Choose your friends wisely
Posted: Aug 30, 2010 at 11:11 AM in Weekly Devotional
1 Cor 5:9-12 TEV
9 In the letter that I wrote you I told you not to associate with immoral people. 10 Now I did not mean pagans who are immoral or greedy or are thieves, or who worship idols. To avoid them you would have to get out of the world completely. 11 What I meant was that you should not associate with a person who calls himself a brother but is immoral or greedy or worships idols or is a slanderer or a drunkard or a thief. Don’t even sit down to eat with such a person. 12 After all, it is none of my business to judge outsiders. God will judge them. But should you not judge the members of your own fellowship? As the scripture says, “Remove the evil man from your group.”
Good morning,
Wow!!! These scriptures have great instructions on how to choose your friends. We need to follow the Word of God very closely because the friends you keep have a huge influence on your spiritual life. Being with godly people will help push you on to victory, or hanging around those who are ungodly will drag you down to defeat.
That’s why the bible has something to say about your friends. That’s why it tells you to separate yourself from the world. Because evil (those who act ungodly) companions will corrupt you.
Now, I’m not talking about witnessing to the unsaved. Jesus himself ministered to sinners. You have to mix with them to witness to them and pray for them. What I’m talking about here are the people you choose for friends.
Just a few days before my dad died (6 years ago this past Christmas) he imparted these words of wisdom to me. He said, “Grant, I would rather have you be holy and lonely than to have many friends and be ungodly.” He was telling me to not be afraid (fear not) of being by myself for a time. Don’t let your feelings make you act in a way not pleasing to God in order to have friends. I will never forget what he said and I choose to live like that every day!
If you want to walk in the things of the Lord, don’t choose friends who walk in the things of the devil, people who talk and act ungodly, who don’t give God any place in their lives. They’ll pull you down! As you hang around with them, you’ll expose yourself to temptation. You’ll get so familiar with sin it will start to appear less repulsive to you, sooner or later, you’ll fall into it.
2 Tim 2:22 NLT says “…Pursue faith and love and peace, and enjoy the companionship of those who call on the Lord with pure hearts.
Have a great week!
Your Servant,
Pastor Grant
Political climate – don’t be weary
Posted: Aug 22, 2010 at 9:21 PM in Weekly Devotional
Galatians 6:9
And let us not be weary in well doing: for in due season we shall reap, if we faint not.
Good evening,
Tuesday, we have an opportunity to make a statement as the body of Christ, voting in the primary. The last 2 years we have seen the United States go through “never thought it could happen” political change and for the christian, one of uncertainty. Since the last election I’ve received several emails from people in the church, fellow pastors and even political candidates discussing the impact of this new climate upon issues which strike at our core as believers, such as abortion, same sex marriage, Israel, and conservative values in general.
All of this has reminded me of William Wilberforce and his campaign against the British Parliament to abolish slavery. During the course of his intense efforts, Wilberforce came to a desperate place of discouragement, feeling he had absolutely no more strength to continue. In this condition he was about to give up, when his elderly friend, John Wesley, lying on his deathbed, was informed of his friend William’s distress. Wesley requested pen and paper, and with a quivering hand, wrote these words,
“Unless God has raised you up for this very thing, you will be worn out by the opposition of men and devils. But if God be for you, who can be against you? Are all of them stronger than God? Oh be not weary of well-doing! Go on, in the name of God and in the power of his might, till even American slavery shall vanish away before it.”
John Wesley died six days later, but William Wilberforce fought for forty-five more years, and in 1833, three days before his own death, witnessed the abolition of slavery in Britain.
Do not grow weary in well-doing, for we can still triumph! It’s exactly when everything looks hopeless that God has opportunity to display His awesome power. Even the great men that changed history needed a word of encouragement now and then – so be encouraged, and be an encourager!
Speak faith into one another and encouragement that we can still make a difference on Tuesday, August 24th and then again in November. God is looking for us to stand up and not be weary in well doing!
Have a great week!
Your Servant,
Pastor Grant
Do what you’ve already learned
Posted: Aug 17, 2010 at 11:11 AM in Weekly Devotional
As a born again believer that has the Word of God in your heart and is living the Word, you can live in victory. You may not have all the answers and there may be allot of spiritual things you don’t understand. But, it’s not those things that are most likely to destroy you. It’s the things you know to do but don’t that usually make you fall.
The bible says in 2 Timothy…..
2 Tim 3:14 KJV
14 But continue thou in the things which thou hast learned and hast been assured of, knowing of whom thou hast learned them;
When I was growing up, every summer my dad would rent a house for 2 weeks in South Haven Michigan on the shores of Lake Michigan. One of my fondest memories during those vacations was our night walks on the beach. Although my dad knew where he was going he would always bring a flashlight which would give the rest of us just enough light to make us feel safe and secure where we were stepping especially until we got to the beach (uneven sidewalks, tree roots sticking up, misc. boating items laying around – beach living).
Unfortunately, my brother and I usually wandered off (just like 2 little boys should do) to investigate something. What do you think always happened? We would get lost and trip over something, run into something while trying to back to the group. Eventually (not always) we would return after following the “BOYS, WHERE ARE YOU?” sound of my mothers voice.
When we got back to the house my mother would inventory our cuts and bruises and say, “I don’t understand why you 2 boys leave the group and run around in the dark in a strange place without a flashlight – you always get hurt”.
That’s exactly the same thing that can happen in your walk with the Lord. He knows what’s ahead and He shines just enough light for you to take one step at a time. Don’t go off somewhere in the dark where you can get hurt. You have to continue walking in the light in order to get where you going.
You may not know why He’s leading you a certain way. You may not understand all the things involved, but God will make up for your ignorance by the Holy Spirit. He’ll see to it that you have victory if you continue in what you know.
It’s important to keep studying and to keep learning. But, remember, it’s not the great revelation you haven’t yet had that will cause you the most trouble. It’s failing to walk in the ones God has already given you. So be faithful in those things. Continue in them day after day and you’ll walk in victory.
Have a great week!
Your Servant,
Pastor Grant
Ps 91:1-4 TEV
1 Whoever goes to the LORD for safety, whoever remains under the protection of the Almighty, 2 can say to him, “You are my defender and protector. You are my God; in you I trust.” 3 He will keep you safe from all hidden dangers and from all deadly diseases. 4 He will cover you with his wings; you will be safe in his care; his faithfulness will protect and defend you.
Confidence – Weekly Devo
Posted: Aug 12, 2010 at 11:11 AM in Weekly Devotional
Matthew 7:24-25 (King James Version)
24 Therefore whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock:
25 And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock.
Good morning,
What is happening in the United States today and in the world can make us lack confidence about our leaders and in general, our tomorrow. Words of frustration, anger and uncertainty fill the radio, television, blogs and newspapers. Everything around us seems to be in turmoil.
But, if you are a follower of Jesus Christ and have built your house, your life on His Word, here’s His promise to you!
Malachi 3:6 (King James Version)
6 For I am the LORD, I change not; therefore ye sons of Jacob are not consumed.
If you will make “God’s Word” the final authority in your life, it will give you confidence when everything else around you seems to want to strip it away. God’s Word said you will not be consumed. If you’ll let what God says settle the issues of life, you’ll be confident when others are confused, peaceful when others are under pressure. You’ll be overcoming when others are being overcome!
Regardless of what the news is reporting, or what your boss is threatening, or what your children are doing you and I need to believe what He says instead of believing what people say. Believe what He says instead of what Satan says. Believe what He says instead of what the circumstances say.
Live in confidence today knowing what God says, “you will not be consumed” if your life is built on my precepts and commandments, and your is life built upon the Rock! Jesus is the Rock!
Your Servant,
Pastor Grant
Weekly Devotional 08/01/10
Posted: Aug 2, 2010 at 6:06 AM in Weekly Devotional
Good morning,
When you read God’s Words have you ever thought to yourself, “What?” or “Huh?” Read this passage in 1 Peter and you will understand what I’m talking about.
1 Peter 4:12-13
12 Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you. 13 Instead, be very glad—for these trials make you partners with Christ in his suffering, so that you will have the wonderful joy of seeing his glory when it is revealed to all the world.
Be glad for these trials? fiery trials? God may let you go thru some trials and even fail sometimes because He wants you to come to the end of your own plans, ideas, strengths, abilities and start relying on His power and start doing what He has planned for you and doing it His way.
God can use your failures to build and mold you for the purpose He has for you. So don’t think because you have had many failures in life God isn’t going to use you. He is doing a good work in you if you allow Him, He’s just not finished yet.
Abraham Lincoln went through five bankruptcies, caused the Union to split, and lost almost every battle as commander in chief in the first three yeas of the Civil War but then…Look how God used him in the last two years of his life, and now he is considered on of the best presidents this country has ever had.
God’s plan will always prosper you and His plan has no sorrow added to it (Proverbs 22:10). God declares in His Word in Jeremiah…
Jeremiah 29:11
11 For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.
God loves you and has a plan for your life, the perfect plan. Follow Him and be obedient to His Word and you will never be the same.
Have a great week!
Your Servant,
Pastor Grant