America The Apostate...

1 John 4:8

He who does not love does not know God, for God is love.

There have been more songs and hymns written about the Love of God than probably any other characteristic of God. People everywhere enjoy talking about the Love of God, as we should. Yet we do very little talking about His judgment. We don’t like thinking about His Wrath and Punishment. Those subjects don’t sell nearly as many books and certainly won’t fill nearly as many pews. But like it or not, the truth remains that this Great God of infinite Love and Mercy as described in the Bible is also infinitely Just and Righteous and therefore He MUST express His Wrath against Sin and Apostasy!

Not only does God deal with the sins of Individuals who have  rejected being washed in the Blood of Christ, but He also punishes and judges the sin and wickedness of Nations. We could walk through the Bible, as well as through our History Books and see the handprint of God’s Wrath and Judgment upon countless Nations of the past who backslid and transgressed Him.

He continually dealt with Israel, His chosen ones, with a heavy hand for their disobedience. Then, of course, one place that stands out so prominently is Sodom and Gomorrah. In the 19th chapter of Genesis we read in graphic detail of their destruction by the wrathful hand of Almighty God because of their willful and unrepentant sin. Then in Ezekiel we read the reasoning that God gives for His judgment upon this ancient land.

Ezekiel 16:49 – 50: “Behold, this was the guilt of your sister Sodom: She and her daughters had arrogance, abundant food and careless ease, but she did not help the poor and needy. Thus they were haughty and committed abominations before Me. Therefore I removed them when I saw it.”

We know from the Word of God, that homosexuality was not the only Abomination for which God judged Sodom, but it was the final straw and God in essence said, “NO MORE!” and destroyed them by Fire! We also read the accounts of Egypt and Nineveh and so many more, but what about America???

Proverbs 14:34

"Righteousness exalts a nation, But sin is a reproach to any people. The king's favor is toward a wise servant, But his wrath is against him who causes shame."

America has become a nation filled with vile wickedness, sin and immorality on a scale that is nearly incomprehensible. And because we were founded upon Christian Principles; And because we exalted Almighty God; And because we were a Nation shining brightly with the Righteousness of God, we have now shamed Him through our rebellion and apostasy. America has made a cataclysmic slide into utter moral decay.

Immorality and Perversion are just the everyday norm in the USA today and we’ve learned to live with it and accept it. It’s on Television, Movies, Grocery Store Newsstands and sad to say, but even in many churches across our land.

We see the widespread acceptance of homosexuality, even among some who claim to be Christian. As recently as the 1970’s, The American Psychiatric Association, still had homosexuality listed as a Mental Disorder. Psychiatry may have changed, but the Bible still calls it an Abomination. Homosexual Marriage is now becoming a reality in America! And I am not a Gay-Basher nor a Gay-Hater! And I recognize that it will take the same precious Blood of Jesus to save a Homosexual as it took to save me! But our nation is now endorsing and promoting this perverted sin and when a nation endorses and promotes sin and abominations and abandons God, rest assured ~ Judgment and Wrath are looming over that land!

Abortion is now promoted by our Federal & State Governments. We are spending millions of tax payer dollars to fund abortions in third world countries. Just today alone, while we went about our regular routine, an estimated 4,000 unborn babies were murdered in the name of their idol god ~ CHOICE. We have lived much of our lives out while more than 50 Million unborn American Citizens have been slaughtered in their mother’s womb since 1973’s Roe VS. Wade Decision.

Psalms 106:35-43

They mingled with the Gentiles And learned their works;

They served their idols which became a snare to them.

They even sacrificed their sons And their daughters to demons,

And shed innocent blood, The blood of their sons and daughters,

Whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan;

And the land was polluted with blood.

Thus they were defiled by their own works, And played the harlot by their own deeds.

Therefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against His people,

So that He abhorred His own inheritance.

And He gave them into the hand of the Gentiles, and those who hated them ruled over them.

Their enemies also oppressed them, And they were brought into subjection under their hand.

Many times He delivered them; But they rebelled in their counsel, And were brought low for their iniquity.

Proverbs 6:16-19

These six things the Lord hates, Yes, seven are an abomination to Him:

A proud look, A lying tongue, Hands that shed innocent blood,

A heart that devises wicked plans, Feet that are swift in running to evil,

A false witness who speaks lies, And one who sows discord among brethren.

These scriptures describe the USA today and according to the Word of God, America has become an Abomination and He hates these things!

Today, Porn is the Norm. Since the birth of the internet, Pornography has exploded and become a $10 - $12 BILLION Dollar a Year Industry in the U.S. alone. Child molestation has sky rocketed. Sexual Perversion of every kind is now just winked at because we have become completely desensitized to the point that it’s no longer even shameful to many.

We now have an epidemic of Drug Abuse and Alcoholism. The war on Drugs has been lost by our Federal Government and both the financial and human costs of addiction are too great to even attempt to calculate, as well as the consequences thereof.

Sexual Immorality has exploded and so have STD’s. It is estimated by the CDC that 26 percent of American Girls between 14 and 19, have at least 1 Sexually Transmitted Disease.

Just recently, a story broke on national news that a Massachusetts School had decided to make condoms available to Elementary School Children, even as low as the 1st Grade. Can you imagine? That is a sick, perverted and demonically twisted mind! These perverted freaks ought to be locked up and never unleashed upon society again! They want to give innocent little 6 year old children Condoms! Yet these same lunatics say, “Don’t give them the Ten Commandments ~ (1. Thou Shalt Not Kill; 2. Thou Shalt Not Steal; 3. Thou Shalt Not Lie; 4. Thou Shalt Not COMMIT ADULTERY; etc.) That might give them brain damage or offend someone.” Instead, just hand them a condom at 6 years old! They can’t even write in cursive yet!

We are teaching this generation, just as we’ve been doing for several generations now, that casual sex is okay. I don’t care what the CDC says! I don’t care what Congress or the Whitehouse may say! I don’t care what Hollywood says! I don’t care what the Education Department or any School says! There is only 1 form of Sex that is permitted under God’s Holy Ordinance! It is not PRE-MARITAL! It is not EXTRA-MARITAL! It is not HOMOSEXUAL! But even in the year 2010, sex is still only permissible between a husband and his wife! PERIOD!

We need to teach that to our children and grandchildren! We need to once again begin teaching them right from wrong! Stop depending on the schools! Stop depending on the government! Stop depending on Dr. Phil and Oprah! They have one agenda for your child, and that is to fill their mind with a Progressive, Anti-Christian Worldview and Mindset, but the responsibility to raise these children correctly belongs to their parents!

We have watched as the God Ordained Family Unit and the sanctity of Marriage has unraveled and been made a mockery of. The U.S. now has the World’s highest Divorce Rate. It’s twice what it was in 1960. And of course, you can trace our Moral Decline all the way back to the moment that we took Prayer out of the public schools. It has Devastated Morality in America. 50% of all marriages will end in divorce. Each time that I officiate a wedding ceremony for some “happy couple”, I pray earnestly for their survival, as I realize that statistics only give them a 50% chance of surviving. And while Marriage rates are declining, Cohabitation rates AKA “Shaking Up” is rising. Again, regardless of what anyone says or how common it may become, Fornication or pre-marital sex is still SIN!

The Out Of Wedlock Birth Rate is astronomical as well. And I’m certainly not down on Single Parents. As a matter of fact, my heart is filled with compassion for them, because they’ve got an extra heavy burden to bear, but the fact remains this. The reason for many of the single parent situations in America is because we’ve got a serious problem. In 1948, only 3.8 percent of births were by unmarried women. By 1960, it had risen only slightly to 5 percent. But now, Out Of Wedlock Births account for 40% of all babies born in the United States. Yet, we’re not alarmed by it, because it’s just become the Cultural Norm.

America is hemorrhaging from within and we are infected with immorality and sin and evil and I’m afraid that we’re in the last stages of this killer disease as a Free-Society. That breaks my heart, because I love America.

We read and hear accounts of God’s Judgment and Wrath upon other nations for their sin and wickedness. History gives vivid detail of what happened to other great nations who walked the same path that America is now on. Yet, I still hear Americans, both Christian and Non-Christian alike, saying say things like, “That won’t happen here, this is America!” or “You’re just fear-mongering, God is a God of Love and Grace and He would never do that to us.”

The question asked by many today is, “Will God Judge America?” Yet it appears to me that the beginning of His Judgment is already upon us and many are still in denial!

The Bible says that God is Longsuffering and we know that He has blessed America with extraordinary benefits, including political and religious freedom and economic blessing matched by no other. But we, as a nation, have squandered it… Taken it for granted… And rebelled against our Holy and Righteous God…

And so the question to be asked, is really not, “Will God judge America?” But rather, “Why has He spared us from Judgment for so long?”

ROMANS 1:18 – 32

Rom 1:18-32

18 For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who suppress the truth in unrighteousness, 19 because what may be known of God is manifest in them, for God has shown it to them. 20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man — and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.

24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.

26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.

28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.

Three times in this passage of scripture do we see the terms, “God Gave Them Up” or “God Gave Them Over”. That term is translated from the same Greek Word, “Paradidomi” which is used in 2 Peter 2:4 where it says, “For if God did not spare the angels who sinned, but cast them down to hell and delivered them into chains of darkness, to be reserved for judgment;”

This doesn’t mean that God just passively removes His hand of protection and allows them to go their own self-willed way, but the implication is much more deliberate than that. It is an act of Judicial Judgment, where God Himself SENDS them to their Punishment!

Remember, God is long-suffering and He don’t just instantly zap us every time we have a rebellious attitude or fall into some sort of moral failure and sin, else we’d all be doomed. But there is a point, in which an individual or a people or a nation through continued, intentional transgression and willful rebellion, can cross a line with God and burst headlong through His Long-Suffering Patience! And at that point, He will not simply remove His hand, but He will actively hand them over to their own sinful desires and the consequences thereof!

I am sad to say, but Romans 1:18 - 32 is a very real depiction of the State of our Union today.

But, not only are we being plagued with complete Moral Failure… And not only are we seeing violence becoming more and more rampant… And not only are we witnessing the implosion of our Economic Systems… And not only are we seeing more and more horrific things happening on our homeland from natural disasters to Islamic Terrorism to Homegrown Terrorism to the Border Crisis, Illegal Immigration and Mexican Drug Cartels to the rising threat of Nuclear War with North Korea, Iran and even Russia… The bottom line: America Has Turned Her Back On God and Walked In Her Own Way For Far Too Long And We Are On The Verge Of Bringing About Our Own Demise And Destruction…

If there were ever a time to draw close to the Lord Jesus Christ and get your heart, life and home in order, it’s now time. We need God both personally and nationally. Jesus Christ is still the answer that we need and thank God His Word has not left us without remedy. It’s the same as it’s always been…

2nd CHRONICLES 7:14, “If my people which are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways, THEN will I hear from Heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land.”

Friend, God changes not! Therefore, this is a promise which still holds true, even today. Let us each put this scripture into practice and continue doing so and begin praying for a genuine Revival  of the Holy Spirit to sweep across this nation one more time. With God, all things are possible!

Just Thinkin’ Out Loud,

Pastor Robbie

Thankful For Grace To Serve...

I have so very much to be thankful for.  As I reflect upon where God has brought me from and where He's brought me to, I recognize that it's all a work of His Amazing Grace.  One of my favorite studies in the Word of God, concerns His Grace.

We often refer to His Grace in only elementary terms – “The Unmerited Favor Of God” or "The Unearned Goodness Of God".  By no means do I disagree with that, as I use that definition quite often myself, as we are usually focusing on salvation when we speak of Grace.  However, Grace is far more than merely a Saving Agent.

We often think of just the Redemptive Properties of  God's Grace, but Grace goes beyond this point of conversion.  Grace also has Enabling or Empowering Properties as well.

Grace is what enables me to preach and teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  I have several physical afflictions and disease, some of which you are not even aware, which cause me a lot of pain and there are many days that my physical body, because of pain, is really not up to preaching and ministering, but Grace enables me to do it in spite of adversity.

I am by nature a rather shy sort of person.  Most people have a hard time believing that, but when I was a few years younger, I would not have been able to stand in front of  a church and speak.  Sing? Perhaps yes, but speak?  Absolutely not, because I would have been too nervous and shy, but the Holy Spirit, as a work of His Grace has enabled me and empowered me to do what God has called me to do, even though by nature I would not normally do what I do.

And the prayer for our lives, should be, “Lord, grant me the Empowering Grace to fulfill every purpose in my life in which you have ordained for , that through my own strength and power, I would be helpless and unable to do otherwise.”

Grace is much more than just forgiveness and mercy, but it is also the supernatural means by which God empowers you and I to do things that we could not otherwise do of ourselves.

It takes Grace to be a good Pastor…

It takes Grace to be a good Teacher…

It takes Grace to be a good Wife, Mother, Husband or Father…

God grants you specific Grace for the specific task that He knows you must face.  Not everyone has been given the same Grace that you’ve been given, because not everyone will need the same grace that you’ll need.  Not everyone is going to go through the same things that you’ll go through.  Not everyone is going to have to deal with the same problems that you have.  Some people have been given the Grace to raise a disabled child.  Not everyone has been enabled to do that.  That’s a special Grace for a special task.  And each one of us have different callings and different tasks in our lives and God gives each of us the Grace to deal with whatever has come into our lives to deal with.

The Grace that you’ve been given for your life, is perhaps somewhat different than what He’s given to me, that’s one reason that we can’t compare ourselves to one another.

When you see someone dealing with a particular situation differently than you would, don’t tell them, “I wouldn’t be doing it that way!”, because you don’t know what God’s plan is in their life and God may be wanting them to deal with something differently than you would deal with it and if so, then God has given them the Grace to do it a certain way and you don’t understand because you’ve not had that same empowering Grace for that particular situation!

You may see someone else in another bad situation and say, “Well, I wouldn’t put up with that!”…  And the reality is, you probably wouldn’t put up with that, because you haven’t been given the Grace for that particular situation, but had God ordained you to step into that particular situation, then He would have given you the Grace for it, but He hasn’t, so don’t judge those who are there, by telling them how you’d do it!

I love to study the book of Romans where Paul really deals with our sin problem and the answer for it, because in that book, he really takes the burden off of my human will power and lays it on the Enabling Power of God’s Grace.

In the 7^th Chapter of Romans, Paul in essence says, “When I want to do good, evil is right there with me…  I do not understand what I do.  For what I want to do, I do not do, but what I hate, I do. I know nothing good lives in me, that is, in my sinful nature!  O Wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death!?”

He’s basically saying, “I know that my redeemer must come from outside of me, because I lack the power within MYSELF to save MYSELF from MYSELF!”

Now the New-Agers and the Humanists and the Oprah Winfrey’s and the Shirley McClain’s and many Word of Faith Preachers among others will tell you differently.  They’ll tell you that you are basically a little god yourself and you have the power deep within you to redeem yourself and to fix yourself… THAT’S PSYCHO MUMBO JUMBO GARGAGE!

Acts 4:12

“Neither is there salvation in any other! For there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved."

JESUS CHRIST AND HIS FINISHED WORK AT CALVARY IS STILL MAN’S ONLY HOPE OF REDEMPTION!

And somewhere along the way you must come to a place to where you have given up on yourself delivering yourself or helping yourself, by yourself, so that you can experience the power of God’s Grace to enable you to do what you could not do alone.  It’s the Grace of God that enables you to do things that you’re not able to do in your own strength.

For some of you, myself included, It was the Grace of God that enabled you to stop smoking!  It’s the Grace of God that took the craving for alcohol from some of your lives!  Not everybody needs the specific Grace that it takes to be delivered from Alcoholism, so they can’t relate to what I’m talking about, but if you’ve been delivered from the bottle yourself, then you know that it was something that you were not able to do on your own, but God’s Grace enabled you to do what you couldn’t simply do by human will power alone!

When you see somebody who’s bound by drugs or any sort of addiction and they’re able to lay that stronghold down and live a life free from the daily struggle of that bondage, you must understand and realize that what you’re seeing is nothing less than a divine picture of God’s Marvelous Grace in action.  Because it’s Grace that enables and empowers you to be able to do those things!

A number of years ago, after God had delivered me from drug addiction, I was told by a neurologist and a psychiatrist both that I would always have trouble speaking and gathering my thoughts together and communicating with people, due to the amount of damage that my brain had suffered following the massive overdose that I had and I recognize this morning, that I am not the greatest preacher or teacher, but God had a divine calling upon my life to do what I do and He enables me to fulfill that calling and His Grace defies the prognosis of those physicians who told me that I’d never be able to do it.

If anything ever comes across my two lips that helps you in anyway, shape or form, don’t you dare give me the slightest glory, but you give God all of the praise, because it’s only by His Enabling Grace that I am able to even convey a thought and preach and teach His Holy Word.

Whatever God calls you to…  And whatever God gifts you with…  He will also grant you the Grace to properly fulfill it and carry it out…  He will grant you the Grace to properly handle every gift that He’s entrusted to you.

Trust Him and recognize that if God be for you, who can be against you!  His Grace will be sufficient for you always!

Whatever station you may find yourself in during this Thanksgiving Season, give God the praise and thanksgiving for the enabling Grace that He's placed in your life!  Happy Thanksgiving!

Just Thinkin' Out Loud

Pastor Robbie

Persisting In God's Enabling Grace...

2 Corinthians 12:9-10
And He said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness." Therefore most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in needs, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

God said, “My Grace is Sufficient for you!”

In other words, in all situations, regardless of circumstances, my grace will be enough to sustain you and see you through.

No matter the trial or opposition facing the Apostle Paul, God’s Grace was enough to see him through, yet Paul still had to choose to keep on pressing on by God’s Grace. Had he decided at anytime to accept defeat and throw in the towel on what God had called him to do, it would not have negated God’s Grace and favor upon him, it would have simply meant that Paul gave up and quit, not God. God’s Grace was enough… His Grace was sufficient, but Paul had to keep walking in it no matter what the circumstance was.

It’s the same in your life today. God’s Grace is enough to see you through any circumstance or trial of life, but it’s up to you as to whether or not you choose to walk in it. God has a plan and a purpose and a work for each of us and He will supply all the Grace necessary to fulfill that purpose completely, but that does not mean that you will not face opposition… That does not mean that you’re not going to possibly fall at times… That does not mean that you’re never going to suffer set-backs… That does not mean that you’re not going to have some serious disappointments and struggles along the way… But it does mean that He will give you all the Grace, Favor and Strength to make it through whatever comes your way, yet you’ve still got to make up your mind to walk in that Grace and trust Him completely and should you fall along the way, get up again and press on! His Grace is sufficient for you, but you’ve got to have your mind made up to keep on pressing forward no matter what may try to stand between you and what God has called you to!

If you ever get around people who have accomplished great things within the Kingdom of God, you will find that those accomplishments and those achievements did not come without a price. If you look at the great men of God in the Bible, it’s easy to see that those men did not just haphazardly achieve what they achieved in their ministries, but they persevered and they fought and they were persistent and they lost some things along the way in order to fulfill the call of God upon their lives.

If God has called you to do a work, you can sit around and speak words of faith about it all day long and you can speak all the positive words of affirmation that you want to and you can even believe in your heart that it’s going to be great and yet not achieve one solitary thing for the Kingdom of God.

You can pray, “Father, I know that you’ve got a work for me to do. Lord, I know it’s gonna be miraculous! I believe with all of my heart that lives are gonna be touched and souls are gonna be saved through this anointed ministry that you’ve called me to! By faith I proclaim it all right now! LORD MAKE IT HAPPEN!”

And don’t that little prayer sound so nice and sincere!

But the truth is, you can pray prayers of faith about what God’s called you to do all day long, but if your faith does not produce some works, then the Bible declares in the book of James that your faith is Dead and there’s not one thing that’s going to happen. You might as well be playing tidily-winks somewhere, because the Bible says that “Faith without works is dead.” In other words, Faith that does not produce works is Dead Faith!

It not only takes real faith to be successful in the Kingdom, but it also takes real work. And real living faith will always produce proper corresponding works! I’ve never seen a farmer harvest a crop without first working and preparing the field and sowing the seed.

Some people would say, “Well, now I just don’t know Preacher. That would be a farmer of great faith to just pray and believe God for a bumper crop without ever working in his field. He’d really have to trust God to do that!”

No! That’s not trusting God! That’s just being lazy and foolish! There’s still a law of the harvest! There’s still a law of sowing and reaping! If you don’t sow anything, I don’t care how great your faith is, you’re not going to reap anything. God will provide us with everything that we need in order to do what He’s called us to do, but He expects us to stand up and utilize the tools and gifts and opportunities that He’s given us to work with in order to bring that to fruition.

I remember some 27 years or so ago, after I got out of my last full body cast, I was sent to physical rehab for sometime in order to learn to walk again. And it was painful and it seemed like an eternity before I was even able to take little baby steps. And it was so frustrating, because walking, which I had once taken for granted now seemed like a nearly impossible feat. But I remember attempting to walk between the parallel bars and doing the strengthening exercises and I remember falling many, many times. And it would be so frustrating and discouraging to find myself on the ground at 15 years old simply because I’d lost my balance or I’d stumbled on something, but the key was to always get back up and try again. If I would have given up after the fall, I wouldn’t be able to walk today.
 

And it’s the same exact principle in our Christian walk. The whole theme of Christianity is about rising again.

Micah 7:8 says, “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy; For when I fall, I will arise!”

And the fall can be painful and the fall can be frustrating. And the fact today is that somewhere in your Christian walk you will find that you have fallen, whether it be into sin, or discouragement or apathy or fear or whatever. You will fall somewhere along the way. But it really matters not what has tripped you and caused you to fall. The only thing that’s going to really count is that when you fall, you don’t stay down, but you rise up again and you press on. Because you will never live a life of victory if you don’t learn to get up and go again! God will grant you the Grace and Strength, if you’ll but trust Him and walk therein!

Now, there are some people who take pride in never struggling. They take pride in the fact that they never seem to fall. They brag about the fact that they never run across a stumbling block. And it is true that there are some people who just don’t seem to have very many major situations in their walk with God, but the reason is usually because they are not walking. They’re just standing around in one spot and watching everybody else, never moving forward into the dimension that God is wanting to use them in.

And there’s no question about it… There is some level of safety in standing still… In standing dormant… In never taking a step of faith… There’s nothing gained, but there’s nothing seemingly lost.

It’s sort of like when I was learning to walk again. I could have chosen to just stay in my wheel chair or on crutches, because when I was there, I felt safe. I never fell when I was in the chair. But my desire to walk again was far greater than my fear of falling.

And thus it is today in my walk with God. Yes, I could become a recluse and not be involved in the work of God… I could retire into a safe place where I do not run the risk of failure or opposition or tremendous struggle… But my desire to fulfill the call and purpose of God on my life far exceeds my fear of failure.

Christianity is not a call to be a spectator. The Bible plainly says, to not just be hearers of the Word, but Doers. That implies action. God has not called us into His marvelous Light and into His Grace just stand around and be spectators. But we are to be workers for in the Kingdom of God. I want to be busy working for my Lord, even if it comes with the risk of struggle. I know that I’ll be alright, because if God be for me, who can be against me!

Every successful person that we read of in the Bible, had failures, some to greater degrees than others.

David in the Old Testament was a scoundrel. He was a lying, cheating, adulterous, murderer! David failed God miserably, many times over, yet the Bible called him a man after God’s own heart. He had God’s favor on him in spite of his failures. And one of the key to David’s success was his willingness to repent and to rise up again when he fell.

The great Apostle Paul, had more struggles, hardships and setbacks put in his way than many of us combined. I mean, this guy had all sorts of excuses and many, many opportunities to just accept defeat and throw in the towel and quit, but He had a relentless tenacity and he refused to give up. He knew that God’s Grace was sufficient and even though he had failures and obstacles in his way, he said in Philippians 3:14, “I press on toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Christ Jesus.”

Sometimes we do not understand why things go certain ways in our lives, but we must learn to trust God in spite of circumstance and press on regardless and we can make it, because His Grace will be sufficient!

I want to encourage you to keep your eyes upon Jesus and trust Him in all things. Regardless of your situations, His Grace will be enough to see you through, just don’t give up! My very favorite scripture in all of the Bible is Proverbs 3:5 & 6, “Trust in the Lord with all of your heart and lean not to your own understanding; but in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths.”

Trust Him completely, without wavering and without reservation! His Grace will enable you and you will make it through any situation that life may send your way.

Just Thinkin’ Out Loud
Pastor Robbie

Ms. Crystal Meth...

Below is poem that was given to me 6 or 7 years ago when I was still traveling and ministering out.  I've shared the words of this writing countless times while preaching, as it is so true and gripping.  As someone who personally fell into the grip of this horrible chemical some 11 or 12 years ago, I understand just how real this is.  I can also testify to you that there is no power on earth to truly deliver you and set you free from the stronghold that Crystal Meth can have on you, except Christ Jesus!  The Bible says that He came to set the captive free and I can tell you firsthand, He can!

Ms. Crystal Meth
Written by: Samantha Reynolds

If my glamorous lifestyle
Is appealing to you. . .

And you want to try me

Because you've 'nothing to lose'. . .

Then, let me give you

A bit of advice:

You are a fool. . .

And you'd better think twice.

I destroy homes.

I tear families apart.

I take your children.

And that's just the start.

I'm more valued than diamonds.

More precious than gold.

The sorrow I bring

is a sight to behold.

If you need me, remember;

I'm easily found.

I live all around you,

In schools and in town.

I live with the rich.

I live with the poor.

I live down the road.

And maybe next door.

I'm made in a lab, but

Not in one like you think.

I can even be made
In your kitchen sink.

Or in your child's closet

And even out in the woods.

If this scares you to death

Well, it certainly should.

I have many names

But there's one you'll know best.

I'm sure you've heard of me.

My name's Crystal Meth.

My power is awesome.

Try me you'll see.

But if you do

You may never break free.

     Just try me once

And I might let you go.

But if you try me twice

then I'll own your soul.

When I posses you

You'll steal and lie.

You'll do what you have to

Just to get high.

The crimes you'll commit

For my drug induced charms

Will be worth the pleasure

You'll feel in my arms.

You'll lie to your mother.

You'll steal from your dad.

When you see their tears

You must not feel sad.

Just forget your morals

And how you were raised.

I'll be your conscience.

I'll teach you my ways.

I take kids from their parents.

I take parents from kids.

I turn people from God.

I separate friends.

I'll take everything from you;

Even your good looks and your pride.

I'll be with you always.

Right here by your side.

You'll give up everything;

Your family, your home

Your money, your friends.

You'll be all alone.

I'll take and I'll take

'Til you've no more to give.

When I'm finished with you

You'll be lucky to live.

If you try me be warned:

THIS IS NOT A GAME.

If I'm given the chance

I'll drive you insane.

I'll ravage your body.

I'll control your mind.

I'll own you completely.

Your soul will be mine.

The nightmares I'll give you

When your lying in bed....

And the voices you'll hear

From inside your head....

The sweats, the shakes

And the visions you'll see....

I want you to know:

These are your gifts from me.

By then it's to late

And you'll know in your heart

That you are now mine

And we shall not part.

You'll regret that you tried me.

(They always do.)

Remember; you came to me.

Not I, to you.

You knew this would happen.

How many times were you told?

But you challenged my power.

You chose to be bold.

You could have said "No" and

Then walked away.

If you could live that day over

Now, what would you say?

Go ahead and curse me
With every breath.

Just make your choice:

Will it be life or meth?

You will take unknown paths

On your journey through life.

Some will bring happiness.

Some will bring strife.

But, my path is one

You must not ever cross.

Although it's well trodden

Countless lives have been lost.

Now that you've met me

What will you do?

Will you try me or not?

It's all up to you.

I can show you more misery

Than words can tell

Come, take my hand.

And I'll lead you to Hell!