Gods continued Grace and Mercy

It is amazing how HE works in mysterious ways.  God is so much more in control than I so often acknowledge.  This week I found out my wife, Selena, is expecting our fifth child.  Exciting news right, that isn't the half of it.  Selena's sister who had been trying for some 17 years to have a baby just recently had a beautiful little girl.  She was planning to go back to work after the her ten weeks was up.  Selena had graciously consented to keep the baby while she went back to work, all the while praying that she would have a change of heart and stay home.  By HIS perfect plan with Selena being pregnant she and her husband have reconsidered and she will be staying home as soon as possible.  GOD IS AN AWESOME GOD!!! 

I am such a weak little man, who's faith seems to falter so quickly.  I'm glad HE has done the work in me and pray that I will desire to trust HIM more everyday.

Fireproof

Merry Christmas Grandma Ross

Merry Christmas Grandma Ross

Hell Best Kept Secret

Wow!!!!

It amazes me how easily off track I can get. It is amazing to think that so much of my time is wasted on myself. Please take the time of go to the above website.

Think Again

How often is it that I think I know what is best? How often do I really trust in the LORD? What is it this thing call life? Who am I kidding? What are the things that really matter? It can be filling my mind with all this useless information I find on the internet. So much information, too much. All that matters is how much we know HIM. How much of ourselves have we given up. How to have the attitude of the apostle Paul, "For me to live is Christ and to die is gain." How much easier it would be if I could live as a "servant to all" to truely consider myself least. So often I only put my views into play, I only consider myself, what makes me feel this or that in the moment. Nothing I do has lasting results in and of myself. God by HIS grace has saved me!!! I consistantly turn my back on HIM and forget at what cost HIS grace came. HE sacrifieced HIS only son, the perfect and undefiled one. Jesus bore the sins I'm committing today and the sins I will commit tomorrow. How can I continue in this life of waivering commitment? How can I have such a weak faith. What does a person do? How do can I be the man HE wants me to be? How circular it all seems. It all comes down to the matter of will, mine or HIS. Paul calls us to take up our cross daily! Not just sometimes, not just when things are tough, not just when we feel like it. Daily!!! How I need to do it minute by minute, second by second. How deceitfully wicked is my mind and heart. The things that I despise are the very things I do. How can I be this way? Oh to be rid of this body of death! So do you think you are right with HIM? So do you really think that your going to be found in HIS company? Think again. There is no one worthy of HIS mercy and grace. No one. HE chooses whom HE wills. It is pointless to think that I can put my trust in my own merit, I am dead in my traspasses and sins. What can a dead man do? Can a dead man decided to do anything? Oh God, how precious is Your grace and wonderful Your mercy. John MacArthur has a great series on the sinfulness of sin and can be heard at http://www.oneplace.com/ministries/grace_to_you/ .
Praise HIM for HIS grace today.

True Love

What is LOVE? We as a culture today have so distorted what love is. We are so caught up in feeling in love, if we don't feel something it must not be love. This feeling must be one of contentment and joy or we don't call it love. Our love today doesn't involve any self sacrifice, it is all about how do you make me feel. It makes me sick to think that we run our lives raged to fulfill this need for love. Love isn't some subjective feeling, or emotion, love is a choice, love is an action that does what is needed inspite of how we might be feeling at any given time. I praise God that HE loves me inspite of how HE feels about me. The bible is clear that HE loved us while we were HIS enemies and HE did something. HE sent HIS son to die for us. Sacrifice that is what love is. Putting aside our feelings and doing what we know needs to be done. Love isn't easy for fleshly beings as ourselves. It is only by HIS grace that we can truly love. It is amazing how Gods word is so complete. I Corinthians 13: 1-13 (NKJ)
1 Though I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I have become sounding brass or a clanging cymbal. 2 And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all mysteries and all knowledge, and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And though I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and though I give my body to be burned, F42 but have not love, it profits me nothing.
4 Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; 5 does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; 6 does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; 7 bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things.
8 Love never fails. But whether there are prophecies, they will fail; whether there are tongues, they will cease; whether there is knowledge, it will vanish away. 9 For we know in part and we prophesy in part. 10 But when that which is perfect has come, then that which is in part will be done away. 11 When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child; but when I became a man, I put away childish things. 12 For now we see in a mirror, dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part, but then I shall know just as I also am known. 13 And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

It is clear that love is so much more than a feeling. It is clear that love endures all things, that is a broad stroke, that isn't an easy road. To endure, to agonize in love to do the hard things, to FORGIVE someone, to call sin sin and to call the person to repentance and when they repent to truly forgive them. How easy to type, to say, but to live it? I praise God for HIS Spirit, who is the comforter and convictor. I pray for my family who is going through a tough time right now, may we truly seek to love one another. May we do what is necessary in love. May we be willing to endure all things. I love you all.

Brothers 11/05

 
 

Thanksgiving

Another year has past, wow it amazes me how time flies. So as I sit hear and reflect on this past year what am I truely thankful for? How I need to be thankful everyday, not just on this one day a year that our country has set aside to be thankful. I am thankful that I do live in this great country of ours but as I sit and contemplate that which I am thankful for these things come to mind:

1. I am thankful for my salvation that has been bought and paid for by my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. How nothing else matters without the knowledge of HIM. Thank you for choosing a worthless slave like me.

2. I am thankful for my wife, Selena. She is my Love, My Best Friend, the Mother of my children. Thank you God for giving me a believing wife. What a blessing she is to me.

3. I am thankful for my boys, Samuel, Klay, Silas and Krosby. How great to know that HE has trusted me with them. I thank YOU Lord for the gift of them.

4. I am thankful for my faithful family. How great to know that God by His grace and mercy has allowed me to be surrounded by thoughs who trust in the LORD.

5. I am thankful for the faithful men that God has placed in my life, my pastor Scott Christmas, John MacArthur and his ministry at www.gty.org and Phil Johnson and his diligence in sharing is heart and life through his blog at www.philipjohnson.blogspot.com

6. I am thankful for This Great County that God has placed me in. May the heart of America return to "IN GOD WE TRUST".

Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised.

Porter Boys 2005

Gods gift, what a treasure. I thank HIM for the children that HE has given me. I pray that I can be the father that they need. I pray that they will grow to me men who love God and desire to live for him. How easy it is to take the little things for granted. How easy it is to consider our own perceived needs first. How selfish can I be? God you know them, I pray that you will call. I thank God for my wife. She truely is a blessing. She continues on while I'm away, she stays the course. May she be strengthend and empowered by the knowledge of HIM who is able to do exceedingly more than we could ever ask or think. Again I thank God for all He has given me.