If It Was Up to You
Would you do it?………………………………If it was up to you?…………………Revival, that is…………would you start it or be willing to start it?
What if the only thing holding back revival in your neighborhood, your city, your state, or even your beloved country, was you starting the Revival? Would you be willing to step out and be that “spark” that ignited that Revival Fire that we have only heard about and not experienced?
So often, we as christians wait on someone other than me to see Revival happen in our communities and/or our beloved USA. But WHAT IF…….What if I was the spark that ignited the dry, brown, and nutrient starved spiritual vegetation that so easily bursts into flames. What if YOU were the one that had that “spark”? Would you do what was needed to see hundreds if not thousands of people in your community come to the saving knowledge of Jesus? What if you had that spark that would start the “domino effect” of Spiritual Revival and saw countless back-slidden christians come back to Christ?
Would you “do” it? Would you give up that “thing” if that was needed? Would you sacrifice the “thing” if it was needed? Would you start that “something” that was needed? Would you increase that “thing” in your life if it was needed? Would You? If you are reading this, you probably are experiencing one of two things right now:
1. You might be experiencing the waste of time and energy it took for you to read this devotional with all of its grammatical mistakes….
or …
2. You might be feeling the sense of urgency of Revival that our Nation and our communities so desperately needs. You might have even been touched by the Holy Spirit on the “thing” that you can do.
If you have been touched by God’s Spirit on doing that “something”, then why not start now. Start it now and don’t worry if it catches on with others. Sparks don’t worry on starting a flame, they just ignite the things that are “combustible” around it. If you don’t have anything around you that is “spiritually combustible”, then maybe you should take your spark to the things that will react to it. So….
Would You do it? What if it were up to you?
-Pastor Kennedy
No Trespassing!
Good Morning,
It was wonderful seeing you all this Sunday. Look forward to seeing you at our mid week services.
Brother Ray Newmans
NO TRESPASSING
Psalms 90:12 – So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.
Last week I had a very interesting time with my work. I was blessed by being awarded a large Section 8 housing complex to re-roof. With this working blessing I am never short of people to share the GOOD NEWS with at these locations. Very poor and defeated people who by all means need the love the Lord has plenty of. Amazing as it may seem my devotional today has nothing to do with them 100 or so people living in that housing complex. It has to do with the couple just behind this complex. I will be as brief as I can be, I know your time is limited. Please let me paint the picture for you.
Old man in his 80s at least. Hard looking man. Just not the one you would pull up a chair with. Life had been hard on him from what I could see. His skin was sun beaten and cracked. His laser like blue eyes shined through his leather colored face. He has some health issues, but was doing well for the years he had been allowed to walk around on this earth. I thought of how many presidents, how many fads, and how many hard times this guy had lived past. Then… watching him walk in his back door. I wondered how many books he could write about the wonderful things he had experience in his life. He had a modest house. He wife was always in the kitchen window. I seen him smile once. Of course not at me. It was when he walk out of the house to get in his chair on the back porch. You could tell he loved her more at them moments then ever.
His home was older then the Section 8 complex. So, that means he was there first and stayed even after his property value took a big hit from it. He didn’t build a huge fence. He didn’t have 7 blood hunger attack dog waiting for someone to walk his way. All he had was a little sign stuck in the ground stating “NO TRESPASSING”. Sometimes the wind would carry the paper off our shingle bundles into his yard. I would stop at the sign. Look at him. He would tip his hat. I would run over get the trash out of his yard and hurry back to the “my side” of the trespassing sign. My crew all followed the same rules. NO ONE went into his yard unless he was on his porch and gave us the go ahead. Needless to say he spent a lot of time on his porch Monday giving us permission to enter and then making sure we exited his unguarded grounds.
The next day we moved on to a different building and his yard was not in danger of trash any longer. I still noticed him on that porch about the same time every day. Then I was snapped back into your building something mode and just got busy with all my daily worries of roofing.
That same evening two men broke into that OLD MAN’s home looking for pain pills. They found what they broke in looking for… 7 pain pills. The cost! They beat that old man so bad he died the Friday morning. His wife placed in the hospital with a life no one wants to live. A life of loss. I didn’t even know his name. I let the NO TRESPASSING sign hold me back. Evil used it for a target. I didn’t “GO” because I thought I had plenty of time. I would catch him in the yard and get him talking. That day will never happen!
All our days are numbered. I promise you this right now… If I could have that Monday of last week back. I would know his name. I would have heard them stories. I would have ask that very important question. If you died today, would you go to HEAVEN?
Forgiveness and Trust
Today’s Devotional is given to us by Russell Watkins! I hope this blesses your heart as much as it has blessed mine!
Matthew 6:14-15
For if you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.
These two verses have really convicted me when I have the desire to hold onto a grudge. It is amazing how we let the actions of others control our thoughts to the point that our unwillingness to forgive becomes sin in our life. I usually handle trespasses against me personally pretty good (with a few exceptions), but I really struggle when someone does something against my family. The Christian in me is usually suppressed by the flesh in me and I let my mind begin to devise a plan against the trespasser (cutting tires, simple battery, etc.) (just kidding…kinda). One thing that really helped me recently with a struggle to forgive is realizing that I don’t have a choice in the matter. Forgiveness is not an option, it is a commandment and my pride and hurt (and the two usually go hand in hand) is not worth sacrificing my relationship with God. And the fact is, although I do not loose my salvation through sin, I do loose my fellowship with God. The Lord showed me a few things when discussing this matter with a friend, so here it is:
– Forgiveness and trust are two different things
– Forgiveness is about me… trust is about them
– Forgiveness needs to happen immediately; trust happens in the future, and may never happen
– Forgiveness is required of me, trust is earned by them.
I am humbled by the fact that although I continue to sin against God, He is faithful and just to forgive me every time. And because I get to freely experience God’s forgiveness, I should be quick to forgive others. I know everyone has different situations to deal with and chances are, you may be dealing with something so terrible that know one could imagine the pain that you are feeling. I may not ever know what has hurt you, and if I do, I may never understand the measure of your hurt, but I know the One who can get you through it. Cry out to Jesus… He will meet you wherever you are.
October Bible Reading Schedule
18. Ezra 5-8:20
I Corinth. 3:5-4:21
Psalms 29-30:12
Prov. 20:26-30
19. Ezra 8:21-10:44
I Corinth. 5-6:20
Psalms 31:1-18
Prov. 21:1-3
20. Nehemiah 1-5:13
I Corinth. 7:1-40
Psalms 31:19-32:11
Prov. 21:4-7
21. Nehemiah 5:14-9:21
I Corinth. 8-9:18
Psalms 33:1-22
Prov. 21:8-12
22. Nehemiah 9:22-12:26
I Corinth. 9:19-11:2
Psalms 34:1-22
Prov. 21:13-16
23. Nehemiah 12:27-Esther 3:15
I Corinth. 11:3-34
Psalms 35:1-28
Prov. 21:17-20
24. Esther 4-10:3
II Corinth. 12-13:13
Psalms 36-37:11
Prov. 21:21-24
Their is No Faithfulness in Their Mouth.
Psa 5:8 Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness because of mine enemies; make thy way straight before my face.
The Psalmist is begging God in these two verses to lead him in righteousness. These two verses are one complete thought, they need each other to expound what is happening with the writer. The enemies are hindering his walk in several ways. They are confusing him by making his “way” not look straight. This is one of their most used tactics to hindering you and me in doing God’s will. They want you to be confused as to which direction you should take. They like to cause confusion in God’s will for your life. They want you to think that you cannot attain God’s purpose for your life. They know that God can do mighty things through you and they believe it more than you do; that is why they try to stop you before you start. Let me encourage you to continue on the Lord’s will even if it looks crooked to you as it did to the Psalmist in verse 8. The Lord’s will is not crooked, but straight!
The next verse shows another tactic that they use. They try to convince you that they have your best interests in mind for you…that only they understand you and only they know what is best for you. Keep in mind what the Psalmist says in verse 8, there is not faithfulness in their mouth, and their inward part is very wickedness. Their throat is an open grave. With their mouth, they convince you to give up and die. Remember…there is not faithfulness in their mouth. Repeat these words to yourself when that temptation comes, when that discouragement comes from them, and when they try to stop you before you start…their is no faithfulness in their mouth.
Bro. CW’s challenge for today:
Don’t believe them over God! What God starts, He will finish!
What are you looking at?
Psa 5:3 My voice shalt thou hear in the morning, O LORD; in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.
Psa 5:4 For thou art not a God that hath pleasure in wickedness: neither shall evil dwell with thee. I think the last part of verse 3 is interesting, notice the words “and will look up”.
Why is it important for the Psalmist to look up? Is it really that important to look up while I pray? While these questions go through my mind, these next few thoughts come to me: Looking up when I pray, signifies where I place my faith for my prayers to be answered. I believe where I put my faith is a choice. It is something that I decide to do. Can anyone really explain how God exists? Where He came from? Who gave Him His power? No one person can logically explain it, other than making statements that we accept from the Bible…by faith. Faith is a decision on WHO I WILL BELIEVE. Everyone is given a measure of faith from God.
Rom 12:3 For I say, through the grace given unto me, to every man that is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think; but to think soberly, according as God hath dealt to every man the measure of faith.
When we look up to Heaven, we signify who are faith is in. I do not believe that we need to look up to Heaven, but rather I am just emphasizing that we choose where we put our faith. What is my point? Where we look to first for our answers, is really where we put our faith. Where do you look? Do you look to a family member, job, bank account, government, a senior saint, etc. ? God wants you to look to HIM.
Notice also that the next verse tells that God does not take pleasure in wickedness or evil. The first word in verse 4 starts out with a Preposition. This indicates a continuation of thought. Wickedness and evil work opposite of faith. When someone participates in either one, it hinders their faith in God. The last thing that I need is for my faultering faith (I feel sometimes) to be hindered. Have you ever felt that your faith faulters? If not, you must be perfect. When a christian wants to increase their faith, they will stay away from wickedness and evil.
Bro. CW’s challenge for today: Who you cry to first in a need is whom you trust the most. Where will you look to when a need arises? Will you stay away from faith hinderers?
Your Voice
Who you cry to first in a need is whom you trust the most. Who will you cry out to?
Silence is Golden
Psa 5:1 To the chief Musician upon Nehiloth, A Psalm of David. Give ear to my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.
Psa 5:2 Hearken unto the voice of my cry, my King, and my God: for unto thee will I pray.
TO BE CONTINUED…
Bro. CW’s challenge for today:
Meditate on your words and actions before you do them. They just might save you a lot of grief. Remember, you are probably leading someone by your actions…what are they seeing?
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