I Took Thee; I was With Thee; I Have Made Thee: II Samuel 7:8-9 Now therefore so shalt thou say unto my servant David, Thus saith the LORD of hosts, I took thee from the sheepcote, from following the sheep, to be ruler over my people, over Israel: And I was with thee whithersoever thou wentest, and have cut off all thine enemies out of thy sight, and have made thee a great name, like unto the name of the great [men] that [are] in the earth. Consider the blessings that are found wrapped in these three statements of the actions of our God. God in His grace and providence takes believers, is with them, and makes them who He wants them to be. He takes them from obscurity in the wilderness and places them in authority in Christ. He is with believers whithersoever they go for He has said I will never leave thee nor forsake thee. His presence goes with them and [...]

OUR GREAT NEED FOR PERSONAL FELLOWSHIP IN PRAYER We were created to relate to God. Born again people have the opportunity to walk each day with the Lord and talk about everything that is happening to them. Our heavenly Father desires an intimate child/father relationship that is maintained by moment by moment fellowship. We can tell the Lord about our work, our families, our church, our fears, our trials and our world. Specific times set aside for prayer are helpful and important, but we should also keep in constant communion with the Father throughout the day. This is what the apostle Paul meant when he urged us to “pray without ceasing” (I Thess. 5:17), and to be “praying always” (Eph. 6:18). Each of us as children of the Father should learn to recognize His presence in our everyday life. A child at play loves to point out things that interest him to his mom and dad and hold their hands as they walk. A [...]

Personal Check – Up for the New Year Thomas Guthrie said, “If you find yourself loving any pleasure more than your prayers, any book better than the Bible, any house better than the house of the Lord, any table better than the Lord’s Table, any persons better than Christ, or any indulgence better than the hope of heaven -- be alarmed!” We should ask ourselves those three probing questions which help evaluate where we are headed spiritually. Have you ever been happier in the Lord than you are now? Have you ever been closer to the Lord than you are now? Have you ever been more used of the Lord than you are now? God’s people must take nothing for granted but be sober, vigilant and careful to keep our heart true to the Lord and separated unto Him in devotion, dedication and holiness. Pray one for another that we not fail of the grace of God. Spurgeon described the seriousness of backsliding this [...]