We all hear the constant negative reports concerning the economy.  If you listen to the news or read the newspaper it can cause you go into a emotional frenzy.  While Paul was in prison, you find him trying to uplift and encourage the church in Philippi.  He addresses them by saying, “Be Anxious About Nothing.” The idea is that the believer is not to worry or fret about a single thing. The word “nothing” means not even one thing. The Philippians had every reason to worry and be anxious. Read the rest of this entry »

William Bradford, Governor of the Plymouth Colony made this proclamation in 1623:

“Inasmuch as the great Father has given us this year an abundant harvest of Indian corn, wheat, beans, squashes, and garden vegetables, and has made the forests to abound with game and the sea with fish and clams, and inasmuch as He has protected us from the ravages of the savages, has spared us from pestilence and disease, has granted us freedom to worship God according to the dictates of our own conscience; now, I, your magistrate, do proclaim that all ye Pilgrims, with your wives and little ones, do gather at ye meeting house, on ye hill, between the hours of 9 and 12 in the day time, on Thursday, November ye 29th of the year of our Lord one thousand six hundred and twenty-three, and the third year since ye Pilgrims landed on ye Pilgrim Rock, there to listen to ye pastor, and render thanksgiving to ye Almighty God for all His blessings.”

During this season of Thanksgiving, I thought the above words would serve as a reminder that we are to be a people with a thankful heart for the many blessings God has bestowed upon us.  Someone once said that true Thanksgiving, is first “thanks”, then “giving”.  How true that is!  When we really realize all that God has done for us, especially in sending His Son, Jesus Christ to this earth over 2,000 years ago, our hearts are filled with thankfulness which moves us to a life of service for Him. Read the rest of this entry »

This has been one of the hardest and most vile elections of our lifetime.  Many have talked about the doom and gloom that will take place after this election is over. When everything is said and done, the dust has cleared; the pundits are at rest, will Barak Obama, our new President solve the problems this nation is facing?
There is one thing for certain, no one person has the ability to do this on his own.  There are many issues that are important to all of us; the views of life, family, taxes, health care, terrorism, freedom, etc…  These issues will not be fixed overnight.  It will take time and a lot of prayer.

As a Christian, I pray that we will come together, pray and ask God for His help.  Lift up OUR new President in prayer every day.  Pray that God will give him wisdom, understanding, and knowledge.  Pray that God will protect him and his family.
Isaiah 61:11 (KJV)

For as the earth bringeth forth her bud, and as the garden causeth the things that are sown in it to spring forth; so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations.

Child of God be encouraged today.  Know who you are and know who’s you are!!!
GOD IS IN CONTROL

For I know that my redeemer liveth, and that he shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: [26] And though after my skin worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God: [27] Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another; though my reins be consumed within me.
Job 19:25-27 (KJV) 

After the Election
1.    Jesus is still alive and He reigns!
2.    Jesus still saves, heals, and delivers!
3.    The power of the Holy Spirit is still operating in our lives!
4.    He is coming back very soon!
5.    Jesus will never be up for election; He is and forever will be!

Matthew 5:13

A question that has been raised in my heart for some time now is this, “Is my church impact minded?”

To impact something means to have an affect or to make an impression that would cause a change upon something.  God has called us to make a positive impact where we are. This is what Jesus asked us to do, this is what the first century church did and this is what we are supposed to do. The first century church in Acts 2 were able to make an impact on their world. But they did not stop there. The first century church understood the principle of multiplication. They understood that there needed to be a natural process of multiplication. They birthed new Christians and new churches through evangelism and discipleship.

They had the understanding that “Believers begat other believers.” The church has to reproduce itself or it will die. The very first church started out with a congregation of 120 people and then grew very rapidly to around 30,000. God is not just pleased when a church has large numbers in attendance, God is pleased when a church, regardless of its size is being the salt and the light in the community.

Jesus told us that we are supposed to be salt and light in Matthew 5:13.”You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt loses its saltiness, how can it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out and trampled by men. ”

If we are not making an impact, if we are not being salt and light as a church we might as well close the doors and sell the church and give the money to a ministry that is making an impact.

God has called us to be salt

Benefits of Salt:
1.    Preserves
2.    Purifies
3.    Flavors
4.    Penetrates
5.    Melts Ice
6.    Cleanses
7.    Lingering Influence
8.    Seasons in Many Ways
9.    Creates Thirst
10.    Adds Values
11.    Irritates When Necessary
12.    Heals
13.    Stings
14.    Influences in many ways
15.    Useful in numerous products
16.    Inexpensive but valuable
17.    Necessary for life
18.    Use it or lose its effects
19.    Universally Available
20.    Trans-cultural
21.    Shows no bias
22.    Stimulates hunger
23.    Created by God

1.    Salt is distinctive. It is totally different from the food or object upon which it is put.
The power of salt lies in this difference.  Believers, just as salt, are to be different from the world. The power of their lives and their testimony lies in their being different and distinctive. We are to be “unspotted from the world” (James 1:27).
2.    Salt preserves. It keeps things from going bad and decaying.
It cleanses and disinfects.  Believers, just as salt, are to cleanse and preserve the world. We are to disinfect the world and keep the germs of the world from causing things to go bad. We are to save the world from corruption.
3.    Salt penetrates. It inserts a new quality, substance, and life.
It changes that upon which it is put.  Believers are likewise to penetrate the world and insert a new life into it.
4.    Salt flavors. It influences the taste of things.
It takes a bland, tasteless food and makes it relishing.
We are to so flavor and influence the world for Christ. They are to take the bland and the tasteless and salt them and make them relishing within the world.
“But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance: against such there is no law” (Galatians 5:22-23).
5.    Salt is quiet. It is visible, but it works silently, making no noise whatsoever during its work.
Believers, the salt of the earth, are to work quietly and discreetly.
“Let it [your behavior] be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price” (1 Peter 3:4).
6.    Salt spreads. Its flavor spreads all about.
A sprinkle of salt has a widespread effect. A believer’s salt spreads far and wide.
7.    Salt is irrepressible. Once applied, it cannot be stopped.
A believer’s salt, his testimony, is irrepressible; it cannot be stopped.

“For as the rain cometh down, and the snow from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth, and maketh it bring forth and bud, that it may give seed to the sower, and bread to the eater: so shall my word be that goeth forth out of my mouth: it shall not return unto me void, but it shall accomplish that which I please, and it shall prosper in the thing whereto I sent it” (Isaiah 55:10-11).
The believer’s place of ministry is here on Earth. There is a sense in which the church is the salt factory and the world is the marketplace for the salt. Too much salt is being stored and locked up at the church. There is not enough salt being sent out into the marketplace.

Every Tuesday morning the staff at Destin Assembly comes together for a time of prayer.   As we were praying the Lord spoke to me and said “I am the Good Shepherd, and you are the sheep in my pasture”.  That was just what I needed.  I began to think about and meditate on that precious word that the Lord reminded me of. Read the rest of this entry »