What are you doing here?

"What are you doing here, Elijah?" (1 Kings 19:9)

     Thank God that He is faithful when we wind up in places and situations where we ought not to be. He simply nudges our spirit and says, "what are you doing here?" Thank God for Holy Ghost conviction, for if left to our natural ways we would serve the flesh continually.
     We don't often thank God for our conscience, because by it's very nature its function is to make us feel uncomfortable. But the truth is, no one in this world has ever given you or I a better gift than that of a conscience. I don't know about you, but mine has stopped me on many occasions and made me pause before I did something stupid. It is better to not do something than to try and undo it. The bible tells of a man named Essau who did something mighty stupid and then he tried desperately, even through a flood of tears, he couldn't undo it. Regret is a terrible thing to live with, but even at that regret is a sign your conscience is still functioning. Today is a good day to thank God for the gift of a conscience. A car without brakes is headed for an accident, a spirit without a conscience is a human being without any spiritual brakes, unfortunately for us,  the world has already seen too many people like that.  Keep your fire burning.

Sometimes We Just Have To Say "NO" To God

Don't worry, I haven't jumped off the theological deep end. Just commenting on a passage of scripture that opens up all kinds of questions: De 9:14 Let me alone, so that I may destroy them and blot out their name from under heaven. And I will make you into a nation stronger and more numerous than they." Basically God, tells Moses that his praying is preventing God from destroying the Jewish people. That is a heavy thought! The ramifications are incredible. I wonder if Jesus has ever stood in the gap to keep me from getting smacked down? He ever lives to make intercession for us. It would probably be a good idea if we emulated Him a little more. I can't solve all the questions this text raises, or explain all the sides of God's personality, but I can glean this much from this passage: He has emotions, He gets ticked off, prayer works. God is always looking for a man/woman to stand in the gap, if you know what I mean. Lord, be merciful to us.  Blessings.

Something Worse Than Going to Hell

A number of years ago I posted a sermon online about something worse than going to hell. I was quite surprised recently to find that if you search for "sermon" and "hell" on google, the first listing that will come up is my sermon. I suppose this is my 15 minutes of fame, but I take no pleasure in thinking my legacy will be associated with that subject, and yet there are a lot worse things a person could be remembered for. If you have never read that message the thing that is worse than going to hell, is going there and taking someone with you. That thought was not original with me, though I may have helped to spead it's message. This brings us to our little lesson for today. What will you be known for? What legacy will you leave behind? We all leave fingerprints of where we have been and what we have done. My prayer and aim is that they won't be found at the scene of the crime, but on blessings that have been left behind. Keep your fire burning.