My wife and I are buying a much larger home, my in-laws are also moving in and helping with the bills.
We have been in the process of remodeling now, for a few weeks.
If not for the help of our church family, we would never be able to move in.
We have pulled up carpet, torn down a wall, painted and torn out cabinets. I am amazed at the church and their participation.
Most houses in this town have problems with their foundation, it’s the Mississippi clay. Rather you are on a slab or conventional foundation; you have problems.
Well whoever built this house knew what he was doing, he brought in loads of dirt and packed it down, then he poured the slab. In thirty years, this house is one of the few that doesn’t.
It’s so important to build your house on a good foundation.
Sometimes the Holy Spirit wants to do some remodeling on us just as we have on this house. You see, we could have moved in like it was but, we want to make a few changes.
When the Holy Spirit moves in, He remodels as He goes. Sometimes, according to how much stuff He has to change; as in my case. It’s a life long thing.
As a Christian, we enter into The Way with a lot of garbage and ffor us all it takes a life time to filter through the mess.
Lord, we all are in desperate need of remodeling, come Holy Spirit and mold us like clay! Amen!!
RL
Friday, July 30, 2010
Wednesday, July 28, 2010
WHOM SHALL I FEAR
I have walked a rough road in my short life of 54 and I can tell you from experience faith is a substance you obtain when the time is right.
When I went through the stoke of 2005, only when it happened did I obtain the faith I needed.
But, I did learn one valuable lesson, fear paralyzes faith.
Fear is the opposite of faith and will cause you to walk in doubt.
When I hade the stroke, I knew it was bad. But, the Lord had helped me over the years to gather a lot of scriptures together and put them in my heart.
I used those scriptures to help conquer fear and His faith flooded my soul. During the whole process, I walked on a different plane.
I no longer fear death I know who my Rock is. I still have problems but, I can honestly say; He is my hope.
Today some of you who read this are going through some hard times, I have been there. Faith cometh by hearing the Word; saturated your Spirit man with the Word and ask God to invade your heart and know He will be the Victor for you as He is for me.
Lord, only in You do we live and breath. Help us, who are in dangerous waters. We need Your faith in us, demolishing down all kinds of fears. Make the faith in us strong and Victorious! Amen!!!
RL
When I went through the stoke of 2005, only when it happened did I obtain the faith I needed.
But, I did learn one valuable lesson, fear paralyzes faith.
Fear is the opposite of faith and will cause you to walk in doubt.
When I hade the stroke, I knew it was bad. But, the Lord had helped me over the years to gather a lot of scriptures together and put them in my heart.
I used those scriptures to help conquer fear and His faith flooded my soul. During the whole process, I walked on a different plane.
I no longer fear death I know who my Rock is. I still have problems but, I can honestly say; He is my hope.
Today some of you who read this are going through some hard times, I have been there. Faith cometh by hearing the Word; saturated your Spirit man with the Word and ask God to invade your heart and know He will be the Victor for you as He is for me.
Lord, only in You do we live and breath. Help us, who are in dangerous waters. We need Your faith in us, demolishing down all kinds of fears. Make the faith in us strong and Victorious! Amen!!!
RL
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
An Unexpected Reaction
It was our 2nd pastorate, we had been there 6 months.
A wonderful couple in the church, who had been married 40 or 50 years had suffered a horrendous health issue.
The woman had suffered a massive stroke and had to be put in the nursing home.
The old gentleman was doing the best he could but, the medical bills were too much.
One Sunday night as I was about through preaching, I felt led by the Holy Spirit to take up a love offering for him.
I had no time to talk to the deacons, so I told the people give if they could and if not now, the following Sunday
I never thought in my widest dreams that anyone would get mad, boy was I wrong!
As I was leaving the church, the head deacon rushed up, poked his finger hard as he could in my chest and said; don’t ever do that again without talking to me!
I’m a fairly calm guy but, I got real upset. I poked him in the chest and said, sir I suggest you kneel and pray with me in this parking lot or I will be forced to use you as a punching bag!
To my surprise, he calmly knelt and we prayed.
It was only by the grace of God, I reacted like that I was a brown belt and am not intimadated by anyone but, I had to be a leader and someone who leads a flock. How would it look if I got pur in jail for fighting.
You never know how you will react, only your relationship with the Lord will tell. Pray for restraint, your actions affect others as well as you.
Lord it is only by grace that we act as You want us to. Help us to reprepresent You honorably. Amen!!!
RL
It was our 2nd pastorate, we had been there 6 months.
A wonderful couple in the church, who had been married 40 or 50 years had suffered a horrendous health issue.
The woman had suffered a massive stroke and had to be put in the nursing home.
The old gentleman was doing the best he could but, the medical bills were too much.
One Sunday night as I was about through preaching, I felt led by the Holy Spirit to take up a love offering for him.
I had no time to talk to the deacons, so I told the people give if they could and if not now, the following Sunday
I never thought in my widest dreams that anyone would get mad, boy was I wrong!
As I was leaving the church, the head deacon rushed up, poked his finger hard as he could in my chest and said; don’t ever do that again without talking to me!
I’m a fairly calm guy but, I got real upset. I poked him in the chest and said, sir I suggest you kneel and pray with me in this parking lot or I will be forced to use you as a punching bag!
To my surprise, he calmly knelt and we prayed.
It was only by the grace of God, I reacted like that I was a brown belt and am not intimadated by anyone but, I had to be a leader and someone who leads a flock. How would it look if I got pur in jail for fighting.
You never know how you will react, only your relationship with the Lord will tell. Pray for restraint, your actions affect others as well as you.
Lord it is only by grace that we act as You want us to. Help us to reprepresent You honorably. Amen!!!
RL
Monday, July 26, 2010
THE COW
I Remember being young and thinking you were indestructible. It’s not we went around thinking that, we just did some stupid things, even when we were saved.
I remember one time, I owned a Pontiac Satellite. It was metallic green, had wide tires for racing and was jacked up in the back. It was so high, that the front had a good view of the road up front.
Remember, I was a Christian. One night, I picked up my cousin and we drove into the country to see our girlfriends.
On the way over, my cousin was picking on me saying things like, this thing won’t even burn rubber taking off.
I held out, all the way to their house. On the way back, I had taken all the verbal abuse that I could stand. I gave it gas and boy did it go. He cried, it still won’t burn rubber. I had taken all I could take.
I starting slowing down and out of nowhere, I hit a cow and my coke and glasses went flying. I don’t even remember what my cousin did. Finally as we came to our senses, we got out and looked at the cow.
We thought we had killed it. Of course, no one in the community claimed the cow.
Then all of a sudden after it had been 20 minutes, the cow jumped up and ran off.
Thank God it was alright. The car was okay also, it only busted out the passenger side headlight and bent the bumper.
The reason I’m sharing this, I know people do dumb thing from time to time; at least I do and I want them to know God is there.
I could write you a list on what not to do but, all in all; He was there for me.
That does not give us the right to do such things but, if we do it’s good to know.
Lord, thank You for protecting us in our ignorance no matter what age. Amen!!!
RL
I Remember being young and thinking you were indestructible. It’s not we went around thinking that, we just did some stupid things, even when we were saved.
I remember one time, I owned a Pontiac Satellite. It was metallic green, had wide tires for racing and was jacked up in the back. It was so high, that the front had a good view of the road up front.
Remember, I was a Christian. One night, I picked up my cousin and we drove into the country to see our girlfriends.
On the way over, my cousin was picking on me saying things like, this thing won’t even burn rubber taking off.
I held out, all the way to their house. On the way back, I had taken all the verbal abuse that I could stand. I gave it gas and boy did it go. He cried, it still won’t burn rubber. I had taken all I could take.
I starting slowing down and out of nowhere, I hit a cow and my coke and glasses went flying. I don’t even remember what my cousin did. Finally as we came to our senses, we got out and looked at the cow.
We thought we had killed it. Of course, no one in the community claimed the cow.
Then all of a sudden after it had been 20 minutes, the cow jumped up and ran off.
Thank God it was alright. The car was okay also, it only busted out the passenger side headlight and bent the bumper.
The reason I’m sharing this, I know people do dumb thing from time to time; at least I do and I want them to know God is there.
I could write you a list on what not to do but, all in all; He was there for me.
That does not give us the right to do such things but, if we do it’s good to know.
Lord, thank You for protecting us in our ignorance no matter what age. Amen!!!
RL
Sunday, July 25, 2010
Count the Cost
I have a friend, who is of another nationality. She was a Hindu until she asked Jesus into her heart.
Her family was well off and were so mad at her for embracing Christianity, her Mother and Dad locked her in a closet and then shipped her off to spend the summer with her Grandmother in India.
Knowing the choice she made could cost her everything she held dear, she chose to follow Christ. Happily, her Mom and Dad still associate with her.
How would you react? Imagine the cost! Do you know, that’s what following Christ is about.
Do we really take in consideration the price He paid or are we so spoiled that we never give it a second thought! It’s so easy here in America, we have Christian radio and the gospel is at our every beck and call.
In other countries it is not so, they are killed and mimed for the gospel.
We here are so shielded and so far from the evil, we tend to relax and forget the cost!
Lord! Create within me a heart to feel the pain, of what my brother and sister go through. Amen!!!
RL
I have a friend, who is of another nationality. She was a Hindu until she asked Jesus into her heart.
Her family was well off and were so mad at her for embracing Christianity, her Mother and Dad locked her in a closet and then shipped her off to spend the summer with her Grandmother in India.
Knowing the choice she made could cost her everything she held dear, she chose to follow Christ. Happily, her Mom and Dad still associate with her.
How would you react? Imagine the cost! Do you know, that’s what following Christ is about.
Do we really take in consideration the price He paid or are we so spoiled that we never give it a second thought! It’s so easy here in America, we have Christian radio and the gospel is at our every beck and call.
In other countries it is not so, they are killed and mimed for the gospel.
We here are so shielded and so far from the evil, we tend to relax and forget the cost!
Lord! Create within me a heart to feel the pain, of what my brother and sister go through. Amen!!!
RL
Saturday, July 24, 2010
His Word!
I remember a skit someone did a long time ago.
It was about a world without a Bible, the only Bible you had was what you had memorized. Imagine, no written word.
Tonight, I saw a movie and there was only one Bible left, in the whole world.
This one man would do anything, to get his hands on it, even murder. I told my wife, take all the blood and cussing out ; Hollywood made a good Christian movie.
But, both the skit and the movie are true. If the world continues on the path she is on, what you have memorized could be the only Bible you have.
We here in America have really polluted the Word with our Western ways. We have translation after translation.
I believe, the more translations we have, the further away we get. But, that leads to the question, which one do I memorize? My answer is the earlier the translation the better.
I personally memorized th King James version, only because I find it flows poetically. The bottom line is get God’s Word in your heart, because one day the only Word left may be you!
Lord, lead us to your Word that we can hid in our hearts! Amen.
RL
I remember a skit someone did a long time ago.
It was about a world without a Bible, the only Bible you had was what you had memorized. Imagine, no written word.
Tonight, I saw a movie and there was only one Bible left, in the whole world.
This one man would do anything, to get his hands on it, even murder. I told my wife, take all the blood and cussing out ; Hollywood made a good Christian movie.
But, both the skit and the movie are true. If the world continues on the path she is on, what you have memorized could be the only Bible you have.
We here in America have really polluted the Word with our Western ways. We have translation after translation.
I believe, the more translations we have, the further away we get. But, that leads to the question, which one do I memorize? My answer is the earlier the translation the better.
I personally memorized th King James version, only because I find it flows poetically. The bottom line is get God’s Word in your heart, because one day the only Word left may be you!
Lord, lead us to your Word that we can hid in our hearts! Amen.
RL
Thursday, July 22, 2010
KNOWLEDGE PUFFS UP
In college I was in a club that studied what other religions believed. We even went to their places of worship to discuss what we felt was contrary to the Bible.
I loved it, the thrill of debate!! The leader thrived to share with us his knowledge.
I remember one time, we went to a certain place. As soon as we took a seat, two large men came up and asked us to leave. They escorted us out from their congregation and politely said, don’t come back!
Years later, I was married. My wife and I both worked third shift. One morning around ten a.m. before we went to bed, we saw two guys coming door to door.
I knew by their dress, who they were, so did my wife. She blurted out, leave them alone, if they come here! I replied, I’m not going to promise a thing. She went off to bed and I entertained the door to door guests.
Before the discussion was over, one of them was crying, I loved the vigorous communication.
I LATER FOUND OUT THAT THE ONE THAT CRIED LEFT THE DENOMINATION
As I grew a little bit older, I came to understand that spiritual ping pong as I call it is wrong most of the time, at least with me.
The reason was I enjoyed showing off my knowledge.
I believe to much knowledge puffs up ones ego, at least it did mine.
The only true way for someone to know our Lord is by the power of the Holy Spirit!
Know His Word and pray fervently, then talk as friends. Let God be the One who convicts, not you!
Lord, help us to realize and see, You are the One who brings people to reality of Your truth, through the Holy Spirit! Amen!!!!
RL
Wednesday, July 21, 2010
Doom and Dismay
What we are hearing today is not something new, David Wilkerson has been saying things for years
It was 1985, we were at our first church. The title of my sermon was “Upcoming Financial Disaster”.
I knew then if the politicians of our day did not change their greedy ways, it would be the ruin of live as we knew it.
Today, the crisis we face can not be blamed on one party; it took both unwilling to do the right thing.
I’m no prophet or Apostle but, I know right now the only way we can avert this oncoming financial gloom, the church as a whole must fast and pray.
Our whole country is in turmoil and man does not have the answers, Obama doesn’t and I know who does.
The answer is found in Him, church! Wake up and be relevant in the world of today, the time for setting in the front seat is now!
Lord! Wake up the sleeping church and bring us to the realization as a whole, we need to seek you and you alone. Amen!!!!!
RL
What we are hearing today is not something new, David Wilkerson has been saying things for years
It was 1985, we were at our first church. The title of my sermon was “Upcoming Financial Disaster”.
I knew then if the politicians of our day did not change their greedy ways, it would be the ruin of live as we knew it.
Today, the crisis we face can not be blamed on one party; it took both unwilling to do the right thing.
I’m no prophet or Apostle but, I know right now the only way we can avert this oncoming financial gloom, the church as a whole must fast and pray.
Our whole country is in turmoil and man does not have the answers, Obama doesn’t and I know who does.
The answer is found in Him, church! Wake up and be relevant in the world of today, the time for setting in the front seat is now!
Lord! Wake up the sleeping church and bring us to the realization as a whole, we need to seek you and you alone. Amen!!!!!
RL
Tuesday, July 20, 2010
A TRUE MAN OF GOD
I have walked in the way of the cross for a long time and I have met a lot of people.
I’m not impressed with money or fame, the question I ask myself, is he or she really following the ways of the cross.
Love is the greatest, that’s what 1 Cor. 13 tells us but, I also look for humility.
Today, I was visited by a friend who walks in honest humility; not fake. It was so easy to talk with him, I felt as though I was taking a hot bath; things in my life were being washed away.
I have only known a few men of such manner.
I know the reason some people are that way and I strive to one day get there. Being in the constant presence of God has a way of molding our lives in His Son’s image.
Just think, if we were to get to the secret place and learn to abide, maybe our shadow would effect peoples lives like Peter’s life did!
Don’t take for granted the people that God has brought into your lives, we need each other to make us jealous, to want more of Him.
Lord I was so privileged to have in my home a servant of Yours and I pray we both made each other jealous. To know You and serve You is all I want to do. Amen!!!
RL
I have walked in the way of the cross for a long time and I have met a lot of people.
I’m not impressed with money or fame, the question I ask myself, is he or she really following the ways of the cross.
Love is the greatest, that’s what 1 Cor. 13 tells us but, I also look for humility.
Today, I was visited by a friend who walks in honest humility; not fake. It was so easy to talk with him, I felt as though I was taking a hot bath; things in my life were being washed away.
I have only known a few men of such manner.
I know the reason some people are that way and I strive to one day get there. Being in the constant presence of God has a way of molding our lives in His Son’s image.
Just think, if we were to get to the secret place and learn to abide, maybe our shadow would effect peoples lives like Peter’s life did!
Don’t take for granted the people that God has brought into your lives, we need each other to make us jealous, to want more of Him.
Lord I was so privileged to have in my home a servant of Yours and I pray we both made each other jealous. To know You and serve You is all I want to do. Amen!!!
RL
Monday, July 19, 2010
Dreams
Interpretation of dreams have been around since Joseph.
When we moved back home, my wife will tell you I dreamed every night. Were all the dreams from God or too much pizza!
I had a method I used, to decide if they were from God or not. If I dreamed a dream and vividly remembered it in three days, I would try and get in touch with the person and relate the dream.
I could set here all night and tell you true stories but, lack of time and space but I will tell one.
I have a friend who lives in Dallas, she was married to another friend.
In my dream, he was on drugs and being unfaithful. I called and was going to tell her the dream. Before I told her, she burst into tears and told me what he was doing,
It was just like my dream, he was being unfaithful
Nine out of ten times, my dreams came true; some good, some not so good
LAST Tuesday I had a dream, a friend I have not seen since 1976; was in the dream. Another friend and I were laying hands on him and praying.
Last Friday I called my friend, who now lives in South Dakota; after I told him, he told me he is coming to Mississippi Monday.
Talk about coincidences will get to see him Tuesday. The other friend is in China.
So if you dream, don’t dismiss it as to much pizza!
Lord help us to hear from you, let us not take things so lightly. Amen!!!!!
RL
Interpretation of dreams have been around since Joseph.
When we moved back home, my wife will tell you I dreamed every night. Were all the dreams from God or too much pizza!
I had a method I used, to decide if they were from God or not. If I dreamed a dream and vividly remembered it in three days, I would try and get in touch with the person and relate the dream.
I could set here all night and tell you true stories but, lack of time and space but I will tell one.
I have a friend who lives in Dallas, she was married to another friend.
In my dream, he was on drugs and being unfaithful. I called and was going to tell her the dream. Before I told her, she burst into tears and told me what he was doing,
It was just like my dream, he was being unfaithful
Nine out of ten times, my dreams came true; some good, some not so good
LAST Tuesday I had a dream, a friend I have not seen since 1976; was in the dream. Another friend and I were laying hands on him and praying.
Last Friday I called my friend, who now lives in South Dakota; after I told him, he told me he is coming to Mississippi Monday.
Talk about coincidences will get to see him Tuesday. The other friend is in China.
So if you dream, don’t dismiss it as to much pizza!
Lord help us to hear from you, let us not take things so lightly. Amen!!!!!
RL
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