"Behold, they have rejected the word of the Lord; So what wisdom do they have?"

It is time that God's remnant of true believers in this country stand up as the Jeremiahs of this generation. In the Eighth chapter of Jeremiah, we here the prophet lament that wisdom (the fear of the Lord brings it) is gone. People (in general) have rejected the word of the Lord. We complain that things are getting worse by the day, killers are getting younger, the morals of this country are in decay and we wonder why!

The Bible tells us that there is "nothing new under the sun" and the answers to our questions about our current conditions are as old as the tales told of Israel's rejection of God's Word and direction in the Old Testament and the solution to our present calamity is the same. We must repent and return to God with a humbleness and genuineness that will bring mercy from our creator.

In a daily devotional I am doing, I was taken by a reprint of Abraham Lincoln's Proclamation Appointing a National Fast Day on March 30, 1863. See the entire speech at the following link: http://showcase.netins.net/web/creative/lincoln/speeches/fast.htm In this proclamation, the wording (passed by the senate) claims recognition of "the Supreme Authority and just Government of Almighty God, in all the affairs of men and of nations."

Lincoln's proclamation goes on to claim "it is the duty of nations as well as of men, to own their dependence upon the overruling power of God, to confess their sins and transgressions, in humble sorrow, yet with assured hope that genuine repentance will lead to mercy and pardon; and to recognize the sublime truth, announced in the Holy Scriptures and proven by all history, that those nations only are blessed whose God is Lord."

It goes on to acknowledge that we are subject to punishment and chastisement. Lincoln puts forth that "We have been the recipients of the choicest bounties of Heaven. We have been preserved, these many years in peace and prosperity. We have grown in numbers, wealth and power, as no other nation has ever grown. But, we have forgotten God."

How much clearer can it be stated!

I was bowled over and proud that my country had once been willing to admit it's sins, to publicly, and supported by its government, repent and ask God for forgiveness. I was proud to live in a country where a President would try to lead his country back to God, back from the brink of judgement.

As I shared this proclamation with a Sister in Christ, she stated: "We have a national day of prayer." I thought that I had remembered such, but I couldn't remember exactly what had been proclaimed and I was curious how much our society had changed in its willingness to stand, so I looked up this years proclamation signed by the Governor of Tennessee. See the full proclamation at the link: http://media1.ssiwt.com/ndptf/state_pdfs/2007/2007%20TN%20Proclamation.pdf

Believe me, if you linked to the one from 1863 and read it, this one's a breeze. There is no repentance mentioned. We admit no transgressions or miss direction of our loyalty to our creator, but we do ask for wisdom, knowledge and understanding. We do not acknowledge the possibility of punishment or chastisement, but we do emphasize being united with everyone.

I was appalled at the political correctness of the document and the comparison of the two should give anyone interested a perfect outline of what is wrong with our society today. In truth, I think our penchant for acceptance has allowed our relationship with God (as a nation) to not only lapse into neglect, but move into blasphemy that will, without repentance, bring judgement and correction from a merciful, but just God.

CIRCUMSTANCES

Circumstances are never so bad that they are beyond God's help. We need never to despair because we belong to a loving God. We never know what good He will bring out of a seemingly hopeless situation.

• Commentary from the LIFE APPLICATION STUDY BIBLE

Joyce Campbell

November 14,2007

This Ain't My Final Destination

I thank the Lord that this place is not my final resting place, but only my journey through the desert to the Promised Land.
With Paul, I say: "For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain." Phil 1:21 It's not that I am striving to go, but the peace I keep comes from the knowledge that neither my destination nor my rewards are here on earth.
There has been an old song haunting my memory for a year or so, now, and I found it, performed wonderfully, tonight. The lyrics are as follows:

Wayfaring Stranger

I am a poor wayfaring stranger
Travelling through this world of woe
There's no sickness, toil or danger
In that bright land to which I go

(Chorus)
Yes I'm going over Jordan
Just going, no more to roam
Only going over Jordan
Just a-going to my home

I know dark clouds will gather round me
I know my way is rough and steep
But golden fields lie out before me
Where all the saints their vigils keep

(Chorus)
I'm going there to meet my [father/mother/brother sister etc]
I'm going there no more to roam
I'm just a-going over Jordan
I'm only going over home

I want to wear a crown of glory
When I get home to that bright land
I want to shout Salvation's story
In concert with that blood-washed band

(Chorus)
I'm going there to see my Saviour
To sing His praise for evermore
I'm just-a going over Jordan
I'm only going over home

I'll soon be free from earthly trials
This body rests in the orchard's yard
I'll drop this cross of self-denial
And go singing home to God

I've attached a YouTube video of the song from Selah. Pretty Awsome stuff!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0edb9O9wPOY

Cling Even Closer In Prosperity and Blessing

As much as I hate to admit it and as much as I am determined, with God's help, to change it, I have found over the years that it's easier to be close to God during the bad times. Health problems (personally or with family and friends), money problems, relationship problems...you name the problem, but they all eventually bring us closer to the God we claim as Lord and Savior.

"Be careful that you do not forget the Lord your god, failing to observe his commands, his laws and his decrees that I am giving you this day. Otherwise, when you eat and are satisfied, when you build fine houses and settle down, and when your herds and flocks grow large and your silver and gold increase and all you have is mulitiplied, then your heart will become proud and you will forget the Lord your God." (Deut. 8:11-14)

Does He know His creation or what?

For the last four or five years, the Holy Spirit has been speaking to me on this issue. I was raised to believe in God and had my own conversion experience at 13. For a time, I studied hard and, to go with my new faith, I developed new head knowledge. A lot like Peter in the Bible, however, Satan asked for me, "to sift me like wheat" and the world easily distracted me from God's plan for my life.

When things got rough, I would return to God. I would repent, ask God to forgive me and, for a time, be back on the path God set for me. After the storms passed, though, I always seemed to tell God I had a handle on things and would let Him know when I needed Him again.

As I was very hard headed, it took years of doing the same thing and expecting different results for the Lord to reach me, for much of the head knowledge I had acquired in previous years to become heart knowledge and part of my faith.

I try, more and more each day, to listen to God. I say "try" to listen because I know that He speaks to me even when I choose not to listen. But, more than ever, I want to hear from God and more importantly, I want to be immediately obedient. "Here I am, Lord!" God has been good to me. I've seen Him work through me and I hunger for that relationship more each day.

God said in Genesis that He would not strive with man forever. My prayer for me and for you and especially for the lost among my friends, family and enemies is that He'll strive with us just a little longer and that my life will be so adjusted to His will that it will make a difference in someone elses life. I vow not to forget the Lord my God and, with His help, observe the things He has commanded.

It's amazing how many conversations are created just in a day of meeting new customers when I give God credit for the business I have when I am asked: "So, how's business?"

Do Our Actions Say We Want Revival?

The Lord moved me a year or so ago to pray for a spiritual revival, both personally and within our church and community. And, that is what I have done. After a time of praying, God asked me if I knew what was required for a spiritual revival and, at first thought, I wasn't sure.

A devotional I was using led me to Psalms 85 and I began to see and understand some things. The first of these is that God has not moved away from us; He has not created the deadness that requires revival. We have turned away from God and into ourselves, causing a chasm between creation and creator. In my life, I have seen it happen by degrees. My grandmother used to say that once you tell one lie, it becomes easier to tell the next and so on. That is the principal of sin and separation from God.

What, then, is the first step towards revival?

Verse 9 of the 85th Psalm says, "Surely His salvation is near to those who fear Him." At first this took me back to the fire and brimstone preachers that tried to scare the hell out of me, but as I thought about it, the fear is different than that of horrible uncertainty. Our "fear" of God is simply an acknowledgement that He is our creator and sustainer of life. We admit that it is He who gives and He who takes away.

The sin that we allow to dull our spiritual self convinces us that we have some power over our well being; some ability of our own to determine our future. Not only does this opinion of our abilities cause God to turn His face from us, but, I think, it gives us a spirit of defeat, a spirit that lacks hope and direction and is in dire need of revival. As we fail, time and time again, what light can we see in our future.

So, the first step to revival is fear of a just and almighty God. We must turn from ourselves and back to God. This return involves repentance and a return to obedience, both applied with more than a pinch of humility! We must return to the Word of God for our direction and guidance. Our revival depends on righteousness and our righteousness is in Jesus Christ.

Psalm 85:13 reads, "Righteousness will go before Him, and shall make His footsteps our pathway." How many times have we read and been taught of Jesus as the way, the truth and the light. No one, we are told, will come to the Father without the righteousness of Jesus Christ. Jesus' life on earth showed the path that we should follow and His power that is within us will allow us to walk that path.

Revival starts within each of us and will spread to those whom we love. We are called to love not only those who love us, but especially those who don't. Let's us change our lives, our spirituality, and see what God can do with that!

Walk It, Don't Just Talk It!

In the third chapter of Revelations, verses 1 thru three, the Word says in His letter to the Church at Sardis: " I know your deeds; you have a reputation of being alive, but you are dead. Wake up! Strengthen what remains and is about to die, for I have not found your deeds complete in the sight of my God. Remember, therefore, what you have received and heard; obey it, and repent. But if you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will not know at what time I will come to you."
We need to have more than the "reputation of being alive." People need to see in our everyday lives that we are alive. It's easy for us to go to church and act as if the Spirit of God is alive within us, but what do we show when the check out line is a little slow or the wait at the doctor's office is a little long.
I think God expects more than lip service from His children. We shouldn't have to wear crosses around our necks and in our ears or fish on our cars for people to know we are different from the world. Be careful, though, as God expects us to be prepared to give an answer for why we are different!
Lord, Help us to BE ALIVE!

Welcome Brothers and Sisters

Welcome Brothers and Sisters to our new blog. Psalm 111:10 says: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." That fear comes from our understanding that He is our creator and is responsible for our living and dieing. Along with that understanding is the knowledge that He loves us and wants the best for us.

James 1:5 proclaims: "If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him."

So, let us take this space and time to share what we are given by our Lord - blessings, knowlege, guidance, confirmation, whatever it might be. And, feel free to ask questions of our group and to list those prayer requests that we are burdened with. There is power in prayer and added power in the corporate prayer of a group.

Time of day is no excuse! This thing will take your posts any time, day or night.