Pleasing Our Wonderful Lord

by   August 23, 2023 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Ephesians 5:10 and find out what pleases the Lord.

  • There are things that the Lord finds distasteful and He separated Himself from – 
  • There are actually things that attract us to God.
  • Throughout the word there are indicators of the things that excite, please, and attract God to us – let’s explore them continually and pursue them and He will make them known to us.

Prayer:  Hallelujah!  I want to please You in every way Lord, and I am looking for those things that please You and make You happy and not just man’s ideas or religious thoughts, but what Your word says that You are pleased with.  Teach me these things and I will follow them gladly.  Amen.
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Just a Thought

by   August 22, 2023 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

My mom was not the nurturing sort. She tended to be a no-nonsense kind of gal. She was so smart and capable especially about practical things. Though she had great respect for the Lord, I began to notice a warmth in her relationship with Him when I was away at college. She would write long letters about important things; like how to bake a turkey for Thanksgiving; with reminders to remove the giblet bag before baking. Huh. Who knew? One of those letters in her neat flowing script included this verse. “In the multitude of my thoughts within me, Thy comforts delight my soul.” -Psalm 94:19. It was the first time I remember her quoting Scripture. But that verse became so dear to me later in life, especially regarding my mother. You see, eventually she lost the ability to reason.


As I mentioned, she was a very smart, meticulous individual… until she wasn’t. We started noticing changes in her behavior that were so opposite of her personality. Only two months after the first episode, she lost her life to a rare brain disease. I can’t tell you what that single verse in Psalm 94 meant to me, though she had shared it thirty years earlier.


“In the multitude of my thoughts within me, Thy comforts delight my soul.”


I’m so glad God’s truth never fails. His comfort and peace ushered her into His presence, where she will never be confused or frightened again. In fact, it’s good to think on those comforts every day. “For God has not given us the spirit of fear, but of power and love and a sound mind.” -2 Timothy 1:7


May the Lord encourage your heart as you think on Him today.


Dear Sweet Lord, sometimes it feels as if the world around me hast gone completely crazy… and therefore so have I. So many thoughts and fears pound on my heart. Only You can offer the comfort I need. Please Father, I ask that You lift my thinking even to the point of delight in You. Perhaps infuse enough joy to bring others along. Please turn the crashing waves of fear into a peaceful river flowing from Your throne. In You alone I place my trust.

Amen

Catch Me

by   August 21, 2023 with No Comments
By Ann Farabee

The disciples encountered a storm in the midst of the sea, tossed with waves and a contrary wind. As they watched, they saw Jesus walking on the water toward them.

Peter responded with faith. He asked to walk on the water – and go to Jesus.

Jesus gave no explanation of how to walk on water.

He said just one word: Come.

But… what a powerful word it was! It required one action – a step of faith.

Peter went.

Peter walked – on the water.

But, he soon saw the boisterous wind.

When he saw the boisterous wind, He became afraid.

When he became afraid, he began to sink.

When he began to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me.”

What did Jesus do?

He immediately stretched forth his hand.

He caught him.

Oh, yes, Peter had faith.

But, Jesus said this: You of little faith. Why did you doubt?

Apparently, Peter had little faith, surrounded with some doubt.

When they came back onto the ship, the wind ceased.

Those who were in the ship worshipped Jesus, saying, “Truly, You are the Son of God.”

If we let this story from Matthew 14:22-33 ‘sink’ in, I am not sure we will ever be the same.

*On the sea of life, there will be storms, but Jesus will be with us.

*When He says, “Come,” we need to go.

*If we begin to sink, we can cry out, “Lord, save me.”

*He will immediately stretch forth His hand… and catch us.

*The wind will cease. We will be drawn to worship.

So, why do we have little faith?

And … why do we doubt?

Truly… He is the Son of God.

Together

by   August 20, 2023 with No Comments

By Ashlie Miller

Together. It is such a lovely thought of a word. It has connotations of joyful union and shared closeness. The opposite of that – separation – conjures up thoughts of loneliness, fear, division, and sadness.

The baby of our family expressed such sadness recently. Maybe it is because he has only known “together” for all of his five years of life. There is always someone with him. Even when playing alone, Mom is just around the corner, likely making a sandwich or cooking dinner. He embodies joy, optimism, and much love he is willing to share physically with a giant, plow-into-you bear hug. He is also quite empathetic. He is a sharer of joy and sorrow when he notices others are sad.

This month, we gathered as a family to remember my mother, my children’s Nana, who passed away two years ago. We ate one of her favorite desserts – German chocolate cake – and shared stories and thoughts while looking through old family photos. The family’s youngest members mostly ran around laughing and playing, just as Nana would have wanted. I am sure they caught glimpses of her while the old VHS tapes played on the television downstairs. Still, otherwise, they were a little less connected to the reminiscing. 

A few evenings later, as I tucked our little fellow into bed, I could see a look of distress on his face as he squeezed his most cherished lovey, whom he calls Puppy Love, in his arms. I leaned over and asked what was wrong. He closed his eyes tightly and said, “I hope Puppy Love never leaves me.”

It took my breath away. We all love Puppy Love; he has been with us since the oldest brother (now 17) was a baby. I tried to rationally but empathetically identify with his fear and hurt. It was not the time to tell him that inanimate objects cannot will to leave on their own. Nor was it the time to teach responsibility of not carelessly losing beloved items. His reality was knowing that things (or people) you love dearly could disappear someday. I gave him AND Puppy Love a big hug. Then, I told him he takes such good care of his lovey that Puppy Love would never want to leave him. 

It would be sad if this lovey left us because there is no real hope of reuniting. Separation is a scary and painful thing to ponder. 

Grieving my mother, his Nana, is very different, though. While separation hurts deeply, it is temporary. We WILL be reunited. Some days, that thought is not enough to hold back the wall of tears that trickle or burst unexpectedly. Our souls long for “together” and cannot deal with separation well because we were never meant to be permanently parted: 

“And the dead in Christ will rise first.Then we who are alive, who are left, will be caught up together with them in the clouds to meet the Lord in the air, and so we will always be with the Lord. Therefore encourage one another with these words.” 

(1 Thessalonians 4:16-18)

Our souls long for “together” because our Lord knows our future immortality. The Christian can grieve with Hope (which is a Person, Jesus Christ) because we can rest assured of our eternal togetherness if we know this Hope. Never to be left again. Never to be separated. Better yet, we will share this togetherness with the Lord. What completeness and wholeness. What true togetherness! 

Ashlie Miller grieves with Hope along with her family in Concord. You may contact her at ashliemiller.com.

Freedom Comes at a Price

by   August 19, 2023 with No Comments

By Doug Creamer

            My boss set up a field trip for the students to a museum that I didn’t know existed. This museum is located out in the country but it is well worth the trip. It’s called the Price of Freedom Museum. It was started by one fellow who collected military memorabilia. He started displaying the collection in his business until he ran out of space.

            I really don’t know how it went from being in his business to its current location, which is an old school. The collection now represents 20th century American military history and covers all branches of the armed services. I was especially struck by a uniform that had been worn by a soldier during World War I.

            The guys who led our tour through the museum shared so many great stories, which helped to make everything we were seeing come to life. They explained why the early gas masks were not effective. They showed us examples of field rations. They talked about how heavy the packs were that our servicemen had to carry. They also explained the roles of women in the various wars and how those roles changed over time.  

            One of the things that caught my attention is the pictures of the groups of men as they prepared to go off and fight. Some of the groups were larger than high school class pictures. There were tables covered with these pictures of so many men being sent off to war. As I looked at the pictures I wondered how many of those guys didn’t come home. I thought about the fact that these men were someone’s sons, fathers, brothers, or husbands. The more I looked at the pictures the more I wanted to thank these men and their families for such an incredible sacrifice so that I could live in freedom.

            I guess that is the point of this museum; freedom comes to us at a very high price. Freedom isn’t free at all. Unless someone is willing to stand up for it, we could lose the freedom that we enjoy every day. I grew up in Virginia Beach, where there where many servicepeople living in the area. If I see a person wearing their uniform while I am out, I try to make an effort to thank them for their service to our country.

            I realize that I have another freedom that someone paid a very high price for me. I was lost in sin, shame, doubt, and fears, and Jesus came and paid the price so I could be free. He willingly laid His life down for all of mankind so we could freely have a relationship with God our Heavenly Father. His blood washes us clean; our debt is paid in full. There is no need for us to struggle with guilt and shame, His blood paid for that, too.

            He died not only to present us clean before God but to set us free from all the things that would hold us back from the Father. We don’t have to worry about our future because God has it in His hands. There is no reason to struggle with doubt or fear because the God who made everything is watching out for you and me.  

            When I sit and think about it I realize that many men and women gave their lives so I could hear the Good News of the gospel. Most of the disciples were martyred for the faith. There have been many people down through history who were willing to give their lives to share the Good News with the lost. There are people today who are willing to give their lives to share the gospel of hope with the world. The price of sharing the Good News continues to be anything but free.

            I want to encourage you to consider the price that has been paid for you to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ. Jesus paid it all for each one of us. He thought about us when He died on the cross. He knew it was the only way to purchase us and to set us free. The Son of God died so we could live in freedom. I am thankful for the high price He paid. I am also thankful for all those who also had to pay with their lives so I could hear the Good News. I also want to honor those who lived out their faith and endured to the very end. I am so thankful for my freedom and the price so many have paid for me!

Contact Doug Creamer at PO Box 777, Faith, NC 28041or doug@dougcreamer.com

Good Valley People

by   August 18, 2023 with No Comments

By Roger Barbee

Six years ago my wife Mary Ann and I moved from the Valley to Lake Norman, N.C. We returned two weeks ago. When we lived here before, we lived on a seven-acre plot of land in a house built in 1890. Now we live in a house built in 1990 which is located in Woodstock. In a way we have moved from the country to the city. Before our return move, we appreciated that our new home would offer more modern conveniences and accepted the fact that we no longer would enjoy the three-acres of woods, old corn crib, a fine view of Short Mountain, and open field out back. Regardless of those “losses”,  we were thrilled at having such city services as trash pick-up and sewer. But more than anything, we eagerly anticipated renewing old friendships.

Six years is not, in the annals of the world, a long time. However, we knew that the Valley we left in 2017 would not be the Valley to which we returned. Certain features such as Great North Mountain still watch over the Valley, and the North Fork continues to flow through its banks. But some, ones that I had come to regard as Valley Originals, are no longer present. I had known that Gary, the fine mechanic who repaired our vehicles, had died. And just before our return move, I learned that Robert would no longer traverse up and down The Pike in his Flintstone-looking, two-toned, brown work van as he built and repaired the buildings of the Valley. And after our move I learned that no more classic automobiles would David re-build to their original splendor. Cancer stilled his skills a few weeks ago.

Much is made, and rightly so, of the natural beauty of the Valley. It is majestic, and we are pleased to be able to enjoy its panorama. And while we have already shared time with Wendy, Brittany, Terry, Jennifer, Mike, Bill, Jess, Hank, Arnell, and more good Valley people, we are eager to begin sharing life again with so many good folks.

As we get our new home organized, we will begin to venture out to enjoy the varied Valley views. In time we will re-acquaint ourselves with the ride to Shrine Mont and other great drives through the Valley.  But as much as we enjoy the natural beauty of the Valley, we cherish its Good Valley People more. To paraphrase Mr. Rogers: People are like shuttles on a loom. They join the threads of the past with threads of the future and leave their own bright patterns as they go. We will miss those departed threads of the Valley but rejoice in the new patterns we find. Gary, Robert, David, and all those before us would want as much.

Newbern and More…

by   August 17, 2023 with No Comments

By David Freeze

Whiteville was my last stop on July 3, probably the hottest day of my statewide challenge so far. Whiteville is the county seat of Columbus County. Whiteville is centered around the old courthouse, built in 1914-1915 and currently undergoing a major remodeling.

Columbus County was created in 1808. In 1810, a community was planned on land owned by James B. White and originally called White’s Crossing. A post office called Whiteville started in 1821 and the town was incorporated in 1832. The Union army sacked the town late in the Civil War. Whiteville hosts the Pecan Harvest Festival annually. Vineland Station, the town’s depot built in 1903 and one of the state’s first brick depots, serves as Whiteville’s Civic Center. Several old churches and a bank building caught my eye, as did some historic houses within a couple blocks of the courthouse.

Nashville, county seat of Nash County was first called Nash Court House and then became Nashville in 1780 and got a post office in 1805. Nashville features many historic homes. The town and its county were named for Francis Nash, who was mortally wounded at the Battle of Germantown, Pennsylvania while in command of N.C. troops during the Revolutionary War. The first courthouse was completed in 1778 and a historical marker denotes the ghost of the pastor convicted for murder who still inhabits it. The next Nash County courthouse was built in 1921 and a newer one is now in use. Nashville hosts the Blooming Festival each spring and Gov. Roy Cooper was born here.

Next up was the town of Washington, county seat of Beaufort County. I had heard of it for years but had never stopped in. Washington is located on the northern bank of the Pamlico River. It is commonly called “Original Washington” or “Little Washington” to distinguish it from Washington, D.C. Established in 1776 on land donated by Col. James Bonner, Washington is the first city named after George Washington, the first United States president.

Washington has many historical buildings, some from colonial times. The North Carolina Estuarium has more than 200 scientific exhibits along the Pamlico River that includes a ¾-mile boardwalk. The waterfront area is beautiful and had plenty of boats parked in the dock areas.

The courthouse was built about 1786 and was originally 42 feet by 42 feet but expanded later. It is one of the oldest public buildings in N.C.

The 1913 Turnage Theatre has been renovated from a vaudeville/movie theater to a center for performing arts. A cannonball from Union Army guns during an attack on Washington is displayed in an attorney’s office downtown. Dominique Wilkins, NBA Hall of Famer, who was called the “Human Highlight Film” for his thunderous dunks in the NBA, is from Washington. The Bank of Washington, built in 1852, is still in use but I don’t think it’s still a bank. Washington was seized by Union troops in March 1862 and Confederate efforts to recapture it failed. The Union troops withdrew in April 1864. The First Presbyterian Church was built in 1823, rebuilt in 1871 and restored in 1954.

My next county seat was Bayboro. Bayboro is the county seat of Pamlico County, located at the headwaters of the Bay River. Bayboro is a small residential, agricultural, fishing and commercial community. Bayboro was named for the Bay River and settled long before it was incorporated in 1881. It is the oldest incorporated town in the county and was the first to have town water. Its location is based on waterway commerce and commercial fishing associated with the town’s Bay River Harbor during colonial times. During that time, waterway traffic was the main source of moving goods and commerce to Pamlico County. The courthouse did not appear to be historic.

I drove on to New Bern, county seat of Craven County. New Bern was founded in October 1710 by Swiss colonists who named their settlement after Bern, Switzerland where many of them came from. New Bern is the second-oldest European settled colonial town in North Carolina, after Bath. It served as the capital of North Carolina from 1770 to 1792. After the Revolutionary War, New Bern became wealthy and quickly developed a rich cultural life. When Raleigh was named the state capital, New Bern rebuilt its economy by expanding trade routes to the Caribbean and New England. James Davis was the first printer and first postmaster of the colony of North Carolina and owner of the North-Carolina Gazette, North Carolina colony’s first newspaper.

In 1862, Union forces captured New Bern and held it until after the end of the war. Over 10,000 slaves escaped under the protection of the army. By 1890, New Bern had become one of the largest lumber producers in the south, but that business gradually dried up.

New Bern has an especially interesting fire department history. The manned fire service began in 1845. It was taken over by Union soldiers during their Civil War occupation, and then service moved on to steam fire trucks and then motorized trucks in 1914. All this can be seen in a fantastic fire museum.

Late in the afternoon, I tried to get some pictures of Tryon Palace, used by the British governors from 1770-1775. It was seized by American patriots early in the Revolutionary War and accidentally burned in 1792. The palace has been restored for tours, but the gates were closed for the day.

I made my last stop of the day in Trenton, the county seat of Jones County, and another very small town with little information available. Jones County is the fourth least populous county in N.C. The Jones County courthouse was built in 1939. The economy has been based on lumber and tobacco. Late in the afternoon, I found a historic church under construction and a historic water powered mill.

At the end of the day, I had completed 85 county seats and 9.3 miles on my feet. See you soon with more eastern counties!

Always Welcome

by   August 16, 2023 with No Comments

By Ed Traut

Hebrews 4:16 Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.

  • We have access to God’s throne in the Holy of Holies, because of the completed work of our Lord Jesus.
  • We enter and come to Him with confidence, because of this wonderful salvation. 
  • We receive grace in any time of need and we ought to go to Him into that place when we do have a need. 

Prayer:  Help me Lord to always direct all my need and my immediate solutions to You rather than to man.  Help me to lean on You I pray in the name of Jesus.  I look to You and praise You for all the times You have helped me.  I can not even count.  You are a faithful God in every way.  Amen.
 

Ed Traut
Prophetic Life

Equipped

by   August 15, 2023 with No Comments

By Lynna Clark

I’ve been thinking about a word I saw in Scripture, and praying it for my husband and me. You see, we’ve just let go of a lot of security and left jobs we had at the same school for the past twenty years. Yep. We are that crazy. Anyway, he was a middle school teacher [math, Bible, & culinary] and I was the school secretary. And we really loved it. But the Lord kept nudging us to step out of the boat and do a little wave walking.

A while back I heard a teaching series through the book of Nehemiah. The pastor said. “Don’t allow fear to be bigger than your God.” It was at that point that I had real confirmation that God wanted us to do something more. That was in January. So in March, when it was time to sign contracts for the next year, God gave us both peace and assurance that we needed to be done there. And we let go.

One day I was reading and came across the word equip. It’s contained in a prayer at the end of Hebrews. Chapter 13:20 says, “And now, may the God of peace, Who brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, equip you with all you need for doing His will.” Since we are definitely old dogs in need of new tricks, equipping by God sounds like a great request. So this has become my prayer for us. Today, I saw an interesting commentary on that word. The writer, Dennis Fisher, says it is the same word used in several contexts. Stay with me, this is pretty cool. Ephesians 4:12 uses it to describe what pastors and teachers do for us as they bring us God’s Word. Galatians 6:1 speaks of restoring [equipping] a fallen brother. And my favorite is in Matthew 4:21. Mending [nets] is the same word.

God is so practical. He never asks us to do anything without equipping us to do it. And if we fall, and odds are pretty good we will, He reaches out His hand for us. And when we need mending, He’ll do that too. People may think we are not worth the effort, but God never gives up on us. And the coolest part of all is that the power He uses to equip us is the same power He used to RAISE CHRIST FROM THE DEAD! Ephesians 1:19-“I pray that you will begin to understand the incredible greatness of His power for us who believe Him. This is the same mighty power that raised Christ from the dead!” Strong stuff! Makes me think we can do anything He asks!

So the prayer for today is for equipping. Lord, strengthen us with the tools we need to build Your church. Put in our hearts what You want us to do. Then give us the knowhow, stamina, and understanding to do the things You want done. Help us remember that we cannot rely on ourselves. Then strengthen us to stay so close to You, that when the waves get big, we instantly call to you like Peter did when he stepped out on the water. Hold us by Your strong and mighty right hand! Equip us to do great things we’ve never done before!

More: Psalm 18:16-20; Matthew 14:22-33; Isaiah 43:2; 2 Timothy 3:16-17

Isaiah 48:17- “The LORD, your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel says, I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is good and leads you along the paths you should follow. Oh that you had listened to my commands! Then you would have had peace flowing like a gentle river and righteousness rolling like waves.”

Blessed

by   August 14, 2023 with No Comments

Beatitude. Beatitude. Beatitude. Say that three times really fast. Something about that word never got my proper attention until recently.

If I heard the words ‘Sermon on the Mount,’ I envisioned a lovely mountainside, picnic baskets, and Jesus.

There were picnic baskets, right? It WAS the longest sermon on record.

But hearing the word ‘beatitude’ did not sound nearly as special – until I saw the definition. Beatitude means supreme blessedness.

We all want supreme blessedness, right?

Well, the beatitudes are the key.

Blessed are:

The Humble. Humility means to have a modest view of our own importance. Not to think less of ourselves, but to think of ourselves less.

The Mourners. We are in a world that believes in happiness at any cost. But – Ecclesiastes 7:2-3 says that it is better to go into the house of mourning than the house of feasting. Sorrow is better than laughter. By the sadness of the countenance the heart is made better.

The Meek. Meekness is about our behavior toward others. The word is meekness- not weakness. It is meek – not EEK! Moses was described as meek in Numbers 12:3. Jesus said, “I am meek and lowly in heart,” in Matthew 11:29. They had great power – but it was power under control.

The Hungry for Righteousness. Righteousness is the desire to do what is right. It is desiring God. It is pursuing God. We should be hungry for righteousness – and go after it!

The Merciful. Mercy is what you give to someone who does not deserve it. Compassion. Forgiveness. Surely the word mercy originated at the cross – as the greatest show of mercy possible was extended to us – the sinner.

The Pure in Heart. Man looks on the outside, but God looks on the heart. 1 Samuel 16:7. Above all else, guard your heart, for everything you do flows from it. Proverbs 4:23

The Peacemakers. Jesus gave His life to make peace between us and God. We are to carry that message of peace to the world. Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts. Colossians 3:15

The Persecuted. Persecution often refers to those who are mistreated because of religious beliefs. In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted. 2 Timothy 3:12

The beatitudes say that if we do these things: We are blessed. We will receive the kingdom of heaven. We will be comforted. We will inherit the earth. We will be filled.

We will obtain mercy. We will see God. We will be called the children of God.

That, my friends, is supreme blessedness.

*8 beatitudes from the Lord that teach us how to live.

*Beatitudes – my new favorite word.

*Godly examples for us to follow.

*Teach them to our children and grandchildren.

*Let the beatitudes be a part of our family legacy.

*That sure was some great preaching on the hillside near Capernaum.

*Brought to you by: Jesus in ‘The Sermon on the Mount’ in Matthew 5:3-12.

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