Blind Sighted

For those attending Bedside Baptist the subject is “Blind sighted”. Scripture comes from Judges 13-16 chapters. We will focus on Judges 13:7 “But he said unto me, Behold, thou shalt conceive, and bear a son; and now drink no wine nor strong drink, neither eat any unclean thing: for the child shall be a Nazarite to God from the womb to the day of his death.” And Judges 16:20. “Then she called, ‘Samson, the Philistines are upon you!’ He awoke from his sleep and thought, I’ll go out as before and shake myself free’. But he did not know that the Lord had left him.” Samson was chosen BEFORE birth to be set apart from others for the service of God. He judged Israel for 20 years and his victories over the Philistines were solely with God as a partner. His commitment to God was the KEY to his strength. So why would the Lord leave him? Well, Samson chose to disregard his instruction as a Nazarite and he had a lustful eye for women. Both became a distraction and God was no longer his focus, weakening his relationship with God. He fell in love with Delilah, a prostitute who betrayed him to the Philistines. He told her HE believed his strength came from his uncut hair. While he slept, she cut his hair, he lost his strength and the Philistines captured him. The first thing the Philistines did was put out his eyes. Little did they know that they had done Samson a favor. In his blindness he was able to see God like never before. His sight had proven to be his downfall and now his blindness would lead to his greatest victory. The mighty warrior found himself blind, shackled, in prison grinding grain and entertaining his enemy. But the hair on his head began to grow again. Samson asked the servant to put him where he could feel and lean against the pillars that support the temple. Then he prayed to God for one last bout of strength and he collapsed the two central pillars killing all in the temple. Family, when you feel that God has left you and you are at the mercy of the enemy, don’t despair. Do like Samson, cry out to God, SEE God for who He is and pray again. God will hear your prayer. Amen.

Overflowing Joy

For those attending Bedside Baptist the subject for today is “Overflowing Joy”. Scripture comes from 1Peter 1:8: “Whom having not seen, ye love; in whom, though now ye see him not, yet believing, ye rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory.” What is joy? Joy is a fruit of the Holy Spirit that comes from the Lord. It is a continuous gratification from Knowing, Experiencing and Trusting Jesus. Joy from God brings contentment and is everlasting and uncontainable. God‘s will and purpose for all believers of Christ is that we bring forth much fruit to His praise and glory and that we experience His joy in our life. The joy of the Lord often comes through suffering and pain. However, even during our difficult times, we can still choose to have joy because of our hope in Christ. We can choose to rejoice in God, even when everything in life goes wrong. We can choose to hold onto God when we question our future. We can choose to trust God when we suffer disappointments. Why? Because with God nothing is impossible. Family, you know we walk by faith and not by sight. Take a stroll down memory lane and think about the goodness of God and all that He, WHOM you have NOT seen, yet love and believe, has done for YOU. And then recognize that the joy of the Lord is YOUR STRENGTH. As long as His joy remains in you, your joy will overflow. Amen.

Destiny

For those attending Bedside Baptist the subject for today is “Destiny.” Scripture comes from Galatians 6:7: “Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” Deceived means to be led astray. Everything in life goes exactly according to what is written in God’s Word. There are no exceptions. Yet, man has created laws that deceive, that satisfy flesh and made laws that tried to call wrong right and right wrong. The law to reap what you sow is God’s law and it cannot be changed. Anything we put our time, energy, money, or focus on is an act of sowing. Reaping is the result or consequence of what we have sown. We suffer or benefit as a result of our own actions. The rule reflects the agricultural principle that what you plant will produce that which is planted. If you plant watermelon you will reap watermelon. The consequences of our choices lead to corruption or to eternal life. A tiny word, deed, or choice may seem small, but it can result in a massive harvest. As we have opportunity, let us do good to all people. Because, once it is harvest time, it is too late to change what you sow. Family, every day we make life choices and those choices direct our destiny. Let the work that we do, the life we live and the service we give to our fellow man be such that our prayer can be “Lord thank you for letting me reap what I sow.” Amen.

Wait.

For those attending Bedside Baptist the subject for today is “Wait”. Scripture comes from Psalm 25:5. “Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” And Lamentations 3:25: “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” We hate waiting. Yes we do! It frustrates us to wait in line, on a phone call for service, on people, at a traffic light, etc. Why? Because we WANT whatever “IT” is now. We do not want to stop, pause, or halt temporarily. We do not readily see the benefits of waiting for “ it “ and consider waiting to be a waste of time. But, sometimes waiting can be good. While we wait, our circumstances may change and so may our feelings about them. Nonetheless, it is ALWAYS good when we wait on God to act on our behalf. “Though it tarry, wait on it.” Well, what should we do while we wait? First, recognize that our impatience may not change anything. It may even aggravate the situation. Second, we need to give up control. Turn it over to God and trust Him. Finally, we need to wait IN THE WORD (read and study the Bible, pray, meditate, and rejoice) so that we can hear the leading of the Holy Spirit. The only way we can ever know what God wants us to do is to spend quality time with Him. Remember, during our wait time God is preparing us for what He has for us, so, when He says go, we will be ready to go. Family, “The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.” Amen.

Praying People

For those attending Bedside Baptist, the subject for today is “Praying People.” Scripture comes from Matthew 18: 19-20 verses. “Again, I say unto you, that if two of you shall agree on earth as touching anything that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven. For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.” And James 5:16: “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.”

Life is unpredictable. As Christians, our life’s journey is a constant spiritual fight not against flesh and blood but against principalities in high places. The more we commit to prayer as a lifestyle and a priority, the better we will understand the benefits and privilege of prayer.

We can go to God at any time, in any situation with whatever is on our hearts. When we pray, God hears and answers every prayer that is in accordance with His eternal plan. He uses our prayers to activate both specific blessings and judgments included in His predetermined covenant design. We are to keep on praying especially when our prayers seem to be getting nowhere because, in actuality, our prayers are penetrating areas and realms that we have no knowledge of and making amazing changes. Family, whether you pray in a prayer group or in private, just pray! Then watch God work. We are to be praying people. The prayers of the righteous availeth much. Amen.

In the beginning

For those attending Bedside Baptist, the subject for today is “In the beginning.” Scripture comes from John 1:1. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” And Genesis 1:1. “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Today we are in a new year. It is a new beginning, a time for remembrance and celebration, letting go of the past, and welcoming in the new. The beginning matters because it lays down the principles and foundations for everything else that follows. As we welcome this new beginning, we must remember that the BEGINNING starts with God. By His powerful Word He created the world, and by that same Word He holds all things together. And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us in the form of Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ was with God and IS God. “My Lord and my God!” He, who laid down his life for us, created the universe. Yet, we can only know God, the Father personally through a faith relationship with God the Son, Jesus Christ. As we establish our goals and make plans for this year, let us remember to start off with God. He says in His Word, “Behold, I am making all things new.” Put Him first. Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans. Every day He blesses us with new and tender mercies. “Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul.” 3 John 1:2. Amen.