Showing posts with label God. Show all posts
Showing posts with label God. Show all posts

Saturday, December 8, 2018

It’s A Faith Walk - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

It’s A Faith Walk
Now Think On This
Steve Martin


“But He said to them, "Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?" (Mark 4:40, NKJV)


It’s a faith walk. Really? Yes.

Have you ever tried doing something one way, and then realizing it doesn’t work, and only then do you actually do it the way it was meant to be done?

Imagine making a Dutch Apple pie by using ingredients you tasted in someone else’s, without the recipe? I am sure one or two have tried that. Anyone eat it after the first bite?

Or how about going on what was to be an adventurous mountain hike, but leaving behind a reliable compass, having but a little container of water and no amount of nourishing food for the twelve-mile journey, on a trail little have ever used? Get lost?

Ever try putting together the new Hanukkah or Christmas toy for the tot, thinking, “I got this!” only to find out in fact, two hours later, the kid is crying, the remaining five screws are still left in a pile along with some piece you have idea where it was to go, while frustration came in the front door an hour earlier? Yes, you have, dad. Me too. (I’ll stick to the accounting budget and let another do that construction stuff. Because the toilet still leaked after my great “repair job”.)

As I said, it really is a faith walk. But not because we have faith in ourselves, our natural talents, or the Doris Day song in that movie, “Whatever will be will be.” Que sera, sera. Really? That is walking in faith? Anybody can say that. Most do. And where does that get them? (Thanks Dr. Phil.)

Even putting our trust in that weekly paycheck, the stock market (up and down, up and down), or the retirement fund we spent years building and then lost in the last financial crash that occurred (and will occur again I believe) won’t work in the end.

So where is your faith? If tested, would it hold strong? Or is it like the house built on sand, only to crumble when the water comes in like a flood? I think you best find out now.


"But if you just use my words in Bible studies and don't work them into your life, you are like a stupid carpenter who built his house on the sandy beach. When a storm rolled in and the waves came up, it collapsed like a house of cards." (Matthew 7:26-27 THE MESSAGE)

I have learned that to grow my faith, that amount of which both you and I were initially given by the Lord Jesus at the start of our spiritual walk, you have to hear what He says (through the Bible, from another believer’s word our Lord uses, a prophetic message written and read by you, touching you, etc.) and act on it. Obedience produces faith. More obedience produces more faith.

Exercise builds up the cardio and the muscular system. Lack of exercise builds up the fat and the sluggishness. Which works three, five, ten years down the road? You know as well as I do.

Today you may be facing a decision. It will require doing something you have never done before. It might be a risk to take, a stepping out. It surely might even cause you to look up.


“I will lift up my eyes to the mountains;
From where shall my help come?
My help comes from the Lord,
Who made heaven and earth.

He will not allow your foot to slip;
He who keeps you will not slumber.
4 Behold, He who keeps Israel
Will neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord is your keeper;
The Lord is your shade on your right hand.
The sun will not smite you by day,
Nor the moon by night.

The Lord will protect you from all evil;
He will keep your soul.
The Lord will guard your going out and your coming in
 From this time forth and forever.
(Psalm 121: 1-8, NASU)


Believe it? Do you believe God’s Word? Many have tried it, proven it, and lived by it.

Walk by faith, not by sight, and do what He is calling you to do. I promise He will not fail you. He can’t. He is God.

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

Now think on this,

Steve Martin
Founder/President
Love For His People, Inc.





P.S. Want an adventure walk? Come with me while watching my short videos that I recorded. Check it out: Walk With Me

P.S.S. I hope you get my latest book, Adventures in Courage, out this November. Paperback or Kindle versions. My 19th authored publication. (Yes, this is an advertisement!)


If these messages have ministered to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $10-$50 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families in Israel whom we consistently help monthly through our humanitarian work. Your tax-deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.
  
Secure, conveniently contributions can be done online now. Click here: DONATE 

(or use the DONATE buttons on the blog.)

Contribution checks can be sent to: 
Love For His People, Inc. 
P.O. Box 414   
Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.) 


Please share Now Think On This with your friends on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and LinkedIn.  We appreciate your help.


Now Think On This #373 - in the year of our Lord 12.08.18 –It’s a Faith Walk”  Saturday, 7:50 am

Tuesday, November 20, 2018

Intimate - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Intimate
Now Think On This
Steve Martin


"Draw near to God and He will draw near to you.” (James 4:8, NASU)


Most people fear to be intimate. Decades of rejection, initially in our lives due to the separation we had with our God until new life, rebirth took place, kept us from having honest, soul to soul communication with Him and with each other. I know I do, struggling at times to express what I really want to. It’s that sense of uncertainty of what the other may think, feel, or want to share with us in return.

It is quite common I believe among us. We want to. We need to. But we somehow can’t. (Especially for us macho men!) So we have the small talk, the short quips, the “meet and greet” five minutes during the church service.

We are missing out on being intimate, especially with our Lord Jesus. And that is the One we really need to start with. If we can’t be intimate with our Creator, our Father, the One who gave Himself totally for us, how can we be intimate with one another? I am still seeking to find out what all is missing. The lack, I need. The love and intimate cup need to be filled more often than it has been.

There have though been real moments in being with the Lord, those times when touching His heart has just been a real, reachable joy. Those “almost raptured” times during God-filled worship in a large gathering of His people, when the anointing of the Holy Spirit just comes over us. It seems as close to being with Him that we may know, this side of eternity. It’s as if we just can’t hug Him enough; speak words of built-up heart thanks to Him; crawl up in His lap and sit, staying in His presence, not wanting to leave that place for a long, long time.

Sounds too heavenly, right? Not attainable you say? But it is.

Because of His tortuous pain on the brutal cross, we can now receive healing.
Because of His tearing down the huge curtain of separation, we can now touch Him.
Because of Who He is and what He has done, we can be as close as we want to be with Him.

“But I'm in the very presence of God — oh, how refreshing it is! I've made Lord God my home.
God, I'm telling the world what you do!” (Psalm 73:28, THE MESSAGE)

David need not be one of the few who knew what it was to be close, to draw near, to really get close to God. It is not a scary thing. It is an awesome thing. We CAN know, deep in our soul, deep in our spirit, close to our heart, His presence.

Let me share something personal as if I usually don’t most often.

Zoe Girl Martin - pure love
I can finally declare that I am thankful for my dog, especially with this particular action on her part. It has taken me a few months to come to this point where I can say, “Thank you Lord for Zoe, this 12-year old Dachshund you created, who has to get up now once or twice in the middle of the night, drink a big bowl of water, and then let it all out. Yes, I can finally say, “Thank you, Lord.”” (She has Cushing’s. You’ll have to look that up if you are curious enough.)

Because…along with the re-energization that I get each time I return from being in the land of Israel (the promised land for both Jews and those who the Lord has joined together along with them), with the Lord’s Spirit waking me up in the middle of the dark night since then, my little 14 pound Zoe also gets me up in the middle of the silence and almost deep sleep. Because of Him using her, I have had more moments of experiencing intimate times with Him these past days and months.

When all is quiet, undisturbed, and time is given for taking time to be with Him alone…putting on the earphones, tapping the praise and worship music app on the smartphone playlist, and just giving Him seconds, minutes, maybe even an hour to be with me, in intimacy, has refreshed my soul, lifted my spirit, and renewed the initial vision, purpose and plans He has to reveal even further. He has given me times of being intimate with Him.

And yes, it is possible to be intimate with each other I am certain. It starts with being intimate with our Lord, where His heart first becomes yours, and His life then dwells in ours.

I like to sleep. Most of us do. Sometimes I believe it is overrated when we could be doing so much more. But I no longer mind it when the Holy Spirit awakens me in the middle of the night, using Zoe or any other means He chooses. Being with Him is worth the time.

My prayer, both for you and I, is very simple. “Lord, we want You. We need You. Come and fill my heart with Who You are so we can love those who yet don’t know, or want to know You more.”

May He answer this prayer for you and me today, tomorrow, and beyond.

Shalom and ahava (peace and love in Hebrew).

Now think on this,

Steve Martin
Founder/President
Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. Want an adventure walking the streets of Jerusalem? Come with me sometime! And in the meantime, watch my short videos that I recorded in October 2018 as I did that just that. Jerusalem October 2018 playlist

If these messages have ministered to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $10-$50 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families in Israel whom we consistently help monthly through our humanitarian work. Your tax-deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.
  
Secure, conveniently contributions can be done online now. Click here: DONATE 

(or use the DONATE buttons on the blog.)

Contribution checks can be sent to: 
Love For His People, Inc. 
P.O. Box 414   
Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.) 



Please share Now Think On This with your friends on Facebook, Google+, Twitter, Pinterest, Tumblr and LinkedIn.  We appreciate your help.


Now Think On This #369 - in the year of our Lord 11.20.18 –Intimate”  Tuesday, 5:00 am

Monday, October 29, 2018

LoveMusic! - 4Him "Who You Are" - music video

4Him
"Who You Are"

Oct. 29, 2018

Greetings LoveMusic! and friends of God.

Who is my favorite group of all time, maybe even eternity? Hint. Their names and photos are on this page.

4Him - what a great group of guys. Knowing them since the 1990's and having ALL of their CDs, MP3, and whatever else they had, are in my CD rack, my iTunes playlist, and on my car playback every morning I drive to work.

I was especially blessed to hear them minister near Columbia, South Carolina a few years back on their 25th Anniversary tour (hear their live music I recorded (4Him Live in concert - Steve Martin recordings), and before that in Humble, Texas for a Christmas concert.

This song, "Who You Are", from their CD Walk On, would be in shreds if I was still using a tape cassette recorder to listen with.

Listen and worship the Lord during your prayer time today. HE wants you to be with Him (Jesus).

Be blessed. Be loved. Know WHO it is that loves you and is the Lord of our lives.

Ahava and shalom,

Steve Martin
Founder/President
Love For His People
Charlotte, North Carolina
USA




LISTEN HERE BELOW:


Category

4HIM

Music Group
4Him was a Contemporary Christian group founded in 1990 in Alabama, US. The group has ten Dove awards, a Grammy nomination and three certified gold albums to their credit. The group was inducted into Alabama's Music Hall of Fame, following the awarding of The Governor’s Achievement Award. The group has also been featured performers fo…