VICTORY IS SWEET!!

I am part of the "Fellowship of the Unashamed". I have Holy Spirit power. The die has been cast. I've stepped over the line. The decision has been made. I am a disciple of Jesus. I won't look back, let up, slow down, look away or be still. My past is redeemed, my present makes sense, and my future is secure. I am finished with low living, sight walking, small planning, smooth knees, colorless dreams, tame visions, mundane talking, chancy giving and dwarfed goals!

I no longer need pre-eminence, prosperity, position, promotions, plaudits or popularity. I don't have to be right, first, tops, recognized, praised, regarded or rewarded. I now live by presence, lean on by faith, love by patience, live by prayer and labor by power.

My face is set, my gait is fast, my goal is heaven, my road narrow, my way rough, my companions few, my guide reliable, my mission clear. I cannot be bought, compromised, detoured, lured away, turned back, diluted or delayed. I will not flinch in the face of sacrifice, hesitate in the presence of adversity, negotiate at the table of the enemy, ponder at the pool of popularity, or meander in the image of mediocrity.
I won't give up, shut up, let up or slow up till I've preached up, prayed up, paid up, stored up and stayed up for the cause of Christ!

I am a disciple of Jesus. I must go till He comes, give till I drop, preach till all know, and work till He stops.

And when He comes to get His own, He'll have no problem recognizing me...my colors will be clear!

Author Unknown
  

2 Timothy 1:12 (NKJV)
For this reason I also suffer these things; nevertheless I am not ashamed, for I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep what I have committed to Him until that Day.

Romans 1:16 (NIV)
For I am not ashamed of the gospel, because it is the power of God that brings salvation to everyone who believes: first to the Jew, then to the Gentile.

Serving Christ Together,
Trish Maddox
Worship Leader
Triple Crown Cowboy Church

SALT OF THE EARTH

In the days before artificial refrigeration, sailors who took meat on long voyages used salt as a preservative. The process of corruption was already at work before the meat was salted. Salting did not abolish the corruption, but it held it in check for the duration of the voyage so that the sailors could continue to eat the meat long after it would have become inedible. Our presence on the earth as Christ’s disciples operates like the salt in the meat. The process of sin’s corruption is already at work. This is manifested in every area of human life—moral, religious, social, political. We cannot abolish the corruption that is already present. But we can hold it in check long enough for God’s purposes of grace and mercy to be fully worked out. Then, when our influence is no longer felt, corruption will come to its climax, and the result will be total degradation. This illustration from the power of salt to restrain corruption explains Paul’s teaching in 2 Thessalonians 2:3–12. Paul warns that human wickedness will come to its climax in the person of a world ruler supernaturally empowered and directed by Satan himself. Paul calls this ruler “the man of sin [or lawlessness]” and “the son of perdition” (verse 3). In 1 John 2:18 he is called “Antichrist,” and in Revelation 13:4 he is called “the beast.” This ruler will actually claim to be God and demand universal worship. Emergence of this satanic ruler is inevitable. Paul says with certainty, “Then the lawless one will be revealed” (2 Thessalonians 2:8). Paul also declares in the same verse that the true Christ Himself will be the one to administer finally judgment upon this false Christ—“whom the Lord will consume with the breath [or spirit] of His mouth and destroy with the brightness of His coming.” Unfortunately some preachers have used this teaching about Antichrist to instill in Christians attitudes of passivity and fatalism. “Antichrist is coming,” they have said. “Things are getting worse and worse. There is nothing we can do about it.” As a result, Christians have all too often sat back with hands folded in pious dismay and watched the ravages of Satan proceed unchecked all around them. The attitudes of passivity and fatalism are as tragic as they are unscriptural. It is true that Antichrist must eventually emerge. But it is far from true that there is nothing to be done about him in the meanwhile.As the salt of the earth, we who are Christ’s disciples therefore have two primary responsibilities. First, by our presence we commend the earth to God’s continuing grace and mercy. Second, by the power of the Holy Spirit within us we hold in check the forces of corruption and lawlessness until God’s appointed time.

What Do You Want?

..Show me now Your way, that I may know You (progressively become more deeply and intimately acquainted with You, perceiving and recognizing and understanding more strongly and clearly)...And (Lord,do) consider that this nation is Your people.
Exodus 33:13

I believe there are two things that reveal more about character and our personal relationships with God than anything else.  One is the way we treat other people; the other is the desires of our hearts, meaning the things we want most in life.

Several times in Scripture, people ask God to give them the desires of their hearts.  God gave Moses the opportunity to ask for his most fervent desires in Exodus 33.  Moses' response was that he wanted to become more and more "deeply and intimately acquainted" with God and that God would "consider" His people, the nation Moses was responsible for leading.

Think about this for a minute. Moses had witnessed breathtaking, historic miracles.  He was there when God parted the Red Sea and brought water from a rock.  But Moses didn't ask to see greater miracles; what he wanted most of all was to know God better.  

Part of learning to love anyone is getting to know that person.  The same is true with God.  The more we become acquainted with Him, the more intimate relationship with Him we can enjoy.  This happens as we hunger for His presence, seek His truth through His Word, show love to others, and spend time with Him every day. The miracles, signs, and wonders will follow you.  The closer we become with God the more we will experience.  Do you hunger more than anything else to know God more intimately?  God has no favorites, but He does have intimates.  Are you one?

Giving The Gift of Freedom

On the way to work this morning God was speaking to me about my relationships. The relationships with my friends, my family but most of all the relationship with my children. We know that being parents is a mighty task and it does require the grace of God and we are all guilty at some point of losing our cool and saying things that should have never been said. In Jeremiah 34:15 it says "Then you recently turned and did what was right in my sight-every man proclaiming liberty to his neighbor; and you made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name. The Bible says we can "proclaim liberty" to others. We should encourage ourselves to give the gift of freedom to others. People will love us for it, and it is in its own way a show of love to them. Obviously, this does not mean letting others do whatever they want to do. But it does mean that we stop trying to control people and situations. For years I have tried to control and remold my children and those close around me. Finally, just last night I realized that my efforts were acts of selfishness, not love. I told myself that I simply wanted God's best for them; however, I had decided what His best was and was trying to force it on them. I just turned the situation that I was facing over to God and believed that He would rectify the injustice that was done. HE DID!!! I sat back and watched it unfold right before my eyes and it was so beautiful. When we give God complete control, our joy increases and we can enter into His rest. Keep your atmosphere free and relaxed knowing that through your faith God will move on your behalf. When people make mistakes, do not make them feel rejected, but go the extra mile to make them feel forgiven, accepted, and free. You will notice that as you do this, they will recognize how you treated them and they in turn will treat others in the same manner. TREAT OTHERS AS YOU WANT TO BE TREATED.

Meaning Of Life?

What is the meaning of Life?

For so many, life consists of going to work 5 days per week, getting that pay check, paying the bills and looking forward to retirement. That's mundane at least, boring at best at best, but, and this is an enormous 'but', if you don't know any better, then that's perfect for you.

Imagine the exciting life the earthworm has, but he/she never complains.Now it could be that the earthworm does not complain because it can"t speak, or a more simple explanation is that the earthworm is unaware of any other possible life. Occam's Razor suggests that the earthworm does not have a clue as to what it is missing, and so the meaning of life for the earthworm is doing what it's designed to do.

You on the other hand are reading this blog, comprehending the implications of this and suddenly you realize that your life should have more purpose, more meaning than what it has at present. (For all you earthworms out there, just go back to Facebook and post something.)

If you are still with me, then lets explore some options to change your present situation. I suggest that life's meaning is found in your purpose. Once you are actively fulfilling your purpose on this earth, life, your very existance has meaning, depth and fulfillment. Fulfillment is inherent in purpose. Key to a fulfilling life is to find your personal purpose and then fulfill that.

Are you ready for your personal adventure? 

Pastor Tim Edwards

Tim Edwards Ministries