WHEN FEELING OVERWHELMED

When Feeling Overwhelmed

            Did you ever feel overwhelmed by what was happening to you or someone you loved?  Most of us have at one time or another.  In fact, I recently had someone tell me that because they were going through extended illness, they just wanted to give up.  Why would anyone who is a child of God feel that way?  Let’s see what the Bible says about giving up.

            In the book of I Kings, chapters 18 & 19, we find the great prophet, Elijah going through a time of being overwhelmed.  Elijah had just had a great victory over the priests of the Baal and brought glory to God.  Then Jezebel, who worshiped Baal, sent men out to kill Elijah.  He ran away to hide and asked God to let him die.  He had just proven the power of God, but didn’t have faith to trust God for his life.  The angels brought him food to strengthen him and then he ran again.
           “And there he went into a cave, and spent the night in that place; and behold, the word of the LORD came to him, and He said to him, "What are you doing here, Elijah?   So he said, "I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts; for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword. I alone am left; and they seek to take my life.”  1 Kings 19:9-10
           Elijah’s thoughts were so dark that he thought he was the only believer left in Israel, but in verse 18, God informs him there were 7,000 others who served God.  There were other things that God wanted Elijah to do and he told him to “get up and go”.  It wasn’t God’s time for Elijah to leave this earth. He had not left him alone.
           Even great men of God had to deal with feeling overwhelmed at times.  I know you have heard this said many times, “God will never give you more than you can endure” and it is true, but let’s take a look at what it really says.  “The temptations [troubles] in your life are no different from what others experience. And God is faithful. He will not allow the temptation [trouble] to be more than you can stand. When you are tempted, [in those times] he will show you a way out so that you can endure.”  I Corinthians 10:13 (NLT)
           God will never leave you alone to deal with the overwhelming things that come your way; here’s what he says to you in 1 Corinthians 4:8 (MSG).  “You already have all you need. You already have more access to God than you can handle.”  What does this mean?  Don’t waste your time worrying about your situation; God already knows about it and is taking care of it.  The problem most of us have is that we either try to take care of it ourselves, or give up.  Where is our faith in God?
           If you are one of those personalities who feel you must be in control, it is harder to trust God.  We must remember that no matter how we feel, God is still in control.  Job 14:5 (NLT) tells us, “You (God) have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer.”  For those who fear death, remember that your time is in God’s hands.
           In Ecclesiastes 3:1-2 (TLB) we are told; “There is a right time for everything: a time to be born; a time to die.”  When God wants to bring you to be with him, it will happen.  This is why we should serve God, walk in his ways and be ready because we don’t know what our “length of days are”.  Only God knows that.
            Our health is not the only thing that overwhelms us; our finances can also be overwhelming.  Perhaps you are wondering where the money will come from to pay your next house payment or your rent.  Did you know that God owns everything on this earth?  He is our Provider! 
            I know it took me a while to figure this out until it happened to me.  I have seen food provided when I saw no way for it to happen.  I saw money come in for payments when I didn’t have it myself.  I saw food multiply when there wasn’t enough to go around.  I’ve seen money stretch when I didn’t figure it could.  It has been proven to me over and over again that God is so faithful to provide.
            There is a secret I want to share with you that I believe with all my heart.  When I finally understood that God told us to give a 10^th of what we bring into our household, he would bless us in abundant ways.  Malachi 3:10 (NKJV) “Bring all the tithes into the storehouse [the house of God], that there may be food in My house, and try Me now in this," says the LORD of hosts, “If I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you such blessing that there will not be room enough to receive it.”   Do you believe in God’s promises? This is one of them. 
            God promises that Believers will go to heaven when they die.  I sure believe that, don’t you?  If we believe one of God’s promises we should believe them all, unless you want to pick and choose what is truth or lies in the Bible.  If you believe in all God’s promises, then you must also believe in this one.  God’s Word says if you do this, then I’ll bless you in all ways.
            If you are overwhelmed by marriage problems, God’s Word has the answer for you.  He shows us what to do in all types of situations that afflict couples and we should try every thing we can to bring your marriage back into God’s will for you.  Yet, because of one or other of the spouses, it doesn’t always work.  God wants you to have peace in your marriage, but as much as He hates divorce, he allows it is not the unforgivable sin! The following scriptures give you a clear picture of what you should do.
            1 Corinthians 7:10-15 (NKJV) “Now to the married I command, yet not I but the Lord: A wife is not to depart from her husband. But even if she does depart, let her remain unmarried or be reconciled to her husband. And a husband is not to divorce his wife.  But to the rest I, not the Lord, say: If any brother has a wife who does not believe, and she is willing to live with him, let him not divorce her. And a woman who has a husband, who does not believe, if he is willing to live with her, let her not divorce him.  For the unbelieving husband is sanctified by the wife, and the unbelieving wife is sanctified by the husband; otherwise your children would be unclean, but now they are holy. But if the unbeliever departs, let him depart; a brother or a sister is not under bondage in such cases. But God has called us to peace.”
           God will not give you more than you can bear!  Never forget that when you are feeling overwhelmed.  Turn to Him; He will never fail you.

 

 

 

 

 

 

WHEN GOD SAYS NO!

WHEN GOD SAYS NO!

 

Even when we don’t physically hear God speak to us, he gives us answers to prayer.  When we ask him for direction, we may sense that he wants us to do a certain things or go a certain way.  Many times his answer is to ‘wait’ and at times it is ‘yes’.  Yet there are times he answers with a definite ‘no’.  We probably won’t like hearing a 'no', but the important thing is our response to his ‘no’. 

A short time ago I was driving in nasty weather; my windshield iced over and the road was very slippery.  I was driving slower than usual when I got behind a car driving about 40 miles per hour.  I was on the highway and in the right-hand lane and at this point, it was not too bad.  I looked at the other lane and it was snow-covered, but I did see some tracks where someone had driven on it.  Feeling rather impatient, I decided I could easily pass the slow moving car in front of me.  As I started to go into the other lane, a stern thought came loudly in my mind, “Stay!”  I thought it was God telling me to stay where I was.  I drove on a bit further and struggling inside, I thought I must have imagined it and decided I would still pass the car in front of me.  As I made that decision I again heard that voice inside me say, “Stay!”

I stayed behind the car and a few seconds later came on an accident.  A car had skidded and was down a steep incline and on the other side of the highway a truck had skidded and another vehicle was backwards.  It appeared it had been a white-out.  I knew immediately that God had saved me from being in an accident, if I had passed the car in front of me.  Yes, God does speak to us. 

I was reminded of Elijah of the Old Testament; he had given up and wanted to die.  He was in hiding when the Lord came to him; not in a loud, terrifying voice, but the Bible tells us in 1 Kings 19:12 “…after the earthquake, a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire; and after the fire, a still small voice.  There are times when God speaks to us in his Word, or perhaps in a dream, but I have found he speaks most often in that ‘still, small voice’.  You must be quiet to hear it, but he still speaks to us. 

I do hear him when God says NO and I know I’m in for something I may not like.  Almost 3 years ago, my younger sister was diagnosed with an inoperable brain tumor.  At first I was absolutely sure God would heal her.  She went through radiation and chemo; she lost her beautiful hair, and speech became difficult for her, but through it all she stayed positive.  During those months, we laughed together; cried together and recalled so many memories of the times we shared growing up.  I made 40 scripture cards about God’s healing power, which she read every day.  There were so many prayers for her; so many visitors and so many thoughtful things done for her.  Her husband was by her side almost constantly and gave her such loving care. I can’t tell you how much I prayed that she would be healed, but in the end God said, “NO!”  She left this world to be with Jesus in November of 2010. 

What do you do when God says “NO”?  I turned to the Word of God and a scripture that has carried me through many things.  “And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.”  Romans 8:28   How could someone’s death turn to good?  During her illness, she gave herself entirely into the hands of God.  Others that visited her were witness to her faith.  Some were touched forever during times of prayer.  Towards the end we knew God had said ‘No’ to our prayers, but she had grown so close to him that she was ready.  A few days before she passed away she told me she wanted to go be with Jesus and with our Mother whom we knew was waiting to greet her in heaven.  She was so at peace and I could not possibly wish her to stay.  After she was gone, I sat by her bed and held her hand; still feeling her presence in the room.  I began to sing to her, “Fly to Jesus, Fly to Jesus….”;  I knew that was just what she did.

            It’s not always as extreme as death when God says, ‘no’.  It may be a house you were going to buy, or a car you thought you needed.  God knows our past, present and our future.  What we want isn’t always good for us.  All the things you have experienced in your life that you thought was so difficult, later you find out the reason why God said' no'.  You may also discover why you went through certain things.  It may be so you can minister to others, because you have been there yourself.  How could you minister to those with depression unless you have experienced it?  How can you minister to the hurts of those who have been divorced unless you went through it?  How can you minister to those with financial difficulties unless you have had them?

Only God knows the future and what we might have to face in life, but in the end, we who are Believers, will be victorious in all things.  He promised he would supply our needs; not our wants.  Our needs are food, shelter and clothing; not lobster, a palace, or name brand clothing.   Whether or not you like the answer you get from God, there is one thing you need to remember; God is God!  He tells us in Isaiah 55:8-9   “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts greater than your thoughts.”  

There is a way:  "Trust in the LORD with all your heart, And lean not on your own understanding;  in all your ways acknowledge Him, And He shall direct your paths."           Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV)

             My prayer:  "Dear Lord, whatever your answer is, help me to accept it because I know whatever it is, it will be the right answer; the best for me.  Amen."

HOT OR COLD?

Hot or Cold?

In Michigan and elsewhere the temperatures have been extremely cold.  All the snow is welcome to those who enjoy winter sports and those whose businesses need snow to bring in customers, but the cold is another story.  When the thermometer hovers around 0 degrees, it brings a lot of trouble for some; pipes freeze; cars won’t start and the bills go sky-high.

            I don’t like the cold and ice and wish I was off in some balmy place where the sun is warm and the palm trees wave in the breeze.  Then I shake it off and remind myself I live in Michigan where the winter weather changes daily.  In my younger years I enjoyed skiing, snowmobiling and ice skating, but now I don’t like the snow or the frigid temperatures.

I think about those who might not have heat or shelter or even warm clothing.  Does God think about them, too?  Of course he does and throughout the Word we are told to help those in need.  If you know someone that needs heat or warmer clothing or gloves, we need to help them.  Why?  Because Jesus told us we should love our neighbor as our self.

If our hearts are cold we have little concern for other people’s lives.  Today, it appears that many are concerned only for themselves.  That is not how Christianity works!  If we have given Him our hearts and serve Him, we will love others and do what we can for them.  In these days, we see what Jesus talked about in Matthew 13:15 “For the hearts of these people are hardened, and their ears cannot hear, and they have closed their eyes— so their eyes cannot see, and their ears cannot hear, and their hearts cannot understand, and they cannot turn to me and let me heal them.”

           In Matthew 24:12, we are told that “Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.” (TLB)  Well, sin is truly rampant everywhere and I am amazed at the number of people who just let it roll off their backs.  We need to guard our hearts so they never become hardened, not only against God, but the people around you. 

How is your relationship with God?  Are you still as excited as you were when you first were ‘born again’?  I remember well those many years ago when I asked Jesus into my heart and my heart burned within me.  I carried my Bible everywhere I went and shared the love of God with everyone I met.  I read the Bible constantly until the pages were so worn they fell out.  That Bible was so marked up and highlighted it was hard to read.  I’ve had several Bibles since, but never quite worn them out like that first one.  I actually had family and friends who told me they would leave if I didn’t quit talking about it.  One day I was asked if I couldn’t think of something else other than God.  I told them ‘no’, and they left.

Over the years my faith has grown, but my zeal has diminished.  I don’t have the energy to do what I once did for the Lord.  I long for those times again, but God uses me in other ways.  No matter how much I learn or whatever I do, in my heart it will never be enough.  I pray the Lord will put a new fire in my heart for Him.

I never want to hear these words from God: “I know you well—you are neither hot nor cold; I wish you were one or the other!  But since you are merely lukewarm, I will spit you out of my mouth!” Revelation 3:15-16 (TLB)  

I know this – a Christian cannot be lukewarm or wishy washy.  There is no room in the Kingdom of God for those who talk the talk, but don’t walk the walk.  People can be like chameleons; zealous for the Lord one day and then the next day zealous for the things of the world.  Our whole focus should be on serving God and being an example in our everyday living so that others will want to be a Christian.

There is a scripture that is often my prayer: “Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.  Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.” Psalm 51:10-13 (NKJV)   Notice that we need that clean heart and steadfast spirit, because it is after that we have the ability to teach sinners and they will be saved.

            Let our hearts burn for Him and not get cold as we go about our daily lives.  May God bless you and keep him close to your heart.

 

 

 

 

 

I HAVE A DREAM

I Have a Dream    

Fifty years ago Dr. Martin Luther King gave a speech that will go down in history along with Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address.  He said, “The Negro was crippled by the manacles of segregation and chains of discrimination.”   He went on to address some of the racial difficulties his people faced and his dream was to see them free; free to be part of the American dream that all men are created equal.

           Toward the end of his speech, he quoted this scripture from Isaiah 40:4-5  “Every valley shall be exalted And every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; and the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together.”

            In these fifty years since, the Negro, now called African Americans, has made great strides in this country to a point we now have an African American President.  Some are not happy with his actions, but it has nothing to do with race.  He is a brilliant man with great speaking abilities and a good example of a family man.  Many people didn’t like George W. Bushes policies either, while president of the U.S. 

            To those African Americans who still feel they are not being treated equal, listen to your black brother, Bill Cosby, who said to quit feeling sorry for yourself and get up and go out and make something of yourself.  You have the freedom in this country to do that; look to your president for an example.

            As to what Dr. King said fifty years ago, can be said today by changing one word.  “The Christian is being crippled by the manacles of segregation and chains of discrimination.”  More and more we see this happening in our society.  All the Christian values this country was grounded on are disappearing before our very eyes and we seem helpless to stop it. 

            When are the Christians in this country going to make a stand like Dr. King did?  When are we going to come against the injustice of the liberals making rulings against our Christian beliefs and freedoms?   They have taken prayer out of schools; they’ve taken away our rights to say the name of ‘JESUS’ in public places and now you can’t even carry a Bible to school!  What about freedom of speech?

            I wonder how many would be stopped from carrying the Koran?  Why can’t our kids wear Christian t-shirts, when Muslims are free to wear their scarves over their head’s to schools?  Talk about fair; all we hear today is ‘politically correct’.  

            The African Americans made a stand for freedom; they knew God created them equal with white skins, red skins or yellow skins.  I know, as a Christian that God created us to be his children.  He told us in his Word how to live and grow to become more like Jesus.  He also told us to not hide our light under a bushel. 

            I recently heard of a teacher who was fired for holding a Bible study.  It may have been a school policy, but constitutionally could not stand up in court.  Kids are being reprimanded for bring a Bible to school, yet it is urged that they read about homosexuality in books like, “I’ve Got Two Mommies”.  They can also get free ‘birth control’ so they can engage in elicit sex.  But – don’t ever say the name of JESUS.

            We should have the same dream as Dr. King with a Christian purpose in mind.  As he said in his speech, “Every valley shall be exalted and every mountain and hill brought low; The crooked places shall be made straight And the rough places smooth; and the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, And all flesh shall see it together.”

            We should have the freedom to say what Dr. King said; at public meetings, high school speeches and in our classrooms.  As Christians, we should be ashamed that we have only grumbled about these things, but have not had the courage to stand up along with our Christian brothers and sisters and say, ‘Enough is Enough’! 

            Where do we go from here?  Whatever God tells you to do.  Don’t hide your head in the sand and say you can’t do anything about it.  This country was founded on faith in an Almighty God and with his direction, we can keep it that way.

GOD BLESS AMERICA! 

           

 

 

PLANNING A TRIP?

Planning a Trip?

 

            Some of our family members are planning on taking a trip next fall to the Smokey Mountains.  We are all excited and have spent hours on our computers trying to find just the right place to go that will hold so many people.  We all talk about it all the time; finding the right dates to go; looking for good prices; who will sleep on the first floor, second floor or third floor.  It must have a game room, theater, hot tubs and a pool room.  Also, it needs to have a gourmet kitchen a big dining room.

            Sometimes a couple of us will be on the phone and our computer at the same time so we can look at the same thing.  We scroll through pictures of all the rooms; oohing and aahing over the magnificent views.  We aren’t sure how big a place we need to get; a 6-bedroom or 7-bedroom.  Depending on what time of year we go, we will have to pack certain clothing.  Another question is who will drive what vehicles; what route will we take, and on and on.
            I don’t know why we get so excited about it, other than it’s probably a ‘once-in-a-lifetime’ experience.  I think sometime we have more fun planning things than doing them.  We aren’t sure of the dates yet, but need to make up our minds before everything is booked. 
            All this excitement reminded me that we should all be planning and preparing right now for the upcoming trip we are all going to take.  I don’t have all the details, but I can tell you this much.
 
            It will be a once-in-a-lifetime experience

            The views will be out of this world

            The place we will be staying in is already reserved

            There are rooms for everyone

            The food is even furnished

            No one has to be on a diet; all that is figured out for you

            The dining room table will be so long we probably won’t see the other end.

            Even our clothing is furnished

            Everyone will be in agreement

            It is the safest place you could ever stay in.

            It is a promise that we won’t be bored

            The date is already set (even though we haven’t been told yet)

            Transportation is furnished

            There are things planned for us that we haven’t even thought about

            All this has already been paid for so money is no object and we don’t have to take anything with us.  However, it is by invitation only and you must respond.

             Now you know what I’m talking about; Jesus will come back someday and take us to heaven to live with him for eternity if he is your Savior.  Now that’s something to get exited about.  We shouldn’t put off making plans for this trip because we don’t want to miss it.  In case you don’t know how to prepare for this once-in-a-lifetime trip, here are some ideas.
            Open the Bible; read and think about what you are reading.  These Bible verses will help you.
 

“For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.” John 3:16

 “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of an archangel, and
with the trumpet of God. And the dead in Christ will rise first. Then we who are alive and remain shall be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And thus we shall always be with the Lord. Therefore comfort one another with these words.”  I Thess. 4:16-18  

“In My Father's house are many mansions; if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.  And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again and receive you to myself; that where I am, there you may be also.”  John 14:2-3

“After these things I looked, and behold, a great multitude which no one could number, of all nations, tribes, peoples, and tongues, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed with white robes, with palm branches in their hands.” Revelation 7:9

“Then he said to me, "Write: 'Blessed are those who are called to the marriage supper of the Lamb!' " And he said to me, "These are the true sayings of God." Revelation 19:9

“He who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes I will give some of the hidden manna to eat. And I will give him a white stone, and on the stone a new name written which no one knows except him who receives it." Revelation 2:17  

“But as it is written: "Eye has not seen, nor ear heard, Nor have entered into the heart of man The things which God has prepared for those who love Him.”1 Corinthians 2:9

Enjoy your trip!

A KNOCK AT YOUR DOOR

A Knock at Your Door

           Most of you have experienced the surprise, or even shock, of an unexpected knock at the door.   One time, many years ago, it was a stranger holding our big, white cat, Snowball, limp in his arms.  It brought sadness to our young family.  Another time, I opened the door to our son-in-law, whom we thought was still in Viet Nam. That brought great joy to our daughter and the entire family.  I have never responded to a knock at the door and found a policeman standing there; which would be a horrifying experience.  Yet, the fact remains; you never know who will come knocking at your door, or if they will bring you good news or bad news.

I was reading in Matthew 24 where the disciples asked Jesus what the signs of the end times were.  Jesus went on to tell them in verses 4-31 about the terrible things that will happen on this earth.  He ends this with a spectacular statement: “So it is with you: When you see all these things, you'll know he's at the door.” Matthew 24:33 (MSG)   What does this mean; it doesn’t say he’s knocking at the door?  It could mean different things; perhaps he is ready to open that door and take all the believers with him [the Rapture of the church] or it could mean you’ve had your chance to accept Jesus as your Savior and the end of time as we know it is about to take place.  This could be an experience of great joy, or it could be a horrifying experience. 

          Let me explain the difference in these two things.  First, the great joy part.  When Jesus opens that door and tells us he has come to take us with him, this is what is going to happen.  “It will all happen in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, when the last trumpet is blown. For there will be a trumpet blast from the sky, and all the Christians who have died will suddenly become alive, with new bodies that will never, never die; and then we who are still alive shall suddenly have new bodies too.  For our earthly bodies, the ones we have now that can die, must be transformed into heavenly bodies that cannot perish but will live forever.”  1 Corinthians 15:52-53 (TLB)

          When it says, ‘all the Christians’, it doesn’t mean ‘all those who think they are Christians’ because they go to church once in a while, or they believe in God (so does the devil).  It means those who have asked forgiveness for their sins and invited Jesus into their heart, as their Lord and Savior. 

          Second: When Jesus opens that door and the end has come, if you are not a believer, you will be headed for the White Throne Judgment!  “And I saw a great white throne and the one who sat upon it, from whose face the earth and sky fled away, but they found no place to hide.  I saw the dead, great and small, standing before God; and the Books were opened, including the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to the things written in The Books, each according to the deeds he had done.  The oceans surrendered the bodies buried in them; and the earth and the underworld gave up the dead in them. Each was judged according to his deeds.  And Death and Hell were thrown into the Lake of Fire. This is the Second Death—the Lake of Fire.  And if anyone’s name was not found recorded in the Book of Life, he was thrown into the Lake of Fire.” Revelation 20:11-15 (TLB) 

          Your name was written in the Book of Life before you were born. “You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed.” Psalm 139:16 (NLT)   Your name can also be blotted out of the Book of Life.  “Erase their names from the Book of Life; don’t let them be counted among the righteous.” Psalm 69:28 (NLT)  

          So, today is the day to prepare for that knock at the door.  How do you do that?  Let’s go to the book of Revelation 3:20   “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends.”

          Jesus is knocking at the door of your heart and he loves you and wants to come in.  That is called, ‘being Born Again’.  You’ll become a new person and live a blessed life.  If you don’t like the person that you are now, this is the time to give yourself to God.  You will never regret it.

          “So it is with you: When you see all these things, you'll know he's at the door.” Matthew 24:33 (MSG).  You will greet him with great joy and live together with him for eternity.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

THE BOOTS

                                                                                                      

            When I was five years old and preparing to enter the world of education, I was armed with a pencil box, tablet, raincoat and my first pair of boots.  A rainy day couldn’t come soon enough for me; I could wear my bright red raincoat and my shiny black boots.  I could walk through mud puddles and splash my way down the sidewalks. 

            During my grade school years things began to change.  The pride of wearing boots changed to horror when my mother would call as I went out the door, “Don’t forget to wear your boots”.  In high school boots took on a whole new look; zippers and fake fur were added along with new colors of red or white. Of course black and brown will also available.

            The years following were generally bootless years; my high heels went through water, over ice and caused a few falls.  Then came children; my little girl was so cute in her yellow slicker and matching boots as she marched off to school.  More children came and as they grew up they complained about wearing boots. I couldn’t believe my ears; a foot of snow on the ground they didn’t want to wear boots.  Like my mother before me, I’d call after them, “Don’t forget to wear your boots”.

            As the years go by, styles change with the times.  Amazingly, my grandsons don’t have a problem with boots.  They have ice-fishing boots, hiking boots and camouflage boots to mention a few.  They like to keep their feet warm.      Now the granddaughters are into boots; all kinds, all heights and all colors.  Wow!

            You may wonder what all this has to do with the approach of a new year, but it really does.  Time changes a lot of things and we, as the human race, change along with it.  I’m using the example of a simple change such as boots, but there have been many greater changes.

           The last 50 or 60 years have brought so many changes there is no way to count them all; this is called progress.  We have integrated thousands of these changes into our lives without even thinking about it.  Many of them are really good changes that help us in many ways.  The progress in communication is probably the greatest accomplishment of all.  If it wasn’t for the internet, you wouldn’t be reading this right now.

           Sadly, all this progress and change also bring things that challenge our spiritual growth.   Unlike the change in boot styles that we accept and wear, a Believer must not accept anything that holds back our spiritual growth.

            Just because the world has come to accept things like men and women living together rather than getting married, doesn’t mean we should accept or condone that life style.  The Word of God tells us this is called ‘fornication’. To clarify this word, Webster’s dictionary defines fornication as (voluntary sexual intercourse between an unmarried man and an unmarried woman/ or between two unmarried persons). Let me give you a couple of scriptures showing why this is sin:

- Flee (run from) fornication. Every sin that a man does is without the body; but he that commits fornication, sins against his own body.  1 Corinthians 6:18 (KJV)
- Nevertheless, to avoid fornication, let every man have his own wife, and let every woman have her own husband. 1 Corinthians 7:2 (KJV)

            This is only one thing a believer must not accept; there are so many others.  We all enjoy television and some of the things it offers, but so much of it is not what our eyes should see or our ears hear.  Television, in its earlier stages, only presented programs that the entire family could watch.  There was no swearing; no sexual activity and no horrendous violence.  Gradually, swearing, sex and violence began to creep in and soon we were all watching it.  Today, filth of the world dominates television; cursing and swearing are the norm, nudity and sexual activity are the norm and violent acts beyond our understanding.

We wonder what this coming year will bring into our lives; will we recognize it for what it is, or just go with the flow?  The Bible tells us that as we approach the last days, many will fall away from the faith.  “Let no one deceive you by any means; for that Day will not come unless the falling away comes first...”     (NKJV)
 2 Thessalonians 2:3

            Fellow believers, stand firm and stand strong.  I could list a great amount of negative things that we may have to face in the coming year, but I believe we should concentrate on the blessings of God Almighty.

• We can look for the ‘Blessed Hope’, which is the return of Jesus Christ.
• We can be assured that no matter the trials or troubles that come our way, He (Jesus) will never leave us or forsake us.
• He (Jesus) is an ever present help in times of trouble.
• No weapon formed against you will prosper.
• When you feel you have no strength – He will be your strength and your shield.
• God promises his children and their children will not go hungry or beg for bread.
• He promises he will provide our needs which are; food, clothing and shelter.
• He will guide our pathways and lead us in paths of righteousness.

There is not enough room to write down all of God’s blessings and the above are just a few, but if we stand strong in the Lord and believe his Word, we will be in his care.  Therefore we can look toward the New Year with hope and peace.  Just like the boots, styles change, but we don’t have to go along with every change Times change, but we don’t have to accept these changes if it goes against our beliefs.  The world is not my guide and it should not be yours.  Make this Psalm your prayer for this New Year.

I love you, LORD; you are my strength.  The LORD is my rock, my fortress, and my savior; my God is my rock, in whom I find protection. He is my shield, the power that saves me, and my place of safety.  I called on the LORD, who is worthy of praise, and he saved me from my enemies. Psalm 18:1-3 (NLT)