Life Lessons July 2024
By Doug Harrell
Mitchell County
We are bombarded today with bad news everywhere we turn. We see news of people hating this group or that group. We see news of daily shootings, random drive-by shootings and killings, and stabbing people to death just to see them die. We see people sucker-punching old men and women for no reason other than just the thrill of it. We see lawlessness exploding everywhere around us while our police forces are being defunded and prosecuted because they are doing their jobs. We see all these things and we wonder why so many people are on antidepressants, so many are just giving up on life in general! Our only solution is to get back to the very word of God!
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not.” John 1:1-5 KJV
The light of God has not quit shining, it is unchanged and unchangeable. The problem is that the darkness of the souls of so many has become so black with sin that they no longer comprehend the light! There has never been a time in history when getting into His word is as important as it is today! The only way we can keep balance in the storm is to surround and immerse ourselves in God’s word. When winter comes you put on coats and sweaters, you dress for the weather. Let me tell you, folks, we are in winter of society and if you don’t dress for it you will literally freeze to death in your spirit. All the mess will destroy you from the inside out!
If there was ever a time that you needed the full armor of God, now is the time. We must be more diligent day by day. The forces of evil are amassing around us like never in my lifetime and we must put on the cloak of righteousness if we are to survive the winter breezes!
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.” Deuteronomy 31:6 KJV
“Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness.” Isaiah 41:10 KJV
“But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: Let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.” Psalm 5:11 KJV
Plant these seeds of wisdom in your hearts and minds so that you may be able to stand the wiles of the devil! That you may be able to withstand the very winds of hell that blow with ever-increasing intensity today. Resist the devil by having the very word of God planted and taking root in the fertile soil of a righteous heart.
The hymn “Take Time to Be Holy” rings in my mind as I write these words this morning:
“Take time to be holy, speak oft with thy Lord;
Abide in Him always, and feed on His Word.
Make friends of God’s children, help those who are weak,
Forgetting in nothing His blessing to seek.
Take time to be holy, the world rushes on;
Spend much time in secret, with Jesus alone.
By looking to Jesus, like Him thou shalt be;
Thy friends in thy conduct His likeness shall see.
Take time to be holy, let Him be thy Guide;
And run not before Him, whatever betide.
In joy or in sorrow, still follow the Lord,
And, looking to Jesus, still trust in His Word.”
Make sure you are putting on the cloak of God’s word today and be thinking about how you can be an influence for change, for revival, for a turning back to God. Think about Paul and his writing in Timothy where he is admonishing Timothy to preach without fear.
For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind. Be not thou therefore ashamed of the testimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of the afflictions of the gospel according to the power of God;” 2 Timothy 1:7-8 KJV
When we read these verses we need to understand where Paul was when he wrote it. He was sitting in confinement in Rome where he was to soon be put to death for preaching the story of Jesus’ life and the fact that He was the risen Savior. That He and He alone was the one and only true way to eternal life. He was telling Timothy to not be full of fear when it came to sharing the story of Jesus Christ and His saving grace. I think Paul would be saying these same things to us today in this world of political correctness, this stupidly unbelievable woke society. We are in a world today that rather than wanting to hear and follow the word of God wants to rid our country of all vestiges of God’s teachings. The world wants to destroy our Christian symbols and houses of worship. It’s a world that celebrates gay pride month and wants to fly BLM flags at our embassies around the world. Stepping out of the so-called closet and proclaiming that you are gay or transgender is a call for rejoicing! Heaven help us in our morbid stupidity.
Paul would want us not to let fear but faith control our lives. He would have us preach the word of God without fear of reprisal but with a spirit of confidence, that we would not be afraid of rejection our reprisal for standing firm on the foundation of God’s unchanging and infallible word of God. We don’t have to be a preacher or teachers, just a believer that is willing to stand up and speak out in the spirit of thankfulness and strength, not wavering, not double-minded, not like warm but with conviction and strength.
“For the which cause I also suffer these things: nevertheless I am not ashamed: for I know whom I have believed, and am persuaded that he is able to keep that which I have committed unto him against that day.” 2 Timothy 1:12 KJV
Sing the song Onward Christian Soldier in your mind today and pray diligently that you and I would be able and willing to not flinch from the critics that we may face. Carry the royal banner high and let your life be a living testimony to Jesus’ grace and saving power to all who are willing to believe and proclaim their acceptance of His love and faithfulness. This is a critical mission for each of us today.
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Doug Harrell is a lifelong resident of Mitchell County, Owner of Harrell Hill Farms, a member of Pine Branch Baptist Church and former publisher of Blue Ridge Christian News. You can find him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/doug.harrell.77
You can read more good Christian News from Doug Harrell HERE
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