Lone Ranger Christians

The Lone Ranger wore his mask and was out saving damsels in distress. We always see him as alone in his savior mode, but the reality is the Lone Ranger had Tonto and all the good people helping him.

“Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and aliens, but fellow citizens with God's people and members of God's household” Ephesians 2:19

As Christians, we can feel cut off and sometimes without realizing it; we tend to isolate ourselves from others. We feel that no one can really understand what our internal struggles may be. Frankly, we are sometimes not sure what the struggle is really all about. We may be even embarrassed to admit the struggle to others that we have. This is the time to remember that there are believers out there whom God wants to link us with to help us. God in his infinite wisdom gave Eve to Adam when Adam was in paradise and enjoying the company of God himself. If God knew that Adam needed a companion, we must realize that we need one too. When we pray and ask God for help in this area, he will provide someone with which we can enjoy company. We should also be praying this for our loved ones in the field of deployment. They too struggle and need someone with whom they can share thoughts and feelings while far away. That’s why we are considered to be family, members of God’s household.

The body of Christ is the physical presence of Jesus in this world. Do you really want to learn the mind of God? Then we need each other. It is in His Word, written on our hearts, and cultivated in the fellowship of His people.

Hi-yo Silver, away!

Cup Of Coffee

For it is written: "Be holy, because I am holy”. 1 Peter 1:16

I think everyone disagrees on what makes a good cup of coffee. With today's hot coffee trend, we try all kinds of flavorings and different ways of experiencing coffee. It used to be basically served black or with cream and sugar. There wasn't much variety.

Nowadays, people like coffee served and brewed a lot of different ways. We tend to disagree on what's good. What we usually agree on is the basics on what makes a bad cup of coffee. It can be weak, bitter, stale, cold, or soured by something we put in it and we'd probably all agree that it tastes bad. Face it. No one likes to drink a bad cup of coffee.

I don't suppose people like those bad tasting Christians they come across either. I wonder what type of coffee we'd be.

Weak. “When we are weak Christians, we don't have much faith,Sometimes when we are weak we don't know God's Word enough to know what we stand on.”

Bitter. I've known my share of bitter Christians and I've been there at a few points in my own life but if bitterness isn't dealt with, it starts growing and eating up your life. Bitterness doesn't leave a pleasant aroma.

Stale."Tasteless or unpalatable from age". Do you ever get complacent about your Christianity? Just have lost that first love? It's easy to do, especially for those of us who've known the Lord for a very long time. We kind of get weary in well doing.

Cold.You may have brought a cup of coffee to your lips that you hadn't realized had gotten cold. You think it's going to be warm and good and then you realize that it's cold. We get that way in our desire to serve Christ. We grow cold as a Christian. There are probably a lot of reasons. We get away from Christ, slow down in our bible reading and prayer life, stop going to church and pretty soon we are cold.

The type of coffee I want!!!

STRONG Dig into God's Word and get grounded on the principles found in the bible. Study the attributes of God. Learn what you believe concerning doctrine and bone up on the basics of living the Christian life. Enrich yourself with a vibrant prayer life and rely on God's strength and not your own.

HOT Go to the source of the heat. That's how we should do as Christians. Go to the Source. Get on our knees and talk to the Lord. Draw closer to Him and then we'll get warmed up in our Christian walk.

SWEET "…Be ye holy; for I am holy", 1 Peter 1:16 How spending time with the Lord brings that sweet aroma. He's a great and holy God and we have the opportunity to spend time with Him each day. He'll blend us to perfection if we'll just spend time with Him.

So, what type of coffee are you?

Power of Prayer

Prayer is powerful, and prayer is one of the best gifts we receive.

There is no cost but a lot of rewards.

Let's always pray for one another.

Yet give attention to your servant's prayer and his plea for mercy, O LORD my God. Hear the cry and the prayer that your servant is praying in your presence this day.1 Kings 8:28

Father,

Thank You for each and every day You have

blessed us here on earth.

Thank You for Your tender mercies..

Thank You for giving us friends and family to share these Internet joys with.

I ask You to bless my friends, relatives and those I care deeply for who are reading this right now.

Where there is joy, give them continued joy,

Where there is pain, give them your peace and mercy.

Where there is self-doubt, release a renewed confidence.

Where there is need, fulfill their needs.

Bless their homes, families, finances, their goings and their comings

In Jesus' name Amen.

"Do Not Disturb"

When it comes to serving our fellow man, most of us tend to live with a mindset that posts a "Do Not Disturb" sign over our heart. We think: "I'm too busy." "Leave me alone." "I don't want to get involved." "I've got my own problems."

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others.Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus" - Philippians 2:3-5

Our culture is overrun with the attitude, "It's all about me." But as Rick Warren writes in his best seller, The Purpose Driven Life, "A meaningful life begins when we realize it's not all about us. It's all about God." When we get to know our Creator through Jesus Christ, and begin to worship God and serve Him, we realize the way we serve God is to serve our fellow man--especially those in need.

"It's all about me" is incredibly selfish, and it leads to emptiness and spiritual death. Real living begins when we start to know God, and serve Him. Serving God means serving others. It's one of the keys to discovering your life purpose.

What will you do to take the “Do not Disturb” sign off of your heart this holiday season?

God by Convenience

When I came to Christ I realized all He went through. This convicted me that I believed in God by convenience. I called on God before or during a problem in life--basically using Him.

"If anyone wishes to come after Me, he must deny himself, and take up his cross and follow Me." - Mark 8:34

After realizing God's love for me, I decided to follow Jesus as the number one priority of my life and began a personal relationship with God through Christ.

If our worship does not invade every area of our life, then God is not on the throne of our life. We must trust Him in ALL things! We ought to have a passion for His Word as well as an uncompromising willingness to act. We should long for His presence and obediently follow each and every day - not just during our once a week worship.

He loves you just as He loves me. He gave His life so you can know Him personally and be sure of eternal, abundant life with Him. If you just believe in God by convenience, like I used to, consider committing your life to following Jesus in faith. It's a life you'll never regret. It's a life of ultimate meaning and purpose.

Daily Bread

You can't store up the resources to live the Christ-life anymore than the ancient Jews could store up manna. You can't let your personal Jesus-time be something you do occasionally or when you feel like it or when you can fit Him in to your busy schedule. Make your daily time with Jesus Christ non-negotiable. Everything else is going to have to revolve around your time with Him instead of what usually happens, your time with Him having to revolve around everything else.

Speaking of Himself, Jesus said, "The bread of God is He who comes down from heaven and gives life to the world" (John 6:33 ).

If you will anchor your day to a personal time with Jesus Christ, you'll start to experience a realness, a closeness, a consistency, a victory in your relationship with Him that you've always wanted but maybe never had. You need to hear from heaven each day if you're going to live for heaven while you're on earth. And day-old or week-old stuff just won't cut it for this new day. You need what Jesus has prepared for you fresh each day!

God wants full custody, not just weekend visitation.

Your Shadow

Casting a Shadow in Jesus Christ name.

Being Pastor Appreciation Month, I felt that it needed to be said how Pastors can influence us. Most Pastors I have known have been very Christ center, but some have poor bedside manners. A close friend of mine has been in the ministry for many years. I have heard the ups and the downs in his ministry. The ups have been seeing people come to Christ and the downs, well we won’t go there. I can say for my friend, that he has given much of himself and all of it has try to show grace and love. This pastor has always try to grow and encourage people in the ministry, not by special classes or programs, but by example and preaching the truth.

"Be imitators of me, brothers and sisters, and watch carefully those who are living this way, just as you have us as an example." - Philippians 3:17

We sometimes never know where our shadows fall and how they influence others. You won't always be conscious of where your shadow falls, but the fact is that you touch many lives while walking this earth. What kind of shadow do you cast? Is it for good or for bad? Is it to curse or to bless? Is it to encourage or to discourage? Only your shadow knows.

Nevertheless

[Paul speaking]

"So keep up your courage, men, for I have faith in God that it will happen just as he told me. Nevertheless, we must run aground on some island." Acts 27:25-27

When Paul uses the word, "nevertheless," he means that in spite of the things they do (courage and faith), they're still going to run aground. So there will be a lot more pain and hardship to come.

Doesn't that bug you just a little?

I think that is one of the major errors we as Christians make as well - just because we've changed our ways (repented) and are saved - doesn't mean there isn't some carry forward pain still waiting for us for how we've previously lived. Finances are a great example of this. Just because a family decides to finally live within its means doesn't mean the credit card balances are immediately forgiven. The sin of over-indulgence might be forgiven by the Lord, but the monthly payments still have to be made and the balance paid off while on this earth.

Nevertheless, as surely as I live and as surely as the glory of the LORD fills the whole earth, Numbers 14:21

ROAD CLOSED

Have you ever been blocked/detour from a highway. Believing this is the only way to get to where you think you need to be.

Doing traffic control to help motorist, I have had to block that road to keep people from harm. The other day I had to block a road that there was a major gas leak. Using large cones and traffic barrels, plus a lighted sign saying “ROAD CLOSED”. I found that this was not enough and motorist still try to dodge the orange cones and barrels.

"Set up road signs; put up guideposts. Take note of the highway, the road that you take. Return, O Virgin Israel, return to your towns.” Jeremiah 31:21

How this is so similar in the path that GOD lays out for us. He puts out road signs and guideposts so we can stay safe on the journey, but it seems that in our flesh we feel we know better. We push to the danger zone and when something goes wrong we wonder why GOD did not protect us.

But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it. Matthew 7:14

God lays out the right road for us, so pay attention to road signs!

The Balloon Blame Game

Many having been watching the story of The Balloon Boy. The story is still unfolding and it seems at this time the father is just a poor actor looking for attention. The sad part is when confronted about the release of the balloon, rather than telling the truth, he blames his youngest son, in a cover-up attempt. It makes me think about the WORD and how many cover-ups where attempted, but GOD revealed them.

"Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD' - and you forgave the guilt of my sin." - Psalm 32:5

Notice Adam's response when asked about his actions: "The woman whom You gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree, and I ate." So, the man blames the woman, and he also blames God - after all, He was the one who brought Eve into his life! Eve's defense? "The serpent deceived me, and I ate." (Here we have the first example of "The-Devil-Made-Me-Do-It" excuse.)

Well, the excuse is just as rampant in today's culture. The idea of "personal responsibility" seems to be gone from our society.

"I will confess my transgressions to the LORD "

TODAY GOD IS FIRST

When you hear good news about fellow workers or associates, do you rejoice with them? If you find yourself comparing your life's circumstances to others and don't feel you measure up, recognize that this is one of satan's greatest ploys to destroy you.

Rejoice with those who rejoice; mourn with those who mourn. Romans 12:15

Christ has given you all things in Him. He has a unique plan for you that cannot be compared to another. He alone is your security. Trust in the purposes He has for your life. And remember...

And my God will meet all your needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. Philippians 4:19

Trick or Treat

One of my favorite Halloween emails emphasized this point: A lady had been baptized. One of her co-workers asked her what it was like to be a Christian. She was caught off guard and didn’t know how to answer but she saw a jack-o’-lantern on her desk and answered: “It’s like being a pumpkin.”

“What do you mean by that?” the other worker asked.

“Well, God picks you from the patch and brings you in and washes off all the dirt on the outside that you got from being around all the other pumpkins, Then he cuts off the top and takes all the yucky stuff out from inside. He removes all the seeds of doubt, hate, greed, etc. Then he carves you a new smiling face and puts his light inside of you to shine for all to see. It is our choice to either stay outside and rot on the vine or come inside and be something new and bright.”

To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. 1 Corinthians 9:22

THE TREASURE MAP

The Bible has been banned, burned, scoffed, and ridiculed. Scholars have mocked it as foolish. Kings have branded it as illegal. A thousand times over it the grave has been dug, but somehow the Bible has survived, it has thrived. It is the single most popular book in all of history. It has been the best-selling book in the world for years!

There is no way on earth to explain it. Which perhaps is the only explanation. The answer? The Bible’s durability is not found on earth; it is found in heaven. For the millions who have tested its claims and claimed its promises there is but one answer----the Bible is God’s book and God’s voice.......

The purpose of the Bible is to proclaim God’s plan and passion to save his children. That is the reason this book has endured through centuries..... It is the treasure map that leads us to God’s highest treasure........Eternal Life.

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. John 1:1

The work of the Master Artist

Isn't God's creation a wonder to behold? I'm always amazed when I watch the Discovery Channel or a National Geographic. We are planning a trip to the Grand Canyon, this is not easy task because their is so much to see, so we search TV and internet to find all the possibilities available.

"God saw all that He had made, and behold, it was very good." - Genesis 1:31

Even though God is rarely--if ever--mentioned on these shows, it causes my faith to soar, for I'm reminded that God thought of everything, every little detail in creating this living thing. Everywhere you turn in creation, there's evidence of intelligent design--the work of the Master Artist.

I can wait to see His creations everyday!

Dance with JOY

J esus first --- Mark 9:35

O thers ---Philippians 2:3

Y ourself last --John 6:38

Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sackcloth, and girded me with gladness; To the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent. O LORD my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever. Psalm 30:10-12

This is one of my favorite promises in the Bible – that God turns mourning into dancing! He takes away the anguish of being clothed in sadness and replaces it with gladness. However, notice what God doesn’t do – simply stop your mourning and make it disappear. No, He transforms it…into joy! He turns your sorrow into gladness. He takes your failure and creates success!

Let’s take time to dwell on this promise. Our sorrows, disappointments, tragedies and failures are very real– but they are also “raw material” for a divine transformation that our Lord will accomplish in His time for His glory. And we WILL dance! God will do it. Our part is simply to wait…believe…and cling tightly to this wonderful promise!

We serve an awesome and mighty God!

What is on your Bucket List?

In case you haven't seen it the movie featuring Jack Nicholson and Morgan Freeman titled the bucket list is the story of two men who discover they are about to die and they go on an adventure of accomplishing all the things in life that they wanted to but they had put on their bucket list. The places they wanted to visit, the things they wanted to see and do, and healing the relationships that had been broken in their lives before it was too late.

How precious time is and how so little of it we actually have in life. We seem to live our lives as if we have “all the time in the world.

‘In other words it's very easy for us to put off the really important things that we say that we will ” someday” get around to doing. You know the kinds of things I'm talking about-the “bucket list.” Is salvation on your list?

Lift up your eyes to the heavens, look at the earth beneath; the heavens will vanish like smoke, the earth will wear out like a garment and its inhabitants die like flies. But my salvation will last forever, my righteousness will never fail. Isaiah 51:6

Is Heaven on your Bucket List?

GOOD GIFT

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning"

James 1:17

Many love to receive a gift...Maybe it is a gift of...money. The government has try to give many a “gift” to stimulate the economy. It is temporary with these gifts.

God has a gift that is eternal. It will last forever, but it is a gift that you have to receive. Some turn away from this gift..they use the excuse that church is for weak minded people or that they are hypocrites or maybe that the church is so judgmental. There is no reason not to accept a gift from God. The gift is for you and is not about excuses.

God has lovingly delayed the final judgment of mankind so that people will have ample opportunity to discover God and turn from their sin. There will be a final judgment, and only God knows when that will occur. Those who have accepted the sacrifice of Jesus' on the cross will spend life in eternity with God! Those who reject Christ, will spend eternity in destruction...

"The Lord is not slow in keeping his promise, as some understand slowness. He is patient with you, not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance"

2 Peter 3:9

God is patient, not wanting anyone to perish

Are you a Man of Your Word

Other than loving Jesus and being faithful to your wife, I can't think of a higher quality of character for a man than to be true to his word. In fact, loving Jesus and being faithful to your wife have everything to do with being a man of your word.

It doesn't matter if you're a man of the outdoors, indoors, rural, urban, or inner city. Your word is what dresses your integrity. And you start putting these clothes on as a little boy.

When a man makes a vow to the LORD or takes an oath to obligate himself by a pledge, he must not break his word but must do everything he said. Numbers 30:2

So men, listen up. There are things you MUST do to become the man God wants you to be, a man of your word. The biggest one I can think of is always telling the truth. That's hard to do when you think that it will hurt people or embarrass you. But telling the truth must always be done. This WILL matter as you get older. Stop lying. Always tell the truth. Kind words. Loving words. Honest words. Believable words. Encouraging words. Godly words. Words that will make your family proud of you. Honor them.

Grown men must choose to either tell the truth or lie; to be either honorable or dishonorable. Men, every little boy in your life, whether he is family or not, is watching you and listening to you. Their integrity, self-esteem, and character are either threatened or strengthened by the things you say and do. No man is perfect. Let's be honest and honorable men among boys who will one day take our places.

Jesus is our example of being a man of your word. He is our example of oath-giving and vow- taking. Men let the words which come from your mouth honor others and please the Father. Just like Jesus.

Simply let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything beyond this comes from the evil one.

Matthew 5:37

We All Need A Tree

I hired a plumber to help me restore an old farmhouse, and after he had just finished a rough first day on the job: a flat tire made him lose an hour of work, his electric drill quit and his ancient one ton truck refused to start.

While I drove him home, he sat in stony silence. On arriving, he invited me in to meet his family. As we walked toward the front door, he paused briefly at a small tree, touching the tips of the branches with both hands. When opening the door he underwent an amazing transformation.. His face was wreathed in smiles and he hugged his two small children and gave his wife a kiss.

Afterward he walked me to the car. We passed the tree and my curiosity got the better of me. I asked him about what I had seen him do earlier.

"Oh, that's my trouble tree," he replied "I know I can't help having troubles on the job, but one thing's for sure, those troubles don't belong in the house with my wife and the children. So I just hang them up on the tree every night when I come home and ask God to take care of them. Then in the morning I pick them up again." "Funny thing is," he smiled, "when I come out in the morning to pick 'em up, there aren't nearly as many as I remember hanging up the night before."

See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:15

Installing Love

Tech Support: Yes, how can I help you?

Customer: Well, after much consideration, I've decided to install Love. Can you guide me through the process?

Tech Support: Yes. I can help you. Are you ready to proceed?

Customer: Well, I'm not very technical, but I think I'm ready. What do I do first?

Tech Support: The first step is to open your Heart. Have you located your Heart?

Customer: Yes, but there are several other programs running now. Is it okay to install Love while they are running?

Tech Support: What programs are running?

Customer: Let's see, I have Past Hurt, Low Self-Esteem, Grudge and Resentment running right now.

Tech Support: No problem, Love will gradually erase Past Hurt from

your current operating system. It may remain in your permanent memory but

it will no longer disrupt other programs. Love will eventually override

Low Self-Esteem with a module of its own called High Self-Esteem. However,

you have to completely turn off Grudge and Resentment. Those programs

prevent Love from being properly installed. Can you turn those off?

Customer: I don't know how to turn them off. Can you tell me how?

Tech Support: With pleasure. Go to your start menu and invoke Forgiveness. Do this as many times as necessary until Grudge and Resentment have been completely erased.

Customer: Okay, done! Love has started installing itself. Is that normal?

Tech Support: Yes, but remember that you have only the base program.

You need to begin connecting to other Hearts in order to get the upgrades.

Customer: Oops! I have an error message already. It says,

"Error - Program not run on external components." What should I do?

Tech Support: Don't worry. It means that the Love program is set up to run on Internal Hearts, but has not yet been run on your Heart. In non-technical terms, it simply means you have to Love yourself before you can Love others.

Customer: So, what should I do?

Tech Support: Pull down Self-Acceptance; then click on the following files: Forgive-Self; Realize Your Worth; and Acknowledge your Limitations.

Customer: Okay, done.

Tech Support: Now, copy them to the "My Heart" directory. The system will overwrite any conflicting files and begin patching faulty programming. Also, you need to delete Verbose Self-Criticism from all directories and empty your Recycle Bin to make sure it is completely gone and never comes back.

Customer: Got it. Hey! My heart is filling up with new files. Smile is playing on my monitor and Peace and Contentment are copying themselves all over My Heart. Is this normal?

Tech Support: Sometimes. For others it takes awhile, but eventually everything gets it at the proper time. So Love is installed and running. One more thing before we hang up. Love is Freeware. Be sure to give it and its various modules to everyone you meet. They will in turn share it with others and return some cool modules back to you.

Customer: Thank you, God.

God/Tech Support: You're Welcome, Anytime.

Turn, O LORD, and deliver me; save me because of your unfailing love.Psalm 6:4