Let God Lead You

Psalm 23:2 NLT says: "2 He lets me rest in green meadows; he leads me beside peaceful streams." There are many ways in which God leads us into a place of rest. He gives us rest when we lay our heads down at night. There is nothing sweeter then after a long day of hard work laying your head on your pillow and sweet rest comes upon you. He gives us rest on the first day of the week. Rest for our body and soul. A day when we feed our souls in the attendance of God's house. A day when we rest from any kind of labor and work.

What are some other ways in which He gives us rest? Often it is through the counsel of a friend. Proverbs 15:23 says ".... how good is a timely word!" (NIV). Often a word spoken by a friend, at the right moment, causes a sense of rest to come over you. Still yet, He always gives us rest when we pick up the bible and begin to injest His Word. That is, when begin to get His Word in us. Isaiah 26:3 (NLT) says "You will keep in perfect peace  all who trust in you,  all whose thoughts are fixed on you!" Be encouraged because there are some green meadows and some peaceful streams awaiting us!

This is today,

Pastor Gary

Whose Hand Is It In?

In Matthew 14:18 Jesus talking to His disciples said, "Bring them here to me" (nasb). He was making reference to the Five loaves of bread and two fish. Jesus took what was little and He blessed the multitude with it. What do you have in your hands that really needs to be placed in His hands? You know, in order for the disciples to "bring it to Him" they had to be willing to let go of it. Sometimes letting go of something is a little scary. Are you willing to let go and place it in his hands? This is where true transformation begins. Whose hand is it in?

This is today,

Pastor Gary

Are You Thirsty Yet?

Psalm 143:6 (nlt) I lift my hands to you in prayer. I thirst for you as parched land thirsts for rain. Interlude. Do we thirst for God? Your body thirsts for water because it needs water to survive. It thirsts for the nutrients water provides. It thirsts for water because there are certain things that only water can give and you can not get it anywhere else.

We need God to survive! Their are certain things which we need for survival that only God can give. Nothing else or no one else can provide these things for us. He has giving us Living Water through His Son Jesus Christ. He beckons us to drink and to be satisfied in Him. He alone can satisfy our thirst! Let us say like the Psalmist, "I lift my hands to you in prayer." Take your thirst to God and "O Friends, drink, yea, drink abundantly, O beloved." (Song of Solomon 5:1 kjv)

This is Today,

Pastor Gary

All the Days of My Life

Psalm 139 13-17 13 You made all the delicate, inner parts of my body and knit me together in my mother’s womb. 14 Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! Your workmanship is marvelous—how well I know it. 15 You watched me as I was being formed in utter seclusion, as I was woven together in the dark of the womb. 16 You saw me before I was born. Every day of my life was recorded in your book. Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed. 17 How precious are your thoughts about me,* O God. They cannot be numbered!

Before we were ever born, every day of our life was recorded. The Father saw your life, from beginning to end, the triumphs and the mistakes, the victories and the defeats....and the good news is, believer, He called you anyway! He gave His Son to take your penalty, to pay for your sin. What a great God!

Every moment was laid out before a single day had passed and He chose to love you. You are precious to God. You are the cream of the crop. You are the apple of His eye. Walk in faith today....hold your head high...you are highly favored of God. The psalmist implies that you are constantly on the mind of God and He is consumed with thoughts of you. Will you be consumed with Him, and most importantly, by Him?

This is Today,

Pastor Gary

Look to the Horizon

"Whether you travel by automobile or in an airplane, as you look ahead there is a limit to your vision. This point beyond which you cannot see is called the horizon. The horizon adds the element of adventure to your travels. It ever beckons you to discover what lies beyond. Through the ages the call of the horizon has caused explorers to venture into the unknown over land and sea. Intellectual horizons keep research scientists glued to their laboratories. Spiritual horizons also beckon us onward. God’s glory, love, and purposes have vistas that we have never seen. This fact causes the faithful to keep on keeping on. In faith we continue to travel toward the horizon of His will and purpose."

Author Unknown

Waiting

How many of us can't stand to wait? Whether it is waiting at the doctors office, waiting for dinner, or for a special day to arrive. Waiting is simply hard for most of us. However, it also has very good characteristics for us too. Sometimes waiting teachings us to slow down. At other times waiting teaches us to trust God. And still, at other times, waiting teaches us to appreciate the object which we are waiting for even more.

One of the things I have (and am continuing) to learn is, waiting is a time for reflection. Both inward reflection and outward reflection. So often we become hurried in our lifestyles and in our thought processes that we fail to reflect. Reflection is literally a lost art for many people.

One of the benefits (among many) of reflection is it develops in us a spirit of gratefulness. A grateful heart is a sign of a satisfied heart! So the next time you find yourself waiting, try not to despise it (which is hard for some of us to do); take the time to reflect on all the blessings, all the good things in your life. Take to the time to tell those closest to you how much they mean to you!

Remember, good things come to them that wait.

This is today,

Pastor Gary

C.H.A.N.G.E.

Change! It is a big word isn't it? Not so much because of the letters that make up the word itself, as much as the idea. It is a word a lot of people do not like to hear or even talk about. However, it is a part of everyday life. When it comes to change, we either embrace it or resist it.

Change is constantly around us. The seasons change from Spring to Summer, and Summer to Fall, and Fall to Winter only to repeat again and again. As people we also change. Sometimes for the better and other times maybe for the worse. Hopefully the first part about the last sentence is true when it comes to ourselves. Hopefully we are changing for the better. We can change for the better if we seek personal growth. We can change for the better if we desire to learn from our mistakes.

So do not fear change, embrace change and make it yours. See it as an opportunity to grow, to become better, to learn. In doing so, you will become the individual God desire's you to be. Constantly search your heart and ask God what needs to change so you can fulfill His purpose and plan for your life. Remember change means:

Constantly
Having
A
New
Growth
Experience

If you keep this is mind when you are going through the experience of change then you will see the circumstances as an opportunity for growth. Then you will not resist change; instead, you will embrace it for the opportunity it presents.

This is today,

Pastor Gary