Fishing Lures

 

So me and my 5 year old son are fishing.  Of course, I am a fishing expert.  Especially in the company of a 5 year old young boy.  I mean, I have caught hundreds of fish, especially fresh water bass, and have a real good knowledge of how to do it, how to catch them, how to bring them onto shore….the whole deal.  And me and my 5  year old little son have been catching these bass from a lake in our neighborhood….on artificial lures….I want him to get this early in life….how to do it without a cork and live bait.

He has caught some fish….had some success…knows what the bite feels like and knows how to set the hook….but he is just learning and under my close tutelage.  I am showing him the ropes, step by step, technique by technique, special tactic by special tactic….lure by lure.  But…well, he likes his own lure selection…and often it is … well, wrong.  I want to make it right with him and basically tell him he can’t use that lure because it is the wrong one….but he likes it….so I let him.  He has some success….some failure.

It is the classic battle I have with God.  I seem to want to do it my way, to use my techniques, my lures, my way of thinking, my battles instead of just listening to God…..instead of just letting God tell me what to do and I do it,…..instead of just seeing that God has all the fish and I need to do it His way.

I want to try to get my son to do it my way….then  I think about me….how often I don’t just do it God’s way.  A classic battle between faith and works, between flesh and spirit, between trust and unbelief…  Just like I am doing now with the sickness of one of my daughters…and so much of my life..  I want to do it my way.

God help me to do it Your way.   Help me to help those around me to do it your way…    louie

 

Speaking in Tongues finds Nadia Bloom!

 Tongues Finds Nadia

Ok.  You think I am a nut…but listen and watch the video closely. 

The rescuer says that praying in tongues …… in the spirit….. led him to Nadia.  That God led him to Nadia.

Jesus Christ said this.  If you do not believe what I say… then believe because of what you see….what I do…. my works..  This is recorded in John 10:37-38.  Jesus was saying this….. I can tell you that God told me and I can say it….just like this rescuer… James King…..  But words are hollow.  

James King said that God told him to pray in the spirit…in tongues…. he did it …  he believed…. he acted… he went out and found Nadia Bloom….. on the 4th day…..   same amount of time that Lazarus was in the grave…. another story for another day…. 4 days… 

I could go off here on so many teachings….and I want to ….

But listen to me.  God spoke to a man and his wife.  They listened.  They stepped out on what God told them to do…. went where God said….. saved Nadia.  Jesus says I come to save the lost.  Simple stuff.  Step out on what God says. 

louie

 

Snow Globe

Ever feel like you were in a snow globe?  One that was shaken up and the little white stuff going all around the place?  It is like driving, here in Florida in a driving rain storm or in colder places,….a whiteout.   You don’t exactly know where you are going, things are not clear, it is uncertain the path ahead.  It is, well, scary. 

Me and a very close friend of mine were talking about this and it reminded me of Hebrews 11 where the concept of faith is explained.  Faith is the belief in things not seen.  For me, faith has sometimes been like being in a snow globe and not knowing where exactly to go, which turn to make, what decision to settle on.  I have had to just rely on God and not my own way of thinking, my own talent, my own plan.  This concept is also talked about in 1 Corinthians 13 where the scriptures say that you see first dimly then more clearly later, as you mature.  It is as if, as you mature, your vision,…spiritual vision matures too. 

Ever feel like you are in a snow globe?  Can’t see so good?  You may just be where God wants you to be.  Using faith and not sight.   For the scriptures say we walk by faith and not by sight. (The Message says it really cool).

louie

 

Jimmy Page 2

Jimmy was a homeless guy that I spoke about in a previous post.  He gave his life to Christ a couple of weeks ago.  After Jimmy’s salvation, he asked me to pray for him.  He wanted a job, he wanted to be productive but he had no education and no phone and no address.  We went outside away from the crowd inside and we prayed.  As I was praying for Jimmy, the Lord gave me a word for Jimmy. 

Jimmy had  made a radical change in his life to come to know Jesus.  It was as if Jesus said that I have been waiting for you and I have a job for you.  I was hesitant, as I am when I feel the urging from the Lord, as I learn more and more to listen to Him and hear what He has to say to me.  I want to make sure it is God and not me.  I could feel the urging of the Holy Spirit telling me about a job for this homeless, uneducated, no address, no phone number guy……..and it was a clear voice…  “Jimmy, I have a job for you.  You have labored by yourself…without me…but now, rest now in Me and I will bring this job to pass…..in 14 days..”  So I told Jimmy this……I know…….you probably think this is mumbo jumbo…..that there are a lot of Christians without jobs today.  I know this.

I got a call this morning on the way to church from my buddy Mike Ellis’ cell phone.  Seemed strange…..but Jimmy was on the phone.  Mike let him call me and tell me about the job he had, the place to stay he had and the food he had.  Jimmy is now going to church with my buddy Mike at Port Orange First United Methodist, ……  they have a homeless ministry…..to turn around folks like Jimmy. 

cool stuff.   Jimmy Page 2.  God is awesome.

louie @ lmercer6@cfl.rr.com

 

Life That Is Truly Life

 

The Apostle Paul told his hard worker Timothy this.. “Command those who are rich in this present world not to be arrogant not to put their hope in wealth, which is so uncertain, but to put their hope in God, who richly provides us with everything for out enjoyment.  Command them to do good, to be rich in good deeds, and to be generous and willing to share.  In this way they will lay up treasure for themselves as a firm foundation for the coming age, so that they may take  hold of the life that is truly life.”

Life that is truly life…..Isn’t that what we all want?  I do!!!!!!    Paul is telling Timothy to command those that are rich….that is us…..Americans…even unemployed, even with our 401 wiped out, even with out credit cards high, even with being homeless….we are rich…  America is rich….  We do not have to look very far to see how rich we are compared to those around us….Paul is telling Timothy….Command those who are rich to not rely on wealth of the world…which is fleeting….(Dow down 7000 p0ints) but to put their hope in God and to ……….  give ………

Paul is not saying,…if you don’t give, then you are going to hell, he does not say if you do not give that you are being cursed with a curse…. he is not saying that if you do not give…you are going to be ……  anything….  He is saying…Command…tell them urgently… don’t put your faith in stuff here but give …… and you will have life that is truly life. 

That life that is truly life is knowing that Jesus gave….his life…..for us.  We are being commanded to give….  What can you give today?   What can I give today? 

louie @ lmercer6@cfl.rr.com

 

No Sweat

Ephesians 3:20 in part says that, “He is able to do immeasurably more than we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us.”

A few years ago, we started going to church at The Living Cornerstone.  We were hurt in another church.  No blame on anyone…just hurt. We left the church.   We ended up at TLC basically because a lady named Suzy Chadwick said God had told her that God wanted my wife Tracey to run the pre-school.  Suzy ran the school at the time.  Suzy did not know my wife and my wife did not really know Suzy.  We thought it was sort of out there….but had enough curiosity….and faith….that we gave it a try.  Honestly, curiosity first, faith a far second.

My wife went to work with Suzy and the 8 kids in one room in the church building.   Suzy soon felt he call of God to go to another town and start another pre-school and another ministry.   She left.  My wife just opened a 9000 square foot state of the art pre-school and has 135 students and about 15 teachers….and a waiting list for openings. 

We sweat and toil along in life wondering how we are going to get this done or that done…..how we are going to complete this or that…..what steps need to be done….but is is just amazing to me what 2 women, who listened to God can do when they do what He says as He works within them.  For us it would seem impossible.  But for God…no sweat.

louie @ lmercer6@cfl.rr.com

 

Jesus on Sleepy Head and Bread Needer

Jesus taught a lot on prayer and he practiced prayer a lot.  Yes, he did teach us the “big” prayer that we know as The Lord’s Prayer…but he did go into a sort of process on how to pray.  It is what I would call an active way to pray…..and he lays out a  process.  Check this out. 

Now, this was just after Jesus was praying and his disciples asked him, “how to pray” and then Jesus went off on the Lord’s Prayer.  Then, just as Jesus would often do,….after he told them something to teach them, he would give an example.   Jesus then went into an example of this person that needed some bread….but it was in the middle of the night.  So the person in need goes to a friend and asks for it…in the middle of the night….and the person getting awaken (sleepy head) does not like it.  But the bread needer (get it needer,…kneader?) anyway,…the bread needer keeps asking.  Sleepy head realizes bread needer won’t give up so sleepy head gets up and gives bread needer the bread.  Then Jesus gets to the process. Luke 11:9, Jesus says this, “So, I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened for you.” 

Ask…..Seek…..Knock…..   I am good at the asking.  I have that pretty well down.  Don’t know about you but the asking comes naturally for me, and sometimes for things that as I look back are sort of shallow.  I always want…and sometimes it is connected to God.  But when I really am praying for God’s will and God’s intervention…..I usually find that God is already working to get things done…I just need to start seeking or looking.  Ask, seek……there is an expectation connected to these two words…ask, seek….faith….  Faith joins the asking and then the looking or seeking what I am asking for….then knock….  Going through the door that God has already prepared. 

When you pray……begin looking, seeking for the things  you have prayed for and begin looking for the places that God is already working.  God is ahead of us working these things out.  As you see what God is doing….knock on the door.  He is waiting for us.

louie

 

Chicken Little Says The Sky Is Falling

Chicken Little was hunting for worms and an acorn hit her head.  She thought the sky was falling and whipped up such a large group of other chickens and told them that the sky was falling and that they all should go tell the king.  All of these hens…some were probably Roosters!!!! then headed out and almost got eaten by a fox.  All over one acorn. 

I was reading a article by Andrew Wommack today about this.  It tells about the gloom and doom predicted by so many in the know about what is going on in today’s world.  Check it out.  We have got to get a grip on our fear and trust in God.  Chicken Little got all fired up over one acorn.  Now, before you get totally ticked off at me,…I know the economy, the wars, the bailouts, the weather, the overall loss of wealth and jobs is not….one …… acorn…..well, maybe to God it is.  I spoke in another blog about Isaac sowing in a land during a famine and he got an hundredfold return.  Check it out. 

Trust in God.  Let not your heart be troubled, believe in God, believe also in Me.  John 14:1.  I just want to encourage you today.  Refuse to start out your first week of this new year in fear.  I encourage you today to believe that God is bigger than anything else in your life.  If you want to talk, comment or email my email. 

louie @ lmercer6@cfl.rr.com