DROUGHT SURVIVAL KEY

"Blessed is the man that trusts in the LORD,

and whose hope the LORD is.

For he shall be as a tree planted by the waters,

and that spreads out her roots by the river, 

and shall not see when heat comes,

but her leaf shall be green;

and shall not be anxious in the year of drought,

neither shall cease from yielding fruit."

Jeremiah 17:7,8 (AKJV)

GOD IS NOT IMPRESSED WITH YOUR TITLE

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GOD IS NOT IMPRESSED WITH YOUR TITLE,

and neither am I.

At least the way you would want me to be.

I recently received information about a ministry in the mail.

The best I know, it is a fine ministry doing a great 

work for God.  In fact, I probably have donated money to help it.

But something stands out as so typical of our day.

The person in charge of this outreach is,

the

Rt. Rev. Dr. ..........  ..............

And not only that but,

the 

President and General Director.

WOW!

How impressive!

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But the words of Jesus keep eating at me.

"You must not be called 'Teacher,' because 

you are all equal and have only one Teacher.

And you must not call anyone here on earth 'Father,'

because you have only the one Father in heaven.

Nor should you be called 'Leader,'

because your one and only leader is the Messiah.

The greatest one among you must be your servant.

Whoever makes himself great will be humbled,

and whoever humbles himself will be made great."

-Matthew 23:8-11 (GNB)

Eugene Peterson in "The Message"

Translates verses seven and eight this way.

"They love to sit at the head table at church dinners,

basking in the most prominent positions,

preening in the radiance of public flattery,

receiving honorary degrees and getting called,

'Doctor' and 'Reverend.' "

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But how men love titles.

• Reverend
• Very Reverend
• Right Reverend
• Most Reverend
• Father
• Reverend Father
• Your Eminence
• Your Piety
• Your Holiness
• The Venerable
• Your Grace
• Doctor.

SICKING.

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John Kingdon in Secret Missions on pp. 47,48

shares this insight after his visit with that Spiritual

giant in China, Wang Ming Tao.

"The highlight was actually realizing that when you go through 

all these troubles, I thought you should become a spiritual

giant, but spiritual giants are, in essence, very humble."

"Its just the opposite of what many imagine a giant to be.

Sometimes Christians think a person like this would

be one who spouts off words of wisdom.  That is true

to an extent, but the main thing they put across is their

humility; their servant hood."

Want to impress me?

Then demonstrate the signs of those who believe

as in Mark 16:17,18.

Or,

the signs of an apostle as mentioned by the apostle Paul.

Or,

call down fire from heaven like Elijah.

A title just won't do it.

JUST A THOUGHT

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A few years ago I received a promotional in the mail

for a "Dynamic Seminar".

"THE EXPERTS are coming to you."

WOW!

There were to be six prominent motivators.

And all this was very close to my home.

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One I was more familiar with than the others.

Author of many books.  And,

"America's Best Inspirational Speaker."

This speakers subject was to be,

"How to Attain and Exceed Every Goal."

The news of the past year tells me that this 

speakers empire has gone bankrupt,

collapsed and sold out to another religion.

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OOPS!

THE DRY SPELL

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Hopefully we all have dry spells.

I want to share just a few sentences from

David Wilkerson's World Challenge PULPIT SERIES

of September 24, 2007,

entitled "Dry Spells".

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"It is a common experience particularly for those

who walk closely with the Lord."

"I remind you, the dry spell - the low period

in your spirit - is known mostly to those

whom God intends to use."

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"When my people in their need look for water, 

when their throats are dry with thirst,

then I, the Lord, will answer their prayer;

I, the God of Israel, will never abandon them.

I will make rivers flow among barren hills

and springs of water run in the valleys.

I will turn the desert into pools of water

and the dry land into flowing springs."

-Isaiah 41:17,18 (GNB)

SLEEPING SECURELY

"But you, O Lord are always my shield 

from danger;

you give me victory and restore my courage.

I call to the Lord for help,

and from his sacred hill he answers me.

I lie down and sleep,

and all night long the Lord protects me.

I am not afraid of the thousands

of enemies who surround me on every side."

Psalms 3:3-6 (GNB)

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TALE OF TWO KINGS

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Two kings.
Both from the same family line.
Both began to rule at twenty-five years of age.
Both ruled in Jerusalem for twenty-nine years.

But king one, Amaziah had apparently just one success.
Then much failure and ended fleeing with his enemies catching 
 and killing him.

About one hundred and thirteen years latter his 
great, great, grandson became king.  That is 
Hezekiah, our king number two.

King Hezekiah had constant success ending his rule
by being "buried in the supper section of the royal tombs,
... and all the people paid him great honor at his death."

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What was the distinguishing difference between
the two kings.

God said of Amaziah, the failure:

"He did what was pleasing to the LORD, but did it
reluctantly."
-2 Chronicles 25:2 (GNB)

God said of Hezekiah, the success:

"Throughout all of Judah, King Hezekiah did what 
was right and what was pleasing to the LORD his God.
He was successful, because everything he did for the 
Temple or in observance of the Law,
he did in a spirit of complete loyalty and 
devotion to his God."
-2 Chronicles 31:20,21 (GNB)

WHY DON'T I HAVE MORE OF GOD?

WHY DON'T I HAVE MORE OF GOD?

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Why don't I have more of God?

Sonja of bits and pieces... gives us the answer

when she quotes her pastor.

"You have as much of God in your life

as you want."

That should completely upset our little boat as 

we row down life's stream.  The problem is not with God,

but with my "wanter".

God tells us,

"Draw near to God and he will draw near to you.

Cleanse your hands you sinners, and purify your

hearts, you men of double mind."

-James 4:8 (RSV)

And how do we draw near to God?

"But from there you will seek the Lord your God,

and you will find him,

if you search after him with all your heart

and all your soul."

-Deuteronomy 4:29 (RSV)

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When we long for God as the psalmist did,

"As a deer longs for a stream of cool water,

so I long for you, O God.

I thirst for you, the living God.

When can I go and worship in your presence?"

-Psalms 42:1,2 (GNB)

and

"O God, you are my God,

and I long for you.

My whole being desires you;

like a dry worn-out, and waterless land,

my soul is thirsty for you."

-Psalms 63:1 (GNB)

Or the apostle Paul,

"I reckon everything as a complete loss for the sake

of what is so much more valuable, the knowledge of 

Christ Jesus my Lord.

For his sake I have thrown everything away;

I consider it all as mere garbage,

so that I may gain Christ and be completely

united with him."

- Philippians 3:8,9 (GNB)

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When I want God more than anything else,

then I will have all of God I want.

GOD'S PROTECTION

"He that dwells in the secret place of the most High

shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

I will say of the LORD,

He is my refuge and my fortress:

my God, in him will I trust.

Surely he shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler,

and from the dangerous pestilence.

He shall cover you with his feathers,

and under his wings shall you trust:

his truth shall be your shield and buckler.

You shall not be afraid for the terror by night;

nor for the arrow that flies by day;

Nor for the pestilence that walks in darkness;

nor for the destruction that wastes at noonday.

A thousand shall fall at your side,

and ten thousand at your right hand,

but it shall not come nigh you.

Only with your eyes shall you behold and see the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the LORD, which is my refuge,

even the most High, your habitation;

There shall no evil befall you,

neither shall any plague come nigh your dwelling.

For he shall give his angels charge over you, 

to keep you in all your ways.

They shall bear you up in their hands,

lest you dash your foot against a stone.

You shall tread upon the lion and adder:

the young lion and the dragon shall you trample under feet.

Because he has set his love upon me, 

therefore will I deliver him:

I will set him on high, because he has known my name.

He shall call upon me, and I will answer him:

I will be with him in trouble;

I will deliver him, and honour him

With long life will I satisfy him,

and show him my salvation."

-Psalms 91 I LOVE JESUS (UKJV) 

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