Consumed by God

1Ki 18:25 And Elijah said unto the prophets of Baal, Choose you one bullock for yourselves, and dress it first; for ye are many; and call on the name of your gods, but put no fire under.
1Ki 18:26 And they took the bullock which was given them, and they dressed it, and called on the name of Baal from morning even until noon, saying, O Baal, hear us. But there was no voice, nor any that answered. And they leaped upon the altar which was made.
1Ki 18:27 And it came to pass at noon, that Elijah mocked them, and said, Cry aloud: for he is a god; either he is talking, or he is pursuing, or he is in a journey, or peradventure he sleepeth, and must be awaked.
1Ki 18:28 And they cried aloud, and cut themselves after their manner with knives and lancets, till the blood gushed out upon them.
1Ki 18:29 And it came to pass, when midday was past, and they prophesied until the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that there was neither voice, nor any to answer, nor any that regarded. 
          
       The prophets of Baal could not get the attention of their god even after they put themselves on the altar they had built. Their god was not there when he was needed the most. They sacrificed themselves to a god that was not who they thought he was.
   The devil will take the form of many gods if you allow it consume you, and distract your attention from the one true God. In the days we live in he uses other means of distractions. He uses entertainment, money, sports, etc. He don't really care what you are doing as long as it is not serving God. If you are not serving God, you are serving yourself.
   Sometimes we have all intentions of serving God. We plan to read his word and spend time in prayer, but when we are all done serving ourselves, there is just no time left for God.  Have you ever noticed, when you are on the internet, or playing a game how time slips away from you? You can have all intentions of only playing a video game for a few minutes, but when you are finished hours have past. We have no time for God unless we make time for God.
 
1Ki 18:30 And Elijah said unto all the people, Come near unto me. And all the people came near unto him. And he repaired the altar of the LORD that was broken down.
1Ki 18:31 And Elijah took twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name:
1Ki 18:32 And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.


   Elijah took great care in building the altar to God. He was meticulous about the way it went together and what was incorporated into it. There was meaning and purpose in everything he put into it.
  31. twelve stones, according to the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, unto whom the word of the LORD came, saying, Israel shall be thy name. These stones represented God's people.
  32. And with the stones he built an altar in the name of the LORD: and he made a trench about the altar, as great as would contain two measures of seed.                                                   I cant help but to believe the trench around it was to prove even more God is God. Have you ever tried to catch water on fire?  He was building his altar unto God, not unto man.           ( Eph 6:5-7 Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters according to the flesh, with fear and trembling, in singleness of your heart, as unto Christ; Not with eyeservice, as menpleasers; but as the servants of Christ, doing the will of God from the heart; With good will doing service, as to the Lord, and not to men:)
  
1Ki 18:33 And he put the wood in order, and cut the bullock in pieces, and laid him on the wood, and said, Fill four barrels with water, and pour it on the burnt sacrifice, and on the wood.
  I don't know what the order was, but it wasn't just thrown together. There was an importance of the way he put the wood, or the order it went. sometimes we need to rethink the way our lives are put together. Make sure it is in order. 
1Ki 18:34 And he said, Do it the second time. And they did it the second time. And he said, Do it the third time. And they did it the third time.
1Ki 18:35 And the water ran round about the altar; and he filled the trench also with water.
      Then he called for TWELVE barrels of water to poured out onto his sacrifice. The people he wanted to get the water and pour it out was the Baal worshippers. These people didn't want this sacrifice to burn. In my mind, I can picture these folks looking for the dry places. They wanted to make sure Elijah's sacrifice was water logged. By the time they were finished everything was soaked. There was a ditch full of water around the altar. They knew there was no way this thing would ever catch on fire, BUT Elijah was preparing for something with expectations.
 
1Ki 18:36 And it came to pass at the time of the offering of the evening sacrifice, that Elijah the prophet came near, and said, LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel, let it be known this day that thou art God in Israel, and that I am thy servant, and that I have done all these things at thy word.
1Ki 18:37 Hear me, O LORD, hear me, that this people may know that thou art the LORD God, and that thou hast turned their heart back again.                                                              After all the work was done Elijah prayed over his sacrifice, that it would be pleasing and acceptable to God. He was giving ALL the glory to God and allowing himself to be used, not for his own gain or profit, but that it would turn the hearts of those around him back toward God.
   Sometimes we look for credit for the things God has done, but that has never been God's intention. Matt. "7:22 says there are going to people who come to Jesus looking for credit for things God has done. They will say look at me Lord here I am. I have cast out devils in your name and I have done all these things in your name, and Jesus will say depart from me I never knew you." We cannot do anything on our own without the power God has given us. It is never what we have done, but what God has done through us.
        1Ki 18:38 Then the fire of the LORD fell, and consumed the burnt sacrifice, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench.
       Then after Elijah had put all this work  and effort into it, God moved upon the altar. His sacrifice was not just a half hearted offering. He had time and hard work invested. He put thought into it. There were things that were incorporated that had meaning. It was not what he had left over that was offered. There may have even been some imperfections in it, but that is to be expected. We are not perfect, but that is where grace and mercy come in. Gen 6:14 Make thee an ark of gopher wood; rooms shalt thou make in the ark, and shalt pitch it within and without with pitch.  God gave Noah the blueprints for the ark. He told him what to use and how to use it. When the ark was done there were still imperfections, because it was built by human hands. That is were the pitch comes in. The pitch was to cover Noah's imperfections not God's imperfections. This is mercy in action. God provides something to cover our imperfections, but there is a work on our part required. Pitch (mercy) does not work if we don't do the work required to build the ark. There is nothing in the bible that says or even suggest that we can make it to heaven without any effort on our part.     


  When God moved on the altar not only did the fire consume the bullock and the wood, but the bible says it consume the stones also. These stones were symbolic of God's people. If we are going to be God's people, we must be acceptable, and consumed with God.
Mat 10:38 And he that taketh not his cross, and followeth after me, is not worthy of me.
Mar 8:34 And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.
Rom 12:1 I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service. Rom 12:2 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and acceptable, and perfect, will of God.
             What does this mean? If we will allow ourselves to be consumed by God, we will have a renewed mind regularly because we will gain understanding. The book of Malachi says if we offer an unclean sacrifice we are sinning. The sacrifice is not acceptable. We are defiling the altar to God. If we are to be a "living sacrifice" we need to be clean "holy, acceptable unto God". If you offer yourself on Sunday and mix with the world the rest of the week, and you cannot tell a difference between you and the world, you are an unclean sacrifice. If we have a bad attitude, that would make us an unclean sacrifice. If we have things in our heart that does not belong, even if no one else knows, we are an unclean sacrifice.                    In Gen 1:26 Man is created in God's own image, after his likeness WITH DOMINION OVER ALL THE EARTH. God gives us the power to overcome everything that will ever come against us.
   In Gen 3:16 God is speaking to the serpent and says,
"And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel." If you have ever had a bruised heel, or a sore foot in any way you will notice it effects the way you walk. Your walk will speak when your voice is silent. If you ask a doctor they will tell you when you have a sore foot, it will effect other parts of your body because you are catering to your sore foot. It can cause other parts of your body to be sore. If we are the body of Christ, then our "sore foot walk" will effect the other parts of the body around us. In affect our walk is partly responsible for our fellow brethren. OUR WALK SHOULD BE HELD TO A HIGHER STANDARD.
 


STANDARD, n. [G., sort, kind.]
1. An ensign of war; a staff with a flag or colors.
2. That which is established by sovereign power as a rule or measure by which others are to be adjusted.      (1) A standard tells who you belong to, who and what you stand and fight for, and who sent.(2) A higher expectation.
  We should look different, act different, be different, walk different, live different, talk different. What does your standard reflect you are? Who does your standard say you belong to? We should have a desire to be held to a higher standard. We should expect to be held to a higher standard. Our lives should be consumed by God at all times, not just on Sunday.1Ki 18:39 And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces: and they said, The LORD, he is the God; the LORD, he is the God.
  2Ch 7:14 If my people, which are called by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and will heal their land.
  Humility, Prayer, and Obedience ARE GOD'S PRERQUISITES FOR REVIVAL. True revival will not and cannot be produced any other way. WE MUST BE CONSUMED.
                                                                                       J. Loveless

THE BLESSING OF THE STORM

  
    James 1:2  My brethren, count it all joy when ye fall into divers temptations;
    James 1:3  Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.
    James 1:4  But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be perfect and entire, wanting nothing.
 Divers- composed of different or various parts, characters, or kinds. This tells us everyone will not deal with the same temptations or trials. Many times our temptations are self inflicted such as drugs, alcohol, or some other substance we chose to try, then it took control of us. Other times it is things we have  no control over at all. It is just part of life. Some of the things we face are affliction, sickness, losses, calamity, adversity, or persecution.
   The bible tells us we are going to face persecution and affliction.
   2Ti 3:12  Yea, and all that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall suffer persecution.
   2Co 4:17  For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory;
   Look at the life of Joseph. He was his fathers favorite son, but the most hated brother. Everything he done seemed to be blessed and prosper. His brothers sold him into slavery after he had a dream. In his dream he had authority over his brothers, and they bowed to him. After being sold into slavery he was sent  to prison for something he didn't do. His masters wife falsely accused him if being immoral because he would not give in to her lusts.
   After all he had gone through, what could he have been thinking? This was not the way he remembered the dream. Could his brothers have been right? Was it only a meaningless dream? Still yet he stayed true to God. He did not let his storm beat him.
  Eventually he interpreted a dream for Pharaoh. Then Pharaoh put him in charge of all Egypt. This was the dream he remembered. His dream did not show his storm that would deliver him to his destination, it only showed his destination. If he had gotten focused on his storm it probably would have tore him apart. Instead he stayed focused on God.

  If we look at Paul in Acts27 and 28, we see that a storm is what carried him to the island of Melita. If he would not have went to Melita he would not have been used to heal those people on the island. Paul would not have been a witness to those people of that island for God. God used that storm to deliver His servant to the place he wanted to use him.

   Throughout the bible men are referred to as trees.
    Psalms 1:1-3 A godly man is like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth fruit in its season. Whose leaves shall not wither, and whatever he does prospers.
    Matt 7:17-19 Good tree = good fruit, bad tree = bad fruit.
    Matt 3:10 Trees not bearing fruit are cut down and thrown into the fire.
    Matt 13:31-32 Mustard seed is the least of all seeds, but becomes the greatest of all herbs, and becomes a tree.
   Jer 17:5-8 A man that puts his trust in man is like a juniper in the desert, but a man that trust in God is like a tree planted by the waters.
 
  In 1987 Biosphere 2 was built in the hills outside Tuscon, Arizona. The biosphere simulated five areas of this planet: rainforest, ocean with coral reef, mangrove wetlands, savanna grassland, and a desert. Over the next twenty years the plants grew.
   Expectations ran high and they were largely met. Yet, fell short when it came to the trees planted in the biosphere. They expected the trees to grow tall and strong. The conditions were perfect. There were no storms, drought, heat, or difficulties to bear. The trees however looked like no trees ever seen.
   Instead of growing straight and tall, they drooped down. They bent over and grew parallel to the ground with their tops facing the ground.
 What they have found is the storms of life is what makes them strong. The winds and storms caused the wood to grow hard. The whipping caused the wood fibers to grow strong enough to hold itself up. The storms of life is what causes them to stand straight. Without the storms and difficulties a tree is not much of a tree at all. Without the storms of life a tree is not strong enough to hold itself up.
 
    In 1994 hurricane Opal struck southeast Alabama. The very next week my family and I went on vacation to see some more family in Illinois. I remember that trip very well. On that road trip we had seen trees down occasionally all the way across the Tennessee border, but there would only be one tree down in the midst of many trees still standing. The trees still standing grew stronger from the same storm that took the fallen trees down.
   If you let the storm get to you, It will beat you. You have to focus on your source of strength in the midst of your storm.
The storms in life are what keep on our knees, and speaking to God. They are what God will sometimes use to get our attention. Without storms we would not be strong enough to hold ourselves up. We would give in to any and all pressure that comes our way. Thank God for the storms you have faced, for they have made you stronger. Don't let  your storms tear you down. Find God and you will find strength.
     
   Heb 13:5  Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.
   Heb 13:6  So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
   Psa 30:1  A Psalm and Song at the dedication of the house of David. I will extol thee, O LORD; for thou hast lifted me up, and hast not made my foes to rejoice over me.
   Psa 30:2  O LORD my God, I cried unto thee, and thou hast healed me.
   Psa 30:3  O LORD, thou hast brought up my soul from the grave: thou hast kept me alive, that I should not go down to the pit.
   Psa 30:4  Sing unto the LORD, O ye saints of his, and give thanks at the remembrance of his holiness.

  And remember.....

   Psa 30:5  For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favour is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.

THEY WERE CAUGHT LISTENING

Luk 5:1  And it came to pass, that, as the people pressed upon him to hear the word of God, he stood by the lake of Gennesaret,
Luk 5:2  And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets.
Luk 5:3  And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon's, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship.
Luk 5:4  Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.
Luk 5:5  And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
Luk 5:6  And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
Luk 5:7  And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

   Jesus taught these people from a boat after they had been fishing ALL NIGHT. They have not caught ANYTHING. I can imagine in my minds eye, These folks were a little aggravated. These people were self employed and in a whole nights work they didn't make any money. I can imagine they were tired and ready to go home. They were trying to finish there work day by cleaning their equipment and getting everything ready so they could go home and get some sleep.
    Then comes Jesus. He had a serious bunch of folks following him and the only reason for this bunch of people being behind Jesus was "to hear the word of God".  Now these folks knew Jesus had something to say, and they were hungry for "the word of God". Now I'm sure these people had plenty of other things to do. I am also sure some of them were probably not feeling the best that they could, but they were there none the less. I am also sure nothing was stopping them from turning around and going home, except a hunger for "the word of God". Oh how I wish we could get a hunger in this generation.
    It seems to be today if we stub our toe, that is a good enough excuse to miss church. We get a belly ache in our head and miss the chance to get the "word of God". The thing that makes it even worse is that if we are going on a fishing trip, race track, concert, or wherever, the worst headache, stomach ache, even a virus will not be enough to keep us away from our trip.
    Now Jesus is getting into one of the fisherman's boats. Simon was working on getting things done to go home, but Jesus asked him to push out away from the shore a little bit. Then Jesus sat down and started talking. The bible does not tell how long Jesus taught. He may have been speaking for fifteen minutes, or three hours, but Simon had already put a long hard nights work on the clock. I am sure Simon was probably wore out, but he made himself available anyway.
    When Jesus quit teaching, however long that may have been, He told Simon to "launch out into the deep and let down your nets for a draught". Now the word "draught" does not mean to TRY to catch fish. What "draught" does mean in for a catching or a haul. Now there is a huge difference in going "fishing" and going "catching".
    Still you have to understand Simon had been out ALL NIGHT fishing and has caught NOTHING. He explains this to Jesus and then says "nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net".
 If you would notice the difference in the "word of God" in verse 4 and action of Simon in verse 5. Jesus said "let down your nets" and Simon said "I will let down the net". Jesus was giving a multiple nets blessing, and Simon was not expecting anything ,so he done the very minimum he could do and only put one net down. This alone I believe tells us a little about Simon's attitude, however he still made himself available.
    Then even in the doubt of Simon's faith but the availability of his services, they caught soooo many fish, Simon's single net could not handle the abundance of the blessing Jesus had given. Simon had such a blessing that he could not carry  it  by himself. Then God used Simon's blessing to reach those around him. Simon had to call the others from the shore to get in their boat and come help.
    We need to let God use us to reach those around us.
    Here is where it gets amazing.
    These fisherman had "toiled all night, and have taken nothing". There were multiple boats in the water and nothing had been caught. The only thing different between all night of fishing and the morning Jesus showed up was Jesus. Jesus had a crowd of people wanting to hear what he had to say, then he gets on the boat and there is a crowd of people wanting to hear him teach. The amazing thing about this is even the fish gathered at the sound of his voice.
  Gen 1:20  And God said, Let the waters bring forth abundantly the moving creature that hath life, and fowl that may fly above the earth in the open firmament of heaven.
Gen 1:21  And God created great whales, and every living creature that moveth, which the waters brought forth abundantly, after their kind, and every winged fowl after his kind: and God saw that it was good.
Gen 1:22  And God blessed them, saying, Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let fowl multiply in the earth.
Gen 1:23  And the evening and the morning were the fifth day.

    I cant help but to think when creation hears the voice of the Creator, creation stops to take notice. Here the fish even got caught listening.
    All creation was created by God speaking. When was the last time you heard God speak? Imagine the things God could create in you life if you would start listening for God to speak to you. I know I have lost loved ones. I know I have struggles with my flesh. I know I have things I need help with, but I also know my family has struggles, and situations, and circumstances we as people cannot solve on our own. If I was to make myself available, that I might receive enough blessing to pour out on those around me. I cannot afford to shut out God's word or His will for my life.
    I have to be sensitive enough to receive  God's word for myself. I don't want to be so spiritually lazy to have to let someone else get it for me. I am a husband and a father. My family cannot afford for me to be spiritually lazy. I have a lot at stake here.
    We live in a generation where everyone is to busy to take notice of Gods word. We are to caught up the rat race to give God our time, ability, and availability. If we do not allow God's word in our lives, we will never see God's will. If we don not allow God's will in our lives, we will never see His abundant blessings. There is too  much work to be done for God's kingdom to ignore His word and His will. Lets take a lesson from the fish and get caught listening.
                                                  Just a Carp
                                                  J.Loveless

::Usable::

  One of our biggest problems is that we think we cannot be used of God. Well if you look through the history, and the pages of the bible, you will see God called regular people to do his will. All these people were not high and mighty people in big places. In fact these people were common fishermen, tax collectors, even murderers. All they needed to be used was availability. If they would not have made themselves available, you would not have read much about them, if anything at all.
Luk 6:13-16 "And when it was day, he called unto him his disciples: and of them he chose twelve, whom also he named apostles; Simon, (whom he also named Peter,) and Andrew his brother, James and John, Philip and Bartholomew, Matthew, and Thomas, James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon called Zelotes, And Judas the brother of James, and Judas Iscariot, which also was the traitor."
Mat 4:18-20 "And Jesus, walking by the sea of Galilee, saw two brethren, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea: for they were fishers. And they saith unto them, Follow me and I will make you fishers of men. And they straightway left their nets, and followed him."
  If they would not have made themselves available they would have missed out on the opportunity to walk with Jesus, and witness his works, and teachings. This was a day at work, this was their job. This was their livelihood. This is how they paid their bills, and supported their families.
  Sometimes, no all the time, we need to allow him access to our lives. We need to put our will second and his will first. We are so caught up in our own kingdom, that we are not much good for his. If we were out on a fishing trip, and Jesus came and said," stop what you are doing and follow me" we would make excuses to not leave. We cannot put our lives on hold. We think we are going to miss something. If we don't allow him to have his will, we are going to miss something.
Mat 4:21-22 "And going on from thence, he saw other two brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in a ship with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them. And they immediately left the ship and their father, and followed him."
  Once again, they did not discuss it at all. The scriptures say " they left the ship and their father immediately." We have to think about it, and discuss it. We have to weigh our options. We have to check our schedules. We have to talk ourselves into it. If God calls us we had better answer him IMMEDIATELY. God may not wait for us to make up our mind. We need to put him first all the time.
How would we like it if he was to busy for us? If, when we are in a crisis, he told us, wait 'til I'm not busy. I've got other things to do first like pour the rain out, or move the clouds around, or change the season.
Joh 1:43 "The day following Jesus would go forth into Galilee, and findeth Philip, and saith unto him, Follow me. Now Philip was of Bethsaida, the city of Andrew and Peter. Philip findeth Nathanael,..."
  The Lord found Philip, and Philip found Nathanael. The Lord knew it would take Philip to find Nathanael. Nathanael would later be called Bartholomew. It is our duty to reach people that we can reach. The Lord puts people in our lives, and us in peoples lives, and it is our responsibility to reach them. We cannot be silent.

Joh 1:48 "Nathaniel said unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.
Mat 9:9 "And as Jesus passed forth from thence, he saw a man, named Matthew, sitting at the receipt of custom: and he saith unto him, Follow me. And he arose, and followed him.
 Matthew was a tax collector. He was somebody important. Not only was he important, but have you ever met a tax collector that you liked? I cant help but to believe he was somebody people did not like to see. God called him, and made an apostle of him. God don't need you to fit a certain image to use you. He just needs you to answer the calling. He can work with whatever problems you bring if you allow him to.  
  Lets look at a piece of the life of Paul. The scriptures tell us he was a bad guy. He was searching for the church. He was looking for the church body, not the church house. He was a murderer. He was doing all he could to kill the followers of Jesus.
Act 9:1 But Saul, still breathing threats and murder against the disciples of the Lord, went to the high priest

Act 9:2 and asked him for letters to the synagogues at Damascus, so that if he found any belonging to the Way, men or women, he might bring them bound to Jerusalem.
Act 9:3 Now as he went on his way, he approached Damascus, and suddenly a light from heaven flashed around him.
Act 9:4 And falling to the ground he heard a voice saying to him, "Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting me?"
Act 9:5 And he said, "Who are you, Lord?" And he said, "I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.
Act 9:6 But rise and enter the city, and you will be told what you are to do."
Act 9:7 The men who were traveling with him stood speechless, hearing the voice but seeing no one.
Act 9:8 Saul rose from the ground, and although his eyes were opened, he saw nothing. So they led him by the hand and brought him into Damascus.
  God called him as a murderer, and made him one of the mightiest men of God in the bible. His life changed instantly because of availability, however, he already heard of Jesus. He already knew what was being said, and preached. He already heard of the healings, and the miracles. It took a personal experience with God to change him. We cannot change ourselves, but we do need to make ourselves available.
 I don't see anywhere in the bible where God called a person of high position for a particular work. He called common people. He called me. He called you. Lets make ourselves available.
 

WHAT DOES YOUR GARDEN GROW?

I would like to bring some things out and give you something to think about. In the first part of Matt:13 the bible tells a parable about a sower sowing seed. At the end of the parable it says, "he that has an ear, let him hear". What this parable is talking about, is the word of god. The seed is the word.In this parable it tells about four types of ground. The way side, stoney ground, thorny ground, and good ground.

   

Mat 13:3 And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow;

Mat 13:4 And when he sowed, some seeds fell by the way side, and the fowls came and devoured them up:

Mat 13:5 Some fell upon stony places, where they had not much earth: and forthwith they sprung up, because they had no deepness of earth:

Mat 13:6 And when the sun was up, they were scorched; and because they had no root, they withered away.

Mat 13:7 And some fell among thorns; and the thorns sprung up, and choked them:

Mat 13:8 But other fell into good ground, and brought forth fruit, some an hundredfold, some sixtyfold, some thirtyfold.

Mat 13:9 Who hath ears to hear, let him hear.

The thing that struck me about this parable is that some things will grow in any environment. It does not say anything about the ground being bare, it just says this particular seed dont take to these places.

In Matt 13:4, the wayside is the side of a path, or road. I have never seen a way side that was not covered in weeds. It seems the things that do grow on the way side, are the things nobody wants in an actual garden. Gardeners take a lot of time to get rid of the weeds in a garden. In this verse it is talking about the way side being the heart of man that hears the word, and does nothing with it. He hears the word, but allows the devil to take the word from him. He does not protect the word.

In Matt 13:5, the seed falls upon the stoney ground. If you look at the rocky mountains, you will see it has vegetation of some kind in places all around the mountains. Once again, something is going to grow in these places, even if it is not beneficial to us. Here there is no deepness of root in the seed, and the sun burns it up. This is the hypocrites that hear the word, but dont let it get deep in their heart. As soon as they face a difficulty, they turn away from the word, or find an easier way.

In Matt 13:7 the seed falls upon thorny ground. Here is where it gets tricky. The reason the seed dont take root, is because something is already growing there so thick it chokes out the seed. The thorns here are worldly hinderences. If you look up thorns, you will find there are many, many types of thorns. There are thorny trees, thorny bushes, thorny flowers, thorny weeds, thorny whatever. There are thorny things people grow on purpose. Here is a good example, one of the most common flowers grown are roses and, there are several different types of roses grown.
Matt. 13:8 this seed found good ground and brought forth fruit. Some a hundred fold, some sixty fold, and some thirty fold. This is also true if you are sowing seed for bad fruit.

Gal 5:19 Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness,

Gal 5:20 Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies,
Gal 5:21 Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Gal 5:22 But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23 Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.
Gal 5:24 And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts.
Gal 5:25 If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

1Jn 2:16 For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.


Eph 5:9 (For the fruit of the Spirit is in all goodness and righteousness and truth;)

Gal.5:19-21 tells about a few bad fruit seeds. How many of these seeds have you sown? The uncomfortable part of this scripture is at the end of 5:21 " that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God." People dont think about this. How many people do you know that takes part in adultery, uncleaness, fornication, drunkeness,envyings, hatred, and idolatry, that believe they are saved? This is not biblical. It plainly says they will not inherit the kingdom of God. These are some of the more common things of the day.

Idolatry is anything that is given priority over God. How many times have we missed church for a sporting event (the superbowl, nascar, playoffs, or anything else that kept you from God, or Gods will.) You can make anything an idol. We can make or house, car, money, or any other personal possession an idol.
Have you given any thought to marriage today? In the past , marriage meant something. people used to get married for life. Now people get divorced when they think they are missing out on life. What is the #1 reason for divorce today? ADULTERY. When people find somebody new they leave who they are supposed to be commited to for something different. It is no different, it is forbidden. When the new wears off, they will move on again. Part of the problem is what we see everyday.

You turn on the television and all you see is adultery, which leads to deception, lies,discontentment, dishonesty, etc. The list goes on. It all started with one thought. If you would not have allowed the dwelling in the mind, it would not have materialized in the heart. If it would not have found its way to the heart, it would not have materialized in the flesh. It all began with an image.
These are all seeds that have been sown. When we sit in front of the television, we are allowing a seed in our hearts. If that seed finds good ground it will bring forth fruit. It may not be a good fruit, but it seems that we fertilize it everyday with what we allow in our minds.
We always need to weed the garden in our minds, and lives. Everyone is growing some kind of garden. It is up to us to plant the desired fruit. It is easier to control the garden from the beginning than it is to wait 'til it is over run with weeds, then try to clean it out.
How can we expect to not have problems dealing with something, when we are feeding the problem? If you have a drinking problem, dont put yourself in a place where there will be alcohol. This is the same idea. If you have a problem with the lust of the flesh, and most of us do to some degree, dont pump it into your mind through the t.v., or radio, or even friends that are in your ear. We are accountable for ourselves. Lets make sure our gardens are full of good fruit.  
                                                                                     A Gardener    
                                                                                      J. Loveless

JESUS : The Fish Finder

Have you ever been fishing, and not gotten any fish? If you are like me, you lose interest if nothing is happening. Wouldn't it be nice if we knew where the fish were? Then there are the times when you see the fish all around, but they're not biting. Well not much has changed in the past few years.

Luk 5:4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught.

Luk 5:5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net.
Luk 5:6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake.
Luk 5:7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink.

Joh 21:5 Then Jesus saith unto them, Children, have ye any meat? They answered him, No.

Joh 21:6 And he said unto them, Cast the net on the right side of the ship, and ye shall find. They cast therefore, and now they were not able to draw it for the multitude of fishes.

This may not seem like that big of a deal, but this was before actual fish finders, and the professional fisherman had been fishing all night long and caught nothing. In order for them to catch the fish now they had to make themselves available. They would have went home with nothing after a full nights work.
When you work for God he will bless you more than you could ever imagine. Not only did he fill their nets, but he filled them so much they could not get all the blessing in without help from another boat. The blessing filled two vessels. Without the availability of the first vessel, neither would have received a blessing.


Okay. maybe you are still thinking this is not as amazing as I do. Wait , I,m not done yet. Maybe you are thinking it was just a freak coincidence. How about this.
Mat 14:16 But Jesus said unto them, They need not depart; give ye them to eat.
Mat 14:17 And they say unto him, We have here but five loaves, and two fishes.
Mat 14:18 He said, Bring them hither to me.
Mat 14:19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
Mat 14:20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
Mat 14:21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.

Not only can he find fish in the water, but now he's finding fish on land. I don't care how you want to explain the finding fish in the water, this is not natural. Not only did he find fish, but he found ALOT of fish. To feed 5000 men not including women and children with five loaves of bread, and two fish? Not only did they eat, but they ate until they were full. When they were done eating there was still more food than when they started. Once again  you have to give him what you have in order for him to use it.

If I tried to feed 5000+ on five loaves and two fish, they would have left mad and hungry. Man alone could not have done this, but by giving the Lord what you have, you basket will overflow with blessing. If you have not noticed every time there has been a blessing, it is not just for the one person that is originally giving. It is not meant to keep all for yourself, but to give to everyone around you. We were put here to reach out, and touch the world.    

Luk 5:10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men.

Mat 4:19 And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.

We are supposed to find people in this world and spread his word. We are supposed to be an example for Christ. God wants us to cast our net. And when we cast it we are not supposed to sift through the catch, but bring it to God. He will sort it out. We give him all that we pull in. He can use us to reach people that someone else may not be able to reach. When we come to Christ, we are not perfect. When I came to Christ, I was a sinner. I was not worthy of his grace and mercy. I still think from time to time how unworthy I  am. I have done nothing to deserve what he has done for me. But I am so thankful.

He picked me up out of my darkest place. When I was so deep in sin, I couldn't see light, He saw me. When I couldn't find a way out of my own pit, He lifted me up. He turned me around, and opened my eyes to see things in a different light. He found me. HALLELUJAH. THANK YOU JESUS.

 

Joh 1:45 Philip findeth Nathanael, and saith unto him, We have found him, of whom Moses in the law, and the prophets, did write, Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.

Joh 1:46 And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth? Philip saith unto him, Come and see.

Joh 1:47 Jesus saw Nathanael coming to him, and saith of him, Behold an Israelite indeed, in whom is no guile!

Joh 1:48 Nathanael saith unto him, Whence knowest thou me? Jesus answered and said unto him, Before that Philip called thee, when thou wast under the fig tree, I saw thee.

Jesus found Philip, so Philip could find Nathanael. We can reach the people in the world we came from, before our conversion. The people we use to run with will see you changed, and you can use that as a tool to reach others. They can see the difference in your life, and that is why it is so important to be Christlike. If there is no change, there is no conversion. How can we win others if there is nothing different about us?

  He sees us when we cant see him. He's watching us all the time. He has got his eye on us now.

MOUNTAINS AND VALLEYS

If you look up the definition of mountain in a Webster's dictionary, this is what you will find.

Mountain

MOUNT'AIN, n. [L. adjective, montanus.] A large mass of earth and rock, rising above the common level of the earth or adjacent land, but of no definite altitude. We apply mountain to the largest eminences on the globe; but sometimes the word is used for a large hill. In general, mountain denotes an elevation higher and larger than a hill; as the Altaic mountains in Asia, the Alps in Switzerland, the Andes in South America,the Allegheny mountains in Virginia, the Catskill in New York, the White mountains in New Hampshire, and the Green mountains in Vermont. The word is applied to a single elevation, or to an extended range.
 If you apply this spiritually, it tells you "a place of elevation." We often talk about our mountains in life pertaining to a place of peace, triumph, and success. This is after a trial, or storm in life, or just something in life we are going through at any given time. This is the place in life we want to live, on a spiritual, or mental mountain.
When we are on this mountain, we can normally see things from a different perspective. We can see trials, and storms in life from the victory side of the situation. The view from the top of the mountain allows you to see all the valley you just came through. Your vision of the trial is so much more broad, because you can see the whole thing. Instead of looking from the inside out, we are looking from the outside in. When we are going through the storm, all we can see is where we are at that particular time. It is not meant for us to know the way out while we are there. We are supposed to give our lives, and situations to the Lord, and have faith that he will see us through it.
Gods word says he will help us and be with us and see us through. We may not be able to feel his presence at the time of our struggle, but he is there nonetheless. He does not leave us. If we get to a point where we lose the presence of God, he is probably where YOU LEFT HIM.
    1Sa 12:22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name's sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people.

   Heb 13:5 Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.


We seem to get to a place in our lives where we think we don't need him. We get to point where we only look for him when we are going through a storm. The truth is we need him all the time. I sometimes find myself, when everything is going good, not praying, reading his word, or spending time with Him the way I should. Then I instantly find myself having to deal with things that would not be a big deal if I was prayed up. It is better to be ready for the trial before I get to it, than to wait until it gets to me. I've always heard, an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure. That also applies here. That is not just a physical statement.
If you look back at the definition of a mountain it says,"a large mass of earth and rock that rises above the common level of earth or adjacent land. In Genesis it tells what we are made of.
Gen 2:7 And the LORD God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living soul.

 If we are made of the earth, maybe we should try to rise above the common level of earth around us. That is what God intends for us anyway. We are supposed to rise above, and be an example for him. If you read through the bible, everywhere God shows up is on the mountain. Let him show in us, and let us be mountains in a world of hills, and flat plains.
 Even if we are living a holy life, and doing all we should, we will still have trials,and struggles. Even in the bible it tells about trials on the mountain. Most of the time we like to believe if we are on the mountain we will not have struggles. That is not true.
 Gen 22:2 And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of.
 Abraham had a trial on the mountain when God told him to offer his son, but God showed up on that same mountain right on time. We are not promised a trouble free life. Actually the bible does say,
 Psa 34:19 " Many are the afflictions of the righteous: but the LORD delivereth him out of them all."

 Valley
VAL'LEY, n. plu. valleys. [L. vallis. See Vale.]

1. A hollow or low tract of land between hills or mountains.

2. A low extended plain, usually alluvial, penetrated or washed by a river. The valley of the Connecticut is remarkable for its fertility and beauty.

Ye mountains, sink; ye valleys, rise; prepare the Lord his way.
3. In building, a gutter over the sleepers in the roof of a building.

 In the definitions we see it is a low place. When we get to the bottom, there are only two directions we can move, side to side,or up. If we move side to side, we are only wallering in the mud, or the problem in which we are in. We need to rise above our circumstances and take some authority over our situation. If we do not rise up we will never overcome the things that are against us.

The third definition tells us it is a gutter. Everyone knows what a gutter does. It carries trash off the peak of the higher surrounding. It is a channel for unwanted stuff.

As  much as we don't like the valleys, we have to have them. This is where we mature spiritually. Without the valleys, we are never tried. We would stay in one place forever if we never go into the valley. You cannot get from one mountain to the next without going through a valley every now and then, but we don't need to stay there. We should always have the right attitude about our location.

Php 4:11  "Not that I speak in respect of want: for I have learned, in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content.
"1Ti 6:6  "But godliness with contentment is great gain."  

 What it is going to take to be content is prayer, and a relationship with our Lord. We cannot get ourselves out of things we cannot control, but we know who can. We have to talk to the storm maker to control the storm. He alone has all we need. If we are struggling with ANYTHING, he gives us strength.
Our attitude toward our situation controls alot of our coming through the storm. If we always grumble about where we are it will give us a negative attitude, and make things worse. We have to keep our site on the Lord.

POINT OF VIEW

Pro. 15:30 "The light of the eyes rejoice the heart: and a good report makes the bones fat.

How do you see things? What is your take on life, and where is your focus? If you pay more attention to the negatives in life, more than likely you will have a negative attitude. Have you ever known, or do you know anyone who never has anything good to say? They are always looking at the negative side of any given situation. They are hard to listen to all the time. When you get done talking to them, you feel worse than you did before your conversation with them.

1Pet 3:10-11 "For he that love life, and see good days, let him refrain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: Let him eschew evil, and do good; Let him seek peace, and ensue it."

For those of us who are the negative ones, lets try to focus more on the blessings in life. We all have things to be thankful for. We have family, friends, life, and the list goes on. All we have to do is think about it. Life may not be all we want it to be, but as long as you have breath, you have all the control to make it what you will. It just takes commitment, and dedication. Get excited about it, and not disappointed, or discouraged. If you do get discourage, don't dwell on it, build on it. You don't get success without taking a chance, and you don't learn without some level of failure, or mistake.

God said to the wicked,
Psa. 50:19-20 "You give your mouth to evil, and your tongue serves deceit.You sit and speak against your brother; you slander your own mothers son."

Then there are the gossipers. I have always heard, if you don't have anything good to say, don't say anything at all. If you don't agree with something someone else is involved with, talk to them about it. That will help that person more than if that person finds out you talked to someone else about it. Sit down with that person and discuss it directly with them. Afterward, dint talk to everyone else about your conversation in a gossipping manner. If you do talk to someone else, then both of you talk to that person in a concerned manner.

Gal. 5:16-26 "This I say then, Walk in the Spirit, and you shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh. For the flesh lusts against the Spirit, and the Spirit against the flesh: and these are contrary the one to the other: so that you cannot do the things that you would. But if you be led of the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the words of the flesh are manifest, which are these; Adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, Idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, Envyings, murders, drunkenness, revellings, and such like: of which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law. And they that are Christ's have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit. Let us not be desirous of vain glory, provoking one another, envying one another."
This says,"the words of the flesh are manifest". This tells you that these things were manifest through words. If you can manifest words, why would you speak any negative thing? The bible says God spoke everything into existence. It also said we were made in the image of God. It also says we are given dominion over all things. Now taken all this into consideration, I believe, to an extent, you can speak things into existence. The bible says that they which do such things as the word of the flesh shall not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the spirit all positive good things. And they that are Christs have crucified the flesh. If we live in the Spirit, let us walk in the Spirit. If we live and walk in the Spirit, how could we possibly be negative? If we are always positive, we don't have to worry about any negative thing being spoken into our lives.

Eph 4:22-32 "That you put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; And that you put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbor: for we are members one of another. Be angry, and sin not: don't let the sun go down on your wrath: Don't give place to the devil. Let him that stole, steal no more: but rather let him labour, working with his hands the thing which is good, that he may have to give to him that need. Let no corrupt communication proceed out of your mouth, but that which is good to the use of edifying, that it may minister grace to the hearers. And do not grieve the holy Spirit of God, whereby you are sealed to the day of redemption. Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking be put away from you, with all malice: And be kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ's sake forgave you."

Col.3:23-25 " And whatsoever you do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord you shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for you serve the Lord Christ. But he that do wrong shall receive for the wrong which he has done: and there is no respect of persons."
Most of your life will be affected by your outlook, and attitude. If you have a job you don't like, because of your boss, you are not looking from the right perspective. Col. 3:23 says "Whatever you do, do it as if you are doing it for the Lord, and not for man."

2Tim 1:7 " For God has not given us the spirit of Fear; but of power, and love, and of sound mind."
I believe depression today is not necessary. The spirit of depression was not given from God. I believe the depression we see today is mostly caused from things we have done, that we cannot forgive ourselves for. Our minds are full of garbage, and lies from the devil. If we could get back to having a sound mind, and exercising the power and love that was , and is given from the Lord, we could overcome the depression, discouragement, and ALL other things that seems to have overtaken the world today.

Where are the men?

Where are the men of today? We are selling ourselves short of our potential, and responsibility. The days of being worthy of being role models seem to be gone. It seems that the men children are looking up to are hardly worth looking up to. The pro athletes are committing adultery. The big men in business are stealing, and cheating people out of their money. it has gotten to the point where even some supposedly spiritual men are involved in some shady stuff. It seems there are not many honest men to be found in the generation we are in. The days of a handshake being worth more than a piece of paper no longer exist.
Tit 2:6-10 "Young men exhort to be sober minded. In all things showing yourself a pattern of good works, in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, sincerity, sound speech, that cannot be condemned, that he that is of the contrary part may be ashamed, having no evil thing to say of you. Exhort servants to be obedient unto their own masters, and to please them well in all things, not answering again, not purloining, but showing all good fidelity, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things.

I remember my parents, and grandparents stood for something. When I done something I was not supposed to do they would correct me. If it was not something worth a spanking they would tell me it was wrong, and made sure I understood why it was wrong. They took the time to teach me right from wrong, and not just tell me to stop. If it was something worth a spanking, they did not hesitate to wear me out. That is something that does not happen much anymore. Today it seems everybody is scared to discipline their children, and they don't seem to take time to raise their children.

Proverbs 13:24 " He that spares the rod hates his son, but he that loves him disciplines him." Proverbs 23:13-14 "Don't withhold correction from your child. Correction will save them from hell."
Proverbs 29:15 "The rod and correction give wisdom, but a child left to himself brings shame to his mother."
Proverbs 29:17 "Correct your son, and he will give you rest, and delight to your soul." Proverbs 22:6 "Train up your child in the way he should go, and when he is old he will not depart from it."
As I have gotten older I have realized in depth what this means. I know people that did not discipline their children when they where young, and now they are trouble. They have turned into the kids you don't want your children to associate with. These parents now wish they could fix things that they can no longer change. Now they are worried about the outcome, and have no influence on the child anymore.

It is also the mans place as a father to teach the children the ways, and the word of the Lord. Deu. 6:6-7 "These words shall be in your heart, and you shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you get up."

Deu. 32:46 "Set your hearts on all the words which I testify among you this day, which you shall command your children to observe to do, all the words of this law."
We are to lead our children spiritually. Our children are ALWAYS looking to us for guidance while they are with us. If our guidance is not worth looking up to, we are misleading our children. We may be what we are tyring to protect our children from.

I am seeing alot of families where the men are letting the women raise the children, almost by themselves. The men should not get so busy that they withdraw from their family. There are alot of men who are making their families go to church without them. All that is telling the children is that church is for women and children. We have to start setting an example by actions. I have always heard actions speak louder than words. We need to lead by example. The old saying "Do as I say ,not as I do." does not really stick very long. The image left in the mind of a child is the action of a parent, not the advising to do the opposite of what they have watched the parent do.

1 tim 5:8 " But if any provide not for his own, and specially for those of his own house, he hath denied the faith, and is worse than an infidel.
I am also seeing men who don't work. They are causing their wives to have to provide for the family. I am not talking about the families with both spouses working. I mean men are staying at home without a job. They are not even looking for work. I believe it is the mans place to take care of the house, but the woman's place to take care of the home. The man is supposed to be the bread winner. You are supposed to be the head of the house, and the family. If you are slacking as a man, your son is going to be a slacker, and your daughter is going to think she is supposed to provide for a slacker. It is said a girl is going to look for someone like their father, and a son is going to be like his father. If so I want to set a high standard for them to aim for. As a parent I want more for my children. I want better for my children. I want the BEST for my children.

1 corinth. 11:3 "The head of EVERY man is Christ, and the head of the woman is the man, and the head of Christ is God." That puts you in charge under God. It is your responsibility to take care of the family.
Pro. 31:28 "...her husband calls her blessed ,and he praises her."
1 corinth. 7:3 "Let the husband render unto the wife due benevolence..." We are not given a wife to abuse, or to take advantage of. you were given to each other.
1 corinth. 7:33 "He that is married careth for the things that are of the world, how he may please his wife." It is not only about the mans pleasure from the wife, but also the pleasing of the wife by the man.
Eph.5:25-33"Husbands love yourwives even as Christ loved the church and gave himself for it.That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the waqshing of water by the word. That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle, or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. So ought men to love thier wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. For no man ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, even as the Lord the church. For we are members of his body, of his flesh, and of his bones. For this cause shall a man leave his father and mother, and shall be joined unto his wife, and they two shall be one flesh. This is a great mystery, but I speak concerning Christ and the church. Nevertheless let every one of you in particular so love his wife even as himself, and the wife see that she reverence her husband."

With all this said, how can men act like pigs to their wives? How can we put our friends before our wives. How can we put off the things that would please our wives for the things that please our friend, or ourselves? We are only going to get out of the family what we put into it. Lets put our families first, and make a difference while we can. Lets start acting like the head we were meant to be. There will come a day when we will have to answer to our head, and only we have control of how that meeting will go. Lets start shaping that meeting today and MAN UP.


A concerned man
J.Loveless.

that was then ... this is now

I would like to introduce everyone to someone I once knew. I will call his name Lost.

Lost was a boy who went to church with his grandma when he was little, because he liked playing with his friends after church. He went to church outtings on a fairly regular basis. He spent some time in sunday school where he got to here alot of bible stories. He learned a little along the way, but never really took the time to think about any of it.

As time went by, and he grew older,he lost interest in spending time in the church. He didn't spend much time with his church buddies either. By the time he was in high school he didn't go to church hardly at all. Every now and then ,maybe two or three times a year, he would go when asked.
You see Lost had a mom that was sold out to God, and whether Lost went or not ,his mom never stopped praying for him. Well it was actually his step mom, but Lost never thought of her as anything less than a real mom.

Lost's parents got a divorce when he was a baby, and his dad got remarried when he was still very young. Lost would go back and forth from living with each parent on a regular basis, so Lost considered himself as having two real moms.

Through high school Lost got into alot of different things. He had some friends that were not the best kids in the neihborhood, but you couldn't really tell unless you really knew them. They would get into a little trouble all along, but Lost would never be involved. For some reason Lost was never around when the trouble started.



Now let me tell you about someone else. I will call him J. J is a guy several hundred miles away that does not have any idea who Lost is. Ironicly, he is in bars drinking and being a heathen also. I cant go into a lot of details, because I dont want to tell to much about this person without his approval. J is into alot of stuff he shouldnt be. He ends up marrying an incredible woman, and having a couple kids also.



As time went by Lost moved away to live with his biological mom. After he had been there a few days, he met an amazing girl. They started dating shortly after that. They dated for a couple of years, and then they got married.

This did not make Lost any better of a person. Over the next several years they had a couple children. He always provided for his family, but still had issues with some things. Lost and his wife started going out drinking with friends on the weekends. Lost had a very flirty personality, and that never worked real good with drinking. It was bad enough without drinking. Lost let that get him in trouble a time or two. Well it happened again, but this time it has possibly cost him his family.

Lost and his wife decide they are going to try to make this work, but they both know there are some changes needing to be made. They have tried everything in the world together except god ,so they turn to god. It just so happens that the church they begin to go to is the same church J and his family have been going to for several years now.

To begin with Lost got in church whole heartedly, but his wife was badly hurt emotionly from the things Lost had done to her. J's wife turned to Lost's wife, and they became best friends. Lost and J also became best friends. Lost wife did eventually heal and forgive Lost.

Now let me fast forward a few years.Lost is no longer lost. He is now Johnny Loveless. He is now trying to reach his world with the gospel. He sings for the Lord. He reaches out to the children, and guides them away from things that he has more knowledge of.

Lost's wife is now Mary Loveless. She is an awsome woman of God, who also sings for the Lord. She spreads the gospel to everyone who will hear, most people who dont want to hear it, but she tells them anyway.

How can you keep to yourself the grace and mercy of a god who forgives all the filthy things in your life, and makes you a new creature.

J is Jay lewis, who I would like to thank for being my best friend. For being there when I call at 2 am, and he never fails to come through for me.

His wife is Rhonda Lewis who I know personally has spent many sleepless nights in prayer for me and Mary.

I would like to say thank you to my mom for the prayers that went up for me when it could have been spent doing something else.

Thank Brother Phillip Harrelson and Bro. Patterson for not minding the gray hair on his head that I'm responsible for.

I am not where i want to be, but thank god I'm not where I used to be