Beware: Later May Never Happen

Some people say: "I've got plenty of time to come to Jesus; I'll wait until I'm ready." Yet, Jesus said in John 6:43b GWT -- "People cannot come to Me unless The Father Who sent Me brings them to Me."

The moral of the story: If you feel drawn to Jesus, come to Him now. Beware: Later may never happen. 

Give away your life... To Jesus, not someday, but today as you sense The Father drawing you to His Son.

Grateful 

Let Us Pray, Today!

As pastor of our local church, today I have scheduled a 7-hour prayer vigil from 1:30 p.m to 8:30 p.m. The event seems so ordained of God to me.

My partners who pastor alongside me will lead sessions of seeking God every hour on the 1/2 hour. I will lead the final hour from 7:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

If you read my blog in time, I invite you to join in praying with us from wherever you are. If you read my blog later, take an hour in the afterglow of our prayer block and call out to The Lord Above for Holy Spiritual Awakening in our world below.

2 Chronicles 7:14 is a good place to begin. Also, I have the words of Jesus recorded in The Gospels on my mind, yes, these three words especially -- ask, seek, knock.

Seems to me that when we pray together, it is in some way an answer to the prayers our Great High Priest, Jesus, is praying. So, let us pray, today and day-by-day.

Give away your life... Seeking His Face.

Grateful

"If You Want Me To" (Ginny Owens)

The music of Ginny Owens, a blind recording artist for Jesus, has been blessing my heart this week. At the link below, after a short interview with Michael W. Smith, Ginny sings her signature song. It will touch you deeply.

 Click here: Ginny's Story + Song, "If You Want Me To" - YouTube

Give away your life... To Holy God Who has a plan for Your Life.

Grateful

Impossible?

"God loves with a special love the one who has a passion for the impossible." 

-- General William Booth, Salvation Army

"Commonly, there are three stages in work for God: Impossible, Difficult, Done." 

-- Hudson Taylor, Missionary Pioneer 

Give away your life... To The God In Whom All Things Are Possible.

Grateful 

#Sin #Lose

Today, it should appear evident to anyone paying attention that our country is going off a moral cliff. Even our president rejoices outwardly as he unashamedly declared on his Twitter feed that #LoveWins! Why is he celebrating? All because today same-sex marriage, by a vote of 5-4 by our Supreme Court, will become the law of the land in every state across the USA. 

I know God and I know God is not rejoicing in this celebration. Jesus wept in Bible times and He still weeps in these times. 

My heart is pained. It seems from The White House down, popular opinion is all that matters. Does anyone care about what God cares about anymore?

Ultimately, everyone has the right to choose whatever path they want to go down for their own lives. I understand that. But must we celebrate moral collapse in our country? In God's world? And call it Love?

On my Twitter feed, I posted this prayer about the same time the president was praising sin:

God, Your people #cryout for 1of2 answers from Heaven:
(1) A Holy Ghost Revival
(2) The Son of Man's Return
#sinlose

Now, I understand my message theme given to me by God months ago for this Sunday: "Refusing Love, Choosing Hell!" Lord have mercy.

Give away your life... To True Love, Holy God, Who has already Won and Who will ultimately make winners out of those who seek His face and turn from sinning to worshiping Him.

Grateful

Heart Unchanged?

"The worst of all mockeries is 'a religion' that leaves the heart unchanged." 

-- F. Whitfield

Want your heart changed?

Give away your life... In right relationship with Jesus.

http://youtu.be/cUjUvoynGMM

Grateful 

"Like a Mourning Dove" (I Cry to You)

Like a Mourning Dove

I cry to You.

It's another Day,

But You're still You. 

For this new day

Your mercy renews.

Gray skies, now?

Giving way to blue!

You hear my heart.

You know my mind.

A God like You?

Oh, what a find!

Your Love is real.

Your touch so kind.

I now can see!

No longer blind.

One day I'll greet you

Face to face.

And thank you for

Amazing grace!

But until then,

I know you're mine.

And forevermore, yes... 

I am Thine!

Give away your life... To Him -- Jesus!

(Click on images of Mourning Dove for full-frame view.). 

Grateful 

Prodigal

Emotional painting by Charlie Mackesy titled "The Prodigal Daughter." 

(Click on image for full-view.)

Give away your life... To The Loving Father.

Grateful 

Father's Day: "I Know What Love Is"

On this first Father's Day since my Dad went to Heaven, I preached on "Lessons I Caught From My Dad." 

At the conclusion, the song below was sung, because as a result of the Presence of Jesus in my Dad's life and now in my own, "I Know What Love Is."

http://youtu.be/-UxDf5d2SjI

Give away your life... To Love, To God.

Grateful 

I Need God Desperately...

"May I never forget that I need God as desperately on my good days as I do on my worst." 

-- Keith Wiseman 

Give away your life... Everyday to God.

Ocracoke night light and day marker. (Click image for full-frame.)

Grateful

Feeling And Faith

"Feeling always seeks something in itself; faith keeps itself occupied with Who Jesus is." 

-- Andrew Murray

Lord, remind us deep within that feelings come and feelings go. Also, convince our faith that You come and You stay. We want to live always, yes all if our days, by faith, for without faith it is impossible to please You. In Jesus' Name. Amen.

Give away your life... Believing Jesus!

Grateful 

8 Words of Comfort

Today, I received 8 words of comfort from someone who loves our God and who loves "his pastor", as he often calls me. 

I now share these 8 words with you. Please receive them and be comforted:

BE

AT

PEACE.

THE

LORD 

IS 

AT 

WORK!

Give away your life... To Peace, Himself, JESUS!

(Click on image below for a full view of a masterpiece recently painted by The Master of Peace -- yes, an evening sunset along Ocracoke Island, N.C..)

Grateful 

"Lust or Love"

"Lust means literally -- "I must have 'it' at once, and I don't care what the consequences are. Lust is a characteristic that does not belong to the life hid with Christ in God. Love is the opposite; love can wait endlessly."

-- Oswald Chambers 

Give away your life... For The Love of Christ.

Grateful 

Know Who Jesus Really Is?

Do we, like the Samaritans in John 4, now know Jesus for Who He really is?

(Click on text below for full-view of John 4:42.) 

Give away your life... Wholeheartedly,  The Savior of The World. 

Grateful 

My Emotions... Deeply Moved...

These words from John 2:23-25 (GWT) have served to deeply move my emotions this week:

"While Jesus was in Jerusalem at the Passover festival, many people believed in Him because they saw the miracles that He performed. Jesus, however, was wary (skeptical) of these believers. He understood people and didn't need anyone to tell Him about human nature. He knew what people were really like."

Lord, change us, change me. Amen.

Give away your life... In loyalty to Jesus, miracles or not!

Grateful 

Capt. Billy's Headstone In Place

As I entered the Virgie Mae Cemetery on Harkers Island to view my Daddy's just-put-in-place headstone, three Mourning Doves took to flight. When a friend asked me how my day had been, I replied: "It's been a Three-Mourning-Dove-day."

And here's Daddy's headstone. 

 

Give away your life... To The Resurrection  and the Life -- Jesus. 

Grateful 

All Mine... All Thine...

Jesus...

.. Be All Mine...

And... Make me...

... All Thine.

Give away your life... All to Jesus. 

Grateful 

My Bright Fire

This song from The Voice touched me when I first heard it and it still soothes my soul. 

http://youtu.be/h927INoXOdg

Give away your life... To Jesus, Our Bright Fire. 

Grateful 

"Full Access"

Jesus took a fisherman and turned him into a shepherd." 
-- Oswald Chambers

God can do anything with our lives if we allow Him full access to our all.

Give away you life... Totally to God.

Grateful 

"Evil Into Good..."

These gracious and powerful words spoken by Old Testament Joseph -- to his brothers many years after they had sold him to foreigners -- are speaking to me so beautifully today:

(Click on text below for full-frame view.) 

Give away your life... To our God who turns evil into good. 

Grateful 

Be a Friend...

Lord, my prayer these days... 

...and always...

...is... 

...that I will be a friend... 

...that reminds my friends...

...of the hymn...

..."What a Friend We Have in Jesus!" 

http://youtu.be/a5ApbIcYtcI

Give away your life... Be a friend.

Grateful 

"The Truth Sent Us The Spirit of Truth!"

(Click on text below for full-frame view of Jesus' words of prophecy.)

Give away your life... To The Truth, Jesus.

Grateful 

"Holy Togetherness!"

"Beware of attempting to live a holy life alone." Oswald Chambers 

In Ephesians 2:4-6, The Apostle Paul reminds us:

1. God made US alive TOGETHER.

2. God raised US up TOGETHER.

3. God made US sit TOGETHER. 

Remember, the US or TOGETHER aspect is always the work of The Holy Spirit -- Holy Togetherness. 

Give away your life... Exit your isolation. Enter the congregation. 

(Click on text below for full-frame view.) 

Grateful 

Rest In the Nest

Today, I've had a day to reflect a little. So often the rhythm of our lives needs a timeout so we can focus on beautiful things close by our own homes. 

Since my Dad passed onto Glory in November of 2014, my Mom has been most content at the Homeplace; she says it something like this: "I find my rest in the nest." Mom's surroundings are simple but adequate and she is so very content. Her comfort comes from The Lord's presence in the little earthly nest He has given to her.

A few hours ago after mowing our yard, I looked closely around the trees and bushes and found a sacred treasure of nature -- a Robin's nest with four eggs. It excited my heart to think that the God Who cares for birds, surely cares for me. 

Here's a picture I took of the Robin's little nest right in the vicinity of our own little nest.

(Click on image for full-frame view.)

Give away your life... To The God Who Gives Us Rest and a Nest -- Hope and a Home. In fact, Jesus is our Rest, our Nest, our Hope and our Home. (Let's Rest in The Nest, Jesus.)

Grateful 

  

"I Saw The Lord..."

This beautiful "blast from the past" has been on my mind this week. It is John The Beloved's Revelation 1 Vision Illustrated in Word and Song:

Click here: I SAW THE LORD - Dallas Holm - YouTube

Give away your life... To The Glorified Jesus, Himself!

Grateful

Power > Influence

"There is a clear-cut distinction between influence and power. Influence is made up of many things -- intellect, education, money, social position, personality, organization -- all of which ought to be used for Christ. However, power is God Himself at work unhindered by our unbelief... Power holds the secret, yes the power from on high is no other than God the Holy Spirit touching souls through The Living Word, and giving souls birth from above."

-- Dr. A.C. Dixon

Give away your life... And influence for God's Power.

Grateful 

"i care"

In my own life-experience, I am learning there are two quite simple, yet profound words, that are very comforting for me to personally speak to others and very comforting for me to personally hear from others. These two words are... "i care."

There are other word combinations that bring comfort to me. Here are two samples, both song titles:

1. Just Remember Jesus Cares

2. Life is Hard, But God is Good

So, because "i care" here's a link to one of the songs. I pray it will bring you as much comfort to receive it as it gives to me to send it.

http://youtu.be/FXsDfZUgyd4

Give away your life... saying "i care."

Grateful 

"ALL OR NOTHING?!"

"I can do ALL things through Christ Who strengthens me."
Philippians 4:13

"Without Me, you can do nothing."
John 15:5

Separated from Jesus, we can accomplish nothing, yet, if we live in Him, NOTHING is impossible.

Give Away Your Life... All to Jesus. Or Nothing.

Grateful

Men's Sunday Evening Gathering (Afterglow Thoughts)

When asked by a friend, unable to attend our Men's Sunday Evening Keepers of the Light Afterglow Gathering last evening, I gave this personal report:

* The Lord helped us.
* About 95 guys.
* Thanks for praying, friend.
* A lot of the men asked if we could meet more often.
* My main thought from The Lord seemed to be:

"In a world growing cold, it's easy for us to wrongly believe that lukewarm is hot." (No one spoke it aloud, just heard it in my head. I believe it was a case of "God be in my head.")

* Yes, God is helping us, especially me.

Give away your life... Love Well!

Click here: God Be in My Head - Jared Anderson - YouTube

Grateful