Life Goes On

Given the recent events in the Middle East many people, including Christians, are freaking out.  The one thing that is being overlooked is that only what God allows or directs can happen in this world, and he can use either for his purposes.  Armageddon cannot be started by the actions of men unless God wants to use them.  The day and time have already been set, and no one except God Himself knows when that will be.  No charts, blood moons or visions will change what God has already established. Our mandate as believers is to trust God and obey his Word.  Specifically we are to be about the business of "making disciples of all nations" or what we call The Great Commission.  Ideally we should be doing that on the very day that Jesus returns. In the meantime we must pray consistently for the governmental leaders that God has put or allowed in place (Romans 13) as we continue to make disciples (Matthew 28:19-20). Also, we need to remember what the Psalmist ...

Christian receives $21 million after 39 years in prison - bcole39@gmail.com - Gmail < Today it seemed that every scripture I read during my devotional time on YouVersion had to do with waiting.  Then when I got to the office I read this story about an innocent man who waited 39 years for his freedom.  I think I'm seeing a pattern here. I am 80 years of age.  I've been in ministry 61 of those years.  During my entire time in ministry I have had the nagging feeling that God wants to do something in and through my life that can only be explained as His doing.  For the past 7 1/2 years I have been pastor of Faith Baptist Church in Lake Placid, FL.  We have only baptized 13 people during that time & several of those are not currently walking with the LORD.  If I allow myself, I could get so "down" about this lack of productivity that I would entertain the idea of quitting.  Then I remember... Abraham waited 25 years for a son that God had ...

Last Friday I had a heart cath.  One stent was inserted.  Got out of the hospital on Saturday, went to church on Sunday and experienced another dizziness episode on Sunday afternoon.  Slowly it is dawning on me that I can't resume life as usual.  Something has to change if I am going to function.  I have to believe that God has a plan.  He was not taken off-guard by my heart issues.  For some reason I'm still here.  My challenge is to discover a way to function that is in keeping with my current physical condition.  Some of the things that come to mind are: 1.  Rest more 2.  Eat better 3.  Prioritize.  Do what only I can do and delegate the rest. 4.  Exercise by slowly building up stamina thru walking. That being assumed, I am now seeking to find people in my church who will take on some of my current load.  I'm thinking of the Acts 6:4 plan.   "But we will devote ourselve to prayer and to the ministry of th...

We base too much emphasis on emotions.  At least that is my observation.  I hear people say, "I just don't feel like..." whatever.  A much more dependable part of life is WILL.  I can choose to do things that I don't FEEL like doing. During the week of Thanksgiving, I want to encourage you to CHOOSE to give thanks whether you feel like it or not.  As you persist in doing this, you will find your feelings begin to come around.  I read somewhere recently a question..."What if God gave you today only what you thanked Him for yesterday?  Food for thought. The Bible even calls thanksgiving a SACRIFICE.  That means that it costs you something.  You can do it regardless of how you feel.  The reward for that choice may be delayed but is definite.  Thankful people enjoy better health.  Thankful people have more friends.  Thankful people are more productive. So here's the challenge.  Everyday for the next month begin and end...

Quite likely you are as sick of the proceedings in Washington as I am.  However, we should pause and reflect on what the words, actions and vitriol of the elected officials mean to the man on the street.  I read somewhere a quote "In a democracy we get the government we deserve." (Alexis De Toqueville) Simply put that means the we elect them so we are responsible for their being in office.  If you vote for a person simply because they are in the party you prefer without checking into their personal stance on issues, then you should not be disappointed with their biases.  The reality is that those in office reflect the biases of their constituents. One very sad result of the confirmation hearing is that our elected leaders have reversed a time-honored truth in America.  In the past we lived by the mantra "innocent until proven guilty".  Those opposing the confirmation have taken the approach that Judge Kavanagh is guilty unless and until proven innocent....

Everyone has a back story.  That is a story of some event or incident in the past that shapes how a person is in the present.  We find back stories in the Bible.  Joseph's back story included being sold by his brothers into slavery, being falsely accused by his boss's wife, having someone he helped while in prison forget about him once they are out, etc.  You get the picture.  Somewhere along the line Joseph realized that God was the author of all that happened to him and he accepted it.  Not everyone figures that out though.  Paul had an enormous back story.  Can you imagine him showing up to preach, teach or start a church and his reputation preceding him there?  Somehow he was able to overcome his lurid past of subjecting believers to prison or worse and become effective as a disciple of Christ. Some childhood trauma might make a person gun-shy when it comes to relationships.  An accident might make someone doubly careful when drivi...

I read a blog post today that asked the question "Is America Headed for Another Civil War?"  This was in response to the rancorous rants against our President and anyone in his cabinet.  We have reached a point where almost everyone has an opinion that they consider to be right and there is hatred toward anyone who doesn't agree with them.  When we hear or read of such rhetoric in other countries we anticipate that a coup is in the making.  There is a darkness that is spreading over America today.  The state of California is in the process of enacting a law that would forbid certain parts of the Bible to be read.  In our own Highlands County the commissioners are considering a tax upon houses of worship that is 4 times what other entities would be assessed in order to pay for 14 firefighters in the county.  Any church that fails to pay is threatened with a tax lien.  The darkness is growing! It is in times like these that the church of Jesus Chri...