Pleasing God

SCRIPTURE

So whether we are here in this body or away from this body, our goal is to please Him.

~2 Corinthians 5:9, NLT

QUOTE

The key to lasting happiness and real pleasure in this world is not found in seeking gratification, but in pleasing God.

~Francis Frangipane

In John 8 Jesus said, “I do nothing on my own but say only what the Father taught me. And the one who sent me is with me—he has not deserted me. For I always do what pleases him.” Paul echoes this truth in Romans 15:3, For even Christ didn’t live to please himself. As the Scriptures say, “The insults of those who insult you, O God, have fallen on me.” Paul said of himself in Galatians 1:10, Obviously, I’m not trying to win the approval of people, but of God. If pleasing people were my goal, I would not be Christ’s servant. Twice in the New Testament, at His baptism and transfiguration, a voice came from heaven saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

To live to please our heavenly Father is a noble aspiration.  What does it take to please God? I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately because the subject keeps coming up in my daily bible reading. Two Old Testament passages come to mind…Deuteronomy 10:12, “And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God require of you? He requires only that you fear the Lord your God, and live in a way that pleases Him, and love Him and serve Him with all your heart and soul. The second is Micah 6:8, No, O people, the Lord has told you what is good, and this is what he requires of you: to do what is right, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God. From these two scriptures, we have a good list, a guide for pleasing God.

1. Fear the LORD. The word fear is respectful awe.
2. Love the LORD with all your heart and soul.
3. Serve the LORD with all your heart and soul.
4. Do what is right.
5. Love mercy.
6. Walk humbly.

Every thing we do must be done in faith for without faith, it is impossible to please God.

EXTRA

• Today we pray for MINISTERS and MISSIONARIES.
• Great services yesterday and so thankful to be there, it would have been hard to disappoint me. I love Communion Services. A special thanks to Frankie for getting our video to run, to Sheila for preparing the elements, to Linda for playing our background music and for the great job that David and team did with the praise. I got so choked emotionally while Linda was playing the Old Rugged Cross that I did not think I was going to recover.
• We go back to Dr. Black this evening LORD willing. I hope we get a game plan but I know deep down that I should not complain: my problem is minor compared to what some are going through.

The Ultimate Terrorist

SCRIPTURE

For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, and self-discipline.

~2 Timothy 1:7, NLT

QUOTE

Anytime we open ourselves to fear, we fall prey to deception and intimidation.

~Francis Frangipane

Years ago, M.D. had an old bulldog chained to a tree. It was a good size chain and about 20-25 feet long. I stopped by one evening late, almost dark and forgot all about the dog. I got out of my truck and started up the side-walk. All of a sudden I hear this ferocious sound and I turn just in time to make eye contact with M.D.’s bulldog. He had already launched himself and was going for the jugular, mine and right before his teeth sank into my neck, the chain caught that devil and jerked him to the ground. He went down fast and hard. I was too afraid to laugh but not too afraid to pray, immediately I thanked God for the chain. The devil has power but he is not free to do as he pleases, he is on a chain so to speak. By that I mean he can only go so far as in the case of Job. Trust me, if he had free rein, he would have destroyed Job and he would do the same to us. He would invade every aspect of our life; I’m not talking about the circumstances surrounding us, I am taking about a personal invasion. He would come in and destroy from within. But he can’t invade us because he doesn’t have permission. He cannot come in against our will. He is in the world but he is not in us and greater is He [Jesus] that is in you, than he [devil] that is in the world. That my friends is a reason to celebrate.

• Beautiful day yesterday and another coming tomorrow I hope. I took a walk in the mid-day sun, it was perfect. TYJ.
• I checked the boards yesterday, attendance Sunday was not good but offerings were great.
• GOLDEN GIRLS meet Saturday at Cracker Barrel in Hartselle, 9:00 a.m.
• My Aunt Cora {99 in May} is very sick. I think she is tired and ready to go home. I ran up to see her Saturday. There are only two left in Daddy’s family: Aunt Cora and Uncle Floyd who lives in Douglasville, Georgia and still drives on the interstate. I think he was born in 1924 which would make him 90.

July 4, 2012

• I don’t think the video from Bobby that I posted last night worked. I am going to give you the address of this one; it is a tour of the space station:
  http://www.youtube.com/embed/doN4t5NKW-k
• The address for the one last night [people doing awesome and crazy things] is

  http://safeshare.tv/w/MRMDIWCFec
  
  

  

  Tybo in # 48

  

  Beautiful Blue Eyes

  

  Big L, running in the fast lane.

  

  Uncle Joe and Tybo in a turbo

  

  Trucker Reeves in #11

  

  Silly Girls