Apples of Gold
Apples of Gold contains articles to help you draw closer to God and grow in your worship of Him. It is our desire that these truly will be words "fitly spoken" to encourage you in your walk with the Lord.
...but God
It seemed that Adam and Eve were being short-changed as Eve spoke with the serpent, but GOD had given them all they needed and had their best interests in mind when He created the Garden of Eden. When Eve chose to believe the serpent and her own understanding rather than trust God, she made the biggest mistake of her life. Genesis 3
It seemed that Noah had been asked to do an unreasonable thing. To build a huge boat was ridiculous in man’s eyes, but GOD was planning destruction for the wicked and deliverance for those that trusted Him. Genesis 6
Just Add Hot Water!
Think about instant oatmeal, grits, coffee, or rice. The instructions often say, “Just add hot water!” These items can save a lot of time. Whether or not we enjoy the taste of instant things from the grocery store, certainly we can appreciate the purpose for which they were made: instant benefit.
2 Timothy 4:2 "Preach the word; be instant in season, out of season; reprove, rebuke, exhort with all longsuffering and doctrine."
Spiritual Goals
Each New Year offers opportunity to assess our accomplishments, habits, character, and the choice to remain as we are or strive to change for improvement.
As you make decisions about exercise, diet and saving money, let me encourage you also to consider spiritual goals. We all know that a list of Dos and Don’ts will not make us more spiritual. However, good habits and choices don’t happen magically in our lives. We have to work to achieve godly character. Sometimes it even involves sweat and determination, just like exercise or dieting.
Nearing the End…
2013 is drawing to a close and as we look forward to the last days of this year, I wonder, what does it look like to you? Is it a glorious dash to the finish line? Or is it just hanging on by a thread and hoping to make it?
It's Not Natural!
Hospital visits are a recurring event for a Senior Saints Pastor. I have the tremendous privilege of praying with dear Christians as they prepare for surgery or get medical attention for an illness. Sometimes I find a family struggling with sad news from a doctor. Often there is anxiety in addition to the pain when one is in the hospital bed. At a time like this, our role as caregivers and Christian family is to care for the sick and hurting with compassion and tenderness. But what if we are the patient? How does adversity affect our ability to minister to others? When we are in pain, it is not natural to think of the needs of others, because we are focusing on ourselves. But we have been called to live a supernatural life in Christ! Part of living like Christ is to endure affliction gracefully. It is not natural, it is supernatural. Only by the grace that God gives can we rise above our struggle to minister to others. I have seen Christians succeed in this supernatural activity, and I have seen Christians act just like natural people! Those that fail are doing the normal thing and no one is surprised that they become self-centered when they don’t feel well. Those that succeed in thinking of others amaze those around them as they smile at their caregivers and express concern and pray for those that minister to them or visit them. Until we are put into one of these tough situations, it is impossible for us to foresee how we will respond. But we can prepare ourselves by seeking God every day.