THE SUMMER'S OF RICH

 

Jeremiah 9:23-24 /  Thus says the Lord: "Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom.  Let not the mighty man glory in his might. Nor let the rich man glory in his riches. But let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and know Me...that I am the Lord."

About this time each year my mind starts to churn out memories of when I was at Rapha. There were certain things you could count on without fail. The weather was hot......the humidity was high.......the mosquito's were huge.....and Rich Delafino would come to visit for two weeks. He came to share his story, his love for Jesus, and to simply be with the ones who were in the program.

Rich was a N.Y. city policeman and as such he came with all the traits that you might think someone from New York would have. He was brash. He was in your face. He was opinionated (In Rich's mind, he was always right). But more than any trait that got under your skin, Rich had a heart as big as all out doors.

As best as I can remember, Rich went to a Gold City quartet concert and it was at this even that he was saved. At the time, Gold City use to put on a big hoo-ha each year over at their place in Glencoe. So Rich decided to come down and check it out. The details of how he came to Rapha aren't clear to me but needless to say the rest is history.

Rich took 2 weeks of his own vacation. Paid his own way to be here.  And spent those two weeks getting to know the guys. There were classes where he taught them. There were late night visits to the local Waffle House, as Rich would load up the bus and take the guys out. There was the Friday night ice cream gathering that never failed to be a hit. Through it all, this brash man from New York was able to touch the hearts of countless individuals. That is just what Rich did...he loved as the Father loved.

As time passed, Rich was not able to come down during the summer. I knew this was a hard thing for him to accept, but I also know that Rich had accumulated more memories that a body could count, of what God had done during the annual summer visit.

So this morning....I am grateful to have known Rich. I am blessed to have been able to sit and talk with him.....listen to his stories.....and see the glow that would come to his face when ever he talked about his Jesus. I think maybe the world needs a lot of "Rich Delefino's".

Years have passed and I have lost contact with Rich. I do not know if he is still alive or not. The last time I spoke to him, he told me that it was getting harder and harder for him to get around. I do know this though....the seed that Rich sowed in the lives of the men he came in contact with is still alive and well. All because this crazy man from New York decided to spend his summer vacation in Alabama at a drug and alcohol rehab.

Rich Delefino....I love you.

God on you ...

Michael b

WHAT AM I LIVING FOR?

 

Good Monday Morning to you. Hope your weekend went well and that you were able to get some rest. Now, we have a new week, new situations, new circumstances. our need to stay close to God is needed more now than ever before. So let's get ready to move out into the world and be the people God created us to be.

II Corinthians 5:15
And He died for all, so that those who live might live no longer to and for themselves, but to and for Him who died and was raised for their sake.

I find that my own desires seek to usurp attention and devotion that should be reserved for Jesus and Him alone. My wants are like little children who don't get their way. Praise God for His grace. It covers me and helps me to focus on what is truly important.

His Grace is sufficient.
He is all sufficient.
I find all that I need in Him.
I do not have to look to myself or to the world to be my savior.
My Savior was brought forth from death unto life by the power of the Holy Spirit.

I see death and darkness everyday.
I see people choose death and darkness and what's more...walk into it willingly.
I also see the power of God who can snatch away from the fires of hell.
There are no gray areas.
Society and culture creates the gray in an effort to obscure God's truth.
Living in a world that is defined by a truth greater than we can comprehend is more than some people can take.
The very thought that morality and Holiness is as clearly defined as black and white unnerves a lot of people. That means they are without excuse for their failures. Their failure becomes simply a matter of choice.
They seek to create a false reality that exist in shades of gray. Where things aren't defined and are blurred, open to interpretation by anyone.

Those times and days are quickly coming to an end and we all will find out exactly if what we claim to believe in is true or not. That is why I no longer live to myself but for the one who ransomed me from the sin penalty.

Jesus at the center of your life.
Your hope and salvation for this life and the next.

God on you through out this coming week...

Michael b.

I WILL MISS YOU BRIAN

 Take a long look at this face in the photo above. Pretty much summed up my friend, Brian Robinson. He seemed to always be walking in the joy of the Lord. You could not help but be lifted out of any depression or gloom when Brian came around.

There were three things that were most important in Brian's life. #1 - His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.......#2 - His family.........#3 - Music. It was through the music that I first met Brian when he came to VCF Gadsden to lead worship. I was playing in a praise band at that time, and we agreed to back Brian as he led worship. The one song that I remember most (and always brings a smile to my face) is the song Alright Now by Bad Company. Brian had taken the lyrics and re-wrote them to reflect the goodness and love that Christ has for us. I can still remember playing bass that day....totally worshiping and loving this song....thinking to myself, "Who is this guy?" Over the years I would come to know who "this guy" was.

Brian always seemed to have "a word" for people. He was really good at picking up on the state of people's lives, and then giving them what God was saying to Him. He did that for me more times than I can remember. As the years rolled by, our paths took different directions and we did not see each other as much as we may have wanted to. But Brian was faithful to call from time to time and share a word that he felt God was going to speak to me. I was grateful for those phone calls, and I was grateful that Brian took the time out of his schedule to call me.

I received the news yesterday that Brian had passed. He'd been in bad health for a while, but with Brian you always felt that he would bounce back. That God would bring healing to his body and restore him. Well, God was true to His word. Brian received the ultimate healing......he went home to be with his Savior. Brian is no longer struggling or hurting. I can only imagine how Brian was when he first stood before Christ. I can just see him jumping, leaping about, and singing at the top of his lungs. That is Brian.

If you would, please pray for Faith, his wife, and the family that God would comfort them during this time of separation. I will miss Brian. I know that you've read this before, because I usually write it whenever a friend passes, but with Brian it takes on a little more significance. 

"Brian now knows the truth that you and I have not yet experienced." That the word of God is true, and God is faithful to see His work and word to completion.

I will miss you Brian....

michael b.

 

BRIAN ROBINSON

Take a long look at this face in the photo above. Pretty much summed up my friend, Brian Robinson. He seemed to always be walking in the joy of the Lord. You could not help but be lifted out of any depression or gloom when Brian came around.

There were three things that were most important in Brian's life. #1 - His Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.......#2 - His family.........#3 - Music. It was through the music that I first met Brian when he came to VCF Gadsden to lead worship. I was playing in a praise band at that time, and we agreed to back Brian as he led worship. The one song that I remember most (and always brings a smile to my face) is the song Alright Now by Bad Company. Brian had taken the lyrics and re-wrote them to reflect the goodness and love that Christ has for us. I can still remember playing bass that day....totally worshiping and loving this song....thinking to myself, "Who is this guy?" Over the years I would come to know who "this guy" was.

Brian always seemed to have "a word" for people. He was really good at picking up on the state of people's lives, and then giving them what God was saying to Him. He did that for me more times than I can remember. As the years rolled by, our paths took different directions and we did not see each other as much as we may have wanted to. But Brian was faithful to call from time to time and share a word that he felt God was going to speak to me. I was grateful for those phone calls, and I was grateful that Brian took the time out of his schedule to call me.

I received the news yesterday that Brian had passed. He'd been in bad health for a while, but with Brian you always felt that he would bounce back. That God would bring healing to his body and restore him. Well, God was true to His word. Brian received the ultimate healing......he went home to be with his Savior. Brian is no longer struggling or hurting. I can only imagine how Brian was when he first stood before Christ. I can just see him jumping, leaping about, and singing at the top of his lungs. That is Brian.

If you would, please pray for Faith, his wife, and the family that God would comfort them during this time of separation. I will miss Brian. I know that you've read this before, because I usually write it whenever a friend passes, but with Brian it takes on a little more significance. 

"Brian now knows the truth that you and I have not yet experienced." That the word of God is true, and God is faithful to see His work and word to completion.

I will miss you Brian....

michael b.

 

THE VERY GOOD SHEPHERD

 Psalm 23:2

He makes me to lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside the still waters.
The care and love that Jesus shows to his "sheep" is beyond my feeble brain's ability to comprehend such a heart.
He makes me lie down......He knows that left to my own will, I will expend myself on things that do not matter. I will fill up my life with useless activity that profits nothing. I will burn myself out worrying about things that are beyond my control. I guess this is where the serenity thing comes into play. "God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change." Jesus knows that I need rest, not just bodily but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually. So from time to time, He MAKES me lie down. Even if for nothing else other than to give my brain and mind a rest. I think one of the first things I notice when Vicki and I go on vacation or just get away for a few days, is how my mind is rested and renewed. This, in turn, really brings about a change physically and emotionally. Rest is needed. Rest reconnects us to the Father when we physically and emotionally rest in Him. Psalm 46:10 - Be still, and know that I am God.....

But notice also in Ps.23:2 the shepherd picks out the best spot for this rest too take place. A place where there is plenty of food and water. To me this is a place where there are ample portions of the Word and the Spirit. They are food for my soul. Food that brings health to my inner parts. Lifting up the heart and restoring faith and hope in my dry places. I look to Jesus as the source of my spiritual as well as my physical well being. 

Isaiah 40:11 
He shall lead his flock like a shepherd. He shall gather the lambs with his arm and carry them in his bosom, and shall gently lead those that are with young.
I love this illustration of the heart of Jesus. The ultimate shepherd, not because he has too but because he wants to. A shepherd who laid down his life for the flock in order to protect them from the evil one who prowls looking for someone to devour. 

Part of AA is saying the Serenity prayer.
A prayer that asks God for stability of mind....
Stability of spirit....
Stability of purpose 
in the relationship with Jesus Christ.
Not that our situations and circumstances are stable, sometimes they are and sometimes they aren't.
The Serenity prayer speaks of the peace and stability that comes within and allows you to not be tossed about by emotion or indecision. It gives the ability to face what I cannot change. It gives me strength to confront and change that which I have ran away from in the past. It gives me wisdom to know which is which.

God....

Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change..

the courage to change the things I can,

and the wisdom to know the difference.
Living one day at a time,

enjoying one moment at a time;

accepting hardship as a pathway to peace.
Taking, as Jesus did,

this sinful world as it is,

not as I would have it.

Trusting that You will make all things right

if I surrender to Your will,

so that I may be reasonably happy in this life

and supremely happy with You forever in the next....

Amen!

Written By:

Reinhold Niebuhr

NO COMPROMISE

 

I was reading a passage from Melanie Green's book No Compromise and I was shaken by the shallowness of my commitment  to God. I think the thing that stood out was how I thought I was truly in touch with God's call and direction. Then God spoke in a loving, soft voice and said, "It's time for you to grow up. You have been reveling in the "nursery" of God. This pricked my heart with such pain. The thought that I was somehow mature in Christ and walking out His call on my life was suddenly uncovered for what it truly was. Me...being a babe trying to act like an adult. God forgive me. Part of me wants to quit so as not to embarrass the name of Jesus. Another part of me wants to cry out, "Show me Lord! Show me how to grow. Show me how to love! Show me what I need to discard and what I need to embrace."

I am grateful for the opportunity to be in God's Kingdom.
Give me grace to follow you.
Help me to see that in the following is where I learn how to "BE" who You have created me to be.

An Excerpt From No Compromise by Melanie Green


“When my time comes–that’s the way I wanna go,” Keith said as he snapped his fingers. “Earth to heaven in an instant!”

Keith’s words went right by me at the time. There would be a day, though, when they would come back. For the moment, I busily tucked the blanket around Josiah as we headed out the front door for Richard’s memorial service.

One day, a short time later, Keith walked into our bedroom looking more serious than usual–and that was saying a lot. He was holding the book, Rees Howells: Intercessor, in his hand as he flopped on the bed.

“Did you know Rees Howells and his wife gave their infant son away so they could go to Africa as missionaries?”
“They gave him away…” I repeated, flatly. Already I didn’t like the sound of this.
“They gave him to relatives,” Keith continued, “and God told them they ‘could never claim him again’. Years later, after he graduated from college, he joined his father in the ministry in Africa. But he was already all grown up.”

“That’s really heavy.” Wasn’t there something else we could be talking about?
“Yeah. God told him to do it.”
“I sure hope it was God,” I said, and now I bit my lip, wondering what Keith was leading up to.
“Mel, what if God told us to give Josiah away?”
“I can’t see how that could ever be the Lord’s will,” I shot back at once. “I mean, do you really think he would ask us to do that?”
“I don’t know. He might. God can do anything he wants.”
“Well, I always want to obey the Lord, no matter what it costs. But that would be a hard one. Are you saying you would be willing?” I pressed him.
“It would be the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” he said, seriously. “But if I was one hundred percent positive it was God, I’d do it.”

By now, my heart was so heavy it could have burst. I was afraid Keith was going to do something crazy. What if he tells me he thinks God wants us to give Josiah to somebody else? I was thinking, What would I do? You don’t just give kids away, do you? My emotions were rocking.
Things had been so much easier when it was “just us and our stereo”. We’d always said we would give the Lord everything. But it seemed a lot easier to give God things like money, comfort, and time. How do you give your child? Rees Howells found out. So did Abraham, with his son Isaac. The enormity of their commitment was staggering to me.

Fortunately, it wasn’t a question we needed an immediate answer to. We weren’t going to put Josiah up for adoption or anything. Still, our parent-hearts were being painfully tested. And for the next few months Keith, in particular, was going through a deeper testing than I knew about until much later.


God on you...
mb

OUR FINEST HOUR

 

Adversity......
Trials...........
Problems......
Situations.....
Circumstances.
All a part of life. But in the life of someone coming our of addiction, such are usually self-inflicted. The dark thoughts and negative emotions cloud and color the choices that are made. What this means is that sometimes a bad choice turns into a terrible choice, as one choice piles up on another in an effort to deal with life.

I have been in the middle of these type situations for a long time. Watching someone make a bad choice because it seemed like the easier, softer way, rather than the right way.
Someone chooses to drink, knowing full well what is going to happen.
They drink anyway.
One drink leads to twelve, all the while putting the addiction stamp of approval on the decision to start. At the same time, the truth eats away at every decision. "You know better than this! Don't do this." But with every drink that voice is replaced with an accusing, sarcastic voice that demeans the individual with guilt and shame. These two wonderful emotions only fuel the cycle to drink so that you don't feel. Funny part is that the more you drink (or use drugs) so that you don't feel....the more you feel all the negative garbage that is being heaped on you.

God's plan to deal with such emotional baggage is pretty amazing.
Once a person is saved, they have deposited in them God's Holy Spirit.
I know this term doesn't fit Him well, but think of the Holy Spirit as a type of "SUPER" conscience. Yet more than simply sound the alarms and whistles when we are headed toward making a bad choice, the Holy Spirit will direct us in our choices. All the while, He begins the process of changing our character so we don't live the old life style.

I love James 1:2-4 in the Message Bible.
Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. You know that under pressure, your faith life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. So don't try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it (the situation/ circumstance) do its work so you become mature and well developed, not deficient in any way.

Instead of cutting and running back to the darkness, we take hold of Jesus' hand a little tighter. "I will not run! I will stand!" As we declare our intention, God's Spirit will strengthen us. It will be a storm to weather, but as with any terrible weather pattern, there is always a break and the sun comes shining through. Same with this new life we are trying to lay hold of. The storms of life will come and buffet us, but the SON, Jesus, will come shining through. That is a promise.

During the darkest time of world war II, when England stood alone against the German War machine, Prime minister Winston Churchill told the people that when history looks back at their struggle, it would declare "This was their finest hour."
Such will be recorded for everyone who lays hold of Jesus, and does not let go but pushes forward to face the day.

God on you...
mbb

THOSE HANDS

 

They were hard and calloused....
Years of work and labor defined and created every crack and wrinkle in those hands.
They had held plows.....
They had held rifles and shotguns....
Not for sport, but to put food on a table.
They had mended broken bicycles so that sons could be mobile once again.
They repaired more cars than I care to count.

They were tender enough to care for dogs that got caught up in barbed wire and had limped back home bleeding and almost to the point of death.
Those hands made basketball goals for the backyard...
They clapped at Jim Reeves and Patsy Cline when they came on the radio.
They slapped knees when a good yarn was spun or joke told.
Those hands never really rested, not till the end.

Those hands rubbed my head or rested on my shoulder when I had done something big.
Those same hands spanked me and put me back on the straight and narrow when I got to big for my britches.
They wiped sweat from the brow when the summer heat flooded a new plowed field. Those hands staked tomatoes and shucked corn. picked blackberries and baled hay. To a young boy, there wasn't anything those hands couldn't do. Those hands have cranked many a turn making home made ice cream. Those hands always deserved the first bowl when it was ready to eat.

Those hands held me and carried me from the car when we would come home late at night after being on a trip. Strong hands......safe hands....
Those hands were quick to help neighbors when something was needed to be done. The hands toted lumber and nailed nails to repair roofs and build back porches. I loved those hands.

Those were the hands of my father..........H.B. Bynum.
Blue collar to the core...
Worked hard all his life. That's just what a man did to support his family.
If my Dad had lived, I'm not sure he'd understand much of what is happening in this world today. He wasn't one to sit around and whine and cry about his lot in life or his lack of money. He worked. His advice to me..."Son, a man does what a man has to do to keep food on the table and a roof over his family." Those wouldn't be very popular words today...but that was my Dad. I watched (more times than I can remember) my dad being sick. Sick to the point that he really needed to stay home and take care of himself. What did my Dad do?  Got up and went to work. Never complained. Never talked about life being fair. He did what he needed to do to take care of his family. This was the legacy that was passed on to me.

Mom died in 1981 and Dad never seemed to recover from it. After they both retired, they reconnected as husband and wife. There seem to be more joy and peace as they shared time and life together. There were trips to the Smokey Mountains and visits with friends and family. I am grateful for the peace and love they found at the end.

Dad died in 1985, and not a day goes by that I don't think of him.
And on this day, of all days, one that honors fathers, I want to honor him.
For the love he showed me and the huge impact and influence he had on me.
I pray that in some small way, I have been half the man and father he was.
Thank you Lord for giving Father's to us....

Happy Father's Day, Dad.....
I love you....
I miss you.....

mb

HOPE AGAINST ALL HOPE

 

Romans 4:18 (Message Bible) -  When everything was hopeless, Abraham believed anyway, deciding to live not on the basis of what what he saw he couldn't do but on what God said He would do.

There are times when I wonder if I truly am a follower of Christ. I find that my faith if fragile and on the verge of being broken when really dark times come. Sometimes it seems that fear and doubt are my closest neighbors, knocking on my door, trying to gain entrance to my thoughts and mind. But when it seems the darkest, I always turn to the promises of God. In those, I know there is no wavering or doubt. God's promises are "yes and amen".  A stable place on which I regain my footing.

I love the way the NIV describes Abraham's mindset.  "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed..." When the world told Abraham there was no way God was going to keep His word....Abraham latched onto as greater hope. Maybe that is the message for this day....reject the world's hope, and find the one true eternal hope that never fails. Hope that has a name, and that name is Jesus.

Fox and CNN are not the owners of hope....

CBS, ABC, NBC are not the carriers of hope...You want the news....here let me give you some good news...."My hope is built on nothing less than Jesus' blood and righteousness." That simple phrase is something you can stake your life to when times are hard and days are dark.  "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand.....all other ground is sinking sand."

Don't let the messengers of this world steal your hope, joy and peace. All these are found in Christ. You can believe it....or you can reject it. I choose to believe.

God on you...

michael b

ONE RIGHTEOUSNESS DUDE

 

Genesis 6:9

Noah was a righteous man, blameless among the people of his time, and he walked with God.

From time to time, I find myself whining and complaining about how "dark" spiritually our nation has become. The Government is corrupt. People are self-centered. Some churches only tickle the ears with smooth words and false promises. Where is God?
Yet every time I act this way, I am reminded of Noah.
Think about this.
He was the only righteous and blameless man on the face of the planet. Everyone else was corrupt. Imagine the pressure that came from neighbors and so-called friends. I don't think Mr. Noah got invited to too many parties and get together, do you?

I love the last part of this verse. He Walked With God!
Noah wasn't guided or lead by the call and dictates of this world. His mind, heart, spirit and soul were set on following God. He did not have access to a Bible. He didn't have Christian radio and television. He simply had a relationship. In our day and time, we feel like we have to have all the trappings..........the worship Cd's, the latest DVD from the latest conference. The hottest, greatest new word from the Christian author of the month. Funny...........Noah just had God.
Maybe simpler is better.

Noah simply did everything God told him to do.
He trusted that God knew best.
God gave him a plan to survive. Build an ark,leave everything else to God.
Noah carried out the plan.
Day after day. Year after year...building that ark.
Do you think there were day's that Noah wanted to quit? I do.
It would be hot. Sun beating down. Neighbor's walking by where the ark was being built. "Hey Noah! You want to go fishing? Oh yeah, that's right....you've got to build a boat and we don't even live near any body of water large enough to float it........bwahhhhhh!"
Noah kept on.

Why?
Because God told him to....

Walking with God, such as Mr. Noah did, often involves doing some things that don't really balance the ledgers, so to speak.
We don't always understand the "whys" of God. We are called to "do".

I will go as far as even saying that it isn't we don't understand, as much as it is we don't see.
We don't see what God is accomplishing.
We don't see the greater purpose for the events and situations we are currently in...
God does.

And if He does, then it might be to my benefit to simply carry out the instructions and disciplines I am being shown today.
Noah, during the most corrupt time the world has ever known, walked with God...was blameless among his generation. God used this man to save humanity.
Not a bad way to be remembered.

God on you....
mb

GET ON BOARD....OR GET OFF THE BUS

Found myself in Luke 1 yesterday.

All the angelic activity that burst on the scene after 400 years of silence from heaven, must have left people thinking to themselves, "What in the wide world of sports is going on?"
Zechariah finally gets his turn to serve in the temple, not only that but he get the sweet job of going into the holy place and burning incense on the altar. Dressed in his temple finest, ol' Zach is moving around enjoying every moment when suddenly......BLAMMO! the angel Gabriel shows up with a message. "Hey Zach, don't be afraid but you and your wife's prayers have been heard and Father God is going to answer them. Your going to have a baby boy!" Zachariah found this a little hard to swallow since he and Elizabeth were way beyond child bearing years. I love it, in that God's plans are not based on whether we swallow or not. God simply carries them out. Of course when God shows up to work in someone, that "someone" always feels inadequate or not able to carry out the task. That is human nature. God is not surprised in that.

I remember when I accepted the call to pastor. I had been running from it for 30+ years.
When I finally said "YES" and turned my will over to God, the first thing that came to my mind scared me to death. I mean it petrified me. It was my "I can't do this" moment. What was it? The thought that I had to come up with a message each week. Something new....something amazing....something stupendous. When in fact it was none of those things. All I had to do was study, pray, listen and then talk. Sure some weeks are harder than others. I've even prepared lessons and teaching that I had to lay aside the moment I stood before a congregation to give them. Now that is scary! But through it all, God has been faithful to give me what I needed to say for that moment.

I guess what I think we are to pick up on from this posting is that God is only looking for people who will say yes. Once we have made the commitment, He will take care of the rest. If you look at what the angel told Mary (the Virgin) you will see the truth of what I have written.
V31 -  You are going to have a baby so you need to name him Jesus. (that's her part)
V32 - He will be very great
          He will be called SON OF THE MOST HIGH
          He will receive the throne of David
V33 - He will reign over Israel forever
          His kingdom will never end

All Mary had to do was surrender and allow God to work. God did the rest. IT is no different today. We surrender ourselves to God's will and then allow Him to birth from us the works and deeds that He desires to bring out for His Kingdom work here on this earth. Cool huh?

make today a "I-will-cooperate-with-God-day", then see what happens.

God on you...
mb

DAVID'S TO-DO LIST

 

Seems like, when it comes to God, we have a tendency to think we get to do all the receiving from Him. After all, we can't "earn" our salvation, or "work" for our salvation. All that's left is for us to sit back and rake in the blessings. 

I think maybe there are some maintenance steps that we need to be aware of that will aid us in not drifting away (see Hebrews 2:1 and 3). i have found that when I get lax in my daily walk, I tend to get off the road and into the weeds. At first the weeds are not any trouble to  navigate. But the farther I get away from the road, the higher and deeper the weeds get until I can't tell which way is up. Then I find myself doing a lot of "Oh God...Oh God....Oh God" praying.

I love Psalm 37. To me it is a check list of things I need to do and be aware of in my daily life. The very first verse knocks the ball out of the park, so to speak. David begins the chapter by saying three little words that plague us all....Do Not Fret. Do not worry. Do not let your focus be drawn away from God. O.k....we're off with a roar as we move through the next few verses.

Oh yeah...just a matter of reminding you, why would we be told "not to fret" unless God knows that we will. So it's not so much the fact that we find ourselves in a place of worry or fretting as it is taking captive the worry and giving it to God.

The very next verse, after telling us not to worry, David writes, "Trust in the Lord." Isn't that the remedy for worrying? I think maybe yes. Trusting God that no matter what we may face, He has it. He is in control. 

After we begin trusting God, David writes that we are to "do good." Kind of an open ended statement and doesn't give a lot of direction, but as I see it, doing good means that you get outside yourself and point your efforts to others.

Next we read where David wrote "Dwell in the land." Of course this is a reference to the place that God had provided for Israel to live. Now we are not called to a promised land, but we are called to a promised life. Here is where we are to dwell, and not allow ourselves to be drawn away and enticed by the world.

Feed on His faithfulness is the next directive. Take the faithfulness of God into your Spirit as you read Scripture. In fact, the entire Bible is about a God who is always faithful to His word, and a people who aren't. Let the thought of His promises and blessings fill your thoughts.....flood your heart....and take root in your mind. Give no room for the things of this world. I know...easy to say, hard to do. Maybe the reason it is so hard is that we keep trying in our own flesh, strength, ability and effort instead of resting in God.

Gotta run...I'll try and finish the rest of Ps. 37 tomorrow.

God on you.....

Michael b.

I AM AN OLD WINESKIN

 

I'm an old wineskin.

When we read the passage from Luke 5, where Jesus talks about old patches and old wineskin'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 a number of 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 wineskin's filled with the wonderful presence of the Holy Spirit.

But it doesn't mean that your wineskin 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 wineskin and proud of it.
My wineskin still bulges with the fruit of the Holy Spirit working in me.
I continue to pour from my wineskin 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 wineskin.

God on you....

mb

IS YOUR TRUST DETERMINED BY YOUR CIRCUMSTACES

 

O.k......Now I am going to include myself in this one because it is such a sneaky idea that seems to invade every human heart. What is this heinous idea?

The idea that if things are going good in our life (money in bank, cars are not breaking down, no one sick in the family) then we have God's favor resting on us. But let things go South, and we automatically put the blame on our enemy, the devil.

Well, what if we weren't listening and obeying God like we should have, and He put roadblocks, stumbling blocks, and all manner of blocks in our way to keep us from heading in the wrong direction? Does God really move in this manner?

Reading in Scripture, I see where Paul had a desire to go to Macedonia. God had other plans and would not let Paul go. "But Lord, we could do such good work for you there!," I could hear Paul reply. Could Paul have gotten up and headed on off to Macedonia? Probably. But the trip would not have been under the grace and direction of God.

I hear a lot of folks proudly proclaim, "I believe in God." But you don't hear too many shout out, "I believe God!". In other words, no matter what God may say (especially when it goes against the grain of what we want) I will believe Him. I will follow His direction. I will give no place for my flesh. I will not compromise with those dark voices that try to entice me to seek my own way, rather than follow God.

very familiar passage: Proverbs 3:5-6:  Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not depend on your own understanding. Trust in!! Trust in the Lord. First off, Jesus has to be Lord of your life. Your life has to be submitted to Him and His good plans for you. There are two words that can never go together.....NO LORD!" The moment you say "No" is the moment He is no longer Lord. You have pushed Him aside to become Lord of your own life.

Trust in the Lord.........Trust in what He says to you.....Trust in what you read in Scripture.....Trust in His plans for your life. Trust when everything in your life is going great.....and trust when it seems like the wheels are coming off of your life. In the dark times, trust and hold His hand a little tighter.

Thanks for stopping by and reading the Greene Street Letters: Until nex time....God on you!

Michael b.