Surprise Your Enemies

(Romans 12:20-21) Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head. Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

We know and can read that The United States, in its past history, found itself in the midst of a terrible and harsh civil war over the growing problem of slavery, and many other differences. At the end of the war there was over a half million soldiers, from both sides who had died. There were many people in the North who were so resentful and full of hate that the South had pulled them into such a awful war that they wanted the South to pay dearly. When the war was over, a small company of Southerners was granted an audience with President Abraham Lincoln. His gentle, kind and friendly personality quickly softened the hearts of his once-hardened foes and the Southerners left the interview with a deep respect for the man who had been their bitter enemy. Not long afterward, a northern congressman criticized Lincoln for "befriending the enemy!" He suggested that he should have had them shot for being traitors instead of welcoming them! Lincoln's said, "Am I not destroying my enemies by making them my friends?" how true that is and it shows the love that Lincoln had in his heart. As Christians we must do the same thing. When we serve the Lord we can expect our share of enemies. We should never let anger grow up because of our enemies, but rather, seek to win them over with gentleness, kindness, and even love. We should and must show our enemies the Lord's grace and His peace through actions and response. When we do this, we "heap coals" upon their heads! Satan wants to provoke us through our hatred, and their unfriendliness. Don't let the devil do that! Instead, stun your enemies, not with angry vengeance, but with love that comes straight from heaven.

When I was about 14 or 15 years old I was a loner because I never fit into the crowd. I did not march to the beat of the young crowd's drum and for that reason I was disliked by them and hated by many. It become hard for me to walk down a street for of the fear of them beating me {which by the way did happen on several occasions} or chasing me. I began to hate them and thought of ways to seek my revenge on them, But the Lord spoke to my heart and I did not seek revenge. I just let it go. Now later in my life I have become friends with the most of them and have helped many of them in different ways. One of these men had a brother who was dying of cancer. I helped his mother, sister, and his dying brother for months every day until the brother died. The man came to my house and thanked me for my kindness and went away by shaking my hand. I believe that This is the way that Our Lord wants us as Christians to handle our enemies. In this life time a person will never overcome evil with evil, but we sure can overcome it with God's Love and what He said, "Overcome evil with good." When Jesus comes to live in your heart we change the way we want to think and do things. We look at things in a different way. Your enemies will be surprised and taken back. You will find in most cases they are no longer your enemies. In this day and time it makes no difference if we are black or white, from the north or south hate should not be part of our lives. Hate will destroy you.

Not long ago I had the privilege of sitting and talking to a pastor on his church steps. He was black and I was white, but there was no barrier between us because we were caught up in talking about our Jesus. We were and are spiritual brothers. We had a great time that day talking and we will always be friends. There was no hate or dislike between us, only the sweet presents of the Lord, and that, my friend is what heaven will be like!

STOP CROWING - Adorn Yourself in True Treasures!

{Revelation 16:15}
Behold, I come as a thief. Blessed is he that watcheth, and keepeth his garments, lest he walk naked, and they see his shame. Here is a present-day contemporary parable to read, to think about and to apply to our lives..
The king of the birds was looking in the mirror, one day, at himself and was disappointed and dissatisfied to see that his feathers were not as bright and pretty as they once were . "I am getting old," he said, "I think it will soon be time to choose a new king". He decided to make known that on a certain day. When that day comes all the birds will gather and present themselves before him so that he would be able select from among them the most beautiful and charming of them all to be the next king. The crow heard about the king's plans and his approach to pick a new king. The old crow began to worry and become upset. The old crow said: "There are so many beautiful birds in the kingdom and I am only a colorless, dull looking crow. I don't have a chance at becoming king." All of a sudden, he had a great idea. He began to hunt through the woods and fields for colorful feathers fallen from the wings of his companions, and jammed and wedged them in with his own. When the prearranged day, to pick the new king, finally came all the birds had assembled before the king. The crow also made his appearance arriving in his array of fine feathers that he found in the woods and field. When the old king took notice and saw the crow and all the good looks of his plumage, he without more ado chose the crow to be king. As the conceited and self-righteous crow pranced down the aisle with arrogance and conceit to accept his crown, the other birds began angrily plucking out their feathers from between his, leaving the conceited crow nothing but an old black crow. Too often, we try to "improve our worth" by adorning ourselves in " beautiful " possessions. Fine clothes, cosmetics, jewelry, friends, money, power, fame among all the others, tops the list. I was just like that old crow because I guess you could say in my life time I have did all these things. I had money {and wanted more}, nice things, everybody knew me as a town councilman, police chief, business man, owning many houses, etc. All these things, how good they may be and look, has really done nothing for me because I'm still who I am. What is true worth? There is really only one way to improve our appearance and how we are. We must put our faith in the Lord and walking unconditionally and with all our heart with Him. No matter what the world around us thinks, only He can improve our fallen condition and our search for happiness. Those feathers we find in our life and use aren't going to fool anyone, especially our King [Jesus}. Let's come to God as we are today and ask Him to adorn us with the feathers (riches) He desires. They are peace, patience, love, joy and all the fruits of the Spirit. Please do not get me wrong! There is nothing wrong with having nice things or being well known. It is when we use these things to impress people that we go astray. We are who we are and only a relationship with the master will ever change us!
I really started to see the light on this subject when I had a heart attack, business was really bad, {not as bad as it is now}, my wife, at the time, left me for a younger man, I hardly had any money and I was just like that old crow my pretty feathers were coming out. I went to work in a nursing home for only a small amount of money that I was making before. I felt just like that old crow. I was just hurt over all this, but my hurt started to turn to joy. As I worked there I noticed the old people there was so glad to see me every day {for who I really was} and for the very small things that I did for them, like reading a passage from the Bible for them, talking to them about the Lord, filling a bird feeder outside of their window for them. Just going into their room and saying a word to them, giving them a smile was so important to them. As time went by there I noticed that I was the same person but I looked and acted different. I was beginning to get new feathers, my own, because that was and is who I really am. Keep your true garment on and be clothed in what God would have you to be clothed in.

Real Freedom

Have you ever stopped to think that just being there, in the presence of the Lord Jesus Christ, is a real, genuine and bona fide liberty, and freedom from the bondages of sin and being controlled by things that are common to this world. It is a liberty and freedom that no one can take away. No matter where you are, in church, at home, or just driving down the road in your car, how great it is to feel the presents of the Lord. People have been released and set free from addictions, set free of horrible illnesses, diseases, infirmities, and even death, just simply and plainly by placing their hope and faith in Jesus Christ, not some great person, or church denomination, nor the government with all its programs. If you are a true born again Christian you have most likely been called a Jesus freak, a Bible toting idiot, crazy, fanatical, and a lot of other things. The most vital and important fact about being a Christian, however, is not only the many blessings we receive while here on this earth, although they are very important, but it is the very freedom and independence from eternal and everlasting darkness, the very sting and hurt of death itself. If you are saved by that precious Blood, that flowed from Calvary then you are free from that everlasting eternal darkness that all the ungodly believers will someday face. That is the darkness that will never end. Jesus overcame death and the grave for us. The cause for which He suffered was not His own, but for our sins, our transgressions, and our infirmities . No matter what comes upon this world in our life time we know that we have liberty through Jesus Christ our Lord, and just think soon and very soon we are going to see Jesus and to be in His presents forever, we will be able to sit at His feet and we will reap the benefit of being a child of God, which is everlasting life. There will be no more heart aches to bare, no more pain, and no more suffering. There just will not be no more. We will only have peace and joy. This is real liberty that you can only receive through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

Count It All Joy

{James 1:2-4}My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations; Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience. But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing. When Daniel was in the midst of the lion's den…God was with him. When Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego were in the midst of the fiery furnace our God was with them. It would have been just as easy for God to immediately transport these saints out of their difficulties, but no, He chose instead to be with them in the midst of their trials. God chose to reveal His power through the trials instead of exercising His power to remove them. Trials and difficulties are simply a part of life and to be honest with you, the longer I walk with the Lord the bigger these trials become. But how do we react when our faith is challenged by these adversities? James 1:2 says to count it all joy! What could possibly be joyful about difficult situations? Painful, yes, but joy? Yet, somehow, I do find joy in knowing, and even sensing that God is with me in the midst of my problems -- in the midst of my trials. He did promise never to leave or forsake me; and as I look over my life, I find it to be absolutely true...no matter what crazy situation I'm in, God is with me. I can look back on my life and see how The Lord kept me and upheld me as he did the Hebrew Children. We all have this decision to make: either to complain because of the trials we're enduring...or to prayerfully lift our souls before him (Psalm 25:1) ...and rejoice in the midst of our troubles -- knowing, believing, and even feeling, that God is with us, now, always, all the way!

DAVID & GOLIATH - The Five Stones

 And he took his staff in his hand, and chose him five smooth stones out of the brook, and put them in a shepherd's bag which he had, even in a scrip; and his sling was in his hand: and he drew near to the Philistine. (1 Samuel 17:40)

Did you ever stop and think why David picked up five stones on his way to fight Goliath? Why did the Bible say he picked up five stones, from a brook, instead of just saying that he picked up some stones from the brook? Is there something behind the five stones? According to other Hebrew writings that have been handed down, during that period in time and history, it is said that David picked up the five stones because Goliath had four brothers who were also giants, who also defied the living God. David was going to kill them all. If David did kill these other giants or not the history books do not say. Could this story be so? If it is, it explains the five smooth stones that were picked up by David.

A lot of Christians in today's world have more than one giant that they are facing, so why do we just pick up one stone? We need to do the same thing as David did and pick up some extra stones. Remember David was coming in the name of the Lord so it does not matter if it was one or five, a hundred or a thousand Goliaths. The Bible does not say anything about the other four stones. The Bible does say that Goliath had a brother, who was also a giant whose name was Lahmi. {1 Chronicles 20:5} Goliath other brothers I cannot find anything about in the Bible} so we must really examine the writings in other ancient and reliable history books to see if it is really the truth. I tend to believe that it is. David was on the battlefield for his Lord and he was going to keep on the firing line, just like Christians should do today. In other words, let us not stop until the job is finished.

We must never be disheartened by the power and pride of the church's enemies. We do not need to fear huge men that come against us while we have THE GREAT GOD that is for us. This giant defied God's people and he was made to pay for his disrespect. Nobody is more clearly marked for bringing down than those who censure God and His people. God will do great things rather than put up with the enemy behaving themselves arrogantly.

Lord Lead Me To The Promised Land

{Isaiah 43:19} Behold, I will do a new thing; now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert. As a Christian are you walking through the wilderness? Are you having some pretty rough times? Are you asking: "Why is this happening to me?" There is a accepted belief, among many Christians, that an great quantity of wealth and other blessings follow those whose hearts are truly after God and that those who seem to constantly time after time struggle to that end, cannot possibly be in God's perfect will. I believe this is another lie straight from the devil his self! I want to suggest to you a understanding about this very thing. I think Christians who believe this might have it all backwards, so let us turn it around in the right direction. Almost all the great men of faith I've read about in the Bible had to spend some time in the wilderness. We all have read about Abraham, Moses, John the Baptist, just to name a few, but there are many more. Why are we any different? They became as desperate and anxious, just as we do today. What did God do? He caused them to calm down and to be quiet. The Lord wanted them to be undistracted enough, from the daily worldly problems to hear His still, small voice. He had to make them hungry and thirsty enough to cry out for a miracle. I read an article the other day from a Christian Blog about the wilderness and as I studied from God's Word I find that the word for wilderness, in Hebrew, is "meed-bahr". And it comes from the word "leh-da-behr", which means to speak. When these men of faith went through the wilderness It's hot by day, there was only rugged, thorny, sandy ground for miles and miles and there seemed to be no end for them. By night, the wind was unbearably cold and they stumble over things they could barely see. Snakes and scorpions live here. It seems like a lonely place. But it was actually a place of blessing! It was for their growth, and ultimately for their prosperity and success that God took them by that route! Like it or not it is the same today. The wilderness {in other words the rough times in our life} is where The Lord, to all intents and purposes, can speak to us most successfully. It is the place He can most easily get our attention. It is the place we will cry out to God and truly listen for His voice. Please know that God is with you today! He is walking along with us through this wilderness and the bad times that we are seeing. His desire and wish is to comfort and reassure us! If we would only cry out to Him and listen to His voice! The promised land is just ahead! And there's so much work to be done!! The devil will use anything he can to stop us from entering into that rest. Remember the story in the Gospels about Jesus feed the multitudes twice with just a few small fish and the many baskets that were left over. He will do the same for you today. We must remember that the people had their eyes fixed on Jesus and not their circumstances. Even though I'm personally going through some tough times {the wilderness} my eye is fixed on Jesus. Let yours be also.

SATAN’S TOOL: Discouragement!

{Proverbs 15:23} A man hath joy by the answer of his mouth: and a word spoken in due season, how good is it! We read parables in the Bible that were used to make a point. Let us use a contemporary or modern parable that has been written about the apparatus and tools of the enemy, our adversary, Satan himself, that I believe we can really learn from. Here is the parable: "Some time ago, an advertisement appeared in which the devil was putting all his tools up for sale. On the day of public inspection, each one of his tools was marked with its selling price: Hatred, Envy, Jealousy, Doubt, Lying, Pride, and so on, were each on the selling block to be sold. But set apart, on the other hand, from all the rest of the heap, was a harmless-looking implement, well-worn, but priced very high -- it was discouragement! Someone asked the devil, 'why is that one priced so high?' He replied, 'Ah, that one is more useful to me than all the rest. With it I can pry open a man's heart and enter, when I cannot get near him with any other tools. Once inside, I can lead him any way I choose. The tool is very worn because I use it on almost everyone, since few people know it belongs to me." Our adversary loves to sow discouragement. What is discouragement? It is depression despair, disappointment, discomfiture, dismay, downheartedness, hopelessness, loss of confidence, low spirits, melancholy, pessimism, sadness, the blues, but as believers we have a tool much more powerful than what Satan has. It is called encouragement! We have the support and backup of our Lord Jesus Christ and our brothers and sisters in the Lord. We can speak a word into the lives of those who desperately need to hear it: to the man or women who has lost their job and cannot find one; to the man and his wife who are about to lose their home to foreclosure; to the disillusioned , to the newly saved; to the forgotten servants of God who labor in an obscure, not well known, and often a difficult ministry; to the orphans and the widows; to all those who need to hear a word in due season! We have the power in our lips to revive and encourage a discouraged soul. Let's encourage one another with words of encouragement! It costs nothing, and reaps an eternal reward. We are facing hard times not only with the economy, but with a federal government that has turned their back on God and His Son, but, also in many other areas of our daily life. I'm reminded in God's Word that we are to encourage one another.

Let us hold fast the profession of our faith without wavering; (for he is faithful

that promised;) And let us consider one another to provoke unto love and to good works:

Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is;

but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

{Hebrews 10:23,24,25}

Even though the devil has come against me and my kids {By the way he has unload both barrels} I'm not going to be discouraged about these earthly things. My eyes is on Jesus and I know that he watches over me. I want to encourage each and everyone who reads this that God is in control and He will not forsake you. We must encourage each other with these words and urge the brethren strongly to keep the faith, because we can all see the day approaching and we are so close to the Lord's coming. Don't let Satan use his tool of discouragement on you, but be encouraged as I am. I'm looking for that city who's maker is God, were there will be not more heartaches, no more hunger, no more wars. I believe with all my heart that day is near. God Bless All.

Your Mourning Will Be Turned Into Dancing!

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 forever.  { Psalms 30:11-12 }



This is one of the promises in the Bible that we as Christians should really think about: that God turns mourning into dancing! Not the kind of rock and roll dance and similar dances that are in the world today, but a Holy dance, a dance of victory. Remember when David danced before the Lord with all his might? God takes away the anguish, the sorrow, the torment, and the agony of being clothed in sadness and sorrow. He replaces the misery and depression with gladness and happiness. However notice this, notice what God does not do: He does not simply stop your mourning and grief. He does not simply make it disappear. No, not by a long shot. He transforms it, into joy! He turns your sorrow and grief into gladness. He takes your failure, your letdown and creates success! He will give you victory. We serve an awesome and mighty God, who says, "all things work together for good to them that love Him, and to those who are the called according to His purpose." (Romans 8:28) Let us, as a child of the King, take time to meditate and dwell on this promise. Our sorrows, disappointments, tragedies and failures are very real– but they are also "raw and unrefined material" for a divine transformation and change that our Lord will accomplish and bring about in His time for His glory. And we will dance, before the lord just like David! God will do it. Our part is simply to wait, believe in His Holy Word, and cling and embrace tightly this magnificent promise!

We are all going through very tough times right now. Some of us may not even know where our next dime is coming from, but God does. His eye is on the sparrow and I know He watches over me. I have found out in my life time [and I'm getting pretty old} the closer you get to the Lord the more the devil will try to fight you. Remember he is going around this old world like a raging lion seeking who he can destroy. Keep your guard up, pray often, and stand on the promises of God our Savior. The devil will attack you with sickness, you may lose your job, your home, your car, and it may seem that all is lost, but hold on to that unchanging hand, never doubt, only believe.

Don't Dilute God’s Word!

{2 Peter 2:8-9} For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed his righteous soul from day to day with their unlawful deeds;) The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly out of temptations, and to reserve the unjust unto the day of judgment to be punished:

   

When  Jesus was attacked by Satan during His temptation in the wilderness, He was ready when  every attack  came with the Word of God. But let us take notice in Satan's second attack – the devil himself quoted the Scriptures, saying, "If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down, for it is written, 'He shall give his angels charge over thee, and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.'" (Matthew 4:6 was a quote from Psalm 91:11, but the phrase, "to keep thee in all thy ways" was absent from Satan's quote). If we learn anything from this at all, we must realize and understand that Satan has knowledge and some understanding of Scripture, and that he will use God's Word attempting to deceive us with it to go into wrong actions. He is sneaky! This tactic goes back even as far as the Garden of Eden where our adversary turned God's word around saying, "Did God really say you shall not eat from every tree in the garden?" He is still using the same tactics in today's world. We must never Water down or reduce the strength of God's Holy Word

So it is today, that all around us we are hearing constant abuses, questions and attacks against the truth and reliability of God's Word. Did God really create the world in six days, like the Bible said ? Did God really say that marriage consists of a union between a man and a woman, or was it Adam and Steve? Is God really going to judge the world and destroy it with fire or are we to take these words as just a story? Has God really defined what the absolute, pure, perfect, moral truth is or do we water it down? Does God really mean we are not to kill or is it okay to murder unborn babies in the mother's womb. Is Jesus the only Son of God or do we look in other places. Is Jesus the only way to heaven or is there another way? We hear all these questions in the world today. We must be firm in the truths of the Bible and know what God says.

The enemy is constant in his attempts to erode and destroy the foundational truths of God's word using distortions, corruptions, half-truths, and modern "interpretations", for he knows that "if the true foundations are destroyed, what can the righteous do?" (Psalm 11:3) In these last days we cannot be weak, because as always Satan goes around like a roaring lion seeking who he can devour. Don't let it be you. Stand firm in your faith.

Let's not be deceived and fooled by these subtle ploys and sneaky ways of Satan. If we agree and think it is okay to alter or dilute the Word of God to accommodate our circumstances or natural inclinations, we will end up exactly where the devil, that serpent wants us; in disobedience, sin, and sorrow. You know, Satan has been using religious language to tempt the saints since the beginning of time, even to the point of trying to persuade people that he doesn't even exist. We must be discerning. If we want to live and walk in the truth then we will believe God's Word undiluted without compromise or without anybodies private interpretation, We seek to understand The word of God with the help of The Holy Spirit, Who is the only perfect interpreter. If we do, the enemy's deceptions and lies will fail, and we will be delivered from every temptation! REMEMBER THE FINIAL WORD WILL BE GOD'S WORD!

Multiply Your Talents

(Matthew 25:26-29) His lord answered and said unto him, Thou wicked and slothful servant, thou knewest that I reap where I sowed not, and gather where I have not strawed: Thou oughtest therefore to have put my money to the exchangers, and then at my coming I should have received mine own with usury. Take therefore the talent from him, and give it unto him which hath ten talents. For unto every one that hath shall be given, and he shall have abundance: but from him that hath not shall be taken away even that which he hath.

As I read this parable, I can see by the serious cost of failing to produce fruit for the Kingdom. We must bear fruit. But there's something I want to particularly point out that struck me as I read this scripture again. Sometimes when hidden things are seen they bring the scriptures to a new light. Many of the great men and women, such as, people like Moses, Mary {The mother of our Lord} and David, were not given immense responsibilities right away. Each of these men first served as a lowly shepherd, tending sheep or as with Mary a young unknown woman. They were first tested in this humble occupation, God then felt sure He could lift them up to positions of importance. But as we read their stories we find out that it all started with a small step! It is the same with a baby. They have to take a first step and sometimes they stumble or fall, but the great thing is they get right back up on their feet and go again. We as God's people should do the same thing. We all have fell, sometime in our life, I know I have, but we must get back on our feet and bear fruit. Remember no small thing, not even the sparrows, are over looked by God.

God will test His saints in the little things and as we pass our initial tests, the Lord will encourage and advance us to bigger and greater things. Don't look down on and hate the day of small things because, as we can see and read in the Bible, just one talent invested intelligently and wisely can bring into being a abundant harvest for the Lord. And we must remember that it begins with faithful stewardship of whatever gift or talent that God has allocated and given us as His child. We must not hid our faith or talent, that God has given us, but we must put our talent and faith out there for people to see.

We must be wise stewards in these last days, using our God given abilities for His glory and for His purposes so that we can generate an plentiful return on the Lord's investment in our lives. We must take note of and pay attention to the warning and the encouragement and support that Jesus gives us in this parable.

HE'S GOT THE WHOLE WORLD IN HIS HANDS

{Proverbs 22:3} A prudent man foreseeth the evil, and hideth himself: but the simple pass on, and are punished.

Remember the song back in the early 1960's: "He has got the whole word in His hands"? I remember it and I use to sing it along with a lot of other kids. Never paying any attention to the meaning of the words and what I was singing. But now that very song comes back to me in my mine and I see the meaning of those words. The Lord truly has the whole world in His hands. He has got you and me in His hands.

What do you think might happen in the near future? Could we have large scale terrorist attacks, famine, not being allowed to worship our Lord and many other things. How do you think we should prepare? I was reading the comments on what John Calvin had to say about the matter. I really think that what he has to say is true words of wisdom and we all should take note of the words. "When the light of divine providence has once shone upon a godly man, he is then relieved and set free not only from the extreme anxiety and fear that were pressing him before, but from every care … Ignorance of providence is the ultimate misery; the highest blessedness lies in knowing it… It gives incredible freedom from worry about the future." It is great to be wise and prepare for the days ahead -- saving, storing, wisely investing. I have stored food, ammunition, Bibles, different things a person might need, and a outside well that you pump by hand. I think all theses are good ideas and sound thinking But I think there is a much more important preparation we often forget and it comes first! It is to make certain that we are saved and covered by the Blood of Christ, the Lord IS FIRST in our life and make sure we are trusting in Him alone, not our own strength and wisdom, not the government or a president whole makes promises that he does not keep. We need only to stand on the promises of God. So that when these trials and tribulations come upon us, (and they are coming) we will know beyond a shadow of a doubt that we rest securely in His hands! BECAUSE HE DOES HAVE YOU AND ME IN HIS HANDS! I do not know about you, but I'm standing on the promises of Christ my Saviour.

The Promise

(Galatians 3:29) And if ye be Christ's,

then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs

according to the promise.

This amazing passage defines and says that all true believers in the Messiah are "Abraham's seed and heirs according to God's promise". Abraham was known as the first Hebrew – actually, "one who crosses over!" Before he crossed over into the promised land, we know from the scriptures that Abraham lived in a extremely idolatrous society {just like it is in today's world and growing worse} His own earthly father was an idol worshiper. (Joshua 24:2) But one noteworthy day, a call came to Abraham, a call from the Most High God, The Lord spoke and he "crossed over" from idolatrous polytheism into a personal knowledge of the one true God. So after leaving his past behind, he entered a new life of spiritual truth and holiness and a new land of promise; a profound transformation and change, and for us, a beautiful picture of our own "crossing over" into the new life in the Lord. He was looking for that city of light were there will be no more heart ache, no more pain, no worries, no hunger, only peace and joy in the Holy Ghost. Oh what a glorious day that will be. He believed in that promise and praise God I do too!

As we look at the story of Abraham, we see that his life was not free of obstacles and troubles {just as our lives are not} once he reached his destination in Caanan? No it was not! It was not pie in the sky! Here are a few important facts about his life: he felt forced to go into Egypt to escape a famine, where his wife, Sarah, was held captive in Pharaoh's harem for an unrevealed amount of time; after being set free, Sarah continued barren until old age; then, Abraham was required by his own deep loyalty, to rescue his worldly nephew Lot and his family, risking his own life and the lives of his men; again he was tested. When taking and following Sarah's advice, Abraham conceived a son with Hagar, whom he deeply loved but was compelled to send him into the desert with his Egyptian wife who was the boy's mother. And of course, he probably faced the greatest test of faith when God asked Abraham to sacrifice the son of promise, Isaac, Sarah's only son, for whom they both had waited all their lives! What testing this man had, but in the end he still, "Believed God for the promise". I find it very interesting that we know nothing of Abraham's life trials before he crossed over into Canaan? Only after he crossed over do we read of the continuous testing and trails of faith that following one after another. This man was really tested. Testing of this great man of faith and because of those tests Abraham is considered the "father" of faith. (Romans 4:16) We are face with many problems in this world today. The loss of jobs, no money to pay our monthly bills, the price of gas sky high, less food on the table, false leaders in the government and some even behind the pulpit. Through it all we are called to bear our crosses daily, and also to respond with faith to whatever may come our way. And, praise God when we do, we also will be known as those who have "crossed over" and overcame every obstacle and trial of faith...having held firm to every great promise of God! In this day, more than ever, as we face many hardships in our personal lives and we are seeing our country go backwards because of the leadership, a leadership that does not put their faith in God. Our faith must be in the Lord!

Through many dangers, toils and snares we as God's people have already come and he has upheld us and was with us and always will be with us. In closing, let us be like Abraham and keep our eyes on the promise.