Pray ye one for another!

The other day at a cottage meeting (a time when the church goes to visit people that are shut-ins) the 95 year old lady made the statement that the least she could do for her wayward grandchildren was to pray for them. I had to think, "that is the MOST you can do". To pray for someone is to talk to the absolutely most powerful being there could ever be, how could that possibly be the least you can do?
James 5:16 says that we are to "pray for one another". It also tells us that "fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much"(NKJV). So not only was the writer saying that we should pray for one another, he makes it clear that it is going to make a big difference.
So what are we to pray for in others lives? The apostle Paul gives us some wonderful examples of his prayers. One of these is in Ephesians 1:16-19. He prays for "a spirit of wisdom", "a revelation in knowledge of HIM," that "the eyes of understanding be opened," and that we may know God's power toward us. What a powerful prayer! Another example is found in Ephesians 3:14-19. He asks that God would strengthen us through HIS spirit, that God would dwell with us through faith, know the love of Christ, and be filled with God! These are some examples of some powerful prays! I would challenge you to take some time every day and bless some believer that comes to your mind, I think you will be surprised how much your prayer "avails".

The one concern of the devil is to keep Christians from praying.
He fears nothing from prayerless studies, prayerless work, and prayerless religion.
He laughs at our toil, mocks at our wisdom, but trembles when we pray.
-Samuel Chadwick

Lets leave a legacy!

A dear friend of my mom, and a Sister in Christ, passed away early this morning after battling cancer for over a year. She was a very joyful lady. There were many times when people (including me) went to visit and encourage her, ended up receiving the greater blessing. Soon after she was diagnosed with cancer she shared with a group of ladies a song she labeled as hers. The chorus of the song went, “I am making plans to see Jesus, because He is making plans to see me”. She was content with passing, in fact she looked forward to it. All through her suffering she expressed peace. Although she wasn’t able to serve others like she was ALWAYS doing before, she said in a prayer just last week, “God, put the pot on, and give me a double portion”. I had to step back and look at the beautiful lady she was in Christ and the great legacy she has left behind. It convicted my heart, to look at the “legacy” I might be leaving behind. So the prayer in my heart is that I would be able to leave behind a Godly legacy for others. That when I am gone others would remember me as a man filled with Christ. Lets leave a legacy! (Comments welcome)

“I want to leave a legacy
How will they remember me?”
-Legacy by Nichole Nordeman

Being in the World, But not of it.

At a bible study the other night I was really challenged by
the subject of “being in the world, but not of it.” What does that
mean? What is the difference? The person leading the study had a
really neat picture of it (as follows). “…broad is the way, that
leadeth to destruction…strait is the gait and narrow is the way, which
leadeth unto life..” (Matthew 7:13-14). You can picture those verses
from the sermon on the mount like this: A broad road with the things
of life on it. Thinks like waking up, sleeping, eating, working,
driving and playing. But on the path there are also many sinful
things. Things like hate, lust, guilt, wrong relationships, lying, and
disobedience etc. Furthermore this path is leading in one direction,
destruction. But in the middle of this path there is a small (very
small) path heading in the opposite direction, Christ-likeness. The
smaller path takes part in the things of life (the first list) but
rejects the sinful things. Instead it partakes in peace, love, freedom
(true freedom), Godly relationships, honesty, obedience, faith, hope,
and joy. The small path is in the middle of the broad path but heading
in the opposite direction.
So how? How do we keep ourselves from being like the world?
It is so easy to be caught in the “down-stream current”. I know, I
know, this is a very common answer but it is SO important that is
can’t be stressed too much; read/meditate on/memorize the Bible. “Thy
word have I hid in my heart that I might now sin against thee” (Psalm
119:11). The Bible will keep you from sin, sin will keep you from the
Bible, remember that. Another way to keep ourselves from the world is
to admit to God that you can’t do it on your own (and cry out for
strength). The surest way to fail is to stand on your own. “Wherefore
let him that thinketh he standeth take head lest he fall” (I
Corinthians 10:12). You’ve probably heard the expression “you are what
you eat”. Well I like to say, “you are what you think”. What you
think, becomes how you act. Do you think on things of the world? The
apostile Paul saw the importance of this when he said “bring into
captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ” (II Corinthians
10:5b). And then later he gave a list of things to fill out minds.
“Finally, brethren , whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are
honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if
there be and praise, think on these things” (Philippians 4:8).
Proverbs 4:23-27 gives a good set of directions as well. It starts out
by telling us to “keep our hearts with all diligence, for out of it
are the issues of life”. And it ends by telling us to “Turn not the
right hand nor the left; remove thy foot form evil.” Another verse
that tells us how to remain unspotted from the world is Colossians
3:2. “Set your affection (singular) on things above, not on things on
the earth.” I want to end on one last verse. This I think is key.
Romans 12 :2a: “Be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed
by the renewing of your mind.”

The Substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.

On Saturday, the prayer in my heart was that God would show me what he wanted me to post here. So when I opened up my bible for devotions I read Hebrews chapter 11 (The Faith Chapter). As I meditated on the verses I thought, maybe this is what I am supposed to share.” But I dismissed the thought because I thought it would be to hard to write about faith. Then I prayed again for a message and went about my daily work. That evening I went to a bible study and guess what the topic was? Faith! And the passage was Hebrews 11! So then I thought “ok, maybe I am I supposed to write about faith.” All doubts were removed when I got home and my family was watching the movie “Faith like Potatoes.” God surrounded me with the topic of faith till I eventually got the picture. So I decided I had better see what God wants me to say about faith and not fight it any longer.
So what it faith? Hebrews 11:1 says that, “faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen.” Noah Webster further defines faith as, “the assent of the mind to the truth of what is declared by another, resting on his authority, without other evidence.” So faith is simply taking what God has said in His word (and through His spirit) and believing it without material proof. As someone once said, “He is as real to me as that car sitting out there.” Hebrews 11 gives us many examples of such faith. Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph are just a few. Faith is important. So important that the author of Hebrews (probably Paul) said that, “without faith, it is impossible to please Him: for he that cometh before God must believe that He is…” (11:6). If we can’t believe that God is real, that His word is true, and that He loves us, we can’t please God. Pleasing Him should be our goal in life. With out faith, not only is it impossible to please Him, but we can’t be saved (John 3:16). A life lived fully for God will show evidence by faith (Galatians 5:22). Faith is key, it is necessary for salvation, without it we are lost. If your faith feels weak read Hebrews 11. I guarantee that reading those great stories of faith will encourage you. All of those people faced great trials and tribulations, but “by faith” conquered them. In the sight of impossibility they chose to believe in God’s faithfulness.
I Just felt led to say that. I pray that God will bless some soul with this feeble attempt to define faith. As always comments welcome, and wanted. In Christ, Benjamin

God's Chisel

This is a video I found the other day. I thought it was really good. So I decided to share it with y'all.

Matters of the Heart

A person I know made a comment one day that really stood out to me. He said, “The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.” Not only was that comment true for the topic that we were discussing, but for so many other things as well (maybe even all things). So many “good” things we can do can really be “bad” things because of our hearts position in doing it. Like the people Jesus described as white washed tombs (The Pharisees). They looked great, but on the inside they were filthy. So how do you know your own heart? Well, what we are really made of tends to come out on way or another. There are two ways that come to mind, the first is what we do in private. I heard it said this way. “You are only as good of a person as what you do when nobody is looking” (or what is in your mind but not said). The second way the “real you” comes out under pressure. The “real you” comes out when your back is against the wall. When every thing is going wrong and the heat is up. How would you respond. That is you. It is very important to “keep your heart with all diligence, for out of it are the issues of life” (Proverbs 4:23). God promises blessing on a person with a well kept heart (and cursing on an evil one). “I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give to every man according to his ways” (Jeremiah 17:10). So lets keep out hearts! (Comments/corrections welcome).


"I will praise thee, Oh Lord,
With my whole heart!”
(Psalms 9:1)


An interesting fact: God must really regard the matter of the heart highly. The word heart is mentioned 83 times in the book of Proverbs. 83 times in just one book!

Addicted to the Ministy!

The other night my sister and I went with some friends to hear a family sing at a church a little ways from our house. When the singing was done the father stood up to tell us a little story. There was a preacher who lived near Canada that met a Canadian family who invited him over for breakfast some time. One Saturday he decided to take them up on the offer and went driving for the border. When he was in Canada he realized something, he had forgotten their names, and where they lived. He stopped at a gas station and explained what the people looked like. The attendant got a little smile on his face and said, “Oh, I know were you are going”. And gave him directions. Two other times he got lost and explained to someone what the people looked like, every time they got a little smile and said, “Oh, I know where you are going”. When he arrived they sat down at the table and had breakfast. The father handed him the Bible and asked him to lead in devotions. Being a minister he decided he had better be ready “in season and out,” so he opened the bible and began to read. Half way through the chapter he looked up and saw the whole family was sitting there with there eyes closed, drinking in every work he was saying. After dinner the father and boys showed him several tracts they had, and asked him what he thought of them. They showed him around the dairy. While they were touring it a milk truck pulled up. As soon as the driver came to a stop the boys went right up to him and began sharing the gospel with him. After the tour the wife gave him a loaf of bread and a dozen of eggs and sent him on his way. When he reached the boarder the guard asked him if he had anything, and he replied, “Yes I have a loaf of bread and a dozen of eggs”. The guard smiled and said, “I know where you have been, have a good day”, and let him pass. The preacher went home so encouraged by this family that was on fire for Jesus.
The father of the singing family then shared a verse in I Corinthians 16. The verse (15) was about the house of Stephanas. It said that they were addicted to the ministry. They loved God’s work so much, that they were addicted to it. I just had to think, that is how it really should be for all of us. What a challenge. Do I enjoy doing the Lord’s work so much that I am addicted to it, that I just couldn’t do without it. What a challenge. If you have anything to add feel free to leave a comment!