Our Tuesday night BST class, Bro. Richard brough about "faith". It helped me alot. When we are going through strange things they seem to throw us,  hard trials etc., it can be hard to have faith. But like brother Richard said, it is natural to take a step back, draw back (not to sin), but probably to be taken back. You question why God, David did the same thing. Job probably felt that way also. We search for answers and understanding, but seem to find none. Seems like God, why aren't you showing me or answering me. But what was brought was "what understanding we need is to have our faith in God". We may not understand, we may be inquisitive,all these are natural, human things, but to keep faith in God as we go through it. That was good!

In Heb. 11:1-3 Now faith is the substance of things hoped for the evidence of things not seen. For by it the elders obtained a good report. Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed by the word of God, so that things which are seen were not made of things which do appear.

Through faith we understand that the worlds were framed. We dont know all the why's, when's etc., but by faith we believe God that, that was the way it is.  Job 28:1 -4 Then the Lord answered Job out of the whirlwind and said, who is this that darkeneth counsel by words without knowledge? Gird up now thy loins like a man; for I will demand of thee, and answer thou me. Where was thou when I laid the foundations of the earth? declare, if thou has understanding. We dont have understanding. Just like in our trials, sometimes we dont have understanding, but God knows. Jobs faith was ultimately in God. He trusted in "He knoweth the way that I take". He knows the way, I dont understand, but He knows.  In the end Job handled somethings well and not somethings, which was encouraging.

It was brought, we have to excercise our faith or we will loose it. We have to be careful in the midst of the trials, about how, when and why? Our faith ultimately has to be in God. Brother Richard said when he was going through one of his trials, that what he had expected didnt turn out just as he thought it would, but God brought him through. I guess we have to be careful with our expectations also.  Faith is more than your expecation and hope, but when those things are dashed, your faith will carry you through (brought by Bro. Richard). Faith either gets weaker or stronger. How we take things that happen to us in life, how things affect us. Everything around us can increase our faith. Either we're going to increase or decrease. It can cause us to dig in deep or not.  We need to grow in faith no matter what tests our faith. Our faith gets tested, difficulties come, our reaction is to question. He wants us to obtain greater faith. When people wane in faith it can put us in a position to sin. Sometimes our understanding can be wrong.

Job believed God that He created the world. He was tested in all that he expected and hoped for, but he still stayed true. David wrote many of his psalms during times of trials and difficulties.

I sure appreciate the good messages that God gives to those who are laboring and willing to be used that way.

Had a wonderful revival! Brother Chancellor came and preached. God just blessed him with what was needed and it was so encouraging.

One of the things that stood out to me and I kind of got more understanding, was when the choir sang "Lead me Lord".  When I was newly saved, being zealous for the Lord, you want the Lord to lead you and you think in bigs ways. But now as I have grown (praise God) it meant to me being lead in his ways.  Everyday life. Lead me Lord in the direction(s) you want me to go. It was really good.

A message on being slow to anger, which was sooo good for me. Being able to control our spirit.  He said " the tongue is a good measure as to how we rule our spirit". James 3:1-10

The message of grace! What a wonderful clear message. Grace being receiving what we didn't deserve, unmerited divine assistance. Wow, praise God! That he gives and does help in every situation.  Mercy, the law helped us to know we deserved punishment because we were sinners. Back in Moses time, mercy, compassion/forbearance, when justice is deserved. Every year they would present their offereing and God would forgive them, but every year they would have to do the same, when now we are under grace, we dont have to do that. Its once and then living free.  Titus 2:11-12 For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men, teaching us that denying ungodliness and worldly lusts, we should live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world.

Sometimes trials come just like waves at the ocean. They just keep coming and coming, but the Lord who is our captain, keeps us sailing and in the right direction if we let him. 

The Lord reminded me this morning of a song "how he healed their dread diseases and He's just the same today". The Lord can and will heal Sierra. When, I dont know, but He is just the same today. Praise God. He sends songs in the midst of the storms, He is sooo good!!!

Praise the Lord. We have to just step on the enemies head.

When reading this morning in 1Chron. 17. David wanted to build God a house.  But the Lord came to Nathan and told him to tell David not to do that. And when David heard it, he said "who am I".

"Who am I", that the Lord would give me such a good life.

"who am I', that He would give me all that I have.

"who am I', puts things in perspective.

We don't own anything that is not His, have anything that is not His.

From the trials to the joys, its all His.

The Lord told Nathan to tell David, "I took thee from the sheepcote, even from following the sheep, that thou shouldest be ruler over my people Israel". "I have been with thee whithosoever thou has walked and have cut off all thine enemies from before thee, and have made thee a name like the name of the great men that are in the  earth." Thats what He's done for us.

From "Winning a Crown"

Keeping your eyes on the trial:

The trouble is that when people get to viewing their trials, they keep looking at their trials and not looking to God.  They do not look at the promises.  They forget all about them.  And so the more they fear, the more troubled they become.  There are a thousand promises that apply to your case, thousands that meet your daily need.

Unbelief:

We need to believe the promises of God.  They are true for us whether we believe them or not, but they do not become effective for us until we believe them.  Unbelief will cloud your whole sky and shutout the sunlight.  It is Satan's strongest suggestion.  Believe that God is true and that God is true to you.

Struggling to escape them:

The only safe way is to submit to God and let him bring us through in the way that he sees fit.  He knows the best way.  He knows just what we can endure.  He knows just what is needed.  He sees the end from the beginning.  He knows how we are going to get through it.  He knows what the outcome will be and what a blessing he has in store for us at the end of the trial.  But if we try and get out of it without passing through, we are sure to miss the blessing

1Pet 1:7

"That the trial of our faith much more precious than the gold that perisheth, though it be tried with fire."

A gold digger gets his eyes on the gold and not on the obstacles that lie ahead of him.  We too need to get our eyes on the gold.  There is gold in every trial.  Get our eyes off the trial, look beyond to the gold.  Keep your mind and your heart set upon the gold, and you will find that you can face the trial a great deal easier than if you saw nothing beyond it.  The gold of Christian character comes only through stress and storm.

Results:

God always works out something worth while from our trials if we are true in them.  He does not try us merely to by trying us.  He has a definite purpose.  God humbles us and tries us just to do us good later. 

"who feed thee in the wilderness with manna, which thy fathers knew not, that he might humble thee, to do thee good  at thy latter end". (Deut. 8:16)

Job knew the good that was going to come out of his trial, and he said, "He knoweth the way that I take: when he hath tried me, I shall come forth as gold".

Trials may come (afflictions, men may ride over our heads, we may go through fire and water), but the outcome of it will be that we shall come out into a wealthy place.

Then we can say "Oh bless our God".

well, we are just about to embark on a journey that i really dont know how it's going to turn out, but Lord willing it will turn out the way the Lord wants it to. I figure if there is an honest soul up there or the Lord is going to show Dave, me or anyone in my family something, it will be worth the adventure.

We are going up to Siskiyou Lake which is just a little bit i guess above Shasta Lake. Ought to be pretty up there.

Dave's family will be there, from parents to siblings. We hope to go boating, fishing, kayaking and whatever else we can do up there. I hope to bring back pictures, so that I can post them on my blog.

We hope the saints down here will keep us in their prayers, we sure will appreciate that.

This is some of JT's baseball team from Antelope Little League in 2007. He played pitcher, catcher, 3rd base and sometimes 2nd base. They won their division that year and went on to the T.O.C's (tournament of champions). They lost in the final champsionships against the Nationals of Antelope Little League. Yeah Angels.  Dave helped coach that year.

(JT, Bryan (Bee), Nick, Ryan, Andrew and Zack are in the picture)