Facing Giants

Deuteronomy 31:6 tells us to, “Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terrified because of them, for the LORD your God goes with you; he will never leave you nor forsake you.” Moses was speaking these things to the Children of Israel right before they crossed the Jordan in to the Promise Land. Now you’ve got to remember that there were giants in the land at that time! We’re talking real live giants! And the giants’ main focus in life was to kill people! I’m thinking that they probably didn’t even like to share the same air as anyone that were different from them. And truth be known, they probably didn’t even like the other giants that were just like them. They were mean and an evil bunch. But God said, “Don’t be afraid or terrified because of them.”

I guess we all have giants in our lives. Big ugly giants that are mean and evil. We may not be able to see them but we know they’re there just the same. Might be a giant in the form of cancer. Maybe a giant in the form of a relationship with a spouse or a friend or relative. Maybe it’s one of our kids living a life that we know is self-destructive. How about a giant in the form of, “To much month at the end of the money?” This Scripture speaks the same to us as it did the day that Moses said it, “Be strong and courageous!” We can face these giants, just like the Children of Israel did when they crossed the Jordan River into the Promised Land. And the great thing about God speaking these words to us is that we can realize that God knows what’s in store for us. He knows what we’re going to go through before we even go through it and He says to us, “Be strong and courageous!”

I John 4:18 tells us that there is no fear in love. God says He’s our Father and that He loves us. Which one of us as earthly fathers would do anything that would jeopardize our children? How many of us would knowingly put our children in harm’s way? Our desire is to protect them from things that will hurt them in anyway. But we can’t shelter them from every evil that’s out there. Our Father doesn’t want to hurt us either, but He understands that we need to go through some things to make us mature.

II Corinthians 4:17 tells us, “For our light and momentary troubles are achieving in us an eternal glory that far outweighs them all!” It’s doing in us just what Romans 8:28 tells us it’s going to do. It is working together for our good! We need to experience these “giants” here on earth before we experience the glory that He has for us in eternity. That’s why the author of the wonderful hymn, “It Is Well With My Soul” could pen those beautiful words. “When peace like a river, attendeth my way, when sorrows like sea billows roll. Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say It is well, it is well, with my soul.” Horatio Spafford knew the peace that transcends understanding. Remember, the bigger the giant the easier it is to hit! David didn’t see a giant, he saw a great big target! Think about it.

Please pray for me and I’ll be praying for you! We serve a great God! Naomi and I love y’all.

2017 Ranch Family Fun Day Schedule

January 15, February 19, March 19, No RFFD in April, May 21, June 18, July 16, August 20, September 17, October 15, November 19 (Banquet).

Sing up for barrels, poles, chute dogging and breakaway by 9:30 am.  All other events please sign up by 7:45 am.  Breakfast will be served between 7 am and 8 am.  Lunch along with a quick sermon will be around noon. Breakfast and lunch cost nothing, but if you want to donate towards the cause, feel free!

 

Laws of Nature

Brothers and sisters there are some things that we just can’t do anything about! Like gravity. What goes up must come down. For some of us gravity is not our friend. We fall down. A lot. Or the laws of nature. Ever tried to control nature? How’s that working out for you? So often we need rain and there’s nothing that we can do about it. We can just sit back, pray and continue to ask God to bring it on! And then we realize, there really are some things on this ole’ Earth that we just cannot change, and the list goes on and on!

And just like in nature, there are somethings in God’s law that we just cannot change. For starters, God cannot lie! The Bible says if you have given your heart to Jesus, REALLY given your heart to Jesus (Not just walked an isle to satisfy your mother), nothing can ever take that away! Also, His love for you is everlasting. There is nothing that you will ever do that will stop Him from loving you. And that my friends is called mercy!

In the book of The Lamentations of Jeremiah chapter 3:22-23 tells us, “Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.” If I was God, I’d have wiped out this old evil world a long, long time ago! But because He shows us mercy He doesn’t. His mercy is constantly updated! No matter what is going on or how rotten we’ve been acting, His mercy is new every morning. We get a do over! I praise the Lord for that!

Then there’s giving to Him. Do you realize that you can never ever out give God? That no matter how much you give He’s going to give back to you much more! That’s a promise that you can take to the bank! And if you really think about it, we came into this world naked and we’re going to leave this world naked. We’ll all circle the proverbial drain no matter how much or how little we have. Jesus tells us in Matthew 6:21 that, “Where your treasure is there will your heart be also.” What that simply means is this, if you’re storing up treasures on this earth and not investing that treasure in Heaven your heart is on this Earth! But if you are laying up your treasures in Heaven, your heart is fixed on Heaven! So ask yourself, “Where are your treasures?” Think about it! Jesus says in Mark 8:36, “What good is it for someone to gain the whole world, yet forfeit their soul?” What good will all the money in the world do us in eternity?

Happy New Year!

In the past 10 years I have watched so many people in the church come to faith in Jesus Christ. I have had the privilege of leading many to the Lord myself by leading them in the sinner’s prayer right here in Canelo Cowboy Church! It has been such a blessing to see what God has done here in the last 10 and ½ years and He keeps on doing it! It’s a great thing to behold!
But coming to a saving knowledge of Jesus is just the first step. Alan Redpath in his book, “The Making of a Man of God,” says that, “The salvation of a soul takes only a moment, but the making of a saint takes a life time.” In other words, salvation comes so rich and so free and so easy, but to grow in Christ and become a mature Christians takes a long time. Just like a little baby. All of us here at Canelo Cowboy Church have been introduced to little Ellie Robbs and we have watched as her sweet mommy Heather has nurtured her and loved her and given her everything she needs. The Bible says this is how we are when we first come to Christ. We’re just new born babies in the Lord. But just like little Ellie, we don’t stay that way. We should start growing in the Lord from our first breath as a new Christian! And the Bible says that, just like little Ellie (Or all newborn babies), we should, “Crave pure Spiritual milk, so that you may grow up in your salvation (I Peter 2:2).”
Crave, it says. Thirst after it. Desire it. If you don’t feed a new born it will die. And a new Christian in the same way. If you don’t get fed you’re going to die! But Peter also puts some of the need on the new Christian. The new Christian must desire to grow, crave the milk and when something is pointed out to them they need to desire to change! And this also goes for older mature Christians. When our Heavenly Father aluminates something in our lives that doesn’t please Him, we need to do everything in our power to change. We need to repent, turn away from our sin and change whatever needs changing!
Have you ever heard someone say, “I’ve done that all my life and I don’t want to change?” That’s a sin. Our desire needs to be towards pleasing God. No matter where we are in the Lord, a new born or and old person spiritually speaking, our desire should be to do whatever we need to do to please Him. Pray about it.
Happy New Year! Naomi and I love you all.