by Terry Laughlin | May 1, 2016 | Easter
There is a loud declaration of our Lord’s purpose for coming to earth at the triumphal entry. “As Jesus approached Jerusalem and came to Bethphage and Bethany at the Mount of Olives… Many people spread their cloaks on the road, while others spread branches they had cut in the fields. Those who went ahead and those who followed shouted, ‘Hosanna! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!… Hosanna in the highest!’” (Mark 11: 1, 8 – 10)
Just a few days earlier Jesus declared His mission, “For the Son of Man came to seek and save what was lost.” (Luke 19:10) The word “Hosanna” means “save us.” At that time, “Hosanna” had become a common shout of the Jewish people for the praises of God.
Jesus’ purpose for going to Jerusalem at that time in history was to give His life, to allow His blood to be shed, He became the Paschal Lamb of God. He died to pay for the sins of the world. Think upon that; Jesus knew as He entered Jerusalem, that before the week came to an end, those shouts of “Hosanna” would turn to “Crucify Him!” His death and resurrection makes the way for repentant sinners to be forgiven and receive a fresh clean start before God.
Peter reminds Christians of their mission, they “…are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that [they] may declare the praises of Him who called [them] out of darkness into His wonderful light.” (1 Peter 2:9)
by Terry Laughlin | May 1, 2016 | President's Day
Proverbs 21:1 says; “The king’s heart is in the hand of the LORD; He directs it like a watercourse wherever He pleases.” Proverbs 21 is a powerful truth that must be grasped so Christians may pray in faith that God is fully able to put into effect His perfect will, regardless of who has leadership in America. The president’s heart is in the hand of the Lord and God is going to turn him just as He turns the course of a little babbling brook that runs down a mountainside and as He controls the rivers of the world. The hearts of men are in God’s hand. The Lord can change men’s minds and direct their affairs for His own purpose even within their free will.
This proof is powerfully displayed in several passages of Scripture. In God’s dealings with Pharaoh, the Bible says, “Then the Lord said to Moses, ‘Go to Pharaoh, for I have hardened his heart and the hearts of his officials so that I may perform these miraculous signs of mine among them that you may tell your children and grandchildren how I dealt harshly with the Egyptians and how I performed my signs among them, and that you may know that I am the Lord.’” (Exodus 10:1-2) In Isaiah we read of God using Assyria as an instrument of wrath to bring judgment on His people for disobedience. The Bible says, “[Assyria], the rod of My anger, in whose hand is the club of My wrath! I send him against a godless nation, I dispatch him against a people who anger Me, to seize loot and snatch plunder and to trample them down like mud in the streets.” (Isaiah 10:5-6) Through Isaiah 44:28 into Isaiah 45 we read of God proving His Headship and His incontestable sovereignty in working through a king to get His will done. The Lord used King Cyrus, who did not know or acknowledge Him. (Isaiah 45:1-5) Isaiah 44:28 says, “Cyrus, he is My shepherd and will accomplish all that I please; he will say of Jerusalem, ‘Let it be rebuilt,’ and of the temple, ‘Let its foundations be laid.’”
The Bible also has recorded history of God moving upon a kings heart to get His will done. In Ezra chapter 4 we read about the opposition to the rebuilding of the temple of the Lord. The Bible says the enemies of Judah and Benjamin hired counselors to work against those working on the temple. The people around the Israelite’s frustrated their plans during the entire reign of Cyrus king of Persia and down to the reign of Darius. (Ezra 4:1-4) The Lord worked through King Darius to get the building of the temple going (Ezra 6) and God used King Artaxerxes to keep the building of the temple going. (Ezra 7) It was king Artaxerxes who gave the priest Ezra everything he asked for because the hand of the Lord was upon him. God granted him favor with the king. (Ezra 7:6)
Christians have every right to pray in confidence to God and intercede for the president whether or not he or she is a Christian. Christians can also pray to the Lord, asking God to grant them favor with national leaders so they can accomplish the work the Lord has for them to do. It does not matter how good or bad they are, whether they are a Democrat or Republican, how conservative or liberal they may be, the Lord can do a work among them for His glory and the glory of His Son.
How much time do you spend in honest heartfelt intercession for our President? Pray for God’s hand to be upon our President! Trust Him!
by Terry Laughlin | May 1, 2016 | Evidence of Salvation
A congenial life is one that is not complaining or argumentative and it trust without wavering. 1 Corinthians 13:7 “Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It is not rude, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.
The person who is looked to in the work place for training is the person who is patient, not prideful, not rude, is kind and truly wants to see others do well. The congenial person in the work place, is that person who is protective, trust others and perseveres in their responsibilities. The people who draw the hurting, the insecure and the frustrated are those who hold no record of wrongs. Congenial people do not let past failures keep people who are trying from open doors of opportunity.
Ever seen the TV commercial of the little boy who is washing his dad’s convertible car with a water hose and the hood down, the little boy is getting all the interior wet. Dad does not yell or tear down the little boy, but shows appreciation for his sons efforts – now that is a congenial act.
by Terry Laughlin | May 1, 2016 | Evidence of Salvation
A congenial life always trust and it makes promises without forgetting. Proverbs 13:12, “Hope deferred makes the heart sick, but a longing fulfilled is a tree of life.”
When I was a young man, I longed to learn how to train Arabian Halter Horses. So I called a young man, one of the best in the field. We made arrangements for me to go to his place in the Spring. When Spring came, I called to complete the final details. The phone rang, the secretary answered – I could hear the trainer in the background, telling the secretary to tell me, he was not available. My heart sank, I felt there was no one to help me.
Years later, I met another trainer who was very successful at training halter horses. He helped me purchase a book that I took home and read over and over again, which laid down the foundation to train and condition Arabian Halter Horses. His promise to help me was kept and it opened many doors of opportunity to me for many years.
by Terry Laughlin | May 1, 2016 | Evidence of Salvation
A congenial life gives without sparring and it prays without ceasing. Colossians 1:9 says, “For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you and asking God to fill you with the knowledge of His will through all spiritual wisdom and understanding.”
The most congenial person I have ever known was my mother-in-law, Doris Stump. It has often been said of her, “Doris was woman of prayer.” Doris would seldom be heard running others down, complaining or feeding a continuous atmosphere. I once heard a lady speak of Doris, “She is a woman who would assume as keep quite, and take the matter to the Lord in prayer and wait for Him to do whatever He chooses to do.” People take note of life that is prayerful.
Before I was a Christian, I was attending a state championship football game. Doris was setting to my right, a man at the game suffered a serious heart attack. As the ambulance crew was attending to the patient, I notice, Doris, quietly closed her eyes, and did some serious praying. I was not a Christian, that act of faith powerfully laid down a foundation for my own prayer life, after I became a Christian. Pray with ceasing, strive to be a person who is known to be a person who prays!
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