DELIVERED ME FROM FEARS

Psalms 34:4 I sought the LORD, and he heard me, and delivered me from all my fears.

I can remember that as a young boy I used to fear going to sleep at night and dying in my sleep. The child's prayer that had the line "If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take" was a frightening choice of words to me. Because of sin somehow I realized that if God took my soul in my sleep that it would be so rotten that he would cast it away.
I never shared those fears with anyone. I didn't want anyone to know how worthless I really was. I was the only one in the world who really knew me and I think I even fooled myself sometimes.
When I finally realized that there was nothing I could do about it on my own I gave my worthless soul to Jesus and trusted Him to do what I could not. "He washed it white as snow."
At that time God delivered me from the terrible fear of what He would do with my soul. He cleaned it up and made it worthy of spending eternity of Him. That is something I could have never done myself. Only Jesus can do that.

WHERE IS THE LORD GOD OF ELIJAH?

2Kings 2:14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
We should be more like Elisha. He knew that he was to take Elijah's place and that God had worked great miracles through Elijah. When he came to the water he called upon God to part the waters where he could cross.
We too often instead of asking God to part the waters wander up and down the bank looking for a log or a shallow spot. We act as if God used up all his miracles when the new testament was finished. I can speak from personal experience that I have been on the receiving end of several major miracles. The Lord God of Elijah can still part the waters.
The book of James says, James 4:2-3 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.(3) Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
One reason we don't witness as many miracles is because we pray selfishly. When we ask for things to glorify God we can witness some pretty spectacular miracles in our life. Where is the Lord God of Elijah? He is just one prayer away for those who wish to glorify God.

Spiritual Alarm Clock

Ro 13:11 And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to AWAKE out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed.

Some people can't stand the sound of the alarm clock in the mornings. It means they have to crawl out of their comfortable beds and face another day. Many will press the snooze alarm and keep dozing until the last minute when it is absolutely imperative that they get out of bed. Physical sleep is needful to restore the body and give us renewed physical energy. If we sleep well it is even enjoyable, we are able to rest, relax and perhaps dream pleasant dreams.

If we look forward to sleep as an escape from reality and the problems of the world we need to look at our life and ask ourselves if we are where God wants us to be and doing what God wants us to do. Everyone doesn't dread the alarm clock. Some people look forward to the opportunity to get up and begin a new day. A new day is exciting and filled with opportunity for them. Some people don't even need an alarm clock, they just seem to get up and get started on their own(Usually these are the ones who are smart enough to go to bed at a decent hour).

We are all familiar with the need for physical sleep and the problems sleeping disorders cause us, but what about spiritual sleep. Sometimes we don't hear the alarms in our own life when we are asleep spiritually. We don't even realize that great spiritual strength is awaiting us if we will just wake up. We should be alarmed if we are not aware of the presence of God in our lives. If we are not seeking a closer relationship with the Lord then we are probably not as spiritually awake as we should be. Is your prayer life faltering? Are you neglecting the Word of God? Do you often go long periods of time without thinking of spiritual things? Is your fellowship with other Christians not as strong and fulfilling as it once was? Are you lacking in your desire to reach others for Christ? If you answered yes to any of the above questions maybe your spiritual alarm clock should be going off right now. Paul didn't say it is about time to awake. He said it is high time to awake! We can't sleep until the Lord comes back. There is much work to do and we should look forward to it, not with dread, but with great anticipation.

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THE WORD IS ALIVE

Hebrews 4:12 For the word of God quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.
Many believe that the Bible is an ancient book and it is out of date. They believe that it is just words that mean nothing special. If they would read it and search it they would find it is just what this scripture says it is.
It is alive and powerful. It is never outdated. It even tells of things that have not happened yet, but believe me, they will. It has the power to change the lives of those who search it for truth. In it you can find the Way to Heaven. You can find the Truth about your sin and salvation through Jesus Christ. You can find the path of Life eternal in Him and Him alone.
It works like a mirror, revealing you to yourself. It works like a beacon guiding you toward God.
No, it is not outdated. It is not obsolete. It is alive and powerful and it has the answers to what man needs in the world today.

WHERE IS THE LORD GOD OF ELIJAH?

2Kings 2:14 And he took the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and smote the waters, and said, Where is the LORD God of Elijah? and when he also had smitten the waters, they parted hither and thither: and Elisha went over.
We should be more like Elisha. He knew that he was to take Elijah's place and that God had worked great miracles through Elijah. When he came to the water he called upon God to part the waters where he could cross.
We too often instead of asking God to part the waters wander up and down the bank looking for a log or a shallow spot. We act as if God used up all his miracles when the new testament was finsihed. I can speak from personal experience that I have been on the receiving end of several major miracles. The Lord God of Elijah can still part the waters.
The book of James says, James 4:2-3 Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not.(3) Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.
One reason we don't witness as many miracles is because we pray selfishly. When we ask for things to glorify God we can witness some pretty spectacular miracles in our life. Where is the Lord God of Elijah? He is just one prayer away for those who wish to glorify God.

BE COURAGEOUS

Joshua 1:7 Only be thou strong and very courageous, that thou mayest observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded thee: turn not from it to the right hand or to the left, that thou mayest prosper whithersoever thou goest.

Sometimes we mistake courage for not being afraid. Actually not being afraid is not courage, it can be insanity. There er thou goest.are many things we should be afraid of and not to be afraid of them is just not normal.
Courage is going ahead and doing what needs to be done in spite of our fear. We know that it takes courage to charge ahead in the heat of battle. We know it takes courage to tackle some great task. What we fail to recognize sometimes is that it takes courage every day to do the little things we are afraid of.
It takes courage to speak in public. Fear of speaking in front of people has kept lots of people from teaching a Sunday School class or giving their testimony. Remember that many of the people who are speaking to crowds(including preachers) are also afraid, the just do it anyway in spite of their fear.
It takes courage to do something new or something out of the ordinary. It takes courage to do the little things we are afraid of. When you are afraid to make that phone call, to invite that friend to church, to say something about the Lord, remember courage is not about not being afraid. It is about doing the right thing in spite of your fear.

WANTED DEAD OR ALIVE

Romans 14:8 For whether we live, we live unto the Lord; and whether we die, we die unto the Lord: whether we live therefore, or die, we are the Lord's.
If the only reason God saved us was so that we could go to heaven then it stands to reason that He would have taken us on the moment we were saved. This scripture lets me know that we are left behind for a purpose.
He has given us the gift of life and then when we accept Him we have a purpose in that life. That purpose is to Glorify Him.
We glorify Him by our obedience. Our obedience should come out of thankfulness and out of love for Him. It should please all of us to know that God wants us here, and He wants us living for Him.
When we think of things this way it should make us more optomistic to face each day. "This is the day that the Lord has made, Let us rejoice and be glad in it."