Tag: great commission

Before The Trumpet Sounds

thearrowpreacher1 Comment

Before The Trumpet Sounds 

It truly breaks my heart when I see so many people who don’t know the Lord. When I see people who are grumpy, ill tempered, mouths like a sailor, or cruelty towards others, it makes me wonder what would it take to introduce someone to the Lord. As we go into this Christmas season and I along with millions of other people celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ, how many truly know the Lord? Jesus came to us to show us a life of hope, of love, and to give us a true understanding of the Lords blessings. Even with the evidence of who Christ was, the truth that exists, people still deny him. Sadly, the day will come the trumpet will sound and for those who’ve waited too long, or even those who have chosen a path devoid of Christ, the alternative that awaits them is not the fun cliché’ of ‘Hell’s more fun’. Revelation 21:8But the cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” To me, this doesn’t sound like a ‘fun’ place to be, especially for all eternity. 

We are told time and time again yet we never listen, at least not in the appropriate context. We are told to live life to the fullest, or live like it’s your last, but usually when we hear that it’s talking about doing whatever makes you happy, or taking chances. What we don’t hear is giving your heart to the Lord because it could be your last. Trust in your savior so when the end times come you are not condemned to the worst punishment that we would ever face. We are warned time and time again in scripture, but we rarely listen. We see those who truly should know better especially those who spend so much time in Church and yet never know Christ. This shouldn’t be surprising however because Christ said this Matthew 7:21-23“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. 22 Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ 23 And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” 

When we think about the last days we don’t usually consider the trumpet sound that will one day echo through the air. For those who follow Christ 1 Corinthians 15:52 (NKJV) 52“in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.” For everyone else, those who never knew Christ, the trumpet will sound and will signify the day of judgment for all. Ezekiel 33:3-6 “when he sees the sword coming upon the land, if he blows the trumpet and warns the people, 4 then whoever hears the sound of the trumpet and does not take warning, if the sword comes and takes him away, his blood shall be on his own head. 5 He heard the sound of the trumpet, but did not take warning; his blood shall be upon himself. But he who takes warning will [a]save his life. 6 But if the watchman sees the sword coming and does not blow the trumpet, and the people are not warned, and the sword comes and takes any person from among them, he is taken away in his iniquity; but his blood I will require at the watchman’s hand.’ We as Christians have an obligation to the Gospel. We must spread the good word of the living waters. We must understand that we have a responsibility that wasn’t just a suggestion by Christ but a command to spread the word of God, this was called the Great Commission. 

When the day comes for the trumpets to sound, Revelation 8:6“So the seven angels who had the seven trumpets prepared themselves to sound.” Will you be ready? Will you have lived your life as if your last day would define if you were worthy of Heaven? Now, make no mistake, no one on their best day is worthy of the Kingdom of the Lord, but through God’s grace and mercy, and Love so we can use the gift we’ve been given. I digress, and I feel it’s important to understand the severity of need to not have the mentality you can come to Christ whenever you deem fit, after you’ve had your fun. We never know when our last breath will be and we never know when the trumpets of the end will sound. So many people make excuses for not going to church, or even making excuses to do things that would make anyone question if they were true Christians or not. Excessive drinking, partying, multiple sexual partners, and an overall living for the world, and not for Christ is exactly the caution I mean to express. Although I do not fear death, my own death, I do fear for the millions or more that don’t know Christ and will face righteous judgments of the Lord. While we will all be judged, those who love and fear the Lord have nothing to fear from death. Will you allow yourself the life you want, the life of the world, the life of selfish sin to miss your chance to know Christ? 

The day will come when Christ returns, and we don’t know when that will be. We don’t know when we will breathe our last, and because of our shot amount of time, we have a finite sum of opportunities to give ourselves to Christ, and we must live to fight the world and all of it’s distractions from our Lord and Savior. Don’t wait for the blow of the trumpet for at that point it could be too late.

The Signal

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

The Signal

Batman sits atop a roof in the midst of another gloomy night in Gothem. The evening fog covers the low levels of the city, while it looks like a storm is moving in. The lightning and the thunder can be heard in the distance but with each passing minute Batman knows it’s only a matter of minutes before the storm will be right overhead. The wind picks up and his cape begins to flutter in the breeze. Soon the cape is wiping in the wind. Without fail the bright spotlight flickers on and soon the sky is lit with the symbol that criminals fear, the bat shines in the sky, without a moments hesitation Batman dives off the roof, his cape becomes ridged and he’s gliding between the buildings. He’s off to fight crime, causing fear in the criminal underworld. The Bat isn’t a symbol of hope, but fear, a warning to those who wish to do harm to their city.

 

We as Christians have a signal too. We see the cross as our symbol, and even though we worship on our Sundays I ask if we are jumping into action upon the signal God puts into our life? When the Holy Spirit starts to whisper in your ear nudging you to go forth and spread the gospel, are we getting up and going out to evangelize? Imagine if the Bat Signal were to go up into the sky and Batman stopped going out to answer the call. Imagine in our real world, what would happen if when you call 911 and the police, or fire, or paramedics never answered the call. The world would quickly turn to chaos as we have to fend for ourselves, and homes burned, family dies, and law is taken into our own hands.

Are you a person of action when Jesus calls upon you? It’s important to be a people of ‘Do’ and not a people of ‘not my responsibility’. Scripture tells us that we must not just sit on our hand, but work, to do work for the Holy Spirit and we should be driven to do good works.

James 2:14-17 ESV“What good is it, my brothers, if someone says he has faith but does not have works? Can that faith save him? If a brother or sister is poorly clothed and lacking in daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace, be warmed and filled,” without giving them the things needed for the body, what good is that? So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead.”

James 1:23-25 ESV“For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.”

Recently I have had the privilege of hearing about the beautiful things happening within my church as we have entered the mission trip presentation month of September. I have heard so many wonderful things about how missions are changing the world one trip at a time. A very good friend’s wife went to Honduras and spoke about the thousands of people that the mission was able to help. Missions that are changing the world is not a new thing, but the question is, are you ignoring the call to get involved? My church offers several different mission trips every year and the call, the signal has been put up for the entire church to see. Not everyone is called to go overseas, but everyone is called. Everyone is called to bring precious glory to the Heavenly Father. We are called to work for the Lord in any way that our gifts allow. I say to you that we are all called, and we all have the power within our own hands, gifted by the Holy Spirit to do good things for God. Jesus Christ has called us to go forth, and we are told to do good in the name of the Lord. Matthew 28:16-20 (NKJV)16 “Then the eleven disciples went away into Galilee, to the mountain which Jesus had appointed for them. 17 When they saw Him, they worshiped Him; but some doubted. 18 And Jesus came and spoke to them, saying, “All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 Go [a]therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age.” [b]Amen.”

We see the symbol of the Cross shining brightly in front of us and those who choose to stay in their seats, comfortable and safe, who refuse to get up and do more then just listen to the sermons on Wednesday and Sunday, I say this, you are sinners. James 4:17 ESV“So whoever knows the right thing to do and fails to do it, for him it is sin.”You sit back and let others do what you are called to do, and you dishonor yourselves, and you dishonor the cross. You dishonor the Christ who died for you, and you willfully sin in your laziness, or worse, cowardice. We are told in scripture that we are protected. 2 Thessalonians 3:3 (NKJV)3 “But the Lord is faithful, who will establish you and guard you from the evil one.” And also Deuteronomy 31:6 (NKJV)6 “Be strong and of good courage, do not fear nor be afraid of them; for the Lord your God, He is the One who goes with you. He will not leave you nor forsake you.”

We ought not to be afraid to leave our comfort zones, but courageous that we are doing the Lords work and we will be blessed for it. We have a duty to preach the word of the Lord, to take care of the homeless, the helpless, to give up in spreading the truth of Jesus Christ. We all struggle, and we all fall short, but Christ is always there for us. No matter what you have going on in your life trust in God to help see you through. Make good choices, Godly choices, and plant good seeds so you may bear the sweet fruit, which is fed by the Holy Spirit. Be of joy and courage in your times of troubles, and let Jesus give you strength to show you how to share what you have experienced in Christ with others who’ve never known the name Jesus. Do not doubt yourself, for if God is for you, then who can be against you. The signal is set up, the Cross is lit, and you are being called, will you back down, or will you answer your Lord who calls upon you?

 

 

To Boldly Go

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

To Boldly Go

“Space: the final frontier. These are the voyages of the starship Enterprise. Its continuing mission: to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no one has gone before.” ST: TNG

 Those are words I grew up knowing, repeating, and aspiring too. Growing up I watched Trek every week. I grew to love Star Trek the next generation and I clung to Jean-Luke Picards character. As I grew and watched as his character develop I found drawn to his style of diplomacy, his leadership, his morals, and his desire to see the betterment of mankind. He was driven by the thought that all mankind should be driven to better themselves, and everyone should be given a chance to reach their full potential. On numerous occasions he took in those who made mistakes and he offered them a chance of redemption. For me Picard was a roll model I strived to be like. For me Picard was a father figure that I wanted to be like.

In our every day walk with Christ are we looking to our heavenly father as our roll model? Do we act boldly in our walk with Christ? Do we strive to be better Christians? With our every day walk we should always strive to boldly go, to explore our Christianity, to seek out those in need of Jesus light. We must always go out with the explorers’ heart. We must always seek ways to share the gospel with those whom we come into contact with. Matthew 28:18-20 18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Are you living the great commission? Are you walking with Christ as a close personal friend? Are you spreading the joy and the love of Jesus Christ? I think we get caught up in our every day routine that we forget the most important aspect of being a Christian. It’s not just praying, and going to church. It’s not about the Christmas services, and the monthly meals at church. It’s about the Holy Spirit moving in your heart, pushing you to spread the word because of how it’s changed your life. When you live your life as a Christian are you doing it on the sidelines, saying the prayers, doing the walk, but just getting by? Are you inspired by the Holy Spirit to share the Living God, the Waters that wash away your sins daily? Are you excited to talk about God because of the wonderful things He’s done for you, or are you silent, reserved, held back? Let me tell you, if you aren’t talking about it, if you aren’t crying in the car listening to K-Love, or other Christian music stations, why isn’t the Holy Spirit moving in you?

I watched a trailer for a movie called “I can only imagine.” I cried just during the trailer. My best friend sang this not long before he died. (18 years old) When I listen to the words of the world phenomenon, I ask myself the same questions. See, I had a short glimpse of what awaits me. I didn’t see anything, but what I heard would forever change my life. As I was in an ambulance dying, bleeding out, I heard the voice of God, and the aww, and fear, and shame I had being in that situation rocked me to my very core. I heard the voice of my creator, and I felt the presence of something much bigger then myself. I found that I wouldn’t ever do enough to be worthy of God’s love, God’s grace, God’s forgiveness, but in the presence of God I was given a second chance. I was told two words that would forever alter my life, “You’re forgiven.” Since then I have found a zest for life, and not a day goes by I don’t talk about how great God is. See, I did something that was almost unforgivable, but God saved me for a purpose. I can hear the words of my best friend in my head. The thing is I don’t have to imagine anymore. While it was only a short glimpse and only by sound, I know if the wonders of what I heard is only just part of it, I know that Heaven is real and perfect.

I can only Imagine, By: MercyMe

 I can only imagine what it will be like
When I walk, by your side
I can only imagine what my eyes will see
When you face is before me
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

Surrounded by You glory
What will my heart feel
Will I dance for you Jesus
Or in awe of You be still
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

I can only imagine when that day comes
When I find myself standing in the Son
I can only imagine when all I would do is forever
Forever worship You
I can only imagine
I can only imagine

Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel
Will I dance for You, Jesus
Or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in your presence
Or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine hey ya ah

Surrounded by Your glory
What will my heart feel
Will I dance for You, Jesus
Or in awe of you be still
Will I stand in Your presence
Or to my knees will I fall
Will I sing hallelujah
Will I be able to speak at all
I can only imagine
I can only imagine hey ya ah

 If you’ve been touched by the Holy Spirit don’t imagine what it would be like alone, share the good news with any and all who would listen. Go out boldly and preach and teach the word of God. Don’t sit on the sidelines, when you get to Heaven don’t you want your brothers and sisters with you in paradise? The presence of God would be indescribable. The words above are so powerful, they often move me to tears. For me I had just a glimpse, but if that changed my life forever, I can only imagine what it would be like when I’m there. I often think of my friend John sitting with Jesus and I can say I’m often envious and sad at the same time. Remembering him I often cry at both my own sorrows, but also the great gifts that God has seen to bestow upon me. When I think of the great commission I cannot help but think of the opening to Star Trek: TNG. I wish to go Bodly to places I’ve never been, to reach out and meet new people, spreading the Gospel, and the good news of Jesus Christ. The light of the world shines so bright, and we have already forgotten the meaning of CHRISTmas in our lives. With every breath we take we ought to be thankful for it. With every day’s dawning of light we have a new chance to walk more closely to Christ. Be a beacon of hope, of light, and go forth and make disciples of the flowing waters that is Jesus Christ. With every breath you take say Hallelujah. Christ came for you and me, to die for us. The sins that forced the nails through the Lambs hands and feet, and the blood of the Savior ran down from the crown of thorns we placed upon his head. A sacrifice made to break the bonds of sin, reconnecting us to God, and how do we treat that sacrifice? As Christians we should be ashamed of ourselves. We have allowed the darkness to spread while we’ve remained silent. We’ve let it into our homes, our lives, our country, our cities, and we’ve sat by and done very little to fight back. In the words of Picard, “We’ve made too many compromises already, too many retreats. They invade our space, and we fall back. They assimilate entire worlds, and we fall back. Not again! The line must be drawn here! This far, no further!” While I realize he’s talking about the Borg, we’ve allowed the Devil to invade every aspect of our lives, and we have done nothing to fight back. I agree, the line must be drawn here, this far, no further.

 

 

 

Go, and Don’t Die

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Go, and Don’t Die

What does the great commission mean for Christians? First, we must ask what is the great commission? Matthew 28:16-20 The Great Commission “16 Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. 17 And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted.18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in[a] the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” We must go forth, meaning to go out, within our ability to reach everyone, to include those at our jobs, in our towns, wherever we may go. Not everyone is suited within their gifts to go abroad and go head long into mission trips. Within our gifts we need to focus on what they are, focus on the paths God has put us on, and it’s in that, we will find how we can complete the Great Commission.

1 Peter 4:10 “As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace:” Each of us has been given a special and specific gift, some of us are great public speaker, when we talk people listen. Others are painters, or writers, others are good at serving, and thus our gifts open the stage for us to be able to reach people who need to hear the word of God. I have a few gifts God’s given to me that I enjoy and thus since I enjoy them it gives me great pleasure and pride to reach people around the world. To the date of writing this post I have reached 72 countries. My gift of writing and photography has helped me put this together and reach thousands.

Going out and preaching the word can be a dangerous business. Missionaries from around the world often find themselves hiding from those who wish to do them harm. The persecuted church is not something we think about much here in this country, but around the world it’s very real, and very dangerous. Christians are hunted throughout the world and because of that, as many mission trips are planned and scouted first to ensure safety not all missionaries are called to safe areas. Someone I know once had to hide from the authorities in India because he had stirred so much controversy the non Christian authorities weren’t too happy with the one causing problems. In places like Africa, Christians are murdered for their belief in Christ, and their refusal to rebuke Him publicly. Some of the top countries for persecution are North Korea, Somalia, Iran, Sudan, India, Vietnam, Egypt, China, and so many more just to name a few of the worst to the moderate.

While the Great Commission is a calling to all Christians to spread the word by teaching and preaching, it’s not without risk. Not everyone is up to the risk that comes with deliberately going into harms way. While not everyone is called for such missions everyone is called to use their gifts to spread the word of God to others. I firmly believe that when we fully explore our gift and use that gift we will prosper. I believe each of us is given our gift by God for a very specific reason. We all have our roll to play in the big picture. From the man or woman who takes out the trash, to those who stand in the pulpit no matter where that happens to be. No matter who you are, or what you do for a profession it doesn’t take years of training to talk about Jesus. It doesn’t take a degree in biblical studies or even apologetics to tell the world what Jesus has done for you.

When I was a soldier fighting in Ar-Ramadi I had a bible in left breast pocket under my armor. I kept it there every day, during every mission. It was a reminder to me that God was watching over me no matter where I was. Even the days it felt I was in a literal hell on earth, I knew and felt God presence. When we spend our day around people we have every opportunity to talk about what Jesus has done in our lives. When I was in Iraq I regret not focusing more on my faith. After surviving a few attacks that should have probably taken my life and didn’t, I should have and could have used that opportunity to talk about God in my life. Those are chances we must not take for granted. Every day we live we have an opening to spread the word of God. Not only do we have the opportunity we have an obligation to do so. “Since God has displayed to us so great a love the least we can do is accept and Carry Out the Great Commission.” (Dr. M. David Chambers D.Min.) Last year God spared my life, and when I came back, I came back with only one goal, to save as many souls as I could. I came back as someone else, something else. I came back as the Arrow Preacher.

 

 

 

 

Pass On What You Have Learned

thearrowpreacherLeave a comment

Pass On What You Have Learned

 When we start in our faith we are but babies. As we grow in our faith we grow stronger in both our connection with God and our understanding of that faith, we mature in it. It is important that as we grow in our faith that we learn to pass on what we have learned. In order for us to live up to the commandment we have been given we must realize the importance of passing on the word of God to the next generation. Joel 1:3 “3 Tell ye your children of it, and let your children tell their children, and their children another generation.” This sentiment is shared again in Psalms 34:11 “Come, you children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD.”

Although I’m not a father I can understand the opinion that a father wants his son to have a better life then his own. Proverbs 3:1 “My son, do not forget my teaching, But let your heart keep my commandments;” If we are to leave behind a legacy the most important legacy we can leave is the continued teachings of Christ. Proverbs 22:6 “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” Fathers must be roll models. We were made to lead the household. We were made to be strong and courageous. We may not always know the right path to take, and we may not always get it right everyday, but praying everyday to God for the strength, wisdom and courage to be the best dad you can be is so essential.

Today there are too many kids who don’t have a father. Today there are to many sperm donors that abandon their kids and walk away from their responsibilities. What is it that makes a boy lay with a woman and walk away when there is a child involved? So many males in our society today think of themselves as men, they have how many kids, with how many women, that doesn’t make you a man, it makes you a boy with no regard for morals or responsibilities. It truly makes me sick how many close friends I have who are single mothers, trying to play the roll of mother and father, work full time and still barely making ends meet. It isn’t fair or right for a family to live like that. Sadly it’s becoming just the way it is. More to it though, how many people live such a morally gray life? How many people who are raised Christian turn their backs on it, or how many live a life of hypocrisy? We are all hypocrites and we are all sinners, but to what extent? Do we hurt people on purpose? Do we lie to the ones we love to their face? Do we treat the people we love with distain and loathing? What is the driving force to have affairs, to cheat on the ones we claim to love? Why can we not be happy with what we have? Why can we not separate like adults, and why do we have to tear someone down to the very bottom before we are satisfied with leaving well enough alone? Where does our hatred, our rampant antipathy come from? We decide to destroy the very foundation a life was built upon for what cause? The simple answer is sin, and most often a form of unhappiness from within. We often push outward what we are feeling within and we don’t always know how to focus that energy so it usually comes out as anger, hatred, words and actions towards the person we are usually closest too. Sadly that’s part of why so many marriages, so many relationships end today. We just don’t know how to handle. It’s easier to quit and run away then it is to face yourself in the mirror. It’s easier to turn your loved one into the bad guy so you can look at yourself and feel okay with your decisions. The sad part is, while you are making yourself feel better, we don’t care about the pain we inflict on someone else. We don’t care about how much our anger and hatred is destroying their world. The old saying is true, “fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to the dark side.” (Yoda)

To love is hard; to love unconditionally is near impossible for so many. When you’re heart isn’t with the Lord, to love as Christ loves, to give as Christ gave, to sacrifice as Christ did, is beyond what most are comfortable doing, because that means putting your faith in something bigger then yourself. It means giving up that piece of yourself that must be in control, that must be held on to in order to protect yourself from harm. The truth is though if we are truly with someone, and trust them, and we give ourselves to someone to love them and want to make them happy with everything we are, if both people in a relationship would spend all their energy being their for the other person everyone’s needs would be met. This isn’t an easy thing to do, and it’s not without practice, but it can be done. How strong are you? How willing are you to merge to vials of sand together to become one inseparable bowl of sand? If nothing else is passed on in life, what does it mean to love, the greatest commission of all.

Love above all else, love your God, love your, neighbors, pass on Love.

 

 

 

A fisher of men/ Finding love in all the wrong places

thearrowpreacher2 Comments

A fisher of men/ Finding love in all the wrong places

This blog will be unique. It will be a two-part episode as it were. Days like today I find that writing may be the only escape. The silence is deafening, the lack of companionship is excruciating. To truly find oneself you often need to take a long deep look inside, but also a long deep gaze into the pages of the one book, the only book that matters, the Bible.

As some call our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ more then a man, what else was he? He was a Fisher Of Men. Matthew 4:19 “And he saith unto them, Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus sent his disciples out into the world to bring the good news of Christ to the world. The great commission, Matthew 28 19-20 “19 Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: 20 Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen.” As good Christians we must learn to become fishers of Men/Women. We must learn how to approach people about Christ, learn how to talk about the good Lord. We must learn how to use Apologetics, to defend Christianity, and understand religious worldviews. Mark 16:15 “And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature.” A world fallen into sin may cause fear to be used by the Devil to dissuade you from continuing your path to Christ. The path to heaven is not for the weak, or the faint of heart. In our path to bring others into the fold is tough, but worth the attacks to expose others to everlasting life.

In the efforts in our walk with Christ we often fall victim to loneliness, depression, anxiety. Matthew 11:28-30 “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” When we walk in the troubles of the world, we often find ourselves looking for comfort, companionship. We may loose our worldly loved ones, we may watch them leave our lives, hurt us, try to destroy our very lives, our reputations, but in all reality this is the Devils grasp on their heart. Often King David struggled with depression, anxiety, struggles with worldly desires, but in that deepest pain the book of Psalm’s was born. Psalm 23 “The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside still waters. He restores my soul. He leads me in paths of righteousness for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever.” Do not be fooled, the Devils taunts are tough, the lies sound good, and when we need comfort, all manner of temptations will be thrown into our path. 1 Peter 4:8 “Above all, keep loving one another earnestly, since love covers a multitude of sins.” We look for love, but if we are faithful to the Lord, the Lord will take care of us. John 14:23 “Jesus answered him, “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him. 24 Whoever does not love me does not keep my words. And the word that you hear is not mine but the Father’s who sent me.” Ephesians 5:1-2 “Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.” Never forget where the true love in life comes from. John 3:16 “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.” We are promised that our God is faithful, in that faith we must trust in the Lord. Genesis 2:18 “And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.” God wants us to have a companion, though we must have faith and trust in the Lord. Do not seek love in ungodly men, or ungodly women. Do not seek love in the desires of the flesh, but in the righteous who follow the Lord. Have faith and be patient with God, for he will bless you for it.