Companionship in the New Year

“May the grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God,
and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit be with you all.”
II Corinthians 13:14

Was 2011 a banner year for you that has you hoping for a repeat in 2012 or was it a difficult twelve months that you are glad are over and do not soon want to repeat? Regardless of how you answered that question, I hope that in the lowest valley experiences and on the highest mountaintop joys you were able to learn, and take from each, what God desired you to have.
God has made every one of us unique, (yep, billions of people on the planet and no one quite like you!) but the struggles and the joys you may have been a part of this year are not. Most adults have faced a loss in the lives through the death of a loved one. Many marriages have ended in divorce. On the other end of the spectrum, someone else, like you, has landed that ‘perfect job’ or another mom has given birth to the ‘perfect baby’. As difficult or as wonderful as all the events of the past 365 days may have been, they were not spent alone.
Jesus promised us that He would never leave us and He would never forsake us.
He doesn’t disappear when things go wrong.
He is not a ‘fair weather friend’.
Neither does He suddenly appear, like all the long lost friends and relatives, who come out of the woodwork when you get the huge promotion, win a sweepstakes or are elected to an office.
As we leave 2011 and begin 2012 may you be diligent in acknowledging the presence of God in your life.
Ask the Holy Spirit to help you recognize God’s work in the tough times and in the times when everything seems to be going well.
Both seasons are times when it can be easy to walk away from God.
Just remember, He will not walk away from you.

This is Sure Not the Answer I was Expecting!

“Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; 6 in all your ways submit to him, and he will make your paths straight.”
Proverbs 3:5-6

Today I am sharing with you a brief portion of a testimony given on Christmas Day at ‘His Place’. Before you read it, let me ask you a question. Do you ever pray while convincing yourself as you pray that you know just how God will answer your prayer? Maybe, just maybe, God will indeed answer your prayer but in a way you had not considered. I know we have all heard the expression – “Don’t put God in a box”; but I think sometimes we ask and try to ‘hem God in’ by expecting He can only answer in a way that meets our expectations. Our verse for today begins with the word ‘trust’. Trust means God gets to answer how and when He chooses. Our role is to ask and then trust him. Read the testimony below and notice the unexpected way that God answered (yes, He did answer!) the prayer.

“My perception of God is that He has a fantastic sense of humor. During a white-out snow storm early last winter, as I drove up a steep hill (after which I knew followed a sharp bend in the road) suddenly all the windows on my pickup fogged over making it impossible for me to see where I was going. I prayed a fast apology for not asking His protection before starting my trip, then pleaded that He protect me and those around me from harm. After which He quite gently parked me in a ditch!

Let’s determine to ask God as we need to and then to let
go of trying to let our imagination control how He answers!

God is Good and God is Gracious

“Let them give thanks to the LORD for his unfailing love and his wonderful deeds for mankind. Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the council of the elders.”
Psalm 107:31-32

I hope that the testimonies shared have been encouraging to you. In some small ways and some very big ways we have seen the faithfulness of our loving, heavenly Father through the lives of people facing ‘common’ problems with an ‘uncommonly’ loving God. Here is another one to rejoice in:

“The first thing that came to mind when we were asked to share how God has blessed our family during the past year was something all born-again parents pray for. As a leader of our youth group, the kids in our group know I love them and that my greatest prayer is that they all would accept Christ as their Savior and that they would begin a personal relationship with Jesus. I didn't expect the first to be my own son. I thanked God for His kindness & grace as I led my eldest son in the sinner's prayer. If that wasn't amazing enough by itself, a few months later I got to baptize my own son. God is awesome!The next event that comes to mind is something that frightened my wife and me. While putting our second eldest son to bed one evening, I noticed a lump on the back of his neck about the size of a peanut M&M. It was located between two vertebrae. My wife had noticed it too and was more than a little distressed. Neither of us wanted to worry our son about it, so while he was sleeping, we each took turns laying our hands on him and praying that God would heal him. The next morning the lump was completely gone and has not returned. Praise God!Also this year, my brother and his wife had experienced difficulty in their marriage. Difficulties like gambling problems and infidelity. The marriage was in severe danger and my sister-in-law had already contacted an attorney and sought out a separate living space. We met with them, spoke with them, helped them to understand the roles of a husband and a wife from a biblical perspective as well as God's attitude toward marriage and divorce. Two days ago they visited our house for Christmas and were getting along very well - laughing with each other, joking, and hugging each other. Their marriage is on the mend.God continues to open doors for us to speak into other's lives and present opportunities to come along side Him. We have realized the more we draw closer to Him, and the more we fall in love with Jesus, the closer we grow to each other. We have never been stronger and tighter. God is good. God is gracious. God is an amazing God and we can't help but thank Him for what He has done for us this year.”

And He Walks With Me and He Talks With Me!

“Many, O Lord my God, are the wonders you have done. The things you planned for us no one can recount to you; were I to speak and tell of them, they would be too many to declare.”
Psalm 40:5

If you are just joining us here at “Choose the River” we are taking a look this week at some of the testimonies shared on Christmas day at ‘His Place’. W rejoiced to have an opportunity to give God the glory as some shared the things God has done in their lives in 2011. Below is another of the testimonies that was shared:

“2011 started with fear. Our youngest son lost his home through addictions and we feared for his life as 2011 began. Adult children remain babies in our heart and we want to protect them from the world. Christ intervened and much like the prodigal son in the book of Luke I had to let him go much like Christ does with me. My grief showed me how much I grieve Christ through my actions because he loves me more deeply than I love my son.
I was sad in the spring when a dear friend passed away but I recalled him telling me how he stood here at the altar in His Place and experienced the arms of Christ embracing him. I was able to see Christ reaching out with his comfort for him and also for me.
An early bible study we had that suggested we “walk across the room” stayed as a burden with me through this year – why can’t I reach out to more of the people of my community? Not to have a bigger fellowship but to open eyes of neighbors to a relationship with Jesus that he longs for and we all dismiss to one degree or another.
In late summer our studies of Prophetic Ministry led me deeper into a relationship with the Spirit of God. While I knew and believed the prophetic was a gift of the Holy Spirit, I believed it was a gift for someone else and not me. Little did I know what was about to happen - only recently. My wife traveled with me during a business trip two weeks ago and we took time to investigate a time share type investment. It looked great and we could pass ownership to our son as a future gift. We agreed to the deal and I fell asleep that night contented.
In the middle of the night I awoke with a prophetic dream imprinted in me. Shirley & I were in the lower section of a building, warm, safe and at peace. A boom over our head made us walk upstairs where we found a tree that had crashed through a roof and was lying on the floor that was above us. Below everything was still warm, safe and peaceful but rain was entering around the tree. The interpretation was given to me – disaster was coming to our safety, peace and warmth unless we acted now. The next day we canceled the investment and last Friday we returned home, meeting my boss after landing. The news was bad. My job was being cut that very day. Medical coverage would be ended on December 31 and my wife’s diabetic supplies would no longer be covered and there would no longer be a pay check.
There is not enough time to explain everything but Christ leads me and comforts me and protects me. It is often said we walk alone in life but with my wife at my side we walk with Christ as our guide, our comforter and our Lord.”

Rise, Shine and Give God the Glory!

“Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together.”
Psalm 34:3

As I mentioned in a previous post, this Christmas day at ‘His Place’ we were given an opportunity to give God the glory and to rejoice with others who shared some of the things God has done in their lives in 2011. Below is the testimony shared by one individual. Won’t you rejoice with us in thanking God for what He is doing in their life?

"Baptized in the Holy Spirit, I have a better understanding of Gods direction for my life. I now want more of him in my life. I'm like a sponge now. I just want to know more. Have total faith in God, knowing He is always there no matter what I'm facing. I have faced a lot these past few years.

This will be my second year of tithing and being able to see the blessing from that. Financially God has amazingly been there for me. Bills that I couldn't pay would get paid. I am still in my house with no payments for more than three years (after my husband left me). When my cupboards where empty and I didn't know what was going to happen. God always provided. I don't have to go to the food cupboard anymore. My income hasn't changed and God has shown me so much of the unexplained happenings in my life.

I am badly hurt and I have faced many struggles in my life. Yet, God was there for me through it all. He was there through the anger. When I cried out to Him, he was there for me. God spoke words over my life through people and I saw myself walking through my difficulties. When I need help I call on God and He is always there.

There is a lot that I still await in the coming New Year. I have an excitement for what it is that God has prepared for me. I know God is making me a “new creation”. Every time I look at myself I'm different. I'm new in Him and through Him. What an awesome God we have! He allows us to have this renewal in our life.

I'm thankful that I didn't give up because there were many times I wanted to. I am thankful for the help from the pastors and their families and my church friends who have encouraged and built me up. Sometimes they may have been a little tired of hearing my problems. However none of you ever gave up on me, even when my own family did. You all stood there for me and my family that is a blessing in itself.

God is now first in my life and that will never change. I pray that I continue to stay on that narrow path. That is what I want for my life. I have been through many tests this past year and none of that could hinder the love I have for Christ. I'm proud to be in love with Jesus. He makes me happy when I wake up in the morning. He is three throughout my day and when I lay my head down at night.

I continue to pray and trust God to work out the areas I still have some struggles in. God is still working challenges out in my life and I thank Him for all he has done in 2011. I look forward to all that my God will accomplish with my life in this coming New Year."

Rejoicing in a Word Fulfilled

“Now there was a man in Jerusalem called Simeon, who was righteous and devout. He was waiting for the consolation of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was on him. It had been revealed to him by the Holy Spirit that he would not die before he had seen the Lord’s Messiah. Moved by the Spirit, he went into the temple courts. When the parents brought in the child Jesus to do for him what the custom of the Law required, Simeon took him in his arms and praised God, saying: “Sovereign Lord, as you have promised, you may now dismiss your servant in peace. For my eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared in the sight of all nations: a light for revelation to the Gentiles, and the glory of your people Israel.”
Luke 2:25-32

Simeon is a man who received a revelation from the Holy Spirit. In these few verses where he is mentioned, we learn an awful lot about him. He was righteous and devout and was waiting for the ‘consolation of Israel’. But he wasn’t passively waiting. We are told that the Holy Spirit was on him and had revealed to him that he would not die without first seeing the Messiah. Simeon was a man who waited in hope and responded to the prompting of the Holy Spirit. Interestingly, the fulfillment of the word could have caused great fear in him if he chose to focus on his own mortality spoken about in the revelation. Observe, though, how Simeon responded. The word tells us that he took Jesus into his arms and praised God! He was thrilled to see the fulfillment of the word to him and what that meant for the nation of Israel. He probably did not live to see Jesus step into ministry or to go to the cross and three days later rise from the grave. But he did die in peace – “being fully persuaded that God had power to do what He had promised.” Romans 4:21.
Are you fully persuaded that God has the power to do what He has promised to do in your life? Allow the truth of the Christmas story to rekindle in you the hope of His promises yet to be fulfilled.
Just as Simeon did, wait in hope, and be filled with His Holy Spirit.

Heavenly Father:
I thank you for each of those who are reading these words.
May their hope in you grow in the coming year.
May they learn to look more and more to you and to rely less and less on their own strength and their own abilities.
May your grace and your peace be multiplied to them this Christmas season.
I ask this in the matchless name of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen

Appreciating God’s Goodness in Your Life

“Then God said to Jacob, “Go up to Bethel and settle there, and build an altar there to God, who appeared to you when you were fleeing from your brother Esau.”
So Jacob said to his household and to all who were with him, “Get rid of the foreign gods you have with you, and purify yourselves and change your clothes.
Then come, let us go up to Bethel, where I will build an altar to God, who answered me in the day of my distress and who has been with me wherever I have gone.”
Genesis 35:1-3


God spoke to Jacob and gave him some very specific instructions.
He was to go to Bethel, settle there and build an altar to God.
Jacob was not quiet about the instructions.
As a matter of fact he spoke to his entire household and those with him, not only where they were going but, what he would do when they got there and why he was doing it. He spoke to the fact that God was with him in the day of his distress and was with him wherever he went. Jacob was boasting about God to his entire house. Sometimes we can take a lot of heat when we give God the Glory – just look at all of the uproar over Tim Tebow expressing his faith and love for God – but the grief we might receive should never cause us to be silent when God is worthy of praise.

This coming Sunday we celebrate Christmas.
At ‘His Place’, here is what is planned:

“I would like to extend an opportunity to anyone that wishes to take about 2-4 minutes and share with the family of His Place the great things or thing that God has done in your life this year.
Our God is so worthy of praise and glory and this coming Sunday I just want to declare to the earth and the heavens what He has done. I want our kids to hear of a God that still moves in the lives of people and in so doing building faith in them.”
Pastor Tim

No matter where you may find yourself this Sunday; take a few moments to give God the Glory for the things He has done in your life this past year. Share with others His goodness and love. Let them know that He not only came in a manger over 2,000 years ago but He is here today and can help them, just as He helped Jacob, in the day of their distress.