One of my heroes in history is Theodore Roosevelt. He is one of those individuals who went through adversity and life’s reproofs and then came out the other side stronger and wiser. Whether it was being the U.S. president, leading his wife and family of six children, or Calvary fighting in the War against Mexico, he was a man of principle, of character, and resolve. The following Roosevelt quote captures the essence of who this man was:

“It is not the critic who counts, nor the man who points out how the strong man stumbled, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena: whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood: who strives valiantly; who errs and comes short again and again: who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotion and spends himself in a worthy cause: who, at the best, knows in the end the triumph of high achievement: and who, at the worst, if he fails at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

Now take this bold persevering spirit of Roosevelt and unite it with the response of another man from another time. His name is William Bradford. Bradford was one of two governors who led the Plymouth settlement during its beginning years. When traveling with the rest of the pilgrims on their initial journey across the Atlantic, he recorded several near death experiences. Once, the main mast of their ship cracked in the midst of a serious storm. At another time, waves would be crashing on the ship’s deck nearly sinking the boat. During this sea voyage, Bradford documented the response the travelers made to the trying circumstances facing them: “So they (the pilgrims) committed themselves to God and resolved to proceed”

Let it be declared that Bradford’s response must be ours as well. Christ said, “Come unto me all ye that are heavily laden and l will give you rest.” This beckoning from our Master and the resulting promise doesn’t mean that by us coming to Christ we won’t have to suffer, labor, and courageously act. Rather it means we can have confidence and stability in Christ while pressing through the challenges of life. In other words, after committing ourselves to God we may step with resolution into the drama of life and still have eternal inner tranquility. Those dragons of life will come. The behemoths of trials will arise. Yet they will also be slain. Not by our prowess or ability but by God using them to forge and form us into the glorious likeness of His dear Son.

Some day we’ll be looking back at our lives. The future will be short, our past quite long, and the present faster then ever. Only time will tell what perspective each of us will have. Our prayer should be that it will consist of Roosevelt’s perseverance, our Pilgrim fathers’ commitment to God, and a resting in the lasting tranquility of our Dear Redeemer; so that our “…place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who know neither victory nor defeat.”

THANKSGIVING DAY

WHEREAS, the first permanent English speaking settlement in the New World was established in Virginia at Jamestown in 1607, as Captain John Smith led a group of settlers across the Atlantic on a voyage that would entail much hardship over the coming years, including disease and starvation; and

WHEREAS, to show their appreciation for the colony’s success and to take stock and give thanks for their own gifts and blessings, and in spite of tremendous adversity, the settlers in Virginia found time to celebrate the first Thanksgiving in America at Berkeley Plantation on December 4,  1619; and

WHEREAS, while reflecting upon the actions taken by the colonists at the first Thanksgiving, we also honor the Indian peoples, for without their presence, the survival of the colonists would have been ever more difficult; and

WHEREAS,  American leaders and citizens have recognized a day of Thanksgiving since our first president, George Washington issued the first Thanksgiving proclamation in 1789,  stating “it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly implore His protection and favor”; and

WHEREAS, it is a Virginia tradition for our citizens to come together in unity on Thanksgiving Day and give thanks for the great level of serenity, harmony and abundance with which we, as citizens of a free nation, have been blessed; the rule of law by which we peaceably govern ourselves and by which our civil and religious liberties are guaranteed; and the brave servicemen and women of our armed forces who risk their lives to defend the freedoms and blessings we cherish;

NOW, THEREFORE, I, Robert F. McDonnell, do hereby recognize November 25, 2010 as THANKSGIVING DAY in our COMMONWEALTH OF VIRGINIA, and I call this observance to the attention of all our citizens; and

FURTHERMORE, I encourage all Virginians to give thanks to our Creator for our plentiful blessings, including the rights to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as well as the unwavering strength of our families and communities.

As we traveled to church last Sunday Dad asked us to each share what it was we were thankful for as we looked over our lives. It was so encouraging to hear the hearts of each of my family members.

As different ones were sharing I was thinking – What is it that I am most grateful for? It then hit me. The faithfulness of my God towards me. Who am I to have been so blessed to be called a child of the Most High? Why does His compassion towards me never fail? Without His direct action in my life I would have no true joy or peace. What a gift I have been given! One that I will never be able to repay. The least I can do is to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, to love repentance, and to never give up!

Failure is an area that Satan likes to deceive us in. He wants us to believe that because of our failures we’re unfit to be used by God to fulfill His work. Because we see our lack we allow discouragement to set in and our hope perishes. This downward spiral can happen so quickly and before we know it, we’re despairing and lost in our emotions and feelings. Our natural man will quickly allow us to go down this path. If we have not been faithful in applying the truths of God’s word to our hearts and lives.

Our sin humbles us and causes us to see what we would truly be without Christ. Yet in the sovereignty of a loving Heavenly Father, even our sin is a tool used by Him to draw us back to Christ! How? By His mercy, He takes His Word hidden in our hearts and through His Holy Spirit, and brings it to mind in our time of need.

What are some of those things He reminds us of when we are fighting for joy, struggling with discouragement, or overwhelmed by our failure to obey? 

• His faithfulness!
• His mercy towards us is new every morning!
• He is our portion (inheritance)! Our joy and peace is found in Him not in people, things, or situations going the way we want them to go.
• We must seek the Lord with our whole heart. He promises to settle and strengthen us.
• Hope and quietly wait for the salvation (deliverance, victory) of the Lord.
• The struggles we face are designed for one purpose – to draw us closer to Christ.
• Don’t resist the working of God in our hearts. We must humble ourselves under His mighty hand and let Him establish, strengthen, and settle us. – 1Peter 5:6

Lamentations 3:18-26 shares the struggle that man has but then beautifully exhorts us to hope and wait till the Salvation of the Lord comes!

“And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:
Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
It is of the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.”

This has been a passage lately that God has used to encourage and strength my walk with Him. How blessed we are to have the ability to read, believe, and dwell in the truth of God’s Word!

As the crowds watched, with anticipation, the horrible drama unfolding before them, a small intruder entered the arena. He walked over, stood between the two gladiators,  then declared with a loud voice: “In the name of Christ stop!” The gladiators did stop, then wondered and stared, all the while looking quite confused. The stupefied crowds also stared. Finally they aroused themselves: how could the daring man try stopping their means of pleasure and joy! A stone was hurled toward the intruder. Another came and then another, finally he was hit. The man, Telechumus, a monk of many years, faltered as the stones began to pound against his body. It didn’t take long till he fell and then died. Hence, his life was finished. What a waste? No, not a waste! On the contrary, what a stand! The consequence of this stand didn’t come till seconds after the monk’s death when the once wild crowds, now subdued and quiet, left their loved coliseum, left the place of their pleasure and joy. This was not a leaving today to return tomorrow, but a leaving with no return. Never again did the arena resound with crashing swords, cries of dying men, and roars of a wild crowd. Telechumus’ death ended forever the drama of the Roman Coliseum.*

One man willing to stand, even if his life was taken, stopped a practice which was loved by thousands, held the pleasure of emperors and noblemen, and owned a long wicked history. In the book of Ezekiel it is written, “And I sought for a man among them that should make up the hedge, and stand in the gap before me for the land, that I should not destroy it: but I found none.” (Ezek. 22:30) Telechumus did stand in the gap. He was ready and prepared. When God looked for a man to end the drama of the Coliseum he found Telechumus instead of finding none.

In every age, culture, or society, God is looking for men and women to stand in the gap. He is looking for someone who will make a difference. Instead of pragmatically handling wickedness, they will stand upon their feet, raise the banner of righteousness, and step forward into the gap. The paramount duty of the Christian is to prepare for this moment. Prepare now while there is still time. Be Ready To Stand!

*Some doubt the veracity of this story but many reputable historians believe it to be historical and accurate.

Yet may I ask thee, my friend, do ye know what it means to rest content?

The good Lord commands ye and me to do so. It is not a preference, suggestion, or passing thought, but wholly a command. The writer of the excellent book, Hebrews, clearly lays out the view ye and me should take of contentment:

“Be content with such things as ye have: for he (God) hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

There’s not a hole to be found to wriggle away from this clear truth. It’s straightforward and pronounced! We are commanded to be content.

If ye are like me,  this command often ends up suppressed by the many urgent tasks, priority items, egotistical thoughts, conformity to others opinions, and so on, that whirl around our lives. We know this is not right nor good but it happens time after time.

Because of this oft suppression, the decision was made to write this post so then it could be declared, quite plainly,  don’t ever give up! Just because ye and me don’t have the ideal shouldn’t mean we stop pursuing it. God will bless us in his most precise and wonderful way. Purpose to remember, pray to God that he will lead each of us to remember, that he is right beside us, ready to lead, guide, and empower. Aye, he will bring ye and me into the wonderful rest called contentment. Aye, my friend, I do believe so. Ye know why I believe? Well, let me tell ye one last thing: Because He is faithful!

Joy………  Peace………. Rest……..

Oh how great is thy goodness,

which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee;

which thou hast wrought for them that trust in thee before

the sons of men!

Psalm 31:19

The blessing of  God being on the throne of your life is the ability to see the working of His hand!

  Life is always changing. We are continually being faced with new challenges and situations.

Why is this? To mature and sanctify us. Christ desires to form us into his very own image and he uses daily events to do so.

At the beginning of January we took a three-day family planning trip. It was a time of searching our hearts before the Lord and getting our focus solely on Him. The only way we will be able to look back over 2011 and view it as a success is if we can truly see Christ throughout it! This year can’t be about self, it must be all about Christ!

With this kind of mind set there is great excitement, anticipation, hope, joy, peace, and rest as we begin to walk through this year.

There is a lot ahead of us! If we dwell on the height of the mountain we will become discouraged by our lack of ability to make it to the top in the time frame that we desire. But if our focus is on Christ we will be able to confidently walk forward knowing that it is not us but Christ in us giving us the strength to do all that He asks of us.

Many ideas were bounced around over those three days. Some were tangible and easy to write down. Others are still beyond our grasp and in need of further wisdom and guidance from the Lord.

But by faith we step out to do what God has called us to knowing that – “To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven: ” (Ec 3:1)

So the heart of the matter is:

Bounce ideas around.

Make plans.

Set goals.

But then lay it all on the altar and let our All-Knowing God lead and direct you forward in His perfect plan. Don’t jump ahead, be faithful to what you are called to now and rest assured that the Lord will clearly direct you to the next thing in His perfect timing.

In so doing you will experience the joy and peace of being right in the center of His will!

May God bless you as you serve Him in 2011!

What joy it is when two families come together in the name of the Lord to play and sing praises to the King of Kings!

We love the times we get together with dear friends and family to play and sing the great hymns of the faith.

God has blessed each one of us with talents and abilities for one single purpose – to honor and glorify the Creator of all!

As children of the Most High, we must ask ourselves – How are we using our talents? Are we seeking to make Christ known in all that we do? Or are we using what God has so graciously given us for selfish gain?

Let all that you do bring honor and glory to the name of Christ. Take a moment and look at what you are spending your time on and ask yourself -

How am I making Christ known through this?

Who am I doing this for? Christ or me?

How would Christ walk through this?

If this activity, skill, person, or object was taken away from me would I rejoice and see the hand of God upon it or would I become bitter and angry over my “loss”?

If God is not Lord of all. He is not Lord at all.

This is a sobering thought but one that we must wrestle through and let God settle and perfect us in.

Psalm  95:2

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.

Psalm 95:1

O come, let us sing unto the LORD: let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation.

He responded: "The President and I are good friends, we both began working for the railroad at the same time over twenty five years ago."

"That doesn’t make sense, why is he the President of the railroad and you are out here working with us?" They asked.

"Well it’s like this" He said, "Twenty five years ago I went to work for $2 an hour while he went to work for the railroad"

I’ve always appreciated this story. Not for the story itself but for the powerful analogy that relates so well to our own lives. The way we live, in a way, is similar to how we work for the railroad or anything else for that matter. We are either living life for ourselves or for something bigger than ourselves. We either are living for worldly achievement or  the advancement of God’s Kingdom. As children of God we are commanded to *"Seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all these things shall be added unto you." This commandment leaves us with only one course of action; life is to be lived for the Kingdom of God.  Our purpose is to bring honor and glory to the King of kings and Lord of lords.

On most tombstones, there is a birth date and a death date. In between those two dates is a dash. What will that dash consist of when your tombstone is placed? Will it be full of temporal endeavors, successes, and praise? Or will it consist of eternal relationships, heavenly blessings, and supernatural works of God? The dash’s consistency is dependent on your choices. It is dependent on whether you live for self or live for Christ. The choice is made minute by minute; one to be made now and not tomorrow. When the inclination for passivity rises, reject it and cling to initiating action. Then throw yourself on the grace and wisdom of God to enable you and empower you.

Fellow citizen! You are called to a pilgrimage! Your home is an heavenly kingdom but now your on a journey. Live for your King, live for the advancement of His cause, His glory, and the expansion of His kingdom. Study His laws, understand His vision, and seek His will. Your a pilgrim for such a short time. It’s even as a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. Don’t let it be wasted on yourself! Don’t satisfy your foolish desires! Choose to serve Him who created you, gave you life, loves you, and redeemed you. The greatest fulfillment will result from this choice. You won’t look back and regret it. Therefore I write, in agreement with scripture:

Be a faithful pilgrim!

Live for His kingdom!

Live for the Lord – not $2 an hour!

*Matt. 6:33

The Scriptures provide a beautiful picture of betrothal through the relationship of Christ and the church. On the night of His betrayal, Christ lead His disciples through the Passover meal. Upon coming to the 3rd cup of the meal – the cup of redemption, Christ paused and said, “Drink ye all of it; For this is my blood of the new testament, which is shed for many for the remission of sins (Matt. 26:27b-28).” In stating that this was the beginning of a new testament (or covenant), Christ was symbolizing the betrothal of Himself to His bride – the church. The disciples – a representation of the church – partook of the cup. A covenant was being established. Christ went out into the Garden of Gethsemane and before His Father, submitted Himself to paying the bride price. Soon after, Christ was hung on the cross where He willingly died for the sins of the world and so paid the ultimate price for His pride – His very life (Jn 15:13). The marriage covenant between Christ and His bride, the church, was established. And now, Christ is in heaven where He is preparing a place for His bride. At the time appointed, He will return with great glory and call His bride unto the marriage supper of the lamb where we, the church, will be joined unto our betrothed. Come Quickly Lord Jesus!

The Lord blessed us with beautiful weather on that glorious Thursday afternoon as we climbed a trail in the majestic Blue Ridge Mountains up to a gorgeous waterfall cascading over the rocks above into the stream below. The families, fully aware of what was about to take place, sat down below as Joshua and Lisa climbed up the waterfall to a rock that afforded a view of the falls above and the stream below surrounded by lush fall vegetation and towering trees. The pictures below share the rest of the story – praise the Lord for great things He hath done!

Following this joyous ‘mountain top experience,’ Joshua and Lisa came down and joined their families for a betrothal ceremony wherein they, with the full blessing of parents and in the presence of their precious families, established a covenant before the Lord. And it is now with much joyous anticipation that we look towards the wedding day wherein they will be united together as husband & wife.

For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery: but I speak concerning Christ and the church (Eph. 5:31-32)

Some desire wealth, others desire fame, while yet another yearns for peace and quietness, but E.M. Bounds loved prayer and the work of God. He truly had his affection set not on the things of this world but on things above where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt and thieves don’t break through and steal. His treasures consisted not in temporal and worldly investments but in eternal and heavenly rewards. Waking up at four in the morning he’d pray till seven, and then numerous times throughout the day would enjoy intimate communication with his Dearest Friend. If God called him to a work it didn’t matter the trials, the fatigue, the obstacles; God called him to do it and therefore he was faithful.

Caught in the midst of the US Civil War, Bounds wouldn’t forsake the family of God even when danger loomed near. In the mid-1800’s, union Forces moved into Missouri bringing Marshal Law with them. Many pastors opted to flee to the south to safety but Bounds chose to not forsake those God had given him to shepherd. He traveled house to house. It was his duty to minister and preach to the family of God. Finally the inevitable arose, Bounds was banished from Missouri for not submitting to a tyrannical measure of the Union Government. He was soon after captured and sent to prison. While in prison he didn’t tire but sought for opportunities to share Christ, the concept of loving your enemies, and the means of salvation from sin.

Once being freed from prison, he ministered as a chaplain in the southern army. Often at the front lines, he’d help the wounded, stand by a solider while he breathed his last, and share the gospel whenever the opportunity arose. Revival after revival sparked in Military camps as Bounds with his colleagues forsook not the assembling of themselves together and preached the word. Living to the ripe old age of 76 years, he never wearied while in the work of God; he preached, he prayed, and ministered whenever opportunity arose. Though definitely not indwelt with perfection, E.M. Bounds was faithful. Because he was faithful God ministered his grace upon him and poured blessing after blessing of rich spiritual insight, deep intimacy with his Creator, and avenues in which to communicate those blessings that he had been given.

Let us follow this worthy example! May we forget the fascinations that this temporal life has to offer and become bound to prayer and the work of God.

“Good Prayers,” Says an old divine, “never come weeping home. I am sure I shall receive either what I ask, or what I should ask. Prayer pulls the rope below, and the great bell rings above in the ears of God. Some scarcely stir the bell, for they pray so languidly: others give but an occasional pull at the rope: but he who wins with heaven is the man who grasps the rope boldly and pulls continually with all his might.”

That is the best kind of bell ringing—ringing the bells of heaven—making a sensation in the world celestial and pulling the power down upon the word terrestrial. Reader, do you know how to handle the bell rope, to pull it vigorously and constantly? We know some that do. Hell trembles when they seize the rope.

E.M. Bounds