Happy Halloween!

Happy Halloween! Many of you will be attending Trunk or Treats, Fall Festivals, and other options today. Bill and I wish you a safe and happy holiday. 

Who's Your Daddy?

Who's Your Daddy?

The chaplain at our CMA,or Christian Motorcyclists Association,chapter meeting gave a wonderful devotional called, "Who's Your Daddy?" The highlights of the devotional are written below and I hope you find it as thought provoking as I did.

My Role Model
As I grew up, my dad became an alcoholic with all of the attendant behavior. That was my role model. 

Jesus's Role Model
Jesus knew who his daddy was. Jesus gave every evidence of following his father's model in his actions and behaviors.

John 10:15
just as the Father knows me and I know the Father--and I lay down my life for the sheep. 

Below are three more scriptures that accompanied the devotional:

Matthew 22:37

Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’

Phillipians 2:5

In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus:

Phillipians 2:15

so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky

My Heavenly Role Model
Am I showing that Jesus is my heavenly role model in my own actions and behaviors?
Am I on my daddy's mission?

Psalm of the Week - 14:1-3 - Week of October 27, 2014

1 The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.
2 The LORD looks down from heaven on the sons of men to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God.
3 All have turned aside, they have together become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.





I believe that the Bible is a divinely inspired, living document that remains as pertinent today, as it was when the original writer penned these words.
Sallee B.

Personal Prayer Application

Lord, 
I hear people say,"There is no God!" However, when vile deeds are done these same people want to know why you allowed it. Sadness lives in my heart as I look around me. Corruption, vile deeds, and wickedness surround me. 

I can only imagine how you feel as you look down from heaven upon the sons and daughters of men to see if there are any who understand and seek you. 

Father, I love you and seek to do your will in all things. As you gaze down from Heaven, please give me the strength and discernment that I need to be your servant.
Amen.

SalleeShares: Why We Don’t Share Our Faith

Witnessing to friends, acquaintances, and strangers can be scary.

I wasn't a bold Christian for a long time. One morning I was reading  my "Girlfriends in God" newsletter at 5:15 A.M. This is my quiet time with God. As always, the message from Mary Southerland touched me. After I read the short article, I found myself scanning the bottom of the newsletter and saw a link entitled, 5 Reasons We Don’t Share Our Faith. "Interesting," I thought to myself as I clicked on the link. The short message succinctly sums up why I didn't witness boldly.

According to Pastor Daniel Darling, one reason we don't share our faith is:

 We don’t share our faith because we are ashamed of our identity.

That single sentence sums up why I was not a bold Christian in the past. Shame and Fear of Rejection. I didn't want to upset anyone. I wanted people to like me.

FEAR of Rejection

• Fear of rejection motivated me to keep my faith to myself.
• Fear of confrontation motivated me to keep my faith to myself. .

Do you want to be a bold witness for Christ?

If you would like to be a bold Christian, pray with me sisters and brothers.

Father,
Thank-you for sending your son, Jesus, to this sinful world and letting him die as a sacrifice for me. Thank-you for letting him arise from that death and return to his place with You so that I have eternal life in Heaven waiting for me.

Please give me the courage to be a bold witness for Christ. Remove the fear, doubt, and indecisiveness that the Enemy has placed in my mind. Replace Satan's obstacles with the desire to share the Gospel and my faith with others. In the mighty name of your Son, Jesus Christ, I ask this. Amen.

Psalm of the Week - Psalm 9:9-10 - Week of October 20, 2014

The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed,

a stronghold in times of trouble.

Those who know your name will trust in you,

for you, LORD, have never forsaken those who seek you.

 Psalm 9:9-10

"If we would praise God acceptably, we must praise him in sincerity, with our whole heart. When we give thanks for some one particular mercy, we should remember former mercies. Our joy must not be in the gift, so much as in the Giver. The triumphs of the Redeemer ought to be the triumphs of the redeemed." 

Matthew Henry's Concise Bible Commentary

Personal Prayer Application

Lord, you are my refuge. When I am oppressed, I will seek the shelter that you provide. Do not let me forget that in times of trouble you are my stronghold.Your name is never forgotten by my lips.  I trust in you because you have never forsaken those who seek you. I trust you because you have helped me before. Thank you Lord, I love you. Amen.

Off Schedule Due to Illness

Hello,

Changing weather and allergies has caused me to become very congested and headachy for several days. Will post later in the week. Prayer would be appreciated.

SalleeB.

Update: I am feeling better. Thank-you Lord!

The Anti Fisherman and the Good Fisherman

Today in America, we have seen God's values recede from our media, our government, our schools, and even the churches. Habakkuk saw the same thing happen to Judah and its people. The righteous were under attack from within and without.

Habakkuk Wrote
14You have made men like fish in the sea, like sea creatures that have no ruler.15The wicked foe pulls all of them up with hooks, he catches them in his net, he gathers them up in his dragnet; and so he rejoices and is glad.16 Therefore he sacrifices to his net and burns incense to his dragnet, for by his net he lives in luxury and enjoys the choicest food.17 Is he to keep on emptying his net, destroying nations without mercy?
Habakkuk 1: 14-17 NIV

Who is Habakkuk Talking To?

Habakkuk is talking to God.  Habakkuk's people,Judah, are under attack by the Chaldeans, but they are also being attacked from within by members of their own people. The stronger, more powerful Judeans are taking advantage of the weaker Judeans to become wealthy and quite happy about doing so.

As I read and reread verses 14-17, I thought about the difference between Jesus's call to Simon and Andrew in Matthew 4:19,"Come, follow me," Jesus said, "and I will make you fishers of men." Reflecting on these two passages made me think about the difference between the "The Anti Fisherman" and the "Good Fisherman".

The Anti Fisherman is out with his hooks and catches the defenseless in his nets for his own use. He is happy when his plans succeed and has a celebration(rejoices). His achievements, wealth, and power are proof that he is doing well in life. Who cares about the little fish?

The Good Fisherman is fishing for men also, but He has no earthly wealth. He is storing up spiritual treasures that you cannot see while calling the little fish to Him and teaching them how to live a successful life that includes helping each other, taking care of widows, showing hospitality with no expectation of getting something in return, and loving one another.

Habakkuk saw the Anti Fisherman at work among his own people, but he listened to God and in Chapter 3 he accepted the truth of the Good Fisherman. "17 Though the fig tree does not bud and there are no grapes on the vines, though the olive crop fails and the fields produce no food, though there are no sheep in the pen and no cattle in the stalls,18yet I will rejoice in the LORD, I will be joyful in God my Savior."

In Conclusion
As Christian values continue to erode and be removed from American society, God's people have to focus on rejoicing in the LORD. Put Habakkuk's words into action in your life today, and say," I will be joyful in God my Savior." 


revised 1/1/2015

Psalm of the Week- Psalm 12:1-2 From King David to John Gill to the Week of October 6, 2014

1 Help, Lord, for no one is faithful anymore;

those who are loyal have vanished from the human race.

2 Everyone lies to their neighbor;

they flatter with their lips

but harbor deception in their hearts.

King David was feeling alone when he wrote these words. However, he turned to the Lord during his time of trouble. As a king, he was surrounded by people who had their own agendas. 

I am amazed at how pertinent King David's words are today. However, every generation of the faithful has felt this way. John Gill, an English Baptist pastor, felt that verses one and two of this psalm applied to his own generation (1697) and future generations. (2014 and beyond)

This is what John Gill wrote:

• "...When all friends and refuge fail, saints betake themselves to God, and their salvation is of him; and he is their present help in a time of trouble;..."

• "...The "faithful" are such who are upright in heart and conversation; who trust in the Lord, and believe in the Messiah; who abide by the truths and ordinances of God; and are faithful in what is committed to their trust, whether they be gifts of nature, Providence, or grace; and to their fellow Christians..."

• "...And these words may be applied to the anti-christian times, the times of the grand apostasy, and falling away from the faith, upon the revealing of the man of sin;... and the church is in the wilderness, and is hid there. Yea, to the second coming of Christ, when there will be great carnality and security, and little faith found in the earth..."

 (Italics and bold print is mine, SalleeB.)

• "...with flattering lips; as Cain did to Abel, Joab to Amasa, the Herodians to Christ, Judas to his Master, false teachers to those that are simple, hypocrites to God himself, when they draw nigh to him only with their lips, and all formal professors to the churches of Christ, when they profess themselves to be what they are not..."

In my opinion, the continuity and applicability of the scriptures from King David's time, to John Gill's time, to today is just further proof that the Bible is the inspired word of God. The Bible contains answers to every problem that we face today and will continue to do so until the the second coming of Christ. 

Avoid the Sin Net

 Don't Get Caught in the Net

 I remember watching my parents seining for minnows. We would stop at several small creeks on the way to a weekend of fishing. My job was to grab the flipping, flapping minnows and put them in the open minnow bucket that was manned by my brother and sister. I would watch as my dad slowly brought his end of the net around toward the creek bank and the space within the net got smaller and smaller until finally the net scooped the fish out of the water and onto the bank. My parents would caution us, " don't get caught in the net" and to "pull gently, you don't want to tear the net."

Gently, Gently

 We have to be careful when we are helping someone who is caught in sin. We have to gently guide them back to our Heavenly Father, BUT we have to be careful to not get caught in the net ourselves. Helping a struggling brother or sister requires us to be on firm spiritual ground ourselves. We have an enemy who would love to see us get caught up in the sin net and unwittingly end up leaving the restoring waters of our spiritual relationship with Jesus.

Where Do You Draw the Line?
A friend who lost a job, a spouse, a child, or a home. An acquaintance, a coworker, or a church member with addiction issues. Where do you draw the line between helping and enabling? This is a question that I have had to ask myself repeatedly over the years. Anytime I feel out of my depth(no pun intended), it is time to refer our sin caught friend to a professional.

 Brethren, if someone is caught in a sin, you who are spiritual should restore him gently. But watch yourself, or you also may be tempted. 

  Galatians 6:1 NIV