All of Rev. Oz's Thoughts for the months of May-August 2011 will be archived on this page.  Thank you for your interest!

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7-07-11 

"Are We That Honest?"

The 23rd Psalm starts by saying:

" The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want."

That verse should read something like this:

" The Lord is my shepherd I will trust in him to meet all of my
needs and take care of me."

Now we begin to see exactly how much we should be depending on God. The picture given to us here by David show us, as Christians, how we are suppose look at ourselves. We are to be God's sheep listening for his voice and following his leading, we are to be looking to him for our needs and what we need in life.

I know that many of us over the years have been taught "God helps those who help themselves" I am sorry h0wever that is found nowhere in the Bible. Jesus talks about this very thing in Matthew 6:25-34:

" Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body what you will wear....."

What he goes on to tell us is that we are to depend on God for ALL of our needs. Is this an easy thing to do? The answer is no. However as Christians we should be hones enough with ourselves if we need help in this area of our faith. Maybe we all need to stop what we are doing and take a personal inventory and see all that God has given us in our life. God has truly blessed us in many ways; our health, our finances, in our families and friends and the many answered prayers.

A man came to Jesus for the healing of his child and he was honest enough to say these words: " Lord I believe, help my unbelief." What a prayer. What honesty was in this man to be able to say these words. Now let me ask you, is there an area in your life that you are struggling to overcome? If Jesus were standing in front of you would find the courage or strength to say the words that this father found to say? I know that they are tough words to say, and that the feeling is difficult to admit. However those words might hold the key to the answer to whatever it is in life that you might be facing.

Yes we can trust Jesus to be our shepherd and to supply ALL of our needs and to take care of us.

In His Grace;

Rev.Oz

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05-17-2011 

"An Old Mule"

Hello Everyone.

I am happy to be back with you. I believe that all of the "glitches" have been worked out and that I will once again be able to write weekly. I thank all of you who have been and showed patience with me during this time of transition. I look forward to sharing the message of Jesus Christ with you and growing in faith together.

I have a question for you: Why is it that we as Christians always seem to look at the negative side of things? We have so much to celebrate because of what has happened in our lives that we should never look at the negative and allow it to have rule over us. No I do not live in a glass bubble where no problems or troubles arise. I face the same problems that anyone else does and I am very aware of what Jesus said in John 16:33:

"....... In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer,

I have overcome the world."

See, serving God does not mean an absence of troubles. God does not place in some, isolation from the problems that are in the world. The difference is that he has let us know that he has taken on every problem you or I could encounter and has provided victory over them. I doubt that there are very many of us who throw up our hand,s as a cheerleader would for their team, as we see troubles approaching. However Jesus tells us "be of good cheer". Why would he say something like that? Because we are to look at every trouble, problem, temptation or tribulation as another opportunity to show those around us, his love, mercy and grace.

David put it best in the 23rd Psalm when we wrote these words:

" Yea though I walk through the Valley of the Shadow of Death

I will fear no evil; for thou are with me."

That shows the Love of God. He does not allow us to go through things alone. He is always present even during the times when we don't feel him there. God is going to take us through the problem. He is not a God who would take us half way and abandon us. He is not a God who would simply say "you are on your own". Friends, he is the God who is with us every step of the way.

Later in that same Psalm David writes in verse 5:
"You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies"

The grace of God is that even when times are at there hardest and we have no idea where to turn, God says “come and dine“. He makes sure that what we need is supplied. David went on to write in another Psalm " I have never seen the righteous forsaken nor his seed begging bread." The grace of God is something you and I can not earn neither do we deserve; it is something that he does for us. Amazing and at times unbelievable things, yet time and again he has done them for each one of us.

David wraps everything up in verse 6 by stating:
"Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life
and I shall dwell in the house of the Lord forever."

That forgiving power of God is there whenever we stumble, fall, slip or just plain blow it. God reaches down and lovingly helps us back to our feet. He makes sure that our feet are placed on a rock and not in the slippery mud. There is no limit to his mercy. David says it will follow us all the days of our lives. That is powerful. And then to have the knowledge that we will live in the house of the Lord forever. We are going to be with Jesus beyond any length of time that we can imagine. Those are the things that should bring a smile to our face, a tear to the eye and a song of praise from our heart.

I picked the title "an old mule" because I was reminded of a story of a grandson on a walk with his grandfather. As they were walking down an old country road they came upon a farm where the farmer was using a mule to help plow. Much to the surprise of the grandfather, the little boy exclaimed "look grandpa that mule is a Christian !" The surprised grandfather asked the boy how he would know if the mule was a Christian ? The boy answered "because he has such a long face just like all the Christians I know."

As I close this message I am also reminded of an old song we used to sing, inspired by yet another Psalm that David wrote entitled "Joy Comes in the Morning." The chorus's sings as follows:

" Hold on my child, Joy comes in the morning
your weeping only last through the night.
Hold on my child, joy comes in the morningthe darkest hour means dawn is just in sight."

Christians, let us stop looking at things in a negative light. Let us not give an appearance of some gloomy old mule. Let us put on the face of a person who God loves and does so much for on a daily basis. A God who does not forget us in difficult times but is always right by our side. That's the God I serve and I trust it is the God you serve.

In His Grace;
Rev.Oz