GONNA SERVE SOMEBODY

Isaiah 31:1
Woe to those who go down to Egypt for help, and rely on horses. Who trust in chariots because they are many, and in horsemen because they are very strong. But who do not look to the Holy One of Israel, Nor seek the LORD!

Addiction is all about reliance. We found out that we could not rely on ourselves to solve problems or deal with situations. Rather than look to God for answers and help, we turned to alcohol and drugs. Funny part is that they didn't solve our problems, they helped us escape. We left reality and created a new false reality where the pain went away and the sense of pleasure was heightened. Over a period of time, the pleasure was replaced by guilt, shame and isolation. What once we had controlled, not had control over us.

Egypt always represents the place of bondage and slavery in Scripture. Israel was there for 430 years serving the Pharaohs and living under the whip. It took the intervention of God Almighty to defeat the god's of Egypt and reveal Himself to be the only one who could deliver not just one person, but an entire nation. Deliver them out from under the government and control of demonic kingdom.

Notice the beginning of the verse above.
"Woe to those who go down".  Down. Looking for help outside of God will always lead you down. Down into darkness. Down into the pit. Down away from God. In the book of Jonah, we read where Jonah ran away from God and the call that had been placed on his life. Jonah went "down" to Tarshish. Paid fare for a boat trip and the Bible says that Jonah "went down into the boat".  Our sin nature, left unchecked will take us to depths we never realized we could sink to. We do things and act in such ways we never imagined we could. But you know what? The arm of the Lord is not so short that He cannot reach down and pull us up from the pit. The ear of the Lord is not so dull or hard of hearing that He cannot hear the faintest cry of our hearts. Sin takes you farther than you want to go. Keeps you longer than you want to stay, and costs you more than you want to spend. Sin takes you down.

We read in Isaiah 40:31: But those who wait (hope) on the LORD shall renew their strength. They shall mount "UP" (not down) with wings as eagles. They shall run and not be weary. They shall walk and not faint.
I choose this day...this 24 hours that lay before to not look to "Egypt" for help.
I choose this day....this 24 hours that lay before me to look to God Almighty as my source of help.

God on you....
mb

MORE THAN A BUILDING!

FELLOWSHIP.....FAMILY....CALL IT WHAT YOU WANT.....JUST FIND YOUR PLACE AND BELONG.

Romans 16:3-5
Greet Priscilla and Aquila. They have been co-workers in my ministry for Christ Jesus. In fact, they risked their lives for me. I am not the only one who is thankful to them; so give my greetings to the church that meets in their home.

Acts 2:40-44
Those who believed what Peter said were baptized and added to the church---about three thousand in all. They joined with the other believers and devoted themselves to the apostles' teaching and fellowship, sharing in the Lord's supper and in prayer.
A deep sense of awe came over them all, and the apostles performed many miraculous signs and wonders. And all the believers met together constantly and shared everything they had.

Church...
The very word conjures up images and thoughts.
Some may interpret the word, church, because of bad times or circumstances that happened to them when they use to go to church.
Some may have fond memories of people and times spent in church.
Church has gotten a bad rap over the years.
Some of the bad justified...
Some not so justified.
I'm sure that each of us has a horror story about something that happened to us or someone we met while attending church.

But like it or hate it, church is a lifeline to believers...
The gathering together of God's people is to be a safe place.
Not a safe place to hide out and excuse our sins, but rather a safe place where we can let down our guard and deal with our sins.
A place where healing can take place.
It should be a place where one could live honest, open and transparent.
Like I said, it isn't a place to hide sin, but a place to be healed from sin.

During my growing up years, the church was my family.
I loved the idea of getting up on Sunday morning and going to church.
The interaction in our Sunday School groups.
The singing...
The praying together.
It was a time where the idea and concept of love became a reality for me.
I belonged.

Back in the 1980's, Vicki and I belonged to Central United Methodist Church.
It was during this time that we opened our home up and started a prayer group that met on Friday nights. Little did we know at the time, but God had us in school teaching us how to host, oversee and run a home group. It was a wonderful time for family. A time to grow in Jesus and see the effects that prayer truly could have on a group of people who were just crazy enough to believe this Jesus. We were a part of something larger than we could have ever imagined. From this prayer group, another group was formed that would gather at the main church building on Saturday nights to pray for our pastor. These were special times for me. To be in that huge sanctuary, Bible in hand, stretched out at the altar, praying with my brothers and sisters in Christ, and to actually feel the presence of God so thick in that room you were almost afraid to say anything out loud.

By the time Vicki and I had joined Gadsden Vineyard, God had moved us into new areas with our church family. Prayer now became an all-night event. We would host watch nights at the church where we would gather together and spend all night in prayer and reading the Bible. There wasn't any agenda, as we simply met together to pray. If someone thought God had spoken to them, they would share with the others. If someone was given a particular verse they felt has some importance to the others, they would share that. But the feeling of being together with a group of believers, forsaking sleep to stay up with God and simply pray....it was an incredible time.

The bonds of love that were forged in those meetings...in those groups, have made me a stronger, better man in Christ. God used those times and the people to help me to see the incredible value of belonging to a community of believers. Were the people perfect? No. There wasn't any super-Christians among us. There were simply folks who loved Jesus and wanted to be with others who shared similar feelings.

Now with the ReCovery Church we have a family that should have been dead many times over. Those who have recovered from their addiction (and continue to recover).

God has also given me a 2nd family (or should I say a continuation of the first). I am part of a church family at Northside Baptist Church. A praying family.....a family that truly looks out for one another. A family that doesn't just talk about love, but extends it to anyone who comes to visit.

If you aren't a part of something like what I have written about, you need to be.
Church is where life happens.

God on you...
mb

THE INCREDIBLE POWER OF FORGIVENESS

Ephesians 1:7
In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our sins, according to the riches of His grace.
I played a worship song during the first meeting of Vineyard Recovery, back in 2013. Not your typical feel-good-goose-bumps-love-you-Jesus song, but rather a gut wrenching, let's get real, down to the raw, kind of worship song.

Suzy Wells was the composer and worship leader singing this particular song and from the very beginning the words tell you that this isn't going to be like any song you may have heard before.

"I killed my children.........You forgot that."
"My fornication.......You forgot that."
"My prostitution.....You forgot that."
"I left my husband....You forgot that."

She goes on to talk about her addiction. Her worship of idols. How she stole God's glory and trampled on it through her lifestyle.
Like I said, it wasn't your typical worship song.
But here in those brutal words of truth lies the incredible power of God.
How could someone sing those words about their own life unless they truly had experienced the forgiveness of God?
How could a person lay themselves bare and uncovered,  and reveal things that, in church, you're not suppose to talk about. If you do talk about it, it is in the context of speaking about someone other than yourself.

Yet here in this declaration of her past, Suzie goes down her life-list revealing each sin and wrong she has committed against God. As you listen to her voice, you don't hear pain or regret. You hear the voice of someone who has been forgiven and healed from all the damage that sin has brought to them. God alone has the power to extend real forgiveness....He alone can remove sin....and only He can restore a soul that has been beaten down to the dust.

This is the thing I want you to hang on to this morning.
Memories are forever.
They don't go away.
They don't fade over time.
They will pop up for no reason at the most inopportune times.
When they do, they usually bring what I refer to as the toxic emotions of shame and guilt.
Here is where the power of God comes into play.
How can Suzie sing this song and not come undone by the shame and guilt? Because her receiving the forgiveness of God has eliminated those emotions from the memory. All it is now is just a memory.
I'm sure that if she let herself, she could dredge up those emotions, but she won't.
She has been set free...
She has been given the most incredible gift of all....forgiveness.
Forgiveness all wrapped up in God's love...His mercy....His grace...and His presence in the form of the Holy Spirit.

Don't let the enemy keep you from growing in Christ by dredging up memories laced with those toxic emotions. Take everything to Christ and get rid of it....
Every foul deed you ever did...
Every curse that ever fell from your lips...
Every sexual act that you ever committed outside the boundaries of marriage.
Every bit of unbelief, doubt, and fear...
Take it all and lay it at the feet of Jesus....
Ask Him to take it, and in its place, ask Him to grant you forgiveness.
Ask Him to pour His peace over you.
Then receive it!
When the devil comes at you and tries to get you to remember all the vile things you have done....
Rest in that forgiveness.
That's some kind of good stuff...

God on you....
mb

We Miss You Peggy

"Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of His faithful servants"....Psalm 116:15

Well, it's been five years since you left us. Lot has happened since that day back in 2015. I won't  go over the particulars, but rest assured that a day doesn't go by that our thoughts are not on you.
You invaded our lives and our hearts in such a way that we were all changed by your presence.

I remember how you bought greeting cards by the score and kept them in your desk at work. When birthday's rolled around...when anniversaries drew near, you were always the one who sent a card expressing your love. I miss you Peggy.

I think the picture above pretty much sums it up as to what you meant to our family, and especially our boys. They would always get so excited to see you when you came over to visit. I remember when Chad was a baby, you'd come to visit wanting to hold him. Vicki would tell you, "Peggy don't bother him, he's just laid down for his nap." You would promise not to disturb him. You would creep into his room and gently "thump" him on his foot as to wake him up. Then you would pick him up and walk back into the living room proudly proclaiming that "he was awake any way."

As the boy's grew, your pride in them was very evident. I wish you could see them now. What an influence "Aunt Peggy" had on my sons. You bought them jeans, shirts, and who could forget those tennis shoes...
"ZIPS- The Big Z"

Then the grand children came. Tyler was the first, and you brought the same love and care that both my sons had received. Being the first grandchild, Tyler saw no lack for love or attention.

Four years later, Ashley arrived. Or, as you referred to her  "Ashley Louise".... Being the first granddaughter, you organized tea parties....I mean real tea parties.  She too saw no lack of love or attention from you, as you poured out your heart upon her.

So while five years have passed, and even though your physical presence is no longer among us.....You are still here. We know that a veil separates us at this time, a veil that each of us will pass through and once again be reunited. We hold you close today, as in every day.

It has been especially hard on your sister, Vicki. I know that the old saying is that "Time heals all wounds"....well, that isn't true. The only thing time does is make them a bit more bearable.  In Vicki's case, you two worked together (which was a miracle in itself) for all those years, then you weren't there anymore. You were her touchstone and as hard as I may try, I could never replace you.

I guess I've rambled enough for this day.
I look forward to the day when we will all be together again....
We love you.....
We miss you....
Michael B.

I AM AN OLD WINESKIN

I'm an old wine skin.

When we read the passage from Luke 5, where Jesus talks about old patches and old wine skin's, we tend to discard the old. Jesus even says that the New and Old cannot mingle. It doesn't work. But no where does he say that the Old is not fit for consumption.

Now before you go all theological on me, I do understand that the passage in Luke is talking about the New covenant coming to replace the old one.

But this morning, I think God will give me liberty to apply it in a different way. Apply it to something that is relevant in my life today.

The wine or call on my life has been born from two different movements that affected me tremendously.

The Jesus people movement that took place in the late 60's....

and the renewal that happened back in the early 90's.

Both of these visitations by God's Holy Spirit had a tremendous impact on my life and shaped it so that who I am today is a by product of those times.

When I say "impact" that is truly what I mean.

It shaped my view of God and His Holy Spirit.

It introduced me to the works of Christ and that I was called to "do the stuff" as John Wimber use to say.

My wine has been aging for 60 + years.

Anyone who knows anything about wine knows that aged wine is richer and fuller.

Does that mean we should ignore or discount what God is doing today? Never.

Recognize God at work and bless it.

Recognize that others are having the wine skin's filled with the wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit.

 But it doesn't mean that your wine skin has lost it viability or importance.

It doesn't mean that you need to discard what God has filled you with to run after something new.

Here's the tricky part.

If God so leads you to be filled with this "NEW" wine, then go drink it up.

But only if God is leading.

Don't let your taste or your own desire be the motivating factor that would cause you to chase this.

If you have been called to drink this new wine, this fresh move of His Spirit, then do so in humility.

Don't lash out at those who have come before you as being of no relevance.

A great price was paid by a lot of people so that you could, in fact, drink this new wine.

Honor those who have come before you for their sacrifice and diligence in keeping the wine and not wasting it.

Pay homage to those who are filled with the old wine.

They haven't carried it for this much time and not grown in wisdom and maturity.

Yes sir! I'm an old wine skin and proud of it.

My wine skin still bulges with the fruit of the Holy Spirit working in me.

I continue to pour from my wine skin on those who are broken and hurting.

I pour liberally not afraid of running out or being selfish with it.

Yes sir! I'm an old wine skin.

God on you....

mb

HIS BLOOD BRINGS TRUE FREEDOM

Repost from 2016

I Corinthians 6:20
For God bought you with a high price........

I've been writing a daily journal since July of 1991. Yesterday, while going through these journals, I came across a dream I had back in 1999. I had forgotten it, but as I read through the entry, it all came back with great clarity.

In the dream, I am in a room that is dark.....a stage is at the front of the room and it is well lit. I am standing at the back, and all I can make out are the silhouettes of those in front of me. A man steps to the stage and I am suddenly aware that this is an auction. A young girl is escorted from off stage into the bright lights. She is in shackles and chains and is crying. The more she cries, the more excited those in the room become because those in that room were demons. The master of ceremonies reads the particulars of this young girl and she is forced to move back and forth on stage so those in the room can get a good look at her.....then the bidding starts.....

The auctioneer yells at the top of his lungs...."What is your bid for this young thing?" The bidding starts, but seems to be focused between two of the demons....One called "Prostitution" and the other "Human trafficking". Each one desires the soul of this young girl and the bidding continues at a furious pace.....going higher and higher with each bid by the demons. The young girl has now collapsed to the stage, and has given up. There are taunts and accusations from the crowd directed toward this young girl. The bidding goes higher and higher. The young girl fully understands that there isn't any way she could ever buy her freedom....that her future is bound in the hands of these dark spirits.

I keep wondering why doesn't someone do something to save her.
I felt a hand on my shoulder, and a voice says, "Why don't you bid?" Before I can turn around, I answered, "I have no money!" As I turn, I see an outline but cannot make out the face of the one who spoke to me....
"Make a bid."
"I have no money."
"You have something far greater than money," the voice said to me.

"Stretch out your hand and open it."
As I did, the voice held his hand over mine. I felt something drop into my palm, and straining to see what it was, I was surprised.
It was a single drop of blood.....
His blood.....
He instructed me to go forward and place my bid.....
"A drop of blood?" I thought to myself....this is crazy. They are not going to take this as currency, and they certainly aren't going to let her go....

The voice insisted that I carry through with the bidding of the single drop of blood.
So I began to make my way through the crowd, to the front.
I cried out...."I want to make a bid?"
The attention in the room turned to me. The auctioneer sneered and said, "What is your bid, my uninformed friend?"
"This," I said, as I opened my palm.
There was a collective gasp as the room grew silent....
Cries of "No fair" and "This isn't right" began to grow, but I stood my ground.

I approached the stage to where the young girl lay sobbing.
I asked, "Do you want to be free?"
Through her tears, she whispered......"Yes."
I held out my palm over the her, and as the blood fell from my hand to the shackles and chains that held her, they fell away.

I needed to remember this dream.
I needed to remember the power that the blood of Christ has over sin, darkness, evil and the purveyor of all of this...the devil.
The blood has not lost power....
It hasn't lost purpose....
And it stands today as the only thing that has power over sin, hell, death and the grave.

Revelation 12:11
And they have defeated him (the devil) by the BLOOD OF THE LAMB, and by their testimony. And they did not love their lives so much that they were afraid to die.
Maybe we need to remember what Jesus has entrusted us with to war against the Kingdom of darkness.
Maybe we need to remember that we have been given authority (AND POWER) to come against all sin in the name of Jesus.
Maybe we, as followers of Christ, need to remember that we are covered by this blood as we move daily through this world.

Because when you boil it all down....
It's about Jesus....
The cross.....
And the blood....
Need I say more?

God on you....
mbb

LIVE STREAM FROM SATURDAY NIGHT'S MEETING

PREVIEW OF TONIGHT'S RECOVERY CHURCH MEETING

THE VERY LAST WORDS

In yesterday's posting, I wrote about the first ten words of the Bible, and God's incredible ability and power that was brought to bear to create this world. Today, I want to go to the other side.....all the way to the book of Revelation and take a look at another passage.

Revelation 22:21
The grace of the Lord Jesus be with you all.....

Grace.....
Saved by Grace....
Amazing Grace.....
Grace, grace....wonderful grace....
James Ryles defines it as "The empowering presence of God, in my life, that enables me to be who I was created to be, and to do what I have been called to do."
Yet this word......."GRACE" is the very last thing mentioned in the Bible to those who are followers of Jesus. John the revelator writes that the grace of Jesus be with all believers.
These words are more than a flowery way to end the Scriptures. They are more than the closing of the book of Revelation. They are the very heart and soul of what I need to walk in this world today.

For too long I have carried on a love affair with Jesus and the world. My affections bounced back and forth from one to the other. I could worship like no ones business and then turn around and be strangely drawn to the baubles and shiny things the world has to offer. It was the grace of God that opened my heart to the truth and declared that I should love either Him or the world but not both. No, I haven't lost my mind, and I am not suggesting that we all move off to a mountain top, wearing brown robes and sandals, to grow a garden of organic vegetables. I am merely saying that we have to live in this fallen world and the only way to do so without being tainted or destroyed is to embrace this grace that God pours out so freely.

In recovery, we use the phrase..."It's about spiritual progress...not spiritual perfection.'  The mind of some one coming out of addiction is an "All or nothing" way of viewing recovery. It has to happen right now, this instant. They don't see or understand that it is a day to day walking out of the will of God in this new life that enables them to be free of the pull and tug of drugs and alcohol. It takes the presence of God, that would be God's grace, to start this journey and to stay the course.

Titus 2:11-12
For the grace of God has been revealed, bringing salvation to all people. And we are instructed to turn from godless living and sinful pleasures. We should live in this evil world with self-control, right conduct, and devotion to God.
Recovery is the result of a "heart change". It is the grace of God that opens my eyes to the reality of the life I have been living. It is the grace of God that points the way to Jesus as the only means of salvation from my addiction. It is the grace of God that empowers me, through the Holy Spirit who lives in me, to move daily in this new spiritual experience that frees me from the prison of darkness and gloom I have been living in. Jesus is my Higher Power, but it is His grace, given to me, that enables me to have this new life.

No wonder John Newton penned the words..........Amazing grace! How sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me. I once was lost, but now am found. T'was blind but now I see.
These wonderful words are at the center of every salvation that takes place. Jesus found me in my 'lost-ness". He searched out and then reached out to retrieve me from the sure death that sin had judged me with and found guilty. I could not see even though my eyes were open. Deep inside, in my innermost being, I knew I was wretched and in need of a savior, but my heart wanted nothing to do with Jesus. Even in this, Jesus never gave up on me. I finally reached the place that the Scriptures refers to as being in Spiritual Poverty (Matthew 5:3). The Message Bible states Matthew 5:3 as Blessed are you when you are at the end of your rope...for there is less of you and more of Him. This is the place where the wonderful grace of God meets you.
Have you experienced the grace of God today?
Food for thought.
God on you...
mb

ZERO...ZILCH....NOTHING!!

I have nothing this morning....
I don't feel witty, or sharp....
I have no slices of information to dispense through this blog...
I have already finished my first cup of coffee, celebrating by staring at this computer screen, in hopes that something would magically appear in my brain that could be shared.
It didn't.

I guess life is like this, isn't it?
We don't always have the answers to the problems we face.
In my case, it seems as though I seldom have the answers to the problems I face. A lot of my prayers fall under the category of "Oh God...Oh God...Oh God...Oh God!. But, as I have said in the past, those are some of the most important, most powerful prayers a body can pray.

As I type this, the first verse from Genesis 1 suddenly came to my mind. How many times do we skip through that verse? How many times have we read it? Yet this simple verse......10 words......ten simple words establish the very foundation on which the entirety of scripture stands.

Those ten words speak of incredible power demonstrated by an incredible God. A God who can speak and manipulate matter into existence. A God who, by His very words, bring from nothing, everything. A God who reveals a complex thought process that is far beyond human ability or understanding.  A God who stands outside of the ticking clock that rules and defines our time here on this planet. In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

This is the God who desires to have relationship with each of us.
This is the God who will not be defeated nor stopped by the forces of darkness that we live in every day.
This is the God who gave His Son to pay a sin-debt you and I could never pay.
His power is woven throughout Scripture.
He is found in every word of every verse.
His Power/Word can free the human Spirit, Soul, and body.
He is God....
No other like Him anywhere, in any way, shape, form or fashion.

So if we say we believe the words of Genesis 1:1, that God truly does possess this ability to speak and create....
Then why do we not believe that He possesses that same power today, and can speak into our very lives to bring about His plan for each of us?
Has His power waned?
Has He lost the ability to take care of His creation?
I think not.
He is God.....

Think on this.
God on you...
mbb

DON'T OPEN THAT DOOR! LET HIM KEEP 'A KNOCKING

Ephesians 4:27
Do not give the devil a foothold.

Romans 13:14
But let the Lord Jesus Christ take control of you, and don't think of ways to indulge your evil desires.

Most do not consider themselves to be evil.
Oh we may think bad things about others, but we do drop money in the red pot outside of Wal-mart at Christmas in order to kind of cancel out those bad thoughts. We aren't really bad people.......are we?
For the most part, I think most do keep themselves in check when it comes to evil.
When we do indulge in something that we know is contrary to the Word of God, we are good at explaining it away. "Oh compared to someone who is a drug dealer, I'm not that bad. Or, "There are other things I could be doing with my money, I'm not hurting anyone."

To think in such a manner is a red flag in my own life.
When I start trying to justify what I am doing, that is coming from my own nature and not the leading of God's Holy Spirit.
I'm sure that Judas thought to himself that he really wasn't doing anything wrong when he agreed to identify Jesus. Notice the word I used? IDENTIFY! In Judas' mind, he wasn't betraying the Son of God, he was merely identifying Jesus for the guards. It is a slippery slope when we begin to rationalize and compromise the things of God. Such compromise usually is backed and influenced by our enemy the devil, as he lays siege to our old "sin-nature".

Proverbs 14:12
There is a way that seems right to man, but it ends in death
Guard your thoughts today.
Don't be mislead by your own intentions that are not in line with God's will.
(O.k. ...one more time in case you missed...here is God's will for your life....OBEY!)
So I need to spend my energy on hearing God and then doing what I am lead to do.
One last thing.
God will give you great grace to mess up if you are trying to carry out his will.
Did you catch that?
There is grace when you are truly trying to follow God.
There is no grace when you seek to carry out your own will using God's name.
Wow!

God on you............
mb

NORTHSIDE / LIVE STREAM 7 - 19 - 20

Taking a look at Genesis 32:22-32 

TRUTH FOR A TUESDAY

Haggai 1:5-6 (The Message Bible)
Take a good, hard look at your life. Think it over.
You have spent a lot of money, but you haven't much to show for it.
You keep filling your plates, but you never get filled up.
You keep drinking and drinking and drinking, but you're always thirsty.

Funny how we think addiction and drunkenness is a modern problem. Well, it isn't. The one thing I know is that it is more of a problem now than at any other time in our nation's history. Not to beat a dead horse, but when I was growing up, there weren't any treatment programs around here. Probably A.A., but nothing along the lines of what we have today.  

I was handed a copy of a new book written by a man who has way more initials at the end of his name than I do mine. Pretty smart fellow I would say. Seems as though he has come up with a cure for alcoholism. Don't get me wrong, I'm not making fun of this fellow, or sport of what he wrote about. In his opinion, the cure is found in an "opioid" blocking medicine that takes away the craving to drink. Not going to argue with him. Like I said, he has way more many initials at the end of his name that I do. 

But such thinking doesn't seem to address the real problem.
What is that problem?
Self! Me! The big "I".
I will continue to carry the message till I die that people don't have drug and alcohol problems......they have a living problem.
What is the heart of the Twelve Steps?
Me! I'm the problem. I have chosen and created a life outside the loving will of the one who created me....God.
I'm suffering from the Genesis 3:5 syndrome...
The serpent told the woman in the garden of Eden that God was holding out on them. He was keeping back some important information that would actually benefit her and her husband. 

What information?
Well, here goes..
"God knows that in the day you eat of it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like God, knowing good and evil."
So what was the serpent inferring?
#1- The couple was blind. They were somehow not seeing the entire picture of life in this garden. They were not getting the entire picture of who this God is and what He expected of them. In other words, the serpent told the woman that God did not trust her or her husband with the COMPLETE truth.

#2 - If you eat this fruit (even though God told you not to)....you will be like God, knowing good from evil. Wowzer's..what a line of hooey! But to someone who swallowed the bait, the idea of "Being Like God" is pretty enticing. Because (here it comes) "If I'm Like God....I don't need God!"
There it is...the whole shebang! Self has taken over and rejected the rule, the love, the provision that only God can give us. 

Ever since those two fruit-loving bozo's went crazy, mankind has been infected with this sin disease.  So if my actions are dictated by "Self-run-riot" then I truly do need a power greater than me who could restore me to sanity (or the ability to make sound decisions). Enter Jesus as the ultimate HIGHER POWER
to restore and make new all the destruction of my past behavior. And one last thing.....I'm not going to sit here and insult you by saying that sobriety cannot come by other means and ways. It can. I know people who have gotten sober without Jesus. But they ain't living...truly living. They are just sober. 

What I'm trying to say is that there is a way beyond just being sober that will take you into a new dimension of living. Like Jesus said in John 10:10..."I have come that they may have life...and that they may have it more abundantly."
Don't know about you, but I don't think that kind of thing come in a pill. Might be wrong, but don't think so.

Make it a good day!
God on you..
mbb

STAND...AND HAVING DONE ALL, STAND

II Timothy 3:1
But know this....
That in the last days perilous (stressful) times will come.

Fear seems to be the emotion of the day....
Couple it with anger and you've got a deadly mix....
Throw in some doubt, anxiety,and just plain not knowing what is next, and you've got a line in the sand that demands a decision to be made.
What decision you ask?
"How am I going to deal with all of this?"

That is one reason that the opening verse of II Timothy 3 really defines what we are seeing in our nation today.
The times are stressful....
More so that usual...
Pandemic...
Mask or no mask...
The future is uncertain...
Protests....
All of these add up to a level of stress that we haven't had to face in a long time.

When Paul wrote that in the last days (Yes Virginia, we are in the last days) there would be "Stressful" times and events, he knew that such would bring out the real "US".  Not the religious us, or the civil us...but the true heart would be uncovered. All the things we use to cling to secretly to help us get by have now been exposed and brought out into the light.

Let's look at the list that accompany's this opening verse of II Timothy.
People will be Lovers of themselves /  lovers of money / boasters / proud / blasphemers / disobedient to parents / unthankful / unholy / unloving / unforgiving / slanderers / without self control / brutal / despisers of good /  traitors / headstrong / haughty / lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God.

I can't imagine living in our time, right now, today, and doing so with no hope.
I read where alcohol consumption has skyrocketed because of the things we are facing. People have turned to it thinking that this is the means of escaping. Drug usage has followed the same path, but along with the usage comes death....whether by overdose or suicide, it doesn't matter, the result is still the same. A loss...
A loss of a father or mother...
A loss of a son or daughter....
A loss of a husband or wife...
A loss....

So where do we turn?
We look to the very One that is called in A.A., A Higher Power....
Me? I refer to Christ as the HIGHEST POWER. None Greater!
Jesus made some interesting statement in Scripture...
"Let not your heart be troubled".....
"Come unto me and I will give you rest".....
"Do not be afraid"......
And last but certainly not least;
"I am the Way....the Truth.....and the Life."

Don't let the events of our day, and the power of darkness rule over your life.
Don't fall in line and fall all the others who will slide over the edge into eternity never knowing the love that Jesus has for them.
Cry out to God and He will come to you...

God on you....
mbb

MESSAGE: THE WHOLE KIT AND KABOODLE OF GOD'S ARMOR

NOW IS THE TIME TO HOLD TIGHT THE HAND OF GOD

People come...
People Go.....
People fall in and out of love....
Governments change....
Culture and society is as stable as the waves that crash the shore...
But there is one constant through out history.
The unchanging hand of God.
He beckons us to come and walk with Him.
To place our hand in His and follow His leading.
Not to be concerned with the direction we are headed in...for He knows the way far better than we do, we simply hold tight His hand.

When fear overtakes us, He squeezes our hand to let us know that He is there.
No need to fear.
When burdens weigh us down, He gently lifts us to his chest and carries us until the darkness passes.
When questions and doubts seek to bury us under an avalanche of confusion....He takes us by both hands to steady us and help us to stand.

The unchanging hand of God will never fail if we lay hold of it.
It is not a mental exercise or a theory.
It is a truth older than the world itself.
The unchanging hand of God is driven by a heart of love for His creation.
Gentle enough to stroke the cheek of a newborn babe, and strong enough to send the minions of hell fleeing in every direction. Such are the hands of God.
Whose hand are you holding on to today?
Or are your hands empty and your simply trying to take this journey in your own ability?

This was one of my dad's favorite songs.
Enjoy.
God on you...
mb