MY BROTHER'S KEEPER

Proverb 29:18
Where there is no vision the people perish …

Definition of perish: To die or be destroyed through violence; to suffer destruction or ruined : to cease to exist; to suffer spiritual death...

MY BROTHER'S KEEPER

Born to Greatness...

At DEC weekly Bible Study we are just finishing "The Purpose Driven Life" by Pastor Ric Warren. In his book Pastor Ric sets about to have the reader answer one  primary question: "What on Earth [Are You] Here For?" Have you thought about it? Why did God create you?... In our contemporary society most people ask God to bless their plans, their marriages, jobs, finances and so on. It's a very superficial way to connect with a creative God. Thinking it's all about us! If He made us, then, like every other thing in the universe -- we were created with purpose. He has definite plans for us as stated in the Isaiah passage above ... Recently I came across a quote by Ralph Waldo Emerson: " The years teach much the days never know."...

MY BROTHER'S KEEPER

Breathe Again.....

Ezekiel 37:5-6:

I recently read this passage of scripture and it reminded me of how merciful and powerful our God is. Many of us have been in the Valley of Dry Bones, life and it's trials has sucked the breath out of us, we've roamed the earth trapped in sin and it's so called pleasures, But God in his Mercy, looked on us and spoke Life into us and gave us a chance to "  Breathe Again".

Verse 5&6 reads: This is what the Sovereign LORD says to these bones: "  I will make breath enter you, and you will come to life. I will attach tendons to you and make flesh come upon you and cover you with skin; I will put breath in you, and you will come to life. Then you will know that I am the LORD."

This is why we Christians Live, Love and Laugh, God resurrected our spirit from the dead, that's why there's a Praise in my heart. Not only did he resurrect us, but he then covered us (as stated in verse 6), isn't God good?

God has given each of us the opportunity of  New Life through his son Jesus, accept it, cherish it, value it, and rejoice that you have been raised from the dead (Romans 6:23, " For the Wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is Eternal Life, threw Jesus Christ."

You may know someone who is still dead in their spirit, keep praying for them, keep speaking the Word of Life into/over them, you may be the very person God using to restore them, and allow them to "  Breathe Again"..

MY BROTHER'S KEEPER

I CAN'T COME DOWN!

Nehemiah 6:1-4...

Now it came to pass when Sanballat, and Tobiah, and Geshem

the Arabian, and the rest of our enemies, heard that I had

built the wall, and that there was no breach left therein;

(though at that time I had not set up the doors

upon the gates;)

That Sanballat and Geshem sent unto me, saying, Come, let us

meet together in some one of the villages in the plain of Ono.

But they thought to do me mischief.

And I sent messengers unto them, saying, I am doing a great

work, so that I cannot come down: why should the work cease,

whilst I leave it, and come down to you?

Yet they sent unto me four times after this sort; and I answered them after the same manner.

When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior, our salvation is assured, but that very act presents us with a dilemma. How do we, as Christian men function effectively in the world without compromising our faith? Let’s be truthful, not a day goes by without temptations to disobey God. How we handle those temptations either conforms our character more closely to that of Jesus or takes us in the opposite direction. Every area of our life is affected by that simple choice.

Fierce competition and extreme peer pressure has made ethical compromise more common than ever. Businesses are leaning toward lower quality and less value to keep profit margins high. From executives to production workers, cutting corners is seen as the one way to beat the competition.

It's important to establish our integrity early on, and never allow it to be compromised. When we get a reputation for being non-negotiable on ethics, coworkers won't even try. Is this attitude realistic? Will it get you branded as a troublemaker or even fired?

That's the dilemma. At some point we Christian men have to choose what matters most to us: climbing the corporate ladder or holding onto God. But the bottom line is that we cannot expect God to bless a career that violates his laws. No matter how great the temptation, remember, You’re doing a Great Work, you can’t come down….

MY BROTHERS KEEPER:

Christ Has Prayed for YOU!

Luke 22:31-32...

And the Lord said, Simon, Simon, behold,

Satan hath desired to have you,

that he may sift you as wheat:
But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not:

and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.

On the way to eternal happiness, we must expect to be assaulted and sifted by Satan. Please understand the "sifting" process referenced here is an all out assault against the "Man of God" and his character. If he (Satan) cannot destroy him physically, he will try to disgrace or distress us. Nothing more certainly forebodes a fall, in a professed follower of Christ, than self-confidence, with disregard to warnings, and contempt of danger.

Unless we watch and pray always, we may be drawn in the course of the day into those sins, which we were in the morning most resolved against. If believers were left to themselves, they would fall; but they are kept by the power of God, and the prayer that Jesus prayed. Encourage yourself during the tough times, during your "sifting process", during that attack of the enemy, knowing that Christ prayed for you, that your FAITH fail you not.

MY BROTHER'S KEEPER

“What makes me, won’t break me”

During this time of Transition know that your job does NOT make you.. You were divinely created by God himself, not by your job and not by your position. Many men and women loose themselves in their jobs/careers, neglect God, their families and when they loose their jobs, they are LOST. They've Lost their identity to the job.. Then we easily fall to the temptations of the Devil…

BUT... The God we serve (Jehovah Jireh) is WELL able to provide for you just as he's done before. Remember these words from King David that's recorded in Psalm 121..

“ 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.”

Be Blessed and Be Encouraged!

MY BROTHER'S KEEPER

Though I walk Through the Valley

Remember the story in Matthew 14, where the apostles were at sea, the weather got rough, and Jesus walked on the water to meet them? Here's a little insight, found in verse 22: " . . . Jesus made the disciples get into the boat and go on ahead of him to the other side . . ." It was no coincidence that these guys were in that place at that time! Jesus put them here…

Sometimes God puts us in rough seas, so He can demonstrate His sovereignty, and His divine power.

The story goes on with Peter saying, "Lord, if it's you, tell me to come to you on the water." (Verse 28) So what happens next? "`Come,' he said. Then Peter got down out of the boat, walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But when he saw the wind, he was afraid and, beginning to sink, cried out, `Lord, save me!' Immediately Jesus reached out his hand and caught him. `You of little faith,' he said, `why did you doubt?'" (Verses 29-31) Peter apparently took his eyes off of Jesus, because we read that he saw the wind (probably in the choppy seas caused by the wind.) But, even then, Jesus lifted him up. Thank God, that even when we take our eyes off of Jesus and worry about things that we should just turn over to God, God demonstrates His love for us and either lifts us up and out, or sees us through the rough seas!

During these tough and uncertain financial times, remember God will see us through…