The Joy of the Lord!

When I awoke this morning and began to pray the Lord impressed me with the words of Scripture that I share below. I hope you will read and allow them to speak to you, that you will open your heart and pray "Lord, I'm going to read this and I am asking You speak to me what You want meto know, understand, and put into practice. thank You!"


2 Chronicles 20:13-28 (NLT) 13 As all the men of Judah stood before the Lord with their little ones, wives, and children, 14 the Spirit of the Lord came upon one of the men standing there. His name was Jahaziel son of Zechariah, son of Benaiah, son of Jeiel, son of Mattaniah, a Levite who was a descendant of Asaph. 15 He said, “Listen, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Listen, King Jehoshaphat! This is what the Lord says: Do not be afraid! Don’t be discouraged by this mighty army, for the battle is not yours, but God’s.

16 Tomorrow, march out against them. You will find them coming up through the ascent of Ziz at the end of the valley that opens into the wilderness of Jeruel. 17 But you will not even need to fight. Take your positions; then stand still and watch the Lord’s victory. He is with you, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Do not be afraid or discouraged. Go out against them tomorrow, for the Lord is with you!”

18 Then King Jehoshaphat bowed low with his face to the ground. And all the people of Judah and Jerusalem did the same, worshiping the Lord. 19 Then the Levites from the clans of Kohath and Korah stood to praise the Lord, the God of Israel, with a very loud shout. 20 Early the next morning the army of Judah went out into the wilderness of Tekoa. On the way Jehoshaphat stopped and said, “Listen to me, all you people of Judah and Jerusalem! Believe in the Lord your God, and you will be able to stand firm. Believe in his prophets, and you will succeed.”

21 After consulting the people, the king appointed singers to walk ahead of the army, singing to the Lord and praising him for his holy splendor. This is what they sang: “Give thanks to the Lord; his faithful love endures forever!” 22 At the very moment they began to sing and give praise, the Lord caused the armies of Ammon, Moab, and Mount Seir to start fighting among themselves. 23 The armies of Moab and Ammon turned against their allies from Mount Seir and killed every one of them. After they had destroyed the army of Seir, they began attacking each other. 24 So when the army of Judah arrived at the lookout point in the wilderness, all they saw were dead bodies lying on the ground as far as they could see. Not a single one of the enemy had escaped.

25 King Jehoshaphat and his men went out to gather the plunder. They found vast amounts of equipment, clothing, and other valuables—more than they could carry. There was so much plunder that it took them three days just to collect it all! 26 On the fourth day they gathered in the Valley of Blessing, which got its name that day because the people praised and thanked the Lord there. It is still called the Valley of Blessing today.

27 Then all the men returned to Jerusalem, with Jehoshaphat leading them, overjoyed that the Lord had given them victory over their enemies. 28 They marched into Jerusalem to the music of harps, lyres, and trumpets, and they proceeded to the Temple of the Lord.

Nehemiah 8:10 (NLT) 10 …This is a sacred day before our Lord. Don’t be dejected and sad, for the joy of the Lord is your strength!”

Psalms 150:1-6 (AMP) 1 PRAISE THE Lord! Praise God in His sanctuary; praise Him in the heavens of His power! 2 Praise Him for His mighty acts; praise Him according to the abundance of His greatness! 3 Praise Him with trumpet sound; praise Him with lute and harp! 4 Praise Him with tambourine and [single or group] dance; praise Him with stringed and wind instruments or flutes! 5 Praise Him with resounding cymbals; praise Him with loud clashing cymbals! 6 Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Philippians 4:4-8 (NIV) 4 Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5 Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7 And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable--if anything is excellent or praiseworthy--think about such things.

Let those with ears to hear, hear what God the Almighty, the Great Creator, Father of all Comfort and Love has said to us who say we are His children. Everyday He is worthy of our worship, our praise. Philippians 2:1-2 (NIV) 1 If you have any encouragement from being united with Christ, if any comfort from his love, if any fellowship with the Spirit, if any tenderness and compassion, 2 then make my joy complete by being like-minded, having the same love, being one in spirit and purpose.


Psalms 100:1-5 (MSG) 1 A thanksgiving psalm On your feet now—applaud God! 2 Bring a gift of laughter, sing yourselves into his presence. 3 Know this: God is God, and God, God. He made us; we didn't make him. We're his people, his well-tended sheep. 4 Enter with the password: "Thank you!" Make yourselves at home, talking praise. Thank him. Worship him. 5 For God is sheer beauty, all-generous in love, loyal always and ever.

Father God may Your Word be correcting, challenging, calling and encouraging to those who read them. You truly are awesome, great, magnificent, all loving, merciful, faithful, and full of grace and truth. Help us to use our mouths to lift up Your Holy Name and to encourage and build up others and Your Church. Forgive us for living lives of selfishness and idolatry and to give You Praise from hearts truly in love with You and let our Praise be not just words but in how we live day by day. You are great. Thank You for your many blessings You have already blessed us with. In Christ’s Name. Amen.

Don't Do It!

This past week I was asked “If a person commits suicide, do they go to hell?” That is a frequent question believe it or not. I want to give a few biblical facts first off before answering. We are all created in the image of God. Genesis 1:26 (NIV) “Then God said, "Let us make man in our image, in our likeness.” God has a purpose, a design for each of us. None of us are an accident. Psalm 139:16 (NIV) “Your eyes saw my unformed body. All the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be.” Acts 17:26-27 (NIV) “From one man he made every nation of men, that they should inhabit the whole earth; and he determined the times set for them and the exact places where they should live. 27 God did this so that men would seek him and perhaps reach out for him and find him, though he is not far from each one of us.” Because this is so God issued His command. Exodus 20:13 (NIV) "You shall not murder.” That includes yourself.

Having said that-- it is true that life is hard. This life is filled with confusion, hurt, pain, grief, stress and trouble. So much so that from time to time people despair of life. It just seems that death would be a welcomed relief from what is happening in our lives. At times hopelessness hemorrhages into our lives. The great prophet Elijah knew this 1 Kings 19:4 (ASV)”But he himself went a day's journey into the wilderness, and came and sat down under a juniper-tree: and he requested for himself that he might die, and said, It is enough; now, O Jehovah, take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers.” Paul, the great Apostle, knew this as well: 2 Corinthians 1:8 (NIV) “We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life.” In spite of their despair, these two held out in trust in the Lord and He rescued them and restored them restored them and kept them on track.
When a believer in Christ takes their own life, it is a great tragedy. I believe their act grieves the heart of God. However, I believe the Scripture teaches that do not lose their salvation and go to hell. Psalms 103:10 (NIV) “ he does not treat us as our sins deserve or repay us according to our iniquities.” John 10:29 (NIV) “ My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father's hand.” Genesis 18:25 (NIV) “Far be it from you to do such a thing--to kill the righteous with the wicked, treating the righteous and the wicked alike. Far be it from you! Will not the Judge of all the earth do right?" Romans 8:38-39 (NIV)’ For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, 39 neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

30,000 people a year take their own lives in the US. Certain groups, including teenagers, white males, and the elderly, are at higher statistical risk for suicide. The National Center for Injury Prevention and Control rates suicide as the third-leading cause of death in the age bracket of 15 to 24. People younger than 25 accounted for 15 percent of all suicides in 1997.
White males accounted for 72 percent. In fact, males are actually four times as likely to die from suicide than females--but females are more likely to attempt suicide. In both males and females, suicide rates increase with age and are highest among Americans age 65 and older.
Nevertheless, suicide affects people of all races, ages, and walks of life. The factors leading to suicide are varied--undiagnosed depression, feelings of inadequacy, hopelessness and loneliness, alcohol or substance abuse. Suicide - A Preventable Tragedy? By Peri Stone-Palmquist
If you are reading this and considering suicide---DON’T! There is hope. Whatever you are experiencing, you can get through. Tell someone your thoughts and seek help. You must understand and believe that “the LORD is not too short to save, nor his ear too dull to hear’. Matthew 19:25-26 (MSG) “The disciples were staggered. "Then who has any chance at all?" 26 Jesus looked hard at them and said, "No chance at all if you think you can pull it off yourself. Every chance in the world if you trust God to do it." God can and will help you through. Trust Him.

On one occasion a Pastor from Georgia called me and said he was in a park and about to take his life. I talked to him for a while and convinced him not to do it but to meet me and talk it out. We met at a restaurant and he was a mess. He was cynical about everything I said. He told how he no longer believed and prayer didn’t work and called me a fool for believing that there is hope. I talked and prayed with all my heart and finally covenanted with him that he would not take his life but would go to the Dr. and see what was going on physically. Another Pastor arranged everything and got him in to see a Dr.. The Dr. found that this Pastor was worn out and severely depressed. He was also dealing with a lot of false guilt. His depression was treated, he got some rest and he and his wife received help toward spiritual renewal. Years later, he is still going, his daughter is in college and he is still serving the Lord. He held out and God came through. He will for you too. There is help.

To the Church, we need to become a community of love, acceptance and support. We need to tell our stories of our own struggles and how God has and is working inus through those struggles. We need to be an encouraging body. Not just talking about Jesus and His love but demonstrating that love in and through our individual and corporate lives.

Father, for those who are despairing of life I pray your comfort and peace. Help them to get to know you through Your only begotten Son Jesus. Encourage them in this life through Your hope. Bring people into their lives who are living that hope and love and are willing to share. Help them to know that suicide is not the answer but life-life in You. I thank you for answering this prayer. In Christ’s name. Amen

Somethings Worse than Death

There are some things worse than death. Alzheimer's is one of them. As many of you know my mom has had Alzheimer's for over ten years.
"Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive brain disorder that gradually destroys a person’s memory and ability to learn, reason, make judgments, communicate and carry out daily activities. As Alzheimer’s progresses, individuals may also experience changes in personality and behavior, such as anxiety, suspiciousness or agitation, as well as delusions or hallucinations."
The first time I realized something was wrong with Mom was when she cam up to Durham to spend the weekend with us. We went shopping that Friday and she bought a bunch of Christmas presents for Heather and Ashley. I was carrying several bags of presents out the door when she said: "Now don't forget we have to go shopping to buy Heather and Ashley something for Christmas." At first I thought she was joking because she already bought them so much. I laughed out loud and said "Right, we need to them more presents, right!" She made no comment. When we got in the car she suddenly said she had to go home. Home? Mom you just got here. But she persisted and insisted she had forgotten something she had to do at home. So she left.

After she left a chill came over me as the thought of Alzheimer's crossed my mind. From that time on the undiagnosed disease began to progress. Over the next year and a half I was blown away by what was happening to Mom.

We went to an Alzheimer's specialist at CMC and he tested Mom. Simple questions and tasks put a look of horro in my Mom's eyes and sense of horror in my heart. Please draw a clock face. I watched in disbelief as Mom could not draw the simple picture. What year is it? 1945. Who is the President of the United States? Eisenhower. When is your son's birthday? She looked at me. The Dr. said "Don't look at him look at me." She paused and and looked back at me with the greatest fear I have ever seen. She could not answer.

That day is carved into my brain. We went to the car and Mom got in the back seat and curled up like a child. I tried to comfort her. But how do you really do that when the reality of losing one's memory and cognitive ability is coming fast. i drove home with her sobs drilling into my soul. She went in the house and went to her bed and I followed. She lay there crying. I sat there and held hand for hours.

All these years later she can't walk, doesn't know anyone, can't speak, but she can smile. Oh that smile. Every time I go there it takes me hours to be able compose myself. i miss Momma.

i don't know why this has happened to Momma. or my family but I trust God. It is His comfort that keeps me going when I get down because I miss her so much. I pray everyday for medical discovery to prevent and or cure this worse than death disease. 4+ million American suffer from this disease, not counting their families. As we pray each day let's remember those sufferers and pray that God will give them His peace. Let's pray that a cure can be found. But most importantly pray that they will come to know Christ and His love before it is too late. I am thankful that Momma and I settled that issue of her salvation and faith before she couldn't talk about it. So while it is excruciating, the comfort is 2 Cor. 4:17-18 (NLT) " For our present troubles are quite small and won't last very long. Yet they produce for us an immeasurably great glory that will last forever! [18] So we don't look at the troubles we can see right now; rather, we look forward to what we have not yet seen. For the troubles we see will soon be over, but the joys to come will last forever."

father, help us this day to make the most of it, to not take our life and our families for granted. Help us say our I love yous and give our hugs to those special people in our lives. Help us look and to see the opportunities you give us to pray for and or encourage those you bring across our path. Lord, guide medical researchers to find your solution to Alzheimers. Thank You. In christ's name. Amen

This past week was great, busy but great. Sunday night we began a week of Vacation Bible School. 53 Children prayed to receive Christ during the week. That is fantastic but now the real work begins to help those that attend Church to grow in their faith and to help their parents be the parents they need to be. i hope that we can reach the families of those who do not attend Church and help them come to faith in Christ. I am so thankful for all the volunteers who worked long hours to make VBS such a great success.

I taught the adult VBS each night through Thursday. We had about an hour and a half each night in our study of Philippians. I had hoped I could keep the study more like a survey of the book and cover all the book. But such are plans and intentions. We looked at chapter 1 and 2 and then ended with chapter 4. The theme was "Joy". I learned so much myself through my preparation for each session. I urged those who attended to read and study Philippians on their own and to get a copy of Chuck Swindoll's book on Philippians titled "Laugh Again". It is a very good exposition of Philippians.

During the week the Middle East erupted in war. Israel had a soldier captured by Hezbollah and in return bombed Lebanon. The war has escalated and may get even more intense. The psalmist says "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." I hope that is what all believers will do. There are believers in all the countries involved and they as well as the govt. leaders need our prayers.