OUT OF THE BOX

  DRIVING GRANDMA TO THE DEVER FIELD I was ten years old, talking with my grandmother (Ma Ma) in her back yard, when my grandfather (Pa Pa) came walking out the back door. She said to him, “Tharon, I have to do some work down at the Dever field, and I need you to drive me. The field was a half mile away at the end of a dirt road. Pa Pa did not want to drive her to the field and have to wait on her. Neither did he want to leave her there and have to guess at when to go back and get her. He thought for a few seconds, reached into his pocket and took out the car keys, looked at them, looked at the car…and then looked at me. “Son,” he said, “Can you drive a car?” I was 10 years old and had never driven a car, but many times I had sat in Daddy’s pick-up truck going through all the motions of changing gears while pretending to drive it. Without hesitation, I responded, “Yes, Sir. I can drive it.” I was not about to miss this opportunity. Without another word, he handed me the keys and we...

    TEMPTATION AND LUST: PART 3   During temptation our lusts overpower rationality and common sense. We see only the object of our desire. In our temporary blindness we forget the potential consequences that await us. In those times of temptation, we are not mindful of rewards and plans God has for us, and we fail to consider the horrible consequences our sin will bring upon us. In those moments of overwhelming temptation, we have no props or support other than our relationship with Jesus Christ. Temptation exposes where we really are. When Satan dangles the “apple” in front of you, and at that moment you feel no “glory clouds” or spiritual strength, you must decide whether or not you believe God and whether or not you will obey Him. When temptation is at its greatest, it is the fear of God that keeps a person upright. “Oh…that they would consider their latter end!”  Deuteronomy 32:29 .   Lusts are never satisfied . They grow and strengthen when yielded to. The...

              ThisVenus Fly Trap is a beautiful flower.  The fly is drawn to it by its fruity smell and attractive red color. When the fly touches the stiff hairs on the inside of the plant's hinged leaf... it sets off an impulse that causes the trap to snap  shut imprisoning the fly. Further movement sets off the digestive process.  This is a good example of how temptation works. We are lured by what appears to be something pleasing to our flesh, not realizing the cost that awaits to ensnare us.  The Apostle Paul warns us that our lusts are deceitful. The writer  of  Proverbs says, "His own iniquities entrap the wicked man, and he is caught in the cords of his sin." It is important for us to realize the lusts of the flesh deceive us. The tempters that attract us are hiding snares that lie in wait to entrap. Lust has a deceptive allurement appearing sweet like honey but whose end is bitter as wormwood and produces death. "...

  “Desire” is a morally neutral and innocent term. However, a desire that is strong, ungodly, and evil is called “lust.” Most people associate lust with sex, but it can refer to strong desire for anything. This post is written to encourage Christians to be alert and aware of the enemy’s schemes, especially in the area of temptation. Ephesians 4: 22.  Lusts are deceitful. They lie to you. Whenever you face temptation, you must remember that you are being lied to. The alluring and attractive bait hides a trap or noose that will seize and destroy you. The photo is not of some science fiction Hollywood creation but is an actual angler fish. The anglerfish is a deep-sea fish. It lures its prey with a glowing appendage that looks and wiggles like a worm. A passing fish will be enticed by the lure, thinking he is about to have dinner, but soon finds he is the dinner. The victim wants what he sees, but steps into something he did not see…and did not want. The writer of Proverbs warns ...

  “To Esau I gave the mountains of Seir to possess, but Jacob and his children went down to Egypt.” Joshua 24 : 4 If you were Esau you might think God loved you more since you were moving “up” the mountain (to your inheritance). If you were Jacob you might question why God was sending you “down” to Egypt (suffering, waiting, and hardship) rather than directly to your inheritance. The truth is the Lord was not pleased with Esau, and the Lord had a special plan for Jacob (Israel) and his descendants. That special plan required special attention and preparation. We often misinterpret God’s special attention and preparation in our lives. I was observing a roofing crew at work on a phone company facility that houses equipment that runs the phone system for the surrounding region. Because of the crucial nature of the equipment in this facility and the absolute need to insure no interruption of the phone service to customers, the contractor was required to have a man (the “spotter”) stand...

Dear Friends There are two principles that help the believer walk in faith and show mercy during relational difficulties. The first principle is that God has appointed delegated authorities (both in church and in civil government) to deal with offences . It's easier for a person to forgive an offender when the ecclesiastical or civil authorities are functioning in order and meting out judgment properly. The second principle is that God is the Righteous Judge. Ultimately no one gets by with anything, and everyone must give an account to God both in this life and when they die. This article should encourage those of you who are impatient with God’s timing in how He deals with people and who feel the delegated authorities (whether civil or ecclesiastical) have failed to do their job. ---Billy Long   God is the Righteous Judge. Christians often have difficulty with the fact that God seems to delay in punishing those who hurt and offend us. We are glad for Him to be patient and merciful...

I could write a book listing the miracles I have witnessed and the ones I have been a part of. Reading it you would be pressed to believe in God and His desire to work intimately in the lives of people. But then I could also write another book about the times I was in “the deep” about to be swallowed up and close to losing everything. Reading this list of my failures and struggles, you might then say, “Where is your  God?”   I could tell you of friends being healed through prayer and also of others dying in spite of it. I have friends who have experienced miraculous healings and friends who have been raised from the dead. Some have received immediate response to prayer, and others have suffered what seems an interminable wait as they call on the Lord daily for healing, help, or an “open door.”   I have experienced the church in its glory as the people of God abounded in their love for one another with the presence of God among them so real it was like heaven itself. Then ...