I usually end my messages with a prayer, but this Sunday morning I feel led to start with one. 

I am sure every hate thing on the internet, TV, and media that are being said about our president brings tears to our Lord and savior. Like all believers, President Trump is one of Yours Lord, You love him as You do all of us.

Politics, I mean all politics should be put aside in this hour of need and a corporate pray go forth to ask for a healing of our president and for everyone suffering from COVID.

Heavenly Father, 

So many people are suffering from this virus around the world, and I know you are our healer and our Lord. You have the power to stop this plage in its tracks. I also know there are non- believers and uncontrolled evil in this world. I pray for the perpetrators, for their souls and hearts to be changed and turned to you. I pray for healing to begin physically and spiritually. I ask Lord for an end of this senseless violence and the lies being told to be exposed and the guilty ones punished for crimes commented.  Lord, touch our president this day with your healing hand and all people around him and allow him to continue the task you have given him to do.

I ask this in the precious name of Jesus,

Amen 

Have you ever taken the time to read the comments at the end of a news story? I’m like many people these days, I have a hard time believing the media. To be honest, I only watch Fox news and I know they’re not always right on. At least they are not one-sided with all the negative vile being spewed on the other broadcasts. Some things said is blasphemy, pure and simple. The one’s saying these things will face the wrath of God at some point. You can’t believe in God and condone abortion, same-sex marriage, gender change, and homosexuality. It doesn’t matter if you’re a catholic, Jew, or protestant, they’re against God’s law.  If you go along with and agree these things are up to the individual, then you need to reassess your Christian walk, you’ve taken the wrong fork in the road. YOU CAN’T be politically correct and biblically correct, it’s oil and water. Scripture is very clear about unrepentant sin. Simple, either get right with God or face His wrath, grey area doesn’t hold sway with God. If you believe any of the aforementioned practices are alright, this message is especially for you and a refresher course for others.

God’s wrath is His reaction to sin and evil. Many today have a misunderstanding of God’s wrath in that they compare God’s wrath to man’s anger. Man’s anger is manifested in fits of rage, retaliation, screaming, shouting abuse, and acts of violence. God’s wrath is His reaction to sin and evil due to His righteousness. Don’t compare God’s wrath to man’s anger. Man’s anger is sin. God’s wrath is the result of His righteousness.

Under the old covenant, God’s wrath or His reaction to sin and evil was revealed beginning in the garden when Adam and Eve were separated from His presence because of their sin. His wrath was revealed in the flood that came upon the earth in Genesis chapters 6-8. In the Old Testament, His wrath was revealed through famine, pestilence, drought, and annihilation.

The wrath of God displayed under the old covenant describes and points to the wrath of God that is to come at the end of this age. Daniel has a vision concerning it given to us in Daniel Chapter 8. (Daniel 8:19 NAS) “He said: “I am going to tell you what will happen later in the time of wrath because the vision concerns the appointed time of the end.” Jesus said (Matthew 24:21 NAS) “For then there will be great distress, unequaled from the beginning of the world until now–and never to be equaled again.” Revelation chapters 5-19 gives a vivid description of the wrath of God that is to come at the end of this age on all those who do not love Jesus.

It is important that servants of Jesus understand the wrath of God that is to come. That is why we are given Revelation. Revelation begins by saying (Revelation 1:1 NAS) “The revelation of Jesus Christ, which God gave him to show his servants what must soon take place”. Why is it so important that servants of Jesus understand the wrath of God which is to come? First of all, an understanding of the wrath to come will motivate us to a life of holiness by allowing the Holy Spirit to work in us. Second of all, an understanding of the wrath to come will motivate us to proclaim the good news of God now so that “whosoever” will come to Jesus and be saved from the wrath that is to come.

Signs of the end of this age are all around us. I believe it is crucial today that servants of Jesus understand what is coming.

In Paul’s conclusion of Romans chapter 1, he is not talking about God’s past wrath or God’s future wrath. Paul is talking about God’s present wrath. He is referring to God’s reaction to sin and evil in our day; right now; in the present.

HOW GOD’S WRATH IS BEING REVEALED IN OUR DAY.

(Romans 1:18-32 NAS) “The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, {19} since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. {20} For since the creation of the world God’s invisible qualities–his eternal power and divine nature–have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse. {21} For although they knew God, they neither glorified him as God nor gave thanks to him, but their thinking became futile and their foolish hearts were darkened. {22} Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools {23} and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles. {24} Therefore God gave them over in the sinful desires of their hearts to sexual impurity for the degrading of their bodies with one another. {25} They exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped and served created things rather than the Creator–who is forever praised. Amen. {26} Because of this, God gave them over to shameful lusts. Even their women exchanged natural relations for unnatural ones. {27} In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion. {28} Furthermore, since they did not think it worthwhile to retain the knowledge of God, he gave them over to a depraved mind, to do what ought not to be done. {29} They have become filled with every kind of wickedness, evil, greed, and depravity. They are full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, and malice. They are gossips, {30} slanderers, God-haters, insolent, arrogant, and boastful; they invent ways of doing evil; they disobey their parents; {31} they are senseless, faithless, heartless and ruthless {32} Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things deserve death, they not only continue to do these very things but also approve of those who practice them.”

Please notice the added emphasis in the above Scripture. The wrath of God is being revealed today through God turning people over to their sin. In Romans 1:21-24, we are told that people have exchanged the glory of God for things. The result is that God has given them over to their sin. In Romans 1:25-27, we are told that people have exchanged the truth of God for a lie. The result is that God has given them over to their sin. In Romans 1:28-32, we are told that people have exchanged the knowledge of God for the knowledge of the world. The result is that God has given them over to their sin.

THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT GOD’S WRATH IS NOT HIS FINAL WORD TO US.

Romans 1:18 talks of the wrath of God being “revealed” to us today. It is revealed to us today through God turning people over to their sin. Please be reminded that God’s righteousness has already been revealed to us. (Romans 1:17NAS) “For in the gospel a righteousness from God is revealed, a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.”” The opposite of God’s wrath is God’s righteousness. God’s wrath is being revealed to us today through God turning people over to their sin. God’s righteousness has been revealed to us through the gospel; the good news of God which tells us that there is a solution to our sin problem. Jesus is the solution! Jesus died for our sins. After three days in the grave, he rose from the grave re-glorified. Because He conquered death, hell, and the grave, it gives us the opportunity to live victoriously in this life and eternally around the throne of God basking in His righteousness. Jesus has sent the Holy Spirit to empower us to walk in victory.

The moment we place faith in what God did for us at the cross through Jesus, the power of sin is broken over us. Jesus becomes our Savior and we make Him our Lord as we die to sinful self. Sin no longer controls us. Jesus regenerates us into new creatures by giving us the Holy Spirit to indwell in us. We start walking in the Spirit instead of the flesh. (Galatians 5:16-26 NAS) “So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature. {17} For the sinful nature desires what is contrary to the Spirit, and the Spirit what is contrary to the sinful nature. They are in conflict with each other so that you do not do what you want. {18} But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. {19} The acts of the sinful nature are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; {20} idolatry and witchcraft; hatred, discord, jealousy, fits of rage, selfish ambition, dissensions, factions {21} and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who live like this will not inherit the kingdom of God. {22} But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, {23} gentleness, and self-control. Against such things, there is no law. {24} Those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the sinful nature with its passions and desires. {25} Since we live by the Spirit, let us keep in step with the Spirit. {26} Let us not become conceited, provoking and envying each other.”

Beloved, we live in a world that grows increasingly out of step with the gospel. The wrath of God is being revealed in our day through God turning sinful people over to their sin. God has given us everything we need to avoid His present wrath and His wrath to come on all who do not love Jesus. God has given us His Word, which is the authoritative guide for all of our beliefs and actions. He has given us Jesus to be our Savior and our Lord. He has given us the Holy Spirit to empower us to live holy lives in the midst of a wicked and perverse world. Live by the Spirit! Walk-in total victory! Be consumed in God’s righteousness instead of being consumed by His wrath! Praise be to an awesome God who loves us!

I hope this lesson has helped you understand your part in a true believer’s walk. How are you doing? Don’t let your political preferences derail your Christian walk, it could be fatal. A vaper is a lot less than all eternity. Don’t let hate or fear choose your destination.

I pray and care about each and every one of you. Until we get together again stay safe and God’s many blessings to you and yours!       Dusty

My prayer for you:

I pray God’s many blessings on each of you and discernment for the days ahead. I pray you truly seek the holy spirit in all that you do. I ask the Lord for a cleansing of our nation and a return to our Christian foundation. Forgive us Father of our sins. We ask this in the name above all names, Jesus Christ!

A men

As the days slip by, each one begins to look like the day before and they all seem to run together. With our activities limited by covid restrictions, we try to find ways to carry on our ministries. Then when we get very little response to what we feel lead to do, we start second guessing if we’re doing what we’re supposed to be doing.

Wow! that’s a mouth full, I hope it makes sense. I guess what I’m trying to say is; don’t let the devil play with your mind. His job is to compromise your effectiveness in this torn and troubled world. When we’re pretty much alone with only our immediate family around us for support and we’re left to our own devices, we can sure second ourselves. That’s when the feeling of loss comes in and the devil starts his rhetoric.

Here’s your answer, if you get anything from my lessons, get this, it’s simple … GO TO THE ROCK!  Get on your face and pray, satan must flee at the name of Jesus, he has no power over a child of God (YOU). Satan has only one mission, John 10: 10-29. Whatever life brings, remember God is still in control. It takes courage to be a christian and be politically incorrect. An unquestionable patriot put courage this way; John Wayne said, “Courage is being scared to death, and saddling up anyway.” Jesus phrased it this way: Luke 9:23 “Whoever wants to be my disciple must deny themselves and take up their cross daily and follow me.” Some of the passion, the suffering, the hardship of the cross is lost on us due to time and to the glory that is now associated with the cross. But, Jesus was not here pointing to the glory of the cross. He was pointing to the suffering, the pain, and the hardship that is brought upon the one who desires the Christian life. Luke 9:24 “For whoever wants to save their life will lose it, but whoever loses their life for me will save it.”

Being a Christian is not easy. Jesus pointed to this principle in Luke 14:26-33 where He commands that the one who wants to follow Him must first consider what it will cost.

Let me encourage you to step up, stand up for God and country in this time of need. You are empowered by the holy spirit and filled with living water and the gates of hell can not prevail, Matthew 16: 17-19. You are not alone! He said He would never leave you Hebrews 13:5. 

If you want to talk or pray together, email me (prospectorsforgod@gmail.com) and we’ll hook up by phone or text.  I pray this latest message I felt the Lord wanted me to write touched the hearts of those in doubt … Keep up the good fight … KEEP LOOKING UP! Until we get together again, many blessings.     Dusty

My prayer for you:

Father, how heartbreaking to see all the violence and unrest going on in our country. Our police officers who serve to protect us are under attack. I pray the truth come out and the true instigators are exposed and  all the deceivers held accountable.  I pray the ones wanting to change our country by throwing you out and forcing a way of life on us unconscionable to a Christian belief be brought to justice.

Lord, I pray for courage, for all believers to stand in the face of those who would allow paranoia to take over their lives. Give them the discernment to see through all the hype and lies we are being feed every day.

Bless and protect all our leaders doing your will!

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen

In this time of self-imposed house arrest, we find ourselves with extra time on our hands and maybe even having a hard time filling our days. Here’s a thought … How about spending some time with the Lord? I don’t mean asking Him for this or that; I mean getting to know Him. He is your heavenly Father, don’t you think it’s about you got to know Him. He wants us to come to with our needs but He also wants a relationship with you, one on one. The more time you spend in the word and having a heart-felt conversation with the Father, the more you’ll want to learn.  

All our hope is in Jesus Christ, He is the answer to what’s going on today. You ask then why hasn’t He done something about our country’s crisis.? Simple … He’s waiting on us.

Let me give you an analogy using a problem we have today; You know how president Trump wants to go in and clean up Portland, but he has to wait on the mayor to ask for help? The mayor needs to change his heart and admit he has a problem. It’s kind of like that with the Lord, He gave us a free will and until we change our ways and come to Him, His hands are tied.

We can stop being selfish with the me, me, me attitude or stay on this road to destruction.

Let’s get into the word and see how to get on track …

John 6:22-27

²² The next day the crowd that stood on the other side of the sea saw that there was no other small boat there, except one, and that Jesus had not entered with His disciples into the boat, but that His disciples had gone away alone. ²³ There came other small boats from Tiberias near to the place where they ate the bread after the Lord had given thanks. ²⁴ So when the crowd saw that Jesus was not there, nor His disciples, they themselves got into the small boats, and came to Capernaum seeking Jesus. ²⁵ When they found Him on the other side of the sea, they said to Him, “Rabbi, when did You get here?”

Words to the People

²⁶ Jesus answered them and said, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek Me, not because you saw signs, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. ²⁷ Do not work for the food which perishes, but for the food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you, for on Him the Father, God, has set His seal.”

Which interests you more—who Jesus is or what He can do for you? I’m afraid that too many of us are more concerned about what He can give us than we are about getting to know who He is.

But this is nothing new—Jesus had this problem when He walked on earth. The crowds often sought Him out for what He could do for them. Even though their needs were often legitimate, Christ knew their motives.

There is a fine line between selfishly trying to use the Lord to get what we want and humbly coming to Him with our needs and struggles. Some issues we bring to Him are so pressing and urgent in our minds that our desire for Him to take action in the way we want becomes greater than our willingness to submit to His will. At times, what we call “faith” is really a demanding spirit.

We must remember that our needs will come to an end, but Jesus Christ will remain forever. If our prayers have dealt only with presenting our requests to the Lord, we’ve missed a great opportunity to get to know the One with whom we’ll spend eternity. Let’s invest time in pursuing intimacy with Christ. Then we can enjoy the benefits of that relationship forever.

How much of your communion with God is devoted to your needs—even legitimate ones? Are you spending any time getting to know the Lord? Although God delights in our prayers and tells us to pray about everything, He also wants us to come to Him just because we enjoy being with Him.

Well, did this help you? Don’t put your bible down, wonder around in it for a while longer, letting the Holy Spirit lead you. If you don’t have a bible, no problem, we’ll send you one totally free, including shipping … no strings attached! Just go to our contact page and let us know we’ll get it in the mail. Send us your comments or request a subject for us to address. We sure like hearing from yah all.

Until next time, Many Blessings, stay safe, and KEEP LOOKING UP!     Dusty

My Prayer for you: 

Heavenly Father,

You are so patience with your children; you love us so much. I pray for my brother and sisters in need of a touch from you this day. I ask you to bless all and forgive our sins. We need You, and I pray for grace and mercy for our land. I pray you will reveal the evil for what it is and change the hearts of the evildoers.

We thank you, Lord, and we praise your Holy Name!

In Jesus Christ, we pray,

Amen

I thought this message might be appropriate for this time in our current situation, house arrest, face masks, not working, can’t go to church, fake news, riots, I can go on and on but I think you get my point. Personally, I can’t see how a God fearing Christian can vote for anyone condoning baby killing (abortion), rioting, the rainbow movement or any number of things being forced down our throats in the name of “political correctness” … what a bunch of hogs wash! I can’t believe someone would hate an individual so much, that they would go along with destroying our country and our way of life. It is beyond my understanding.

I pray the Lord will intervene and stop this craziness and violence. We really need to  exercise our patience and faith, and yes … wait upon the Lord.

Hey! now don’t stop reading because I said that … this advice comes from a much source  higher than me, I’m just the messenger, let me show you where it comes from …

PSALM 25:3-5

3 Indeed, none of those who wait for You will be ashamed; Those who deal treacherously without cause will be ashamed.

⁴ Make me know Your ways, O Lord; Teach me Your paths.
⁵ Lead me in Your truth and teach me, For You are the God of my salvation;
For You I wait all the day.

 ROMANS 8:28

²⁸ And we know that God causes all things to work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose.

 Waiting for God’s timing is neither passive nor idle—it takes discipline and commitment. I can think of four basic requirements for successful waiting.

ISAIAH 55:8-9

8 “For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.

⁹ “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are My ways higher than your ways

And My thoughts than your thoughts.”

Faith. The Lord’s ways and timing are nothing like ours (Isaiah. 55:8-9). From a human standpoint, He usually does things in a totally different way than we expect. But as we trust Him more, we’ll discover that His approach isn’t so strange after all. And when we live in harmony with God’s will, His timing starts to make sense.

Humility. To wait for the Lord, you must be convinced of your need for Him. Submission to His divine will requires humility—you cannot charge ahead with your own plans and at the same time be fully surrendered to God.

Patience. Are you willing to remain in your current position until you receive clear divine direction? Pausing for clarity from God does not mean that you disengage and allow circumstances to fall apart around you. Waiting upon the Lord is a deliberate decision that requires patience.

Courage. Waiting for God often takes courage, especially when there is pressure to act. If you’re not careful, you might stop listening to the Lord and follow other advice. So keep your ear attuned to the voice of Almighty God, and you won’t go wrong.

Waiting upon the Lord is one of the wisest, most important decisions we make in life. And contrary to popular assumptions, it is an active endeavor that requires faith, humility, patience, and courage. When you rely upon God and wait for His timing, the various facets of life fall into place.

ISAIAH 40:28-31

²⁸ Do you not know? Have you not heard?
The Everlasting God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth
Does not become weary or tired.
His understanding is inscrutable.
²⁹ He gives strength to the weary,
And to him who lacks might He increases power.
³⁰ Though youths grow weary and tired,
And vigorous young men stumble badly,
³¹ Yet those who ^[a]wait for the Lord
Will gain new strength;
They will ^[b]mount up with ^[c]wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.

Footnotes:

1. Isaiah 40:31 or hope in
2. Isaiah 40:31 or sprout wings
3. Isaiah 40:31 or pinions

 God has a purpose and plan for your life, and His timing is perfect. Sometimes He answers our prayers with “yes” or “no.” But at other times, He says “not now”–when that is the case, we can avail ourselves of the rich rewards that come when we wait.

One very practical blessing is that God strengthens us as we lean on Him during delays. Isaiah 40:31 tells us that “those who wait for the Lord will gain new strength.” We are given the metaphor of an eagle with wind beneath his wings. It is interesting to note that the words “wind” and “spirit” come from the same Greek word—pneuma (NOO-MUH). The spirit of God lifts us up, and His energy and strength sustain us as we abide in Him.

2 CHRON. 20:15

1 Now the Spirit of God came on Azariah the son of Oded, 2 and he went out to meet Asa and said to him, “Listen to me, Asa, and all Judah and Benjamin: the LORD is with you when you are with Him. And if you seek Him, He will let you find Him; but if you forsake Him, He will forsake you. 3 “For many days Israel was without the true God and without a teaching priest and without law. 4 “But in their distress they turned to the LORD God of Israel, and they sought Him, and He let them find Him. 5 “In those times there was no peace to him who went out or to him who came in, for many disturbances afflicted all the inhabitants of the lands. 6 “Nation was crushed by nation, and city by city, for God troubled them with every kind of distress. 7 “But you, be strong and do not lose courage, for there is reward for your work.” 8 Now when Asa heard these words and the prophecy which Azariah the son of Oded the prophet spoke, he took courage and removed the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had captured in the hill country of Ephraim. He then restored the altar of the LORD which was in front of the porch of the LORD. 9 He gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon who resided with them, for many defected to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. 10 So they assembled at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of Asa’s reign. 11 They sacrificed to the LORD that day 700 oxen and 7,000 sheep from the spoil they had brought. 12 They entered into the covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and soul; 13 and whoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death, whether small or great, man or woman. 14 Moreover, they made an oath to the LORD with a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets and with horns. 15 All Judah rejoiced concerning the oath, for they had sworn with their whole heart and had sought Him earnestly, and He let them find Him. So the LORD gave them rest on every side. 

When we are facing a difficult decision, the real key is learning to wait. There is no verse of Scripture that tells us to take control and fight our own battles. God is the one who fights them on our behalf

Listen to what happened to Asa when he listened;

PSALM 40:1-3

1 I waited patiently for the LORD; And He inclined to me and heard my cry. 

2 He brought me up out of the pit of destruction, out of the miry clay, And He set my feet upon a rock, making my footsteps firm. 

3 He put a new song in my mouth, a song of praise to our God; Many will see and fear and will trust in the Lord.

 When David faced his greatest battles, he waited upon the Lord. God delivered him from destruction and set his feet on solid ground. (Psalm 40:1-3) He will do the same for you. When you abide in Him, He gives supernatural energy to accomplish the things He requires of you—His Spirit does for you what you cannot do for yourself.

In reading through the Scriptures, we see that every time one of God’s saints gains a victory, he or she is waiting and trusting in the Lord. You can likewise experience triumph in your life. When you have the omnipotent Creator of the universe acting on your behalf, you can’t lose.

Do you know Jesus Christ as your personal savior? If you died in the next moment, do you know where you would go? Those are two of the most important you can ask yourself and answer honestly. Both those questions are really between you and God.  If you want to know more, we have a lot that can help you understand more on this website. Accepting Jesus doesn’t end your life, on the contrary, you will have started on an adventure that will never end.

How’s your way been working? … Come on now, it’s just you and me. I’m not talking wealth, toys or recognition. All that goes away when you die. Is there an eternity, a life hereafter, or … nothing? It’s your choice. I’ve made mine and I hope I get to see you there … 

I’d love to say, ” I told you so! ”  I love you in Jesus, until next time, stay safe and KEEP LOOKING UP!   Dusty

 My prayer for you: 

Lord, what a mess we’ve made for ourselves and I believe only you can heal our land. Right now I’m not talking about covid-19, I talking about the self-destructive course our country has put itself on. Lord, I ask you to intervene, to touch hearts and bring our country back in line with your word. I pray for an end to the violence and the people causing the unrest to be revealed and brought to justice.

Lord bless our leaders with wisdom and bring the ones to power that will put this country back on course with your plans for us.

We thank you for what you do and give you all the praise and glory!

In Jesus’ name we pray,

Amen

Here it is another beautiful Sunday and most of us have to make alternate plans for church. and so do we. We are usually visiting churches throughout the nation this time of the year but like many other evangelists, we are shut down too. This still doesn’t keep us from getting the gospel out to people who want to stop by here and study the message The Lord gave me for you all to read and meditate on.

Unless you have Jesus in your heart … truly in your heart, these times can certainly steal your contentment and joy and allow fear and depression to creep in. As Christians, we have a source we can go to that the world can’t.

For us as believers, contentment should be governed by the inner attitude and the decisions we make rather than by external circumstances. Because Paul had learned this secret, he was able to experience joy and peace in any kind of situation–whether he was surrounded by friends or isolated in a Roman prison; whether he had plenty or was in great need.

The apostle understood what it meant to live in Christ and to have Christ living in him (John 15:1-9; Gal. 5:22-23). He had made a simple but profound faith decision to draw his life from the Lord and, as a result, had the calm assurance that what he possessed inside could never be stolen. He was confident in his identity as a child of the Almighty, with full access to the abundant life Jesus offers.

I want to challenge you–this week when something threatens to steal your contentment, choose to draw from God; decide to stop drawing from other sources, and trying to be in control. When you find yourself becoming flustered, anxious, or angry, stop and say, “Lord, You are my source, and I draw from You the capacity to be kind. I draw from You the forgiveness I need to extend right now. I draw from You the love I need to express.” This decision is a matter of simple trust.

Watch and see how God will quiet your spirit and provide confidence when you draw only from Him as your source. You’ll be surprised at your own attitude: when you respond from within–rather than from the flesh–Jesus will give you the ability to respond as He would. Here are some of  the scriptures that can unlock The Secret of Contentment:

Philippians 4:4-13

4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice! 

5 Let your gentle spirit be known to all men. The Lord is near. 

6 Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 

7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 

8 Finally, brethren,whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is right, 

whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is of good repute, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, dwell on these things. 

9 The things you have learned and received and heard and seen in me, practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.

God’s Provisions

10 But I rejoiced in the Lord greatly, that now, at last, you have revived your concern for me; indeed, you were concerned before, but you lacked opportunity. 

11 Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 

12 I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need. 

13 I can do all things through Him who strengthens me.

The apostle Paul says he has learned the secret of experiencing contentment in all circumstances, good or bad. Does it surprise you that he wrote this when he was in prison, unsure of his future?

We’re often discontent even when all is going well. Consequently, we wonder how it’s possible to be truly content during our most difficult trials, especially when there’s no end in sight. So what is genuine contentment? Paul is speaking of a freedom from worry and frustration about everything in life–even unfulfilled desires.

It’s usually when we cannot control or change our situation that we feel discontentment. As long as our satisfaction depends on whether certain things actually work out, we’ll allow circumstances to cheat us out of peace. I’m not saying there’s some spiritual stage where you will never again experience anxiety or frustration. But what matters is how we respond when those feelings grip us.

This is something that the apostle had to learn. Paul endured amazing suffering, from shipwrecks and hunger to unjust imprisonment and beatings (2 Cor. 11:24-30). He had gone through countless situations that were uncertain, extraordinarily painful, and seemingly hopeless. But he finally discovered that contentment could not be dependent upon his circumstances.

How do you respond when circumstances are out of your control? Do you get angry? Do you try to escape? Does despair make you want to give up? Paul chose to give his anxieties to Jesus in exchange for peace that “surpasses all comprehension” (Phil. 4:7). That same peace is available to you!

Stop worrying about the rioters, pray, and give it to God. Worry is one of the main-line tools of satan, it’s not from God! COVID 19 isn’t either, it’s got you scared? Fear is the opposite faith. Are you going to cower in a corner or trust Jesus? Didn’t He tell us He would walk through the valley with us (Psalm 23)? Jesus isn’t a lier, so reach up grab a hold and hang on, even when the ride gets bumpy He’s got your back! He is the living Lord and is going to bring us through this …

Thanks for spending a little of your Sunday with me. I hope you know by now you can always make a comment or ask questions, just go to the comment page, and if you want it to be just between you and me fire off an email or give me a phone call (or text) 907.315.3394.

Until we get together next Time …KEEP LOOKING UP!

Many Blessings

Dusty

My prayer for You: 

Precious Heavenly Father,

Giver of all good things, we come to you with one voice to praise your name and to thank you for your love.

Father, we need you and ask your forgiveness for our sins. We ask you to strengthen our faith and give us courage to face these times of strife and sickness in our land.

I pray our country will unite and become the godly nation it once was.

Lord, I ask for healing to start in this country and spread throughout the world proclaiming you as Lord and savior … Touch hearts!

In Jesus name, we pray,

AMEN

In this time of voluntary lockdown (house arrest), most of us have time on our hands we’ve never had before and how we handle this unexpected difficulty can be a challenge. For the first time in the United States, our churches are forced to close, our favorite set down restaurant has been turned into a carryout only and when in public we have to stand six feet apart and smile at our friends even though they can’t see it because a mask covering our mouth and nose we are also forced to wear.

How’s all that make you feel? … Scared? … Worried … or even a little mad? Here we can walk on the moon, live in space for a year (talk about lockdown) and we all know big brother has his eye on all of us, but they can’t find a cure for the common cold much less eradicate COVID 19.  Are we being manipulated? Hmmm … Got you thinking? … Good! You’re even a little mad, I mean those Sadducees and Pharisees … whoops! I mean those politicians and, and what? Do we protest (how’s that working so far?).  Even though we may feel like the government is our enemy about now, ( and they may well be … I don’t know.) How Did Jesus handle His enemies?

Come on now, you’re a Christian … aren’t you? Let’s get a little biblical insight into how we’re doing by looking at the living word. Turn your bibles to John 7:25-39. Is Jesus protesting, yelling, and demanding His rights or is he making an offer of another way?

And I hope you see that part of the answer to whether he is the kind of person you might want to come to is that he is speaking these words to his enemies. He is issuing a totally open-ended invitation to everyone in the sound of his voice, and in the sound of mine, to come to him and drink. And the only qualification he mentions is thirst. Verse 37: “If anyone (anyone!) — any Pharisee, any chief priest, any officer trying to arrest me, any offended person — if anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.”

Do you remember how near the end of his life Jesus looked out over this city and cried,

O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, the city that kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to it! How often would I have gathered your children together as a hen gathers her brood under her wings, and you would not! (Matthew 23:37)

How often I stretched out my hands to you! This is one of those times. How many times have you heard him say this to you in your life? “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” Amazing. He is saying this to his enemies. And he is saying to you.

What Coming to Him Means

And what would it mean if you came?

Let’s answer that by looking at five things: the thirst, the coming to drink, the rivers that flow from the heart, the reference to the Spirit coming after Jesus is glorified, and the fact that this was prophesied in Scripture.

1. Three Things Implied in Thirsting

Verse 37: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink.” It seems to me that there are three wonderful things implied in the words “if anyone thirsts.”

First is that the gift of the water is free. The condition you must meet is need. “If anyone thirsts.” That’s the condition. And the action you must take is to drink. Receive the gift. There is no thought here of earning or meriting. Anyone. Anyone who knows his own thirst is invited.

Second, the human soul has thirst. We know he is not talking about physical thirst. That’s clear. But what he is saying is that the soul has something like physical thirst. When you go without water your body gets thirsty. And the soul, when it goes without God, gets thirsty. Your body was made to live on water. Your soul was made to live on God.

This is the most important thing to know about yourself. You were made to live on God. You have a soul, a spirit. There is a you that is more than a body. And that you, if it does not drink from the greatness and wisdom and power and goodness and justice and holiness and love of God, will die of thirst.

Third, implied in the word “thirst” is that what Jesus offers is satisfying. The aim of all theology, all study, all biblical learning, all preaching is to spread the satisfying banquet for you to eat with joy, and to protect the kitchen from poison. The aim of cooking is eating. The aim of digging wells and clearing springs is drinking. Everything Jesus came to do and teach is aimed at providing the soul with food and drink that satisfy forever.

That’s what I see in the word “thirst.” The water is free. The soul has a thirst. And Jesus aims to satisfy the soul forever.

2. Three Observations About Coming to Jesus to Drink

Versed 37–38: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Three observations:

First, Jesus is what we drink. “Come to me and drink.” Jesus doesn’t just have what our souls need; he is what our souls need. Recall John 6:35, “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” He is the bread of life. He is the living water. Our souls were made for Jesus. The ache in our hearts is at root an ache for Jesus. This is how the soul lives on God. It lives on Jesus.

Second, the soul can drink. It can swallow. He is speaking spiritually, not materially, when he says, “Come to me and drink.” This drinking is not something you do with your mouth and your throat. You do it with your soul. You do it spiritually. You were made to do this. You are not a mere animal. You were made for this — coming, not physically, but spiritually, to Jesus, and drinking, swallowing the water for your soul that he is.

Third, this coming and drinking are what it means to believe in Jesus. Verses 37–38: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me . . .” That last phrase is another way of saying to come and drink. Coming and drinking Jesus is what happens when we believe. It’s what belief means.

We saw it in the parallel structure of John 6:35: “I am the bread of life; whoever comes to me shall not hunger, and whoever believes in me shall never thirst.” Believing on Jesus is coming to him to eat and drink for our soul’s deepest satisfaction.

So be done forever with the sad notion that saving faith — that believing in Jesus — is a mere decision to believe facts. No. It is coming to him as a feast. A treasure. A banquet. A spring in the desert when we are dying of thirst. This is what the apostle John meant when he connected believing in Jesus and receiving Jesus in John 1:12. Believing is receiving him as water, food, life for the soul.

So those three things: Jesus is the water we need, the soul does the drinking, and that is what believing means — coming to Jesus to drink for our soul’s satisfaction.

3. The Rivers That Flow from the Soul

Verse 38: “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’” Literally, it says, out of his belly. But the point is our inner being, call it belly, heart, soul, spirit. What does this mean?

It means that when you come to Jesus to drink, you don’t just get a single drink, but you get a spring, a fountain, a well. You get Jesus. Rivers of water will flow because a River-Maker is in you. That’s the point. You will never have to search again for a source of satisfaction for your soul. Every river that needs to flow for the joy of your soul will flow from Jesus. When you come to him, you get him. And he never leaves.

4. The Spirit of the Glorified Jesus

Verse 39: “Now this he said about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were to receive, for as yet the Spirit had not been given because Jesus was not yet glorified.”

There was an experience of the Spirit that could not be enjoyed until Jesus had died for our sins, been raised triumphant over death, and ascended to the right of the Father in glory — namely, the experience of fellowship with the Spirit of the glorified, risen Christ. This is what the Father gives to everyone who believes. The presence and power and fellowship of the Spirit of the risen and glorified Christ.

Once Jesus was with us as an incarnate man, and now he is in us by his Spirit. Listen to John 14:16–17: “I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper, to be with you forever, even the Spirit of truth, whom the world cannot receive, because it neither sees him nor knows him. You know him, for he dwells with you and will be in you.”

And he is indeed in everyone who believes in Jesus. Remember what Paul said in Romans 8:9? “Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him.” If you come to Christ to drink for your soul’s satisfaction, you get Christ. And now we see that he means: You get the Spirit — the Spirit of God and of Christ.

Christ, as the incarnate Son of God, is in heaven. We can’t see his body now. We walk by faith and not by sight. But he is in us (Romans 8:10). We have the Spirit of the risen and glorified Christ living in us. Which means Christ is in us.

5. The Witness of Scripture to the Plans of God

Verse 38 again: “Whoever believes in me, as the Scripture has said, ‘Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.’”

There are so many Old Testament texts that point to this reality. Let me give you just one. Isaiah 58:11: “You shall be like a watered garden, like a spring of water, whose waters do not fail.”

But here is the way we should end — the really wonderful implication for us that God spoke of this reality hundreds of years before it happened. It means that God was planning this for you. God was planning to send his Son. He created you to have an unquenchable soul thirst that could draw you to him. He planned for Jesus to stand in Jerusalem, and for me to write this, and cry out: “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me [Jesus] and drink.”

This is God’s invitation to you. Not just mine. Not just Jesus’s. But God’s. Come, drink, live.

That’s your answer to the times we’re living in. Our hope is in Jesus Christ, not politicians or government or man. It’s time for Ernest prayer, nor self-serving, but a prayer of repentance and of thanksgiving for a living God.

Until we get together next stay safe and live with the joy of the Lord!

My Prayer for You:   

Father, we thank you for your word and your Son. We ask you in His name to forgive us of our sins and show us the path you would have us walk. Father God, help us all to cultivate a forgiving heart. to pray for our enemies and love one another.  I pray for healing in our land and eyes to be opened. I pray that our country would turn to you and ask forgiveness and ask you to bring us back to what you want us to be.

All the praise and glory goes to you Lord, our mighty creator, and giver of all good things.

In the precious name of Jesus, we ask these things,

Amen

As the seasons of our lives seem to be only memories now, I’m sure, like me you wonder how time passed so quickly? Some of those memories make you laugh, cry, and even marvel at how you managed to get through some of those deep valleys. Our thoughts turn to our loved ones and friends that have gone on before us, of course, we miss then … that doesn’t go away but as Christians, we have eternity to be with them again … don’t we?

Well, that’s what I want to talk to you about today. Today I’ll tell you how you can be sure where this adventure called life ends you will start a greater one and live forever. Let’s find out how it’s done, and what better example could we use than Paul. Let’s look at what he wrote to Timothy;

2 Timothy 4:6-8 ⁶  For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; ⁸ in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.

Many people think about the last years of life as an opportunity to just relax. But this does not align with God’s purpose for us; He wants us to serve Him all the days of our lives.

Let’s look at the apostle Paul’s journey and explore what it means to finish well. He spent time pouring into others until the very end of his life. Consider the letters he wrote to Timothy from a prison cell prior to being executed. In every season of life, God calls us to serve others.

And notice how, when writing about his life, the apostle chose words descriptive of a battle. He understood the human struggle against sin as well as the challenges of pain and persecution in the trials we all face–even in doing kingdom work like preaching Christ to a fiercely resistant society.

This godly servant’s life was also marked by surrender. His mindset is obvious in these words: “present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship” (Rom. 12:1). He was not afraid of Nero, nor was he struggling to stay alive. Paul trusted God to determine everything about his life, including where he would go, what he would do, and when he would die. Death did not scare him, because he knew he would dwell with Jesus forever.

God doesn’t require our lives to be perfect in order to finish strong. We can live life fully and be ready to meet our Maker by surrendering, walking victoriously with Christ, and serving others. If Jesus called you home today, would you–like Paul–be confident that you lived well until the end? Have you received Jesus in your heart? (John 14:6) It makes no difference how good a person you’ve been, how much you’ve given, or how many you’ve helped it won’t be enough to get you through the gates. (Ephesians 2:9). That sounds harsh I know but if you could pay your way to heaven that would mean even the worst sinner could be there, look how money and power corrupt our country. Only through Jesus Christ can you enter the kingdom of God and that means putting your faith and trust in Him and Him alone, not politicians, government, or a TV evangelist even. Go to Romans 10:9-10, read that, do that and mean it and your ticket is in hand, already paid for at the cross. once you’ve made that commitment pick up your bible ( if you don’t have one let us know and we’ll send you one for free, including shipping) and get into the living word. If you truly make that comment your life will change forever.

My prayer for you:

Heavenly Father, I ask forgiveness for our sins and your grace and mercy to abound.

Father, your word says you want no one to perish but to have everlasting life. Your word shows us how to do that in Romans 10:9-10, so today, right now, I pray for the person reading this message to ask you into their heart. It’s between you Lord, and them. You know our hearts and you know if the comment is real.  I pray for the lost and somehow, someway they learn about you and make the conscious effort to change their lives and ask you into their hearts.

You are our most high God and know the number of each of our days, I pray for all serving you, no matter their age, they will continue praising your name and being the godly example you expect them to be.

Lord, our country needs you, I pray for godly and righteous leadership to be put in place and all the self-serving, ungodly politicians to be revealed and dealt with according to your word. We need moral healing as well as physical healing and I pray your mercies for that.

I  pray you to radicate this COVID virus for our land, form the world, and healing to begin.

Lord, touch our president, and direct him in the way you want our country to go, give him strength and courage to follow your word and bring us back to a Godly nation.

We thank you, Father, for all your grace and mercy, we give you all the praise and glory!

In Jesus Name we pray,

Amen

I bet our last message about our crowns got you thinking about other rewards heaven? Are there any others? Boy howdy! The rewards God has in store for His faithful are unimaginable. Let’s look at some of the “biblical facts about rewards”, in your bible turn over to;  1 corinthians 3:10-14, if you don’t have your bible handy just click on the address and it should bring up the scripture.

Scripture not only supports the idea of eternal rewards, but it also spells out the specifics. In 1 Corinthians 3:10–14, I find three primary facts about rewards.

¹⁰ According to the grace of God which was given to me, like a wise master builder I laid a foundation, and another is building on it. But each man must be careful how he builds on it. ¹¹ For no man can lay a foundation other than the one which is laid, which is Jesus Christ. ¹² Now if any man builds on the foundation with gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, straw, ¹³ each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work. ¹⁴ If any man’s work which he has built on it remains, he will receive a reward.

1. Most rewards are received in heaven, not on earth. Now don’t misunderstand. There are earthly rewards. Even the world provides certain people with special honors: the Pulitzer Prize, Nobel Peace Prize, Academy Awards, Emmy, Tony, Grammy—and we all know that athletes win All-American honors or All-Pro or the Heisman Trophy. The military also offers medals of bravery, like the Navy Cross, the Purple Heart, the Bronze Star, and the Medal of Honor.

But when it comes to servanthood, God reserves special honor for that day when “each man’s work will become evident” (3:13) and “he will receive a reward” (3:14). Most of the rewards servants will receive will be given after death, not before.

2. All rewards are based on quality, not quantity. Did you notice this principle in those verses from 1 Corinthians? “The fire itself will test the quality of each man’s work” (3:13, emphasis added).

We, humans, are impressed with size and volume and noise and numbers. It is easy to forget that God’s eye is always on motive, authenticity, the real truth beneath the surface, never the external splash. When He rewards servants, it will be based on quality—which means everybody has an equal opportunity to receive a reward.

The dear older lady who prays in private will be rewarded as much as the evangelist who preaches to thousands. The quiet, faithful friend who assists another in need will be rewarded as much as the strong natural leader whose gifts are more visible. A cool cup of water given to a hurting soul, bruised with adversity, will be rewarded as much as an act of sacrifice on the mission field. God, our faithful Lord, promises to reward the quality of our work.

The glory may be postponed until eternity, but it will come, which leads me into the third fact about rewards.

  3. no reward that is postponed will be forgotten. Make no mistake about it, the Bible clearly teaches that each of us “will receive a reward” (1 Corinthians 3:14). God doesn’t settle His accounts at the end of every day. Nor does He close out His books toward the end of everyone’s life. No, not then.

But be assured, when that day in eternity dawns, when time shall be no more on this earth, no act of serving others be it well known or unknown by others will be forgotten.

You don’t have to be a courageous soldier in battle or a well-spoken statesman to be remembered. You can be a “nobody” in the eyes of this world, and your faithful God will, someday, reward your every act of servanthood. Rewards may be postponed, but they will not be forgotten forever.

Unlike many people today, God keeps His promises. What a time we’ll all have when we see Jesus. I can’t help but think that alone will be the greatest reward of all … to gaze into His eyes and know we are home.

Until we talk again; Be blessed my friends, stay safe, and …KEEP LOOKING UP!

My prayer for you:

O’ father, our world need s you so much, our country has gone off the tracks and needs your abundant mercy and grace to put it back on so we can continue our journey toward a righteous nation doing your work to help others. I pray Lord, the satan driven responsible for our countries troubles will be brought to light and the truth revealed.

Lord, in Jesus’ name I ask for wisdom and strength be given to the righteous leaders so they can bring our country back to you. Forgive us Lord and help us to start again.

Heavenly Father, I ask in Jesus’ name for an answer to this COVID-19, a stop to the suffering and healing to begin. We thank you for the work already being done and give you all the praise and glory …

In Jesus name, we pray,

Amen

Each day is a gift from God even though most of us take for granted we’ll wake up the next day. We make our plans (in our day planners) and look to the future. I hope each day as you do this you do it in pencil because God has the eraser.

In this message I’m speaking of time, precious time (James 4:14) we have to complete God’s plan for us on earth (Psalm 39:4-13). If we as Christians follow His plan and work diligently to further His kingdom and live our life the way He prescribes His word speaks of rewards in heaven as if just being in heaven is enough. More specifically we’ll be teaching about the crowns we receive for our faithfulness and trust in Him.  Let’s get started … 

Crowns God Sets Aside for His Servants

1 Corinthians 9:24-27; Philippians 4:1; 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20; 2 Timothy 4:7-8

As those who serve the living God, we occasionally need to consider the eternal “crowns” being set aside for God’s servants. What an intriguing study!

There are at least five crowns promised in the Bible. For our purpose here, I will simply list the eternal crowns mentioned in the New Testament and offer a brief explanation of each.

1. The Imperishable Crown (1 Corinthians 9:24–27²⁴ Do you not know that those who run in a race all run, but only one receives the prize? Run in such a way that you may win. ²⁵ Everyone who competes in the games exercises self-control in all things. They then do it to receive a perishable wreath, but we an imperishable.²⁶ Therefore I run in such a way, as not without aim; I box in such a way, as not beating the air; ²⁷ but I discipline my body and make it my slave, so that, after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified. )

This reward is promised to those who victoriously run the race of life. Taking into consideration verses 26 and 27, that is, the “buffeting” of the body, it is clear that this reward will be awarded those believers who consistently bring the flesh under the Holy Spirit’s control, refusing to be enslaved by their sinful nature. In other words, those who carry out the truths of Romans 6:6-14. ⁶ knowing this, that our old self was crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with so that we would no longer be slaves to sin; ⁷ for he who has died is freed from sin.

⁸ Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with Him, ⁹ knowing that Christ, having been raised from the dead, is never to die again; death no longer is master over Him. ¹⁰ For the death that He died, He died to sin once for all; but the life that He lives, He lives to God. ¹¹ Even so consider your selves to be dead to sin, but alive to God in Christ Jesus.

¹² Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body so that you obey its lusts, ¹³ and do not go on presenting the members of your body to sin as instruments of unrighteousness; but present yourselves to God as those alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. ¹⁴ For sin shall not be master over you, for you are not under law but under grace.

2. The Crown of Exultation (Philippians 4:1 Therefore, my beloved brethren whom I long to see, my joy and crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, my beloved. 

1 Thessalonians 2:19–20   For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the presence of our Lord Jesus at His coming? ²⁰ For you are our glory and joy.)

This crown will be one over which its recipients will glory and rejoice! This is the “soul-winners crown.” It is claimed by Paul regarding two bodies of believers whom he had led to and discipled in Christ Jesus . . . the Philippians and the Thessalonians. Our Lord will distribute this crown to those servants who are faithful to declare the gospel, lead souls to Christ, and build them up in Him. And remember: the rewards at this judgment will be based on the quality not the quantity of our earthly works (1 Corinthians 3:13  each man’s work will become evident; for the day will show it because it is to be revealed with fire, and the fire itself will test ^[a]the quality of each man’s work.).

3. The Crown of Righteousness( 2 Timothy 4:7–8 ⁷ I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; ⁸ in the future there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me but also to all who have loved His appearing.)

The crown of righteousness will be awarded those who live each day, loving and anticipating Christ’s imminent return . . . those who conduct their earthly lives with eternity’s value in view. Kenneth Wuest captures the complete meaning of verse 8 with these words:

To those who have considered precious His appearing and therefore have loved it, and as a result at the present time are still holding that attitude in their hearts, to those the Lord Jesus will also give the victor’s garland of righteousness.¹

Those who qualify for this crown anxiously look for His return daily.

4. The Crown of Life (James 1:12 ¹² Blessed is a man who perseveres under trial; for once he has ^[a]been approved, he will receive the crown of life which the Lord has promised to those who love Him.)

This wonderful reward awaits those saints who suffered in a noble manner during their earthly life. The significance of this reward is not only related to the words perseveres under trial but also the words those who love Him. This crown is not promised simply to those who endure suffering and trials . . . but to those who endure their trials, loving the Savior all the way! Therefore, loving the Lord and having the desire that He be glorified in and through the trials become the dual motives for the believer’s endurance. Those saints who qualify (and the Lord is the Judge!) will receive the crown of life.

5. The Crown of Glory (1 Peter 5:1–4 Therefore, I exhort the elders among you, as your fellow elder and witness of the sufferings of Christ, and a partaker also of the glory that is to be revealed, ² shepherd the flock of God among you, exercising oversight not under compulsion, but voluntarily, according to the will of God; and not for sordid gain, but with eagerness; ³ nor yet as lording it over those allotted to your charge, but proving to be examples to the flock. ⁴ And when the Chief Shepherd appears, you will receive the unfading crown of glory.)

This reward is promised to those who faithfully “shepherd the flock” in keeping with the requirements spelled out in verses 2 and 3. Those under-shepherds who fulfill these qualifications (willingness, sacrificial dedication, humility, an exemplary life) will receive this crown of glory.

After receiving these crowns, what then? Look at:

Revelation 4:9–11 And when the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to Him who sits on the throne, to Him who lives forever and ever, the twenty-four elders will fall down before Him who sits on the throne, and will worship Him who lives forever and ever, and will cast their crowns before the throne, saying, “Worthy are You, our Lord and our God, to receive glory and honor and power; for You created all things, and because of Your will they existed and were created.”

What a scene! All God’s servants are before His throne. What are they doing?

• Strutting around heaven displaying their crowns? No.
• Separated from one another, like peacocks, proudly displaying their tangible trophies? No.

The servants are bowing in worship, having cast all crowns before their Lord in adoration and praise, ascribing worth and honor to the only One deserving of praise—the Lord God!

There is no place in scripture that speaks of retirement from the army of God. Where ever you are in life (young or old) there’s still work you can do for His kingdom … What have you done lately?  Praise God you’re reading this, now pass it on … see how easy this is? You’re working for God and didn’t even leave your chair. I hope you’re smiling. What I’m trying to say is you don’t need a stage or an audience to spread the word. One on one is great. After all, think about it … Right now it’s just you and me and of course God.

KEEP LOOKING UP my friends until we get together next time … Dusty

My prayer for you:

Father,

Here we are looking to you for your mercy and grace and are thankful for your Son who willingly gave His life for us. We certainly don’t have a chance without Him. Through Him, we have a way to your throne and all the riches you have for us in heaven.

We ask Lord, for our hearts to be healed and minds brought in line with your word.

We need your hand on our country’s leaders to stop the lying and deceit. We need the knowledge you’ve given the scientists for the vaccines to cure this virus from hell to be brought to light without all the political interference. Lord, we need a miracle!

We give you all the praise and glory for all you do and realize you are a sovereign and all things are in your time, not ours.

We ask these things in Jesus name,

Amen

The Land Flowing with Milk and Honey… or The Land of the Giants

On July 25th a few minutes past 11:00 AM our brother(Pastor) and friend left on the greatest adventure of all … he went home to be with Jesus. After a month-long courageous battle, his heart gave out.

I thought it would be appropriate to bring forward his last message he wanted all believers and non-believers a like to read and take to heart. I know he loved all of you.

In November, when the visitors return, we will be having a celebration of life in his honor, the exact time and place will be announced later.

Peace to all … Keep Looking Up!

This is my first post, but I believe it is one that needs to be written for these uncertain times.

In the book of Numbers, chapters 13 and 14 we read about the children of Israel being given the land of Canaan, as promised by God. Moses was to choose one man from each tribe to spy out the land and bring back a report. (Numbers 13:17-21).

After 40 days, the men returned and gave a report on what they had found. They brought back fruit to show the congregation of Israel the bounty of the land. (Numbers 13:23). They even reported that the land flowed with milk and honey (Numbers 13:27), just as God had promised. Ten of the spies reported that the land also was inhabited by very strong people, with large fortified cities. There were also descendants of Anak. The Anakim/Anakites were a formidable race of giant, warlike people (Deuteronomy 2:10, 21; 9:2), who occupied the lands of southern Israel, near Hebron, before the arrival of the Israelites (Joshua 15:13). The Anakim’s ancestry has been traced back to Anak, who at that time was regarded as the “greatest man among the Anakim” (Joshua 14:15).

The two remaining spies, Joshua and Caleb confirmed what the others had seen. However, they were confident that God would deliver the land into the Israelites hands (Numbers 14:6-9).

The Israelites were encouraged by Moses not to fear the Anakim (Deuteronomy 1:29-30), but they refused to trust God’s promises (Deuteronomy 1:32-33). As a result, God became angry (Deuteronomy 1:34-35) and prohibited the “evil generation” from entering the Promised Land; Joshua and Caleb were the only exceptions, plus those who had no knowledge of good and evil (Deuteronomy 1:36-39). Because of their fear of the Anakim, and their rebellion against God, the children of Israel were forced to wander for another 38 years in the wilderness.

During the conquest of Canaan, Joshua expelled the Anakim from the hill country, and Caleb finally drove them out of Hebron completely. However, a small remnant found refuge in the cities of Gaza, Gath, and Ashdod (Joshua 11:22). Many Bible scholars speculate that the Anakim’s descendants were the Philistine giants David encountered (2 Samuel 21:15-22), including Goliath of Gath (1 Samuel 17:4-7).

God has given us another future “promised land” – Heaven. Jesus declared that no one comes to the Father, but through Him. (John 14:6). Through obedience and not rebellion, we can have that promise fulfilled in our lives. Just like many of the Israelites of old, everyone has a choice to make. You can live your life your way, and suffer the consequences, or enter into the Promised Land. How can you make the choice to enter the “Promised Land”? Follow what it says in Romans 10:9-10.

If you have questions or need further help, please contact Bruce, Dusty, or Sandy. Our contact information is under the “CONTACT” page.

Further Bible translations, Study Helps and Answers can be found using the resources to the right, or by going to the Resources Page. If you need a Bible, we would love to send you a FREE copy. Just email us at prospectorsforgod@gmail.com with your name and address, and we will mail one to you, postage free.

Blessings,

Bruce