Hello, My Name Is Israel

by Keith Gardner

In Genesis 32 we read about Jacob returning home from his twenty-one year hideaway. During his hiding God blessed Jacob almost beyond imagination. This blessing was the promise Abraham received, passed down to his son Isaac and then to Jacob through deceit. Jacob did not have to deceive his father or circumvent his brother. God had already laid out His plan and revealed it at Jacob’s birth (Gen.25:23). Like many of us, Jacob manipulated God’s promise. Why is it that instead of allowing God to fulfill His promises to us we work with such diligence to make sure it happens?

Re-Created

by Keith Gardner
Sometimes it is hard to let go of the memories of our past. Our mistakes, or better yet let’s call them what they really are, our sins of the past like to hold on. They keep us from becoming what God intended all along. Let us understand why this is and how God has remedied this for us.

Prepare YOU, the way of the Lord: Alive In Christ... Really?

by Steve Ferber

It has been amazing how I have been happy to live in my delusions in the past.  Now this is a strong word, when we think of someone being delusional it evokes a strong response in us.  We think of those under the influence of drugs, demonic activity or mental conditions.  I want to use this definition; delusion, 1.a false belief… a persistent false belief held in the face of strong contradictory evidence, especially as a symptom of a psychiatric condition.

Ramblings of a Changing Man: Hope

by Steve Ferber

God sure has been faithful to me, especially the past couple of years.  He has disciplined me like a son, bringing me closer to who he created me to be.  I remember when I first started this journey; the first trial I walked thru was trust.  This one was really hard for me, but I finally received a deposit of trust after many months of God adjusting my belief system.  I knew that this was not the end of my journey, just the beginning.  I really trusted the Lord, but there was still not rest in my soul.

The Obvious Is Not So Obvious

by Keith Gardner
"For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." (Jer 29:11)

Growing up in the church I heard this verse often. It was usually stated in a lesson about the goodness of God, or a hope for a better tomorrow. I am not disputing those lessons learned. I agree that God is taking care of His beloved. He has a plan for the believer; one that is blessed and promising. My question is not about what the verse was saying. My question is why was it being said? Why was it that God had to declare that I’m not trying to harm you? His reasoning was obvious to Himself, but not to those He was talking to. To the faithful Jews, God had taking them away into captivity, but God destroyed the unfaithful. For those led into captivity it was God’s method of protecting them. He had a plan and it was a good one; one that was paved with hope and a brighter future.

Desperate for God

by Keith Gardner

As we allow the Holy Spirit to sift through our thoughts, actions and motivations it doesn’t take long to realize that our strengths, talents and natural abilities often get in the way of what God wants to do. We rely on those gifts of birth to get us through difficult times instead of allowing God to be our source of help. It is our very strength that becomes our weakness when dealing with spiritual matters. Our talents quite naturally cause blind spots; not allowing us to see how truly desperate we are. It is the Spirit of Laodicea that blinds us to our real poverty (Revelation 3:14-22).

God of the Impossible

(click on picture)

by Keith Gardner

Do you find yourself in impossible situations? Have you ever responded like I have, “God what are you doing? You don’t seem to care for me. You seem to be doing me more harm than good. What is going on here? Don’t you love me?” These seem like reasonable questions. In our natural mind a father would never put his child in such dire situations that only the father can rescue him. That is not what a loving father does - or maybe he does!

Prepare YOU, the way of the Lord: No Matter Where I Go, There I am

by Steve Ferber

WHAT!!!  Don’t you mean wherever I go there the Lord is?  Well that is true, but it is not what I want to talk about.

Years ago a country artist released a song about his walk in life and that no matter where he went, there he was.  Things would not be going too well where he was hanging out at so he would go to a different bar, find a new set of friends or even move to a different town.  He was always looking for where he would “fit in”.  It seemed that when he started hanging out someplace different that everything was good for a while, but over time things would change to where it was not so good any more.  Why couldn’t people just be honest about who they were in the beginning instead of putting on a front?  It sure would save a lot of grief in the long run.  Well, it was time to move on… again! 

Two Stories

by Keith Gardner

Every believer must be mindful of the two stories. There is the real story and the story of lies. Jesus, in an incredible and most powerful dialogue with Pontius Pilate reaches out to us through endless time to prepare us to recognize the real and the false. In John 18:37 we read ‘"You are a king, then!" said Pilate. Jesus answered, "You are right in saying I am a king. In fact, for this reason I was born, and for this I came into the world, to testify to the truth. Everyone on the side of truth listens to me."’ This one simple verse not only sums up the entire gospel but it also exemplifies itself. Please let me explain.