tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-38684540448038828322024-03-06T03:39:17.582-05:00The Threshing FloorThe ThreshingFloor was the place where the wheat was seperated from the chaff.................
This is the place where the winnowing of God's Spirit can seperate us for his purpose.........Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-59912753007289574272013-01-02T19:04:00.002-05:002013-01-02T19:04:40.174-05:00Blessings in trouble.....abundant life!
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Sometimes we get the notion that real blessing exists <em>only if</em> there
are no problems in our lives. In fact, some people come to God and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>think that salvation discounts<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>any future potential for trouble, only to be
disappointed and disillusioned when trouble is on "every hand". Some
depart from the faith when they realize that God has chosen not to open a door
for them in a crisis, in the manner in which they had hoped. And still there are others who live
in a topsy-turvy, “one-day chicken, next-day feathers” kind of mindset.
Today....... I'm blessed, tomorrow..... I'm <em>not </em>blessed, on and on the
vicious circle goes. So what DOES<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>the
phrase "abundant life mean?" <br />
<br />
<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I believe the answer lies, in
part,<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>in the fact that God mentioned His
provision and the attack of the enemy of our souls<em> </em>in the same passage.
It's as if there's a huge "HOWEVER" that links the two. God<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is not saying that abundant life comes<em> in
place of</em> our suffering...He's saying this gift <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>is IN SPITE OF persecution, famine, nakedness,
peril and on and on and on and on.............<br />
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So for the person who says,
"Well, if my life isn't going to be blessed by God without trouble as a
sanctified child of God, then<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>what's the
use in sacrificing to live this life at all?" Wellllllllll........., let
me tell you that whether you're a <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>believer or not, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><em><span style="font-style: normal; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">you're not going to escape troubles and trials</span>.</em> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as a born again believers, we have been
given prayer, and fasting, and fellowship, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the Word to <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>ward off <em>many (not all)</em> disasters
before they ever get a chance to come to fruition in our lives. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sowing and reaping good seed is
one<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>way of avoiding some hardships. </div>
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<u>Making life decisions based on God's wise Word also keeps us from many
seasons of regret and heartbreak as well.</u> </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>For the remainder of the troubles
we face in life, those things we can't altogether avoid, those rainy days that
fall on the just and the unjust together, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>comes the assurance Jesus gave in John 10:10. <em>"The
thief comes only in order to steal and kill and destroy. I came that they may
have and enjoy life, and have it in abundance (to the full, till it
overflows)." </em>You can't afford to live without the One who assures a
simultaneous outpouring of abundant, full life, even in times when you're being
pummeled by the enemy's strategy against you. </div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>How <em>is</em> it then that we can, at
the same time, have joy while all hell is breaking loose around us? <em>That</em>
, friend, is the miracle...NOT that we have no trouble to start with! Instead,
the <em>true</em> miracle lies in the fact that we can be battling sickness,
financial trouble, problems with our kids, aggravation on the job, empty bank
accounts, troubled marriage, unsaved spouses; and <em>at the same time</em>
have a calm, navigating peace that we can neither deny nor explain. Because the
door doesn't open when I want it to, does not mean God has forsaken me.</div>
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<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As Paul named off a laundry list
of potential unpleasantries in life, he countered all these things with the
huge weight of the most powerful force in the universe, the fixer of all broken
hearts, the one thing that hell cannot stop, the secret supernatural force that
God uses to draw all men to Himself, the <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>love of God.</div>
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<em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><o:p><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"> </span></o:p></span></em><em><span style="font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;">"Who
shall ever separate us from Christ's love? Shall suffering and affliction and
tribulation? Or calamity and distress? Or persecution or hunger or destitution
or peril or sword? Even as it is written, For Thy sake we are put to death all
the day long; we are regarded and counted as sheep for the slaughter. Yet amid
all these things we are more than conquerors and gain a surpassing victory through
Him Who loved us. For I am persuaded beyond doubt (am sure) that neither death
nor life, nor angels nor principalities, nor things impending and threatening
nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all
creation will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ
Jesus our Lord." -</span></em><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> Romans 8:35-39 (AMP)<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-88812979505746882372012-11-19T23:13:00.001-05:002012-11-19T23:13:32.995-05:00Just a musing as I study....................<br />
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The Hebrew word for mercy is rachuwm. It's meaning is compassion. It is a noun.The Hebrew root word for grace is chanan. It means to stoop down, or bend in kindness to an inferior. It is a verb.<br />What God's mercy saw, His grace stooped to save. <br />Mercy is what allowed us access to God. Grace is the mechanism God used to reach to us in our sinful state. <br />
A holy, Spirit God saw us with mercy, and when He could find none to stand in the gap, His own right arm brought salvation. That is the grace of God in action.<br />
Mercy saw us, devised a plan from the foundation of the world. <br />
Grace was a baby, wrapped in swaddling clothes, laying in a manger.<br />
Grace was The Christ carrying the cross up Galgotha's hill.<br />
Grace was Christ crucified.<br />
It is My hope of glory.<br />
Mercy peeked behind the veil in the old testament as the high priest would bring the blood from the spotless lamb to sprinkle on the mercy seat, and mercy saw millions of Jews who waited for the glory of God to appear. When Jesus died on the cross, when grace stooped down in kindness to a lost world, mercy ran from behind the veil and was freely given to all who would recieve Him.<br />
Rachuwn saw me, and chanan reached down to save me.Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-6955029315058577442012-08-31T19:47:00.001-04:002012-08-31T20:35:29.553-04:00<br />
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<b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Trust The Delay<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Picture this. It’s very early in the
morning. My wife and I are sitting on a plane in New Orleans preparing to
return home. We’d had a late night so we were exhausted. We settled into our
seats and prepared for the 2 hour plane trip. Vicki pulls out her iPad & I
pulled out mine and we got as comfortable as you can on an airplane. The plane
began to taxi away from the gate and we were on our way. And that was a good
thing. Because once we landed, kids, grands, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>errands, meetings and chores awaited us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The plane continued to taxi down the
runway, but then it came to a complete stop. Initially we didn’t pay much
attention to it because we’d started losing our ability to concentrate on the
iPads…our eyes were slowly drifting shut. But after about 10 minutes we
realized that we’d been stopped longer than normal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Right about the time we realized
we’d been sitting for a while, the pilot’s voice came over the intercom and
informed us that there was a mechanical issue with the plane. We were told that
we would have to sit on the runway until the mechanics came to check it out. He
jokingly said “thank goodness we caught it while we were still on the ground.
We’d hate to get into the high altitudes and expect the mechanics to come up
there”. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Eventually the mechanics arrived to
the plane, fixed the issue and we were off! We arrived slightly behind
schedule, but safe. Thank God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>love how God teaches me life lessons in the
midst of my ordinary, every-day situations. This was no different. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">See, as we waited on the mechanics
to check out the plane I was reminded that the same scenario often happens in
our lives. We board the “plane” of our dreams, hopes, and goals. We make sure
everything is on point…or at least we think everything is on point. We prepare
for take-off. But often as we are about to start a new journey, go to the next
level, or experience something different, something happens and there is a
delay. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I don’t like delays. If I am
supposed to leave at 8am, I want to leave at 8am. Not 8:15am, not 9am. I want
to leave at 8am. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I don’t like delays.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But I have learned (well. Honestly?
I am learning….) to trust the delay. And trusting the delay means having faith
in God. Having faith that His plan and will for our lives is so much more strategic
and purposeful than we could ever imagine or conjure up! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Unlike the pilot, I find no humor in
“middle of the air mechanical problems”, but all jokes aside the pilot preached
a mini-sermon to me in that moment. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">“Thank goodness we caught it while we
were still on the ground. We’d hate to get into the high altitudes and expect
the mechanics to come up there”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Did you catch the mini-sermon? The
pilot was talking about a plane…but I heard it for my own life. One of my
constant prayers is that my gifts don’t take me anywhere that my character
can’t keep me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As you and I continue to move into
new dimensions in every area of our lives, we don’t want to go higher and then
crash because our character couldn’t withstand the pressure. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Don’t get me wrong. We never get to
a place where we’ve arrived and are free from the need to make character
adjustments. But at each new level we must make sure that who we are can
withstand the pressures that will inevitably come as we ascend. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So as much as I don’t like delays, I
know that the delay may be God’s greatest gift to me. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just like with the airplane on our
trip, the adjustment that needs to be made might be minor. Think about it. We
didn’t have to get off the plane and we didn’t have to turn around and go back.
We simply had to stop for a minute, fix the problem and then we were able to
keep going.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The delay may be the same for you.
It doesn’t mean that you stop, walk away and give up on your dreams. It may
simply mean that you need to allow your team (your spouse, family, counselor,
pastor, etc) to help you fix the problem and then you will be on your way. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ignoring the delay is dangerous. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Moving forward despite God’s whisper
to wait…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Refusing to allow yourself to be
surrounded by “mechanics” that can help you address the issue…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Placing your dreams and goals above
the bigger picture…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Ignoring the delay is dangerous. So
don’t do that. Don’t ignore the delay. Be still. Be quiet. Be open. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Have faith that if God has pushed
pause then you should heed the warning and trust the delay. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><i>“We can make our plans, but the Lord
determines our steps." </i>- Proverbs 16:9 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-11176980790827889802012-05-14T23:11:00.003-04:002012-05-14T23:11:50.035-04:00<br />
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<br />
<br />
Well let me tell you..........<br />
<br />
Rehoboam was the son of King Solomon. We know that The Word of God tells us that Solomon was an extremely wise man (1 Kings 4:29). People came from all over the world just to see and hear the Wisdom of Solomon. The bible says when Solomon died, his son Rehoboam reigned in his stead. He had just begun his new position of King of Israel when the people of Israel came to him with a request. Rehoboam turned first to the elders who served King Solomon for advice on how to deal with the request. These elders stood before and walked with King Solomon. Theirs was not advice that was easy to swallow, it was not advice that seemed.........kingly. It was advice that told the most pwerful man in the kingdom to be humble, to lead gently.<br />
<br />These men had witnessed firsthand the wisdom of God flow through Rehoboam’s father, King Solomon. They had been eyewitnesses to the ways that wisdom could bring peace and prosperity to a King, a Kingdom and a Nation. So, what did the son of Solomon do? He turned to the young men that he grew up with, his fellow classmates, if you will. Rehoboam decided to seek advice fromhis peers. He decided afeter hearing their advice to take the advice of those who had no experience in the arena that he was needing counsel from. And the young men gave him advice that was prideful and full of arrogance. <br />
<br />
After hearing the advice of both parties, Rehoboam decided to follow what his peers suggested. Rehoboam need only make one decision to unite the kingdom that his father had so ably ruled over. One decision could make hima king that all Israel could follow and trust. The decision ultimately was his alone to make. And that one decision divided his kingdom. It was truly costly to him and the entire nation. <br />
<br />
Every day we are ALL MAKING DECISIONS. Some we know the right answers to. And yet, some we have to discover the right answers for. There are some principles we can apply to assist us in making the right decisions in our lives. <br />
First, look to The Word of God and see what God says about the issues and decisions of your life. <br />
Second, pray and ask God to give you wisdom to know the correct ways to go. <br />
Lastly, then seek Godly counsel. Talk to those who have walked with God and have been where you have been or are going, people who have sat in the counsel of God and have proven His Ways. Then match what they say with what The Word says. Correct advice will always go with what God says to do. I have found there are two ways to learn things, by experience or by someone teaching you. Teaching you is quicker and saves you from difficulty and problems. Don’t be like Rehoboam and seek out the WRONG PEOPLE for answers. Remember, God is Who gave all that Wisdom to Solomon. Just ask and seek Him and He will ADVISE YOU!<br />
<br />Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-81647439240833059822012-02-16T23:24:00.000-05:002012-02-16T23:24:02.488-05:00True Marks Of A Powerful Witness<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto; mso-outline-level: 1;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 24pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span></b></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">There is no greater impediment to the progress of the gospel than Christians who live hypocritical lives. The world can sympathize and be forgiving when it comes to the errors which we sometimes succumb to because of our humanity. After all, we all make mistakes. Yet, what the world cannot tolerate is preaching from a person who has no credibility because of a lifestyle that goes directly against the message preached.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God has ordained things to work so that the lost see Jesus Christ and believe His testimony to be credible when we live our lives as if Christ is truly alive and at work in our hearts. So then, if we claim to be Christians and yet fail to let Christ rule in our hearts, we blind people from seeing Him. Our testimony is a very serious matter because it is a powerful influence in pointing someone toward or away from Jesus Christ and salvation.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Bible gives us several identifying marks which all Christians should possess and live out. The first is love. John 13:34-35 says, <i>"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another, even as I have loved you, that you also love one another. By this all men will know that you are My disciples, if you have love for one another."</i> We must love all people, even those who irritate us to no end, who curse our God, and those who would like nothing more than to see us suffer. No matter what, we must be kindhearted and care for the well-being of others, even ahead of our own well being at times.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In a world devoted to self-seeking and where love has grown cold, this surely makes believers stand out. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A second identifying mark is unity. John 17:21 says, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"That they may all be one; even as You, Father, are in Me and I in You, that they also may be in Us, so that the world may believe that You sent Me."</i> If the world can see a unified family, a unified church, or a unified body of believers, then they we can have hope that they can believe that Jesus Christ is indeed the Messiah sent from God to redeem the world from its sin.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The world understands division, destruction, and an "every man for himself" mentality. But to see a group of people live with kindness and gentleness toward one another, <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>even when they have nothing to gain from doing so, that friends, is a sign from heaven that Jesus Christ is indwelling in these people. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A third mark is holiness. Hebrews 12:14 says, <i>"Follow peace with all men, and holiness without which no man shall see the Lord."</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A consistent and God-honoring lifestyle is necessary for true love to be manifested, to be seen, and to accomplish its powerful witnessing work. If we live like the world, how can the world see Jesus in us? We must obey Romans 12:9 which says, <i>"Let love be without hypocrisy."</i> <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">A fourth mark is good works. Matthew 5:16 says, <i>"Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven." </i>Christians might have love in their hearts and be walking in obedience, but if they are not putting their love into action, the world is not getting a chance to see Christ. A precious old saint of God once told me that Jesus clarified discipleship plainly in John 13:35 when he said, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">"By this shall all men know that you are my disciples, if ye have love one <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u>to</u></b> another."</i> The tiny word "to" changes everything for the believer. Believers realize it is not enough to have love "for" someone. Jesus is only glorified when we transfer that love from us "to" the person in need. <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When love is acted out in good works toward others, the world can see and praise God in heaven. The church should be known for its pure and undefiled religion, going to those in need and seeking to meet their needs (James 1:27). <o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Finally, a fifth mark is our hope. 1 Peter 3:15 says, <i>"But sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts, always being ready to make a defense to everyone who asks you to give an account for the hope that is in you, yet with gentleness and reverence."</i><o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The world should be able to see the hope which we have no matter what circumstances we face to the extent that it makes them ask us how we could have such a hope despite what is going on in our lives or around us. Whether things are good or bad, it should be obvious to all that we still believe that God loves us and that God is on the throne.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">As we live out these identifying marks, the world will have to take notice. Regardless of the situations we face, it is by God's design that the gospel is advanced through His people, and therefore His people must provide evidence to the message preached by how they live their lives. Jesus Christ needs to shine brightly through us every day from today forward for the sake of the testimony of our Savior.<o:p></o:p></span></div><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 10pt; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We will bear marks<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>of Christianity, but come to think of it, Jesus bore marks. He bore them for our forgiveness. He bore marks to redeem us and bring us to a place where the world can see Him in us. His marks were painful, His marks were marks that we should have born. And yet, we can bear the marks of salvation, the marks of servitude, the marks of Christianity and through our marks His are not in vain.<o:p></o:p></span></div>Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-89398674332787187782011-12-01T22:30:00.002-05:002011-12-01T22:30:56.627-05:00From Faith to Faith<br />
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One way to grow in your walk with God is to never allow the things you've learned in the Word of God to get away from you. When you are introduced to more truth from the Bible, take it and add it to what you're now walking in. What you already know is a foundation on which to build. Therefore, don't throw away or forget the old. New truth does not negate the old. It is but another brick to add to the strong foundation of your spiritual house.<br />
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To walk in the blessings of God you must have faith. Therefore, it is important that we hold on to our faith and not let it slip away from us. Let's read the text from the Amplified Bible: "Since all this is true, we ought to pay much closer attention than ever to the truths t hat we have heard, lest in any way we drift past [them] and slip away."<br />
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"Therefore we ought to give the more earnest heed to the things which we have heard, lest at any time we should let them slip." - Hebrews 2:1(KJV)<br />
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Now notice what Paul says here (I believe that Paul is the writer of Hebrews). He says we ought to give more earnest heed to the truths we have already heard. He said we ought to pay more attention to what we already know.<br />
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In other words, what we know, we don't throw away. We don't have to get a new revelation. I've heard people say, "I don't need all that faith stuff anymore. I don't need all that confession stuff anymore. I'm past that; I'm into a deeper revelation."<br />
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But you're always going to need faith. And you're always going to have to deal with the ramifications of the words of your mouth whether you know it or not. And let me tell you, when you let these things slip away - when you let them get away from you - you pay the price.<br />
In fact, Paul said in our text that we ought to pay even more attention to these things.<br />
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So often people learn something, they move on to somet hing else and forget about what they've already learned. You should always be adding to the house, so to speak. This way, when the trials of life come they won't even be able to shake you. You'll stand strong in the Word of God.Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-56207173005074334032011-03-05T21:17:00.000-05:002011-03-05T21:17:35.364-05:00Confidence in PrayerAre you tired of praying and not getting results in your prayer life? If so, you probably need to examine your confidence level in this area. A lack of confidence in prayer simply comes from not knowing God's Word. Too many Christians pray emotional, fear-based prayers in times of despair or pain, hoping that they get through to God. Too many times, only in times of crisis, people call the Pastor and beg....."Pastor, please pray right now!" However, He does not respond to emotionalism; He responds to His Word. To pray apart from the Word of God won't get results. But when you have confidence in the Word and say to God what He has already spoken, your life will change forever.<br />
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You must first find out what God has said in the Bible about your situation in order to effectively pray about it. For example, if you need healing, instead of begging God to heal you, begin to confess 1 Peter 2:24 which declares that you have already been healed by the stripes of Jesus. Your first step in prayer is to discover the promises of God in the Bible. Then you can release your faith by saying them in your prayer time.<br />
Jesus walked in the most powerful ministry ever known to man because He practiced the presence of God and had a strong prayer life. The scripture says that He often took time away from other people to pray and spend time with the Father (Mark 1:35; Luke 6:12; Luke 9:18). This was one of the keys to His ability to perform miracles and do other great works. He had total confidence in His Father because He spent time with Him in prayer. He knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that He could never fail because of His confidence in God's Word.<br />
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Just like Jesus, your prayer life must be activated by faith, which is a practical expression of your confidence in God and His Word; and your confidence comes by spending time in meditating on the scriptures. Joshua 1:8 says, "This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success." Simply repeating the scriptures is not enough. The key to success in your prayer life is meditation.<br />
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To meditate the Word is to ponder, mutter or consider it in your mind until you have gotten revelation out of it. When you discover the deeper meaning behind a scripture, and God speaks to you personally about it, you have the ammunition you need to take that scripture with you in your prayer time and boldly release your faith when you confess it.<br />
As believers, we are to follow Jesus' example. His life is evidence of what happens when a person is continually connected to God's presence and lives a life of meditation. When you do, your confidence will be bolstered and you will begin to experience supernatural results every time you pray. This is the way we "Pray without ceasing." This is how we learn to have confidence in prayer. God will know you, God will hear you, you can live a victorious life when you gain confidence in your prayers.Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-7232501556392395092010-03-15T00:47:00.002-04:002010-03-15T01:04:46.074-04:00It's a new dayWell, it truly is a new day. My Mom texted me. She texted me that she wanted me to know she was there for me. I texted back, " Did you mean for this to come to me?" <br /><br />Yes was her response. She said she is worried about me. I told her not to worry, my gun isn't loaded.<br /><br />Now, it's not a new day in that Mom is worried about me. Truth be told, I have always caused her a bit of worry I'm afraid. But she let me know by texting me. My sixty........well.......my mother, texting me.<br /><br />My how things have changed. My how things are still the same. I'm glad my Mom loves me enough to worry about me. She has seen, first hand the rigors of being a pastor. She has some insight that some never have to the life a pastor leads. Mom knows because she has seen the hurt a shepherd feels when a sheep has gone astray. Oh, they always have a good excuse. Yeah, they always have a way of justifying the fault or the wrong, and when the shepherd has to, sometimes with force, nudge them back to the fold.....Mom has seen the agony the pastor goes through. She knows the struggle within the heart of the pastor, leave them alone and they stray farther, confront them and they get angry and run.<br />Some days I wish there was a text that Pastor could send that would convey he's worried and not ever make anyone mad at him. Sometimes I wish there was a text he could send and people would feel the hurt he feels when they stray too far from the fold. Some days I wish there was a text that he could send that would make people wake up and realize God doesn't accept excuses.<br />But although today is a new day, still it is a day like so many others that have come and gone.<br /><br />Thanks Mom for reminding me worry is sometimes ok. Thanks Mom for reminding me that people do worry when they love someone. Thanks Mom for reminding me that love sometimes sticks it's nose in where it isn't asked. Thanks Mom for reminding me I need to love, unconditionally.<br /><br />It's a new day. It's another day just like yesterday, and yet it's different. Sometimes we forget that every day is new and that every day carries new mercies from God. If it's ok, I think I'll stick my nose a few places where I haven't been invited. If it's ok, I think I'll love people anyway. If it's ok, I'll keep worrying about characteristics and traits that don't draw God closer.<br /><br />It's a new day.<br />It is indeed a new day.<br />I think I'll keep keepin on.Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-3041248337378428552009-12-24T23:00:00.000-05:002009-12-24T23:03:13.214-05:00DON'T WE ALL<br /><br />I was parked in front of the mall wiping off my car.<br />I had just come from the car wash and was waiting for my wife to get out of the crazy mall and finish her Christmas shopping.<br /><br />Coming my way from across the parking lot was what society would consider a bum. From the looks of him, he had no car, no home, no clean clothes, and no money.<br /><br />There are times when you feel generous but there are other times that you just don't want to be bothered. This was one of those "don't want to be bothered times." "I hope he doesn't ask me for any money," I thought. He didn't.<br /><br />He came and sat on the curb in front of the bus stop but he didn't look like he could have enough money to even ride the bus. After a few minutes he spoke. "That's a very pretty car," he said.<br />He was ragged but he had an air of dignity around him. His scraggly blond beard keep more than his face warm. I said, "thanks," and continued wiping off my car.<br /><br />He sat there quietly as I worked. The expected plea for money never came. As the silence between us widened something inside said, "ask him if he needs any help." I was sure that he would say "yes" but I held true to the inner voice. "Do you need any help?" I asked. He answered in three simple but profound words that I shall never forget.<br /><br />We often look for wisdom in great men and women. We expect it from those of higher learning and accomplishments.I expected nothing but an outstretched grimy hand.<br />He spoke the three words that shook me.<br />"Don't we all?" he said.<br /><br />I was feeling high and mighty, successful and important, above a bum in the street, until those three words hit me like a twelve gauge shotgun. Don't we all?<br /><br />I needed help. Maybe not for bus fare or a place to sleep, but I needed help. I reached in my wallet and gave him not only enough for bus fare, but enough to get a warm meal and shelter for the day.<br /><br />Those three little words still ring true. No matter how much you have, no matter how much you have accomplished, you need help too.<br />No matter how little you have, no matter how loaded you are with problems, even without money or a place to sleep, you can give help.<br /><br />Even if it's just a compliment, you can give that.<br />You never know when you may see someone that appears to have it all.<br />They are waiting on you to give them what they don't have.<br />A different perspective on life, a glimpse at something beautiful, a respite from daily chaos, that only you through a torn world can see.<br /><br />Maybe the man was just a homeless stranger wandering the streets.<br />Maybe he was more than that.<br /><br />Maybe he was sent by a power that is great and wise, to minister to a soul too comfortable in themselves.<br /><br />Maybe God looked down, called an Angel, dressed him like a bum, then said, "go minister to that preacher cleaning the car, that man needs help."<br /><br />Don't we all?Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-84232625823867001442009-12-24T22:01:00.002-05:002009-12-24T22:09:48.352-05:00A bell’s not a bell till you ring it,<br />and a song’s not a song till you sing it,<br />and the love in your heart wasn’t put there to stay,<br />love isn’t love till you give it away. <br /><br />I think that's my new favorite little diddy.<br /><br />I recently heard a story that portrays the gift of giving pretty well.<br /><br />Two men, both seriously ill, occupied the same hospital room. One man was allowed to sit up in his bed for an hour a day to drain the fluids from his lungs<span style="color:#000000;">.</span> His bed was next to the room's only window. The other man had to spend all his time flat on his back.<br />The men talked for hours on end. They spoke of their wives and families, their homes, their jobs, their involvement in the military service, where they had been on vacation. And every afternoon when the man in the bed next to the window could sit up, he would pass the time by describing to his roommate all the things he could see outside the window.<br />The man in the other bed would live for those one-hour periods where his world would be broadened and enlivened by all the activity and color of the outside world. The window overlooked a park with a lovely lake, the man had said. Ducks and swans played on the water while children sailed their model boats. Lovers walked arm in arm amid flowers of every color of the rainbow. Grand old trees graced the landscape, and a fine view of the city skyline could be seen in the distance. As the man by the window described all this in exquisite detail, the man on the other side of the room would close his eyes and imagine the picturesque scene.<br />One warm afternoon the man by the window described a parade passing by. Although the other man could not hear the band, he could see it in his mind's eye as the gentleman by the window portrayed it with descriptive words. Unexpectedly, an alien thought entered his head: Why should hehave all the pleasure of seeing everything while I never get to see anything? It didn't seem fair. As the thought fermented, the man felt ashamed at first. But as the days passed and he missed seeing more sights, his envy eroded into resentment and soon turned him sour. He began to brood and found himself unable to sleep. He should be by that window - and that thought now controlled his life.<br />Late one night, as he lay staring at the ceiling, the man by the window began to cough. He was choking on the fluid in his lungs. The other man watched in the dimly lit room as the struggling man by the window groped for the button to call for help. Listening from across the room, he never moved, never pushed his own button which would have brought the nurse running. In less than five minutes, the coughing and choking stopped, along with the sound of breathing. Now, there was only silence--deathly silence.<br />The following morning, the day nurse arrived to bring water for their baths. When she found the lifeless body of the man by the window, she was saddened and called the hospital attendant to take it away--no words, no fuss. As soon as it seemed appropriate, the man asked if he could be moved next to the window. The nurse was happy to make the switch and after making sure he was comfortable, she left him alone.<br />Slowly, painfully, he propped himself up on one elbow to take his first look. Finally, he would have the joy of seeing it all himself. He strained to slowly turn to look out the window beside the bed. It faced a blank wall.<br /><br /><br />Moral of the story:<br />A bell's not a bell till you ring it.<br />And a song's not a song till you sing it.<br />And the love in your heart wasn't put there to stay.<br />Love isn't love till you give it away.<br /><br />Make sure you share your love this Holiday season.Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-7739899837791829512009-11-10T09:33:00.001-05:002009-11-10T09:36:15.354-05:00TributesNot sure why I am feeling this way today?<br />But my mind wandered a bit this morning and I thought about men I respect and who have made an impact in my life.Three men, immediately come to mind.<br />You may never have heard of them, but that makes them no less worthy of tribute from me.<br />My heroes are not dependent upon your recognition, only the impact they have made on my life.Three men come to mind today, three faithful men.<br />Three Godly men. Three men who answered and followed the call of God despite advertsity, despite the wishes of others, and despite the size or scope of their callings.<br /><br />Two were not called to large metropolises, not called to large, fertile fields where much grain and large harvests were evident. Two were not called to plant churches where large, thriving congregations would sprout up and national recognition and international opportunity would spring forth from their efforts. But it was where God called them, so they answered the call.<br />And they planted, and they tilled and toiled, and they built and they built and they built.<br />And today in each field stands a beautiful monument to God. A church.<br />One went to a large city and has toiled and built a solid, stable church.<br />Again not a recognized name among the masses, he didn't build for recognition, he built to answer the call.<br /><br />Like Paul they toiled so they could build.<br />One was a school teacher, one a contractor, one a trim carpenter.<br />As is their character, they excelled at their toil, as they excelled in their ministry.<br />The school teacher was a department head, the carpenter a craftsman, the contractor, skilled and in great demand.<br /><br />Quietly they labored in their toil, no fanfare, no advertising their greatness, just toilers. And they toiled. And God saw their faithfulness, and He called them.<br />And they answered the call of God. One has labored tirelessly in overseas teaching. Two have faithfully dug out, built and pastored the work God called them to. One has dug out, built , pastored, trained and turned over one work, salvaged, rebuilt, repaired breaches, and turned over two others. And he is beginning to feel the tug of God for another.<br /><br />Three great men.<br />Three Elders.<br />Never held any office in the United Pentecostal Church.<br />Not names some would recognize, but they are heroes of mine.<br /><br />Floyd Matthews.<br />Larry Neal.<br />Nick Seniour<br /><br />Thank you for rendering faithful service to the Lord.<br />Thank you for being examples to me.Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-8106835080928590962009-09-22T07:45:00.002-04:002009-09-22T07:52:44.201-04:00Do you Look For Jesus<a href="http://www.wcg.org/lit/images/Jesus_calms_sea_kentunell2.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 228px; FLOAT: right; HEIGHT: 222px; CURSOR: hand" border="0" alt="" src="http://www.wcg.org/lit/images/Jesus_calms_sea_kentunell2.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Mark 4:37-39 (King James Version)<br /><strong><em><span style="color:#663333;">37And there arose a great storm of wind, and the waves beat into the ship, so that it was now full.<br />38And he was in the hinder part of the ship, asleep on a pillow: and they awake him, and say unto him, Master, carest thou not that we perish?<br />39And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm. </span></em></strong></div><br /><div><br />Seems the Disciples learned a lesson early in their travels with Jesus that few of us learn in life.<br />Seems that they were on the Sea of Galilee traveling across when a storm arose. </div><br /><div>I'm not sure what they would have done in a storm before they started following Jesus. Scripture doesn't tell us how they could have reacted. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>I know I have seen people, in storms I mean, scatter. </div><br /><div>I've ssen them run helter skelter. I've seen them panick. </div><br /><div>I've seen them have nervous breakdowns. </div><br /><div>I've seen people wring their hands. </div><br /><div>I know people who have almost collapsed with grief.</div><br /><div><br />I don't know what the disciples would have done before Jesus entered their lives, but I know what they did once they came in contact with the master of the winds and the waves. </div><br /><div>The Bible doesn't say they weren't afraid. </div><br /><div>In fact, I believe they were. </div><br /><div>"Master, carest thou not that we perish?" </div><br /><div>That was their question. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Jesus presence didn't remove every fear from thier carnal nature. </div><br /><div>Jesus mere presence on the ship in the storm didn't necessarily calm every fear. </div><br /><div>But nobody jumped overboard.</div><br /><div>After setting at the feet of the Master, after seeing Jesus in action, after noticing that the Master of the Sea could sleep through a storm, they woke him and called on him in the midst of their storm.<br /></div><br /><div>And He calmed it.</div><br /><div><em><strong><span style="color:#663333;">39And he arose, and rebuked the wind, and said unto the sea, Peace, be still. And the wind ceased, and there was a great calm.<br /></span></strong></em></div><br /><div>In the midst of our storms, we need to wake the Master. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>He can rebuke the tempestuos winds that blow in our lives, </div><br /><div>He can speak and bring a great calm. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>It has been said, "His voice can calm a storm." </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>What do we do in storms? </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>When storms rise in our lives, do we look for the Master? </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>When storms arise in my life, I look for Jesus in the bottom of the boat...........</div>Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-49868939128210973772009-09-11T22:55:00.003-04:002009-09-11T23:03:01.472-04:00The Real Problem With Self-RighteousnessI learned something else again today.<br />And....................I learned this while riding my lawn mower, just like the other day.<br />Perhaps I should cut the grass more often.<br />I like to cut grass.<br />I cram my head phones in my ears, turn on my MP3 player and I'm all alone.<br />Most days, it's just me and God, all alone for about an hour and a half.<br />You may think I'm a nut, but here's what He told me today about the real problem with self-righteousness.<br /><br />The real problem with self righteousness is that mine is worse than yours.<br /><br />I believe that is true.<br /><br />Yours won't take me to hell, mine will.<br />Yours won't poison my spirit, mine will.<br /><br />Here's what the scripture says........<br />Isaiah 64:6 (King James Version)<br /><em><span style="color:#663333;">6But we are all as an unclean thing, and all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags; and we all do fade as a leaf; and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away.</span></em><br /><em><span style="color:#663333;"></span></em><br />Isaiah said "all our righteousnesses are as filthy rags"<br />He said, ours, not theirs.<br /><br />The real problem with self-righteousness is I never see mine, I only see yours.<br /><br />Yours never hurts me, mine will destoy me.<br /><br />The real problem with self-righteousness is that self righteousness is my problem, not yours.<br /><br />Maybe you should mow your yard a little more often, it sure has helped me the past two weeks...............Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-70252534150253289082009-09-06T00:22:00.002-04:002009-09-06T00:58:38.963-04:00What I have learnedI learned a lot today.<br />Marshall, my grandson rode the mower with me a little today. I learned that even a one year old likes to grab the controls and steer the mower. I learned everyone wants to be in charge. But I know few are willing to pay the price to be a leader.<br /><br />I built a closet today in the bonus room upstairs. We are converting it to a bedroom for Amber, she's a college girl now and needs some space. the bonus room has enough room in it to be a bedroom/sitting room/study room. It needed a closet to be a bedroom. I learned today that you can never build a cloet big enough to satisfy ANY woman. But I already knew people are hard to please.<br /><br />Bro Andy helped me today. I needed a trailer and don't have a hitch on my vehicles, so I called him and asked him if he would help me. I can't remember ever asking Andy to do anything that he wasn't willing to do. Andy is a friend, and Andy is loyal. Andy calls me Pastor, but he is my friend. I learned today that friendship doesn't discern ethnic and vocabulary barriers. But I knew a <a class="sqq" href="http://thinkexist.com/quotation/a_friend_is_someone_who_understands_your_past/9562.html"><span style="color:#000000;">friend is someone who understands your past, believes in your future, and accepts you just the way you are.</span></a><br /><br />And as I cut the grass, I thought about something I read somewhere, some time back. Obedience most often precedes understanding. And I thought, I have learned that. Often people become frustrated today because we live in a society that says "Before you accept something, you must first understand it." We disect things, we break them down, we feel we must understand before we can ever obey.<br /><br />Teachers tell our children that they don't have to obey if parents are overbearing and demanding. Parents shouldn't force their religion on their children. Our elected leaders try daily to get us to understand that they are looking out for us, government knows better than we do.<br />We should understand the plight of less fortunate people, we should understand that we are not all the same, and we should be willing to overlook our diferences and accept people for who they are. We believe that understanding should come, then acceptance will follow.<br /><br />But I have learned that sometimes, in fact often, obedience precedes understanding.<br />I'm no worse for obeying Mom and Dad, even though I never understood why they wouldn't let me go. Now that I have children, I understand. But I didn't when I was told to just obey.<br /><br />I would like to drive faster. I have always wanted to drive faster. Above the speed limit, that's where I like to drive. I have, on occasion......ok......several times, been pulled over by the police and on occasion, I have been ticketed. I have been told to slow down, take my time, not get in a hurry. I was forced to obey, now that I have driven for a few years, I know why. I have driven by accidents. I have seen death caused by wrecklesss, speeding drivers. I have slowed down, but my obedience had to precede my understanding,<br /><br />So what's my point?<br />Man am I glad you asked...... Sometimes, we just have to obey. Even before we understand. God never promised that we would understand every command, every step He told us to take.<br />He just said if we would, then He would. I've found out that if I will obey Him, even when I don't understand I will recieve my promise. My family has been tested this past year. My wife's father, our immediate family, and we haven't gotten answers to the questions we have asked. I'll be honest. I don't understand. I haven't doubted, but there have been times when I have questioned, "Why God?"<br /><br />You know what, I still haven't gotten answers to some of my questions, but I've never doubted. And in my trust I have continued to obey. And you know what, I have found a secret. I don't have to understand to reap blessings. I just have to obey. Obedience precedes understanding. And Obedience precedes blessing. Some folks are always complaining that they aren't blessed like somebody else, but the real issue is not that they aren't blessed, it is that they aren't obedient. If you are willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land. Doesn't make sense sometimes, but obedience precedes understanding.<br /><br />So today, I have learned a lot. But long before I ever understood it, I obeyed it.<br /><br />Obey God, Serve God, Be Faithful to God........Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-53458924099046748672009-07-10T14:29:00.001-04:002009-09-11T23:01:35.819-04:00This Week<div>So I guess my blog doesn't always ahve to be spiritual stuff.</div>
<br /><div>Today I woke up, went for my walk, ate my yogurt breakfast and read my inspirational quote for the day:</div>
<br /><div>By daily dying I have come to be. ~Theodore Roethke </div>
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<br /><div>And I added.......</div>
<br /><div>My prayer today is that I die again so that I can live again</div>
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<br /><div>I work for a large HVAC company in Indianapolis and am blessed to have a great job, a great boss and the flexibility to be able to juggle the pleasure I get from sales and the passion I have for ministry. Every week "The Boss" sends us an e-mail and always ends it with a statement about his desire for us to be "The Best of The Best."</div>
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<br /><div>A couple of weeks ago I had an attack off appendicitis. And I don't mand saying the surgery scared me. The horror stories you hear about muffed surgeries the things that reall go on in surgery rooms...............I was scared.</div>
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<br /><div>So the surgery went well, the surgeon was great, the nurses were excellent, the chief of surgery came by to see me, my wife pulls big strings :) , and I got out and went home on time. But my recovery seemed to me to go slow. And I spent a lot of time setting. And I am not much for setting, but this time gave me time for reflection. Inward and outward, and I realized that I am almost 50 years old, and I have lived more life than I have left to live. ANd I suddenly awoke to the fact that the way I take care of myself physically really is imortant.</div>
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<br /><div>Sooooooooooo, I started walking every day last Saturday, and not dieting, but watching what I am eating and how much of it that I eat. </div>
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<br /><div>And then I read my daily quote today. By daily dying, I have come to be.</div>
<br /><div>And it got me thinking. How much farther could I have been in my life if I had learned early in life to die daily? And today I prayed, "Dear God, help me to die every day, so that I can come to be."</div>
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<br /><div>It's a bibleical principle.</div>
<br /><div>Paul said in I Corinthians 15: 30 & 31</div>
<br /><div>30And why stand we in jeopardy every hour?<br /> 31I protest by your rejoicing which I have in Christ Jesus our Lord, I die daily.</div>
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<br /><div>Clearly he stated without a daily death, we stand in jeopardy of losing life eternal.</div>
<br /><div>Minor surgery, yes. But surgery none the less, and the realization that had I "worked through" the pain, had I shrugged it off and just thought it was the flu, it could have spread poison through my body that could have ended my earthly life. A realization that life is fleeting, death is eminent and eternal life is mine to gain if I die daily came once again to me.</div>
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<br /><div>So today, I thanks God for another day. Another day to live, and another day to die so that I may live.</div>
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<br /><div>Just some thoughts running through my head..............................</div>
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<br /><div> </div>Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-65471360154010575342009-04-22T18:26:00.001-04:002009-04-22T18:27:53.964-04:00<span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>The Night Guest and the Morning Caller</strong><br /></span><br /><em><span style="font-size:85%;">Psalms 30: 5<br /><br />For his anger endureth but a moment; in his favor is life: weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning.<br /></span></em><span style="font-size:85%;"><br /><br />There’s a song from an old musical called Oklahoma that goes like this:<br />Oh what a beautiful morning,<br />Oh what a beautiful day,<br />I've got a wonderful feeling,<br />Everything's going my way.<br /><br />We tend to regard happiness in that light. "When everything's going my way, I'll be happy." It's like being on a treadmill. We can run all our life but we'll never reach the point where everything's going our way. The truth is…there is no possibility in this life that everything WILL go our way. Psalm 2:11 says "Happy are all who take refuge in God". This means that genuine happiness is the inalienable right of all who trust in God…when everything's going their way AND when everything's NOT going their way.<br /><br />This verse of scripture is one of the most well known in all Christianity. In fact, the “B” clause is quoted in churches around the world almost every Sunday morning. “Weeping may endure for a night; but JOY cometh in the morning!”</span><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><br />As Christians, we use this scripture verse as a sort of pacifier for our crying soul…when things are not going our way. We spread it like a balm on our burning hearts when life deals us unexpected blows. But despite our fondness of this verse, it may be one of the most misunderstood verses of scripture in our memory’s repertoire. So today I want to take a moment to expose the truth…not in part…but the WHOLE truth revealed in this precious verse…a Word from God that paints a wonderful picture of hope in the midst of despair.<br /><br />The first thing we notice is that there are two double comparisons made in this verse. There is the comparison between anger and favor, moment and lifetime; and there is the comparison between night and morning, and joy and sorrow. In the first double comparison, the Psalmist says that anger lasts but a moment, but favor is life. The word LIFE means LIFETIME. In other words, the Psalmist is saying that God’s anger lasts for a moment; but His favor lasts a lifetime!<br /><br />In the second double comparison…we see the words weeping and night, in conjunction with joy and morning. But despite their differences, both of these double comparisons suggest substantially the same thought – the persistence of JOY, and the transitory nature of SORROW. It records the succession of emotions we all experience as we struggle to cope with life, and it records the comfort we find in the assurance of God’s Divine intervention.<br /><br />The Psalmist is obviously commemorating his deliverance from some affliction, probably an illness. The illness is long past, and the tears that it caused have long since dried up, but his immortal shout of JOY has lasted all these centuries, until this moment in our lives, when we once again read his testimony of victory. And as we read it, we can’t help but wonder – How will the world read OUR testimony in centuries to come? Will they read it with cheerful confidence and be able to sense the same victory in our own lives?<br /><br />You can’t live without experiencing joy AND sorrow. There is a portion of joy and sorrow in each of our lives, whether we like it or not. But if we take a calendar and mark off the days of our sorrow, we would draw the quick conclusion that sorrow is transitory. Sorrow is like the thunderstorms that come crashing through on a hot summer day…they may disrupt things for a time, but they’re brief; and as tempestuous as they seem, in the end they bring forth sunshine and calm.<br />Sorrow, then, is transitory, but JOY is continuous…for behind every cloud, there is the sun.<br /><br />If we are honest, we will have to admit that we have a better memory for sorrow than we do for joy. Sadness seems to cling to our psyche, and if we let it, it will color the WHOLE of our being…like a drop of dye in a vat of water. The prick from a rose is felt longer than the fragrance in our nostrils. We have long memories for pain. Wise counsel, then, would be to try NOT to magnify and prolong our grief, or we will end up minimizing our joy. Those who surround themselves with persistent gladness can better handle the thick folds of enveloping sorrow. Emotions like cheerfulness, courage, thankfulness and resolution are able to overwhelm the shadows of disappoint, grief, pain and sorrow.<br /><br />So we realize that sorrow MUST come as part of life; but JOY is ever present. But what of anger? This verse begins by reminding us that God’s anger is for a moment. Is God’s anger a necessary part of life as well? And the answer of course is YES. Just as the circle of life includes all moments, the circle of God’s love includes His anger. God’s favor holds anger within itself. The wrath of God is a necessary aversion of His perfectly pure and holy love. And though the two…favor and anger…may be set against each other, the reality is that they are ONE. Anger is the mode by which God manifests His favor. God’s anger is proof of His love.<br /><br />To better understand this, think of your own motivation when you chastise a disobedient child. Do you do it out of hate, or out of love? An irate parent is not an unloving parent. If there were no love, there would be no anger. It is the same with God. His love manifests itself in both anger and favor. His love may manifest itself in anger and correction, but His love expands itself in favor and blessings!<br />Whether God is angry with us, or showing us His favor, in both instances He is displaying His love!<br /><br />And the same is true of joy and sorrow. Just as anger is MASKED love, sorrow is MASKED joy. Our deepest sorrows and our bitterest tears create wounds that penetrate deep into our bleeding hearts, but they all come from the same motive…and they are directed to the same end…JOY. Our finite minds may be temporarily blinded by its pain, but IN THE MORNING…<br /><br />Two guests come into our lives. One is robed in darkness or night; the other in the bright garment of light or morning. Weeping only SEEMS to persist, because of the night’s oppressive nature. But JOY comes in the morning.<br /><br />We are fearfully and wonderfully made…and no heart, however wounded, continues to always bleed. The roughest edges are smoothed over time. God’s recuperative powers come to dull the cutting edge of our pain. The night guest…Sorrow…slips away, and before we know it, another guest sits in her place…the morning guest, JOY!<br /><br />Some people actually try to fight against that merciful redemptive process. Somehow they get the idea that there is merit in continuing to experience pain, however artificial it may be, and they spend a lifetime in treason from God. They prefer to blame God, rather than let His morning guest…JOY…arrive on their doorstep.<br /><br />But not the Psalmist! He allows the transformation of his evil experiences to give way to a radiant form of Joy. For the Psalmist, sorrow is JOY disguised. JOY is like a prince disguised in rags, who comes at night to the aid of a poor man, and in the morning, slips off his outer garment of sorrow to reveal his true nature. If the guest is welcomed in the night…if we allow sorrow to draw us closer to God…then the transformation from sorrow to Joy is SURE to come.<br /><br />This joy is not like what the world calls joy. The world can’t give it to you. It’s not loud or boisterous, ringing with temporary frivolous laughter! Instead, it is pure, deep, sacred and permanent. Sorrow’s experience gives way to fertile JOY. The most beautiful vegetation grows on the slopes of a volcano; and all our troubles…big and small…are converted into gladness if we accept them as God meant them. To illustrate this truth, consider that there is in the Worcester Cathedral an ancient slab, which bears the solitary inscription 'Miserrimus' (most miserable). But down in the catacombs—those vast underground chambers of the dead where early Christians hid from their fierce persecutors—a stone bears this beautiful engraving, 'Felicissimus' (most happy).<br /><br />I know some of you are right now saying, “Pastor, there are two kinds of sorrow; the kind that can be cured, and the kind that cannot.” You’re willing to gamble that your pain is unique and immeasurable. To you God says this; “But unto you that fear my name shall the Sun of righteousness arise with healing in his wings; and ye SHALL go forth…(Malachi 4:2). If you carry a load on your aching back…a load that you cannot release…remember that when your night is far spent, and your day of eternal reckoning is at hand…God WILL reveal to you that He has turned every one of your raindrops in your life into a beautiful rainbow.<br /><br />The Psalmist’s testimony is clear…a life spent in God’s favor, must also be spent in God’s fear. If we trust Him, the voices that have been raised in weeping will be heard in gladness, and sorrow shall be turned into joy. “For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory!” (2 Corinthians 4:17)<br /><br />The night guest is just that…a guest. When the night is over, he is gone. But the morning caller comes to stay. He is Joy IN THE MIDST of our sorrows. This is no ordinary joy…the Psalmist is speaking of a “joyful shout”! This voice that briefly wept is once again caught up in exultant praise. Sorrow’s experience has not been erased. He still harbors the memory of the past. But sorrow’s memory has been softened by the JOY of the morning caller! And he can’t help but shout “Hallelujah!”<br /><br />On the coast of Pascadero, California, there is the famed Pebble Beach. On that beach, the waves dash with a ceaseless roar and thunder among the stones on the beach. Nearby, there is a towering cliff that breaks the force of the dashing waves. In the quiet cove, sheltered by the cliff, is an abundance of stones. These stones are rough and angular, because they have escaped the turmoil and the beating of the waves. But the stones on the beach are pounded by the merciless waves, which repeatedly toss and grind the stones together and hurl them against the rugged cliffs. Day and night, the wearing down of THOSE stones continues unabated. Tourists from all over the world gather the beautiful, round, polished stones for ornaments on their mantels.<br />Like those polished stones on Pebble Beach, the tempest waves of our sorrow and trouble polish and refine us, and give to us the opportunity to prove the genuineness of the Savior's comforting and healing words. Our waves of discontent are no match for the Savior’s love! There may be someone here who is cowering in the cave of disappoint and grief. Life may have sharpened your anger and toughened your exterior. Maybe it’s time to come out and venture into the healing waters…<br /><br />Maybe its time for you to let God smooth out the rough edges of your past sins;<br />Maybe its time for you to let God liberate you from the penalty of sin.<br />Maybe its time to say goodbye to the night guest, and experience the JOY of the morning caller!<br />Maybe its time for you to come home.</span><br /></span>Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-39695348849009330322009-03-06T08:43:00.010-05:002009-03-06T09:35:03.782-05:00<span style="color:#330000;"><span style="color:#000000;"></span><br /></span><div><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#330000;">My Thoughts on a Friday...................</span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#330000;">....................................... ??????????????????????????????????</span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#330000;"></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#330000;"></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#330000;"><span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_0">Hahahaha</span></span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#330000;">Just having fun. </span></div><br /><br /><div><span style="color:#330000;">Do you ever have those days? No bad thoughts, not hectic adversity, not pressing needs that absolutely have to be done today? Not very often, right?</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#330000;">It seems we live in a world today where everything is and has to be immediate. We have, with microwave popcorn and instant mashed potatoes, created instant need and instant gratification.</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#330000;">We don't want to wait for much. Some rock star sings a song, I want it all, I want it all and I want it now. Welcome to life in the 21st Century.</span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#330000;">Some things are just better if we learn to wait a little. My wife has a slow cooker. You can put food in it in the morning and let it slowly cook all day long, and if you can be patient and wait, it produces <span class="blsp-spelling-corrected" id="SPELLING_ERROR_1">unbelievable</span> meals. I like red beans & rice. Sometimes she will cut up some smoked sausage, add some red beans, onions, salsa and some other secret spices and throw all that in the slow cooker in the morning. We can leave the cooker alone. we don't have to be there to watch it, stir it, add anything, turn it up or down. We just put all the ingredients in, turn it on and trust it to do it's job. In the evening when we return home, and open the door.....as soon as the door is open we can tell that our patience has paid off. </span></div><br /><div><span style="color:#330000;">There in the slow cooker taking care of itself is</span></div><span style="color:#330000;"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5310074642532532834" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 196px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfuWyOdiy3jirfJaVRU0rAZzprq5nlGDVpN1sQ4tTH1mQ_MH8Vs2u7T1sYoO58-S3fR8A1fUSOXFChHVx9Z63rbY7fgEsX-gN7Ap3ZnsKVTtGsnqAoY1VExOCK8q8E7q16hKreCiSM-2mQ/s400/slow+cooker.jpg" border="0" />the delicious meal that my wife prepared,<br />proper ingredients, right amount of heat<br /></span><div><span style="color:#330000;">and time and leaving the slow cooker to do</span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;">it's job has produced a meal that I waited </span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;">on all day long.</span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;"></span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;">I think sometimes that life might be better if we </span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;">could learn to take time, let all the ingredients of life</span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;">"cook" in us and let our experience with God work for us.</span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;"></span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;">I'm sure you could throw the <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_2">sausage</span>, beans and other stuff in a microwave bowl and whip it all up in a few minutes, but you would lose the savor in the meal.</span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;"></span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;">I think sometimes when we want instant gratification, instant satisfaction, instant everything and we don't wait on God to work in our lives, we lose the Saviour in our lives too.</span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;">We lose strength when we fail to wait. We lose our ability to rise above struggles in life when we lose patience. We lose the power of endurance when we seek instant gratification. We can't wait on our marriage and our personal lives to mature, we want gratification or we want out. NOW.</span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;">We lose the ability to just walk through life and enjoy the little things that make a life happy when we seek instant justification. We tire of simple pleasures way too fast.</span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;"></span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;">This morning in my reading, I was in Isaiah and I began the 40<span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_3">th</span> chapter out of the discipline of doing my daily reading. Hurrying because I had to go to the license branch, I had to stop at the church this morning, I have to make sure the vans are gassed up and ready to go to the rally, I have to take <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_4">everybody's</span> paycheck to them, I have to get the bent rim fixed from the chuck hole, oh, I have to post my blog. :)</span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;">I have so much to do that I need to hurry through my reading so I can get everything done right away.</span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;">But as I read quickly, I got to that old familiar part at the end of Isaiah 40......here. let me show you........</span></div><div><span style="color:#330000;"><br /></span><span style="color:#663333;"><strong><em>Isa 40:29 He <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_5">giveth</span> power to the faint; and to them that have no might he <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_6">increaseth</span> strength.<br />Isa 40:30 Even the youths shall faint and be weary, and the young men shall utterly fall:<br />Isa 40:31 But they that wait upon the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint.</em></strong></span> </div><div> </div><div> </div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div></div><div>and as I sat in my favorite chair, the Lord quickened to my mind that He is my strength, He is my hope, he gives me the ability to rise above the everyday, mundane struggles of life. He is the enduring power that allows me to have hope..........hope here and now, but also hope beyond this life.</div><div></div><div>So, you know what? Today I'm gonna throw some smoked sausage in my slow cooker, I'm gonna put some red beans and salsa, some onions and secret spices in the pot. I'm gonna allow life to just come as it may. I'll get some of the "stuff" done that needs to get done today, but today I live life because He has given me strength.</div><div>Today, I'm <span class="blsp-spelling-error" id="SPELLING_ERROR_7">waitin</span>' on God. Others may faint today, and that is sad, some may get weary and fall.</div><div>But today, I'll let God lift me on eagles wings, I'll walk with God today. I took the time to read chapter 40 again. </div><div></div><div>Sometimes we just need to slow down, wait on God. Let His ingredients in our lives, along with the right amount of heat and time create in us a savor that only the Saviour can cook up. Life is a process, it is not achieved in a day, a week, a month or a year. </div><div></div><div>Let Jesus have the time He needs to create in you what He wants to create.</div><div></div><div>Oh, by the way, in your busyness this week, plan a little time for God.</div><div>SEE YOU SUNDAY!!!!</div></div>Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-89758328599890001372009-01-17T20:25:00.004-05:002009-01-17T21:24:35.875-05:00<p>Finish Strong</p><p><a href="http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.html">http://www.maniacworld.com/are-you-going-to-finish-strong.html</a></p><p></p><p>If I was a bit smarter, I would have figured out how to embed the video above on my blog. Guess you'll just have to take a minute and go to it. Click on it now, and come back to my blog after you have watched it.</p><p>First I want to apologize for not updating this as regularly as I'd have liked to. I can't tell you how many times I sat down and thought, "Man, I should do my blog."</p><p>I love doing it. I like to write. I have been told I am not half bad at expressing myself in the blogosphere. So, through the course of blogging, I haven't been as consistent as I should have been, but it's not always how you do in the middle..................................if you finish strong.</p><p>Now I know scripture says in <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=47&chapter=24&verse=13&version=9&context=verse">Matthew 24:13</a> <em><span style="color:#000099;"><strong>But he that shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved. </strong></span></em></p><p>Most of the time we use this scripture as almost an excuse for us to not be consistent in our race. "I'm not the fastest"</p><p>"I don't pray as much as I should."</p><p>"I'm not as faithful right now......"</p><p>Jesus didn't give us an excuse not to try in the middle of the race, and we can't quit in the middle of the race, but thank God the race isn't over in the middle. The race doesn't end when I am at my weakest point. I may not have started with the biggest bang. There may have been a time in my walk with God that I wasn't always where I needed to be, but thank God the race didn't end in the middle.</p><p>Thank God I get an opportunity to finish. And how I finish makes all the difference. <a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?book_id=40&chapter=7&verse=8&version=9&context=verse">Micah 7:8</a> <strong><em><span style="color:#000099;">Rejoice not against me, O mine enemy: when I fall, I shall arise; when I sit in darkness, the LORD shall be a light unto me. </span></em></strong></p><p><span style="color:#000000;">Micah 7:8 may never have come to life for me before like it did when I saw this fella in the video I posted. "If I try 100 times........" How many times have you said, "I'm gonna try to do better." "I am going to go to church." "I am going to live for God." only to fall down again and again and again. </span></p><p>Well friend, I have good news for you, the race doesn't end in the middle. He that endureth to the end, the same shall be saved. Terry Long translation: Get up, and try this thing again, 'cause it's not how you start that matters, and it's not how tired you get in the middle of the race that matters, and it's not if you even failed somewhere along the line that really matters. What really matters is how are you going to finish. I can't help but think of the plane crash on the Hudson River this week as I write this. Wow, did that pilot have a bad day or what? They said it was geese that brought down a 47 ton jet, and the poor guy had three choices, Uptown Manhatten, Long Island or the freezing Hudson River. Not a good start, not a good middle, but everyone survived because he was determined to finish strong. </p><p>Are you sure he was Pastor? Absolutely, why else would he have gone through that plane two seperate and distinct times to make sure no one on his watch died inside that plane when help was outside, on the way. He was determined to finish strong.</p><p>Hey Samson, you're a failure. You lost your Nazarite vow, you succumbed to a philistine harlot, and now you're grinding wheat in a grist mill. You are the laughing stock of the people God called you to deliver Israel from. You had a great start, but somewhere along the road, you got lost. But wait a minute friend, you almost ended the story in the middle, because Samson talked to God before the story ended. And he finished strong. In fact, he finished stronger than he had ever been in all of his life.</p><p>I can't help but think that if a guy with no limbs can do what looks to be physically impossible. See, he isn't "equipped" with all the faculties to get up. God has equipped me and He has equipped you. <span style="color:#3333ff;">Romans 8:29-31 (King James Version)<br /></span><span style="color:#000099;"><em><strong>29For whom he did foreknow, he also did predestinate to be conformed to the image of his Son, that he might be the firstborn among many brethren.<br />30Moreover whom he did predestinate, them he also called: and whom he called, them he also justified: and whom he justified, them he also glorified.<br />31What shall we then say to these things? If God be for us, who can be against us</strong></em></span><span style="color:#000000;">? </span></p><p><span style="color:#000000;">I'm pretty sure that means God has set us up to finish strong. </span><span style="color:#000000;"></span></p>Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-32286545803174524872008-03-12T18:26:00.002-04:002008-03-12T18:39:33.247-04:00Another Night With The Frogs<div><br /><br /><div>Exodus 8:1-15</div><br /><br /><div>And the Lord spake unto Moses, Go unto Pharaoh, and say unto him, Thus saith the Lord, Let my people go, that they may serve me. </div><br /><br /><div>2 And if thou refuse to let them go, behold, I will smite all thy borders with frogs: </div><br /><br /><div>3 and the river shall bring forth frogs abundantly, which shall go up and come into thine house, and into thy bedchamber, and upon thy bed, and into the house of thy servants, and upon thy people, and into thine ovens, and into thy kneading troughs: </div><br /><br /><div>4 and the frogs shall come up both on thee, and upon thy people, and upon all thy servants. </div><br /><br /><div>5 And the Lord spake unto Moses, Say unto Aaron, Stretch forth thine hand with thy rod over the streams, over the rivers, and over the ponds, and cause frogs to come up upon the land of Egypt. </div><br /><br /><div>6 And Aaron stretched out his hand over the waters of Egypt; and the frogs came up, and covered the land of Egypt. </div><br /><br /><div>7 And the magicians did so with their enchantments, and brought up frogs upon the land of Egypt. </div><br /><br /><div>8 Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron, and said, Intreat the Lord, that he may take away the frogs from me, and from my people; and I will let the people go, that they may do sacrifice unto the Lord. </div><br /><br /><div>9 And Moses said unto Pharaoh, Glory over me: when shall I intreat for thee, and for thy servants, and for thy people, to destroy the frogs from thee and thy houses, that they may remain in the river only? </div><br /><br /><div>10 And he said, Tomorrow. And he said, Be it according to thy word: that thou mayest know that there is none like unto the Lord our God. </div><br /><br /><div>11 And the frogs shall depart from thee, and from thy houses, and from thy servants, and from thy people; they shall remain in the river only. </div><br /><br /><div>12 And Moses and Aaron went out from Pharaoh: and Moses cried unto the Lord because of the frogs which he had brought against Pharaoh. </div><br /><br /><div>13 And the Lord did according to the word of Moses; and the frogs died out of the houses, out of the villages, and out of the fields. </div><br /><br /><div>14 And they gathered them together upon heaps: and the land stank. </div><br /><br /><div>15 But when Pharaoh saw that there was respite, he hardened his heart, and hearkened not unto them; as the Lord had said.”</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>One of the biggest conflicts a person has within themselves is procrastination.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Procrastination means: to put off intentionally or habitually the doing of something that should be done. </div><a href="http://www.seikowatches.com/images/index/img_whatsnewlist_20080107.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.seikowatches.com/images/index/img_whatsnewlist_20080107.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><br />Procrastination literally is a thief of time. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>The dictionary says: Time is a period during which a process or condition exist.<br />A process is something that is marked by gradual change that leads to a particular result.<br />So when we think of time we understand that it is a period within our life that there is a process going on which is leading to a particular result.<br />However, procrastination robs you of time, which means that for that period in your life when there should be progress due to the process there is nothing going on.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Because of procrastination people have missed out on an abundance of things that - if they would have stopped procrastinating then things would have worked out differently.<br />How many times have you heard someone say or you yourself have been one that has said if I only would have done this or that….., but because I keep putting it off I missed out on that.<br />If I only would have done it yesterday I could have had it by now. Because of procrastination they missed out.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Well you are familiar with the story - Pharaoh hardened his heart and would not let the children of Israel go. And the Bible says God caused plagues to come up against and afflict Egypt in order that Pharaoh would see that God is God and he would let the children of Israel go free. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>The second plague that came upon Egypt was the plague of frogs.<br />Moses had done what God said to do and he told Pharaoh to let the people go, Pharaoh refused, so God told Moses to tell Aaron to stretch forth his rod over all the water, the rivers, ponds, streams, and fountains and turn them to blood. In so doing - Pharaoh’s magicians, whom we believe to be Jannes and Jambres also turned some water into blood.<br />Don’t think the devil doesn’t have power, but he is not omnipotent.<br />The devil can only deceive you into thinking that he is able to do the things that God can do, but I am going to show you how that is a lie. In turning the water, which is the life-source into blood all the creatures in the water died and caused a great stench in Egypt and after seven days God sent Moses to Pharaoh and Moses said unto Pharaoh, “God said let my people go so they can worship me and if you don’t let them go that He is going to bring upon Egypt a plague of frogs.” </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>This plague of frogs will be loathsome, <a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Caerulea3_crop.jpg/240px-Caerulea3_crop.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/1/19/Caerulea3_crop.jpg/240px-Caerulea3_crop.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />The frogs will extend from border to border,<br />The Nile River will swarm with them,<br />and they will come into your houses and into your bed chambers,<br />and in your beds.<br />The frogs will be in your ovens and in your kneading bowls.<br />Every corner of the land will be covered with frogs.<br />Once again Pharaoh’s heart was hardened and he refused to let the children of Israel go. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>The frogs began to be too much, so Pharaoh called Jannes and Jambres to get rid of the frogs,<br />but Jannes and Jambres were not able to get rid of the frogs and said surely this is the finger of God. You see, the devil caused them to be deceived by causing frogs to appear upon the land also, but when it came time to get rid off the frogs, they were not able to do so, they had been deceived.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Pretty soon Pharaoh got tired of the frogs and he called for Moses to plead with God to remove the frogs and he would let the people go to worship God.<br />Moses did something here that he didn’t do at any other time during the plagues. <strong>He asked Pharaoh when do you want the frogs to go,<br />you Pharaoh set the time,</strong> <strong><span style="color:#000066;">Pharaoh said tomorrow.</span></strong> </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>How dumb can you be,<br />here is his opportunity to get rid of that thing that has been troubling him for some time.<br />That thing that has been keeping him awake at night, that thing that caused him not to be able to eat.<br />That thing that is literally sapping every bit of strength from his body.<br />It was stealing his and his people’s joy,<br />it was stealing their peace,<br />and it was causing them to literally loose their ever loving mind.<br />He had the opportunity to get rid of it right then and there and he said get rid of them tomorrow.<br />But before we rush to put Pharaoh in a mental institution,<br />before we call 911 to have him taken away in a straight jacket, let us look at the frogs in our own life. When do you want the frogs in your life to go.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>You know the ones,<br />the frogs of troubles,<br />the frogs of disappointments,<br />the frogs of discouragements,<br />the frogs of anxieties,<br />frogs of sorrows,<br />frogs of sickness,<br />frogs of grief,<br />loneliness,<br />and discontentment that plague us morning, noon, and night. </div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Don’t wait until tomorrow, because tomorrow never comes.<br />Tomorrow just might be too late.<br />Why would you want to spend another night with the frogs?</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>Why would you want to stay in that same old mess any longer then you have to. That habit that you thought you could not break……<br />you don’t have to spend another night with it.<br />That burden that you have been carrying around for so time you don’t have to spend another night with it.<br />That sickness that the doctor said is fatal you don’t have to spend another night with.<br />You can get rid of that frog in your life right now.<br />Just like the woman with the issue of blood she made up in her mind that she wasn’t going to spend another night in that same old condition, so she touched the hem of His garment and was made whole,<br />because she refused to spend another night with the frogs.<br />Blind Bartimaeus, who was told to keep quiet,<br />refused to spend another night in that same condition,<br />he said to himself I refuse to spend another night with the frogs,<br />so he cried out with a loud voice Have Mercy on ME.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>God gave Pharoah the opportunity to choose the day of his deliverance………<br /><br />Joshua spoke prophetically to us as he spoke to Israel…choose you this day whom you will serve.<br /><br />2Co 6:2 (For he saith, I have heard thee in a time accepted, and in the day of salvation have I succored thee: behold, now is the accepted time; behold, now is the day of salvation.)<br /><br />Choose salvation today</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div></div>Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-36306071583055501552008-03-05T10:08:00.002-05:002008-03-05T10:17:52.554-05:00I need to let you know I am updating MY blog, just not with anything I wrote today.<br />Sometimes in ministry, we get so accustomed to ministering and so used to being THE minister that we forget that we neeed to be ministered to as well.<br /><br />I want to introduce you to a great man, and I want to introduce you to him through his incredible ability to write. Pastor Mark Edge pastors Bethel Church in Bartlett, Tennessee. He is tremendously gifted and has a great passion for God.<br /><br />I asked his permission to publish this post from a preachers forum which he authored.<br />I have read it two mornings in a row before my personal devotion time and have cried both times, and it has led me to a greater desire to be effective in my ministry. I desperately desire a passion to reach people. Read this and if it touches your heart like it did mine, ask God for passion.<br /><br />Be Blessed.<br /><br /><a class="maintitle" href="http://visionbuilder.us/forum/viewtopic.php?t=16681&start=0&postdays=0&postorder=asc&highlight="><strong>How Starbucks Saved My Ministry</strong></a><br /><br />I have a confession. I am a Barista. Yes, a maker of lattes, cappuccinos, frappuccinos, herbal teas and brewed coffees. Triple Venti White Mochas, Grande Strawberries and Cream Fraps, Tall Vanilla Lattes, Caramel Macchiattos, Venti Passion Tea Lemonades, and a thousand other drink recipes swirl about my head. I've been a Starbucks partner for almost four months now. Now why would a successful pastor of a church with several thousand members get a $7.00 an hour job with Starbucks? Well first of all, I don't pastor several thousand people, and second, I wouldn't say that I am all that successful. Our church is growing and with it the finances are too, but when we accepted the pastorate here seven years ago we also inherited a 1.05 million dollar debt. Pretty hefty for a church of 130. Since that time we have grown to just under 200 and we have whittled away at the debt to just below 800 K. Last August we all visited the dentist and got all the kids caught up on dental care. In the end, with a discount, our dentist told us we were going to need an additional $3500 worth of dental work to correct everything and get us all where we needed to be tooth-wise. I don't have that much money to throw about so I decided to take some action: I applied for a job at Starbucks. I had known for some time that they had great benefits for part-time workers (just work 20 hours a week and you can get full-time medical, dental and optical benefits). I had a little time to wait and then last November I got hired. I had people in our church approach me and say, "Pastor, I hate that you are having to work another job." Others have expressed similar feelings, but I have to tell you, I am really enjoying the experience. I live in the church parsonage. Its a very nice, old Southern style house built back in 1890. We had lived in a 1500 square foot house when we were youth pastors in Ohio, and then we moved into this 4500 square foot place! We were amazed at the room! We didn't have enough furniture or furnishings to fill the place up when we moved into it. The house is located right behind the church. It would be very easy for me to get isolated from the real world. So about six years ago I started to visit the local Starbucks with some regularity. I started meeting people. Dennis, moved down South from Canada because his wife taught at the University of Memphis. Harold, a man who came in every day wearing a Michigan ball cap and a big smile. I met Philip the manager. I met Jeff a Church of Christ youth pastor who was working part time at Starbucks. Buddy and his best friend Danny. Charlie, kind of a recluse guy who would turn his chair around facing the big window behind him and would not talk to a soul. There were dozens more but the point is that Starbucks opened me up to the community; I was meeting people there I would never meet otherwise. Once I was at one of the area hospitals visiting one of our church members and I Iooked up and behold there was Dennis. His mother-in-law was very ill and her situation didn't look good. I had prayer with Dennis and his wife and some family members that were there. They were appreciative. Harold and I would rib each other. His daughter attended the Universtiy of Michigan. She sat next to Chad Henne the Michigan QB in one of her classes. I, being an Ohio State fan, would wear my OSU hat and we would jest and joke about the greatest rivalry in sports. I've got a picture of Harold and me together with his maize and blue hat juxtaposed to my scarlet and grey cap. Harold is a Vietnam Vet who married and had one daughter. His wife got breast cancer. Before she died Harold promised her he would raise their girl and make sure she got a college education. He never remarried. His daughter graduated from the U of M last spring and she came home just in time for Mother's Day. I invited Harold to church and he came to our Mother's Day service proudly introducing his daughter to us. When I asked all of the mothers to stand to receive a carnation for Mother's Day, Harold stood, much to the embarrassment of his daughter and to the shock of our congregation. I knew why he stood. He was standing in honor of his wife, and he was proud of the promise he kept to take care of their daughter. We gave him a carnation and everyone applauded. His daughter is now studying at the Universtiy of Columbia in New York City. Harold has agreed to speak at our Memorial Day Weekend service in honor of America's fallen heroes. Philip sat down next to me one day and said, "Mark, you're a preacher. Tell me what do you think about Bible prophecy?" A conversation ensued about the end times and what the Bible had to say about current events. Philip was really intrigued. He's a great guy, very outgoing and has become a friend. I keep inviting him to church, hoping he will show up with his preacher's daughter wife, Kim. Jeff, the youth pastor asked me one day, "Mark, what denomination are you?" I said, "Pentecostal." He said, "I thought so. Listen, I've got some questions I want to ask you. I've been reading this book written by a former Church of Christ minister..." He proceded to share with me that the man had spoken in tongues (which is not something the CoC recognizes) and then began to tell me he had been questioning a lot of things about his faith. He told me he and his wife believed in these things and were praying for the gift of tongues. I began to share scriptures with him. I refuted the bedrock passage they use against tongues: I Cor. 13. When I shared with him that Jesus was "that which is perfect", he replied, "I've never thought of it that way before." Jeff has since moved to Kansas City but the last time I talked to him he told me they were still seeking the Holy Ghost. I walked into my Starbucks last year and Joy the barista immediately told me, "That was our Buddy, Mark!" My knees weakened. The day before I had heard of a murder at the Kawasaki dealership up the road from the suburb we live in. I knew Buddy worked there. He was a daily regular at Starbucks always sitting with his best friend, Danny, a self-employed painter telling stories and getting his coffee fix before going to work. When I heard that there had been a shooting at the dealership and that someone had been killed I hoped it wasn't Buddy. Sadly it was Buddy. Some young kid, for reasons no one knows, was waiting on a bike he had ordered and had been hanging out at the shop. At some point Buddy had turned his back to him and the kid pulled out a revolver and shot Buddy through the back and the heart killing him instantly. He tried to kill Buddy's coworker but she fell to the floor and he was only successfull in wounding her. A high speed chase ensued minutes later and the young man swerved off the road and crashed into a ditch. The murderer was thrown from his car and was killed immediately upon impact with the ground. He died along with his motives for such a senseless crime. I had invited Buddy to church but to no avail. I regret I didn't try to do more to reach Buddy. His best friend, Danny, had talked to me about the Pentecostal background within his family. I see Danny once in a while. He doesn't show up at Starbucks much anymore. Charlie was a challenge. He didn't want to be bothered. One day I noticed he was reading a conservative political magazine. I started talking politics. He liked my views. He listened to conservative radio. So did I. We began discussing current events and various other hot topics. Charlie, an Irish Catholic from Long Island, New York, stood out like a sore thumb. His heavy Yankee accent gave him away. We became friends. I noticed Charlie walked everywhere. One day Charlie invited me to lunch at a local pizzeria, "New York Pizza Cafe" owned by a Sicilian-born New Yorker named Caesar. Caesar was like a character out of a mob movie. He talked just like Don Corleone from the "Godfather". Nice guy. Great pizza. I found out Charlie was living in one of Caesar's rentals. Charlie was homeless. You would never know it. The guy was always clean shaven, clean clothes, clean hair, didn't smell bad, he just didn't look like someone who didn't have a place to stay. Caesar and his wife got a divorce. He had to sell everything and split it with her. He had to sell the pizza shop and the rentals. Charlie was out on the street. He asked if he could keep some belongings in my garage. One day he stopped by to pick up some things. It was 18 degrees that day. I asked Charlie where he was sleeping. He said in the front of a wrecked pick up at an auto body shop. I thought to myself, "Lord I can't let him stay in the cold, what do I do?" I opened my Bible and the first passage I laid my eyes on was Matt. 25 "I was a stranger and you took me in." I closed my Bible. "Charlie, how would like to sleep tonight in the church?" He agreed. I have a shower in my office, Charlie bathes there. He sleeps overnight and is gone during the day and evenings. He comes to every service. He even raises his hands some times. I never demanded that he come to church as a result of his staying with us. I pray he will get saved. He is planning to move to Kentucky this spring. He says there is a job waiting for him there. Time will tell. So now I get this job at Starbucks. It's a different store than my neighborhood one, but it's the next closest one. In just four months I have connected with my fellow partners and God has opened some doors. One day, a woman who had attended our church a few times when we first moved here went through the drive thru and saw me, recognized me and reminded me of who she was. She has been coming to church since with her three kids the past month. Her twelve year old son asked me about hell last Friday night at a kids lock-in at the church and I shared with him the plan of salvation. Other doors have opened since I started working at Starbucks that I don't have time to tell. I do know this: when the time comes that I won't need the insurance or the church can afford to pay it for me, I won't quit my job. I will work less hours maybe, but I never again want to cut myself off from the outside world. We need to be among the lost, among the hurting, among the needy. We need to be salt and light.Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-75724188114579996222008-03-01T00:25:00.002-05:002008-03-01T00:59:25.204-05:00Where do I Come From<div><a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/tlong10138/15_19_1---Tree--Sunrise--Northumber.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/tlong10138/15_19_1---Tree--Sunrise--Northumber.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /></div><div>I have spent a bit of time the past few days researching my geneology. </div><div><br /><br /></div><div>Seems there might be a question as to my origin.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div>It's a rather long story, so I won't go into it right now, but I have been thinking about my roots......Where'd I come from, who are my ancestors, what is my lineage? What about my family tree???????????</div><div><br /><br /></div><div>Do I have any royalty in my past? Should I be receiving any large inheritance in the near future.....it never hurts to check on these things, you know.<strong>:)</strong></div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div>I have found that my past and my roots are set, there is nothing I can do about who my ancestors were, where they came from, or what place in society they held. I also discovered, in reality, it has little today to do with who I am or what I can accomplish in my life. As I contemplate my ancestry, and as I have spent a few days researching my past, I am reminded by the Apostle Paul that... <em>And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power: </em>as he stated in Collosians 2:10.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div>Since I met Jesus, my past is not who I am.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div>Since I met Jesus, my ancestry does not dictate my future.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div>Since I met Jesus, I became complete in Him.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div>My past is simply that, it is my past. But Jesus has become my future.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div><em>Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. </em>II Corinthians 5:17.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div></div><div><br /><br /></div><div>What a thought, when searching my geneology, I am a new creature.</div><div><br /><br /></div><div>Regardless of my past, regardless of my failures, regardless of my shortcomings, if I have been washed in His blood then I am a new creature. </div><div><br /><br /></div><div>Jesus said<em> I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing. (Jn. 15:5)</em></div><div><br /><br /></div><div>This is my family tree. This is my lineage and my inheritance. My past does not have to dictate my future. The Lord has set for me a way to escape my past. He has become the vine from which my life can sprout. I am a branch, a new lineage, a new life has been born. No wonder the writer said we were "born again", "old things passed away, behold all things become new".</div><div><br /></div><div>From the root of David came a Vine that could sustain my life, when my past seeks to tear me in two. When the dark shadows of my past blow in like a windstorm to rip my life from the very roots I thought had established me, Jesus comes and grafts me into his vine and I become a new branch, a new creature in Christ Jesus. I am attached to greatest </div><div>stabilizing force the world has ever known, No storm can shake <a href="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/tlong10138/oakTree.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://i126.photobucket.com/albums/p114/tlong10138/oakTree.jpg" border="0" /></a></div><div>Him, and because I have been grafted in to His vine, I am safe</div><div> in the fiercest of storms.</div><div><br />I'm not too intersted in where I came from any longer, as long as I know where I'm headed to. I'm not near as concerned about who my great, great grandparents were any longer as long as I know who my Father is. I can trust Him. I can depend on Him. He is my Father and my Friend. My Savior and my keeper. </div><div> </div><div>He may not be my past.......but He has become all that can be of my future.</div><div> </div><div>No wonder David could say, I will look unto the hills from whence cometh my help, my help cometh from the Lord. The continuation of the <em>eth</em> lets me know that the past can not dictate my future. The help that I need today and tomorrow will come from the Lord.</div><div> </div><div>Why worry about my past, when my future is so bright. What a heritage I now have in Jesus Christ.</div>Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-5614483379861147252008-01-16T14:17:00.000-05:002008-01-16T15:06:21.761-05:00I want the world to see Jesus in me.......<a href="http://www.lostseed.com/extras/free-graphics/images/jesus-pictures/min-precious-in-his-sight.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://www.lostseed.com/extras/free-graphics/images/jesus-pictures/min-precious-in-his-sight.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div><br /><br /><div>There is a story many years ago of an elementary teacher. Her name was Mrs. Thompson. And as she stood in front of her 5th grade class on the very first day of school, she told the children a lie. Like most teachers, she looked at her students and said that she loved them all the same.<br />But that was impossible, because there in the front row, slumped in his seat, was a little boy named Teddy Stoddard. Mrs. Thompson had watched Teddy the year before and noticed that he didn't play well with the other children, that his clothes were messy and that he constantly needed a bath. And Teddy could be unpleasant. It got to the point where Mrs. Thompson would actually take delight in marking his papers with a broad red pen, making bold X's and then putting a big "F" at the top of his papers.<br />At the school where Mrs. Thompson taught, she was required to review each child's past records and she put Teddy's off until last. However, when she reviewed his file, she was in for a surprise.<br />Teddy's first grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is a bright child with a ready laugh. He does his work neatly and has good manners...he is a joy to be around."<br />His second grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is an excellent student, well liked by his classmates, but he is troubled because his mother has a terminal illness and life at home must be a struggle."<br />His third grade teacher wrote, "His mother's death has been hard on him. He tries to do his best but his father doesn't show much interest and his home life will soon affect him if some steps aren't taken."<br />Teddy's fourth grade teacher wrote, "Teddy is withdrawn and doesn't show much interest in school. He doesn't have many friends and sometimes sleeps in class."<br />By now, Mrs. Thompson realized the problem and she was ashamed of herself. She felt even worse when her students brought her Christmas presents, wrapped in beautiful ribbons and bright paper, except for Teddy's. His present which was clumsily wrapped in the heavy, brown paper that he got from a grocery bag.<br />Mrs. Thompson took pains to open it in the middle of the other presents. Some of the children started to laugh when she found a rhinestone bracelet with some of the stones missing, and a bottle that was one quarter full of perfume. But she stifled the children's laughter when she exclaimed how pretty the bracelet was, putting it on, and dabbing some of the perfume on her wrist.<br />Teddy Stoddard stayed after school that day just long enough to say, "Mrs. Thompson, today you smelled just like my Mom used to." After the children left she cried for at least an hour. On that very day, she quit teaching reading, and writing, and arithmetic. Instead, she began to teach children..<br />Mrs. Thompson paid particular attention to Teddy. As she worked with him, his mind seemed to come alive. The more she encouraged him, the faster he responded. By the end of the year, Teddy had become one of the smartest children in the class and, despite her lie that she would love all the children the same, Teddy became one her "teacher's pets."<br />A year later, she found a note under her door, from Teddy, telling her that she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life. Six years went by before she got another note from Teddy. He then wrote that he had finished high school, third in his class, and she was still the best teacher he ever had in his whole life.<br />Four years after that, she got another letter, saying that while things had been tough at times, he'd stayed in school, had stuck with it, and would soon graduate from college with the highest of honors. He assured Mrs. Thompson that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had in his whole life.<br />Then four more years passed and yet another letter came.. This time he explained that after he got his bachelor's degree, he decided to go a little further. The letter explained that she was still the best and favorite teacher he ever had. But now his name was a little longer -- the letter was signed, Theodore F. Stoddard, M.D.<br />The story doesn't end there. You see, there was yet another letter that spring. Teddy said he'd met this girl and was going to be married. He explained that his father had died a couple of years ago and he was wondering if Mrs. Thompson might agree to sit in the place at the wedding that was usually reserved for the mother of the groom. Of course, Mrs. Thompson did. And guess what? She wore that bracelet, the one with several rhinestones missing. And she made sure she was wearing the perfume that Teddy remembered his mother wearing on their last Christmas together.<br />They hugged each, and Dr. Stoddard whispered in Mrs. Thompson's ear, "Thank you Mrs. Thompson for believing in me. Thank you so much for making me feel important and showing me that I could make a difference."<br />Mrs. Thompson, with tears in her eyes, whispered back. She said, "Teddy, you have it all wrong. You were the one who taught me that I could make a difference. I didn't know how to teach until I met you."<br /><br />John 12: 21-26<br />21The same came therefore to <strong><span style="color:#330000;">Philip</span></strong>, which was of Bethsaida of Galilee, and <strong><span style="color:#330000;">desired him</span></strong>, <strong><span style="color:#330000;">saying, Sir, we would see Jesus.</span></strong><br />22Philip cometh and telleth Andrew: and again Andrew and Philip tell Jesus. <a href="http://www.lostseed.com/extras/free-graphics/images/jesus-pictures/min-crown-of-thorns.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 191px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px" height="309" alt="" src="http://www.lostseed.com/extras/free-graphics/images/jesus-pictures/min-crown-of-thorns.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />23And Jesus answered them, saying, The hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified.<br />24Verily, verily, I say unto you, Except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit.<br />25He that loveth his life shall lose it; and he that hateth his life in this world shall keep it unto life eternal.<br />26If any man serve me, let him follow me; and where I am, there shall also my servant be: if any man serve me, him will my Father honour.<br /><br />I knew when I read this story..................you've read 'em, the ones that tug at your heart.<br />This one got me, this is, in my estimation, a clear example of love and servitude. I don't want to be a preacher anymore. I want to be a shepherd. There is much that I could say to be preachy, but as I read the story of Mrs. Thompson, I knew I have to be this lady.<br /><br />The nameless greek is everywhere. He's is the lady at the cash register, "Sir, can you help me see Jesus?"<br />The nameless greek is the server at the restaurant where I ate lunch today, "Sir I would see Jesus."<br />The nameless greek is the mechanic who works on my car, "Sir, I really need Jesus."<br /><br />Maybe if I can quit "preaching" long enough to glorify Jesus, I can lead someone to Him. </div><div>I get so caught up in being a preacher, being a christian, that sometimes I forget, the world doesn't need another christian, they need Jesus. I get so proud of me, I get so consumed with my curriculum......</div><div>Can you imagine what Philip thought? He was, after all, a disciple of Jesus. Here come these greeks....."How can <strong><span style="font-size:180%;">I</span></strong> help you gentlemen?" "Sir, we would see Jesus."</div><div>They don't want to see me, they don't want me to get behind my desk and lecture the scriptures to them. They want to see Jesus. He's not in traditional catachisms, He's not in dry mechanical church, He's not is chants and bells. We've been there, and we left as empty as we were when we went in.</div><div></div><div>Sir, we would see Jesus......<br /><br />Do you know him, Philip? Can you lead me to him, Andrew? Mrs Thompson, teach me...............<br /><br />Sir, I would see Jesus..........................................</div></div>Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-55420365691779979922007-12-11T01:29:00.000-05:002007-12-11T07:41:14.915-05:00The Wreaths at Arlington are a Gift of Love<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_9BLfW5gMiYUwBvmKbi36t4-GUsYMeBFWX4U5U3bPFHkHFgs8zz5_fneuOpBBeDZGnFU9eUipD8ODSYEy5j3sXlBlXDtb5u36w-sF3wRlf9K78zTwO5Qo0jCpS1oMTgEGfrMllzqZC94/s1600-h/wreaths.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142598815100281954" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid_9BLfW5gMiYUwBvmKbi36t4-GUsYMeBFWX4U5U3bPFHkHFgs8zz5_fneuOpBBeDZGnFU9eUipD8ODSYEy5j3sXlBlXDtb5u36w-sF3wRlf9K78zTwO5Qo0jCpS1oMTgEGfrMllzqZC94/s200/wreaths.bmp" border="0" /></a> This one won't be as spiritual as some, I guess. But maybe my patriotism is catching up to my age. <strong>:)<br /></strong><br /><br />You may be interested to know that these wreaths, laid at gravesites in Arlington National Cemetary-- some 5,000 -- are donated by the Worcester Wreath Co. of Harrington , Maine . The owner, Merrill Worcester, not only provides the wreaths, but covers the trucking expense as well. He's done this since 1992. A wonderful guy. Also, most years, groups of Maine school kids combine an educational trip to DC with this event to help out. Making this even more remarkable is the fact that Harrington is in one the poorest parts of the state.<br /><br /><br /><br />I couldn't help but relate this touching story to the fact that 2000 plus years ago, in a stable in a little town called Bethlehem......not the capital city of Jerusalem. In a stable.....not in a palace gilded with fine gold. Wrapped in torn cloth.......not in fine linen from the Orient, a Savior was born. From a poor family, from a questionable situation, a donation was made. Scripture tells us that God <span style="color:#663300;"><strong>gave </strong></span><span style="color:#000000;">His only begotten son.</span><br /><br /><br /><br />An interesting fact that I read into this story is that the Bible tells us God is love. Jesus is God, manifest in flesh. Love was the gift, love was born on Christmas Day. Out of a poor beginning, from a heart full of love for humanity sprang the greatest gift that was ever given on any Christmas. Oh, I know. Love existed before that first Christmas day. But the essence of true love became evident that star-lit night when the angel so proudly proclaimed that unto us a child is born, and unto us a Son is given. See, God had been what love is for centuries, and had loved his creation since he first scraped up the first handful of dust and began to sculpt into existence his plan to redeem us. Love wasn't shown in the cost it took to make man, we are dust and to dust we will return.<br /><br />Love manifests itself, not in the expense of the gift that is given, but in the care that is given in choosing the gift itself. Redemption was the gift that was born that day. The Savior, giftwrapped in humanity, just dirt really, but it wasn't the cost of the wrappping, it was the contents of the heart of God. WOW.............no greater love hath any man than this, that a man will lay down his life for a friend. Jesus did that for me, what a gift. My redemption, my salvation.<br /><br /><br /><br />No wonder pride swells in the hearts of Americans when we see what Merrill Worcester has done for the brave men and women who have laid down their lives for our freedom. No wonder<br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjXBGpolOpxU_dZ7RF8OZEfFU3NuQX4YKus-LYCtBTR9P4Iu4VVIWlmRLBLSZM7NQUz_cX3uGgnv-5P9lCdyDeOrzgAo_yLJrtHtFjZZClZg0NfI6XadTeOrpYuUieZ0OL3fxBwv-HOK6/s1600-h/soldier.bmp"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5142602367038235762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjXBGpolOpxU_dZ7RF8OZEfFU3NuQX4YKus-LYCtBTR9P4Iu4VVIWlmRLBLSZM7NQUz_cX3uGgnv-5P9lCdyDeOrzgAo_yLJrtHtFjZZClZg0NfI6XadTeOrpYuUieZ0OL3fxBwv-HOK6/s200/soldier.bmp" border="0" /></a> we stand in silent wonder as we watch the tireless efforts of the guards at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in all kinds of weather. Soldiers prepared to defend the defenseless against all enemies both foreign and domestic.<br /><br /><br />Christmas is a time, at least for me, of reflection. Reflection on gifts, and giving, love and sharing. I'm proud to be an American, to stand beside men like Merrill Wordester and say, "This is my Country." And, I'm thankful to be able to say, "I'm a Christian. Jesus is my Savior."<br /><br />Humble beginning, I was there; questionable surroundings, that was me; tattered garments, I wore them, but Jesus paid it all. And just like the old song of the Church says, All to Him I owe.<br /><br />The great gift of love in Arlington is awesome, thank you Merrill Worcester for your love for this country and for your unslefish giving to the fallen soldiers who defend us. But his gift pales in comparison to the day love was born, the gift of love was given to me.<br /><br />Thank you Jesus for the gift of love on that first Christmas night. Thank you angels for proclaiming this glorious story, you started a story that has never died. Thank you sheperds for seeking the Savior, you led the way for us. And thank you friend for being wise, for wise men really do still seek Him.<br /><br />Merry Christmas<br /><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjXBGpolOpxU_dZ7RF8OZEfFU3NuQX4YKus-LYCtBTR9P4Iu4VVIWlmRLBLSZM7NQUz_cX3uGgnv-5P9lCdyDeOrzgAo_yLJrtHtFjZZClZg0NfI6XadTeOrpYuUieZ0OL3fxBwv-HOK6/s1600-h/soldier.bmp"></a><br /><br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEjXBGpolOpxU_dZ7RF8OZEfFU3NuQX4YKus-LYCtBTR9P4Iu4VVIWlmRLBLSZM7NQUz_cX3uGgnv-5P9lCdyDeOrzgAo_yLJrtHtFjZZClZg0NfI6XadTeOrpYuUieZ0OL3fxBwv-HOK6/s1600-h/soldier.bmp"></a>Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-64560645908065230062007-10-25T15:31:00.000-04:002007-10-25T16:30:43.779-04:00Increase The BodyFrom whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted by that which every joint supplieth, according to the effectual working in the measure of <strong>every part, maketh increase of the body</strong> unto the edifying of itself in love. Ephesians 4:16 (KJV)<br /><br />"Each part... helps the other parts grow." Ephesians 4:16 (NLT)<br /><br />Really, the scripture is speaking to us about networking here. Not necessarily in the sense we think of on our job, with clients, other sub-contractors or sales reps.<br />But, in a spiritual sense, we network. The body, Paul said is "fitly joined together", "we are compacted by that which every joint supplieth"..........<br />then read on....................."according to the effectual working"...........<br />Christ effectively molded and built the church, strategically placing us where we can grow, but also where as we network with the body, where we can be an asset. As the church reaches her potential, the members who are fitly framed together, who know their place, who have fulfilled ministry, who walk in the Spirit and are led by the Spirit of God, they grow together. As they grow, they help develop the entire body. Paul said every part....helps the other to grow. It isn't a show. It isn't always something that can be seen outwardly. It is a spiritual growth.<br /><br />Next time you're walking in the woods, imagine what's taking place under your feet. As the roots of trees come into contact with one another they form an underground support system. One has access to water, another to nutrients, another to sunlight, etc. A networking is taking place that strengthens them all. This is what Paul had in mind: "[Under His direction], the whole body is fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love." Some of us independent types have difficulty when it comes to networking. We fly solo, until we crash and burn! Eventually our pain, not our brain, shows us our need for things like:<br /><br /><br /><a href="http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?e=001PcFsdAVJWe30c9ylMukLX_et1JUUvWjpEIWk7PqDrulCOjF4LClF65sGdTtY5ueiWcYUXwNcygwMf-YTSwewAZdaG2n2Uu9izxz08GDcYDAm3W9ofj9Mkw==" target="_blank" shape="rect" rel="nofollow"></a><span style="color:#000099;">(1) Mercy.</span><br />"Remember, the Lord forgave you, so you must forgive others" (Col 3:13 NLT).<br />What motivates us to show mercy to others? God's mercy to us. You'll never be asked to forgive someone else more than God has already forgiven you. this is an integral part of the network of the church. It is essential for us to show mercy in order for the body to increase.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3333ff;">(2) Understanding.</span><br />"Be sympathetic ...kind...gentle, and patient" (Col 3:12 GWT).<br />Sympathy meets two fundamental human needs we all have: the need to be understood and the need to have our feelings validated. The problem is we're in such a hurry to fix people that we don't have time to sympathize with them. We're too preoccupied with our own hurts. Self-pity dries up sympathy for others. We forget the time it took for us to grow from the tender young plant to the old oak tree we are now.<br /><br /><span style="color:#3366ff;">(3) Encouragement.</span><br />"I want us to help each other with the faith we have. Your faith will help me, and my faith will help you" (Ro 1:12 NCV).<br />All of us are strengthened in our faith when others walk with us and encourage us.<br />" And if one prevail against him, two shall withstand him; and a threefold cord is not quickly broken. " Ecc. 4:12<br />"Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much." Jas. 5:16<br />So today, practice networking!!!!!!!!! Pray for one another, call out the name of a friend to God in prayer.<br />Encourage someone who is slipping.<br />Bring a neighbor to church Sunday.<br />Pick up that child in your neighborhood and bring them to Sunday School.<br />Be understanding instead of judgmental. Oh, come on now.......you know I'm right!!!!<br />Remember God's mercy in your life, and show mercy to someone today.<br />Let's network the Love of God, let's network the Mercy of God..........Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3868454044803882832.post-50337638232918783822007-09-05T23:57:00.000-04:002007-09-06T00:38:01.389-04:00Who Ya Talkin To?Hey You....................Who Ya Talkin To?<br /><br />I've got a blue tooth, ........not in my mouth silly. It is worn on my ear, it receives a signal from my cell phone so I can talk without holding the phone. I can't tell you how many times I have been walking along, talking on my blue tooth, no phone in hand, sometimes not even in sight. there I am talkin' away, passing people in the check out, at the restaurant, where ever and they hear me just jabbering. Often they look at me like, "Who you takin' to?"<br /><br />Sometimes I think, "Not you." haha. After a minute it is obvious I am not talking to them, so in time they simply pay me no attention. But there is always the questioned look, "Who ya talkin' to?"<br /><br />Look at this scripture............................<br /><br />Galatians 1:15-16 KJV<br />But when it pleased God, who separated me from my mother's womb, and called me by his grace, to reveal his Son in me, that I might preach him among the heathen; immediately I conferred not with flesh and blood.<br /><br />Paul gave no attention to what the people said. When he knew what God wanted him to do he didn't then go ask people what they thought about it. When you've heard from God you don't need to find out what your friends and family thinks about it. You just need to do it.<br /><br />When you know that you know that you heard from God, you don't need a sign. You don't need to say, "Give me a sign Lord. Let a rooster cock-a-doodle-doo at midnight and I'll know it's your will." God doesn't lead you by signs; He leads you by His Spirit. When you pray daily, you will hear Him speaking to you.<br /><br />Some folks don't pray until the emergency shows up. Now, I'm saying this jokingly, but I almost believe that when God hears certain voices praying, He says, "I haven't heard that voice in five years. They must be in trouble again." Since I'm on this point, there are also folks who don't go to church until things go wrong. God is not your Santa Clause. And he's not God-in-the-Box, where you wind Him up when you want to and out He jumps. God expects you to live for him with your whole life. He expects you to come before Him in prayer - all the time - daily, so that you can know that you know that you have His direction.<br /><br />What you need is the Word and to follow the Holy Ghost. Paul said, I didn't confer with flesh and blood. If I had listened to people I wouldn't have a church, because people told me not to come here. You have to spend time in prayer, and let God show you what He wants you to do. Then when you know what God wants you to do, do it.<br /><br />You mean God deals with me in the earth? Yes. He made you. He cares about you. Jesus died for you. Do you think He would then just leave you alone in this earth to fend for yourself until you die? No, He's involved in your life to the extent you will hear His word and obey His voice through prayer and fellowship with Him. He will show you what He wants you to do in life. When you have heard from God, you don't need the sound of many voices echoing in your ears.<br /><br />Hey You..........Who Ya' Talkin' To?Pastor Terry W. Long Sr.http://www.blogger.com/profile/14643555312784244765noreply@blogger.com1