Rest in the Lord

Psalm 37:7 Rest in the Lord, and wait patiently for Him;
Mark 6:31 And He said to them, "Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while." For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves.

This will be the last post until May 26. I'm taking the Lord's advice and getting some rest. We have been very busy of late with some intense battles. Know this, dear ones, you will still be in my prayers.

Take time daily to rest awhile in the arms of your loving Heavenly Father.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Quiet Confident Comfort

Psalm 62:1 I wait quietly before God,  for my victory comes from him. 2 He alone is my rock and my salvation, my fortress where I will never be shaken. 3 So many enemies against one man—  all of them trying to kill me. To them I'm just a broken-down wall  or a tottering fence. 4 They plan to topple me from my high position.  They delight in telling lies about me.They praise me to my face  but curse me in their hearts.    Interlude 5 Let all that I am wait quietly before God,  for my hope is in him. 6 He alone is my rock and my salvation,  my fortress where I will not be shaken. 7 My victory and honor come from God alone.  He is my refuge, a rock where no enemy can reach me. 8 O my people, trust in him at all times.  Pour out your heart to him, for God is our refuge. 

Heavenly Father, we all have our enemies. Some of us are in the thick of battle right now. You alone can grant victory. Remind us today to wait in confidence for You. Grant us ears that hear clearly the voice of Your Holy Spirit, our comforter.
Help us remember that You are our refuge and not our own designs and plans.
Thank You that we can trust You for power belongs to You. Psalm 62:11 God has spoken plainly, and I have heard it many times: Power, O God, belongs to you; 12 unfailing love, O Lord, is yours. Surely you repay all people  according to what they have done.
Thank You that our sin is under the blood of Your Son. Those who refuse to receive Him as Lord will see Your wrath on the day of Judgment. We pray for their repentance, and Your protection for us in the mean time.
On You we will wait with quiet confidence in the comfort of Your promises.

In Christ Jesus,
AMEN!

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Be part of the dream.

Ephesians 5:18 Don't be drunk with wine, because that will ruin your life. Instead, be filled with the Holy Spirit, 19 singing psalms and hymns and spiritual songs among yourselves, and making music to the Lord in your hearts. 20 And give thanks for everything to God the Father in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 13:14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. 15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. 16 And don't forget to do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God.

What kind of place would your city be if every where you went there were believers singing, praising and giving thanks to God?

Someone might say, "Preacher you are dreaming. There is too much pain and suffering in this world. Even believers are overwhelmed by the troubles in this life." John 16:33 I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world."

I'll just keep on dreaming. You are welcome to join in the dream, or you can go on in your misery denying that God our Father is Who He says He is. As for me, I'm choosing to walk in His peace.

Today, be part of that dream for your city. Praise Him, He is worthy! Be a light for Christ right where you are.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Urgent! Pray for one another

Ephesians 1:15 Ever since I first heard of your strong faith in the Lord Jesus and your love for God's people everywhere, 16 I have not stopped thanking God for you. I pray for you constantly, 17 asking God, the glorious Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, to give you spiritual wisdom and insight so that you might grow in your knowledge of God. 18 I pray that your hearts will be flooded with light so that you can understand the confident hope he has given to those he called—his holy people who are his rich and glorious inheritance. 19 I also pray that you will understand the incredible greatness of God's power for us who believe him. This is the same mighty power 20 that raised Christ from the dead and seated him in the place of honor at God's right hand in the heavenly realms. 21 Now he is far above any ruler or authority or power or leader or anything else—not only in this world but also in the world to come. 22 God has put all things under the authority of Christ and has made him head over all things for the benefit of the church. 23 And the church is his body; it is made full and complete by Christ, who fills all things everywhere with himself.

I have been standing along side a couple this morning who are going through a critical spiritual battle. We are commanded to pray for one another. In Ephesians 6 after telling us to put on the whole armor of God, Paul tells us in verse 18 Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere.

Today, I call on you, my brothers and sisters to put on the armor of God and pray for this couple. Pray for believers all over this land who are fighting for their lives. Pray the prayer from Paul in Ephesians above. Pray for God to confound the enemy.

Pray. God give the victory and receive all the praise! Hallelujah!

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Fw: Wow! That looks good on you!

Colossians 3:9 Don't lie to each other, for you have stripped off your old sinful nature and all its wicked deeds. 10 Put on your new nature, and be renewed as you learn to know your Creator and become like him. 11 In this new life, it doesn't matter if you are a Jew or a Gentile, circumcised or uncircumcised, barbaric, uncivilized, slave, or free. Christ is all that matters, and he lives in all of us. 12 Since God chose you to be the holy people he loves, you must clothe yourselves with tenderhearted mercy, kindness, humility, gentleness, and patience.

It turns out that kindness, like love is something we choose over other things. It's like picking out your clothes for the day. In any given situation you can choose to be kind or you can choose to ignore, be rude, angry, bitter, hateful, etc. You get the idea.

Now Kindness from the Greek carries the idea of moral excellence with gentle goodness.

It has been my experience, that most people who think themselves morally excellent are generally not gentle in their dealings with those they deem morally destitute.

There are a few believers I know, who have high moral excellence, and in their day to day dealings with others show great gentleness, even when correction or instruction in righteousness must be brought. They are wearing the right clothes.

Today choose to put on Christ in all His excellence and you will not only look good, you will shine like the stars of Heaven.

Daniel 12:3 Those who are wise will shine as bright as the sky, and those who lead many to righteousness will shine like the stars forever.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Kindness

Galatians 5:22 But the Holy Spirit produces this kind of fruit in our lives: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, 23 gentleness, and self-control. There is no law against these things! 24 Those who belong to Christ Jesus have nailed the passions and desires of their sinful nature to his cross and crucified them there. 25 Since we are living by the Spirit, let us follow the Spirit's leading in every part of our lives. 26 Let us not become conceited, or provoke one another, or be jealous of one another.

Let's focus on the fruit of "kindness".

Philippians 4:30 And do not bring sorrow to God's Holy Spirit by the way you live. Remember, he has identified you as his own, guaranteeing that you will be saved on the day of redemption. 31 Get rid of all bitterness, rage, anger, harsh words, and slander, as well as all types of evil behavior. 32 Instead, be kind to each other, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, just as God through Christ has forgiven you.

Those who have believed on Jesus Christ for salvation have been identified by the Holy Spirit as His own. We are marked. The spirit realm can see clearly that we are children of God.

How does the world know we are God's children? Does your speech, your demeanor, your attitude betray you as a child of God? Are your words kind or trashy and full of anger? When speaking of others is there kindness in your words or do you spew forth unforgiveness?

The greatest kindness shown me is the grace of God through Christ's sacrifice on the cross. Titus 3:4 But—"When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit.

Today respond to everyone with kindness, for this is how God responded to us while we were still sinners.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

A Prayer for Us

Hebrews 13:8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever. 9 So do not be attracted by strange, new ideas. Your strength comes from God's grace, not from rules about food, which don't help those who follow them. 10 We have an altar from which the priests in the Tabernacle have no right to eat. 11 Under the old system, the high priest brought the blood of animals into the Holy Place as a sacrifice for sin, and the bodies of the animals were burned outside the camp. 12 So also Jesus suffered and died outside the city gates to make his people holy by means of his own blood. 13 So let us go out to him, outside the camp, and bear the disgrace he bore. 14 For this world is not our permanent home; we are looking forward to a home yet to come. 15 Therefore, let us offer through Jesus a continual sacrifice of praise to God, proclaiming our allegiance to his name. 16 And don't forget to
do good and to share with those in need. These are the sacrifices that please God. 17 Obey your spiritual leaders, and do what they say. Their work is to watch over your souls, and they are accountable to God. Give them reason to do this with joy and not with sorrow. That would certainly not be for your benefit.

Dear Heavenly Father,

Thank you for Jesus our Savior. Make us strong to stick to the truth. Keep us from sin and the evil one.

Give us sight to see the suffering of this life through Your eyes. When we suffer for doing right may we be found rejoicing because we have been counted worthy to suffer for Your name.

Remind us daily that this world is not our home. Grant us grace to hold it's treasures loosely that they may easily be used to further the cause of the Gospel.

Accept the offering of the sacrifice of praise from our lips.

Bless our Spiritual leaders. Grant them wisdom as they lead us and grant us willing hearts to obey as You lead through them.

In the Name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth we pray, AMEN

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Mom

Proverbs 30:11 Some people curse their father  and do not thank their mother. 12 They are pure in their own eyes,  but they are filthy and unwashed. 13 They look proudly around,  casting disdainful glances. 14 They have teeth like swords  and fangs like knives.They devour the poor from the earth  and the needy from among humanity.

As we approach Mother's Day 2010 take time to honor and thank your Mom. You may have had a wonderful Mother or one who could care less about you. Paul reminds us in Ephesians 6:2 "Honor your father and mother." This is the first commandment with a promise: 3 If you honor your father and mother, "things will go well for you, and you will have a long life on the earth."
Notice the admonition is not, "If your mother was good to you honor her." It is simply to honor her.

Today, set aside some time to dwell on the blessings your mother brought into your life. Write them down and if she is still living send them to her. Thank God for Mom.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Provision Promises Problem?

2Peter 1:1 This letter is from Simon Peter, a slave and apostle of Jesus Christ.  I am writing to you who share the same precious faith we have. This faith was given to you because of the justice and fairness of Jesus Christ, our God and Savior. 2 May God give you more and more grace and peace as you grow in your knowledge of God and Jesus our Lord. 3 By his divine power, God has given us everything we need for living a godly life. We have received all of this by coming to know him, the one who called us to himself by means of his marvelous glory and excellence. 4 And because of his glory and excellence, he has given us great and precious promises. These are the promises that enable you to share his divine nature and escape the world's corruption caused by human desires. 5 In view of all this, make every effort to respond to God's promises. Supplement your faith with a generous provision of moral excellence, and moral excellence with knowledge, 6 and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with patient endurance, and patient endurance with godliness, 7 and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love for everyone. 8 The more you grow like this, the more productive and useful you will be in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ. 9 But those who fail to develop in this way are shortsighted or blind, forgetting that they have been cleansed from their old sins. 10 So, dear brothers and sisters, work hard to prove that you really are among those God has called and chosen. Do these things, and you will never fall away. 11 Then God will give you a grand entrance into the eternal Kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

What a great assurance! God has given us everything we need to live a godly life (vs 3) Along with that we have His precious promises (5).

So we have His provision and His promises. That's great but many believers see the next verses as a problem. They are only a problem if we are lazy and shortsighted. Spiritually shortsighted people work only for immediate gratification. So if daily disciplines of the faith (Bible study, prayer, loving, holy living etc.) don't bring immediate results they will stop trying.

Recap:
God has given His Provision.
God has given His Promises.
God asks us to give Proof that we are His children.

I believe you, dear reader, are among those who will work to prove that you really do belong to God the Father. Remember this work does not save you. It shows you are saved and strengthens your faith.

Today supplement your faith with that list above.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Don't Gripe Pray and Vote

1Timothy 2:1 I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 2 Pray this way for kings and all who are in authority so that we can live peaceful and quiet lives marked by godliness and dignity. 3 This is good and pleases God our Savior, 4 who wants everyone to be saved and to understand the truth. 5 For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus. 6 He gave his life to purchase freedom for everyone. This is the message God gave to the world at just the right time. 7 And I have been chosen as a preacher and apostle to teach the Gentiles this message about faith and truth. I'm not exaggerating—just telling the truth. 8 In every place of worship, I want men to pray with holy hands lifted up to God, free from anger and controversy.

We have a privilege that few in history and even few today have. And that is the privilege of voting for our government officials. Today is Primary Election day. I urge you to find out who stands for righteousness and to vote.

Before you do that, however, PRAY. Note what Paul said above. He didn't tell us to rally against ungodly leaders. He told us to pray for them, and specifically to pray for their salvation and that we may live quiet and peaceful lives. The last thing he says on this topic is to pray with holy hands lifted without anger and controversy. We are to pray for our government leaders and all in authority, believing that God really is in charge. We are not to slander, nor speak evil of them. We are to pray for them.

I wonder what would happen if 100 Christians in Howard County Indiana would determine to pray fervently, every day for our leaders?

When Paul wrote that those believers didn't have the privilege of voting. As I said before, we do.

So Today, Pray and Vote.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr

Praise and Pray... Salvation

Titus 3:1 Remind the believers to submit to the government and its officers. They should be obedient, always ready to do what is good. 2 They must not slander anyone and must avoid quarreling. Instead, they should be gentle and show true humility to everyone. 3 Once we, too, were foolish and disobedient. We were misled and became slaves to many lusts and pleasures. Our lives were full of evil and envy, and we hated each other. 4 But—"When God our Savior revealed his kindness and love, 5 he saved us, not because of the righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He washed away our sins, giving us a new birth and new life through the Holy Spirit. 6 He generously poured out the Spirit upon us through Jesus Christ our Savior. 7 Because of his grace he declared us righteous and gave us confidence that we will inherit eternal life."

Wow, glory to God and hallelujah! I am so grateful that salvation is not dependent on the righteous things I have done. Rather it is dependent on the kindness and mercy of God. Praise God for the confidence of eternal life.

Should you feel the urge to shout, please do so responsibly...

Today take time to really thank God for salvation. Then pray for our country's leaders and for the upcoming primary election. Don't slander our leaders. Pray for them. Pray for their salvation.

Love in Christ,
Steve Sherwood Sr