Friday, May 9, 2014

Remembering God


Today’s Bible readings 1 Samuel 5:1-7:17, John 6:1-21, Psalm 106:13-31, & Proverbs 14:32-33


Psalm 106:13-15
13 Yet how quickly they forgot what he had done! They wouldn’t wait for his counsel! 14 In the wilderness their desires ran wild, testing God’s patience in that dry wasteland. 15 So he gave them what they asked for, but he sent a plague along with it.

It tends to be human nature to forget all that God has done for us. We see this in the story of Israel after their deliverance from Egypt. God did many incredible things to bring them into a place of freedom. He performed miracles & worked wonders. Yet, they soon forgot that it was Him & His great love for them that led to their blessings.

We are living in a day when our culture has totally forgotten that it was God who made this country great. God is being excluded form everything in our country today. No prayer in school. No 10 Commandments in the Court Houses. No nativity scenes at Christmas.

It is alarming to me that these things are happening. Yet, my greater concern is what lies ahead if we don’t turn things around. We know the things that happened to Israel as they hardened their hearts toward God. He let them have what they thought they wanted, but they also had to accept the other things that came with their choices. This is where things got ugly.

A lot of decisions are being made today about major changes that will greatly affect our country, our futures, & our children. Marriage is being redefined. Drugs are be legalized. Freedoms are being taken away. These all come at a cost.

We have to make sure that the bride of Christ still shines. We must make sure that we stand strong & tall for our bridegroom. It is important that the church really press into God like never before. Somebody has to carry the torch. That responsibility is ours.

With all the changes around us, we have to have something constant in our lives. That constant thing that we need is Jesus. He never changes. I want to share a few things that I believe will help us keep God as the focus.

1.      Give God the glory.

It is easy to forget that to God be ALL the glory. Each day we can start our day off with us making this confession. We declare to God that our life is owed to Him. He gives us breath. He gives us each day as a gift. We can ask Him to use us for His glory. This is the best way for me to keep God in the center of my life. It also helps me remember that He is who I am dependent upon.

2.      Be a person of thanksgiving.

As long as we remain thankful, we will never fall down the spiral that Israel slid down. Learning to be content with life is a virtue. Our culture is always after bigger & better. This is a trap many times. Just stop & be thankful for what you do have & thank God for giving it to you.



3.      Never lose your passion for reaching the lost.

This is my prayer for the church. I pray that we get a holy hunger back for souls. The heart of God is to reach people. God wants us to build His kingdom. I have learned that I can’t do that on my own. It is hard to reach people. We need the help of the Holy Spirit. The more we hunger for souls, the more we hunger for God because He is the ONLY way to reach & save souls.

Don’t fall into the trap that so many others have got stuck in. Don’t choose the broad path. Choose the narrow path. Be the person who remembers God & puts God first. This is the best way to avoid the harvests of sin.

Pastor Richard Schlotter

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