Promises Of God & Man

As we look ahead to 2006, it is usually right around this time that many people begin to make promises for the upcoming year. We call these promises "New Years Resolutions." A more appropriate name for these would be "New Years Intentions." The reason I say this is because most of the people that make these promises, (resolutions) never stand by them for more than a few weeks. There are many qualities that are necessary to succeed that are lacking in people today. Discipline has all but disappeared in many people. There is also that fact that the word promise has been so overused that it has lost its impact.

I remember when I was a kid, if you made a promise and didn't keep it, you would have a major problem. Today promises are broken far more than they're honored and people have just learned to accept this instead of correcting it. These are a couple of the fundamental faults in the world today. I know that when I personally make a promise, I still hold it in very high regard and I honor my promises. I also never make a promise I can't keep. So I don't make "New Years Resolutions" except for one and I make it every year. That is to be a better person than I was the year before. So far I have managed to succeed in keeping that one. In 2006 I expect to make even greater strides towards being a much better person, Christian, father and friend than I have in previous years.

I am so thankful that God stands by his promises. On New Years Eve 1992 I wanted to quit smoking, and Rosalie also really wanted me to stop. I was smoking two packs a day for about fifteen years and I was only 27 years old. Rosalie had been praying that I'd stop and on the morning of January 3, 1993 I woke up and felt paralyzed. I was face down in my bed and could not move. God was doing a work in me that would change my life. I was unable to get up for about thirty minutes. When I did get up, I had no desire to smoke and in fact couldn't smoke. That promise that God made to me that morning has lasted thirteen years as of January 3, 2006. God keeps his promises and we need to get back to using God as the model for our lives. When we do, the word Promise will once again have the impact it was intended to have. God has been making and keeping his promises since the beginning of time.

Imagine for a moment what the world would be like and how history would look if God didn't keep his promises. We would lose out on.
Forgiveness and victory over sin (Jeremiah 31:31-34 Hebrews 10:14-17 John 6:37 Romans 8:1 James 4:7-8)
Answers to prayer (1John 5:14 Acts 10:1-4)
Gifts of the Holy Spirit (Acts 2:38-39 John 4:14; 7:39)
Security of our souls (John 10:27-29 Matthew 28:18-20)
Resurrection from death (John 5:28-29)
Eternal life in heaven (John 3:16 John 14:1-3).

If God did not keep these promises we would all be doomed. Take a moment and thank him for keeping his promises. We not only have the obligation to keep the promises that we make to ourselves, God and others, but here's the best part. We can count on his promises to help us keep our own promises, here's how.

Repent for your sins and receive his forgiveness. Pray that God will help you to keep your promises. He will send the Holy Spirit to be with you and help you in your times of trial when obstacles appear that could prevent you from keeping your promises (resolutions). As long as we count on God and use him as the model, we will be successful always. Having total faith that God will stand not only by his promises to us but that he'll help us keep our own. How awesome is that?

Let us pray

Dear God I thank you for standing by your word and keeping your promises. It is your example Father that we need to follow in order to not only keep our promises, but have the discernment to know which promises to make and not make promises that are unrealistic that can't be kept. Father help us to have the resolve to stand by the resolutions that we make for this upcoming year and to be the beacons of light for others to follow. Thank you God for all of the blessings you have given us, promises you have kept with us and forgiveness you have handed out so generously. I give you all the glory God for all of my victories in 2005. My desire is to bring more glory to you in 2006.

I ask this in Jesus name.
Amen

Have a Happy and Safe New Year May God's Peace & Blessings Be With You All In 2006.









"The Sharpshooter"

Winds Of Change

When we pray for someone or speak life or health into someone's life, our words will become life as long as God breaths over what we spoke. Without the breath of God covering what we speak or pray, it cannot happen. By ourselves we are like sails on a boat, powerless without wind. When God breathes his mighty wind over our words, there is an instant transfer of his power to us. We go from being willing vessels for him with no power, to being anointed vessels full of his blessing and power to do his will. We are nothing with out his mighty wind in our sails.

There are many times when we pray for someone or we ask for Gods healing power to fall on an individual and nothing happens. The possible reasons that nothing happens are many, but most of the time it's merely because either the person administering prayer or the person that’s being prayed for has not put themselves in the right place spiritually to receive. Have they repented for their sins? Are they holding onto an issue they need to let go of? Do they not totally believe that they can receive what God has for them? If the mind, body or spirit is not cleansed by repentance, the breath of God will not come forth. So it is of utmost importance that we do several things on a routine basis. Keep our thoughts on good things, keep our bodies healthy and keep our spirits in tune with God always.

If we should go wrong in any of these areas, we need to be sure to recognize that we have faltered and repent immediately. With repentance comes forgiveness and with forgiveness comes God's breath on whatever we do in his name. His winds are mighty and full of power. They can transform the very landscape of our lives. 1 Peter 4:10-11 God has given gifts to each of you from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Manage them well so that God's generosity can flow through you. Are you called to be a speaker? Then speak as though God himself were speaking through you. Are you called to help others? Do it with all the strength and energy that God supplies. Then God will be given glory in everything through Jesus Christ. All glory and power belong to him forever and ever.

God sends a mighty wind into our lives and it transforms the landscape entirely. These are called “winds of change.” How much he changes that landscape that is our lives, is up to us entirely. In some cases we yield a little bit and sometimes we yield completely. In both cases however we always want as much of his blessing as we can get. So we want it but are we willing to give our problems and cares over to him so that we become in a sense a clean canvas on which he can paint. He won’t just fix a problem half way. He’ll take it away like it never existed and wipe the slate clean. The question is, will we let him?

When we feel God blowing the “winds of change” in our lives what will we do?
Are we wiling to let go of all burdens and let him fill our hearts anew? Will we only give over some of the troubles in our lives in an attempt to retain some control over them? Though the thought of retaining control of our problems is an illusion, people still try to do this. They forget so quickly that it is their problems that control them, not the other way around. This is why we have to give these things over entirely to God. Only he can take the full burden away from us and restore peace, calm the storms in our minds. Worst yet, how many of us will deny him and not allow him to help at all? God help them

Let us pray.

Heavenly Father, I thank you for you grace. I thank you Father, for loving us so much that you will take all of our problems from the smallest to the biggest. I thank you, that you will restore our hearts, souls, minds bodies and spirits God.
My prayer Father is that you would blow your life changing winds into all of our lives and that we would have the fortitude to deny the evil one who wants to oppress us. So that we could be free of any illusion that we are in control, and that we would willingly deliver all of our problems to you God.

I ask this in the precious name of your son Jesus.

Amen

God Bless You All & Merry Christmas







“The Sharpshooter"

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