Sams Place

  "And you were included in Christ when you heard the Word of truth, the gospel of your salvation. Having believed, you were marked in Him with a seal, the promised Holy Spirit, who is a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance until the redemption of those who are God's possession to the praise of His glory."  Ephesians 1:13-14 Besides being a faith builder, the Word of God also gives us great comfort and assurance. In Ephesians 1:13-14, we learn that when we hear and believe the gospel we are "marked in Him with a seal of the promised Holy Spirit, a deposit guaranteeing our inheritance." I love these two definitions.  1. Seal: A device or substance (Holy Spirit) that is used to join two things together so as to prevent them from coming apart or to prevent anything from passing between them." 2. Guarantee: A promise or assurance (from God, with a down payment of the Holy Spirit.) Sometimes we allow things into our lives that can separate and lead us on a path ...

A Desperate Situation Based on Mark 9:16-29 Have you ever found yourself in a desperate situation? You have tried to resolve it but every human effort you make seems futile. Every glimmer of hope you once had has been extinguished. You are left feeling hopeless. But then you hear about someone who has helped others. Your faith begins to stir, and the flame of hope flickers. You begin to think, that maybe, there is hope for your situation. ("Faith comes by hearing the message, and the message is heard through the Word of Christ." Romans 10:17) This   must have been what it was like for the man in Mark 9:17. His son was possessed by a demon from childhood. It must have been difficult to watch and not be able to help his own son. The situation seemed hopeless. But then word came to him of a man who had the power to heal and cast out demons. His faith begins to stir. When the disciples could not help him, the teachers of the law were probably planting seeds of doubt into that...

No Regrets Have you ever done or said something that you later regretted. Maybe you spoke an unkind word to someone , or just did  something  you knew was terribly wrong. The damage is done,  and you can't take it back. Regrets can cripple us emotionally or even worse, to the point of spiritual death. In Matthew 27, after a kiss of betrayal by Judas (Matthew 26) a series of terrible events has been set into motion. Although Judas tries to extricate himself from the disaster that he triggered, it is too late. His remorse leads him to self-inflicted death. Meanwhile, Jesus is sentenced, mocked, humiliated, crucified and buried.  We know that His story does not end here. What Judas started Jesus finished. He made the way to reconcile us to the Father. Don't let your regrets come between you and God. Turn your regrets into repentance. Forgiveness and freedom are yours for the asking. "Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but ...

 “Jesus replied, “Truly I tell you, if you have faith and do not doubt, not only can you do what was done to the fig tree, but also you can say to this mountain, ‘Go, throw yourself into the sea,’ and it will be done. If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer.” Matthew 21:21-22 Consistency in reading the Word yields invaluable results in increasing one’s faith.  We have seen the cripple walk, blind see, mute speak and the dead rise.  Storms are stilled, thousands are fed, fish pay taxes and demons take flight. Jesus has established His authority over sickness, nature, demons, disabilities and death.  He fulfills Old Testament prophecy as he enters Jerusalem with the authority of a different kind of King.  Why should it surprise us when he curses a fig tree and it dies?  Yet the disciples are amazed.  What is really amazing is that Jesus tells them (and us) that if we have faith without doubting, we too can move mountains with our...

I am struck with awe every time I read the book of Acts.  The power of the Holy Spirit has given the apostles unstoppable boldness in preaching the gospel, healing the sick and performing miracles in the name of Jesus. When situations seem hopeless angels come to the rescue so the Holy Spirit “firepower” continues.  In all these circumstances all the glory is given to God.  As we watch the drama unfold we are given a classic line, reiterated by Peter from the prior chapter (4:19) “We must obey God rather than men!” (Acts 5:29)  When we feel like the world we live in is trying its best to eradicate the name of Jesus – let us not fall prey to the ways of the world but continue “the race” knowing that we must obey God rather than men.

After spending a week with my new found friends, Lad der, Paint Brush, and Canof Paint I came away with a few revelations that I thought I would share. I really did not set out to paint a room (with my new friends) but merely to rearrange some furnishings and to define some space for myself and for my house guests. When my room had its furnishings, aka distractions, it's walls seemed perfectly acceptable. When the distractions were removed, it was obvious why my walls began to scream dirt, filth, mess. My first plan of attack, which ultimately failed, was to arm myself with a scrub brush. My enemy was relentless and so I succumbed. Don't get me wrong, I really didn't scrub very hard. By now I was totally intrigued by the prospect of a fresh coat of paint and endless color schemes. I gathered all my equipment and invited my old friend, Praise Music, to the paint party. It was amazing to watch my walls become transformed from faded and dirty to shiny and clean. I began to fin...