There are times in each of our lives that rain falls, hard times come and it helps to reach out to our friends and to our God for a little support. This is the place to express those needs, concerns and situations so others in the AAPK family can keep you in their prayers.
orvet wrote: ↑Thu Jun 22, 2023 7:10 am
I am currently reading in the book of Isaiah. This passage from Isaiah 26: 2- 4 seem to stand out to me tonight.
This passage is part of a song that Isaiah said would be sung in Judah. I think it is very comforting and applies to us today.
" Open the gates, that the righteous nation that keeps faith may enter in. You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord God is an everlasting rock." Isaiah 26:2-4 ESV
I find this to be a very encouraging passage, they promise that God will keep us at perfect peace if we keep our mind focused on Him.
That's pretty appropriate, orvet. I was just reading something like that Tuesday night. I am ashamed to say I can't remember exactly what is was as my Bible knowledge is paper thin, but I do remember the passage referring to us keeping our eyes on God and not the evil. More or less of, "Watch Me, not them."
I've gone so far as to delete conservative news sites and Twitter accounts I followed off of my search windows, so the temptation is not there to look.
I think you have gotten the main point of the scripture you read, even if you don't remember the chapter and verse. The meaning is what's important and I think you've gotten that.
We live in a very fast-paced world with lots of input and lots of distractions. They may be good things that are distracting, they may be neutral or they may be bad things that are distracting us from keeping our focus on God.
Many years ago I had a friend on this forum who was a young man, with a wife and young children. He became obsessed with pocket knives. He had asked me a couple questions and then he sent me a PM saying he was leaving AAPK and he was no longer going to collect pocket knives. He said he realized that pocket knives were a distraction to him and he could not to collect them now because he was not taking care of his family and he was not following the Lord.
There is nothing wrong with pocket knives, nothing inherently evil there, in fact I find them quite pleasant. But for my young friend he had allowed them to become a distraction from both the Lord and from his family. I applauded him for his wisdom!
Distractions can come in many forms, sports, cars, boats, fishing, hunting, books, movies and even the news. None of them are necessarily evil in and of themselves. But when we become distracted or obsessed with something we often become frustrated and even fearful.
The devil is a liar and the father of lies. But all he has is deception, lies and distractions. He has no power over the Christian, just smoke and mirrors that he uses to distract us and cause us to be afraid.
Jesus had an answer for that- "I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” John 16:33
Thanks.
When the whole world is a bad car wreck that does, in some ways, affect you (inflation, gas, food, etc.), it's hard not to rubberneck, or in the case of the internet and social media, "rubbereye." With the way things are now, it's so hard to not look because you wonder what the &%$# is going on now?!
There's a pull, at least for me, to keep looking, peeking and peering, because I wonder what IS going on. And will something bigger affect me soon or coming down the line. But.....that's where God and Jesus come in. Watch them, look at them, not at Biden or BLM, etc. If we kept our eyes on the Bible, devotions, etc, as much as we do the social media news, conservative sites and the like, we'd be in a better frame of mind. And i'm mostly talking to myself when I say that.
There is always a train wreck happening somewhere. Sometimes it's in the world around us, sometimes in the life of our children or sometimes in our own lives.
I have had to learn the hard way to allow these things to drive me closer to the Lord, otherwise they drive me crazy, and away from the Lord.
The Lord listens to us and he cares about how we feel and what we have to say. When my daughters husband died you said to me, "Papa, I am so mad at him right now!" I was a bit slow on the uptake and I asked, "Who are you mad at sweetheart?"
"God! He could have healed him!" she exclaimed. I said, "Well talk to him then. Tell him how you feel."
She told me later that she did talk to God and it was the best advice I could have given her. I can see from her life that her conversations with God have had a definite positive impact on her life and the life of her son.
Sometimes the train wreck we're going through at the moment prepares us for something even more traumatic in the future. When I went through my divorce, I took a job that was about a two and a half hour commute each way from my home. That gave me 5 hours a day with God as a captive audience in the car with me. We talked a lot! That season in life prepared me for what some would see as a train wreck now, my wife having cancer. If I had not spent those five to six hours a day talking to God 25 years ago, I would not have the experienced faith that I have today that gets me through some really times with my wife's health now.
Take a walk, take a drive, go into your workshop or your prayer closet and talk to God. Tell him what bothers you, tell him what you're concerns are and don't be surprised when he you starts answering you. Learn to listen because he often speaks and is still small voice but sometimes he speaks so loud you can't miss him. Don't be surprised if he answers by redirecting you to something that is even a bigger issue that you missed entirely. I can attest to these things from my own experience talking to and listening to the Lord.
Talk to him and listen, listen, listen. He will not disappoint you
6 "Lift up your eyes to the heavens,
and look at the earth beneath;
for the heavens vanish like smoke,
the earth will wear out like a garment,
and they who dwell in it will die in like manner;
but my salvation will be forever,
and my righteousness will never be dismayed.
7 Listen to me, you who know righteousness,
the people in whose heart is my law;
fear not the reproach of man,
nor be dismayed at their revilings.
8 For the moth will eat them up like a garment,
and the worm will eat them like wool,
but my righteousness will be forever,
and my salvation to all generations."
I just finished reading the book of Isaiah last night and there were several things that stood out in my mind. One of them was in Isaiah 55.
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;" Isaiah 55:6 ESV
This brought to my mind another scripture from The Book of Amos.
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God,
“when I will send a famine on the land—
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
and from north to east;
they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord,
but they shall not find it." Amos 8:11-12 ESV
I think we would do well to heed the admonition found in Isaiah, to "seek the Lord while he may be found," especially in light of the warning found in the Book of Amos.
I think we live in a culture where these things could very well happen. There is increased cultural opposition to things that have to do with the Bible, God and Jesus Christ. Not only do we find opposition culturally, but it is even penetrated into some Churches where they have compromised biblical standards and biblical truth for the relativism of our culture.
Spiritually speaking it is a dangerous time we live in my friends! The world does not have an answer for its problems. We will only find the answers when we seek the Lord.
orvet wrote: ↑Tue Jun 27, 2023 6:26 pm
I'm glad you found it helpful Garry.
I just finished reading the book of Isaiah last night and there were several things that stood out in my mind. One of them was in Isaiah 55.
“Seek the Lord while he may be found; call upon him while he is near;" Isaiah 55:6 ESV
This brought to my mind another scripture from The Book of Amos.
“Behold, the days are coming,” declares the Lord God,
“when I will send a famine on the land—
not a famine of bread, nor a thirst for water,
but of hearing the words of the Lord.
12 They shall wander from sea to sea,
and from north to east;
they shall run to and fro, to seek the word of the Lord,
but they shall not find it." Amos 8:11-12 ESV
I think we would do well to heed the admonition found in Isaiah, to "seek the Lord while he may be found," especially in light of the warning found in the Book of Amos.
I think we live in a culture where these things could very well happen. There is increased cultural opposition to things that have to do with the Bible, God and Jesus Christ. Not only do we find opposition culturally, but it is even penetrated into some Churches where they have compromised biblical standards and biblical truth for the relativism of our culture.
Spiritually speaking it is a dangerous time we live in my friends! The world does not have an answer for its problems. We will only find the answers when we seek the Lord.
Amen!
Take care and God bless,
Steve
TSgt USAF, Retired
1980-2000
But any knife is better than no knife! ~ Mumbleypeg (aka Ken)
I was reading in Jeremiah and this passage stood out to me.
"Thus says the Lord: “Let not the wise man boast in his wisdom, let not the mighty man boast in his might, let not the rich man boast in his riches, but let him who boasts boast in this, that he understands and knows me, that I am the Lord who practices steadfast love, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, declares the Lord.”
I'll be honest up front and tell you I have glanced over this thread but not read it in it's entirety. So I don't know if I'm in keeping with the intended subject matter or not, but here I go.
As we prepare to celebrate our nation's 247th year of independence I have many concerns and thoughts in my mind about this country and about all of us that now make up "We The People." I've been in God's Word studying how God has dealt with nations in the past, how he has blessed them and how he has punished them for their life's actions and beliefs. In this weeks "The Prayer Warrior" that I write and distribute for our church my theme on the front of it is Psalm 33:12 "Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord....."
Today the news is very seldom positive and rarely speaks of God or the power of prayer however, it is full of the evil and depraved actions of many around the world including just about every city and town in America. I've heard from many including my own Pastor that we are now living in a "post-Christian" society and that people no longer see the need for "organized religion" when they can be their own god and determine their own destiny. There are people that believe that many religions, if not all, should be considered as "domestic terrorist" because we won't endorse the liberal woke policies that are being promoted in today's society. How can anyone support any of these so called politicly correct changes, most of which I think defy the Holy Bible, and still say "In God We Trust?"
Then I think of 2 Chronicles 7:14-15 "if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land. 15 Now My eyes will be open and My ears attentive to prayer made in this place." I can only hope and pray that "We The People" will see the mistakes that have been made and that we all will humble ourselves, turn to God and pray for forgiveness and restore our relationships with the Heavenly Father before He removes His protective hand from America.
Written on an insert for "The Prayer Warrior" I put a short history titled "A New Nation" that tells why the date of July 4th was picked by the founding father's and the story of the full poem "Defense of Fort M'Henry" by Francis Scott Key, but only the first verse is now known to us as "The Star Spangled Banner." And at the end of the insert I've written the following:
"As all Americans celebrate America’s 247th birthday let us not forget that despite all our problems we are still the most blessed nation in the world. Our freedoms were not freely given, so let us celebrate with thanksgiving for our freedoms while we remember with reverence all the men and women throughout our history that have paid the price with their sacrifices and their blood to ensure that “We The People” remain free “One Nation Under God.” Please pray daily that God will continue to bless the United States of America. May our nation’s motto “In God We Trust” be revived and ring true in every human heart more than any other time in our history. Celebrate Freedom, Celebrate America"
If my words are confusing or my post is inappropriate or in the wrong thread I sincerely apologize.
David Roberts
U.S. Navy and D/FW International Airport Retired
Prayer Changes Everything
Wonderfully said!
This is a Bible study and it's intent was to focus on what the Bible says, means and the discussion of. You didn't go out of any boundaries with your statement / opinion.
“Blessed is the man who trusts in the Lord, And whose hope is the Lord. For he shall be like a tree planted by the waters, Which spreads out its roots by the river, And will not fear when heat comes; But its leaf will be green, And will not be anxious in the year of drought, Nor will cease from yielding fruit." Jeremiah 17:7-8 NKJV
I wanted to share a video, a Fourth of July message by Jonathan Cahn. Jonathan Cahn is a Messianic Jewish rabbi. He has authored a number of books that draw a parallel between ancient Israel and America. He applies the warnings God gave Israel about following other gods to America.
I share this video here, because it has to do with both the scripture and America.
I hope you enjoy it and that everyone has a blessed and safe fourth of July.
MissouriGuerrilla wrote: ↑Mon Jul 03, 2023 4:54 am
I wanted to share this article of Billy Graham. This was from 1975 and it's almost scary how accurate it is to today.
An excellent read!
Thank you for sharing that. What Billy Graham Road in 1975 was true then, and it's even more evident today as we see evil multiplied around us!
I have been away from politics for awhile and I just took a peek. God help this world. I truly believe we, as a world, are in one of the worst times in mankind's history. Dear God. I am in utter disbelief. I see why people think end times are nearer than ever before.
orvet wrote: ↑Mon Jul 03, 2023 2:48 am
I wanted to share a video, a Fourth of July message by Jonathan Cahn. Jonathan Cahn is a Messianic Jewish rabbi. He has authored a number of books that draw a parallel between ancient Israel and America. He applies the warnings God gave Israel about following other gods to America.
I share this video here, because it has to do with both the scripture and America.
I hope you enjoy it and that everyone has a blessed and safe fourth of July.
As I read through the history of Israel and Judah in the Old Testament I find there are many times when they had strayed away from God and worshiped the false gods of the Canaanites.
When this happened God would send Prophets to call the people back to him, sometimes they listened and sometimes they did not. When they did not listen they were carried off into captivity and had to serve foreign Kings.
When they did listen to God, the leaders of the Jewish faith, the priests and the King would repent and turn back to God. When they did that and the people would also follow and return to worshiping God and tear down their idols.
I believe the church in America is in such a time of turning away from God. Before the nation can return to God the church itself must return to God. The Church repent, pray for forgiveness and turn their hearts back to God. The church needs to repent of allowing the a sins of this world to become entangled in the church. We have been compromising far too long, it is time the church falls to its knees and repents. We must remove the worldly things from the church, the things that are in opposition to God.
"Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me." John 14:6 NKJV
This verse is foundational in any Christian Church that believes the Bible. Notice that Jesus said he is the truth. We live in a culture where everyone can have their own reality, everything is relative including, some believe, truth. But truth is not relative, truth is the person of Jesus Christ. He is God and in God there is no change. There are no Shades of Gray, just black and white, right and wrong, Truth and lies.
For too long the church as a whole has accepted little compromises, little lies and they have allowed them to penetrate into their teachings, beliefs and practices. This has severely weakened the church and made us very ineffective at proclaiming the gospel, which is our mission.
We have allowed the world and the forces of Hell to put us on the defensive, but the church is not made to be on the defensive. We are to be on the offensive!
Jesus said "Upon this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it." Matthew 16:18 KJV
Even before his death and before the beginning of the church Jesus is outlining the nature of the church, it is to be offensive, not defensive. What he says in this verse is that the Gates of Hell will not prevail, or be able to stand up against the power and the might of his church!
Sadly, it seems just the opposite today, many churches have been so weakened by compromise that they cannot stand against the gates of hell. To correct this we need to repent, seek forgiveness and seek God In prayer and in His Word!
David gives us a prayer in Psalms 51 that would be a good prayer for the church today. This psalm was written after Nathan the prophet came to David and confronted him about his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband. A prayer that David cried out to God would be a good one for the church today.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
Dale, your comments have great accuracy; they are in fact the truth. The Church, including each of us, needs to repent of its sins and implore the Lord's grace.
Luke 14:23 "Then the master said to the servant, ‘Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled."
From my studies of being a witness and reading Luke this morning I've written this.
For decades many of our church leaders left the sharing of our faith as optional. Some pastors never preach on being a witness and sharing the Gospel with the lost. We all went to church weekly, maybe even taught a Sunday School class, then home for lunch and a nap and we all thought we had done our Christian service. Now, not just America but the whole world is suffering the consequences of our lack as Christians in sharing the Gospel. People say it's "the church" and it's responsibilities to the people, well folks we are the church, not just the pastor and deacons and not the building, YOU and ME.
Current studies that I've found reveal that coming out of the covid pandemic approximately 20% of our population still attend Church regularly, that is a staggering number to me. Satan has filled the void with unprecedented dis-function, anger and obscenity. As it was with Children of Israel in the Old Testament, our hearts have turned to false gods and idols and turned cold toward God and his plan for our lives. Remember "Where God is not, Satan is."
Matthew 5: “16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” God’s called us to be the Light of the World, so the world can see Him through us and to want what we have. We need to be living a "Christ centered life" in everything we do and to show joy and happiness through our faith in Jesus Christ for all to see. Every believer bears equal responsibility for being the light, sharing the Gospel and for the fate of our country.
Matthew 28: 19-20 “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” Amen. The Great Commission does not say ‘Go ye, all who are especially gifted or are in full time ministry.’ No, we’re all commanded to be witnesses for God, to take the Good News to the world and not to just sit on the sidelines and watch.
These same studies reveal that approximately 80% of the un-churched know our world is out of control and would like to believe there is a God. Even more amazing is that 83% already have a Christian in their life that they trust. But less than 1% of us are obeying God’s command and telling them about Jesus. God’s given us all the influence we need to make America a Christian Nation again. We will ignite America with Revival only when we all get on our knees, confess our sins, pray for the salvation of the lost and commit to be a witness for Christ.
Hope you can make sense of what I've tried to say...God Bless Everyone
David Roberts
U.S. Navy and D/FW International Airport Retired
Prayer Changes Everything
