FROM THE
WORD OF GOD
For the wages of sin
is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Friday, January 31, 2020
Thursday, January 30, 2020
PRAY
ANYWHERE, ANY TIME
Prayer
is an essential part of our Christian life. It isn't enough to get out of bed
in the morning quickly bow our heads and repeat a few sentences, Instead we
need to sit aside specific time to be a lone with God each day. And let prayer
saturate our lives. praying anywhere anytime the Holy Spirit gives us unction .
1 Thessalonians 5: 15-16
Wednesday, January 29, 2020
TALKING TO THE DEAD
In our little
community of Laurel Co. Ky. life was a
bit unusual in today's standards.
We walked to school everyday,can you believe that?
The neighbor kids
would come by when it was school time and we head out.
Picking up more as
we went along.
And as you might
imagine a bunch of kids at our age, our conversations were varied.
kidding each other about a boy or girl friend
got a lot of attention or sometimes,more on the unknown side we might talk about an
Indian grave yard we walked by.
There was a
legend about the Indian grave yard that said they were sacred grounds and you
weren't suppose to go near them.
Being kids the
curiosity of such a thing was strong.
The legend had it if you were brave enough to visit such a yard, you could actually talk to Indians buried there.
That created an even stronger curiosity for us.
So finally our
curiosity's got the best of us, and we drew straws to see who would go first to
the grave yard.
The, legend had it
that you were suppose to kneel down once you were in the grave yard and put
your ear to the ground near a grave and say."Hey Mr. Indian what are you
doing down there?
" and supposedly the
Indian would say "Nothing, Nothing at all." after we all had our turn, we were convinced the legend had it right. The Indians did say
"Nothing, Nothing at all." back to us.
Our curiosity was finally settled.
After that we
returned back to our usual kidding one
other about our boy friend and
girl friends. And other subject only a bunch of kids can come up with.
Coleman Schell
FROM THE
WORD OF GOD
The Lord himself
will come down from heaven, with a loud command, with the voice of the
archangel and with the trumpet call of God, and the dead in Christ will rise
first. After that, we who are still alive and are left will be caught up
together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air. And so we will be
with the Lord forever.
Monday, January 27, 2020
A BIG
BED FOR A BIG MAN
The
Bible describes many individuals as giants, and it also mentions several giant
people groups.
The
third chapter of Deuteronomy contains an interesting account of the victory of
the Israelites over Sihon, the king of the Amorites, and Og, the king of
Bashan. who were Brothers.
It is here that we learn an intriguing detail about
King Og.
The
Bible says Og's bedstead was an iron bedstead.
Nine cubits is its length and
four cubits its width.
According
to our standard in measurements today, that would be 13.5 feet long and 6 feet
wide. (Deuteronomy 3:11).
To put
this in some kind of perspective, if stood up on end, the height of this bed
would have been exactly twice as tall as a person who is 6 foot 9 inches tall.
Og
must have been a pretty big man to require such a bed.
Our
size doesn't matter to Jesus.
You
may not be very tall right now -- and you may never be very tall, but you can
be a giant in God's eyes if you will follow Jesus.
Jesus
only wants us to be willing to follow Him and stand tall for Him, size doesn't
matter .
PEACE TREATY LIKE NO OTHER
God has a plan for
peace, and its found in His Son Jesus Christ, Whom the Bible calls the
"Prince of Peace" But we have rejected God's plan, Wars still rage in
the world and in our lives. God longs to see this rebellion cease, Today God
extends a
His peace treaty to
all who will come to Christ. Psalm 119:
165
Sunday, January 26, 2020
Donkey Speaks for God
When King Balak, the
king of the Moabites, wanted to destroy Israel, he called upon Balaam to call
down a curse upon them but every time he tried to call down a curse on Israel
(Num 22:6), he ended up blessing them (Num 23:11).
So at the request of
King Balak Balaam went but this didn’t please God at all and in fact angered
Him
Balaam was riding on
his donkey, and his two servants were with him. And the donkey saw the angel of
the Lord standing in the road, with a drawn sword in his hand.
There was no way to
turn either to the right or to the left. When the donkey saw the angel of the
Lord, she lay down under Balaam. And Balaam’s anger was kindled, and he struck
the donkey with his staff”
That was all that
the donkey could take from Balaam because it wasn’t the donkey’s fault so “Then
the Lord opened the mouth of the donkey, and she said to Balaam,
“What have I done to
you, that you have struck me these three times?”
Finally “the Lord
opened the eyes of Balaam, and he saw the angel of the Lord standing in the
way, with his drawn sword in his hand. And he bowed down and fell on his face.
Today God still
speaks to us but not through donkeys or through stones nor through walls but in
His written Word the Bible.
You have no need to
hear a word from the Lord from someone else because we have the Bible and we
have pastors, group leaders, and Bible study and Sunday school teachers.
The Word of God is
the clearest, most distinct voice of God there is and we should believe
that…even if you hear a donkey tell you something else.
Saturday, January 25, 2020
A DAY WHEN THE SUN
STOOD STILL
In Joshua 10, Joshua
is coming to the aid of Gibeon, a city that has 5 kings coming against it.
Joshua and his army
march all night long to reach Gibeon.
In verse 8 God says to Joshua, “Do not be
afraid of them; I have given them into your hand.
Not one of them will
be able to withstand you.”
God spoke to the
Sun “Sun, stand still over Gibeon, and
you, moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
Joshua 10 verse 3
says, “So the sun stood still, and the moon stopped, till the nation avenged
itself on its enemies.”
God answered in a
miraculous, POWERFUL and extraordinary way that day for Joshua.
And He can do the same for you.
What battle are you fighting right now that
needs a miraculous answer?
HIDDEN POWER
Have
you ever had the opportunity to visit a Electrical power plant where our power
comes from, to heat our stoves and give us light?
If so
you weren't able to see the power being generated there, but you know the power
is being sent out there to our homes, like wise we don't believe in the Holy
spirit because we can see it, but because of what it can do to change peoples
lives. Acts 1: 8
Friday, January 24, 2020
Walking
with God
When
we walk with God, we enter the dimension where God unfolds the secrets of his
kingdom.
These
are the paths that the ancients trod before us. Noah knew the secret of walking
with God, as well as did Moses.
Through
Christ, you can explore the glorious riches of knowing God like they did—and to
even a greater degree because of the Spirit which has been given to us!
Jesus
told us that he confides his kingdom purposes to his friends (John 15:15).
Our
Lord says, I want to be your friend, your confidant, loyal to the death.
I want
to walk with you, talk with you, listen to you, hear your heart, and
participate in your activities.
Are
you walking and talking with God today, do you have a personal relationship
with Him ?
Thursday, January 23, 2020
Suffering
God is still there
despite any suffering or tragedy you may be experiencing today. But why does
God allow suffering you may ask?
Suffering from God's
Perspective.
Scripture tells us
that God has the tenderness of a father towards his children:
As a father shows
compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.
For he knows our
frame; he remembers that we are dust. (Psalm 103:13-14)
Suffering from our
Perspective
From a human
viewpoint, suffering often seems unjust, as it did to Job when his suffering
seemed out of all proportion to anything he might have done to deserve it.
But the Bible also
explains (and many of us can testify to this from our own experience) that
suffering can be the very thing that drives us back to God when we have drifted
away from Him:
Before I was
afflicted I went astray, but now I keep your word… It is good for me that I was
afflicted, that I might learn your statutes. (Psalm 119:67, 71)
God whispers to us
in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain: it is his
megaphone to rouse a deaf world.[2]
HOW DID THEY DO IT?
The early church had
no buildings, no printing presses, no radio, no television, yet they turned
their world upside down for Christ. what
was their secret? The Bible gives us the
key; "They were all filled with the Holy Spirit." What keeps us from
turning our world "upside down" for Christ? Acts 2:4
Wednesday, January 22, 2020
Gideon,
the Underdog
God
loves an underdog.
It’s
like when an unranked college team upsets a ranked team and they storm the
court after the upset.
Gideon
is a perfect example of the underdog but God often chooses those who the world
has little expectations of so that He can receive the glory that He rightfully
deserves .
When
the angel of the Lord came to Gideon and said, the “Lord is with you, O mighty
man of valor” (Judges 6:12).
“Go
now in this might of yours and save Israel from the hand of Midian; Gideon said
to the Lord, “Please, Lord, how can I save Israel? Behold, my clan is the
weakest in Manasseh, and I am the least in my father's house.”
God
knew that Gideon’s tiny little force of 300 farmers and shepherds could never
destroy a camp of 135,000 seasoned, experienced, and well-trained Midianites.
But
with God, all things are possible (Matt 19:26) so don’t ever lose hope, even if
the odds look exceedingly hopeless in your life about a battle God has ask you
to fight.
God
will fight along side you as He did with Gideon, and you'll know as Gideon did
that it was God who won the battle for you, and that God will get the Glory for
it when the battle is over.
Tuesday, January 21, 2020
THE SWEET SMELL OF
HONEYSUCKLE
Near our home in
Kentucky where I was raised, were
fence rows dividing the property lines
between us and our neighbors.
They hadn't received much attention over the years
and were invaded with wild Honeysuckle vines.
In some places. the vines had pretty much strangled all the
other plants out.
As much of a pest as
they, were to the property owners . there was one good side to their being
a nuisance.
During
the months of May and June they produced some of the best smelling
blossoms. Known to man.
Seems like God
added extra ingredient to their
blooms to separate them from all the other plants.
Honey bees,
butterflies and hummingbirds loved them.
Frequenting
their blooms often, one after another
until they reached their limits
of nectar.
I liked walking by the vines to visit , and get a whiff of the sweet smelling aroma they produced for
myself.
They smelled so good I couldn't resist picking a few and putting them into my pockets to take
home.
I called them my
natures clone, back then bathing wasn't as frequent as today and anything you
could do to improve body Oder was a plus..
when I'd get home
mother and the kids would often say.
You're
smelling good today, have you been visiting the Honey suckle Patch ?
Coleman Schell
Monday, January 20, 2020
Accomplishments of Jesus Christ
Jesus Christ's
accomplishments are too numerous to list. but here are a few of them...…. He
was conceived of the Holy Spirit and born of a virgin...…. He lived a sinless
life...…. He turned water into wine,...… healed many sick, blind and lame
people,...… he forgave sins...…., he multiplied fish and loaves of bread to
feed thousands on more than one occasion...…., he delivered the
demon-possessed,...….. he walked on water...…. he calmed the stormy sea...… he
raised children and adults from death to life...….. Jesus Christ proclaimed the
good news of the Kingdom of God.
He laid down his
life and was crucified...….. He descended into hell and took the keys of death
and hell...…… He resurrected from the dead...….Jesus Christ paid for the sins
of the world and purchased the pardon of men...…He restored man's fellowship
with God, opening the way to eternal life...…These are just a few of his
extraordinary accomplishments.
Do you know who this
miraculous working Jesus is?
Jesus then asked His
disciples: “‘But who do you say that I am?’
Simon Peter answered
and said, ‘You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.’
Jesus answered and
said to him, ‘Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jonah, for flesh and blood has not
revealed this to you, but My Father who is in heaven.’” Matthew 16:16-17.
Sunday, January 19, 2020
THE EIGHT BEATITUDES
OF JESUS
"Blessed are
the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are they who
mourn,
for they shall be
comforted.
Blessed are the
meek,
for they shall
inherit the earth.
Blessed are they who
hunger and thirst for righteousness,
for they shall be
satisfied.
Blessed are the
merciful,
for they shall
obtain mercy.
Blessed are the pure
of heart,
for they shall see
God.
Blessed are the
peacemakers,
for they shall be
called children of God.
Blessed are they who
are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the
kingdom of heaven."
Gospel of St.
Matthew 5:3-10
Each of the
beatitudes tells us something about what our ATTITUDE should BE. Each one starts with the word
"Blessed".
One of the meanings
of "blessed" is happy or joyful. Each of the "blessed'
statements describes a person who puts God and other's interest above his or
her own interest.
We cannot be blessed
if we live selfishly.
Do you live a life
of JOY; JESUS first, OTHERS next, and YOURSELF last?
WE WALK BY FAITH,NOT BY SIGHT
Today Christ is
hidden from our view, but He lives in our hearts through the "Holy
Spirit" Therefore we walk by faith, not by sight. Only in the future will
we see Him as He is. The present seems so real; the unseen seems so illusory,
but in reality the opposite is true. 1 John 3: 2
Saturday, January 18, 2020
“Jesus wept.” (John
11:35)
It is the easiest
verse in the Bible to memorize, with it being the shortest.
Jesus was like many
of us when we attend a funeral.
He felt the pain the
family was going through. And He was empathetic to their loss.
When we genuinely
care about some one, when they hurt, we hurt.
Jesus wept at
Lazarus funeral, because He loved this dear family, and wanted to take on their
pain, reminding us that no matter what hurts or pains we face in life, Jesus is
right here with us.
He’s not afraid to meet us in our despair and
darkness. He’s the first one to meet us in our valleys. Jesus wept because
those He loved wept.
JESUS WEPT. Because
we are bound to meet circumstances and situations in life that will cause us to
weep. It is OK.
Cast all your cares
, your disappointments, your illness, everything on GOD. HE will work it out.
Trust HIM. He will be there, He promised.
RESPONSIBILITY
God wants us to learn responsibility, we are saved by His grace, but He wants us to be responsible disciples, learning to follow Christ by obeying God's will. The Bible warns, if we do not obey the voice of God, but rebel against it. the hand of the Lord will be against us. Joshua 24:24
Friday, January 17, 2020
Psalm 23
Psalm 23 is one of
the more famous psalms written by David the King. The same David who took down Goliath with a
slingshot and some smooth stones.
David was also a
musician and liked to write poems and songs.
This particular psalm is about God being his Shepherd-King.
1 The Lord is my
shepherd; I shall not want.
2 He maketh me to
lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.
3 He restoreth my
soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.
4 Yea, though I walk
through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art
with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
5 Thou preparest a
table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with
oil; my cup runneth over.
6 Surely goodness
and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the
house of the Lord for ever.
This short little
Psalm is packed with powerful promises, provisions, and purpose. The Lord is my Shepherd. What more should I want?
Thursday, January 16, 2020
FROM THE
WORD OF GOD
Our struggle is not
against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities,
against the powers of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil
in the heavenly realms. Therefore put on the full armor of God, so that when
the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have
done everything, to stand.
Today's Mercies for
Today's Troubles
Lamentations 3:22-23
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not
consumed, because his compassion's fail not.
They are new every
morning: great is thy faithfulness.
These verses of
scripture show God's mercies for today's troubles; tomorrow's mercies for
tomorrow's troubles. "As your days so shall your strength be"
(Deuteronomy 33:25).
Don't be anxious about tomorrow. The troubles
and the mercies are appointed day by day by God.
BEHIND HIS BACK
All our sins,
without exception were placed on Christ, He took the judgment we deserve. If we
are believers in Jesus Christ, we have already come through His judgment, it
happened at the cross, don't be bound by guilt or fear any longer, all your
sins are behind His back. Isaiah 38:17
Wednesday, January 15, 2020
PRAYER
May the Lord bless
thee and keep thee. May the Lord make his face shine upon thee. And be gracious
unto thee. May the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.
Numbers 6: 24-27
“The Lord CAUSE His
face to shine on you” implies that God does not shine on everyone. He causes
His
face to shine on
those who seek His face and want to be a blessing to Him.
God wants to bless us. He wants to protect us.
He wants to make His face to shine upon us and be gracious to us,
and give us peace.
Is the Lord’s face shining on you?
Tuesday, January 14, 2020
The Prayer of Jabez
1 Chronicles 4:10
“Jabez cried out to
the God of Israel, “Oh that You would bless me and enlarge my territory! Let
your hand be with me, and keep me from harm so that I will be free from pain.”
And God granted his request.”
Do you need to claim or reclaim some of the
land Satan has taken from you? When we learn to submit our will to God and pray
like Jabez, we will begin to see God move in mighty ways!
LIKE A THIEF IN THE NIGHT
The scripture say
that in the midst of persecution, confusion, wars, and the rumors of wars, we
are to comfort one another, with knowledge that Jesus Christ is coming back in
triumph and glory and majesty; are you ready for His return? He will come like a
thief in the night. 1 Thessalonians
5: 2
Monday, January 13, 2020
When Electricity
Came to our Quaint Little World
In South Eastern Kentucky Electricity was
slow, getting to the little nook of it, we lived in.
Some folks in our
county got Electricity as early as 1939, but for us it didn’t arrive until a
few years later.
I can still remember
what an exciting day it was, to finally see the work crews with their trucks
carrying utility poles and wiring into our location.
It was a day that
was going to change our part of the world for ever.
Day by day the
workers erected the poles and string wiring thru the community until they come
to our home.
Uncle Elvin Weaver had previously wired our
home in anticipation of its arrival, but it would be a few days before the
designated route of wiring was completed, and we would finally get our first
Electricity.
When the first
flicker of light came from the bulbs, I immediately knew the kerosene lamp, was
now extinct and life was going to be much different and a lot better soon.
In the days to
follow mother was blessed to get an electric Iron…Ringer type
washer…refrigerator… and dad got his first radio…you talk about moving up to
the good times.
We came from the
Dark Age to the light age over night.
What a blessing
Electricity has brought to our lives.
Electricity is something we take for granted
today.
But I can still
remember living without it, as strange as that may seem.
A GLIMPSE OF
YESTERDAY---- Coleman Schell
Sunday, January 12, 2020
King Solomon
Without question,
the greatest story in the Bible of someone who sought after the knowledge and
wisdom of God and actually received it was King Solomon.
When Solomon became
King of Israel, he knew he did not have the knowledge and wisdom to properly
rule his people.
So what did he do? He went direct to God the
Father and asked Him for His knowledge and wisdom to rule the people.
God tells Solomon because he did not ask for
long life, riches, or the death of his enemies for himself – but just asked for
an “understanding heart” to judge his people and help with discerning between
good and evil – God tells him that He will give him a “wise and understanding
heart.”
If King Solomon was
able to receive this kind of knowledge and wisdom direct from God simply
because he asked and really pressed in for it – then what can God personally do
for you in this realm if you are willing to expend the time and energy to seek
after it?
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