God Fixes Things

God Fixes Things!

By: Robert A. Searles

God our heavenly Father, is a kind, loving father who takes great delight in his redeemed children whom he has reconciled to himself by the precious blood of his only begotten, beloved son, the Lord Jesus Christ.

If we have been fortunate enough to have had a loving, kind, earthly father here on earth, we know that we can run to “daddy”, as it were, when we are afraid or in trouble, and he will rescue us. When our toys are broken, he will fix them. When we are afraid of the dark night, he will go with us. Even better than we have ever known on earth, our heavenly father loves us with an infinite love that cannot be equaled. He who formed us from the dust of the earth, and breathed into our nostrils his own breath of life, will never forsake us. He will be there when we slip and fall to lift us up and set us back on our feet again. He is more than willing to forgive our sins when we acknowledge and confess them to him and ask for his forgiveness.

We make many mistakes during the course of our lifetime. We commit many sins; we go down wrong roads. Sometimes our lives are all but destroyed; our hearts are broken; our bodies are near destruction; but, God our father is there to fix them, and he does fix all things for us if we will allow him to. He can and will turn our mourning into dancing and rejoicing for his glory and honor.

“Thou hast turned for me my mourning into dancing: thou hast put off my sack cloth, and girded me with gladness, to the end that my glory may sing praise to thee, and not be silent, O Lord my God , I will give thanks unto thee for ever.” Psalm 30: 11, 12 (KJV).

Today - A Gift From God

Today – A Gift From God

By Robert A. Searles

      Each day in our lives is a brand new gift from God. There has never been a day exactly like it before, and there will never be a day exactly like it again. It is unique in itself., As someone has aptly said: “This is a brand new day without mistakes, yet. Pray to God that we can keep it without mistakes. “This is the day that the Lord hath made, let us rejoice and be glad it it.”

      Let us not ruin today by borrowing from tomorrow's sorrows, or remembering the mistakes of yesterday. If we at all remember, let us remember the joys and the happiness, and the good things, and let us throw out with the trash, as it were, the negative and bad things.

      Let us spend this day, this valuable gift that God has given to us, always aware of his presence and companionship. A day spent in companionship with the Lord is better than a thousand without him. If we have received Christ as our Savior, then today we have eternal everlasting life, and have passed from darkness into light and we don't have to look for tomorrow to come to receive it and enjoy it.

Acceptable Sacrifice

 Thought for Today - November 27, 2022

Acceptable Sacrifice

By: Robert A. Searles

      “Oh that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men! And let them sacrifice the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.” Psalm 107: 21, 22 (KJV).

      “I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving. This shall please the Lord better than an ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs.” Psalm 69: 30, 31 (*KJV)

      An ox or a bullock offered upon an altar as a sacrifice to God is something that can be seen and touched, and something that seems to be real in the earthly sphere of things, and it is probably quite costly to the owner or the person offering it; however, God has said that he values more highly than the ox or bullock that hath horns and hoofs, the praise and gratitude from the heart of his people.

      God said that love is the more perfect way.; Good works, good deeds, good morals, sacrifice, all these things that man can offer up to God are abominations, and a stench in God's nostrils unless they are genuinely motivated by love and praise and thanksgiving.

     Just to be talking about God, and to be doing things that pertain to God, and to be all wrapped up in some service for him in the name of God, is not enough by itself. Martha was busy about many things, she was so wrapped up in doing things, that she had little time for the Lord himself. Jesus did not say that Martha was completely wrong in doing, but he did say that Mary had chosen the better part. What was the better part? The better part was to sit at his feet and worship him, and listen to his teaching, and love him and show her gratitude, praise, and thanksgiving, by washing his feet with her hair.

      The acceptable sacrifice to God is love and gratitude to God. Jesus said: “Thou shall love the Lord thy God with all thy heart and all thy mind and all thy soul.” Our love of God will cause us to put everything else aside and make the Lord truly the Lord of our lives, and seek him first in all things, and trust him for all our needs.

      God will not fail us if we truly trust and believe his word. If we will be preoccupied with God – God has promised that all our needs will be met and that our hearts wil burst forth wit new wine. Let us pray that God will help us individually and together to offer the right kind of sacrifices to him, which is the best of our time, the best of our life, the first fruits of all our increase, the first part of every new day, and live in such a way that we will be a testimony to all people that we rely wholly on God, and not our own efforts, nor our own wisdom.

Telehelp Publications Christian Literature Ministry

                                  Psalm 26: 7

A Tree Of Life

A Tree Of Life

By: Robert A. Searles

      “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life; and he that winneth souls is wise.” Proverbs 11: 30 (KJV).

      We see a tree growing in the midst of other trees, and we can usually determine what kind of a tree it is by examining the fruit which it bears. How refreshing, and restoring it would be if we were travelers in the wilderness, and suddenly came upon a tree with fruit which we could eat.

      The verse says: “The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life.” Are we like a tree planted in the vineyard of our God? Are we one of those that be planted in the house of the Lord, and are we flourishing in the courts of our God? Are we a tree called “righteous”?

      “The righteous shall flourish like a palm tree: he shall grow like a cedar in Lebanon. Those that be planted in the house of the Lord shall flourish in the courts of our God. They shall still bring forth fruit in old age; they shall be fat and flourishing”. Psalm 92: 12-14 (KJV).

      Righteous trees that are flourishing in the courts of God shall still bring forth fruit in old age. Is the fruit that we are bearing, life giving, and life sustaining to travelers who pass our way? The scripture says that the fruit of the righteous is a tree of life. Will someone live and be sustained, and grow because they have eaten of our fruit today? Are we truly a tree of life? Are we truly soul winners? He that winneth souls is wise.

Choose Life!

Choose Life!

By Robert A. Searles

“Enter ye in at the strait gate; for wide is the gate, and broad the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be that go in thereat: because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way , which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.” Matthew 7: 13, 14 (KJV).

If we are saved, and if we know that we are saved and on our way to heaven, stop and think of just how fortunate and blessed we are. O all the multitudes of people in the world, we are among the few who are saved and have heaven and the paradise of God to which we can look forward.

Most people who have been born into this world, and there are multitudes, both dead and living, who have walked the broad highway of death and eternal destruction, and will spend eternity in hell, having neglected, and rejected God's offer of forgiveness and salvation. How precious we ought to esteem the grace of God that has been extended to us through the Lord Jesus Christ! How we ought to treasure this great inheritance we have in Christ!

Relatively few people have received it, although God is not willing that any should perish, and his grace is extended to all who will hear and respond to his call. Blessed are all those whom God has caused to be born into the family of God, and have entered the narrow gate that leads to eternal life.

How great is our God, and how great and how precious is our salvation!

Pray For One Another

Pray For One Another

By: Robert A. Searles

      “To Timothy, my dearly beloved son – grace, mercy, and peace , from God the Father and Christ Jesus our Lord. I thank God whom I serve from my forefathers with pure conscience that without ceasing I have remembrance of thee in my prayers night and day.” 2Timothy 2,3 (KJV).

     How should we pray for one another? We ought to pray for each other as Paul prayed for Timothy – that God would give to our beloved wife, or husband, or children, or parents, or friends, grace, mercy and peace.

     Grace – the unearned gifts from God, God's unmerited favor, undeserved forgiveness and pardon, unearned, and undeserved eternal life, and undeserved provision for their moment by moment needs.

    Mercy - God's infinite compassion for us, that is - G not pouring out his wrath and judgments on us when he would be justified and righteous in so doing, lso, God's willingness to come more than half way to meet and greet the runaway prodigal and rebellious child, and welcome him back intoi the family.

     Peace – that peace that only God can give to comfort our hearts when we are in the center of his will, a sense of well being, and knowing that everything isall right in our father's house, and so it iswell with us who are his children.

May we learn to pray for one another that God would grant his grace, mercy, and peace, even as Paul prayed for Timothy.

Our Kinsman Redeemer

Our Kinsman Redeemer

By: Robert A. Searles

Ruth, returning with her mother in law Naomi from the land of Moab after Naomi's husband and sons had died, one of them having been the husband of Ruth, found themselves in need of help and assistance to survive. Where could they go? What could they do?

“And Naomi had a kinsman of her husband's, a mighty man of wealth, of the family of Elimelech; and his name was Boaz. And Ruth, the Moabitess, said unto Naomi, let me now go to the field, and glean ears of corn after him in whose sight I shall find grace, and she said unto her go my daughter. And she went, and came, and gleaned in the field after the reapers; and her hap was to light on a part of the field belonging unto Boaz, who was of the kindred of Elimelech.” Ruth 2: 1-3 (KJV).

In times of our spiritual want and famine, when we see ourselves impoverished, and not knowing where to turn for help, where shall we find grace (that free gift), and be allowed to glean in his field? Where else, excerpt in Christ our kiinsman , our Father's son, our savior, and our brother? He it is that we must seek after.

“Then said Boaz unto Ruth, hearest thou not, my daughter? Go not to glean in another field, neither go from hence, but abide here fast by my maidens; let thine eyes be on the field that they do reap, and go thou after them; have I not charged the young men that they shall not touch thee? And when thou art atrhirst, go unto the vessels, and drink of that which the young men have drawn.” Ruth2: 8,9 (KJV)

Once we have found him, Christ our kinsman redeemer, or better still, when he has found and rescued us, we need not, and we must not go to glean in any other field.

“Then she fell on her face, and bowed herself to the ground, and said unto him, why have I found grace in thine eyes, that thou shouldest take knowledge of me, seeing I an a stranger?” Ruth 2: 10 (KJV)

Why have we, unworthy sinners, found grace in the eyes of the Lord that he should take knowledge of us to shed his blood for us and save us, seeing that we are sinners and strangers to him. We should be so grateful for what Christ has done for us! Why should we have found grace in his eyes? Only because he has loved us from the very foundations of the earth.

“And Boaz answered and said unto her, it hath fully been shewed me, all that thou hast done unto thy mother in law since the death of thine husband, and how thou hast left thy father and thy mother, and the land of thy nativity, and art come unto a people which thou knewest not heretofore. The Lord recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come o trust.” Ruth 2: 11-12 (KJV).

God will surely reward all those who flee to him for salvation, and lean upon him for wisdom, and trust in his providence

When Ruth returned home that day from the field of Boaz, her mother in law asked her, “where hast thou gleaned today? And where wroughtest thou? Blessed be he that did take knowledge of thee, and she shewed her mother in law with whom she had wrought, and said, the man's name with whom I wrought today is Boaz.” Ruth 2: 19 (KJV).

Matthew Henry once said: “It is a good question to ask ourselves every night, where have I gleaned today? What improvements have I made in knowledge and grace? What have I done that will turn in a good account?”