Wednesday, June 15, 2016

1 Cor. 3:12,13 "Now if any man build upon this foundation gold, silver, precious stones, wood, hay, stubble; Every man’s work shall be made manifest: for the day shall declare it, because it shall be revealed by fire; and the fire shall try every man’s work of what sort it is." Gold, silver, and precious stones take great effort of searching and mining. Gold and silver have to be refined and purified. Precious stones must be precisely cut and polished. There's a lot of hard work and great care involved in the craftsmanship of these things, but not so much with wood, hay, and stubble. Gathering these flammable items that aren't worth much doesn't seem to be very tedious, but pretty "easy" work. Let's get busy and sincerely care for our service to God. He will greatly reward us for our hard work. Remember 1 Corinthians 15:58. - Garrett Longest

Tuesday, May 31, 2016

James 4:3 - "Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts." How many times have we selfishly asked God for something that will fulfill our fleshly desires, or that will be for our own benefit? The model prayer that Jesus gave us begins with "Our Father" and looks to Him for His honor, provision, and guidance. Prayer should be with a servant's heart, not a selfish heart. It was once said - "the greatest prayer anyone can pray is 'Thy will be done'." - Garrett Longest

Monday, May 16, 2016

Isaiah 40:31a - "But they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles..." I read a statement recently that put a new light on this verse. When a momma eagle wants her baby to fly, she gets him to step off a high cliff. God has given that eaglet the body structure, muscles, feathers, and everything he needs in order to fly. He just needs to take that step of faith. So "don't be a chicken, be an eagle." - Garrett Longest

Sunday, April 24, 2016

1 Samuel 15:11 - "It repenteth me that I have set up Saul to be king: for he is turned back from following me, and hath not performed my commandments. And it grieved Samuel; and he cried unto the Lord all night." What a powerful verse! We're either for God, or against God. When we sin and disobey God, it not only dishonors and hurts Him, but it hurts others as well. When Saul turned away from the Lord, it hurt both God and Samuel. It hurt Samuel to the point that he cried all night in prayer. On the other hand, Samuel was so close to God that he shared the same heartbreak with Him. Are we like Saul causing God sorrow, or are we like Samuel with the heart of God and praying for those who are stumbling in sin? - Garrett Longest

Sunday, April 10, 2016

Genesis 40:6  - "And Joseph came in unto them in the morning, and looked upon them, and, behold, they were sad." After everything that Joseph has gone through, and then being thrown in prison, he still noticed and cared for others. Pastor has said several times that we won't be depressed if we stay busy and serve. Joseph didn't focus on his own circumstances or blamed anyone for his situations, but always stayed faithful to God and served. Remember the acronym for JOY: Jesus, Others, and then You. - Garrett Longest

Saturday, March 26, 2016

Luke 21:17 - "And ye shall be hated of all men for my name’s sake." John 15:18 - "If the world hate you, ye know that it hated me before it hated you." There's no way around it. We are hated because the world, in Satan's grasp, hates God. We aren't to let this discourage us. We are told to continue to spread the Gospel and to even "shake off the dust" from our feet to those who refuse to hear us. As in don't let rejection bother us, keep going, the harvest is already white. We don't have much time left. - Garrett Longest

Sunday, March 13, 2016

2 Corinthians 11:30 - "If I must needs glory, I will glory of the things which concern mine infirmities." In previous verses, Paul describes his many physical sufferings for the cause of Christ. It would be easy to give up if we went through just a few of these things, but not only did Paul persevere, he said that he gloried in them. May God give us the strength and encouragement to endure and grow from the hardships in our lives. Thank you, Lord, for my trials. - Garrett Longest

Sunday, February 28, 2016

Mark 7:8,9 - "For laying aside the commandment of God, ye hold the tradition of men, as the washing of pots and cups: and many other such like things ye do.  (9) And he said unto them, Full well ye reject the commandment of God, that ye may keep your own tradition." Have we made God's commandments into a tradition or a habitual chore? Has going to church become the same-ol'-same-ol' routine? Are we comfortably drifting through the motions of the Christian life, or are we perusing the things God commands us out of humble obedience with the purpose of growing closer to Him? - Garrett Longest

Saturday, February 13, 2016

2 Corinthians 11:14 - "And no marvel; for Satan himself is transformed into an angel of light." There are so many different areas to discuss the influence and deception of Satan, but I'll mention one area that I personally battle with. God's Word stresses how important prayer is. Satan will try to distract me while I'm in prayer with God. He can and will use anything, especially something that appears to be good or spiritual. 'Oh, it's ok, it's still something about God or a rabbit trail in scripture.' But if that hinders me from praying, then Satan has won that battle. Be ever watchful of this wolf in sheep's clothing, this "angel of light", and roaring lion who is always seeking whom he may devour. - Garrett Longest

Sunday, January 31, 2016

Colossians 2:2,3 - "That their hearts might be comforted, being knit together in love, and unto all riches of the full assurance of understanding, to the acknowledgement of the mystery of God, and of the Father, and of Christ; (3) In whom are hid all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge." Verse 3 is a reflection through Christ of verse 2. It's a privilege that we have a relationship with the precious and true source of wisdom and knowledge. - Garrett Longest

Tuesday, January 19, 2016

2 Peter 3:16 - "As also in all his [Paul] epistles, speaking in them of these things; in which are some things hard to be understood, which they that are unlearned and unstable wrest, as they do also the other scriptures, unto their own destruction." Beware other religions and doctrines that were made from taking God's Word out of context, twisting the meaning of a passage, or claiming contradictions (which is also taking out of context). These are to their own destruction. The Bible tells us that "Every word of God is pure" and that we should "Study to shew thyself approved....rightly dividing the word of truth." - Garrett Longest

Thursday, January 7, 2016

Philippians 4:7 - "And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus." Throughout this letter Paul tells us "I have all, and abound"; "my God shall supply"; "Rejoice in the Lord"; "I thank my God"; "I trust in the Lord"; Over and over Paul reminds us that whatever we are going through in life (in Paul's case, he was in prison anticipating his death) don't worry because God is in complete control. He is allowing the circumstances for a reason, and that reason is always to strengthen us. God's peace which passeth all understanding led Paul to say "in whatsoever state I am, therewith to be content." - Garrett Longest

Friday, December 25, 2015

Matthew 1:21 - "And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins." Remember the reason we celebrate Christmas is not just for Christ's birth, but for His death. The purpose of His birth was so that He could die - so He could "save his people from their sins."  Praise the Lord that our salvation wasn't finished at His death, for He is RISEN! - Garrett Longest

Saturday, December 12, 2015

Psalm 73:24 - "Thou shalt guide me with thy counsel, and afterward receive me to glory." God will guide you with His counsel. He'll never give you bad advice, lead you in the wrong direction, or be unable to solve a problem. And after this life is over, He'll receive you into His glorious presence. Notice the words "guide" and "receive". This means God is always present. There is never any time apart from God, for He has told us "I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee." - Garrett Longest

Sunday, November 29, 2015

1 John 3:22 - "And whatsoever we ask, we receive of him, because we keep his commandments, and do those things that are pleasing in his sight." Psalm 66:18 - "If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me." If we have an unforgiving heart, bitterness, or any unconfessed sin, then our prayers fall on deaf ears. But if we are living a life that is pleasing to God and do what He says, He will grant us anything that we ask for. Keep in mind that whatever we are praying for should also be pleasing to God. - Garrett Longest

Monday, November 16, 2015

2 Samuel 22:47 - "The Lord liveth; and blessed be my rock; and exalted be the God of the rock of my salvation." This word "rock" in other verses corresponds to "mountain". Our faith and salvation have an immovable foundation. No other religion can say that, as they all have a sandy foundation. God is the one and only way, truth, and life, who is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Blessed be the name of the Lord. - Garrett Longest

Tuesday, November 3, 2015

Joshua 22:20 - "Did not Achan the son of Zerah commit a trespass in the accursed thing, and wrath fell on all the congregation of Israel? and that man perished not alone in his iniquity." If we have sin in our lives that we are holding on to, our family and even our church can suffer for it. Achan's sin cost him his life, his family, and "all that he had." In chapters 7 and 8, we see that once that sin was removed the nation of Israel was able to defeat the enemy. After we put away that sin, then we will prosper. - Garrett Longest

Wednesday, October 21, 2015

Matthew 6:26 - "Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?" Don't ever think that God is "too busy" to worry about you. If He cares enough to feed His birds, don't you think He cares enough to meet our needs? No matter how big or how small our needs are, God will always provide. - Garrett Longest