SERVING SIX ONE

According to the New King James version Hebrews 11:1 tells us, “Faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” The New Living Translation version says “Faith is the confidence that what we hope for will actually happen; it gives us the assurance about things we cannot see.” This tells us a few things that are vital in our walk with God. It also is the foundation of truth that we need to live a victorious life here on this earth.

Let’s examine the words of this well known verse. Let’s start with the word faith. Just what is faith? According to the dictionary (at least the top two entries), faith is confidence or trust in a person or thing. It is also defined as belief that is not based on proof. Now if we combine these two definitions we can surmise the following statement. Faith is believing in someone that we cannot see and trusting in that someone without reservations.

To have faith in God then, we must first believe in Him, although we cannot see Him. As Hebrews 11:6 states,”he who comes to God must believe that He is”… In other words we must believe that He exists, even though we cannot see Him. This is the first and most important part of faith. Once you believe in the Who, then you can trust that He will do!

Now that we have determined exactly what faith is, let’s look at the rest of Hebrews 11:1.It tells us “Faith is the substance”. Substance is what a thing consists of, the actual matter of a thing, and we learned in elementary school that matter is anything that has weight or takes up space. So faith is actually what gives weight or actuality to something.

Faith is the substance of what? It is the substance of things hoped for. Faith is what makes up what we hope for. And what does hope actually mean? Hope is the feeling that we can actually get what we wish we had or that events or circumstances will turn out for the best. So, faith then is the actual matter, the consistency, or what gives weight to what we wish we could have or have happen.

Now let’s look at the final part of Hebrews 11:1. The last part of the verse tells us that faith “is the evidence of things not seen.” Evidence, we all know is proof. Faith is the proof of the things we cannot see. It is our assurance that though our eyes do not behold it, it is a reality.

So let’s put it all together and see what it all means. Faith or trust in God is what gives weight, realness or credibility to what we wish we had. It is our proof of things that we cannot see with our physical eyes.

So don’t doubt. Have hope. Trust in God. Have faith. It is your assurance that things will turn out for good. If you can trust God and hope for the best, then you can have the things you cannot see.

There is no better word than God’s Word, and when we praise Him and lift Him up, He lifts us up too!!! The Bible says, “ If God is for us, who can be against us?” When troubles come and there seems no help the Psalmist declares in Psalm 3:3 “But Thou O Lord, art a shield for me; my glory and the lifter of my head.” He is our shield that blocks the fiery darts of the enemy. He is the lifter of our head, the one Who lifts our forlorn faces up to His, looks into our eyes and reassuringly says “everything is going to be OK, because I am with you and I will never leave you nor forsake you.” And in Psalm 46:1 “God is our refuge and our strength, a VERY present help in trouble.” He is on the job 24/7. He doesn’t leave us when times get tough. When no one else understands, and we can’t even explain how we feel, God is there, always understanding, always ready to hold us, to carry us and to see us through! His peace passes all of our understanding. His loving kindness never ends, and His mercy endures forever!!! What a mighty God we serve!!!

Though we have troubles and the enemy is around us on every side, God does not leave us. He diligently watches over us. His hand is always ready to save those who cry out to Him. There are times when we get discouraged and think that God has left us, but He hasn’t. He never leaves us. All we need to do is call upon the name of the Lord and He will save us.

The Psalmist declared in Psalm 91 that “though a thousand may fall at our side and ten thousand at our right hand, it will not come near us” and that He will give His angels charge over us to keep us in all our ways; they will bear us up in their hands so we won’t even stump our toe on a rock!

God cares about you! He wants to bless you. He wants to take care of your every need. Just ask Him. Jesus declared that many times we do not have what we need simply because we did not ask. So ask, and believe and then you will receive.

“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.” Psalm 3:5
If you will only trust God and not rely on your own knowledge and limited understanding, and then acknowledge Him by talking to Him, spending time with Him, and including Him in your daily affairs, THEN He will then give you the direction that you need and guide you in the way that you need to go.

So trust Him. He will lift you up!

In today’s society, especially with the economy like it is, with doom and gloom headlines in the newpapers, on the internet and on the evening news, anxiety is a very present and common state. We have become major worry warts. We spend so much time worrying that we are virtually worrying away our lives. Worrying about what others think, worrying about what we will wear, worrying about bills, about taxes, about government, about tests, about mistakes we made or might make, worrying about our future or our kid’s future, worrying about our friends, our family, even about who will win the Superbowl, or over how we look, or how popular we are or aren’t. We are literally worrying ourselves sick.

Studies have shown that anxiety and stress can cause many sicknesses including high blood pressure, ulcers, sleep problems, headaches, immune system deficiencies, memory problems, some forms of cancer and even arthritis. Stress and anxiety can also cause mild to severe depression and even lead to alcohol and drug abuse in attempts to try to alleviate the symptoms.

Worry and stress have been plaguing people for years. People are looking for ways to deal with the added pressures of their day. People want peace of mind. They want to be able to not worry, to enjoy life, to be happy.

Back in 1988, a song came out written by Bobby McFerrin entitled “Don’t Worry, Be Happy. The song became the first
a cappella song to reach number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart and it actaully held that position for two whole weeks. Then, in 1989 it won numerous rewards at the Grammys. The song’s message was simple and was repeated over and over throughout the entire song. People sang it. They wore it on T-shirts. Pasted bumper stickers with it on their cars.  Billboards displayed it. The message was so plain and simple, but obviously what people needed to hear–to not worry but be happy.

The Bible gives us the same message. In Luke 12:22, Jesus told His disciples not to worry about everyday life such as if we will have enough food or what clothes we need to wear. He said that life is a whole lot more than food and clothes. Life is about living and when you worry, you are literally wasting away part of it. He went on to say that worry wouldn’t do anything good for you. SO why do it? It will not accomplish anything good.

But how can we deal with anxiety? How can we really overcome it? Philippians 4:6-7 gives the answer.
Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.

If you will REALLY take your problems, your needs, your cares, your concerns to God ask Him for His help and guidance, and  THEN follow up by thanking Him for taking care of you, you will experience His peace. He will flood you with a peace that is indescribable. But for you to genuinely experience it, you must really trust God.

You must believe that God wants to take care of you. He is a loving Father that wants to take care of your every need.
Luke 12:28-31
“And if God cares so wonderfully for flowers that are here today and thrown into the fire tomorrow, he will certainly care for you.
Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and he will give you everything you need.
So don’t be afraid, little flock. For it gives your Father great happiness to give you the Kingdom.”

God loves you. He wants to take your burdens. So pray. Tell Him what you need. Know that He hears. Know that He cares. Trust Him. Thank Him. And then experience His peace!

Do you remember the Golden Rule? We used to be taught it in school. It goes like this — “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” I heard that so much growing up. Treat others the way you want to be treated is a pretty amazing, a pretty profound bit of advice. Advice worth adhering too.

Think about it. What if everyone followed the Golden Rule? What if everyone decided to heed its simple yet significant challenge? There would be no prejudice, no hate, no violence, no wars, no cheating, no lying, no stealing, no killing. Crimes would stop. Wars would cease. There would be peace. If… we all followed that one simple rule. One profound, incredible, totally simplistic, little rule — to treat others the way we’d like to be treated.

In this world the Golden Rule has become antiquated to the point of being obsolete. There is a new rule, a rule opposite of the Golden Rule. It is rather a tarnished one. One that actually twists about the Golden Rule. The rule of the world today is “Do to others as they did to you.” Get even. Don’t let anyone treat you bad. If you do you are weak, cowardly and stupid. In the world’s terms, the one who doesn’t retaliate is a push over.

So according to the world’s standards, Jesus Christ was a push over — a weakling that people could take advantage of. Jesus didn’t fight back. He didn’t do to others what others did to Him. When others didn’t appreciate or acknowledge the things He did for them, He didn’t pout and complain to His friends. When others lied about Him, He didn’t retaliate. When others mocked Him, He was silent. When others spat in His face, He kept His cool. When they beat Him, He stood quietly and took it. He didn’t have to get the last word in. Instead, He held His tongue. Then, after they hung Him on a splintery old cross to be ridiculed, publicly humiliated, tortured and killed, He forgave. And, by so doing, He overcame.

Looking at the life of our Savior, the One who withdrew from the normal standards of life, withstood the trials and persecutions, and withheld the notions to get back at His persecutors, we see anything but weakness. We see the epitome of strength. We see someone who sacrificed Himself for the good of others. It is because of that sacrifice that we are not condemned to a fiery hell. It is because of His forgiveness, grace and mercy that we can find hope, joy and peace.

Jesus dared to be different. He dared to do right. He dared to take a stand. By so doing, He made a difference. He overcame evil with good. He fulfilled the Golden Rule.

Now if we were to apply the Golden Rule in our lives, one by one we could make a difference too. We could sow love where hate rules, peace where there is strife, kindness where there is malice, joy where there is sorrow. One by one we could plant the seeds that would change the world, if only we would dare to do so.

“What blessings await you when people hate you and exclude you and mock you and curse you as evil because you follow the Son of Man. When that happens, be happy! Yes, leap for joy! For a great reward awaits you in heaven.”
Luke 6:22-23

Life is not easy, especially when you decide to take a stand for Jesus. As a matter of fact, sometimes it seems even harder when we look around and see all the people that aren’t serving God seemingly so “happy go lucky”.

There have been times in my life when things were so difficult. In my efforts to stand up for God, I was literally made fun of, and “left out” because I chose to follow God rather that a “good time”. Oh it was hard. Many times I was tempted just to give in to shut up the taunting, or to just lower my standards a little just so that I wouldn’t feel so weird or different. Just once go along with the crowd so that I could fit in.

And there were times that I did. Little things like watching a movie with a friend that I knew God wouldn’t want me to see. Or talking about someone, making fun of them because everyone else was. Just little things, right?

Well, according to God, when you feel something is wrong in your heart, and you do it anyway, you are putting your flesh above your spirit. you are putting that thing you desire ahead of doing what God wants you to. And all for the sake of how you look. All for the sake of your reputation to your friends. Basically, you are putting their opinion of you higher than God’s.

Jesus knew all about being mocked. He knew all about being made fun of. His own family made fun of Him. Called him crazy. In His own hometown, the place He grew up, no one accepted Him. They didn’t believe in Him. Oh, He knew way better than you or me what it felt like to be ridiculed for what doing right.  He knew what it felt like to be all alone for not going along with the crowd. He knew what it was like to not fit in. he knew what it was like to have a calling on His life to be different. Think about it. His whole life, He had to make choices, just like you and me. He had to choose not to make fun of people, not to sneak out, not to disobey, not to look at or listen to things that everybody else was just because it was popular. But, He did it. And because of His stand, a stand that He took and died for ….. we should stand for Him.

When you do, He says… Be Happy! that’s right, be happy when others make fun of you and mock you, or put you down, or try to make you feel stupid. He said that you will be blessed! God will take care of you. Please Him, and great will your reward be!

But, reward or no reward, Isn’t He just worth standing up for?

“All you need is love. All you need is love. All you need is love, love. Love is all you need.” These popular lyrics, written and sung by the Beatles, ring out a message of truth. Love is indeed all you need. It’s all I need. Quite frankly, love is all anyone needs, that is, when it is used in the proper connotation. You see, according to the Bible, God is love (1 John 4:8,16). Now if we apply the Transitive property of Algebra which states, if a=b and b=c then a=c. We would see that if (a) all you need is love = (b) God is love then the result would be (c) all you need is God. And yes, He is all you need.

This is for those who feel they can’t go on. To those who have given up. To those who think there is no hope….

There is hope, and His name is Jesus. In this world that is filled with darkness He is the light. In this world where brothers hate and betray one another, He is a friend that sticks closer than a brother. In a world where lies are abundant, He is the truth and the way. He is a refuge and a source of strength to all who will call only on His name. In Him, there is no darkness. There is no guile and no shadow of turning. He is unchanging. He is the same today as He was yesterday and He will be the same tomorrow. His love is unconditional, His mercy is everlasting and His truth endures to all generations, no matter how much it is put down, ridiculed or forsaken. He is, He was and He forever will be. To His kingdom there shall be no end.

These last couple of weeks have been rather difficult. Tuesday, March 10th was two months since my brother’s death and Wednesday, the 11th was his birthday. I sure miss him. I miss the sound of his voice. I miss the talks we would have. I miss him calling me and saying “grab a piece of paper and a pen; I gotcha some recipes.” I miss him calling and telling me what the weather was going to be. He was my weatherman. I miss his advice on hunting and fishing, taking care of my dogs, keeping the deer out of my garden, and all of his incredible cooking tips. And I especially miss hearing the words he told me at the end of every phone call or visit — “I love you Sis.” And he meant it too. They weren’t just words to him. He loved his family and he made sure he told us every chance he got.

It’s crazy though how we take the little things in life for granted. Things that we don’t realize are priceless treasures until we no longer have them. What I wouldn’t give now to hear my brother’s voice. To feel his big ‘ol arms around me giving me one of his bear hugs. I appreciated them then, but not nearly as much as now.

Wouldn’t life be so much better, so much fuller, so much sweeter if we would really value it? I mean think about it. We get so caught up in our petty little dramas, in keeping up appearances, in running here and there, in trying to appease ourselves, that we fail to realize that our time is slipping away. Our days are numbered. Everyday that we rush past is a day that we can never get back. What we put into it may very well affect our future, but that day is gone.

So value the day. Treasure the moment. Make it great. Appreciate those you love. Really appreciate them. Tell them you do. Don’t hold grudges. Get over them. Don’t waste time. Make the most of it. Life is short. Life is precious. So love it and live it. Or rather, live it with love.

Psalm 46:1
God is my refuge and my strength, a very present help in trouble.

Oh my goodness how true this verse is and how evident its trueness has been in our lives these past couple of months. God is our refuge– the place that we can go and hide, the place of safety and security when everywhere else feels unsure, the place where we find relief from hurt or pain, the place of comfort and assurance. He is our shelter from the storm.

A storm hit our family on Saturday, January 10, 2009. I was awakened that morning by a phone call I will never forget. It was my dad calling me to tell me the devastating news he had just gotten….my brother was dead. Disbelief, shock, hurt, anger, confusion, pain, panic–all the emotions you wish never to feel, were all there. Swirling together. Clouding my mind. Dulling my senses. Gripping my heart. Distorting my sense of judgment. But in the midst of it all, there was a Presence. God’s presence. Holding me. Lifting me up. Giving me strength to somehow carry on. To get through the next minutes, hours and days that followed. Strength to not only get through my brother’s funeral, but also to speak and sing at it. Strength to be strong for my Mom and Dad. Strength to not only get through but to carry on. God’s strength is amazing.

It is because of that strength that my family and I have been able to go on. Though there are times when my heart literally feels like it will break in two and I am so weak and overcome with emotion that I can hardly stand, God is right there holding me, wrapping His strong, loving arms around me and girding me up. No one can fully understand it unless they have been through it. You just cannot understand how you can face another day, but God gives you what you need, when you need it. And believe me His grace IS sufficient. His love holds your heart.

God feels our pain. He understands. He grieves with us as we grieve, yet when the grief begins to be more than we can handle, He lifts it, giving us strength to carry on. He never leaves us. Never forsakes us. He is a forever friend. Without Him we are nothing and can do nothing. In Him we have all we need.

Indeed, God is our refuge. God is our strength. He will not only see through the valleys you have to go
through, but He will carry through them!

December 10th took us to Hope Fellowship in Anderson, SouthCarolina. This time the weather wasn’t cold but very WET!!! Although it rained and rained and rained, the people came out anyway and we enjoyed yet another great evening with some awesome, God loving, incredibly nice people.

We also got to see a bunch of family members that we don’t get to see that often. It was like having a family reunion and a concert at the same time! We had a blast.

After the concert, many people came up and expressed how much they were touched by our songs, “Christmas in Georgia” and “Finally Home”. We found out that so many people there had recently lost family members, including some teenage girls who lost their father and the Pastor and his family who had recently lost his wife’s mother. This will be their first Christmas without thier loved ones so they were especially touched by those two songs. We totally can relate and pray that God will hold their hearts this Christmas season. Read the rest of this entry »