tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14572019426607986142024-03-21T07:59:24.071-04:00Preacher GauldenTyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.comBlogger39125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-54956670728637227192013-06-11T09:03:00.003-04:002013-06-11T09:03:27.937-04:002 Prayers for Today<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>1) Create in me a clean heart-</b> David cried in <i><b>Psalm 51:10, “Create
in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.”</b></i> The word “clean”
here is the word for “pure.” Today, I want to be pure from the failures of
yesterday. We all have some thing that plagued us yesterday and caused us to
miss the mark of God’s standard. Yet, thanks to the blood of Jesus Christ, we
can be cleansed from that failure and free not to be chained to it today. My
prayer is, “Oh Lord, let me walk in the newness of this day, purer today
because of Jesus’ blood and more free because of the Holy Spirit within me.”</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>2) Consecrate me more to the service of the kingdom-</b> Paul
declared in <b><i>Philippians 3:13, “…but this ONE thing I do…”</i></b> The longer I live,
the more I see that the things I thought were of importance are really nothing
more than vanity and the things I thought could wait, are the things that are
of utmost importance. The world tells of daily to work for things and use
people, but I want to work for people and use things to do it. Today, I want to
be more fully committed to the building of Christ’s kingdom and the service of
His church than I was yesterday. </span></div>
Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-12120246473996324232012-10-09T22:19:00.000-04:002012-10-09T22:19:05.406-04:00What's Happening to the Church in America?<br />
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The Pew Research center released a survey today (October 9,
2012) with the title “None’s on the Rise.” The subtitle reads, “One-in-Five Adults
Have No Religious Affiliation.” It is a startling survey that speaks about the decline
of the church and “religion” in the overall life of Americans. You can read the
article for yourself at <a href="http://www.pewforum.org/Unaffiliated/nones-on-the-rise.aspx">http://www.pewforum.org/Unaffiliated/nones-on-the-rise.aspx</a>.
Below, I have highlighted the ten most astounding things I took away from this
survey. </span></div>
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<ol start="1" style="margin-top: 0in;" type="1">
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“One-fifth
of the <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country> public –
and a third of adults under 30 – are religiously unaffiliated today, the
highest percentages ever in <st1:place w:st="on"><st1:placename w:st="on">Pew</st1:placename>
<st1:placename w:st="on">Research</st1:placename> <st1:placetype w:st="on">Center</st1:placetype></st1:place>
polling.<a href="" name="_ftnref3"></a>”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“A
third of adults under 30 have no religious affiliation (32%), compared
with just one-in-ten who are 65 and older (9%).”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Overwhelmingly,
they think that religious organizations are too concerned with money and
power, too focused on rules and too involved in politics.”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="" name="_ftnref4"></a><a href="" name="ranks"></a>“15.3% of <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country> adults answered a
question about their current religion by saying they were atheist,
agnostic or “nothing in particular.” </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="" name="growth"></a>“The new Pew Research Center/Religion & Ethics News Weekly
survey finds that about three-quarters of unaffiliated adults were raised
with some affiliation (74%).”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="" name="_ftnref8"></a>“The number of Americans who currently say religion is
very important in their lives (58%)… is far higher than in <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Britain</st1:country> (17%), <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">France</st1:country>
(13%), <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Germany</st1:country> (21%) or
<st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">Spain</st1:country>
(22%).”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“By
2012, 29% of <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">U.S.</st1:country>
adults indicated they seldom or never attend religious services.” </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="" name="_ftnref9"></a>“The percentage of Americans who say the Bible should
be taken literally has fallen [to] an average of about 38%.” </span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">“Two-thirds
of Americans, including 63% of the religiously unaffiliated, say religion
as a whole is losing its influence on American life.”</span></li>
<li class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="" name="_ftnref12"></a>“88% of religiously unaffiliated Americans are not
actively seeking to find a church or other religious group to join.”</span></li>
</ol>
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<span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;">The apostle Paul said to the church at <st1:place w:st="on">Rome</st1:place> that <b><i>it
is high time for us to awake out of sleep</i>.</b> My prayer is that God will
awaken the church because we are slowly losing ground to the forces of evil.
There is too much at stake for us to slumber while these perilous times are
upon us. It’s time for us to wake up and to shake the sleep from our eyes and
realize there is a spiritual war that is raging all around us. It’s time that
we awake from our apathy, repent of our hypocrisy, and re-fire on our duty to
win the lost at any cost. Jeff Steele said it best in his song when he said, “It’s
time for the army of God to arise and say we want <st1:country -region="-region" w:st="on">America</st1:country> back!”</span></div>
Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-44670299781509987342012-10-06T15:06:00.002-04:002012-10-06T15:06:37.005-04:00A Lesson on the Uncertainty of Life<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBZ75qaJtJKwqPefdaplp-WPZSyQPD_3wXTWGf6q-TCATC3-l1QRs0N-gi44JsgNm9iOQ0ba5Px4CCFUKo_amdaTCVAw10osOwSzKbv7NvF6jq9tR3RiP_-WbHj0F5dv3QPiQpty9gpT8/s1600/Public_domain_family_photo_by_Vera_Kratochvil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjSBZ75qaJtJKwqPefdaplp-WPZSyQPD_3wXTWGf6q-TCATC3-l1QRs0N-gi44JsgNm9iOQ0ba5Px4CCFUKo_amdaTCVAw10osOwSzKbv7NvF6jq9tR3RiP_-WbHj0F5dv3QPiQpty9gpT8/s320/Public_domain_family_photo_by_Vera_Kratochvil.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">This week has been a constant reminder of the brevity and uncertainty of life. Monday afternoon I spoke with a pastor’s wife on the phone as I called to check on her and her husband. To my dismay, I found out just four days later that same woman’s health had taken a turn for the worse on Wednesday and she passed away on Thursday morning. I'm sure when this pastor woke up Wednesday morning he was thinking mostly about the message he was going to deliver Wednesday night to his church only to have his world turned upside down in a matter of 24 hours. Now he is a widower planning his wife's funeral. Life changes quickly.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Once again today I was taught the lesson of how quickly life changes as I got a call this morning on my way home from lunch to tell me of a man in our church that had been found dead by his wife. That may not come as a shock to you but it did to me because no less than three days ago I was shaking hands with him at our midweek prayer service. Now death has taken him into eternity. Last night the biggest thing his wife had on her mind was wondering if she would make it to the church in time this morning for the church-wide cleanup that was scheduled; but now she is a widow planning her husband's funeral. Life changes in a moment.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Moses said in Psalm 90, <b><i>So teach us to number our days that we may apply our hearts to wisdom</i></b>. Solomon said, <b><i>Boast not thyself of tomorrow for thou knowest not what a day may bring forth</i></b>. I'm reminded today of how quickly life can change. No one is immune to bad things coming into their life. No one is good enough to exempt them from disaster. No one is promised tomorrow. In light of that, I'm determining today to do several things and by the grace of God I will not be deterred.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>1. I will dedicate myself to accomplishing those things that really matter and leaving behind the things that really don't.</b> There are some things in life that really don't matter, but sadly we spend most of our time focusing and worrying on how to accomplish those things to the neglect of the things that really do matter. Life is too short to worry about those things that don't matter. How do you determine what really matters? Here is the litmus test I use: “Is it worth losing everything in order to gain this one thing?” If it passes that test then it is something that really matters.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>2. I will dedicate myself to investing in the people in my life that really matter.</b> Have you ever found yourself trying to impress certain people only to feel like a failure because you can’t seem to gain their acceptance? It is a sad story, but we spend the majority of our efforts attempting to win over people that really don't matter while we overlook those people that really do matter. I wonder how many children have been neglected by a father who was trying to win the favor of his boss? Or how many people have neglected their spouse because they wanted to win the favor of a friend? I have often said this, “I refuse to be upset because of the one who doesn’t like me when I can focus of the other people who do like me.” I refuse to waste anymore of my life trying to please people. </span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfpH_s9hmIzCEEZBJWfscy6yewyJr_UOxdNM3Ty7owWjyUq5g2ZarbeV8PcCkb7-kRFQK5RQ7zd0V6_W-fbwhX-3mRHsEMPE7w4nMN1_DvPPWnSs0s1xmAzVV_AzHojxy9FaI5JDFwKb8/s1600/A+Bible+study.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfpH_s9hmIzCEEZBJWfscy6yewyJr_UOxdNM3Ty7owWjyUq5g2ZarbeV8PcCkb7-kRFQK5RQ7zd0V6_W-fbwhX-3mRHsEMPE7w4nMN1_DvPPWnSs0s1xmAzVV_AzHojxy9FaI5JDFwKb8/s320/A+Bible+study.jpg" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;"><b>3. I am determined to make a difference for good.</b> In everything that I do I want to do it with the purpose of making a difference. Every word I speak to my son or my wife I want to do it with the intention of making a difference in them for good. Every ministry God allows me to undertake I want to do it with the purpose of making a difference for good. Every message that I preach I want to do it with a determination to make a difference for good.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Trebuchet MS, sans-serif;">Life is too uncertain and precious to waste today. The prayer of my heart is that of the psalmist when he said, <b><i>Awaken my heart, O God</i></b>. Let me see what I ought to be doing and forgetting those things I shouldn't be doing. </span><br />
Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-686442950409109962010-04-13T07:41:00.001-04:002010-04-13T07:43:39.308-04:00The Soul of The Sluggard<!--StartFragment--> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: left;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:6;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 21px;"><b><i> <!--StartFragment--> </i></b></span></span></p><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size:6;"><b><i><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing: but the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></i></b></p> <p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align: justify;"><b><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';">Proverbs 13:4</span></i></b></p></i></b></span><p></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> I have never lived in another generation than the one that I live in, so it would be fallible for me to compare this generation to another, but I have seen a fundamental shift in the lifestyle of the people around me. There is a laziness that permeates and really defines this generation of young people and old people alike. I have heard it referred to as the “entitlement generation.” We feel that we deserve everything and everything should be handed to us on a silver platter. We view the world as a buffet line in that once we are in the door, we should be able to have anything we see and when we are denied we feel as if we have been stripped of our proverbial “rights”. Our attitude can be summed up in one statement, “the soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing.”</span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"><o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:'trebuchet ms';"> Laziness is not a trait that should define a child of God. My dear friend, the word of God makes one thing very clear, we deserve nothing but death and hell. I am sure it is a sickening feeling the Lord has when He looks at His children who are more than able to work, yet they lay around wasting the energy and time God has given to them. Paul made it clear that if a man refused to work, then he should not eat. If you have the ability to get out of bed and work, that is what you should do. God gave you feet so that you could travel about. God gave you hands so that you could use them. A sluggard is not something that pleases God. He is very plain spoken when He says that they shall have nothing. Oh my friend, are you able to work today? Praise the Lord for the strength to work and then be sure to labor in that position as unto the Lord because God blesses the hand of the diligent. </span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family:georgia;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p> <!--EndFragment-->Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-80526790385360029032010-04-12T10:02:00.000-04:002010-04-12T10:03:25.264-04:00Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep...<div align="justify"><strong><em>I will both lay me down in peace, and sleep: for thou, LORD, only makest me dwell in safety.<br />Psalm 4:8<br /></em></strong><br /> As a young boy I remember the nightly ritual that transpired before I would pillow my head to sleep. I would brush my teeth, wash my face, put on my pajamas, and say a little prayer. This is the nightly ritual for most children before they pillow their head at night. The little prayer that parents teach their children to say serves two purposes: it builds the habit of prayer in their life and it gives them a sense of security in God the Father. Often times the night brings fear and fright into the hearts of children, which keeps them from getting a good night’s rest. As the adolescent years give way to teen years, this fear seems to flee the minds of unsuspecting young people as they nightly sleep with little care or concern. But something happens as they grow out of their teen years and become young adults and ultimately full-grown adults, this fear of the night returns. Many fear intruders. Some fear torrential weather. Some worry about the events of tomorrow. Whatever the case, fear grips their heart and hinders them from sleeping in peace. </div><div align="justify"><br /> May I say this is not the will of God. God wishes that all His children slumber in peace. He does not desire you to fear every noise that sounds in the night. He gave sleep to be a blessing, not a burden. God has promised to protect as we sleep and to doubt that is an attack upon sovereignty. He does not yearn for you to stay awake through the night worrying about the torments of the unknown or the problems of tomorrow. Fret not; if tomorrow holds a problem, God is already there. The psalmist boldly proclaimed that he would rest at night because the Lord guards and keeps. The God that redeemed us from sin’s power is the God that protects us through the night. Sleep in peace.</div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-69770154976628252222010-04-09T10:33:00.001-04:002010-04-09T10:34:44.399-04:00Amnon's Downfall<div align="justify"><strong><em>But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab…<br />II Samuel 13:3</em></strong><br /><br />The story of Amnon’s fall is a story of how a small weakness can crumble a mighty structure. Here sits Amnon, the son of David, the king of Israel. He was a man of great passion, potential, and position. He had life and the kingdom at his fingertips. His fortune had no bounds and his future had no limits. He was destined for a life of greatness. But all at once, his destiny was changed with one little phrase, “But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab.” Amnon’s great weakness was not money. It was not jealousy. Amnon’s great weakness was his association and friendship with Jonadab. There is no doubt in my mind that Amnon had many times been around Jonadab and many times heeded his advice, and that weakened his defenses when Jonadab offered his terrible advice concerning Tamar. While some do not agree with me, I am convinced beyond a shadow of a doubt that Jonadab, whose name means “subtle” was the downfall of Amnon and had it not been for Jonadab’s counsel, Amnon would have never raped Tamar. How things would have been different for Amnon if this sentence had never been so, “But Amnon had a friend, whose name was Jonadab.” I am certain that his life would have been completely different and perhaps he may have been the king of Israel instead of Solomon if he had not had the association with Jonadab that he did.</div><div align="justify"><br />I wonder how many of God’s people have missed out on God’s plan and purpose in their lives because of the people that they hang around. I have seen young people ruin their lives because they would not segregate themselves from wrong influences and those who did not share the same view of Christ as they did. As it was in the case of Amnon and Jonadab, it is not the infidel or heathen that take us from the faith, it is the “subtle” ones that cause us to drift from the faith and our testimony. It is not the raging alcoholic, but the social drinker who cause us to ruin our testimony. It is not the prostitute, but the “flirtatious looker” that draw us away from our purity and fidelity. Oh dear Christian, do not let your guard down against the attacks of the devil. Remember, just as the mighty cedar falls with one swing of the axe, so will you topple with one wrong association.</div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-14269516008753395142009-10-29T09:54:00.001-04:002009-10-29T09:55:53.641-04:00Power in the Name of Jesus<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#663300;"><strong><em>In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk…<br />Acts 3:6</em></strong><br /><br /> When Peter and John left their home on that particular morning, they had no idea what awaited them on their journey. They were walking toward the temple in order that they may pray. They went with the expressed purpose of being blessed, yet before the day was over they would be the vessels God would use to bless someone else. Enter the lame man. As he lay at the gate called Beautiful, he did not realize that this would be the day he would hear the most powerful words that would ever grace his ears. Peter and John made their way to the Temple and passed by this helpless man who sought money, yet that day the men presented him with a miracle. They spoke these words to him, “In the name of Jesus Christ of Nazareth rise up and walk.” The Bible says the lame man arose walking, leaping, and praising God. This day he heard the most powerful words he would ever hear and they changed his life. What were the words that possessed such power? They were not “rise up” or “walk”. It was not the word “Nazareth” that changed his life. The words that forever altered this man’s life and eternity were “the name of Jesus Christ”. There was no power in the word “rise” or in the word “walk”. There was no power in the name of John. There was no power in the name of Peter. There was no power in the Temple. The power was in the name of Jesus Christ. </span></span></div><span style="font-family:arial;color:#663300;"></span><br /><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:arial;"><span style="color:#663300;">It was the power in the name of Jesus Christ that changed my life. It was not the preacher. It was not the church. It was not the drugs or the bottle. It was the name of Jesus Christ. There is power in that name. To the nation that needs forgiveness, there is power in the name of Jesus Christ. To the parents of a rebellious child, there is power in the name of Jesus Christ. To the home that is ruptured by sin, there is power in the name of Jesus Christ. For the marriage that is broken, there is power in the name of Jesus Christ. For the church that is cold and indifferent, there is power in the name of Jesus Christ. For the preacher who feels inadequate, there is power in the name of Jesus Christ. To the Christian who has given up hope, there is power in the name of Jesus Christ. There has always been power and there will always be sufficient power in the name of Jesus Christ.</span> </span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-82664188616986145552009-10-28T10:29:00.001-04:002009-10-28T10:30:45.774-04:00Timothy's Charge<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#663300;"><strong><em>O Timothy, keep that which is committed to thy trust…<br />I Timothy 6:20</em></strong><br /><br />I have heard the story of a young servant who was summoned to the palace of his king in the late hours of the night. It was unusual for the king to make such a request at that hour, so the servant knew the call must have been one of gravity. As the young man arrived at the gates he noticed the distressed look upon the faces of his fellow serfs. He was hurried to the king’s chambers where he found the feeble king settled upon his bed, breathing deeply, and grasping an object in his hand as if it were the key to life and death. As the young man made his way to the king’s side, he immediately recognized the object, which the king was clinging to; it was the Kingdom’s Regal Sword. This particular sword had stood for many years as the symbol of the king’s authority to the throne. As long as a member of the royal family or a trusted associate possessed the sword, the dynasty would remain. The king knew the results of losing the sword or mistrusting it to an unworthy associate. If the day came that the sword fell into the hands of the enemy, the dynasty would cease to rule. The problem facing the king was that he had no heirs, his health was failing him, and soon he would succumb to the hand of death. He knew of one person to whom he could entrust the Kingdom’s Sword. As he took hold of his young servant’s hand, he laid the sword in his grip and said something like this, “Keep that which is committed to thy trust.”</span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663300;"></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><br /><span style="color:#663300;"></span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663300;">The apostle Paul whispered the same words to Timothy. He knew the day would come when he would no longer be alive to sound the warning against apostasy and blasphemy. He committed this task to Timothy and charged him not to drop the ball. Paul had deposited much into the life of Timothy and charged Timothy, not to let that deposit be voided by loose living or spiritual compromise. The same charge is being sounded throughout our generation. We are seeing the older men of God pass off of the scene. Yet, the young men who follow behind them have done everything but “keep that which was committed to our trust.” We have attempted to color the gospel a different color in order to be popular and in doing so, we have defiled that which God laid to our trust. Today, resolve to lift up high the old-fashioned gospel of Jesus Christ and “keep that which is committed to thy trust.”</span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-43013127612599310112009-10-27T09:12:00.001-04:002009-10-27T09:13:21.974-04:00The Importance of Today<div align="justify"><span style="color:#330000;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong><em>Boast not thyself of tomorrow…<br />Proverbs 27:1</em></strong><br /><br /> The wise man speaks a thought that no mortal man wants to ponder. It seems to be a thought that bears morbidity, yet it is absolutely necessary. This thought we speak of is living as if today is our last day. It is not natural for men and women to concentrate solely upon the events of the current day. We are wired as humans to think of tomorrow’s dealings. What will the calendar hold tomorrow? Will I have a better day tomorrow? Simply stated, it is human nature to think about tomorrow. Now before moving further, we must deal with the fact that some would take this passage to mean that they should negate to plan for tomorrow and live exclusively for the pleasures of today; this would clearly display their foolishness. The scriptures teach that a wise man plans for the affairs of tomorrow. Solomon here warns not against planning for tomorrow, but rather against priding ourselves for the certainty of tomorrow. The word “boast” in our text means to pride or to praise. He is teaching that we should not praise what actions we will do tomorrow because tomorrow may never arrive for us on this earth.</span></span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#330000;"><br /> </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#330000;">Today is the day of importance. How many have said, “Tomorrow I shall call upon the Lord and be saved,” yet tomorrow does not arrive and they exit this world unprepared for the next world? How many boast that they will pray tomorrow and yet tomorrow they awake in eternity? How many have praised that tomorrow they will go to church and yet tomorrow never dawns? How many have longed to whisper, “I’m sorry” or “I love you” to that loved one just to find that tomorrow comes too late because in the night their loved one slipped away. How many have gone to bed angry just to find their loving spouse has been chilled by the hand of death in their sleep? </span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#330000;"> </span></div><div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#330000;">Oh, my friend, if you could hear the urgency in my voice to know this very moment is all you have, then you would truly heed this warning. Let today be the day you deal solemnly with a thrice-holy God because tomorrow may not come. Let today be the day you bid your loved ones your affection because tomorrow may not come. Do not let today pass until you have reconciled with your spouse because tomorrow may not come. Oh, dear Christian, run into the arms of God with a repentant heart, because tomorrow may not come.</span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-23147420751120430712009-10-26T09:32:00.000-04:002009-10-26T09:33:42.437-04:00The Men of Kirjath-jearim<div align="justify"><span style="color:#663300;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong><em>And the men of Kirjath-jearim came, and fetched up the ark of the LORD…<br />I Samuel 7:1</em></strong><br /><br /> Oh, the deplorable state that the children of Israel had been living in. The armies of the Philistines had stolen the visible object that allowed the children of Israel to know that God was among them and that He was pleased with them. Now because of apathy and sin of the Israelites, the Philistines had whisked away the ark of God, which gave Israel the assurance of God’s presence, power, and protection. The absent ark not only had emotional ramifications such as fear, doubt, and despair, but also spiritual implications. For without the ark of God, the worship of the Israelites was as meaningless as the worship of the Baalites upon Mount Carmel. How foolish the children of Israel would have been to attempt to worship without the presence of God. It would have been like trying to sing a song without notes. Like trying to light candle without the presence of a wick. No my friend, it would have been impossible and vain.</span></span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663300;"> The men of Kirjath-jearim were aware of the seriousness of this condition and grew tired of the apathy of their nation. The Philistines had caused a reproach upon the children of Israel and the men of Kirjath-jearim were not going to take it any longer. With one accord, the men marched with resolve to retrieve the ark of God. They were willing to make the sacrifice to retrieve the presence and power of God, which they did with rapid success. Now, some would say, these men were extraordinary men and that is the reason they dared such a task. How wrong you are. “Kirjath-jearim” literally means, “city of woods”. The men of Kirjath-jearim were woodsmen and lumberjacks. They were just common men. They were not overly educated nor overly talented. No, they simply were desperate once again for the presence of God and were willing to risk life and limb to retrieve it. </span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663300;"> Oh, that there were some men and women who desired to see the presence and power of God upon their nation. Oh, that we would join in one accord and march into the land of the enemy and retrieve what is rightfully ours. Do not let the devil tell you that you are incapable because you lack the talent or education. God needs not the sharpest knife in the drawer. For in the hands of an omnipotent God even the dullest knife is a deadly weapon </span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-1069097893023384222009-10-12T13:38:00.000-04:002009-10-12T13:39:22.093-04:00Drawn to Duty<span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#663300;"><strong><em>Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel…<br />I Samuel 13:19<br /></em></strong><br /> Oh the tragedy and calamity that is found in such a small portion of scripture. Wrapped up into this one phrase is the possibility of Israel’s defeat and the reason for that possible defeat. As King Saul readies himself to make battle against the armies of the Philistines, he is given word by one of his assistants that there are no blacksmiths available for service. The coals of the blacksmiths had been extinguished. The ring of hammers against the anvils had since been silenced. No longer were there sparks of productivity coming from their tents. Why was such news detrimental to the morale of the Israelites? This halt in labor by the blacksmiths led to the armies of Israel having no swords or weapons to fight with in their battle against the Philistines. Whether or not the smiths compromised their trade to go the land of the Philistines or were forced out of their duty makes no difference because their failure to perform their job had far reaching consequences to the armies of Israel. Yes, their duty was menial, but it had great repercussions. </span></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663300;"></span><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663300;">Oh how serious is this issue in our life. Is it not our failure to perform the small tasks on our spiritual journey that keeps us from succeeding? Are not the small foxes the ones that spoil the vine? The small failure on our part could lead to the grand failure to many in the army of God. How minuscule are the tasks of prayer and Bible meditation, yet we fail to consistently do them? These are the small foxes that ruin the life of the believer. Oh my friend let this be the day your heart is drawn to your duty. There are weapons to be made so that we can battle the spiritual powers of Satan. It is time we heat the coals of the Spirit of God and thrust the dull weapon of our life into His midst so that the process might begin by which we are made dangerous for the cause of Christ and wieldable by the Holy Ghost.</span>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-23165914253161502622009-09-29T11:30:00.000-04:002009-09-29T11:32:02.206-04:00The Lamb of God<div align="justify"><span style="color:#663333;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em>The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.<br />John 1:29</em></strong><br /><br /> Never has a declaration been made whereby the reader was convinced that the times had changed. Contained within this one statement written by the apostle John are three separate declarations which John the Baptist makes concerning the beloved Son of God. Contained within these three declarations is the wonderful fact that things will never be the same. So may the Lord help us a we gaze upon these truths.</span></span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#663333;"> The first declaration is seen in John’s words, “Behold the Lamb of God.” For century’s preceding John’s life, the prophets of old declared that the Messiah was coming. Moses declared that a Prophet would arise. David saw the Great Shepherd imminent. Ezekiel saw the wheel inside of the wheel turning about. Malachi declared that the Sun of Righteousness was about to rise with healing in His wings. And now John the Baptist declares from the shores of the Jordan River that the Lamb of God, which was prophesied to come, was now here.</span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#663333;"> The second truth proclaimed which indicated to mankind that life would never be the same is found in the statement “which taketh away.” From the Passover in Egypt, to the Sinai Peninsula, to the hills of Israel, the blood of lambs and bullocks drenched the sands of the land as it merely covered the sins of the people. The blood of those animals was insufficient to wash away the sins of the people because it lacked the power and purity of God. Oh, but now John declares that the Lamb of all lambs has come and His blood has the power to cleanse and wipe the record of their sins clean. Never again would the people have to select a lamb to slaughter because God himself had selected the perfect and premier Lamb, which was slain since the foundation of the world.</span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#663333;"> The third statement of truth is found in phrase, “of the world.” It is true that God loved the people of Israel. They were His people, called after set apart for His good pleasure. But, deep within the heart of God was a love for the entire world. Until John’s declaration, the world had been cut off from the commonwealth of Israel and alienated from their promise. But now through the Lamb of God, salvation was made available to the entire world. Bless the name of God for His precious Lamb that gave us the ability to cry with the angels, “Glory to God in the Highest.”</span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-29655597683187627642009-09-28T10:44:00.001-04:002009-09-28T10:45:29.132-04:00The Doubt of Nathanael<div align="justify"><span style="color:#663300;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><em><strong>And Nathanael said unto him, Can there any good thing come out of Nazareth?<br />John 1:46</strong><br /></em><br /> The statement here spoken by Nathanael renders to the reader the obvious opinion of the public in the day of Jesus towards the city of Nazareth. Evidently this city had become a place of wickedness, depravity, and foolishness. The city, whose name implied “the home of the guarded ones”, had become the home of the “guilty ones.” The reputation of the city was so pitiful that when Nathanael saw Jesus coming, he was immediately prejudiced against him, even though he had been informed of the goodness and glory of Jesus, because of the place which he lived. How sad it is when a place falls into sin and carries a reputation of wickedness and uselessness. But that is not the end of the story for the city of Nazareth. For what the world meant for evil, God turned for the good. When the world looked at the city of Nazareth and said nothing good can come out of it; God flipped the story upon its head. The world may say it was useless, but God knows nothing that was useless. He took Nazareth, a city that was viewed as good for nothing, and raised up the great Messiah from within its city limits. </span></span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663300;"> Many times our lives are viewed much like the city of Nazareth. We are viewed as useless and good for nothing. Men look upon the shell of our lives and say, “Can any good thing come from them?” Maybe we are viewed that way because of where we were born or the family we were born into. It may be our social standing or even sinful decisions that cast the light of uselessness upon our lives. Living with this fortune is depressing and hopeless. But I stand thankful today because what the world sees as a problem, God sees as potential. There is no problem too great for our God. God can take our lives, which are full of defects, deviance, and deformities, and clean us up to make our lives a vessel worthy of His service. God answers the question, “Can any good come from that city?” with a resounding, “Yes!”</span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-28193895128945115982009-09-25T12:15:00.000-04:002009-09-25T12:17:12.907-04:00Spiritual Anorexia<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#663300;"><strong><em>I will delight myself in thy statutes: I will not forget thy word<br />Psalm 119:16</em></strong><br /><br /><br />Entering the One Hundred and Nineteenth Psalm, we find the longest chapter in the holy, word of God. One would think that a psalm of this length would have many topics and stories; but they would be incorrect. The topic of this psalm is singular. It has one theme and melody; it has one purpose and goal and that purpose is to magnify the word of God. Looking at this psalm, we see more clearly than ever that the writings of the Bible are from the hand of God. How do we know? No mortal man would write a book that would condemn his lifestyle and lift up the word of a higher power. Man’s sinful pride would not judge his own heart and doom him. No, these truly are the words of God contained in the word of God.</span></span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663300;">As the psalmist writes, he casts a light upon the importance of God’s word in the life of the child of God. As I read the entire chapter, I cannot help but see the significance, yea the necessity for the believer to fill and encompass his heart, mind, and life with the scripture. Is it any wonder as to why the longest chapter in the Bible focuses on one topic, the word of God? It is no accident or coincidence. God spent valuable time exalting His word because He expects His child to spend valuable time examining the Word.</span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663300;">My humble question today is this, how much of your time is spent in the Holy Scripture? How much time to you take feeding at the table of God? How much of your day is spent nurturing your soul from the bread of Heaven? Can it be said of you that you are a student of the word of God? Or would it be more correct to say that you are a spiritual anorexic? Sadly, I believe many of our souls resemble the children of the African countryside we have seen on late night infomercials, bony, emaciated, and starving. We have depleted our souls to the point where we will eat anything the world feeds us. Whether it is filth or slop, we feast upon it as if it had been prepared in a gourmet kitchen. Dear friend, I beseech you as a fellow child of God to lay aside the slop of the world and go back to the table of God. Let today be the day you feast upon the riches of God’s word. </span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-6412542727809853432009-09-23T08:49:00.001-04:002009-09-23T08:52:41.775-04:00The Sights of That City<div align="justify"><strong><em>And I John saw the holy city, new Jerusalem, coming down from God out of heaven, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband.<br />Revelation 21:2</em></strong><br /><br /> I once heard the story of an old gentleman who fell asleep one night and had the most wonderful dream. As he opened his eyes he saw a majestic city spread as far as his eyes could see. The city was so bright and fair that no mortal man could have constructed it with his own hands. As he stepped closer to the city limits, he began to notice “Welcome” signs. As a well traveled man, he had seen sign saying, “Welcome to London”, “Welcome to Paris”, and “Welcome to New York.” There as he gazed upon the sign to this city, he immediately knew where he was. The sign said, “Oh, Weary Pilgrim, Welcome to The City of God.” Could this be the city he had long read about in the pages of God’s word? Was this the place his mother and father told him of when he was just a boy? Now his feet were drawn to the gates of the city like a child drawn to a shiny toy. This had to be it. This was the City of God. As drew near, the angel which stood watch at the gate said, “Welcome home, ye soldier of the cross. Enter into the joy of your Lord.” Oh, the sights of the city were memorizing. The precious stones decorated the city as the golden streets glistened off of the crystal sea.</div><div align="justify"><br /> As the gentleman walked along the streets of the city, it was not what he saw that was notable; it was what he did not see that caught his attention. He did not see streetlights, because the Lamb of God was the light of the city. He did not see any Kleenex or handkerchiefs because God had wiped away all tears from their eyes. He did not see any funeral homes or cemeteries because death had passed away. There were no bars or street corner sins because all things had been made new. He didn’t see any churches because the Lord Almighty was the Temple. He did not see any dead leaves littering the ground because the tree of life was always living. And he did not see any wedding planners because God the Father had been planning the wedding of the Lamb since the foundation of the world.</div><div align="justify"><br /> As the man awoke from his dream, he realized it was not just a dream that would fade away, but one day, his faith would become sight. For God himself is preparing a city for His people, and soon we shall rise to be with Him. </div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-32675415067784517422009-09-21T11:13:00.000-04:002009-09-21T11:15:00.479-04:00The Looking Lord<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#663300;"><strong><em>And the Lord turned, and looked upon Peter. And Peter remembered the word of the Lord, how he had said unto him, Before the cock crow, thou shalt deny me thrice. And Peter went out, and wept bitterly.<br />Luke 22:61-62</em><br /></strong><br /> Here we see a dramatic end to an emotional day for the apostle Peter. He has gone from the glory of the upper room fellowship to the grief of his rejection of the Christ. Peter would have never guessed that morning that by the end of the day he would have denied the Lord and stooped down into sin’s dread sway. Now the night has come and Peter finds himself warming by the world’s fire instead of walking by the Lord’s side. This fellowship with the world leads him to do something he never thought possible. As he watches Jesus being carried through the crowds, someone looks at Peter and says, “This man was also with him [Jesus].” The apostle, fearing for his own life adamantly denies knowing Christ. Three times in the matter of a few minutes Peter does something he had never done before. His fall was swift and it was severe. </span></span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663300;"> As I read the story of Peter, I am reminded of my own life and the years of my youth. How foolish I was and how tragic the end of the story could have been. How true it is that sin can take you farther than you care to go and deeper that you care to be. The most treacherous part of sin is that it can happen so fast. I recall in my own life how quickly my slide began. It started, as I was spiritually warming by the world’s fire instead of walking by the Lord’s side. I fell in a spiritual sense. It was severe and it was sudden.</span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663300;"> If the story had ended there for Peter or myself, it would have been a catastrophe. Oh, but thanks be the God, the scripture records after the third denial of Peter, the Lord looks at him, which leads to Peter weeping and ultimately his repentance. The Lord would have been justified to destroy Peter right there on the spot, but he didn’t. Instead, Jesus looked at him with a look of compassion and heartbreak, which led to Peter’s repentance. Oh, how I am reminded of the day the Lord gave me that look of compassion and heartbreak. The day he saw me warming by the world’s fires. Much to my surprise, he just looked at me instead of destroying me. He would have been justified to kill me, but instead he loved me. And it was that look that brought me back into His arms.</span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663300;"> What about you my friend? Have you felt His eyes peering through you like a beam of light? He is standing at the doorstep of your soul just looking. He sees you and His heart is breaking. Will you respond to His looking?</span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-5315994693626225202009-09-17T10:35:00.001-04:002009-09-17T10:37:24.683-04:00The Scars of Job<div align="justify"><span style="color:#663300;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em>So went Satan forth from the presence of the LORD, and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown. And he took him a potsherd to scrape himself withal…<br />Job 2:7-8<br /></em></strong><br /> If men and women in our day could have looked upon the being of Job as the boils oozed with infection all over body, I’m sure our stomachs would have turned. The shear pain and agony Job went through was enough to make even the strongest man bend over in torment. Sadly, the physical pain of the boils was not all Job dealt with; he dealt with the appearance of the boils for many days. Every man that walked by Job saw his deplorable state and distasteful form. I believe it’s fair to say, Job had his share of suffering. But, thanks be unto God that the story doesn’t end there. The end of the book of Job tells of his deliverance from the very hand of God. Every thing that had been taken from Job was returned two-fold. He had twice the cattle, twice the houses, and ten more children. God also restored unto him his health. Job’s restoration was a story of God’s deliverance and grace. </span></span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#663300;"> There is one area of Job’s restoration that the Bible is silent about and I believe it is a purposeful silence. This silence deals with the issue of Job’s physical appearance. We remember that his entire body was covered with boils that racked him with pain. The pain and pressure from the boils was so severe that he took a broken piece of pottery and scraped over the boils in order to gain some relief. If you have ever had a boil, you can imagine some of the pain he was in. Surely after he raked over his sores, they scabbed over and most definitely left scars from the top of his head to the soles of his feet from which I do not believe God regenerated. Till the day he died, those scars bore the story of his downfall, suffering, and his deliverance. Everywhere he went, his scars told the story of God’s grace.</span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#663300;"> My friend, we all have scars. Some scars are emotional while others are physical, yet all tell a story. Yes brothers and sisters, God did permit the trial to come into your life even though He knew it would tear and scratch your body and soul. But God was not being cruel or harsh, for God knew with the tearing and cutting would come the scars. And the scars on you would tell the world the story of God’s grace and deliverance. May we praise God for the trials and storms of life, even though they leave scars. For with our scars we tell the world God’s narrative of grace, mercy, and restoration.</span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-17267206222390722632009-09-16T08:34:00.000-04:002009-09-16T08:35:54.166-04:00The Sufficient Savior<div align="justify"><span style="color:#663300;"><strong><em>I will say of the LORD, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust.<br />Psalm 91:2<br /></em></strong><br /><br /> The Psalmist speaks with full assurance and confidence here as he pens these words under inspiration of the Holy Spirit. There are two expressions of sureness that catch the attention of the reader. He says, “I will say of the Lord” and “in him will I trust.” Both leave the indelible mark that the psalmist is unshaken to the fact that he can truly trust not only upon the Lord, but also in the Lord. Dear friend, as you read, do not be taken with the attitude that the psalmist was a lunatic, that he had no idea what he was talking about, or the fact that didn’t have the problems like you or I have. Charles Spurgeon gives authorship of this psalm to Moses and we know Moses was a man acquainted with burdens, sorrow, and grief like no other man. He saw the pitfalls of sin upon his people and his own life. He had known the pain of friends and family who abandon. But he still writes and says, “in him [God] will I trust.” </span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="color:#663300;"> The Psalmist does not leave the reader inquiring as to his faith because he gives the reasons as to why he can say with full assurance, “I will trust God”. He uses three adjectives to describe the Lord. First, he says, “He is my refuge.” This speaks to the serenity found only in the Lord. God is the one who grants peace. No wonder it was Jesus who spoke peace to the storm as the waves crashed upon the disciples. He was the one who was not overtaken by the storm but rather He walked on the water. Are you worried and weary? He stands ready to be your refuge.</span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="color:#663300;"> The author continues by saying, “He is my fortress.” This phrase speaks to the security of the Lord’s sovereignty. Oh how badly we need the security of the Lord in our day. Is there any wonder why Noah felt safe inside the ark built to God’s specifications? It was a vessel that could handle the pressures of the outside. We need to remember that God is still the solid foundation upon which our life is built. My friend, though the winds and storms are howling, we will endure because we are safely settled in the fortress of God’s power.</span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="color:#663300;"> The last phrase used by the Psalmist to describe the Lord is, “He is my God.” This is not a phrase of identification, but rather of attribution. The psalmist is speaking to the sufficiency of the Lord. Moses could trust in the Lord because he saw the manna fall faithfully every morning. He drank from the water that came from the rock. He watched God preserve the clothes on his back through forty years of wilderness wandering. My friend, if this man of God can put his trust in the Lord, surely you can too.</span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-34315083418236341282009-09-15T09:18:00.000-04:002009-09-15T09:19:56.758-04:00The Hurting Soul Is Welcome<div align="justify"><span style="color:#663333;"><span style="font-family:arial;"><strong><em>Then the master of the house... said to his servant, Go out quickly into the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in hither the poor, and the maimed, and the halt, and the blind.<br />Luke 14:21</em></strong><br /><br /> Never has there been a parable that so encompassed the passion, love, and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. The Lord came to seek and to save that which was lost. As the lord of this parable speaks to his servants, we can quickly see the symbolism between the lord of the parable and the Lord telling the parable. As the lord of the parable sends out his servants to invite men and women to the grand supper he is preparing, he is not partial or particular in his invitation. He simply says, Go. Go wherever the people are. If they are in the streets, go there. If they are in the lanes of the city, go there. But quickly we realize that there is something different about the invitation from this lord. He does something out of sync with the norm. His bidding is not just to the rich, but it is to the poor, maimed, halt, and blind. His mission was not to feed those who were fed, but to feed those who were hungry. He didn’t come to cover the rich, but to clothe the poor.</span></span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#663333;"> Oh, can we not see the love of God through this passage? The Lord of the harvest cares deeply about all men and women. He doesn’t look at the thickness of a man’s wallet. He cares for the hurting soul. He doesn’t care about the baggage a person brings with them to the feast. Emotional and physical issues are no drawback to God. If you are poor, you are welcome. If you are maimed, you are welcome. If you are halt or blind, you are welcome. The Lord of Glory bids all who will, draw near to Him. He will take your brokenness and loneliness and turn them into wholeness and companionship. He has the ability to turn your disease and sickness into wellness and health. </span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#663333;"> Also within the confines of this passage we see a mandate to God’s servants. The Lord of the parable told his servants to go where the hurting people were. Oh how often do we turn our heads from broken people in order to find a fat cat to pad our offerings? We look for the socialite who will bring notoriety to our congregation. May we turn our eyes away from the size of a man’s pocket book and turn to the need of his heart. May God show us to go where the hurting people are and may we usher them to the hospital of God’s hope.</span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-63651382272176002432009-09-14T08:45:00.001-04:002009-09-14T08:47:11.158-04:00This One Thing I Do<div align="justify"><span style="color:#663333;"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><strong><em>...but this one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before...<br />Philippians 3:13</em></strong><br /><br /> The world we live in is fast-paced to say the least. There are bills to pay, yards to mow, jobs to work, and children to feed. In the day and hour we are in church is normally put on the back burner for most people. It goes something like this; “I’ll have life, with a side of God.” Over the years, this has become a motto and lifestyle for many people who profess the name of Jesus Christ. Until recently, men in the ministry were somewhat immune to this motto. The ministry and the service of Jesus Christ were their lifestyle. They lived to pray and prayed to live. They sought God through meditation in His word. But it seems more and more across the board that we are so distracted with the hustle of life that God has been pushed to the side. The disregard for God has become so prevalent in these dark hours that our pulpits are powerless and our churches resemble mortuaries. Something is wrong and needs to change quickly.</span></span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663333;"> My mentor in the faith was and still is a man I admire. Often, during our formal meetings and even during our casual conversations he would say, “this one thing I do.” I always knew what he meant. He was reminding me that as an ambassador for the Lord Jesus Christ, I have one goal and aim. Event though there will be many distractions that come along my path, I must always remember that I have one purpose in life. Everything else is secondary to “this one thing I do.” The apostle Paul had a similar perspective on life, which is why he wrote, “this one thing I do” to the Philippians. Never did he want to forget why he was placed on this earth. </span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663333;"> Often we stumble in our Christian walk and work. We retrace our steps to see what it was that caused the slip and many times we find that our failure was due to our losing sight of “this one thing I do.” Has God called you to sing? Then sing for His glory. Have you been called to preach? Then preach solely in the power and authority of the Holy Ghost. Have you been called to serve? Then serve with your whole heart. We were not placed here on earth to make money and build castles. God did not save us so that we could build our kingdom. We are to heed the command of Jesus when He said, Seek ye first the kingdom of God. When we are tempted to forget, may God always help us to remember, “this one thing I do.”</span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-4050103421779126012009-09-09T09:12:00.000-04:002009-09-09T09:13:19.448-04:00Take Heed To Yourselves<div align="justify"><span style="color:#663300;"><strong><em>Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them... And then the LORD's wrath be kindled against you...<br />Deuteronomy 11:16-17</em></strong><br /><br /> I am drawn to the book of Deuteronomy for in this book we find the final sermons of Moses. As he peered from his tent and looked upon the children of Jacob, he saw the failures of their past and surely he felt fear for their future. As we look around the world in which we live, we quickly see the same things Moses saw: failure and fear. Our nation is deplorable and our churches are dead. Oh how quickly things can change. Moses had the same thought for he had seen with his own eyes how quickly a nation could go from spiritual awakening to spiritual apathy. He saw how rapidly the people’s hearts were turned from worship to whining. Oh how quickly the people took to the wicked idolatry of the surrounding nations. Moses recalled how the people longed for the words of God at the foot of Sinai and forty days later they were perversely dancing around a golden calf made by their own hands. That is the reason Moses told the people to “take heed”. That phrase, “take heed” is a phrase of constant remembrance and action based on that remembrance. Every step the people took, they were to “take heed”, lest they feel into the trap of sin. Every meal they ate, they were to “take heed”, lest they took a blasphemous bite. Every transaction they made, they were to “take heed” lest they prostituted the land of promise. Oh but how the disregarded this simple command, “take heed”.</span></div><span style="color:#663300;"></span><br /><div align="justify"><span style="color:#663300;"> It is easy to glance over the sin of the children of Israel and brush past the command of Moses to “take heed”. It seems like such a cliché so we haphazardly look past it just as Israel did. Sadly, we are just as fickle as the children of Israel. One day, we are weeping over sins forgiven, and the next day we are full of debauchery and lasciviousness. One day we are hugging our parents simply because we love them and the next day we are cursing their name. One day we are “in love” with God and His word, the next day we can’t even be pulled from our bed in order to attend our local church. Oh yes, how often we should “take heed”. How often we should remember the consequences of past sins lest we fall into the snare of them once again. My dear friend, if only you could feel the burden which the Savior has for you. He longs for you to “take heed” of your actions. Don’t fall into the sin of Balaam. Don’t go in the way of Cain. Don’t slip into the sayings of Korah. “Take heed” of thy steps, lest you slip down the slopes of sin into the hands of the living God. </span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-47413510035841776592009-09-04T10:34:00.001-04:002009-09-04T10:38:24.359-04:00Because He Loved Me<div align="justify"><span style="color:#663300;"><span style="font-family:verdana;"><strong><em>The LORD did not set his love upon you, nor choose you, because ye were more in number than any people… But because the LORD loved you- Deuteronomy 7:8-9</em></strong><br /></span> <br /><span style="font-family:arial;">The Bible is full of reminders to the child that is on the verge of something great. God never ushers you into something new until you have remembered the path that has brought you to where you are. Here in the book of Deuteronomy, Moses is delivering his last address to the children of Israel. The entire book is a great study as you look at the last words of this great man of God. For you can truly see what is of the utmost importance to a man from what he concentrates on in the concluding days of his life. It is no wonder that Moses makes the statement here to his recipients. He never wanted them to forget why it was that God brought them to the door of the Promised Land. It was not because they offered great military strength to conquer the land. It wasn’t because there were a vast number of them because when God spoke the promise to bring them into the land of promise, He spoke it to one man, Abraham. God did not set His face upon them because He knew they would yield wonderful praise and adoration for many years to come because the fact was God knew they would go astray to idols and false gods. Moses told them that the reason <em>God brought us out from thence, that he might bring us in</em>, was <em>because the LORD loved you</em>. It was all because of love.</span></span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:arial;color:#663300;">Sometimes arrogance and pride come upon us like it did the children of Israel and we forget the real reason God came to us. He made the journey to your soul not because you had vast wealth to offer Him. He owns <em>the cattle upon a thousand hills</em>. He did not come to you because you had grand numbers to offer Him. Friend, He would have come if you had been for only person. No the truth of the matter is that God came to me and to you because He loved us. Because He loved you He walked the path to Calvary. Love was the only reason He stood silently while they stripped the flesh from His back. It was all love that held him fast to the cross. It was for love He died to set you free. May we cast our arrogance and pride at the feet of the crucified Savior and remember the only reason God does anything for us is <em>because the LORD loved you</em>.</span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-88710025156764199622009-09-02T11:22:00.000-04:002009-09-02T11:24:39.408-04:00The Cry Of The Crowd<div align="justify"><strong><em>But they cried, saying, Crucify him, crucify him<br />Luke 23:21</em></strong><br /><br />There as Jesus stood, He heard the words that He dreaded to hear since the foundation of the worlds were laid. He knew they coming, yet they were still startling. As He stood there silently, he heard the chant of the crowd as they yelled over and over again, Crucify him, Crucify him! I am sure He thought in His mind, is this not the same crowds that were waiving palm branches less than a week ago? Are these not the blinded eyes that I have touched? Are these not the withered hands that I have healed? Yet, the Lamb stood silently before His shearers.</div><div align="justify"><br />As I sit here and ponder this thought, it is easy to cast judgment upon those people that yelled, Crucify him! It is easy on this side of Calvary to see their wrong. It is easy to hurl accusations at them. It is easy to pile charges against them. But in my heart of hearts, I wonder; If I had been there that day among the crowds that stood in front of Pilate’s judgment hall watching Jesus of Nazareth being tried, what would I have said? Would I have stood up and declared Jesus’ innocence? Would I have run past the Roman guards that stood by and attempted to set this Healer free? Would I have walked down the Via Dolorosa in an attempt to give the Water of Life a sponge of water to drink? Or would I have been like the rest of the crowd that day and jeered, Crucify him! Would my voice have rung in the ears of the Savior as saying, Crucify! Would my mortal voice have spoken hatred into the ears of the everlasting God? </div><div align="justify"><br />My heart cannot help but wonder about that as I sit here. I can but hope that I would have been different than the rest of the crowd. I shall never know. But I do know that I have been saved by His marvelous grace. I am a recipient of undeserved mercy. When my voice was raised in animosity toward the Savior, He still loved me. Oh what wonderful love that will not leave me. No wonder Paul wrote, Who can separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus? It is a love that goes beyond our cry to Crucify. It is a love that forgives our past failures. Oh what love divine that saved a soul such as mine.</div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-2354495606910712242009-09-01T10:33:00.000-04:002009-09-01T10:35:23.391-04:00Is There A City Too Strong For The Lord?<div align="justify"><span style="color:#663300;"><strong><em><span style="font-family:verdana;">From Aroer, which is by the brink of the river of Arnon, and from the city that is by the river, even unto Gilead, there was not one city too strong for us: the LORD our God delivered all unto us- Deuteronomy 2:36</span></em></strong><br /><br /> <span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;">As Moses is coming to the end of his life, he is recalling to the people of Israel all the victories the Lord had wrought for them. He is rehearsing these events for the sake of the new generation that will be the one to inhabit the land that God promised to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Moses wants to reassure this new generation of Israelites that God is more than able to escort them into the land of promise no matter how large or great the heathen inhabitants are. He assures them that there was not one city too strong for us in the past and there will not be one city too strong for you in the future. There was no enemy too strong or too bold. There was no city too impregnable or any people unconquerable. They were able to cross every obstacle the enemy threw into their path. Moses declared with confidence in his voice, there was not one city too strong for us. </span></span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663300;"> Moses, the man of God was not boastful in his statement. He knew the reason why the enemies fell and the way was opened. He knew why the water flowed from the rock and the manna fell from the sky. He says, the LORD our God delivered all unto us. The God of glory was on their side. The Lord of heaven walked in their midst. He was the one that destroyed the Midianites. He was the one that delivered the heathen kings. He arranged their defeat. He organized their fall. He was the one who had the power to make the way open. Moses was careful to instruct the new generation to the fact that they could conquer the land, but only through the power of the Lord.</span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663300;"> Have you a mountain that is too high? Have you a valley that seems too dark? Is there a river that is too rough? Do you feel your situation is too difficult? Dear friend, ask David as he stands in front of the giant, is there a city that is too strong for the Lord? Ask Elijah as he is on top of Mount Carmel, is there a city that is too strong for the Lord? Question the disciples after Pentecost, is there a city that is too strong for the Lord? My brother and sister, stand tall in the face of adversity. Be strong and of a good courage; be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed: for the Lord thy God is with thee whithersoever thou goest.</span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1457201942660798614.post-69585272503116419652009-08-31T10:35:00.000-04:002009-08-31T10:37:39.836-04:00What Does God Think?<div align="justify"><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;"><span style="color:#663333;"><strong><em><span style="font-family:georgia;">Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us-ward Psalm 40:5</span></em></strong><br /><br /> Who can know the thoughts of God? Who can fathom the knowledge of the Almighty? The thoughts of God are not like the thoughts of man. The thoughts of God are far higher and loftier and wiser than man’s thoughts. My heart today is somewhat curious. I began to wonder the other night about the thoughts of God. My simple reflection is this, “What does God think of me?” Now, I know right now some men are scheming out grand theological thoughts and philosophies about God thoughts towards me as far as salvation, sanctification, and righteousness. But I want to be far simpler than those ideas. I wonder today, “What does God think about certain things on an intimate level?” Let us think for just a moment about, “What does God think?”</span></span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663333;">I began to ponder, “What does God think of creation?” On the days of God’s creation, He declared with a thunderous voice, “It is good”. He delighted in the handy work which He labored to form. But now after years of sin have ravaged His creation, what does He think about it? Does his heart break as he looks at the barrenness of the African desert? Does His eye fill with tears as He looks at the pollution that fills the skies over the cities of the world? What does He think of creation?</span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663333;">I began to wonder, “What does God think as He looks at our churches?” Is He satisfied with the work we are accomplishing or is He frustrated because of the division that splits our aisles? What does He think of the words that come from the pulpits? Is He angry at the apathy we have towards sin? Is He fuming because we fail to uphold His commandment to go into all the world. Does He look at your congregation and repent at the fact He paid such a high price for you? What does God think of our churches?</span></div><div align="justify"><br /><span style="font-family:trebuchet ms;color:#663333;">My mind was ultimately led to the thought, “What does God think about the Christian?” What does He think about you? What does he think about the testimony you maintain? What does He think when He looks at your life? Could it be said of you that you bring joy to the heart of God? Is He pleased with your attitude? Is he thrilled with your witness? Is He happy at your tone towards the hurting souls that surround you? Sadly, in the day we are living, worldliness has permeated our churches and poisoned Christians? So I leave you with this sobering thought, “What does God think when He looks at you?”</span></div>Tyler Gauldenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02289266028653597564noreply@blogger.com0