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Today is Friday July 16, 2010 and we are reading through the Bible in a year. Today's message comes from the reading of the Book of Psalms, chapters 120-131. If you would like to read the chapters along with us here online you can Click Here to read them or copy & paste this link onto your browser: http://www.imfollowingjesus.com/bible-july-16

Today's Message: Feasts & Famines

As we go through life from day to day we can go from feast to famine in no time, no one escapes trials in life, no matter how rich you are, how many people you know, or how many things you possess, no one escapes the feasts and famines in life. As Christians, we rejoice in the Lord in the feasts and even find the strength to rejoice in the famines and as we draw closer to Christ He gives us the hope and faith we need to remain faithful and keep going until we can feast again. From time to time we lose that hope and faith, not only during the famine, but the feasts as well. It is strange, but when we feast we tend to get a little lax with God, we give the illusion that everything is okay so we do not have to seek His help, then all of a sudden God says, “You have forgotten about me” and things begin to change to a famine again. So, how to we feast more and famine less? We keep our increase our time with God, instead of getting lax when things are going well. “That ye be not slothful, but followers of them who through faith and patience inherit the promises.” - Hebrews 6:12. Feasts and famines are inevitable, but God never fails and is always there to give is hope and faith through it all, but we must never lose our sight of Him no matter how good things get.

One way to feast more is to pray, it is a good thing to pray and ask God for things even when we are feasting. Praying to God when everything seems good prepares us for the famine that lies ahead. “I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help. My help cometh from the LORD, which made heaven and earth. He will not suffer thy foot to be moved: he that keepeth thee will not slumber. Behold, he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep. The LORD is thy keeper: the LORD is thy shade upon thy right hand. The sun shall not smite thee by day, nor the moon by night. The LORD shall preserve thee from all evil: he shall preserve thy soul. The LORD shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth, and even for evermore.” - Psalm 121. Praying preserves us for future famines, do not cease from praying, it is our only direct communication with God. I understand that it can be hard to ask God for things when you already have them and it may seem silly to ask Him for them, but nothing is too silly to ask God for. He wants us to ask Him for everything, even when we have it. Most often, when we are asking God for something it is for future reference. For example, if you pray for finances to come in and you are doing well you are preparing yourself for times when you need the finances. When I get hired to do as job I will continue to pray for work so I am assured of work in the future and as long as I keep doing that I get it. God knows what lies ahead, trust in Him as He prepares the way for you to be able to handle the feast or famine that is just around the corner.

Another way to feast more is to go to church, we can all read the Bible and do our own Bible studies, but we all need a church home, some place that we can fellowship with like minded people and hear God's Word spoken to us from a man of God. “I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the LORD....Peace be within thy walls, and prosperity within thy palaces. For my brethren and companions' sakes, I will now say, Peace be within thee. Because of the house of the LORD our God I will seek thy good.” - Psalm 122:1,7-9. Everyone needs to get into a God centered, Holy Bible preaching church, with out God and His Word there, it is just a building with four walls. Church keeps us faithful and obedient, the more we go the stronger we become in our walk with Christ. For those who are home bound let the church come to you, there is no better encouragement than to receive a visit from the preacher or other church members when we can not get out of the house. Many churches now will post sermons free online so you can hear the Word of God spoken if you can not get to church.

Another way to feast more is by reading God's Word. Let's face it, if we do not read God's Word for ourselves we are missing out on very important information that we need to remain faithful to God. If you are just starting out, just keep reading, the more you read the more God will reveal to you. Do not be afraid of it, it is the best novel that you will ever read and all true. Staying in God's Word can scare the living daylights out of us, but it is only by reading His Word that we learn to fear Him and trust Him as we are planted in Him. “They that trust in the LORD shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever. As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the LORD is round about his people from henceforth even for ever. For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity. Do good, O LORD, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts. As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the LORD shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.” - Psalm 125. Peace comes upon all, even the wicked, when they put their trust in the Lord. Praise God!

The most important thing of all is knowing the Lord Jesus Christ as your personal Savior. He alone in the only way to communicate with God and to give us hope and faith through the famine. “And this is the record, that God hath given to us eternal life, and this life is in his Son. He that hath the Son hath life; and he that hath not the Son of God hath not life. These things have I written unto you that believe on the name of the Son of God; that ye may know that ye have eternal life, and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God.” - I John 5:11-13. Without Jesus everything just exists, you might enjoy things for a season, but it will not last. True hope and faith only comes through Jesus Christ who gives us life through His death, burial, and resurrection. If you have been taught anything else you have been lied to and need to learn the truth before it is too late. My church goes out in the community every Thursday and teaches people the truth about Christ, we go out two and two just like the Jesus said. My partner and I knocked on this door and this woman instantly began telling us that we were not Christians because we were a Baptist church. We tried to explain to her that a church had nothing to do with knowing who Jesus is, but she insisted that we were going to hell because of the church we belonged to. Church, religion, or doing good is not what keeps us from hell. It is only by believing in the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ and confessing it that one is exempt from going to hell. People that instantly condemn you just by a name are more worried about their salvation than anyone who truly knows Christ as their personal Savior. So, if anyone ever confronts you and makes you doubt your salvation remember that as long as you from the bottom of your heart believe in Jesus and asked Him to save you that you are saved.

Like I said earlier, feasts and famines are inevitable, we are going to have a season of great things and we are going to have a season of no things, but through it all we need to have a personal relationship with God at all times. If you do not know if you are saved, look into it and let Jesus become your personal Savior. Get into a Bible believing church, read His Word, and never stop communicating with God. “For this cause we also, since the day we heard it, do not cease to pray for you, and to desire that ye might be filled with the knowledge of his will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding; That ye might walk worthy of the Lord unto all pleasing, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God; Strengthened with all might, according to his glorious power, unto all patience and longsuffering with joyfulness;” - Colossians 1:9-11. The more we learn about God and His Word the more we will find joy in the famines while we wait patiently foe the feasts to arrive. Praise God!

Enjoy the rest of your day/night and weekend too.
God Bless You, I am praying for you,
Christina

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