Monday, May 2, 2022
Sarasota, Florida   

Grace and Blessing

I pray you had a good weekend and spent time with the Lord.  That you worshiped with your congregation no matter how much effort it took to get there. Sometimes when I am in one of those moods I remind myself how much effort it required for God to provide and for Christ to go to Calvary.

We have had about 9 of our northern missionaries return to their summer mission field north of the Mason-Dixion line.   So our attendance was down accordingly. We will miss them and I am in constant prayer for snow north of the Mason-Dixon line.:-)  One of the sorrows in my life is when they of necessity make the decision to no longer make the journey to Florida because of life’s demands.  I pray with them and respect their timeline and decision.  I thank God that I have had the honor to Worship, minister, and Fellowship with them.  We have established Eternal Friendships.

I became a child of God in 1974. Had to use my calculator to figure out how many years it was and if this modern device is correct it was 48 years ago in February that God forgive me my sins. I guess because of my personality it was easy for me to become a part of a denomination structure if you will. I did look at several denominations and decided that I would serve my Lord through the Baptist doctrine. God is Good

In these 48 years I have heard endless and countless promotional advertisements for books, seminars, and even personal mentoring on visions. Visions for myself personally, visions for my church that I’m a member of, visions for my family and of course there was their vision that they wanted me to subscribe to.

I have attached today’s daily devotional from Oswald Chambers with his thoughts. As a grumpy old man, I have reached the point but I would much rather have a word from the Lord you. Over the years my Bible study and personal experience has made it crystal clear what I should do today and tomorrow. My friends if I do that I don’t need a vision. God will take care of the results for today and tomorrow. I would much rather be a laborer in his vision. I know that there those who will take issue with this but I’m sorry…….. I would never want to stir up any kind of animosity or create angst or disagreement. But after all, I am a man, a person just like you are.

You know it amuses me to see a focus on visions with hyper promotion when they aren’t even taking care of day-to-day business.

Well, that’s my SharpRemarks for today. Read Oswald Chambers below. I love the guy. I wish I had known him in the past but I know that I will meet him in the future.

May 2

The Patience To Wait for the Vision

“Though it tarries, wait for it …” (Habakkuk 2:3).

Patience is not the same as indifference; patience conveys the idea of someone who is tremendously strong and able to withstand all assaults. Having the vision of God is the source of patience because it gives us God’s true and proper inspiration. Moses endured, not because of his devotion to his principles of what was right, nor because of his sense of duty to God, but because he had a vision of God. “… he endured as seeing Him who is invisible” (Hebrews 11:27). A person who has the vision of God is not devoted to a cause or to any particular issue—he is devoted to God Himself. You always know when the vision is of God because of the inspiration that comes with it. Things come to you with greatness and add vitality to your life because everything is energized by God. He may give you a time spiritually, with no word from Himself at all, just as His Son experienced during His time of temptation in the wilderness. When God does that, simply endure, and the power to endure will be there because you see God.

“Though it tarries, wait for it …” The proof that we have the vision is that we are reaching out for more than we have already grasped. It is a bad thing to be satisfied spiritually. The psalmist said, “What shall I render to the Lord …? I will take up the cup of salvation …” (Psalm 116:12–13). We are apt to look for satisfaction within ourselves and say, “Now I’ve got it! Now I am completely sanctified. Now I can endure.” Instantly we are on the road to ruin. Our reach must exceed our grasp. Paul said, “Not that I have already attained, or am already perfected; but I press on …” (Philippians 3:12). If we have only what we have experienced, we have nothing. But if we have the inspiration of the vision of God, we have more than we can experience. Beware of the danger of spiritual relaxation.