forget

It had been forty years since Moses led the Israelites out of Egypt. During their years of wandering in the desert, God demonstrated His faithfulness as well as His holiness. Now, as the people were finally ready to cross the Jordan river into the promised land of Canaan, Moses gave one last encouragement.

Deuteronomy 6:10-12  "When the Lord your God brings you into the land He swore to your fathers - a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build, houses filled with all kinds of good things you did not provide, wells you did not dig, and vineyards and olive groves you did not plant - then when you eat and are satisfied, be careful that you do not forget the Lord, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery."

We have all lived in the land of slavery - a land where we were controlled by sin. We were born as slaves, but Jesus came to set us free: "Though you used to be slaves to sin, you wholeheartedly obeyed the form of teaching to which you were entrusted. You have been set free" (Romans 6:17-18).

While we were still lost in our sinful condition, Jesus gave His life on the cross as a sacrifice (payment) for our sin - but He also broke the chains which kept us slaves to sin. Though we may still struggle, we need not be mastered if we have placed our faith in Jesus and dailysubmit to the leading of His Spirit. His sacrifice provides a way to be "heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ" (Romans 8:17). This IS a victorious life!

Yes we have been set free! But we did nothing to earn this freedom. We did not dig a well of righteousness or plant a field of forgiveness. Our "promised land" of freedom is a gift, given by a loving Father to those who believe.

As we continue on our Christian walk, with its many peaks and valleys, twists and turns, we often forget. We become discouraged over trivial matters which are quickly fading away and forget the gift of eternal life we have been given. We wander in the dry desert of ungrateful hearts and ask, "Where is God?" We forget the joy we once had of abiding in His presence and forget His promise to always be near; "Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5).

Through God's precious gift, we have an eternity to worship our Heavenly Father. This alone should give us reason to praise His Name with every breath and live a life holy and pleasing to Him. Whether we are currently in a time of crushing trials or unparalleled peace, we must continually remember from where we were rescued. His gift is a blessing we can hardly comprehend! And as we draw near and give Him all of our heart, His grace continues to bless us even more. Let's worship with a thankful heart, glorify His Name in ALL we do, and be careful to never forget.

-steve troxel

gate

"Receiving the Word, or even initial growth, is not Salvation." Many people pray to "receive" salvation without an understanding of the gospel message. But without the truth, we are never born again as a new creation in Christ. Therefore, teaching the truth of the gospel is the first priority of discipleship.

Many have become over-zealous in their desire to pull people into the Kingdom of God. We should all have a passion to see those around us saved from a path of destruction. But our intense desire must never cause us to pull people "inside" without presenting the absolute truth about sin and forgiveness. Sin causes separation from God. Forgiveness is by the grace of God through faith in the sacrifice of Jesus. Without these truths there is no salvation.

The Church has done well with creating a welcoming and comfortable atmosphere which makes people feel part of the family. But in the process, we often create the disastrous environment in which many will one day hear: "I never knew you. Away from Me, you evildoers!" (Matthew 7:23). We should all attend a local fellowship, serve one another in love, and live a life characterized by high morals; but we must never even give the appearance that these activities provide an entrance to Heaven.

John 10:1, 9

"I {Jesus} tell you the truth, the man who does not enter the sheep pen by the gate, but climbs in by some other way, is a thief and a robber. I am the gate; whoever enters through Me will be saved."

If we attempt to enter the Kingdom through any other means than the gate of Jesus, we completely miss the eternal glory of God. We may think we are His sheep - we may even look and sound like His sheep - but in truth, any path other than belief in Jesus for the forgiveness of sin makes us a thief and a robber: "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me" (John 14:6).

We never help by "pulling" someone in or allowing them to remain comfortable while on the path to destruction. We must speak the truth and point the way to Jesus as the only gate through which we may pass - the ONLY way unto Salvation.

Everyone who walks this earth must make a decision about Jesus Christ. Let's make sure we never inadvertently pull someone over the top rail of the fence without presenting the real decision. Let's minister in a loving and welcoming manner, but let's provide proper discipleship by clearly sharing the need to enter through the gate

-steve troxel

more

I don't recall ever being asked to explain the importance of breathing. It's pretty well accepted that breathing is a good idea and that we should do it many times every day; a lack of breathing is definitely bad for our physical health! And it's not an exaggeration to say that praise is just as important; it should become as natural, and occur as often as our breathing. For if we choose to live a life without praise, we will just as surely suffocate and spiritually die.

The life of praise requires only a little instruction and a great deal of application. To begin with, we must learn to ALWAYS praise!

Philippians 4:4

"Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice!"

Notice that rejoicing is so important that Paul decided to repeat himself. If we are living to love and glorify God, then He has promised to work ALL things together for the good (Romans 8:28). So why do we wait for what appear to be the proper conditions for praise? If we really understood and believed that God is in control, wouldn't we praise Him regardless of our particular situation? "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" (1 Thessalonians 5:16-18). There is never a wrong time to praise God and there are never circumstances which do not deserve our thankfulness.

Job lost absolutely everything he had except his wife. He then developed sores over every part of his body and was so miserable that his wife encouraged him to "Curse God and die!" (Job 2:10). Job was in great pain and heavy sorrow, but he knew God was in the midst of all things and had a purpose; "Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?" (Job 2:10). God is in the good as well as the trouble; we must learn to praise Him in ALL situations! Though God does not necessarily bring the trouble, He is there! No matter the trial, He can be found and praised.

Our life can often become difficult and painful; we may feel bored and unfulfilled, cheated and abused. But if we look at the reasons which keep us from praising, we will find "self" expectations and pride - we will find a life lived according to the desires of the flesh and not according to the fruit of the Spirit. Every portion of our life is to be offered "as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God" (Romans 12:1). As we fix our eyes on the eternal glory we have through Jesus we will find more and more reasons to praise.

Let's never allow our earthly circumstances to direct our praise: "Let everything that has breath praise the Lord" (Psalm 150:6). If we are still breathing, we should still be praising! He has given us eternal life, an eternity of worship in His presence...and that is a GREAT gift! Let's look for the hand of God working around us each and every day. Let's praise Him with all our heart, and then let's praise Him even more!

-steve troxel

risk

At the beginning of Elijah's ministry, God sent him to stay with a widow and her son. When he first arrived, Elijah asked the widow for some bread. The woman sadly said she only had enough for one final meal: "I don't have any bread - only a handful of flour in a jar and a little oil in a jug. I am gathering a few sticks to take home and make a meal for myself and my son, that we may eat it - and die" (1 Kings 17:12).

The widow had completely given up on life. She believed she was preparing her last meal, but Elijah told her to trust God and make him something to eat out of the remaining flour. Elijah said it was God's plan to provide for all her needs...but she must believe.

1 Kings 17:14

"For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'The jar of flour will not be used up and the jug of oil will not run dry until the day the Lord gives rain on the land.'"

The widow could have used the remaining food to feed herself and her son, but she risked all she had and did as Elijah requested. Even though she could not see the extra food or understand how it would arrive, she had faith in God's Word and took action based on her faith. "Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see" (Hebrews 11:1).

The risk was great, but God's promise and provision were even greater: "So there was food every day for Elijah and for the woman and her family. For the jar of flour was not used up and the jug of oil did not run dry, in keeping with the Word of the Lord spoken by Elijah" (1 Kings 17:15-16).

Taking a step of faith ALWAYS requires risk - always requires stepping into the unknown. If we could see every detail about where God was leading and how He would provide, we wouldn't need faith. But if there is any "success" to be had in the Christian walk, it will only come as we daily live by faith; as we live each and every moment by listening intently for the call of God and then trusting Him, even through our fear, as we step into what we cannot see. This is where the true blessings of God reside.

When God calls us to a place where we must be "certain of what we do not see," we must boldly step. We must overcome our fears with a faith grounded in the promises of His Word and trust Him with all our heart to never leave our side.

There are so many who live their life without hope. Their circumstances seem to indicate that all is lost and they have been abandoned. And yet, God continues to call and promises hope through faith and trust. But we must take the step! Let's compassionately share this message of hope all around the world. If we are careful to listen, we most certainly will hear His call. He is faithful and will never lead us astray. So when we hear His call, let's be prepared to step and take the risk of faith.

-steve troxel

gift

Being discipled is a life-long process which begins prior to Salvation with a clear presentation of the gospel and continues all the rest of our days. As Jesus was talking with Nicodemus, He began the process of discipleship by giving clear instruction on belief and eternal life.

John 3:16

"For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life."

The moment we truly believe, our heart is transformed and we are given the gift of eternal life; "It is by grace you have been saved, through faith" (Ephesians 2:8). However, we need to consider what Jesus meant when He said, "whoever believes in Him." The prior verses help yield a better understanding; "Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the desert, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, that everyone who believes in Him may have eternal life" (John 3:14-15).

When Moses led the people of Israel out of Egypt, they soon began to complain: "Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the desert? There is no bread! There is no water! And we detest this miserable food!" (Numbers 21:5). God punished the people for this sin by sending poisonous snakes. Many began to die from snake bites, so they went to Moses and said: "We sinned when we spoke against the Lord and against you. Pray that the Lord will take the snakes away from us" (Numbers 21:7).

Moses prayed and God replied: "Make a snake and put it up on a pole; anyone who is bitten can look at it and live" (Numbers 21:8). To be saved from the snakes, the people had to recognize their sin, repent of their sin, and understand death was certain without God's intervention. They then had to believe God's Word and act in faith; "Look at the snake and you will live."

Our Salvation "process" is the same today. We have all been snake-bit by sin! We must recognize our sin (Romans 3:23), desire to turn away from our sin (repentance), and understand eternal death is certain without God's intervention (Romans 6:23). We must then believe God's Word: "God presented Him {Jesus} as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in His blood" (Romans 3:25). His sacrifice paid the penalty for our sins! "Everyone who believes in Him receives forgiveness of sins" (Acts 10:43). We must believe the sacrifice of Jesus is sufficient for complete forgiveness and then act on that belief by submitting our life into His hands, trusting in Him and Him alone!

God gave us His Son, that whoever, by faith, enters through the gate of forgiveness - whoever "believes in Him" - will not perish but receive the gift of eternal life.

-steve troxel

prop

Every time I am asked to pray, I think of the old deacon who always prayed, "Lord, prop us up on our leanin' side."   After hearing him pray that prayer many times, someone asked him why he  prayed that prayer so fervently.

 

He answered, "Well sir, you see, it's like this....I got an old barn out back.  It's been there a long time; it's withstood a lot of weather; it's gone through a lot of storms and it's stood for many years. It's still standing, but one day I noticed it was leaning to one side a bit. So I went and got some pine poles and propped it up on its leaning side so it wouldn't fall.

 

Then I got to thinking 'bout that and how much I was like that old barn. I've been around a long time; I've withstood a lot of life's storms; I've withstood a lot of bad weather in my life; I've withstood a lot of hard times and I'm still standing, too. But I find myself leaning to one side from time to time, so I like to ask the Lord to prop me up on my leaning side, 'cause I figure a lot of us get to leaning, at times."

 

Sometimes we get to leaning toward anger, leaning toward bitterness, leaning toward hatred, leaning toward a lot of things that we shouldn't...  So we need to pray, "Lord, prop us up on our leaning side," so we will stand straight and tall again, to glorify the Lord.

We need You, Lord, to give us the strength to stand whenever we get out of balance. In those times, “Lord, prop us up on our leaning side.”

"Fear not, for I am with you; Be not dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you, Yes, I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right hand." (Isaiah 41:10)

-author unknown

thanksgiving

A heart that has not been transformed by the Spirit of God cannot truly praise, and a transformed heart that does not praise will surely cease to pump Spiritual life through the body.

Silas had joined Paul on his second missionary journey. Early in the journey, the two men were seized and brought before the authorities; "These men are Jews and are throwing our city into an uproar" (Acts 16:20). For this act they were stripped, beaten, and thrown in prison with chains around their feet. However, their hearts continued to praise God and give Him thanks in spite of their conditions.

Acts 16:25

"About midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the other prisoners were listening to them."

Giving thanks in the form of prayer, praise, song, celebration, or simply as an attitude of thankfulness is mentioned well over one thousand times in the Bible. It's no surprise that having a heart filled with thanksgiving should be an integral part of the Christian walk. We need to see this world, and the entirety of our life, with new eyes - eyes that see God's hand at work in every moment of every day.

If we believe in the One True God as the Creator of the Universe and accept the gift of eternal life through Jesus Christ, we should be compelled to give thanks...regardless of our circumstances. We should begin to see the evidence of God all around, and praise Him even for the air we breathe.

A heart without praise and thanksgiving is empty and does not yet understand a sovereign God or His plan. If our surroundings are continually dictating the thankfulness of our heart, perhaps we ought to ask God to reveal His loving plan in even greater clarity. Yes, God wants to see us live a life of true peace and contentment; but first and foremost, He desires for us to surrender our life to Him and bring Him glory and honor in ALL we do. Only then, and only with the power of His Spirit, will we be able to "give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thessalonians 5:18). Thankfulness does NOT depend on our particular situation!

We cannot produce thanksgiving by simply trying to be more thankful. We only become thankful by taking our heart back to the very origin of our new nature - back to the saving grace of Jesus. Let's return to the point where our life was made new and once again learn to rejoice; once again learn to absolutely trust; once again learn to live with a true heart of thanksgiving.

-steve troxel

chair

A man's daughter had asked the local pastor to come and pray with her father. When the pastor arrived, he found the man lying in bed with his head propped up on two pillows. An empty chair sat beside his bed.

The pastor assumed that the old fellow had been informed of his visit. "I guess you were expecting me," he said.

"No, who are you?", said the father. "I am the new pastor at your church," he replied. "When I saw the empty chair, I figured you knew I was going to show up."

"Oh yeah, the chair," said the bedridden man. "Would you mind closing the door?" Puzzled, the pastor shut the door. "I have never told anyone this, not even my daughter," said the man. "But all of my life I have never known how to pray. At church I used to hear the preacher talk about prayer, but it went right over my head."

"I abandoned any attempt at prayer," the old man continued, "until one day about four years ago my best friend said to me, Joe, prayer is just a simple matter of having a conversation with JESUS. Here is what I suggest. Sit down in a chair, place an empty chair in front of you, and in faith see JESUS on the chair. It's not spooky because he promised, "I'll be with you always." Then just speak to HIM and listen in the same way you're doing with me right now'.

"So, I tried it and I liked it so much that I have been doing it a couple of hours every day since. I'm careful though, if my daughter saw me talking to an empty chair, she'd either have a nervous breakdown or send me of to a funny farm."

The pastor was deeply moved by the story and encouraged the old man to continue on the journey. Then he prayed with him and returned to the church.

Two nights later the daughter called to tell the pastor that her daddy had died that afternoon. "Did he die in peace?" he asked. "Yes, when I left the house about two o'clock, he called me over to his bedside, told me he loved me and kissed me on the cheek. When I got back from the store an hour later, I found him dead.

But there was something strange about his death. Apparently, just before Daddy died, he leaned over and rested his head on the chair beside the bed." What do you make of that ?"

The pastor wiped a tear from his eye and said, "I wish we all could go that way".

trees

Once there were three trees on a hill in the woods.  They were discussing their hopes and dreams when the first tree said, "Someday I hope to be a treasure chest.  I could be filled with gold, silver and precious gems.  I could be decorated with intricate carving and everyone would see the beauty."

Then the second tree said, "Someday I will be a mighty ship.  I will take kings and queens across the waters and sail to the corners of theworld.  Everyone will feel safe in me because of the strength of my hull."

Finally the third tree said, "I want to grow to be the tallest and straightest tree in the forest. People will see me on top of the hill and look up to my branches, and think of the heavens and God and how close to them I am reaching. I will be the greatest tree of all time and people will always remember me."

After a few years of praying that their dreams would come true, a group of woodsmen came upon the trees.   When one came to the first tree he said, "This looks like a strong tree,  I think I should be able to sell the wood to a carpenter" and he began cutting it down. The tree was happy, because he knew that the carpenter would make him into a treasure chest.

At the second tree a woodsman said, "This looks like a strong  tree, I should be able to sell it to the shipyard." The second tree was happy because he knew he was on his way to becoming a mighty ship.

When the woodsmen came upon the third tree, the tree was frightened because he knew that if they cut him down his dreams would not come true.

One of the woodsmen said, "I don't need anything special from my tree so I'll take this one", and he cut it down."

When the first tree arrived at the carpenters, he was made into a  feed box for animals. He was then placed in a barn and filled with hay.  This was not at all what he had prayed for.

The second tree was cut and made into a small fishing boat. His dreams of being a mighty ship and carrying kings had come to an end. Thethird tree was cut into large pieces and left alone in the dark. The years went by, and the trees forgot about their dreams.

Then one day, a man and woman came to the barn. She gave birth and they placed the baby in the hay in the feed box that was made from the first tree.

The man wished that he could have made a crib for the baby, but  this manger would have to do. The tree could feel the importance of this event and knew that it had held the greatest treasure of all time.

Years later, a group of men got in the fishing boat made from the second tree. One of them was tired and went to sleep.   While they were out on the water, a great storm arose and the tree didn't think it was strong enough to keep the men safe.  The men woke the sleeping man, and he stood and said  "Peace" and the storm stopped. At this time, the tree knew that it had carried the King of Kings in its boat.

Finally, someone came and got the third tree. It was carried through the streets as the people mocked the man who was carrying it.

When they came to a stop, the man was nailed to the tree and raised in the air to die at the top of a hill.  When Sunday came, the tree came to realize that it was strong enough to stand at the top of the hill and be as close to God as was possible, because Jesus had been crucified on it.

The moral of this story is that when things don't seem to be going your way, always know that God has a plan for you.  If you place your trust in Him, He will give you great gifts.  Each of the trees got what they wanted, just not in the way they had imagined.

We don't always know what God's plans are for us.  We just know that His ways are not our ways, but His ways are always best.

egg

Jeremy was born with a twisted body and a slow mind. At the age of 12, he was still in second grade, seemingly unable to learn. His teacher, Doris Miller, often became exasperated with him. He would squirm in his seat, drool, and make grunting noises. At other times, he spoke clearly and distinctly, as if a spot of light had penetrated the darkness of his brain. Most of the time, however, Jeremy just irritated his teacher.

One day she called his parents and asked them to come in for a consultation. As the Forrester's entered the empty classroom, Doris said to them, "Jeremy really belongs in a special school. It isn't fair to him to be with younger children who don't have learning problems. Why, there is a five year gap between his age and that of the other students."

Mrs. Forrester cried softly into a tissue, while her husband spoke. "Miss Miller," he said, "there is no school of that kind nearby. It would be a terrible shock for Jeremy if we had to take him out of this school. We know he really likes it here."  Doris sat for a long time after they had left, staring at the snow outside the window. Its coldness seemed to seep into her soul. She wanted to sympathize with the Forresters. After all, their only child had a terminal illness.

But it wasn't fair to keep him in her class. She had 18 other youngsters to teach, and Jeremy was a distraction. Furthermore, he would never learn to read and write. Why waste any more time trying?

As she pondered the situation, guilt washed over her.  Here I am complaining when my problems are nothing compared to that poor family, she thought. Lord, please help me to be more patient with Jeremy.

From that day on, she tried hard to ignore Jeremy's noises and his blank stares. Then one day, he limped to her desk, dragging his bad leg behind him.

"I love you, Miss Miller," he exclaimed, loud enough for the whole class to hear. The other students snickered, and Doris' face turned red. She stammered, "Wh-why that's very nice, Jeremy. N-now please take your seat."

Spring came, and the children talked excitedly about the coming of Easter. Doris told them the story of Jesus, and then to emphasize the idea of new life springing forth, she gave each of the children a large plastic egg. "Now," she said to them, "I want you to take this home and bring it back tomorrow with something inside that shows new life. Do you understand?"

"Yes, Miss Miller," the children responded enthusiastically - all except for Jeremy. He listened intently; his eyes never left her face. He did not even make his usual noises. Had he understood what she had said about Jesus' death and resurrection? Did he understand the assignment? Perhaps she should call his parents and explain the project to them.

That evening, Doris' kitchen sink stopped up. She called the landlord and waited an hour for him to come by and unclog it. After that, she still had to shop for groceries, iron a blouse, and prepare a vocabulary test for the next day. She completely forgot about phoning Jeremy's parents.

The next morning, 19 children came to school, laughing and talking as they placed their eggs in the large wicker basket on Miss Miller's desk. After they completed their math lesson, it was time to open the eggs. In the first egg, Doris found a flower. "Oh yes, a flower is certainly a sign of new life," she said. "When plants peek through the ground, we know that spring is here." A small girl in the first row waved her arm. "That's my egg, Miss Miller," she called out.

The next egg contained a plastic butterfly, which looked very real. Doris held it up. "We all know that a caterpillar changes and grows into a beautiful butterfly. Yes, that's new life, too." Little Judy smiled proudly and said, "Miss Miller, that one is mine."

Next, Doris found a rock with moss on it. She explained that moss, too, showed life. Billy spoke up from the back of the classroom, "My daddy helped me," he beamed.

Then Doris opened the fourth egg. She gasped. The egg was empty. Surely it must be Jeremy's, she thought, and of course, he did not understand her instructions. If only she had not forgotten to phone his parents. Because she did not want to embarrass him, she quietly set the egg aside and reached for another. Suddenly, Jeremy spoke up. "Miss Miller, aren't you going to talk about my egg?"

Flustered, Doris replied, "But Jeremy, your egg is empty." He looked into her eyes and said softly, "Yes, but Jesus' tomb was empty, too."

Time stopped. When she could speak again, Doris asked him, "Do you know why the tomb was empty?" "Oh, yes," Jeremy said, "Jesus was killed and put in there. Then His Father raised Him up."

The recess bell rang. While the children excitedly ran out to the schoolyard, Doris cried. The cold inside her melted completely away.

Three months later, Jeremy died. Those who paid their respects at the funeral home were surprised to see 19 eggs on top of his casket, all of them empty.

axe

A young man approached the foreman of a logging crew and asked for a job. "That depends," replied the foreman. "Let's see you fell this tree."  The young man stepped forward and skillfully felled a great tree.  Impressed, the foreman exclaimed, "You can start Monday."   

Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday rolled by.  Thursday afternoon the foreman approached the young man and said, "You can pick up your paycheck on the way out today."

Startled, the young man replied, "I thought you paid on Friday."

"Normally we do," said the foreman. "But we're letting you go today because you've fallen behind. Our daily felling charts show that you've dropped from first place on Monday to last place today."

"But I'm a hard worker," the young man objected. "I arrive first, leave last and even have worked through my coffee breaks!"

The foreman, sensing the young man's integrity, thought for a minute and then asked, "Have you been sharpening your axe?"

The young man replied, "No sir, I've been working too hard to take time for that!"

Our lives are like that. We sometimes get so busy that we don't take time to "sharpen the ax."  In today's world, it seems that everyone is busier than ever but less happy than ever. Why is that? Could it be that we have forgotten how to stay sharp?

There's nothing wrong with activity and hard work. But God doesn't want us to get so busy that we neglect the truly important things in life, like taking time to pray, to read and study scripture or to listen to "the still small voice of God."

 

We all need time to relax, to think and meditate, to learn and grow.  If we don't take time to sharpen the axe, we will become dull and lose our effectiveness.  

Take time today to sharpen your axe!

start

When you've trusted God and walked his way

When you've felt his hand lead you day by day

But your steps now take you another way ...

   Start over.

When you've made your plans and they've gone awry

When you've tried your best and there's no more try

When you've failed yourself and you don't know why ...

   Start over.

When you've told your friends what you plan to do

When you've trusted them and they didn't come through

And you're all alone and it's up to you ...

   Start over.

When you've failed your kids and they're grown and gone

When you've done your best but it's turned out wrong

And now your grandchildren come along ...

   Start over.

When you've prayed to God so you'll know his will

When you've prayed and prayed and you don't know still ...

When you want to stop cause you've had your fill ...

   Start over.

When you think you're finished and want to quit

When you've bottomed out in life's deepest pit

When you've tried and tried to get out of it ...

   Start over.

When the year has been long and successes few

When December comes and you're feeling blue

God gives a January just for you ...

   Start over.

Starting over means "Victories Won"

Starting over means "A Race Well Run"

Starting over means "God's Will Done"

   Don't just sit there ..............

          START OVER

-woodrow kroll 

company

"It Is better to be alone, than in the wrong company."

"Tell me who your best friends are, and I will tell you who you are."

"If you run with wolves, you will learn how to howl. But, if you associate with eagles, you will learn how to soar to great heights."

A mirror reflects a man's face, but what he is really like is shown by the kind of friends he chooses."

The simple but true fact of life is that you become like those with whom you closely associate - for the good and the bad. The less you associate with some people, the more your life will improve. Any time you tolerate mediocrity in others, it increases your mediocrity.

An important attribute in successful people is their impatience with negative thinking and negative acting people. As you grow, your associates will change. Some of your friends will not want you to go on. They will want you to stay where they are. Friends that don't help you climb will want you to crawl. Your friends will stretch your vision or choke your dream. Those that don't increase you will eventually decrease you. Consider this:

    1. Never receive counsel from unproductive people.

    2. Never discuss your problems with someone incapable of contributing to the solution, because those who never succeed themselves are always first to tell you how.

    3. Not everyone has a right to speak into your life. You are certain to get the worst of the bargain when you exchange ideas with thewrong person.

Happy moments?   Praise God

Difficult moments?   Seek God

Quiet moments?   Worship God

Painful moments?   Trust God

Every moment?   Thank God

 

"A man that hath friends must shew himself friendly: and there is a friend that sticketh closer than a brother." - Proverbs 18:24 

 

...net

Very early in life (almost from birth) we are trained to be successful according to the world's definition of success. We are driven by goals and accomplishments from the day we take our first steps and ride our first bike. As we grow older, we are pressured to accumulate knowledge and "things" in order to prove our success.

In our Christian walk, Jesus calls us to a new definition of success - one determined not by what we accomplish, but by our obedience. Thedisciples walked and talked with Jesus, but they still faced many challenges with faith and obedience. One morning after fishing all night without a catch, Jesus called from the shore. John 21:6 "He said, 'Throw your net on the right side of the boat and you will find some {fish}.' When they did, they were unable to haul the net in because of the large number of fish."

The disciples were successful that morning. But we must understand that the large number of fish did not define their success. They would have been successful even if the nets remained empty. They were successful the moment they were obedient and threw out the net. One thousands years earlier, King Saul was told to "attack the Amalekites and totally destroy everything that belongs to them," (1 Samuel 15:3). 

In any task we undertake for God, it's easy to become discouraged by our apparent lack of success. We often feel inadequate - and those feelings increase when our goals seem to be elusive. But we must remember, the outcome of the task is secondary to our obedience. God doesn't need our "fish" - He wants our devotion and trust. He desires that we love Him with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. Let's take our eyes off the accomplishment of the "catch" and what we can produce. Rather, let's focus on walking each step according to His leading. Let's concentrate all our effort on obeying His call to cast out the net.

mercy

I love the Psalms 23 where it says "Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me. all the days of my life." I imagine two angels, one named "Goodness" and one named "Mercy", and everywhere I go they follow me, and protect me.

I had the chance to experience this first hand. I was travelling to Chicago and saw an elderly man and his wife pulled over to the side of theroad in their truck waving for help. So, of course, I stopped and asked what was wrong.

The elderly man told me he was a pastor, and he and his wife were on their way to a town up the road, and were about to run out of gas, and was wondering could I give him a ride to the nearest gas station. I said "Sure, but since you're not out of gas yet, why don't you get back in your truck, and drive towards the next gas station.  I will follow behind you, and if you do run out of gas, I will take you to get gas from there - but at least you will be closer."

He agreed and thanked me. We drove over 20 miles, and I watched him as he would look in his rear view mirror and wave to me as I followed him. The truck never did run out of gas.  We made it all the way to the gas station. At the station, he thanked me again, and said "Just knowing you were behind us, just in case we did run out of gas, allowed my wife and I to drive without worry because we knew you were behind us."

We can have that same confidence and assurance as we live our lives each day.  Just knowing God is always there, just knowing His "goodness" and "mercy" are following us and watching over us, we can do anything without any worry or fear. 

"Surely Goodness and Mercy shall follow me all the days of my life." (Psalm 23:6)

"He will never leave you nor forsake you" (Hebrews 13:5). 

-steve blair

victory

Today, all over the world, there are people facing situations which threaten to send everything they hold dear crashing to the ground. It may be the result of bad decisions or circumstances out of their control; but either way, they awoke in the middle of a whirlwind and cannot determine which direction to turn. There are many others who awoke tired and discouraged, and don't even know why. Today is much the same as any other, but they are questioning the usefulness of continuing.

I can make this bold prediction about today, not because I have any insight into this particular day or period of history, but because that is the nature of life. We live in an imperfect world filled with imperfect people. The result is a bunch of imperfect circumstances! Even when we begin to walk with Jesus we struggle with these imperfections which distract us and steal our joy.

Why begin a message on such a depressing note? First, we need to understand we are not alone. Many more people are struggling than we can possibly imagine. The need for encouragement is huge and will increase as the time of our Lord's return draws near. Next, we need to know how we can live a life of peace and how we can pass this peace to others.

When we place our faith in Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior, we don't receive the promise of a trouble free life; rather, we receive the promise of life eternal in the presence of God. Many of our troubles here on earth will remain. But an understanding of our eternal promise should encourage us as we shift our focus from life in terms of days and years, to life in terms of eternity; "For our light and momentary troubles are achieving for us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all" (2 Corinthians 4:17).

Jesus saw these same struggles in His disciples. He wanted them to live a life of peace and contentment, but He also knew they would face many difficulties. After a night of teaching His disciples about their relationship with the Father through faith in His Son, Jesus gave these words of encouragement:

John 16:33

"I have told you these things, so that in Me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."

Jesus came to conquer sin and death through His sacrifice on the cross: the battle with the true enemy has already been won! If we have come to God in faith and received the transforming gift of His Spirit, we ought to keep this victorious truth at the front of ALL our thoughts. As we climb into the ring day after day - even as we grow weary, lose a few rounds and want to quit - let's always remember that through our risen Lord we have an eternal hope. Let's continue with the peace and assurance that in Christ we have been granted the final victory.

-steve troxel