace of mind it tries to offer. There is no pill prescribed by a doctor that can bring peace into someones life. It amazes me the number of people that try to fill there heart with peace, do so with drugs, alcohol, sex, and anything else they can get there hands on.

No one but the perfect God could provide the perfect peace that people are longing for today. Through the perfect sacrifice of Christ on the cross of Calvary, God provides perfect peace for all who will receive peace on the terms of the Gospel.

Don't try and fill yourself up with the cares and distractions of this world. Let God have his way in your life and then you can have the peace that you have been longing for.

Devotion for Sunday, June 28th, 2009 "Let's get Excited"

2009-06-28T05:59:00.000-07:00

II Corinthians 9:2 "For I know the forwardness of your mind, for which I boast of you to them of Macedonia, that Achaia was ready a year ago; and your zeal hath provoked very many."

Excitement is a wonderful thing. We get excited about plenty of things. Vacations, holiday's, birthday's, parties, raises at work, days off from work, television programs, etc. When we get excited about these things we tell other people. We tell people and even count down the days till our vacation, holiday's, birthday's, etc. The fact of the matter is, is that excitement is contagious.

What separates a growing business from a non-growing or shrinking business? I believe it is excitement that separates them. When a CEO or owner that's excited about the business that excitement trickles down to the employees. The key to growing a business is excitement.

What about in a church? What separates a growing church from a non-growing church? Again, I believe that, just like a business, if a church is going to grow it's members are going to have to be excited about what God is doing in their church. In order for a Christian to be excited about their church, that same Christian must first be excited about what God is doing in their lives personally.

Notice the last phrase in the verse here, "...and your zeal hath provoked very many." This church at Corinth was excited about what was going on in and through their church. Let God have His way in your life today and let may "zeal" provoke many to doing what God would have them to do. Get excited about what God is doing, because just like excitement, negativity is also very contagious. Let's get excited!

Devotion for Saturday, June 27th, 2009 - "Why preach Christ?" Acts 8:5

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Acts 8:5 "Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them."

There are two reasons we are to preach Christ, and both are equally important.

First, because as Christians, it is our business. The business of a farmer is to farm, not a lawyer. The business of a lawyer is to be a lawyer, not a doctor. If you were being sued you would probably hire an attorny to represent you before you would a doctor or a farmer. What you do if you had a plumbling problem? Call a lock smith right? No, you're going to call a plumber because that is his business. Again, it is the Christians business to preach Christ.

The second reason is just as important. We need to preach Christ because for centuries mankind has been searching for a remedy for sin, and every time have failed in doing so. They failed because they did not know Christ the ONLY one who was able to free them. Mohammed cannot save, Confucius cannot save, Buddha cannot save. Jesus Christ can though, and more so He will, because that is what he came for, "to seek and to save that which was lost." And "Neither is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men, whereby we MUST be saved." Acts 4:12

We must be about our Father's business and preach Christ so that people may be saved!

Devotion for Friday, June 26th, 2009 - "Rebellious Birds"

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Matthew 6:26 "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?"

It still amazes me at how wonderful our God is. He cares for the birds by guiding them to where the food is. They fly from place to place trusting His guidance. Here's a thought. I wonder if there are any rebellious birds? You know what I mean, those birds that think they know more than God, so they go to and fro just doing whatever they want. I think there might be some, cause I did hit a lone bird with my car the other day. I don't really think there are any rebellious birds, they just don't do a great job at dodging cars going 55 mph.

While I know that there are no rebellious birds, I do know that there are rebellious people out there. The Bible tells in Matthew here, that we are better than the birds, and yet we constantly choose to rebel against the direction God wants us to go. Our way seems better. Seems more fun and exciting. The Bible says in Proverbs "that there is a way which seemeth right unto a man but the end there of are the ways of death." If you are going to refuse God's guidance through this life all I have to say is - watch out for cars! Don't be a rebellious bird, you re better than that. At least, God thinks so.

Devotion for Thursday, June 25th, 2009 "Who is it for?"

2009-06-25T05:58:00.000-07:00

Psalm 83:1 & 18 "vs. 1 Keep not thou silence O God: hold not thy peace, and be not still, O God. vs. 18 That men may know that thou, whose name alone is JEHOVAH, art the most high over all the earth."

I am not going to take a lot time this morning. I want you (and me) to think about one thought as we go on with our day with just one question: "Who is it for?"

In the 83rd Psalm, the Psalmist starts by making a request for God to "Keep not thou silence" and, "hold not thy peace, and be not still" The request in verse one is obvious want the he is wanting - for God to make Himself known, to hear from God, to get an answer. If you are anything like me, you know what it is like to ask and sometimes beg God to give us an answer. The only problem I've ever had in asking to hear from God is when I don't hear from Him. Have you ever wondered why we haven't heard from God, when we are down here crying out and begging Him to give answer? I know I have.

I think this Psalm can give us some insight as to why we don't always hear from God when we ask. It depends on our motive in wanting to hear. Do we want to hear because it will help us? or do we want to hear because it brings the honor back to the LORD? Who is it for? Me or God? Vs 18 clearly points out that the Psalmist wanted God to be known to all men.

Maybe, just maybe, you and I aren't hearing what we want to hear because our focus is on ourselves getting the answer and not on God being high and lifted up. May we all Check our focus today, and then may we hear from Heaven that He would get the glory.

Devotion for Wednesday, June 24th, 2009 "Has your Gift Multiplied?"

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Ephesians 2:8 "For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God:"

Do you remember when we were kids and we would get gifts for our birthday's or Christmas, then our parents would say, "now remember you have to share that." ? We would proceed to whine, kick, and scream our way into having to share what we really didnt want to share. Not only do I remember those times, I sometimes resent them. Just kidding of course.

However, as Chritians we have been given a gift from God that He want and expects us to share it with others. You see, the gift that we've been given, grows and multiplies itself with in us as we share it with other people. I like to refer to sharing our faith as "miracle grow for Christians" Witnessing, sharing our faith, soulwinning, no matter what you want to call it, IT helps us to grow in our Christian life faster than anything else does.

Don't whine, kick, or scream your way through the Christian life just like I did through my childhood. Just determine to share your faith with as many people as possible, and get ready to be amazed at how fast you will grow.