Grow Stronger Roots

Restore the Ruined

Since I have begun working on my degree from Andersonville Theological Seminary, I have not had as much time to write like I was and wanted, but here is another great post from my great friend and Brother in Christ, Pastor Harry Connor, who earned his Masters of Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary

I will restore to you the years that the locust hath eaten, the cankerworm, and the caterpillar, and the palmerworm, my great army which I sent among you – Joel 2:25

Do you have chapters in your life that you wish you could rewrite? Do you have regrets or sorrows or wounds from past sins? I certainly do, I have made so many mistakes in my life that I wish I could go back in time and change, but that is impossible.

God has given us a wonderful promise that he does not only forgive the repentant sinner , He heals the repentant sinner. Although it is true that we may suffer life-long trials because of sinful choices in the past, the Lord is able to restore the years that you may feel have been eaten up by guilt, sinfulness, or immaturity.

God says, “I will restore to you the years. How can this be? Will he reverse our life’s clock, will he turn back our calendar? No. But God is able to pack so much living, so much vitality, so much blessing into the years that you have remaining that you will be enabled to live a life-time of joys and victories and pleasures in the remaining years you have left.

Remember the thief on the cross? Here was a man who had squandered all his life on murder, thievery, and selfishness. And, yet, God arrested him in the waning moments of his life, brought him to repentance and faith in Christ, and then used the fleeting few minutes he had left to leave behind him an everlasting testimony of God’s grace to save, to pardon, to instruct, and even to resurrect.

No matter how the chapters of your life have been written thus far, know this: when you repent and turn to Jesus Christ for salvation, he is able to multiply to you the remaining years of your life and use you mightily for his kingdom. He is willing to receive the repentant, and he is able to restore the ruined.

Let Your Light Shine

Since I have begun working on my degree from Andersonville Theological Seminary, I have not had as much time to write, but the other night at men’s study I taught a lesson on the commands of Christ during His earthly ministry, I found more than 40 and Mark 5:16 was one of them. So I thought it apropos to share this post from my great friend and Brother in Christ, Pastor Harry Connor, who earned his Masters of Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven . Matthew 5:16

Everyone appreciates good works. Many people do good works. Philanthropists, volunteers, and even Hollywood stars are seen doing good works around the globe every day. But “good works” is not what God is interested in. God is supremely concerned for the glory of God.

It is for this reason that Jesus was not satisfied to simply command charitable deeds, random acts of kindness, or the many other good works that all the world hails. Rather, Jesus tells us, “Let your light so shine” that when people see your good works, they will praise, not you, but, your Father in heaven.

When you have opportunity to help others, be courteous, show love, give of yourself, are people encouraged to give you credit, or do you point them to Christ as the source and motivation for any good that you do? It is so easy for our pride, our selfishness, and our people-pleasing nature to take even our best Christian efforts and turn them into an occasion for self-glory.

But, amazingly, Jesus himself never did that. He always pointed to his Father, gave his Father credit, directed the attention to his Father. If the Son of God himself would disdain to receive the acclaim of men for His good works, how much more should our lives be mirrors that reflect the glorious goodness and grace of our God?

Be a Joshua

Since I have begun working on my degree from Andersonville Theological Seminary, I have not had as much time to write like I was and wanted, but here is another great post from my great friend and Brother in Christ, Pastor Harry Connor, who earned hisMasters of Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary

And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood ,or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD. Joshua 24:15

Joshua was a great leader, not only by giving good admonition but by his example. He told the people of Israel that, if they were not going to serve the Lord, it really didn’t matter which false god they chose because one was just as bad as the other. But his public declaration was this, my decision is made, my mind is set, my house will serve the Lord. Sometimes fathers fail to make such a bold declaration and so leave their family struggling without the benefit of a committed leader.

We see from Joshua’s life, both before and after this bold proclamation, that these were not just words that he spoke , this was a commitment that he lived. Much can be learned from this single-minded man of God.

When he was sent to spy out the land of Canaan, he and Caleb were the two who came back not only with a positive report about the land, but expressing confidence that with God’s help they could possess it. He was not overcome by the influence of the majority report, the popular opinion, the “common” sense. He stood firm by his convictions. He was faithful and stable as a leader. He relied on God’s promises and continually encouraged the people.

Joshua also showed concern for the next generation. He had the Israelites set up twelve stones as a memorial when they crossed Jordan so that, when questions would be asked about their meaning, parents could tell their children about God’s great power in rolling back the waters. And Joshua served faithfully to the end. He did not bow out claiming he had already done his part earlier in life, he served till he died at 110 years old, there is no retirement from serving the LORD.

Let us learn from his life of faithful service to make a commitment without wavering, to put God first in all things, and to draw strength from his promises. As for Joshua, and his house, they boldly served the Lord. Will this be your determination, as well?

Gospel Film: Salvation

This is one of the best salvation films I have seen put together. Very cinematic, yet stays true to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. If you know him, solidify your faith by watching. If you don’t know Him-PLEASE WATCH as this will change your life!

After you watch if you have any questions feel free to contact me, I would be happy to answer or more fully explain. May you be deeply blessed with His Mercy and Grace!

Patience and Hope

Wait on the LORD: be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the LORD . Psalm 27:14

The reason that we many times do not see or feel the Lord is that we are not waiting on the Lord. We are still on our own timetable and we are still running madly ahead of God and hoping he will catch up to our plans. This is a problem we all have, one that I am guilty of; my wife will testify to this fact. But that is not how God works. He doesn’t change just because we are fickle and he does not hurry just because we are impatient.

Believer, I do not doubt that your trial is real, that your burden is heavy, or that your discouragement is deep. But put your eyes upon this promise, wrap your mind around this word: when we wait courageously on the Lord, he will strengthen our hearts. God is never late and he is never insufficient.

What will the future bring? Wait on the Lord. When will this sorrow end? Wait on the Lord. How can I survive this ordeal? Wait on the Lord. How should I handle this decision? Wait on the Lord. The answer echoes through the tunnel of time and from the soundboard of millions of satisfied saints. Wait, I say, on the Lord.

The trial may not go away tomorrow, but neither will the strength that God has promised to give you. The pain may not diminish, but neither will his grace. Isaiah 40:31 – But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew [their] strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; they shall walk, and not faint.

Guest Post: Choices

Guest Post from a dear friend of over 30 years, brother in Christ and very successful entrepreneur and business builder. He has been a great mentor, teacher, and trainer to me, not just in business, but life itself. Robert Wittig knows all about choices and the impact of those choices on life, but keeps his focus on the most important decision of his life.

Choice: Now or Never — Photo by Daria Shevtsova on Pexels.com

One of my major themes as I grow older is that “All Choices Have Consequences.” Think very carefully about this choice. – YOUR MOST IMPORTANT DECISION.

“The Lord isn’t really being slow about his promise, as some people think. No, he is being patient for your sake. He does not want anyone to be destroyed, but wants everyone to repent.”—2 Peter 3:9

The most important decision that you’ll ever make is far more important than what career path you choose or whom you marry, as important as those decisions are.

No, the most important decision that you’ll ever make is what you will do with Jesus Christ who died on the cross for your sin. He paid for every wrong you’ve ever committed, and He rose from the dead. Now He stands at the door of your life and knocks. He says that if you’ll hear His voice and open the door, He will come in.

The question is, will you open the door? Or, will you pretend that you don’t see Him? To refuse to open the door when He’s clearly there knocking is a rejection. So you can either open the door and ask Christ to come in, or you can leave the door closed and effectively say to Him, “I don’t want You in my life.”

Is that what you want to do? Jesus said, “He who is not with Me is against Me” (Matthew 12:30 NKJV). Your choice today is saying “yes” or “no” to Jesus. And here’s the result of your choice: Heaven or Hell.

Hell is real, and the last thing God wants is for anyone made in His image to spend eternity in this horrible place created for the devil and his angels. You will have to practically climb over Jesus to get there. But if you are determined, then God will allow you to pursue the course you want. And you’ll have no one to blame but yourself on that final day.

Instead, what God wants is for you to be forgiven. God wants you to go to Heaven. He wants a relationship with you, a friendship with you. And He wants it to start now.

God Knows Me

God Knows me. O Lord, thou hast searched me, and known me. Psalm 139:1

Notice two things from this brief statement. First, it recognizes the fact that God knows us, is intimately acquainted with us. Second, it is a prayer. It is a prayer from the psalmist, talking to God, and recognizing God’s ever-presence with him.

This is the essence of walking with God. It is allowing our realization of God’s constant presence with us, and intimate knowledge of us, to lead us to talk to God. Walking with God means speaking to God any time, anywhere, while we are doing anything.

It is learning to talk to God constantly, because we have come to realize that God is constantly with us. There is never a time when we can say, “God’s opinion of this does not matter.” Nor is there ever a time when we should feel, “God is not here with me; he does not care about this situation in my life.”

Our goal, like the psalmist expresses, should be to live in a deep awareness of the intimate knowledge that God has of us, of our circumstances, and even of our thought life. And such an awareness should lead us to talk to God through the ins and outs, the ups and downs, of everyday life.

Gratitude

I was just putting together a new post about Gratitude, (I will still post mine later: A study in John 9) when my dear friend and brother in Christ sent this for posting; Pastor Harry Connor, who earned his Masters of Theology from Andersonville Theological Seminary

Gratitude Feb 13, 2021 Make a joyful noise unto the Lord, all ye lands… Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name . Psalm 100:1,4

Thanksgiving above all involves communication with God. This is why the psalmist specifies that our thanksgiving is to be “unto the Lord”, within “his gates” and “his courts”, and expressed “unto him”. Thanksgiving only takes place when we are talking to God. Paul tells us to always be thankful, 1Th 5:18 In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

We can try to develop a contented heart, we can express to others how grateful we are but it is not thanksgiving until we are talking to God and expressing our appreciation to him directly. Contentedness is not thanksgiving. Expressing a general sense of “being blessed” is not thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is you telling God, “Thank you!” Therefore, thanksgiving is only happening when prayer is happening.

However, it is also true that there is a public aspect to giving thanks. This is why gratitude is in the Bible constantly connected to the public proclamation of God’s glory. Here the psalmist exhorts “all lands” to make a joyful noise. Even while we are talking to God, there is also an element of thanksgiving that is public worship and proclamation as well.

So thanksgiving is first and foremost prayer. Yet it is not biblical thanksgiving if it remains only and always private. True thanksgiving overflows in public, prayerful proclamation of the goodness and glory of God. Thanksgiving is private, grateful prayer gone public!

Unity Now More Than Ever Christian

The following is a guest post from my Pastor, whom I take note every time he speaks. Not because I think him a great man, but because I count him a great man of God; who preaches, teaches, and lives a life of Biblical truth. Imperfect in this world, but perfected through the blood of Jesus Christ for eternal life. Pastor James Clidence of Freedom Baptist Church.

How good and pleasant it is when God’s people live together in unity! Psalm 133:1

This verse’s truth has traversed through the ages. We are all different. Each one of us has different likes and dislikes. We have different humor, political leanings, personal opinions, and standards. Yet the Bible teaches us that in spite of our differences, we can dwell in unity. Well, how is this unity obtained? Some may say that it is obtained by further dividing. In our current age, it seems that we only associate with people who have similar interests, but Biblically that is not how we gain unity. I say to you that the only way we as people of God will unify together is through prayer. Ephesians 4:26, Acts 2:44; Acts 2:46-47 all give us how we are unified. Through prayer we give ourselves more to the Holy Spirit, so by prayer, as we are all more given, we can more be unified.

This does not mean all of us will be exactly the same, and we should rejoice in that! All of us are different. God has given us all gifts that we can use to further reach out with the Gospel. We should not disparage someone because of how they reach out, instead rejoice that the Gospel is given out!

When a church is unified in the Spirit, we can rejoice like the Bible says in Psalm 133, but when the church is divided. It can not stand (Mark 3:25).I write this as a challenge and a warning. Each and everyone of us can be used by Satan to break the unity. Gossip, negativity, unloving speech, hatred, unBiblical based criticism, etc. can lead to disunity. We need to always be wary of what we say and do.

From our Clothes’ to the Tips of our Noses

Following is a guest post from a very dear friend and Brother in Christ. Pastor Barry Seacrest: Senior Pastor at First Baptist Church of Seaford.

Please consider the following, reading it slowly. I write it for me. I needed to write this out and publicize it as a witness.

My body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. No question. God has pointed out to this preacher’s heart that I must lead my people to be aware

.Christ “looking on my heart” involves every decency, including modestly and reverently, appropriately, cautiously dawning the doorstep where we come together as a people. This also includes modesty everywhere because what is in my heart permeates my trichotomy. As I studied Ex. 30-31 this morning, the physical representations (shadows of the past) scream loudly that even the way I smell ought to be a thought in reaching out to this present age. God looooves details and decency. We don’t.

Coming into the “congregation of the righteous” has been a special, distinct and preparatory process mentally, spiritually and even physically, for 1000s of years, but not in the last 40 or so. We aren’t evolving. We are devolving. We don’t know better than the millions who have gone before us… but instead Christ’s words are finding meaning, “will there be faith in the earth?”

If we plan to give our best, will that be in my trichotomy? Any place that is set aside for His people to come and worship together should be uniquely viewed. It always has been, even upper rooms and places of low degree…that’s what makes us peculiar and the place of worship in the congregation, a special one. We no longer seem to reverently present body, soul and spirit to Him as carefully as we once did. The “temples” are not coming together in an attitude of reverence as we fellowship. “My best” seems to only include my tithe, and a few inner details of the heart, if that. From the beginning, however, God longed for us, by the washing of the water of the Word to yield offerings that included our trichotomy. This is no longer important (heart, soul and body). Sad.

What does my devotion look like to Him in my trichotomy? Personally, I have decided I no longer care what is acceptable to the present age. What is acceptable becomes more slovenly every year. Styles, whether of the heart, soul or body are ridiculous and unimportant to God. He wants purity, through Christ. He wants the best I have. That may look different for different people, but it will always be the best I have. I pray He will work in me to give Him all. The best I have, whatever that be, must be the only offering.

Perhaps others will give differently. That will be their choice. Maybe giving uniquely from the way I give or yielding something distinct from me in their trichotomy is all they know. In that case, I am sure God will only hold them accountable for what they know. However, I can’t give what they give knowing what I know. I have been taught different. I will be held accountable for knowing that my trichotomy must yield up the best I have, from the deepest molecule of my heart to the very fabric I decide to place on my outer shell. He must have my best as we come together in that special place.

By Pastor Barry Secrest
First Baptist Church, Seaford, DE