The Immoral Flood

This past week, I watched a beaming leader of our nation, sign a repeal of "Don't ask, Don't tell."
The group of lawmakers, a few military leaders and others gave a rousing response upon the signing. I watched in stunned shock. Had we really reached this point as a nation? The point that our fighting force, the greatest in the world had been force fed the idea of instituted perversion disguised as "fairness." We have crossed a barrier that is vitally important to maintain the focus and cohesiveness of our fighting forces. We have forced the rights and lifestyle of a few over the freedom of many. This will place folks in vulnerable situations during a wartime deployments. As a former service member (one who deployed into a combat zone) I can state from my perspective, this new wave of "rights" and "equality" force-fed to our military, is a tremendous danger to our national security, and to those who serve. I see massive problems ahead for our military. We are turning our backs on the God who has blessed our nation and our fighting forces, and thumbed our nose into the face of God and God's word. I fear for our country now more than ever. We have gleefully opened the floodgates for any kind of immorality we can imagine, and we welcome it with smiles and thunderous applause.
God help us.

A Supernatural Trust

At this point in time today, many pressures are upon us. We have more concerns and fears than at any time in recent memory. The moral compass in our nation is broken, the financial stability of our families, communities, and our nation are strained to the point of breaking. The hopes we have of a comfortable tomorrow, seem dashed. Mistrust of everthing and anyone around us is becoming prevelant. It's hard to find a man of any character in leadership in Washington and the security we have rested in and enjoyed in our nation seems to have vanished faster than we could have believed. People have lost jobs, savings, retirement security and many have even lost the very homes they live in to foreclosure. I have begun to earnestly appreciate the little things of life and the simple things are becoming important to me again. Our reliability on material, finacial, and medical care seem to to be vanishing right before our very eyes. Many times in history, man has been brought to this point for good reason, so all we can do is to look up, call out to God, fall on our knees and trust in God and God alone. He is our provider and our security. Right standing with God brings hope, trust, joy, peace and a supernatural reliance that far surpasses anything man can ever offer.

Comfort Zone

For the first time in my Christian walk, God is challenging me to take a huge step for him, I mean really step out! I have felt him pulling me gently, speaking to me by the Holy Spirit and guiding me into a new ministry. I have been hearing his voice in prayer and in my time in God's Word. I am moving into territory I have never been before. I have a mix of emotions and apprehension. Why? Why would I dare even question what God is asking of me? I've worked in just about every aspect of ministry their is. He's always been with me, guiding me and providing all the tools I've ever needed, so why am I feeling like I do now? Because he is asking me to walk in complete faith and trust in him working through me and not in my abilities. Simply stated, he is calling me out of my comfort zone. A tall order for me. I feel so inadequate, so unworthy. Yet still, he calls me. For over eight months I've known what he wants me to do, but I have resisted because I never saw a door or an oppurtunity. He has been preping me and equiping me. I see the way clearly now. He opens the door and I walk through in faith. The Holy Spirit is called the "Comforter" Therefore, my comfort zone is anywhere I go in his name!

Change

As seasons change during the year, we notice visual signs and sense differences around us. Churchs are no different than anything else. Sometimes, a season within a church begins to change and we experience a noticable affect. We are entering a different season within the church I attend. For some time now, we have noticed and sensed the environment changing. People have come and people have gone. The air has begun to change and their is a noticable freshness. Of all the seasons, Spring brings with it the most affect. Colors appear, you see small buds on the trees, people go out and interact more, unoticed flower buds break ground and suddenly appear, we trim bushes, grass and the most noticable thing of all, are the smells of a spring day. Dozens of fragrant plants and flowers permeate the air and we look for blooms and brilliant colors. Thank God for the changes of the seasons of life. God gives them to us for a reason, to show us newness in life and to appreciate his creative power, that we might grow with the seasons.