SPENCER'S SCRIPTURE
MARCH 5, 2008
We Have This Moment
Death and life are in the power of the tongue: and they that love it shall eat the fruit thereof. - Proverbs 18:21
Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits: Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; who healeth all thy diseases; Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle's - Psalms 103:2-5
Sometimes God sends people our way to be an encouragement and yesterday this happened to me. While sitting at my desk working, the phone rang. Upon answering, it was an unfamiliar voice, but soon became very familiar because of the words being shared over the fiberoptic airways. What was to be just a question by the voice on the other end turned into a forty minute conversation of sheer joy and excitement for me. There is life in the power of the tongue! The voice on the other end was the holy spirit speaking through an 82 year young lady. The knowledge, wisdom, and encourangement received yesterday was one I will not soon forget. After I had answered her question, she spent the first ten minutes telling me of prophecy and the end times. Over the next fifteen minutes she gave her testimony of how God had saved her at an early age, how He had used her over the years, and how He is still using her today. As I intently listened, she talked about prayer and how it had worked for her. She talked about what it meant to be a child of God. She spoke of being married for fifty years and how she had been a widow for sixteen years. And in those sixteen years she had never been alone because of the comfort she had in Jesus. What an encouragement! She taught Sunday school for forty years and over the course of the years she had watched these young children grow up and have children and grandchildren of their own. She talked about how some still came by and visited on occasion and how most were serving the Lord in some capacity. To me, that speaks volumes for her! After talking for the next fifteen minutes about southern gospel music and what it meant to her, she made a closing statement that touched me deeply. She said, "Life for me has not been easy. It has had its share of ups and downs. A lot of my friends are either in nursing homes or in a cemetary somewhere now. But through it all Jesus has always been faithful to me. The joy of the Lord is my strength. And to Him I give all the glory."
To a young minister of the gospel, the words and life of this lady were very encouraging. To know she's lived 82 years of her life and is still serving the Lord is a blessing. What a witness of God's love she has been to me and others. God is defintiely in the center of her life and she lets everyone around her know it. We need more Christians in this world like her! I hope and pray when I am of an age such as this, I can look back over my life and say it has been good to serve the Lord and that His joy has truly been my strength.
And as a tribute to my newly found friend, it would only be fitting to ask these questions. Since life is in the power of the tongue, I ask, "Have you ever asked Jesus to save you from your sins?. Have you ever asked Jesus in to your life to stay? If you have, you know what a joyous life it is. And I ask you, have you shared Jesus with someone today? And for you that have not asked Jesus to save you from your sins, you can do that right now by saying the sinner's prayer."
"Lord, I am a sinner. I call upon Your name. Forgive me. Cleanse me of my sins through the precious blood of your only begotten son Jesus. Come into my life and save me so that I can live the rest of my days with you and for you."
If you said that prayer and truly meant it, please let me know through email or at one of our services. I would love to talk with you.
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NOVEMBER 28, 2007
4 Years
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me. – Psalm 23:4
Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee: because he trusteth in thee. – Isaiah 26:3
Let us be honest with ourselves as Christians. Deep down, death scares us! But there are worse things than death! And one of those things can be thoughts of being left behind.
To see a Christian loved one go through Death’s Shadow Valley to get to their destination of heaven can be painstaking. We all want to take the Sky Thoroughfare that leads to Rapture’s Bridge, which in turn takes us to Beulah Land. We want to be “caught up together with them in the clouds, to meet the Lord in the air” like 1 Thessalonians 4:17 says. We want the quick and easy way out! As I often say, we are mere vapors: pilgrims passing through this life. If the Lord continues to tarry, death will be the route we will take and reaching our destination through this life can be very unpleasant if we allow it.
Four years ago today, my Dad took up residence in a place called Heaven. And to be perfectly honest, it has been difficult living without him. Over the first couple of years, there were days and sometimes weeks when jealousy and envy consumed me. Mainly because God had my Dad and I did not. Because of this, I faced mild to severe depression off and on. Physicians offered me prescription medications. Physicians advised me to take therapy and asked me to look into counseling. Take it from me: The so called “fix-a-quack” drugs only cover up the problem. Therapy and counseling from man’s highly opinionated studies on the human psyche only dilute the issue at hand. The fact of the matter is we have a lack of trust in our heavenly Father. If we do not base our life on the sound biblical principles that God gave us, then we are as useless to ourselves and each other as the penny we see lying face down in the convenient store parking lot! Turning to God and His Word is and will always be the answer. God will keep us in perfect peace, when our mind is focused on Him: but we have to trust Him. If we focus on Him, read the promises he has laid out for us, and talk with him daily, we can't go wrong. God is our only true life source. He is our ever present help in a time of need. He is the answer for all of life’s questions! We all face circumstances that get us down. We all have personal battles that are sent our way. But one thing is certain. My God shall supply all our NEED according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus. Hallelujah!
On most days now I am still as jealous as I can be. But it is not jealousy because God has my Dad. It is because Dad has God and he is spending time with the Savior. While I am sticking it out here, he’s basking in the glory of the Son. He’s praising God through eternity. What an awesome thought! No more death. No more sorrow. No more crying. No more pain. No more dealing with the pitfalls of Satan. Its constant and continuous praise and worship! It’s like leaving work to go on a never ending vacation. Are we there yet???
“Father, Help me today to trust you in all areas of my life. Keep me from depression. Help my mind and heart to completely focus on you. Give me perfect peace through you. Guide me and direct me. Have your will and way in my life. Amen.”
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NOVEMBER 22, 2007
Distractions
And Jesus answered and said unto her, "Martha, Martha, thou art careful and troubled about many things. But one thing is needful, and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her."
--Luke 10:41-42
Failing in his frontal attacks upon the child of God, Satan often turns to more subtle means of achieving his evil purpose. He resorts to devious methods in his attempt to divert the Christian from carrying out the task God has committed to him. He often succeeds by involving the saint in some other lesser occupation and so distracting him....
Satan's distracting words often come from the most unexpected places. Martha would call Mary away from sitting at the feet of the Master. Sometimes, if we are not careful, our best friend may distract us. Or it might be some very legitimate activity. This day's hustle and bustle has and will too often call us away from Jesus' feet. These distractions must be immediately dismissed, or we shall know only the "barrenness of busyness". We have often used the phrase "idle hands are the devil's workshop", but more and more we see now it is the "busy hands" that keep us from being close to the Master. It is my observation we are so busy in the church today that we have lost sight of God. As with the church of Ephesus we have left our first love. We need to return to our First Love. We need to return to Jesus' feet.
"Father, keep me today from the myriad distractions that would keep me from the main thing. I long to stay at Jesus' feet. Deliver me today from the 'barrenness of busyness.' Amen."
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NOVEMBER 20, 2007
Examine Yourself
Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
--Psalm 139:23-24
The philosopher Socrates said, "An unexamined life is not worth living." If a common philosopher could think that, how much more we Christians ought to listen to the Holy Spirit when He says, "Examine yourself." An unexamined Christian lies like an unattended garden. Let your garden go unattended for a few months, and you will not have roses and tomatoes but weeds. An unexamined Christian life is like an unkempt house. Lock your house up as tight as you will and leave it long enough, and when you come back you will not believe the dirt that got in from somewhere. An unexamined Christian is like an untaught child. A child that is not taught will be a little savage. It takes examination, teaching, instruction, discipline, caring, tending, weeding and cultivating to keep the life right. Rut, Rot or Revival: The Condition of the Church, 43.
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me, and know my thoughts; and see if there be any wicked way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting. Amen"
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OCTOBER 4, 2007
Abiding Under God's Shadow
He that dwelleth in the secret place of the most High shall abide under the
shadow of the Almighty.
--Psalms 91:1
The word "abide" means to lodge, or to set up camp. He that dwells in the secret
place of the most High shall lodge under the shadow of the Almighty. Notice that
you can't see a shadow, but it's always there. To be in somebody's shadow you have
to be pretty close to him or her. In other words, you have to be pretty close to God to
lodge under His shadow.
Make no mistake, however, going to church does not make you close to God. Lots
of people go to church but are not close to God. They just go to church. The word
does not say to draw near to your church, and you'll be close to God. It says to draw
near to God and He'll draw near to you.
The depth of your relationship with God depends on the time you spend with Him,
because you spend time with whom you love. Are you someone who spends time in
worship before God, time in praise to God, time in personal one- on-one prayer and
communion with God? If you are, you'll notice that the closer you get to Him, the closer
He gets to you. You reach a place where you abide under His shadow. And that's the
best place to be.
God said in James, "Draw nigh to me, or close to me, and I'll draw nigh to you." Well,
to be under the shadow of the Almighty is to be close to the Father. In order to be close
to Him, you need to be in fellowship with Him, not out of fellowship with God. Not just
a child of God, but you need to be close to the Lord. A relationship needs to have been
developed between you and the Father; one in which you can clearly know God's voice
when He's leading you and speaking to you.
Never let it be a case with you where all heaven stops because they hadn't heard your
voice in decades. Nor let it be with you that the only time that heaven hears from you is
when you need something. On the contrary, develop a relationship with the Father where
the Father can speak to you and you can speak to Him.
Scripture References: James 4:8; Psalm 42:1-2
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OCTOBER 2, 2007
No Limit to What God Could Do if We Would Let Him!
And when they found them not, they drew Jason and certain brethren unto the rulers of the city, crying, These that have turned the world upside down are come hither also;
--Acts 17:6
There is no limit to what God can do in our world if we would dare to surrender before
Him with a commitment like this:
"Oh God, I hereby give myself to You. I give my family. I give my business. I give all I
possess. Take all of it, Lord-and take me! I give myself in such measure that if it is
necessary that I lose everything for your sake, let me lose it. I will not ask what the price
is. I will ask only that I may be all that I ought to be as a follower and disciple of Jesus
Christ, my Lord. Amen."
If even 300 of God's people became that serious, our world would never hear the last of
it! They would influence the news. Their message would go everywhere like birds on the
wing. They would set off a great revival of New Testament faith and witness.
God wants to deliver us from the easygoing, smooth and silky, fat and comfortable
Christianity so fashionable today. I hope we are willing to let the truth get hold of us, even
at the cost of rejection or embarrassment.
The faith of the heavenly overcomers cost them everything and gained them everything.
What of our faith? Jesus Is Victor!, 116-117.
"Oh God, I hereby give myself to You. I give my family. I give my business. I give all I
possess. Take all of it, Lord-and take me! I give myself in such measure that if it is
necessary that I lose everything for your sake, let me lose it. I will not ask what the price
is. I will ask only that I may be all that I ought to be as a follower and disciple of Jesus
Christ, my Lord. Amen."
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