Psalm 18 - I Will Call Upon the Lord

The 18^th Psalm contains the words to one of my favorite songs. Verse three declares, “I will call upon the LORD, who is worthy to be praise: so shall I be saved from mine enemies.” At the time of writing these words, David was being pursued by Saul. David was in a fight for his life, yet he wasn’t worried because he knew what to do. He knew that God would protect him. He wrote, “I will love thee, O LORD, my strength. The LORD is my rock, and my fortress, and my deliverer, my God, my strength, in whom I will trust; my buckler, and the horn of my salvation, and my high tower” (v.1,2).

As we begin 2014, let us take the same courage and confidence in trusting in the Lord. Surely there will be good days this year, but there may also be very difficult times. Rather than letting our enemies or circumstances hold us down, let us remember that we can call upon the Lord! He will provide for and protect His children. However, even if we must deal with terrible tragedy in the New Year, let us have courage to trust in God and the confidence to take up the cry of Paul, “For to me to live is Christ and to die is gain” (Philippians 1:21).

The 46^th verse declares, “The LORD liveth; and blessed be my rock; and let the God of my salvation be exalted.” When times do get tough, stand upon the Rock! Remember that all things work together for good for those who love God, for the called according to His purpose (Romans 8:28).

Put your faith in God, call upon Him in time of need and in time of joy, and remember that in the end, if we live faithfully until death (no matter how hard life may be), we will have eternal life through Christ who makes possible our salvation.

If you would like a home Bible study to learn more about Christ and His church, or if you would like to study from a free DVD, please let us know. God provides us with solid footing when we stand upon the promises of His word. Make every opportunity in 2014 to study from the word of God. Let us know if we can help.

The Loving Father Listens

There are times in our lives when the pressures of this life beat down upon us with such intensity that it is hard to pick oneself up and keep going. In times like these, it doesn’t seem anything will work out the way we hoped. Then when we try to talk to others about our pain and suffering it seems nobody wants to listen. On these occasions, it would be easy to just give up and throw in the towel. Don’t be hasty! Never forget that God loves you and He will listen to you.

In Exodus 2, we are told of Moses’ actions stopping an Egyptian from beating a fellow Hebrew. He killed the Egyptian and buried him in the sand. The next day, Moses stopped two Hebrews from fighting. The response was “Do you intend to kill me as you did the Egyptian?” Moses knew that his actions would be found out. Rather than being a source of strength for the Israelites, a deliverer of the children of God, and a source of power to stop the bondage, Moses was looked at in a negative light. Moses fled to Midian and tended flocks for Jethro.

 

In the process of time (40 years — Moses being content living with Zipporah, his wife, serving his father in law) things did not get better for the children of Israel. They “groaned because of the bondage, and they cried out; and their cry came up to God because of the bondage” (Exodus 2:23). God’s children, His chosen people, were crying out for help. They were hurting. They were oppressed. They were forced into labor. They needed help. They needed a deliverer. They cried out to God who not only would hear, but would respond to help His children.

God Hears His Children: God heard their groaning (2:24). He heard their cry (3:7,9). When a father hears the cry of his children, he wants to help and does whatever he can to provide for his loved one (Cf. Matt. 7:7-12). God, our Father, hears our cries (1 Peter 5:7). When others do not seem to care, when it seems others will not listen, take your heartache to the Father.

God Knows Our Sorrows: God knew the sorrow felt by the children of Israel because of the taskmasters (3:7). Likewise, God knows our hearts (Luke 16:15). The Father knows what we need before we ask (Matt. 6:8). God will supply all our need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus (Phil. 4:19). Because of the great gift of Jesus Christ, we can come “boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb. 4:16). God knows and sympathizes with our pain.

God Watches Over Us: God looked upon the children of Israel (2:25). He saw their oppression (3:7,9). “The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous, and His ears are open to their cries” (Ps. 34:15; 1 Pet. 3:12). As much as we try to look out for one another, we cannot always be there. As much a blessing as it is to have a judicial system to punish the evil, and law enforcement to help enforce and execute the laws, harm sometimes comes upon us. The best security system in the world cannot guarantee that they will be there for us when we really need them. However, we have a Father who is always watching over us. What comfort it should bring to us to know that God is always there for us.

God Remembers His Promises: God remembered His covenant with Abraham (2:23). It isn’t that God had forgotten, but that the time had come to deliver on His promise. The children of Israel were about to start home. This is good news for Christians. God will keep His promises. We can trust Him. He is faithful and just (1 John 1:7-9). God has promised those who obey Him eternal life and one day, He will deliver.

God Knows His Children: God acknowledged them (2:25). God knows those who are His (2 Tim. 2:19). He cares about us and recognizes us as His.

God Delivers The Oppressed: God came down to deliver His children out of the Egyptian bondage (3:8). God sent Moses to lead the people to the promised land of Canaan. Our loving Father sent His Son, Jesus, the Christ, to be our Savior. He delivered us from sin, bondage and death.

When times get tough, remember, God knows His children, watches over us, hears our cries, knows our sorrows, keeps His promises, and will and has delivered us from oppression. Our loving Father is listening!

Noah's New Year

Noah’s 500^th-600^th year on this earth were eventful ones. It was a time when God saw, “that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil  continually” (Genesis 6:5 — ASV). “And the earth was corrupt before God, and the earth was filled with violence. And God saw the earth, and, behold, it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way upon the earth (Genesis 6:11,12).

We live in pretty rough times. Many vile and wicked activities are being promoted as being a choice of lifestyle: alcoholism, drug abuse, homosexuality, same sex marriage, abortion, and more. Even so, there are many good people doing good things for others. While they are not all Christians, many do good for orphans, widows, the sick, the poor, those who have lost homes and family in tragedies, and those who suffer from horrible illnesses. Times are tough, but surely they are better than the days of Noah.

Noah had received a great challenge by God. Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord. He was a righteous man, and perfect in his generations (Genesis 6:9,10). Therefore, God chose him to build an ark, fill it with food and animals, and to preach to those who were around him to save the lost. Noah did exactly what God told him to do (Genesis 6:22).

During Noah’s 601^st year, he opened the roof of the ark to a whole new world. On New Year’s Day, Noah saw the sky and the earth again. “And it came to pass in the six hundred and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth: and Noah removed the covering of the ark, and looked, and, behold, the face of the ground was dried” (Genesis 8:13).

When it was all said and done, Noah, his family, and the animals spent over a year in the ark (one year and 17 days if you count the 7 days in the ark before the flood began). While we do not know all that occurred inside the ark during that year, you can imagine that there would have been difficulties. Can you imagine not seeing the sky for over a year? Can you imagine the work that must be done to feed the animals and clean up after them? Can you imagine being stuck in one place with your family for a year? Ok, I am just teasing, as I love my family but you must admit there would have been some difficulties.

But on that New Year’s Day, when Noah opened the roof of the ark and saw the sky and the ground, a new excitement must have been racing through his heart and soul. After leaving the ark, Noah prepared a great offering to the Lord. He was thankful for sparing his life and the lives of his family. In this New Year, are we thankful for our families? Are we grateful for all they have helped us to overcome? Do we praise God for His blessings in providing for our family (Matt. 6:33; Js. 1:17)?

Then the Lord gave several blessings to Noah and all men. The Lord declared that man would enjoy the seasons. In Genesis 8:22, the Lord declared, “While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.” Seasons are a blessing for man today and provide many benefits such as the freeze which kills bugs, helps open the cotton bowls for harvest, etc. There are many wonderful blessings provided by God’s design of the seasons. In the New Year, let us be thankful for the seasons.

Noah also received the promise that the earth would not be destroyed again by water. The sign to confirm this promise by God was the rainbow in the sky (Genesis 9:11-16). In 2 Peter 3:5-10, the flood is called to remembrance with a promise given: the earth will one day be destroyed for a second time, not with water, but by fire. This being the case, we must live holy and godly lives, looking for the day of the Lord.

When Noah left the ark, he was to be fruitful and multiply. He was to live faithfully to God. Surely, when he opened up that door, he was excited about the future. It was a New Year with new blessings and new possibilities. As we approach 2014, let us be excited about new opportunities. Let us be thankful for all God has blessed us with and let us never forget the day when God destroyed the earth and that there is a day coming when this world will end. Are you ready for that day?

Thankful for Brotherly Love

There are many wonderful blessings that I am thankful for that occurred in 2013. Of course the year was very difficult in many ways. On July 28, at 1:00 pm, after teaching class, preaching a sermon and sitting down to lunch with my wife, I had a heart attack. As it turned out, I had 100% blockage resulting in the widow maker heart attack. The term widow maker is a nickname used to describe a heart attack from a blockage in the highly stenotic left main coronary artery or proximal left anterior descending coronary artery. The term is used because if the artery gets abruptly and completely occluded it will cause a massive heart attack that frequently leads to sudden death. The blockage is made up of platelets that have streamed to the site of a cholesterol rupture. I am very fortunate to be alive, especially considering I did not have a stent put in place until a little after 2:00 am on Monday morning. I spent 6 days in the hospital and am still struggling to recover. So why am I thankful?

I am thankful for the medical care I received and the teams of men and women who worked so hard to save my life and to give me an opportunity for recovery. Many in the medical field are overworked and overstressed. Yet the people at Hendricks Hospital in Abilene treated me like a member of the family or a close friend. The staff at the Comanche County hospital in the recovery department were especially helpful in providing encouragement, support and education as I began my recovery. I am thankful for their care and hard work.

More than that, I am thankful for my personal family that came from all over Texas to come provide support and encouragement. I am thankful for their prayers. I am thankful for their encouragement to Robyn and the kids. I am thankful for their financial help in our moment of need.

I am especially thankful to my spiritual family. There have been many individual Christians who have sent cards and encouragement, who have prayed for me and my family, who have sent financial support, and who continue to encourage us in our recovery. There have been congregations from around the country (Lubbock, Odessa, Vernon, Brownwood, Hamilton, Gordon, and Burnett) that have helped us by sending cards, letters, praying for us and sending financial contributions to help us in dealing with the great financial burden. I don’t know what we would have done without you.

I am thankful for another day to spend with my wife and kids. I am thankful for the opportunity to spend time with my family. I am thankful for the blessing to keep preaching and teaching the gospel. What a blessing it is to have life, breath and all things that God provides for us! It is ever more clear to me that life is but a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away. I hope and plan to use my opportunities well this year.

The Hebrew writer said to let brotherly love continue (Heb. 13:1). Paul wrote, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart. Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all, especially to those who are of the household of faith” (Gal. 6:9,10). Jesus said, “Give, and it will be given to you: good measure, pressed down, shaken together, and running over will be put into your bosom. For with the same measure that you use, it will be measured back to you” (Luke 6:28). He also said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

I am so thankful for brethren who have love for Christ, love for Christians, who sow without weariness, who have given beyond measure and who have blessed us with the generosity of their hearts in emotion, spiritual and financial support. I know the Lord will repay your efforts and love. I hope and pray 2014 is a rewarding year for each of you. More than that, I pray you live faithfully unto death and receive the crown of life. We love you!

God Gave the Increase

“I have planted, Apollos watered; but God gave the increase” (1 Corinthians 3:6).

If one were to type in “church growth” into the search engine of his choice on the Internet or any bookstore, he would find a wide variety of websites, links to programs, blogs, videos, books, articles, and opinions of how to affect increase in the church. The modern philosophy seems to be that the church should adapt to the world, though the Bible declares that Christians are not to be conformed to the world but transformed by the word (Romans 12:1,2). As Christians, we should be concerned about the growth of the church. We love the souls of mankind and desire for all men to hear the word and obey the gospel (Matthew 28:19,20). The question that we must answer is this: how can we help the church to grow?

The answer to the problem of church growth is found in the example of husbandry. In Luke 8:5-18, Jesus told the parable of the sower and explained the parable to the disciples. The job of the Christian is to plant seed, which is the word of God (v.11). In James 1:21, the implanted word (NKJV) is able to save the soul. The farmer who plants few seeds in the field will not reap a harvest. He must sow the proper amount of grain in order to produce a crop. The field must also be cultivated and watered. In the most basic sense, if a farmer properly prepares the soil and sows the proper amount of seed, he will produce a crop (unless weather, livestock or other outside forces destroys the crop).

Brethren, if we want the De Leon congregation specifically and the church of Jesus Christ in general, to grow, then we must follow the simple pattern of God’s word: plant and water. If we do our job, God will give the increase.

Presently, we are involved in viewing the series Searching for Truth. We can pass out these DVDs for our friends and family to watch (of course it is best if we watch it together). WVBS also has a video lesson on What Must I Do to Be Saved, which is a one lesson video that we can pass out. There are other video resources of course, but there is also print media. I recommend a book to you that is a narrative about how one man and his wife became Christians. The book is titled Muscle and Shovel. It is very popular in our current culture to use this narrative style in teaching sales, business, and time management. You may prefer a more straight forward approach but what this book does is walk through the growth process, deals with the objections, and overcomes obstacles that many face in study of the Bible and how one can know the truth and be saved. There are other methods such as Bobby Bates Back to the Bible or the Fisher’s of Men series. Whatever you choose to do, one thing is certain: we will never get a harvest if we don’t plan seeds!

Are you planting? Are you watering? Do you really think an increase will come if we just sit in the pews or stay in the comfort of our homes? Think about it. Are you planting and watering? Oh, you don’t have to knock every door in town, but have you talked to your best friend…and I mean seriously sat down with Bible in hand and talked about salvation and the church that Christ purchased with His own blood? I hope you think about it as we come to the end of the year. Make it a point to talk to your family and friends about Christ in 2014.

You can get your copy of Muscle and Shovel at Michael Shank’s website for $14.95. I recommend you get several: http://www.michaelshankministries.com/

You can get your copy of Searching for Truth or What Must I Do To Be Saved? at wvbs.org (along with many other great resources for study).

Psalm 13 & 14

Psalm 13

The thirteenth Psalm demonstrates the frustration David was going through and the sorrow he felt as his enemies pursued him. Yet David knew where to place his trust. David wrote, “I have trusted in your steadfast love; my heart shall rejoice in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, because he has dealt bountifully with me” (v.5,6 – ESV).

As we come to the end of another year, we look back and remember all the difficulties we have faced and the great blessings we have received. Most people have the tendency to focus on the negative. We remember the hurtful things that people have done to us. We remember the financial difficulties we have suffered. We remember the hardships, heartaches, and health issues we had to overcome. We remember the pain we, our friends and our families have felt. It is easy to look back and gripe and complain, wondering what might have been. Negative thinking will not help you to have a great day.

Instead, let us remember the bountiful blessings of God. Remember the people who have touched your lives this year. Remember the people who have been benevolent toward you. Remember those who have prayed for you, who have sent encouraging words to you, and those who ask about your well-being. Remember the great opportunities for growth that have come your way, how you benefited from the struggles you were able to overcome, and the blessings or prayer as you sought help from the only One who can actually do something about our hard times. Remember the financial blessings that have been given to you (especially considering we are very rich considering how most of the world lives). Rather than focusing on the hardships, let us focus on God. His love is constant and true. He provides us with salvation when we do His will. Therefore, we praise God for all that He has done for us…for His bountiful blessings.

If you do not know God and if you do not have a relationship with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, the best thing you can do as we come to the end of the year is to give your live to Christ. We would love to have you come worship with us and if you have questions about how you can become a Christian, please let us know. We would love to help you come into the bountiful blessings of the Lord.

Psalm 14

The fool has said in his heart, “There is no God” (v.1). It is unbelievable that anyone would not believe in God. In fact, the Bible declares that since the beginning of the world, God has made it clearly evident that He exists. He has made it possible for the world to see His everlasting power and divinity. Therefore we have no excuse if we fail to believe in God (Romans 1:20).

Because of their unbelief, many have failed to seek God (v.2). As a result they have become filthy and do not do what is good (v.3). If one does not believe in God, then obviously, they will not want to live under His authority. Sadly, even some claiming to believe in God do not want to live under His authority. Those who love God, keep His commandments (John 14:15).

The missing ingredients are knowledge (Hosea 4:6) and fear (Proverbs 1:29). Faith comes by hearing the word of God (Romans 10:17). Our mission in life is two fold: to fear God and keep His commandments (Ecclesiastes 12:13); and to seek and save the lost (Luke 19:10). With knowledge of God’s word and a reverence for God we should have a desire to help the lost know God. Salvation comes from the Lord (Psalm 14:7).

Friends and neighbors, there is a God. He loved you so much that He sent His Son to die in yourstead (John 3:16). Christ loved you so much that He laid down His life for you (1 John 3:16). We love you enough to tell you the truth about the Christ and His church. We want to help. If you need proof that there is a God and there is a way that will lead you to eternal life, please contact us and we will be thrilled to study with you.

Empty Stomachs

“An empty stomach is not a good political advisor.” Albert Einstein

Have you ever gone to the grocery store when you were hungry? If you have not, let me advise you that this is not a good practice. It has been my experience that when returning home, I would find myself not with healthy vegetables, meats, breads, and fruits from my shopping list, but with cookies, soft drinks, ice cream, and every item that “looks good.” This is not a healthy way to shop, nor is it economical. An empty stomach is not a good decision maker.

Einstein may have been thinking of party choices, economic decisions, governmental policy, or even wise, prudent decisions in general. Regardless of his original meaning, the statement rings true. We will not make good quality decisions when something is missing in our lives.

Each day we are faced with a plethora of decisions such as when to start our day, what to eat, what we do, etc. More importantly, we are faced with decisions about the kind of person that we will be, what we teach our children, the strength of our relationship with our spouse, and the depth of our relationship with God. These decisions are affected by what is in our “stomachs.”

If we are going to make good decisions, we need to fill those empty stomachs. Most of us remember the ads telling us we are what we eat. We understand that eating junk food will hurt our bodies and that failing to eat healthy foods can lead to many health problems. Likewise, when we fail to eat the spiritual food of God’s word, we will be facing all kinds of spiritual health problems. Jesus said, “My food is to do the will of Him who sent me and finish His work” (John 4:34). Job 23:12 says, “I have not departed from the commandment of His lips; I have treasured the words of His mouth more than my necessary food.” The message is true for all men. We need to fill our spiritual stomachs with God’s word to bring forth good fruit. Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matt. 5:6). Like the Romans, let us be “full of goodness, filled with all knowledge” (Rom. 15:14). Knowing the love of Christ let us be “filled with all the fullness of God” (Eph. 3:19). Let us have love that abounds, knowledge, discernment, approving what is excellent, being sincere without offense, and be “filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God” (Phil. 1:9-11). With stomachs and lives filled with the goodness of God, we will make good decisions.

The alternative to being filled with God’s will so that we can make good decisions is to live making decisions out of our emptiness as did the lost son. “He would gladly have filled his stomach with the pods that the swine ate” (Luke 15:16). The lost son thought that he had the world figured out. He thought he knew everything he needed to know to be successful in life. What he learned is that when his heart and mind were focused on the wrong things, such as the pleasures of life, money, food, popularity, and having his own way, that his life was empty.

What is sad is that most of our world feels like the lost son. Most people think they can do it their way and will be fine. So did Israel of old. But God made it clear they were wrong. Hosea 4:6 gives us a great warning: “My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. Because you have rejected knowledge, I also will reject you from being priest for Me; Because you have forgotten the law of your God, I also will forget your children.” To fail to feed on God’s word will leave us in a situation where we will be lost eternally. We must not be spiritually malnourished.

What is your stomach filled with: Godly things or worldly ideals? Fill your stomachs with the word of God and His plan for your life. If I can help you, let me know.

— Denny Wilson