- MONDAY -

Good morning folks,

I moved to Montrose Colorado about 19 years ago.  I rapidly learned that one of the scariest things I could see was a Christian telling me "I have a new word from God".  He would then proceed to tell me about his "new word' which upon examination was actually against God's word.  Did you know God doesn't contradict Himself?  Did you know His word, like God Himself, is the same today and always?  Beware of false teaching dear friends.  It is still alive and well.  Stick to God's word like paint on a wall.  His word never lets you down.  Only the false teaching of it.  Make sure you are in a good church with good steadfast teaching.  There is no substitute for it.

⁵ If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to you.   James 1:5 NIV

I love telling new believers about God's word. It is life bringing and life changing.

Be blessed, be a blessing,

Randy

- TUESDAY -

Good morning folks,

Like in most any ministry Jackie and I use music to bring people into worship as well as put a message in their hearts.  One such song we have used of late is "Thank You Jesus for the Blood".  Sung with great feeling by Charity Gayle it has a great message for the people we minister to.  Here are a few words from the 1st verse and then the chorus...

I was a wretch, I remember who I was
I was lost, I was blind, I was running out of time.
Sin separated, the breach was far too wide
But from the far side of the chasm, You had me in Your sight

Thank You Jesus, for the blood applied
Thank You Jesus, it has washed me white
Thank You Jesus, You have saved my life 
Brought me from the darkness into glorious light. 

Written by Charity Gayle, Ryan Kennedy, Steven Musso, David Gentiles, and Bryan McCleery

And, like most good worship songs it is based on Scripture...

¹⁸ For you know that it was not with perishable things such as silver or gold that you were redeemed from the empty way of life handed down to you from your ancestors, ¹⁹ but with the precious blood of Christ, a lamb without blemish or defect. ²⁰ He was chosen before the creation of the world, but was revealed in these last times for your sake. ²¹ Through him you believe in God, who raised him from the dead and glorified him, and so your faith and hope are in God.  1 Peter 1:18-21 NIV

Thank You Jesus for the blood applied!

Be blessed, be a blessing,

Randy

- WEDNESDAY -

Good morning folks,

Jackie and I are privileged to work at a nearby facility called "The Haven House".  It is dedicated to helping down and out families survive and to help parents, single or not, stay with their kids or earn them back from state mandated child protection services after past failures.  They are quite a group to minister to.  During a lesson (which is mostly an evangelistic outreach) I desired to teach them about the magnificence of our Creator.  I asked them to consider why God made so many birds when He could have made just one type and have them all the same.  How God made all of us unique simply because He can and desires it that way.  The people Jackie and I minister to are "bent down" because of the world and their past in it.  We want them to realize they are unique and special because God, who loves them so dearly, cares.  We try to get their eyes off themselves (and out of the "fight or flight" mode) and onto God.   What a joy when you get to see that! 

Psalm 104 is such a great source to teach the majesty of our Lord!

²⁴ How many are your works, Lord!
    In wisdom you made them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.
²⁵ There is the sea, vast and spacious,
    teeming with creatures beyond number—
    living things both large and small.

²⁷ All creatures look to you
    to give them their food at the proper time.
²⁸ When you give it to them,
    they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
    they are satisfied with good things.
²⁹ When you hide your face,
    they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
    they die and return to the dust.
³⁰ When you send your Spirit,
    they are created,
    and you renew the face of the ground.

³¹ May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works—
³² he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,
    who touches the mountains, and they smoke.

³³ I will sing to the Lord all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
³⁴ May my meditation be pleasing to him, as I rejoice in the Lord.  Psalm 104:24-25, 27-34 NIV

Be blessed as you look upon His mighty works today, Be a blessing,

Randy

- THURSDAY -

Good morning folks,

I have always found God's word not only helpful but fascinating.  Can you imagine what the disciples must have felt when they saw all the mighty things Jesus did?  The cursing of the fig tree is a strong reminder that God controls everything. He holds everything together.  In Colossians 1:17 we are told Jesus is before all things in Him all things hold together.

Here's the thing about the fig tree.  If you pulled it up by the roots or cut it off completely at the trunk it would STILL take a day to wither.  This passage tells us this tree withered IMMEDIATELY.  This shows the absolute truth once again in Scripture as we reread Colossians1:17. 

He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.   Colossians 1:17 NLT 

¹⁸ Early in the morning, as Jesus was on his way back to the city, he was hungry. ¹⁹ Seeing a fig tree by the road, he went up to it but found nothing on it except leaves. Then he said to it, “May you never bear fruit again!” Immediately the tree withered.

²⁰ When the disciples saw this, they were amazed. “How did the fig tree wither so quickly?” they asked.  Matthew 21:18-20 NIV 

Yes, we serve an AWESOME God!

Be blessed, be a blessing,

Randy

- FRIDAY -

Good morning folks,

I work with what many people call "junk".  That is, I supplement my retirement with my Ebay store.  I buy up old motorcycles and part them out selling the still usable parts on Ebay.  Sometimes I even go to the metal recycling center and buy old motorcycles.  Every now and then I run into something that I simply cannot bring myself to tear apart.  Sometimes it needs restored! Both of my sons have gotten involved in providing old motorcycles for me to to part out or restore.  My son Tony, who Pastors in a church in Vancouver WA, recently gave me 3 old bikes.  I parted out two of them but the third... well I simply couldn't part that one out.  I set it aside for restoration.  I did some restorative work on it.  I ride it joyfully most everyday.  It's 39 years old and runs like a well-oiled clock. I t's a classic four cylinder Honda that has 6 speeds and a shaft drive... superb!  I feel a special joy around some old bike that's been restored. I t's like there's nothing else like it.

Did you know God is in the restoration work too?  He sets us apart and sanctifies us.  He does a restorative work on us. He does things to help us grow into His design.  Things NO one else can do! He can even restore the land we walk on. 

²⁴ The threshing floors will be filled with grain;
    the vats will overflow with new wine and oil.

²⁵ “I will repay you for the years the locusts have eaten—
    the great locust and the young locust,
    the other locusts and the locust swarm^[a^]—
my great army that I sent among you.
²⁶ You will have plenty to eat, until you are full,
    and you will praise the name of the Lord your God,
    who has worked wonders for you;
never again will my people be shamed.  Joel 2:24-26 NIV

Be blessed today as you think about the restorative work God has done on YOU.

Be a blessing,
 

Randy