Month: September 2022

My Way or YOUR WAY? {Forgetting GOD}

/ readyforafreshstart / Leave a comment

FRANKLY SPEAKING,

11 But King Jehoshaphat of Judah asked, “Is there no prophet of THE LORD with us? If there is, we can ask THE LORD what to do through him.” ~ II Kings 3:11

MY Way or YOUR WAY? {Forgetting GOD} ~ How can I go days without praying? Honestly, I don’t understand how I can become so self-absorbed, focused on my perceived highly important tasks, oblivious to what’s most important. I find myself saying these words while I am alone with GOD after finally realizing that it has been days since I truly sought HIS presence. Do you remember when you first realized that you were lost without GOD? There was a time when I thought I was in good standing with GOD because I was a good person. Then, I found out I needed to be saved, redeemed, and born again. JESUS came into my life and changed everything. HE saved my soul and cleaned up my life. And now, there are times when I just leave HIM out of my daily life because I forget to seek HIS presence. WOW! ☹ ~ Heaven forbid!

In the verse above, King Joram, Ahab’s other son, has been disrespected by another king. So, he calls his friends, other kings, to ask them to help him go to war. He says to them, “THE LORD has brought the three of us here.” However, there is no time when he actually talks to GOD. King Joram has not prayed seeking GOD’S wisdom or counsel. Whose fault is this I wonder? We could blame his mother and father since they both “did evil in the sight of the LORD.” After all, they did not teach him the deep truths of GOD. They did not take him to church or Bible Study when he was young. They never showed him the right thing to do! Sounds familiar, right? Too many of us stopped gathering for GOD when COVID started and haven’t been back. Our children are growing up in an UNGODLY culture! They need to learn GOD’S WAY!

This illustrates the problem with modern American Christianity! Many of us are so busy telling everyone that GOD is on our side, while we neglect to actually seek HIS presence. We have decided that we can legislate morality based upon what we think instead of what the BIBLE says. Steve Irwin often said it all too well… “Danger… Danger… Danger!” Let’s gather & grow again!

Living in THE SHADOW of the CROSS

Blessings in CHRIST

Pastor Wes

I Peter 3:15

Have we forgotten GOD?
24 Let us think of ways to motivate one another to acts of love and good works. 25 And let us not neglect our meeting together, as some people do, but encourage one another, especially now that the day of HIS return is drawing near. (Hebrews 10:24-25)

GOOD or BAD?

/ readyforafreshstart / Leave a comment

FRANKLY SPEAKING,

And he said, “This is what THE LORD says: I have purified this water. It will no longer cause death or infertility.”                                          II Kings 2:21a NLT

GOOD or BAD? There is a question for which most people have a very strong opinion. “Are we, as people, basically GOOD or BAD?” The answer someone gives reveals a great deal about their outlook, philosophy, and theology of anthropology as a whole. Too deep, too soon? Well, hang in there. 😊

First, I have been privileged to meet and know people whom I felt were genuinely good folk. They would truly give you the shirt off their back, as the saying goes. They give to charities, volunteer to help those who are less fortunate, and try to make the world better as we know it. Most of us would say that these are the kind of people whom we want to be like.

Second, I have also met people who rub me the wrong way. For some, I am the one who does the rubbing. 😊  These folks just don’t seem to care what anyone thinks about them. I think one of their favorite songs must be, “I Did It My Way,” by Frank Sinatra. We all think of people who are hard to be around. Some of us have family members who we are willing to see at family reunions, but we wouldn’t want to go on vacation with them. 😊

Third, what does the BIBLE say about all of this? GOD’S WORD is not silent on this issue. It says, “There is none righteous, NOT EVEN ONE.” (Romans 3:10) If this isn’t enough, it continues by saying, “No one seeks GOD.”  In verse 23, GOD says, “All have sinned and fall short of the GLORY OF GOD.”  Some genuinely struggle to believe that no one is worthy, right?

This is why we have the BIBLE! This is why JESUS came 2022 years ago! You see, if any one of us could be good enough without JESUS, then why did HE come from heaven to die on a cross for you and me? The truth is that no matter how GOOD you are, you still need JESUS! And, no matter how BAD you are HE can still make you GOOD! It’s called GRACE ~ God’s Riches At Christ’s Expense. GOOD or BAD ~ You can be made perfect today! 😊

Living in THE SHADOW of the CROSS

Blessings in CHRIST

Pastor Wes

I Peter 3:15

BAD can be made GOOD, and GOOD can become BAD! Be Wise ~ Follow JESUS!

PASS THE BATON!

/ readyforafreshstart / Leave a comment

FRANKLY SPEAKING,

Then Elijah said to Elisha, “Stay here, for THE LORD has told me to go to the Jordan River.” But again Elisha replied, “As surely as THE LORD lives and you yourself live, I will never leave you.” So they went on together.  II Kings 2:6 NLT

PASSING THE BATON… Funerals are both challenging and rewarding parts of a pastor’s ministry. When a dear friend departs and leaves us behind, it’s hard for all of us. However, sharing all the wonderful ways that friend helped us become the man or woman of GOD we are today is a great joy!  Far too often, we’ve had the sheer delight and the heart-breaking pain of both of these experiences. Michael W. Smith sings those lyrics so well…

And friends are friends forever, If the Lord’s the Lord of them

And a friend will not say never, ‘Cause the welcome will not end

Though it’s hard to let you go, In the Father’s hands we know

That a lifetime’s not too long, To live as friends

By now, you’re thinking of someone. That person or those people who invested in you long before you ever knew how important that investment was.  Elisha would soon be leading without the voice of Elijah to guide him and assure him that GOD was clearly speaking. Isn’t it comforting to have someone in our lives whom we can trust will always point to JESUS? Invest all the time you can with this trusted friend. We all wish we had more time!

Let’s rethink this for just a moment. How many people do you think would picture you when they are asked these questions? Are you intentionally leading others to draw closer to CHRIST? You may be thinking, “but I’m not a pastor or priest.” Well, my friend, one of the godliest men I know was never called to ministry, nor did he go to Bible College or Seminary. Nevertheless, all of the memories I have of this man are of his consistent love for JESUS and his incredible words of biblical wisdom. I learned more from him than many of the preachers we all know. Bottom line! You have to be running the race to PASS THE BATON. So, why not get off the bench and run? 😊

Living in THE SHADOW of the CROSS

Blessings in CHRIST

Pastor Wes

I Peter 3:15