Words to think about

Failure is giving up not messing up.

I know that I only fail when I quit trying.

I only fail when I quit believing.

Failure is listening to lies about myself and acting as if they are true.

Failure is forgetting that the future is yet to be written.

Failure is projecting the past into the future and thinking, 'what is the use?'

Acts 9:31

Then the church throughout Judea, Galilee and Samaria enjoyed a time of peace. It was encouraged by the Holy Spirit, it grew in number, living in the fear of the Lord. Acts 9:31

There is great wisdom in this verse and important lessons for the church today. The formula for having a successful church and a successful ministry is in these few words, 'It was encouraged by the Holy Spirit'. If your ministry is not being encouraged by the Holy Spirit is is dead, it has no life. The Holy Spirit is the Presence of God in all our endeavors. Jesus said as he was getting ready to leave this earth that he would send another Comforter, the Spirit of truth who would guide us into all truth. When the Holy Spirit encourages us we are no longer depressed, no longer lost, no longer wondering where we should go or what we should do. When the Holy Spirit encourages us he bears witness with our spirits that we belong to God. When the Holy Spirit encourages us we have a time of peace. We live defeated lives because we refuse to let the Holy Spirit encourage us.

Something else happens when the Holy Spirit encourages us - the church grows in numbers and also in obedience to God. Ministries flourish when the Holy Spirit encourages us. Nothing can hold back a ministry that is encouraged by the Holy Spirit. Nothing can hold back a business, a career, a friendship, a marriage, an education, a man, a woman or a child when the Holy Spirit encourages.

Let's not forget the last phrase - living in the fear of the Lord. Nothing will work the way it is supposed to work if we forget this important principle, 'living in the fear of the Lord'. We are told to love the Lord our God with all our hearts, souls, minds and strength'. When we let this principle rule our lives we live in the fear of the Lord. A healthy fear, respect, worship, reverence. Modern society feels that since we have the answer to many scientific mysteries that God is smaller than he used to be. The more we discover in the study of biology, physics and astronomy the less we feel that we need God. When we think we have found the answer and we can predict hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes and other natural disasters we really don't think we need to fear the ONE who made all things and we stop living in the fear of God. Is it any wonder that there are so much violence, misery, hardships, diseases, famines and economic downturns in our world today?

When we make God small we make ourselves big and we live in the awe of what we create instead of the awesomeness of God. History shows us what happened to every society, kingdom and empire who forgot to live in the fear of God. They got a one-way ticket to destruction. We are still trying to figure out what happened to the Mayas of Central America; we are fascinated by ancient Egypt, Babylon, Persia, Greece and Rome. They all had one thing in common - they forgot to live in the fear of God.

Let our hearts be encouraged by the Holy Spirit, let us grow in numbers and be prosperous, let us live in the fear of God and let us have a time of peace.

Rest Stops

When you feel that you have come to the end of your rope and you are tired of your life's journey, always remember that you are still the apple of God's eyes and he will send you exactly what you need to get through each day. The following words were written as I reflected on the rest stops that our Heavenly Father sends to us as we continue on our life's journey.

Rest Stops
God gives us rest stops along the way,
To help us get through each busy day,
Just in time he sends the word,
When we’ve spent all the strength we can afford.

The bills are due, the money is gone,
They turn off our lights today,
The refrigerator is empty, there is no food,
They are closing the office for good.

The doctor called
The news is very bad,
The cancer has spread, nothing can be done,
Time to prepare for the setting sun.

The form in my hand is changing my life,
This was not what I had planned,
I can’t take care of a baby,
I can’t even take care of me.

I have the proof-my husband is cheating,
I feel so betrayed, my heart is breaking,
As tears flow down my cheek
I beg for the answer,
And through the gloom
My rest stop gradually appears...

It may be in the words of a song,
The touch of a hand,
A letter from afar,
An email passed on,
The words of a sermon,
A phone-call from a friend,
A verse from the Bible,
A sticker on a car,
Money in a card,
A pleasant dream,
The smile of a baby,
The laughter of kids...
YES
God gives us rest stops along the way,
To help us get through each busy day,
Just in time he sends the word,
When we’ve spent all the strength we can afford.