Believing
By Tony Driver Matthew - Those who do not believe in me will be cast into darkness. We should fill our hearts with His never-ending love. Fill our minds with His words. And fill our souls with His Spirit and serve Him with every ounce of our being. And love our neighbor as ourselves. The promises of the path to Heaven shall be opened to us. And we shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever. And on that great day I hope to see you all there in that great kingdom with our Lord. Where there will be no more sickness, no more death, no more hate, no more darkness, only the light of our Lord forevermore. by Linda Hokit
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 path. Proverbs 3:5-6 (NKJV) I have seen the Lord lead me in many ways over the years. Let me share some examples of how God worked in the past and fulfilled His promises in the present. PAST: When I was only one month old my parents traveled by car from California to Alabama. While driving, we hit what is now referred to as the Panhandle Blizzard of 1957. There were no hotel rooms available, gas was running out and people where dying. Late into the night, my father pulled into a gas station and asked for help. The owner said, he and his wife had been praying for a young couple with a baby they could help. That first trip turned into 7 we took adding my brother a few years later. As a result, I was familiar with many cultures and environments before I finished first grade! PRESENT: Later in my adult years I taught Conversational English, a form of English as a Second Language. During my missionary years I was the support person for a number of schools throughout the state of Alaska. My mentor, Louise had retired but was still teaching when she heard about a church in Georgia who was sending a construction team to Alaska. The leader of that team felt strongly that he should invite the Vietnamese pastor to come along. The pastor had no skills in construction but God had a plan. Louise heard he was coming, drove to a town where they were working and told the pastor why she believed he was in Alaska! She had been working with a group of Vietnamese for well over 10 years. They learned English but never embraced Christ. She called together all the Vietnamese she could gather at the last minute. About 5 adults came. Once they heard the Gospel in their language from a man who happened to be in the same refugee camp at the same time they were, they all accepted the Lord! PAST: On our last trip to Alabama, we attended Mt Zion Baptist Church in Huntsville. During VBS I accepted the Lord and was baptized. It was a large red brick church of about 2,000 people which was a bit overwhelming for a child who attended a church in California that was created from a ranch style home. Bethany Baptist only had about 50 people, but it was the first place I remember at age 8 understanding the awe of God. My pastor came from an organization that ministered on the streets. He was a “chalk talk artist” and drew his sermon on Easter Sunday that year. Easter has been my favorite holiday since then. PRESENT: After I became a missionary, I received a card from a women’s group who sent me card on my birthday to say they were praying for me. It was from Mt. Zion Baptist Church. I wrote the ladies to say their church played a role in growing up a missionary and often spoke about the faithfulness of their church. The Alabama ladies participated in a tradition we have in Southern Baptist circles to pray for missionaries on their birthday. If you would like to see the names of missionaries you can pray for, go to https://wmu.com/prayercalendar. You will see me there on the 23rd . PAST: Before I graduated from High School we lived in California, Alabama, Mississippi, Alaska and Colorado. We moved and changed our address 25 times. As an adult I moved 20 more times and have to date lived in 11 states and 2 Canadian Provinces. I arrived in Vermont 8 years ago. MISSIONARY PAST: Many people have asked where I served and what I did. Before, I was appointed I served in my church while employed as a paid worker for Girl Scouts, USA. About 8 years later, I went to Vancouver, British Columbia to serve during the World’s Fair and then moved over to Calgary to direct the Canadian Southern Baptist ministry outreach during the Calgary Olympic Games. That was followed by service in Alaska as interim Youth and Education Director and in New York as a Resort Ministries project leader. I received my call to ministry while in New York. At the time, Baptist Convention of New England had a seminary extension program in Boston sponsored by Southern Seminary. I became a Church Starter Strategist serving in New Hampshire and Massachusetts while going to seminary. After Seminary I went to Buffalo, New York to direct a ministry during the Summer World University Games, then worked at the New York State Fair Ministry we developed during my first experience in New York. Most of the work I did before seminary was related to meeting people in the places they play in order to bring them the Gospel, which is called Resort Ministries. AFTER SEMINARY: After seminary I moved to Alaska as an appointed missionary. I was a Church and Community Ministries Consultant. I helped churches meet the needs of people in their communities while sharing the Gospel; I did this role twice before retiring. In between, I served in Stone Mountain, Georgia working to establish permanently ministries that were begun during the Summer Olympic Games in Atlanta including a campground ministry at a local state park. After retiring from Appointed Missionary Service, I served 10 years with American Red Cross in Alaska and Vermont. In it all I can say, God directed my path. by Will Brannon
Following God is a series of choices.The first choice is to accept him into your heart as your Lord and savior, when you do this you will be filled with holy spirit and your sins will be washed clean. Now what? We have the spirit and must now walk in it. What does that look like? These are just a few examples… Do I allow my pride to seek its vengeance, or do I choose to forgive? Do I spend time out partying, watching movies, playing mindlessly on my phone, or do I read my Bible? Do I allow my laziness to reign over my decisions and stay home, or do I go to church? Do I allow depression and intrusive thoughts to take over my mind, or do I choose to seek God, and allow the peace that is in Him to rule in my mind? Do I put my life first, or do I deny myself in pursuit of service to Him? Jesus tells me to deny myself, to bear my cross daily and follow him. Some days are easy and my cup is overflowing with grace and joy, others I feel far from God, like I can't even feel, see or hear Him. I’ve learned that in those times if we stay true and do not stray from His path, that feeling is unfailingly replaced by a peace like no other. I will not lie, it can be hard to be in a world saturated in sin, such as the one we live in now. We trip and stumble on that sin, then feel shame and despair. But when we walk in the Spirit, we can see sin as it truly is, our eyes are opened to the Truth. We can take heart in the fact that those who do not have Jesus in their heart cannot feel that way. The simple truth is that feeling that way is our reminder that the Spirit lives in us, that the path isn’t closed to us, as I know it can sometimes feel. Here’s the corrected version: Remember, we are all trying to walk the same narrow path together, but it’s not good enough to walk it. When we walk past others on the same path who are tired and weak, who have stumbled and need help to stand, we must stop to pick them up, help them walk, and give them encouragement. Otherwise, we are just stepping over God's children in order to get ourselves where we want to be. Imagine your child falls down. Everyone ignores their pleas for help, walks around them, steps over them as they are too weak to stand, then those people come to you and say I'm here, I've finally made it. What would you say, seeing what they had done to your child? I have a pretty good idea of what God would say, but I definitely know what I would say. Jesus told us about the importance of love, how we are called to love each and every person as we love ourselves. If we have no love in us and God is love, how can we say that God lives in us? Please my friends, understand you are not alone. God is with you and so am I. If you ever need someone to talk to, If you are struggling, I am happy to be here for you. I chose to devote my life to helping those who believe they can’t talk about things, feel doubt, feel weak, feel as though they can't stand. It's ok to talk about it. You aren't the only one with these thoughts, these feelings, these fears. We are all real people, we can't hide from what makes us human. Sometimes it's not pretty and that's ok. God has given me the strength and the desire to be of help. I hope anyone who's in need and wants to talk will approach me anytime. In church, after church, you can facebook me, we can chat in person, texts, email, whatever you most comfortable with. You only have to make the choice to open up. I am not a professional, I'm just your friend in Christ. by Margaret E Potter John 3:16 For God so loved the world that He gave His one & only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish t have eternal life. John 10:10 The thief comes only to steal , kill & destroy. I came that they (you !) may have life & have it more abundantly. 1 John 4:16b God is Love & he who abides in love abides in God & God in Him. We who are God's children must imitate & emulate our Heavenly Father & be Jesus to the world around us. Remember Jesus came "that none should perish , but all should come to the saving knowledge & to repentance " 2 Peter 3:9. while it is true that we are all born sinners, just the mere fact that we are born is proof of His incredible Love ! Under the microscope it has ben observed that at the moment of the conception of a human life there is a sudden flash of light ! That is Father God breathing life-a living soul-into this tiny new life ! And He has a wonderful plan & purpose for that life ! Despite or innate tendency toward selfishness & sin, Jesus , who came into this world to shed His precious life's blood for all our sakes is ready to embrace that life & make him or her His very own ! His promises are yes & amen ! and apart from Him our true life's purpose given by Father God ! Once we were all sinners in need of the Savior. That is why we should all have a burden for the lost as we were once lost ourselves ! Where would any of us be today if someone hadn't told us ? I'm certain this is the ultimate meaning of loving one's neighbor as one's self (Mark 12:31 ) ! If God & His Love & the Person of Jesus Christ & the Holy Spirit truly dwells within us , it should be our desire too, that none should perish, but come to everlasting life in Him. that is why Jesus came to the Earth He created & laid down His Life for all our sakes ! I praise & thank you Lord Jesus Christ, My Savior & my King ! Amen by Rebecca Vickery
There's a part of me that always wanted to skip to the end of a stressful book. Things aren't looking good, so I want to get to the end where there's hopefully resolution. Better that than feeling the tension. Take me to the end where the wrongs have been righted, and reconciliation has occurred. There are times when life gets hard that I want to do the same. Can we skip to the redemption arc? I know God can make a way even when there seems to be no way, but walking in the midst of it, that's how I become conformed to the likeness of His Son. If I am walking in my own strength, then when I come against someone who is making life hard, then I might be inclined like the disciples to ask, shall we call down fire on them? God, can you smite my enemies? The living, breathing ones that surround me. Not the unseen enemy that makes those people seem like the enemy. But if I'm walking in the Spirit, and being conformed to the likeness of His Son, then I am interceding for those who, by their words and their lifestyle do actual harm to the ones I love. I am asking God to bless my enemies, to bless and not to curse them, to forgive them, for they don't know what they're doing. I'm following the examples of Jesus. If I skip to the end, I would bypass my own redemption arc and miss the Lord using my circumstances to draw me closer to himself. None of us desires suffering. But if we are suffering, it is not for nothing. Our suffering is not in vain. Jesus Himself pleaded with the father that if it was possible for Him to not have to face the suffering on the cross, that God would do it another way. If there was another way, Jesus would not have had to endure the cross. Likewise, if there was another way for this story to happen apart from my suffering, I would not be suffering. In 2 Corinthians, the Bible offers us encouragement with regards to suffering. Therefore we do not lose heart. Though outwardly we are wasting away, yet inwardly we are being renewed day by day. For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. So we fix our eyes not on what is seen, but on what is unseen, since what is seen is temporary, but what is unseen is eternal. 2 Corinthians 4:16-18 I don’t need to skip the end. I know that in the end, God will make all things right. I will never share another uncomfortable conversation with a loved one that ends in confusion, heartache and frustration. I will never feel the brokenness of my body and the weight of this world on my heart. I will hunger no more, I will thirst no more, and He will wipe away every tear from my eyes. But in the meantime, my “light and momentary troubles” (that neither feel light nor momentary) are accomplishing for myself (and my family members) an eternal glory that far outweighs them all. What comfort and peace I find in those words. Not only are my troubles momentary, but they are achieving something eternal for me. I cannot fully understand from this side of glory what it means, but I know from Romans 8:18 that I can consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us. That which is yet to come will be far more glorious than anything I have had to endure on this side of things. Someday, we will witness the restoration of all things. In the meantime, we are called to be ministers of reconciliation making peace wherever peace is possible. What a charge we have been given. BUT, He who called us is faithful. We do not have to rest in our own strength to get us to the end of the story. We can fix our eyes on the author and finisher of our faith, knowing that HE is the one who will get us to the end. 1 Corinthians 1:8 says, “He will also keep you firm to the end, so that you will be blameless on the day of our Lord Jesus Christ.” In Jude it says that He will keep us from stumbling and present us without wrinkle or blemish to the Lord in the end. So as challenging as it seems to be a minister of reconciliation in a broken world, Jesus has my back and is interceding for me that my faith may not fail me. I don’t have to skip to the end of the story, I can trust in the savior who will give me the strength to endure. Hallelujah. To Him be the glory, both now and forevermore. by Kadeen Edwards
Rest is not to be found in figuring your life out, but in trusting the One who has it all figured out for your good and His glory. “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” Matthew 6:26 NIV Rest is one of the best parts of being a child of God. It is a gift that God has given us. Yet it sometimes seems out of reach. Rest is what God did on the seventh day and what he wants us to do. The reality of me not taking rest is saying to God I know what you said but I don’t trust that you have all things in your hand so I am going to do it my way. Which every time I do it my way it leads to exhaustion and anxiety and not much accomplished. When I trust God and rest in him, it seems that even more than I could think or imagine gets done in my rest and I have peace. So after reading this and processing what I have written, I think to myself why am I not resting in the times he’s called me to rest? I know that he gets it done… Our God never sleeps nor slumbers. So now I have a choice to rest and receive his peace or be exhausted and accomplish little. I know that he does more than I can think or imagine when I rest in him. This year, I am going to learn to receive this rest. Sent from my iPhone by Paul Sonntag
We celebrate birthdays and anniversaries. Shouldn’t we also celebrate the great things God does in our lives? Just as we mark milestones in our personal lives, I believe it is also essential to recognize and celebrate God & #39;s works in our spiritual journey. Scripture Remember the wonders he has done, his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced.& quote – Psalm 105:5 (NIV) In the Bible, we see numerous examples of people celebrating God moving in their lives. Abraham built altars after God spoke significant words to him (Genesis 12:7, 13:14-18). Jacob set what is called a pillar of stone to mark the place where God changed his name to Israel (Genesis 35:14). The Israelites celebrated with songs and dancing after crossing the Red Sea and witnessing the destruction of the Egyptian army (Exodus 15:1-21). After 40 years of wandering in the desert, following the crossing the Jordan River Joshua had one member of each tribe bring a stone to erect a memorial, ensuring that future generations would remember what God had done (Joshua 4:4-9). David wanted to build God’s temple but it was Solomon who was actually allowed to have the temple constructed. After the temple was dedicated to God Solomon held a feast for the entire nation (1 Kings 8:65-66) and what a feast it was, lasting 14 days. When God moves in your life, you should take time to celebrate what He has done. We aren’t going to build an altar and sacrifice animals but whether you value tangible things or memorable experiences you can use either method to commemorate God’s wonderful works. We do. For us, each celebration is tailored to the significance of what God has done. For smaller yet still important accomplishments we might go out for a nice dinner. For larger celebrations we have taken special trips to an inn we love on the ocean in Maine. Every visit reminds us of God & #39;s faithfulness and the great things He has done in our lives. Recently, after God completed a significant financial work in our lives we purchased a pellet grill. Don’t laugh - every time I make smoked ribs, pulled pork, or brisket I am reminded of the mighty way God moved in our lives. Don’t be hesitant about celebrating when God does something amazing in your life. Life is full of challenges, but there are moments when a work is done, and at those points we should mark the occasions with joy and gratitude. By celebrating God's works, we not only honor Him but also strengthen our faith and trust in His continual presence and provision. by William Brannon
Being a parent is truly a gift from God, one in which I believe glorifies and parallels how the Lord sees, cares and feels about us. I don’t know about you, but I would die so that my children could live. Does this sound familiar? Ever wonder why we are to look at God as the father? Besides the obvious reason of God being the creator of us all and Jesus being the son, I believe in part, it’s God's example of our relationship with him and the way he loves us displayed in our relationship with our children. God watches over our lives, guides us, while at the same time allowing us to make our own choices, our own mistakes; correcting us as we go, out of love, even when it seems to us as punishment. Ever try telling your child to clean their room? You would think you sent them to go through some great torment, when in reality you are trying to get them to understand that living in filth is no life at all. Our kids look at their room full of trash, laundry, toys, and they don't know how to even start. So we have to explain that you don't just go in and try to clean it all at once, but instead work on one problem at a time. First, start by picking up just the laundry; then, when that's done, you start on all the toys and so on. In the same way, God has us clean up our life, one problem at a time. If you look at your life as a dirty room that needs cleaning, you see how you can easily get overwhelmed and not know where to start in that same way. It's funny how we, just as our kids, try to pull away from our father as he guides us, saying aloud, “I can do it myself!” Even though there are none who can. We can’t see the bigger picture, the dangers hurdling at us from further down the roads we have stepped into the middle of. As for the opposite end, when we do take his hand, we are happy to follow without even knowing where we are going. We are at peace without a care in the world, because we know that when we are held in our fathers hand, nothing can remove us from it. We have faith that he can and will guide us everywhere safley. I believe we all had a healthy fear/respect for our parents, well I know I did. I believe that's the kind of fear the Bible talks about having of the Lord. Just like we did for our parents, not fear, but reverence, of their love, authority and leadership over our lives. It’s a comforting thought that has carried me through my walk with the Lord, that the Lord's love is free and never changing, even through the times when I have, in my eyes, failed him. When you look at your children, is there anything that they can really do to fail you? To make you love them any less? Any time I come to him after, in my eyes having failed him, I find God waiting patiently for me with a smile, as he hugs me and tells me it's going to be ok. He asks, “what did we learn? Are we going to do that again? why not?" and follows with, "It's ok, I'm right here and I'm not going anywhere, I love you.” Our kids count on us for everything. If we didn't provide for them, feed them, nourish them, they wouldn’t survive. In the same manner if God didn't feed us with the living water of the Holy Spirit, as well as feeding us with his word, and forming a new path through faith to life, we would have died the true death. Jesus took on the sins of us all, was crucified, died, and was resurrected; he finished it. The most Holy of santifactions, by defeating death once and for all for those who put their faith in the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords, the Holy of Holies, the Lamb that was slain, Jesus Christ saved us all. I think I speak for all of your children when I say, “Thank you for everything Father, We love you, Amen.” By Peggie Potter Today (12/12/24) at work while in the ladies room I heard the usual "Last boarding call for Flight # ! Once the door closes , you will not be able to board !" We who belong to Jesus Christ are also traveling. We travel in our life's journey with Him. when we accept Him as our Lord & Savior, we receive our boarding pass: His Precious Blood as redemption from our sins & His seal upon us as His children ! When He washes us clean, we pass through His security checkpoint ! When we read His Word, The Bible, as on the plane as the flight attendants go through the safety & security procedures, His Word is there to teach, disciple, give us Holy Spirit's Wisdom, & ensure we safely reach our final destination : our eternal home in Our Father's House with Him ! We have only one lifetime to seek after Him & allow Him to make us all we need to be for Him to bring glory to His Name in our persons. But unlike the airlines, we do not know our time of departure ! That is why His Word says "today is the day of salvation , Romans 13:11 " So don't wait ! You don't want to miss your flight ! 2 Corinthians 6:2 For He says, "In the time of my favor I heard you & in the day of salvation I helped you " I tell you, now is the time of salvation. ![]() by Rebecca Vickery Why are you downcast O my soul? Why so disturbed within me? Put your hope in God. For I will yet praise Him. My savior and my God. Psalm 42:5 isn’t exactly a verse we think of when we’re reflecting on the season of Advent. Yet, it is more appropriate than I want it to be right now. 2024 has been a challenging year in so many ways that as we approach Christmas, less than two weeks away, I am not sure I have ever felt less merry. Instead, I feel weary. Exhausted. Worn out. “Bah Humbug, and that’s too strong, for it is my favorite holiday. But all this year’s been a busy blur, don’t think I have the energy.” Christmas Wrapping, The Waitresses I love Christmas music, and yet I have struggled to even want to hear it. A physical assessment tells me my chest is all tight around my heart, as if desperately to keep it all together. I take some breaths, with deep exhales. I thank the Lord for physical therapy and the ability to check in with my body. Physical anxiousness has been a residual effect of long term symptomatic chronic health issues. And so I return to the Lord. “Lord, I am anxious. Why am I so anxious? Why is my chest so tight and my muscles perpetually activated? Why is my heart troubled? I mean, yes, there is a lot going on, but Lord, I do so trust you. Help me put my troubles in your hands so that I can let go and not fixate on the outcomes and the details. Thank you for the way that you are working in the hidden places. Thank you for tolerating my frenetic returns. Thank you that you allow me to approach you boldly. That I can enter into your presence at a moments notice and know that you are the God who hears me.” Christmas has felt so remote. So not right now. Yet it approaches. And I want to make it a merry time for the children, but I am not merry. Even still, after I go to God, sometimes every hour, sometimes every few minutes, sometimes just on a moment-by-moment basis, I am revived. I am renewed. Even if only for a few minutes or moments. I am restored. It reminds me of why I have every reason to be thankful, if not merry. Emmanuel. God with us. Because God so loved the world that He gave His one and only son, that whoever believes in Him will have eternal life. That life doesn’t start after we die, it’s starts when we believe. Jesus was the first Christmas gift. It was a gift to a world that did not recognize him. BUT to all who recognized Him, to all who received Him, He gave the right to be called children of God. Coheirs with Christ. My inheritance. That inheritance again, starts once we believe. We inherit the right to approach His throne. Again. And again. And again. The world was made through him, and they still don’t recognize him. We might be praying for people who are super close to us to have eyes to recognize. Behold, the evidence. But for many of us who do believe, we believe because we have experienced God with us. We believe because we STILL experience God with us. The gift of the Holy Spirit ministers to our hearts. The goodness of God meets us in dark places. The mercy of God meets us in impossible spaces. The grace of God meets us in desperation. We are not undone even when we are hard pressed on all sides. O God, you are indescribable, but I know your works. I know the places that you have met me where no one else could follow but you alone. I cannot use academic proofs to reveal you to those who, it seems, would rather not believe. I cannot use archaeological findings to share of your great deeds. There is a counter to every piece of evidence that I might mete out. For every reason to believe, there stands many more not to. “The message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved, it is the power of God.” 1 Corinthians 1:18 I will be counted a fool by any who contend that my belief is foolish. I believe that Jesus came. That He was born of a virgin. That He was God with us. That he lived a righteous life and died a sinner’s death. He died for the sins of all who would believe in him. And I believe that God raised Him from the dead again, conquering death and making a way for us to live with him eternally from the moment we first believe. I have pondered and pondered this. I have searched, and researched. But more than that, I have known Him. I have experienced his love. I have experienced his faithfulness. Time and time again, he has proved himself, even when I did not need such proof. He is that which you surrender all else to follow. I would rather be a fool for Him than be counted the wisest of the wise by wordly men who believe that we came into existence by nothing, and will eventually go back into nothing. The gift of faith is free, but it is not cheap. It costs. Sometimes it costs everything. But it is truly worth everything. There is nothing that will ever be worth more. So regardless of how my mood aligns with the holiday, Christmas is worth putting on the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness. “Rejoice, rejoice, our God is here with us. Emmanuel, our God is still with us.” Joyful Joyful, Rend Collective. Even if I have to mix in my “hard fought, heartfelt, it is well, Hallelujah,” (Brandon Lake) I will praise the Lord. I will rejoice that even in the strife, I have a God who is here with me. I am deeply loved by a Savior who will never leave me nor forsake me, who will be with me always, even until the very end of the age. And that is worth celebrating. Merry Christmas, Daybreak Church. |
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