FMF February 2024

Respite:
No tempatation has over come you except what is common to man. I Cor 10:13 
A Psalm of David. For God alone my soul waits in silence; from him comes my salvation. He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress; I shall not be greatly shaken. Ps 62:1-2
They who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint.Is 40:31
Jesus walked this earth as a man. He knows what it means when we say weary bones, tired to the bone or when we are overwhelm. The cares and burdens of this world can be too much to handle. Even Jesus ask for this cup to be passed, yet he obeyed. 
memories lay curled 
tumbled, dark rumble 
inner balance skewed
Sometimes we are overwhelm, our faith shaken, 
sometimes we are just tired and need rest,
sometimes we have lost our way, darkness overwhelms.
Despite our circumstances, God calls us to him. PS 23
Take an intermission and rest.
A respite brings clarity. 

memories lay curled 
tumbled, dark rumble 
inner balance skewed
   
truth is a plumbline 
that does not vary 
or does it compromise.

God's Word does not compromise Truth. It is our plumbline, our standard, our foundation to live by. God cannot lie. Therefore, our foundation is solid as a rock. (Amos and Hebrews)

Spoil: 2/16/24
If one is spoilt to the point of self-validation where no moral code or truth instructs one's character, then deception will reign in that person's heart. 
It began in the 50s when having fun and earning money became more important in one's life than Jesus. The '60s sexual revolution attacked God's plan for the family. The divorce rate rose. Government welfare further broke families apart. As a result, abortion was reintroduced back into our society as a legal means to kill an unwanted child. The Gospel ended child-sacrifice to Molek. Next, the me-generation of self-promotion and social media took hold. Today, the number of clicks is the primary source of self-validation. Knowing how God designed you and finding self-worth in the eternal God is lost. Deception crept in, and we ignored it. Our spoiled generations prefer to believe a lie rather than the truth. A person must seek God's gift of discernment. One's gain must be Christ. Phillippians 1:21 For me to live is Christ and to die is gain. 
Prayer and the gospel saves.

Consumed by hurt! So, how does one live beyond the hurt and maintain hope?
Hurtful words dash across the heart. Dreams unrealize by the busy cares of the day lie in waste. When children refuse to talk to their parents, hope for restoration dims when the years roll into another. When the future seems clouded by nefarious purposes, we pray for a turn of events. Sadness and regret fill a life once lived. Hope lost in darkness cries of despair. We cry.
Yet, we still hope. Why?
Hope lies beyond our regrets and missed opportunities. Hope restores the heart and clears the way for renewed dreams. Hope rests on the foundational truth of Christ Jesus. When love seems lost, and we've lost our way, hope shines a light. It dispels the darkness of despair. The heart responds. Hope carries the vital healing power of frankincense and myrrh. Its soothing components restore our faith and love.
Hope heals!

Waste: Every religion created by man is self-serving: serve me, sacrifice your wealth and what you love most for me. Mohammad, Joseph Smith, Jim Jones, and Prosperity preacher Norman Vincent Peale all proclaimed to know the way to God or how to live one's life, offering their guidance without knowing the one true God. Religion and empty philosophies created by man waste time, energy, and resources.

God has given us free will. We can choose the false prophets, various religions, or respond to the call of the Holy Spirit. Our spirit is drawn to the Holy Spirit; we can accept or reject God. In doing so, we recognize the creator and his creation; he existed before time began, and the cross was laid as a foundation for a relationship with the eternal God. 
Colossians 2:8-10
v. 8 See to it that there is no one who takes you captive through philosophy and empty deception in accordance with human tradition, in accordance with the elementary principles of the world, rather than in accordance with Christ. 9 For in Him all the fullness of Deity dwells in bodily form, 10 and in Him you have been made complete, and He is the head over every ruler and authority; 

"Jesus, the apostles Paul, Peter, and John all repeatedly warned such men would rise up among us, and lead many astray, even within the visible church. They warned that not only would there be many False Teachers, there would be many followers of them as well ...people "to suit their own desires ...will gather around them a great number of teachers to say what their itching ears want to hear." (2 Tim 4:3). Sadly, very few people do their homework when considering their own pastors, so the wolves have taken advantage of this fact to keep multitudes in their blinded condition." 
https://www.monergism.com/modern-day-false-teachers