MEN, FAITH AND FEAR

Praise the Lord! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name!!!! I pray everyone is enjoying Gods blessing. I am still going through this seemingly unending stretch of trials and tribulations that for the last month has turned into a series of plagues that started with bed bugs followed by "water bugs". mice and now flies. I have been battling flies all week and when it finally looked like I had the problem under control something happened that caught me completely off guard. My computer shut down! My world went black just as my screen went black, I tried to reboot it and it worked for about two minutes and then nothing, "this is it!" I said to myself, "It finally happened."

I felt like Job must have felt when he said in Job 3:25+26
²⁵ For the thing which I greatly feared is come upon me, and that which I was afraid of is come unto me.
²⁶ I was not in safety, neither had I rest, neither was I quiet; yet trouble came.

As I realized that my gateway to the world was probably broken I could feel my breath being sucked out of my body and my chest tightening up. To me at that moment this was the worst thing that could happen. I paid my bills on line, I wrote this blog on line, because of my disability this was my main source of communication. Add to that the fact that my wife was stuck in another state for the last few months and probably would not be back for another few months just made matters worst.

When Job said those lines he was referring to losing his family and his wealth to sudden calamities and disasters after years of praying for them and making offerings for his family just in case they did not do it for themselves. The room had to be spinning when the reports started coming in and so it was with me as I realized my computer was dead.

Fear is the lack of faith and at that moment I did not react from faith but from fear. The reason why it hit me so hard was because I knew that I had no money, no way of fixing it on my own. If I had 
$10,000 in the bank would I have been so upset? No because I could have easily resolved the problem by fixing it or buying a new one, but I did not have that option so I sought out other options in my mind, maybe call my brother or some other family member for some help or maybe my Pastor could help me with something. The thought of life without my  computer seemed unbearable.

Right in the middle of my anxiety attack God spoke up, He said "Darrell! why are you so upset? wasn't I in all the trials and tribulations? Wasn't there a reason for the pestilence?" I answered Him saying "yes" "So trust me I'm in this also" It's funny how we trust God after we've run out of other things to trust in. I began to pray with my wife who was on the phone with me when all these things happened. We prayed and I asked For forgiveness for my lack of faith and I began accept the fact that God had a reason for allowing this to happen.

As began to relax and accept the possibility that I was going to be offline for awhile I began to look at my fear and thought about 2nd Timothy 1:7+8
^7
8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;

No God has not given us the spirit of fear, We give it to our selves. When our deep inner fears are exposed, our first thoughts are "How can I fix it?" we want to cover them back up as soon as we can, prayer and seeking God takes too long so that's not our first option.

After my wife and I had prayer there was no noticeable movement in the natural, the computer remained "dead". Later I prayed and had my normal nightly devotion. I anointed myself with oil as usual and I heard "anoint the computer" so I did. I continued to pray and when I opened my eyes there was a red light blinking on the computer! I said "thank you Jesus! this must mean something." I booted up the computer and I shouted "Hallelujah!!" as it began to run as good as new. After that, every time that computer responded to my commands I would break out in tongues and praises to God. God is great and greatly to be praised! He cares about us! There is no concern to small or to big! I'm learning that absolute Faith overcomes the sum of all fears. 
                                     God Bless you all, Brother Darrell, A Watchman

EVERYBODY WANTS TO GO TO HEAVEN; BUT NOBODY WANTS TO DIE,

Praise the Lord! For He has done great things! I pray everyone is enjoying God's many blessings. As for me and my wife we are yet holding on to Gods unchanging hand. As the weeks go by and the road seems at times to be getting rougher as He stretches out our faith. We hold on to the fact that God is in it with us. I thank God that He  has given me this blog to write and given my wife and I the "SPEND SOME TIME SESSIONS" NATIONAL PRAYER LINE FOUNDED BY APOSTLE VIVIAN THOMAS( 916-233-2999, ACCESS CODE 541324) This ministry has been a real blessing to us and to our ministry together as has been our home church, FIRST CHURCH OF CHRIST HOLINESS USA, by the way, HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO OUR PASTOR Elder JOHNNY GREEN! MAY GOD BLESS YOU REAL GOOD!

"Be careful what you ask for, you just might get it" is a saying I've heard many times in the world but I never thought it would apply to my faith. We all want to be used by the Lord, We all want to hear "well done good and faithful servant" We all want ministries that reach out and touch many people. We want to heal, deliver and set the captive free and that is all well and good but most don't realize there is a price to pay to obtain that type of anointing. Paul wrote about it in 2nd Corinthians 12:6-9 
⁶ For though I would desire to glory, I shall not be a fool; for I will say the truth: but now I forbear, lest any man should think of me above that which he seeth me to be, or that he heareth of me.
⁷ And lest I should be exalted above measure through the abundance of the revelations, there was given to me a thorn in the flesh, the messenger of Satan to buffet me, lest I should be exalted above measure.
⁸ For this thing I besought the Lord thrice, that it might depart from me.
⁹ And he said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness. Most gladly therefore will I rather glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.

Everybody wants to be a pastor, standing up front, sought out by everyone and exalted, but why do we want it? and do we count the cost? Jesus states in Luke 14: 27-29
²⁷ And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.
²⁸ For which of you, intending to build a tower, sitteth not down first, and counteth the cost, whether he have sufficient to finish it? 
²⁹ Lest haply, after he hath laid the foundation, and is not able to finish it, all that behold it begin to mock him,

If you are in ministry just to have your ego stroked then chances are you won't last. The trials, the tribulations and the attacks of the enemy will test your metal. From the time I made my wedding  proposal till now my wife and I have suffered from constant attacks from the enemy along with numerous trials as God prepares us for that ministry.
I have come to realize that His grace Is sufficient for me and His power Is made perfect in my weakness. Paul said it best when said in 2nd Corinthians 12:10
¹⁰ Therefore I take pleasure in infirmities, in reproaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses for Christ's sake: for when I am weak, then am I strong.

              God bless you all, Brother Darrell, A Watchman


  

PENTECOST! OUR 4th OF JULY

Praise the Lord! Let everything that has breath praise His holy name! I pray everyone is enjoying this fourth of July along with their family and friends. I find myself home alone this year as God is doing a new thing in my wife and I's life. As I sit here meditating on God, not wanting to question Him but seeking the grace needed to make it through. Truly it is not good for man to be alone, I miss my wife and because of my disability I am constantly In pain and I don't get out much as I used to. Don't worry though I'm not sitting around feeling sorry for myself. I sit here watching the world celebrate Americas Independence from England. Back in 1776 a group of people stood up and with boldness proclaimed themselves free from a country "greater" than themselves, of coarse they had to then go to war and take hold of it.

While meditating on that, I began to think of the early church. The Shepperd struck and the sheep scattered. In hiding they met in cemetery's and upper rooms. The bible says in Acts 2:1-4

1 And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.

² And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting.
³ And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them.
⁴ And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.


On that day they came together with one accord and they received power from on high, power to boldly stand up and declare themselves as believers in Christ, freed from the power or of sin and from the tyranny of the law of the Pharisee's and Sadducee's. Later That day Peter would go on to preach with boldness and power what today could be called "THE HOLY GHOST DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE!" Acts 2:14-40
¹⁴ But Peter, standing up with the eleven, lifted up his voice, and said unto them, Ye men of Judea, and all ye that dwell at Jerusalem, be this known unto you, and hearken to my words:

¹⁵ For these are not drunken, as ye suppose, seeing it is but the third hour of the day.

¹⁶ But this is that which was spoken by the prophet Joel;

¹⁷ And it shall come to pass in the last days, saith God, I will pour out of my Spirit upon all flesh: and your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, and your young men shall see visions, and your old men shall dream dreams:

¹⁸ And on my servants and on my handmaidens I will pour out in those days of my Spirit; and they shall prophesy:


^{19 And I will shew wonders in heaven above, and signs in the earth beneath; blood, and fire, and vapour of smoke:}
20⁰ The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the great and notable day of the Lord come:

²¹ And it shall come to pass, that whosoever shall call on the name of the Lord shall be saved.

²² Ye men of Israel, hear these words; Jesus of Nazareth, a man approved of God among you by miracles and wonders and signs, which God did by him in the midst of you, as ye yourselves also know:

²³ Him, being delivered by the determinate counsel and foreknowledge of God, ye have taken, and by wicked hands have crucified and slain:

²⁴ Whom God hath raised up, having loosed the pains of death: because it was not possible that he should be holden of it.

²⁵ For David speaketh concerning him, I foresaw the Lord always before my face, for he is on my right hand, that I should not be moved:

²⁶ Therefore did my heart rejoice, and my tongue was glad; moreover also my flesh shall rest in hope:

²⁷ Because thou wilt not leave my soul in hell, neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.

²⁸ Thou hast made known to me the ways of life; thou shalt make me full of joy with thy countenance.

²⁹ Men and brethren, let me freely speak unto you of the patriarch David, that he is both dead and buried, and his sepulchre is with us unto this day.

³⁰ Therefore being a prophet, and knowing that God had sworn with an oath to him, that of the fruit of his loins, according to the flesh, he would raise up Christ to sit on his throne;

³¹ He seeing this before spake of the resurrection of Christ, that his soul was not left in hell, neither his flesh did see corruption.

³² This Jesus hath God raised up, whereof we all are witnesses.

³³ Therefore being by the right hand of God exalted, and having received of the Father the promise of the Holy Ghost, he hath shed forth this, which ye now see and hear.

³⁴ For David is not ascended into the heavens: but he saith himself, The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand,

³⁵ Until I make thy foes thy footstool.

³⁶ Therefore let all the house of Israel know assuredly, that God hath made the same Jesus, whom ye have crucified, both Lord and Christ.

³⁷ Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do?

³⁸ Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

³⁹ For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call.

⁴⁰ And with many other words did he testify and exhort, saying, Save youselves from this untoward generation.

Paul would later write in Galatians 5:1

5 Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage.

LORD HELP ME TO STAND FAST IN YOUR LIBERTY AND LET YOUR FREEDOM REIGN THROUGH OUT THE NATIONS!
                                 GOD BLESS YOU ALL, Brother Darrell, A watchman