God is with us even when we are having a bad day.  My phone went for a swim on Monday. Monday's are my Sabbath and even though I have all the normal things to do on my day off, just like you I try to re-create myself.  I do the things like change my bed sheets every Monday and do laundry and clean the house, but the whole time I am thinking when I am done I will rest and play.  Monday this week was no different.  I worked and then I went to the pool. It was a beautiful day to lay by the water and read.  When I got ready to leave I was walking and talking on my phone--(you never really get a day off as a Pastor) and I slipped and fell.  The phone in my hand flew into the water and headed for the bottom (bad phone).  Needless to say I grabbed it but not before it had swallowed quite a large sum of the deadly liquid (well to a phone it's deadly liquid).  To my surprise when I grabbed it the person I was talking to was still on the other line; but not for long. Deadly silence, "noooooooooooooooo", it was too late my Samsung had died.

I went home and buried it in a grave of rice.  I have head that works.  I am praying for a resurrection in three days.  I have laid hands on it and prayed.  In the meantime I have gone through the process of getting another phone, not because I lack faith but they say they are never the same once they have a drink of that deadly liquid.

So I decided I wasn't going to let the lack of a cell phone get me down and control my life.  I was going to choose to fast my cell phone for three days instead. I was going to talk with God every time I would normally be talking on the phone.  Car time is office time for me.  It is when I do most of my phone work. So I called God and He was with me instantly.  I told Him all about my day.  I shared with Him that I was sorry I hadn't thought of this earlier.  He and I would meet in my car for three days and talk all the way to work.  Immediately He told me, "You are my beloved."  I know God loves me but at that moment of despair He was there.  He was in my car. He was talking to me.  All I had to do was call upon His name.  Once we talked I could have cared less about not having a phone.  Never really thought about it the entire day.  God is with us. God was with me all morning in the car and I knew He had been everyday I drove to work but I was always busy talking to others about God and God's business instead of God himself. (Well not all mornings sometimes I only talked with Him but it was praying for others not just talking to Him)

Sometimes it takes a crisis no matter how small to begin to see God is with us.  We are so busy working for God we forget to be with God.  The entire reason God sent Jesus to the earth was so that He could be with us.  Don't wait for a crisis to enjoy the fact that God is with us. Don't get so caught up in the tasks and routines of the day that you forget to talk with God because He is with us and He may just have something He wants you to know.

PS If you are trying to contact me call my office 304-292-7283 or email me at [email protected] until my new phone arrives.

​

Yesterday I shared with you about my grandson looking for me and feeling alone when he couldn't find me. This is something we as people never out grow.  No one wants to find themselves alone.  However, many of us are or will be alone at some point in our lives.  Finding ourselves with no one around could happen because a loved one dies, divorce occurs, or even temporary separation for reasons such as war.  Situations may vary on why we end up alone but we must remember God is with us.  He promises never to leave us or forsake us as we read yesterday.  In the above verse God goes further and reassures us He is with us even until the very end of the age.  

I like the above quote by Lysa.  When we drawl close to Him He can help us separate truth from feelings. So often we feel alone when in reality if we would just get quiet and wait upon the Lord He would assure us He is there.  Sometimes loneliness shouts one thing but reality whispers another.  We as Christians have to learn to listen to His still small voice in a world that shouts all sorts on contrary messages to us. At times like these it is up to us to get into the word and let the word get into us.

We can feel alone in a crowded room.  Sometimes it is not the absence of people that causes us to feel alone but the absence of the Holy Spirit.  When we are not intimate with someone for long periods of time then a sense of distance arises.  No one went anywhere but we feel separated.  What do we do?  We begin to spend time together again and share conversation about how we feel and what we think and the closeness returns.

The Holy Spirit wants to be close to you today.  Right now spend a little time with Him.  Remember He is a person and He wants to be close to you.

​

I had my grandson's with me this weekend.  It was wonderful.  They adore me and I adore them.  Every minute they are with me I am actively involved with them.  We are either playing with Play-Dow or going for a stroller ride, taking our bath, making cookies.  Whatever we are doing, we are doing it together.  

At one point I stepped out onto the porch to look at something and my older grandson couldn't find me.  He panicked and screamed "Nonna"!!!!!  It startled me because I never heard him scream so loud. I bolted through the door only to find his little body shaking and tears on his face.  

I thought for just a moment.  This is how the entire world will feel when they find themselves alone without God.  I needed to teach my grand son that I would never leave him.  Nonna will always be here. "You are never alone at Nonna's house".  "Nonna isn'g going to leave you.".   As soon as those thoughts passed I heard from the Lord; "You also need to teach him about me because when you are gone I will still be here."

When is the right age to teach children about God?  I guess it is ever too early.  Start today. Join me tomorrow on more on this subject.  You are not alone.

Deuteronomy 31:6 (NIV) "Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you."

​

For the last 5 days we have been looking at the Power of the Seed.  Today we conclude our series.  I would love to hear your thoughts on this week's blogs.  

​When Christ spoke to the fig tree, it didn’t look like anything had taken place. The next day, however, they saw the fig tree dried up from its roots. What happened? When He spoke to the fig tree where did the Word go? The answer is the Word entered the future.

This should encourage you because there are times when we don’t see anything happening. It doesn’t matter because we are fixed in our faith that understands the seed of that rhema word is fast at work doing what it is called to do. And, like the disciples the day will come when we say, “Master, behold the seed of your Word has produced a great harvest.”

What a great lesson this was for the disciples. They learned three power laws of the Kingdom of God.

1. They learned the seed knows what to do even when they don’t.
2. They learned the seed has dominion authority in this earthly realm.
3. And they discovered the seed enters the future waiting for their arrival.

There is another power law of the kingdom of God. It’s the law of beginnings. The law of beginnings states that everything new in your life starts with a Word from God. That new beginning is in that seed. As you pray this week, listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit. He is your helper. Perhaps he has already revealed something to you. If so, take Christ at his Word in that parable. He said the seed knows what to do.

All next week we will kook at the "Law of Beginnings". 

We have been looking all week at the power of the seed.  In our mouths and in our hands we hold our future and the present of many people.  Are there things in your life you no longer need?  I have heard it said, "one man's junk is another man's treasure."  Many of us buy what we don't need and then let it lay around until it is of no good to anyone.  Sale it. Sow it. Trade it, but don't waste it.  If you are not a good steward why would God give you more seed?

Paul assures the Corinthians that their generosity does not come at the risk of future poverty. On the contrary, generosity is the route to prevent future deprivation. “God is able to provide you with every blessing in abundance, so that by always having enough of every­thing, you may share abundantly in every good work” (2 Cor. 9:8). 

Although Paul is clearly speaking of material generosity and blessing, we must be careful not to turn an assurance of God’s provision into an expectation of getting rich. God is no pyramid scheme! The “abundance” Paul speaks of means “having enough of everything,” not getting rich.  However God does exceedingly abundantly more than we could think or ask so we may very well become wealthy.  The difference between wealthy and rich is amazing.  Rich means an abundance of a or some substances. Wealth is an abundance of riches.  I would much rather be wealthy so I sow every time I get a chance whatever I have to sow and daily I become more wealthy.

This has obvious applications in giving away the fruits of our labor, that is, in donating money and other resources. But it applies equally well in giving of ourselves during our labor. We need not fear that by helping others succeed at work we will compromise our own well-being. God has promised to give us all that we need. We can help others look good at work without fearing it will make us look lackluster by com­parison. We can compete fairly in the marketplace without worrying that it takes a few dirty tricks to make a living in a competitive business. We can pray for, encourage, support, and even assist our rivals because we know that God, not our competitive advantage, is the source of our provision. We must be careful not to distort this promise into the false gospel of health and wealth, as many have done. God does not promise true believers a big house and an expensive car. But he does assure us that if we look to the needs of others, he will make sure that our needs will be met in the process and if He chooses He can meet those needs exceedingly abundantly....and He does.

​Get in the God business it pays in this life and in the life to come.

Today is part 3 of a 5 part Series on the "Power of the Seed".  I am so excited for many of you and what you have ready to spring up in your tomorrow.  I love as well this time of year because I am eating part of my harvest.  I planted tomatoes in the very beginning of June and now not only am I enjoying them but all my neighbors are too.  If you lived close you would be enjoying them too.  See I not only had a harvest of tomatoes waiting for me in my future but I also had abundance.

Ephesians 3:20 (KJV) "Now unto him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us,..."

You already know within every seed is a harvest. If you plant one corn seed, you are going to get back way more than one corn seed. You’re going to get a harvest. This means that a seed contains a harvest. Not just any harvest but your harvest! “So where is the harvest,” you ask? The harvest is waiting for you to arrive in the future.

It is important for you to be sowing everyday of your life. Sow good deeds and reap good deeds. Sow letting someone out in traffic and just when you are running late that harvest is waiting to satisfy!  We can never out give God! We can never win over God in the "Giving Game" of life. 

The “one who sows sparingly will also reap sparingly, and the one who sows bountifully will also reap bountifully”.

2 Cor. 9:6 (KJV) "6 But this I say, He which soweth sparingly shall reap also sparingly; and he which soweth bountifully shall reap also bountifully."

Prov. 11:24–25 (KJV) "24 There is that scattereth, and yet increaseth; and there is that withholdeth more than is meet, but it tendeth to poverty.25 The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself."

The one who gives generously, God can and will cause all sorts of blessings to abound.

Jesus taught when the Word of God is spoken it will do what it is sent to do. In other words, the seed has dominion in this earthly realm. The seed knows what to do. Jesus rebuked storms, turned water into wine, cast out devils, healed the sick, and raised the dead. The people saw this, “And said one to another, what manner of man is this, that even the wind and the sea obey him?” (Mark 4:41).

Remember when Christ cursed the fig tree? He was not giving his disciples a lesson in how to curse fig trees. He was teaching them about the dominion authority of the spoken Word of God in this earthly realm. In this lesson, he also showed them that the Word was working even though they didn’t see it at the time.

We have a wonderful future if we will just do as the word instructs us! Start today!

One of the power laws of the kingdom of God is this, the seed knows what to do. After a dead seed is planted in the ground, it knows what to do. Can you imagine that? Somehow it manages to spring into life and produce a harvest.

Farmers have no problem taking something that is dead and planting it in the ground then expecting it to grow. Somehow the farmer knows it will grow, and he doesn’t know how. The farmer doesn’t care how he just expects it to do what dead seeds do after they are planted - grow. That’s what we call faith. After all, how can a dead seed grow? We knoweth not how.

This is our subject for the week. The power of the Kingdom of God is like a seed when planted in a persons life it grows.  However like a seed has to be in the right place under the right conditions so does the word of God.  You and I are to take every opportunity to speak (sow) into a people but it doesn't stop there.  We need to do all that we can do get the person into the right enviroment (church) where the word is preached (sunshine and water).  Then we pray and we don't understand how it happens but God causes that seed to grow.  

The same process goes to work in other areas.  We plant peaches we harvest peaches.   We plant tomatoes we get tomatoes.  We plant love we get love.  We plant helps we get helps.  We plant money we get money.  We plant discord we reap discord.  Therefore it is very important what we go around sowing.  Plant what you want to grow in your life.  Ask God to give you mercy and a bummer crop in the areas that you have sown what you do not want to harvest.

The Kingdom of heaven is that simply.  If we want eternal life we take hold of the seed that was planted over 2000 years ago and confess with our mouths that it was planted for you and I.  Then by faith we reap eternal life.  

Now start planting today what you want to harvest in both your life and in the lives of others.

Mark 4:26-33 (KJV)  “And he said, So is the kingdom of God, as if a man should cast seed into the ground; And should sleep, and rise night and day, and the seed should spring and grow up, he knoweth not how. For the earth bringeth forth fruit of herself; first the blade, then the ear, after that the full corn in the ear. But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle because the harvest is come. And he said, Whereunto shall we liken the kingdom of God? or with what comparison shall we compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when it is sown in the earth, is less than all the seeds that be in the earth: But when it is sown, it groweth up, and becometh greater than all herbs, and shooteth out great branches; so that the fowls of the air may lodge under the shadow of it. And with many such parables spake he the word unto them, as they were able to hear it.” 

I read an article the other day about the kingdom of God and it got me thinking.  What do I know about the Kingdom of God? This week will be looking at what the Bible tells us in comparison to the principle of the seed that Jesus spoke of in the word of God.

When the Holy Spirit releases the Word of God into our life, it’s like a seed planted in our hearts. Christ taught his disciples how the kingdom of God operated by explaining to them the unstoppable power of a planted seed. The Kingdom of God is unstoppable.  Just like one seed can bring forth a harvest of many seeds one christian on fire for the things of God can cause a great forest fire. The death of one man (Jesus) is still birthing many son today...even you and I.  

This is an amazing kingdom of God principle; the seed knows what to do. I don't know how I can take a dead seed and put it in the dark ground and without any works of my own watch the plant rise from the ground towards heaven.  God put His word in my heart and it too was dark and without any works of my own, my life began to grow towards God and His purpose for my life.  I started going towards the light.  I wanted more of His word (like a plant needs the rain) and more of His sunshine (His love).  

Now my life can be like that grain of mustard seed that grew up into a tree and now the fowls of the earth can lodge in.  I can bring forth good things out of my life.  I have created a little heaven on earth.  Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.  I am not my own.  I have been bought with a price.  It is no longer I that lives but Christ in me.  

Farmers have no problem taking something that is dead and planting it in the ground then expecting it to grow. Somehow the farmer knows it will grow, and he doesn’t know how. The farmer doesn’t care how, he just expects it to do what dead seeds do after they are planted - grow. That’s what we call faith. After all, how can a dead seed grow? We knoweth not how.

This is an amazing kingdom of God principle; the seed knows what to do. Let the seed of God (the Word) grow in you and watch what God does with your life.

​Today concludes our study on the 5 Wells of Isaac.  I pray you have been enjoying the insight these Wells give us on how we are to behave or respond when others are jealous of us, argumentative towards us, and accusatory towards us.  We are still to have the character to bless them as we see today from Genesis 26:23-33.

The fifth well:  RESTORATION (verse 23-33)
Now came a strange turn of events.  Out of nowhere, his enemies appeared and asked for his forgiveness and blessing.  Isaac made them a feast, and their relationship was permanently restored with a covenant.
That day, they hit another well.  Isaac named it Shebah, which means “seven” or “oath.” 

The Lord will cause your enemies to restore back seven times what has been stolen from you.

Proverbs 6:30-31  (NIV) "People do not despise a thief if he steals to satisfy his hunger when he is starving.
31 Yet if he is caught, he must pay sevenfold, though it costs him all the wealth of his house."

Isaac outlasted his enemies.  Isaac stayed true to the character of God. When reviled against he reviled not in return.  He trusted God to vindicate him and that is exactly what God did.  This is a perfect picture of what Jesus does with us. Just like their relationship with Isaac was restored--our relationship with God was restored. Jesus did not get entangled with his accusers but blessed them just like Isaac.

Luke 23:34 (NIV) "Jesus said, "Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing..."

1 Peter 2:23-25 (NIV) "23 When they hurled their insults at him, he did not retaliate; when he suffered, he made no threats. Instead, he entrusted himself to him who judges justly. 24 “He himself bore our sins” in his body on the cross, so that we might die to sins and live for righteousness; “by his wounds you have been healed.” 25 For “you were like sheep going astray,”[a] but now you have returned to the Shepherd and Overseer of your souls."
​
God is in the restoring business and when we are about His business He will be about our business.

This week I have been sharing with you a series I preached on Wells.  This is just a small portion of a 3 part sermon. Thank you for joining us on our forth well in the 3rd sermon.

The fourth well:  ROOM ENOUGH (KJV Genesis Chapter 26 verse 22)

At last, a breakthrough came!  Because Isaac “acted” and didn’t “react,” the enemy finally had to leave him alone.  He outlasted all his critics, opponents, and accusers. The fourth well was uncontested.  Isaac named it Rehoboth, which means “wide open spaces,” or “room enough.”  No longer was everything he did controversial and contested.  Now it was prosperous and abundant.  He had won out over the enemy because he did not quit and he continued to stay clear of conflict, and arguing.  Isaac had learned not to quarrel over what God had already said was his.  He believed and therefore he possessed. 

It would be great if once we won a battle we never had to fight again.  Unfortunately in the Kingdom of God we have won the war but we face battles as long as we live.  The goal is for us to learn from each battle and become stronger for the next battle.  We stand and fight and sometimes we do that by being quiet and trusting God.  

There is a great book by Rick Joyner called Final Quest.  It is one of the books that changed the way I view life and the battles we face.  I would encourage you to read it and see for yourself how important it is to learn at every level of the journey and take what we learn to the next level we find our self on.  We are never to forget what we learned when we go to the next level.  If we get into pride then it is as if we have a huge red dot on our backs that the enemy can see and target us and even shoot us.  We may not even know we have been hit with the arrow of pride but every one else will know.  The spiritual strength will be flowing out of us and when we need the strength to carry on we will find ourselves insufficient.  

Isaac continued to pursue water.  He found what he was looking for. We usually find what we are looking for, so we need to be looking for the right things.  If Isaac would have been looking for a fight he would have found one.  If he would have been looking for an excuse to quit he would have found one....

What are you looking for? Are you looking for the promises of God? Then you will probably find just that.  Are you looking for an ear to listen to you complain? Then you will find that instead.  Bottom line do you have an Isaac spirit? Will you not engage in petty arguments and lower yourself to the level of the devil? Or will you continue to be lead of the spirit and trust God will bring you into a wide open space. Isaac did.  You can too.

Tomorrow we will look at Well #5.  Until then hold your peace and keep seeking the living water!