Iron Smiths

And I am certain that God, who began the good work within you, will continue his work until it is finally finished on the day when Christ Jesus returns.
(Philippians1:6 NLT)

Do you sometimes feel as though you aren't making progress in your spiritual life? When God starts a project, He completes it! As with the Philippians, God will help you grow in grace until He has completed His work in your life.
When you are discouraged, remember that God won't give up on you. He promises to finish the work He has begun. When you feel incomplete, unfinished, or distressed by your shortcomings, remember God's promise and provision. Don't let your present condition rob you of the joy of knowing Christ or keep you from growing closer to him.

See then that you walk circumspectly, not as fools but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil. (Ephesians 5:15-16 NKJV)

Bro's the things this world has to offer are things that will certainly please the flesh for a moment, but are extremely dangerous to our walk with the Lord and to ourselves. God calls us to walk as children of the light and also calls us to be holy because He is holy. This is no easy task for us, but He has not left us alone. We have the power of the Holy Spirit, AMEN! Paul describes our former life before Christ as meandering according to the course of this world. God put us on the earth that we might come to know Him and come into a special

relationship with Him. How foolish is it to spend our lives in other pursuits and only pursue a relationship with Him when We are on our death bed.

WALK CIRCUMSPECTLY, THE GREEK WORD IS AKRIBOOS. "Having had a perfect understanding." (Since I have carefully examined) Acts 18:25 declares that Apollos spoke and taught diligently about Jesus. Another translation declares he taught about Jesus accurately. “This man had been instructed in the way of the Lord; and being fervent in spirit, he spoke and taught accurately the things of the Lord, though he knew only the baptism of John.” Acts 18:25 NKJV. Akriboos- circumspectly, walk diligently, perfectly, carefully and accurately. All of these words help us to understand the word circumspectly. To walk circumspectly is to be wise and not a fool.

Bro's since we are children of God shouldn't we then seek a deeper relationship with him? Only a foolish man would waste time and not redeem a deeper relationship with God. Having a deeper relationship will give us more understanding on how we are to live. By reading His word, spending time in prayer and simply asking. If we lack wisdom according to the book of James we just simply need to ask and He will give us wisdom. Bro's I don't know about you, but I don't always make the right decisions and I certainly need wisdom, Gods wisdom!
“If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him.” James 1:5 NKJV “Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.” 1Peter 5:8 NKJV
"An enemy that wants to devour."
This reminds me of an old crow that once lived in a neighborhood I used to live in, my children named him broken wing. Why? Because somehow he had a broken wing from an attack of some sort. But there he was every morning with all the other crows walking across all the lawns looking for food. I would get up in the morning to get ready for work and take just a moment to watch as he maneuvered himself very carefully. You see there was an old neighborhood cat that desperately tried to catch him, every morning as broken wing would be on the hunt for food. He also walked carefully, accurately and diligently knowing there was an enemy that wanted him. Even though broken wing couldn't fly he devised a way to get away. As the cat got closer to him, he would use his claws and beak to climb up the trees. Quickly to the top he climbed and spread his wing as much as he could and was able to sail across to safety. He walked circumspectly. Bro's remember we have an enemy that wants to see us fall so he can devour us. We need to be aware at all times and use the full armor of God that we read about in Ephesians 6:14-18.

Also know that God is on our side and if he is for us, watch out devil! Romans 8:31. “Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace; above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one. And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God; praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints.” Ephesians 6:14-18 NKJV
“What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?” Romans 8:31 NKJV "But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” Matthew 6:33 NKJV. So bro's remember before Jesus says verse 33 He tells of how we should not worry about the things of this earth or food or clothing or any problem or anything at all! Because if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness... He has our back and will take are care of all our needs! 1Peter 5:7- Casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you. Remember His love never fails!

Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me. And horror has overwhelmed me, so I said ‘’ Oh, that I had wings like a dove! (Psalm 55:5, 6 NKJV)

Here we see David, the Man after God’s own heart, facing a very difficult time in his life. David gives us an insight into his thought process as he tried to deal with the great problems and burdens that were overwhelming him. His first instinct was to run away from them, flying like a dove far off into the wilderness. 

This situation describes many of us, when faced with problems and difficulties in our lives, our initial tendency is to run, run and run, away from the problems hoping that they will go away. Others turn to drugs or alcohol, but we all, like David, know that the problems just won’t disappear.

Then David decided to berate those who were causing him problems and to complain about them to the Lord. “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice” (Psalm 55:17).  His burdens were all the heavier because those whom he had trusted as friends and colleagues were now using deceit and guile against David (v 11-14). The injustice of it all was almost more than he could endure. But complaints and imprecations were also unsatisfying: “Vengeance is mine; I will repay, says the Lord (Romans 12:19NKJV).

 As the text goes on, finally, the Lord gave him an answer, and David found the rest for which he had fretfully been searching. “Cast your burdens on the Lord and He shall sustain you; He shall never permit the righteous to be moved. (Psalm 55-22)   

Dear Bros, the sooner we learn this truth, the better equipped we’ll be when facing problems in our lives. The best way to deal with problems is not to flee from them or to fret about them, but to turn them over to the Lord: Casting all your care upon: for He cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7NKJV).                                 

casting all your care upon Him, for He cares for you.” 1Peter 5:7 NKJV

Dreamer...all my life I have always been a dreamer. As a child I dreamed the dream of being a mighty preacher. Each weekend I would set up a fake pulpit with my cousin and preach to the invisible multitudes. As I got older I dreamed that I would be a famous rock star and play for millions. Then I met my wife Megan and began to dream that one day I would lasso the moon for her, buy her a castle and treat her like a Queen. As time went by she gave six wonderful children, Joshua, Maressa, Daniel, Matthew, Grace and Aden. With each child began a new dream of doing the best I could for each one. Even though this is still a dream in progress I know one thing for certain...I could never dreamed of a better wife or children. Thank you Megan for loving me and giving me a chance to be a daddy...

As men, husbands and father's we always seem to be filled with the desire to take care of things, in life our marriages and with our children. As we walk closely with God we begin to realize that He truly cares for us and if "we seek first the kingdom of God, all things will be added unto us", because He cares for us.
So bro's remember we are not alone in our journey here on earth. And remember… I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me. Philippians 4:13 NKJV

Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light. [Matthew 11:25-30 NKJV]

One of the translations for heavy laden in this passage is overloaded.  Many times Christians can feel very overwhelmed with problems at work, family problems, sickness in the family, physical infirmities, and many other types of unmentioned issues. These burdens begin to overload us on a daily basis and sometimes consume our lives. To make matters even worse, we see that this world is getting worse and worse by the minute. If you have been a Christian for a while the enemy will try to unload all kinds of junk on us. And if we are not careful he can snare us at the point of desperation.  After all, Jesus did say that in this world we will have tribulations, and oh boy, when it rains-it pours. I am very thankful that the Scripture does not end there it goes on to tell us; “Take My Yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”[Matthew 11:29-30 NKJV] This is one of the promises of our great God and Savior Jesus Christ.  If we learn from Him, He will give rest to our souls. I love the clarity of the Scriptures because God always gives us a way to either overcome or avoid circumstances in our lives that will bring us harm.  We must go to Him for “Greater is he who lives in you than he who lives in the world”. Don’t know about you bros, but I don’t like problems.  Ever since I gave my life to Jesus the war has been constant and will continue until the day of His return. So when problems do come your way; please go to Jesus and learn from Him. May God continue to teach and direct our paths. May God bless you!

We will not hide them from their children, telling to the generation to come the praises of the LORD, and his strength, and his wonderful works that He had done.(Psalm 78:4 NKJV)

It is wonderful to know that even in this day and age, GOD still wants us to know the promises he gave to his children. The Lord has blessed us with people in our lives that we are very thankful for; people who have left us a legacy of following the true and only God. And they have encouraged us to see the wonderful message of God’s love for this world in a very simple and understandable way. The vessels of honor that our Lord uses in our lives help us to see the legacy created when our Lord Jesus paid the ultimate price for all of our sins; past, present and future. This price that He paid should never be taken for granted.

A great example is Paul the Apostle.  As we read when he wrote to young Timothy prior to his death we find the legacy he wanted to leave prior to his departure.

 “For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure is at hand. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”(2 Timothy 4:6-8NKJV)

What a profound statement from Paul the Apostle. Most of the New Testament was written by him and that is the legacy he left for us all. I am always encouraged every time I read this letter. I know not all of us are a Paul, but the Lord has entrusted something individually to all of us, especially fathers. Bros, according to the Bible life is but a vapor.

May God help us complete all He wants us to complete. Here is the BIG QUESTION: What will be the legacy you will leave for those around you and your children?

…that you put off, concerning your former conduct, the old man which grows corrupt according to the deceitful lusts, and be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and that you put on the new man which was created according to God, in true righteousness and holiness.  Ephesians 4:22-24 NKJV

As we start the New Year with all kinds of resolutions, it’s good to remember that we can all renew our commitment in our faith. We can all strive to gain even loftier heights in our spiritual journey toward Christ likeness. No matter how far we have ascended, we can go farther; No matter how low we have fallen; No matter how big of a mess we have created, we can begin again. In our text, believers are told to “put off the old man”—and “put on the new man”. Just like the great feeling of changing into a new clean outfit.

Take time to think and meditate on how merciful our God is, because we serve a God of second chances. We believers serve a God that allows us to start all over again. And as if that is not enough, Jesus goes on to tell us that we put on a new man

Therefore, if anyone in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away. Behold, the new has come. (2 Corinthians 5-17 ESV)

Many of us that have been in trouble with the law… get a pretty good understanding of this passage and the idea of putting the past behind us.  Bros, we all like the idea of a new start, but most of the time it is us who cannot let go of our past. We keep on carrying our baggage with us, and the enemy knows. This is usually what he blackmails us with, reminding us of our past sins. Every time we get the honor, we need to “let our light to shine before men, that when they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.” Matthew 5-16 NKJV  

Bros, let’s man up and be diligent with all God has entrusted us with. He promises that he won’t leave us nor forsakes us and that he will be with us always.  So, let us all begin this year as a new man, and as a new creation of God modeled after Him, in righteousness and true holiness.

          “When Jesus returned to Capernaum several days later, the news spread quickly that he was back home. Soon the house where he was staying was so packed with visitors that there was no more room, even outside the door. While he was preaching God’s word to them, four men arrived carrying a paralyzed man on a mat. They couldn’t bring him to Jesus because of the crowd, so they dug a hole through the roof above his head. Then they lowered the man on his mat, right down in front of Jesus. Seeing their faith, Jesus said to the paralyzed man, “My child, your sins are forgiven.”

But some of the teachers of religious law who were sitting there thought to themselves, “What is he saying? This is blasphemy! Only God can forgive sins!”
Jesus knew immediately what they were thinking, so he asked them, “Why do you question this in your hearts? Is it easier to say to the paralyzed man ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or ‘Stand up, pick up your mat, and walk’? So I will prove to you that the Son of Man[a] has the authority on earth to forgive sins.” Then Jesus turned to the paralyzed man and said, “Stand up, pick up your mat, and go home!” And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We’ve never seen anything like this before!” Mark 2:1-12 NLT

This passage really speaks to my heart, how love can promote random acts of kindness throughout the body. When Jesus sees this man’s friend’s faith, not just the man’s faith but his friends’ faith, He is moved to heal. In Galatians 6 Jesus calls us to bare each other’s burdens and not to feel that we are more important than anyone else. He also says, Don’t be misled-you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant.

We as Brothers and Sisters will develop a genuine love for each other as we walk with Jesus and will be able to celebrate Victory through Jesus, "AMEN!!!"

This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began just as the prophet Isaiah had written: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’” This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven. All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River. His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey. John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”

[Mark 1:1-8 NLT]

When I think of the relationship in the Holy Spirit between John the Baptist and Jesus, I thank God that we have such a relationship. When Mary went to see Elizabeth and Elizabeth's baby (John) leapt in her womb we see a connection, like we did when we first bared witness to the Holy Spirit and received salvation, or shall I say, "when the Holy Spirit first fell upon us and we received salvation and the baptism of the Holy Spirit." Since that day we too are commissioned to be a voice in the desert, preparing the way of the Lords coming. No matter what walk of life you have come out of God can and will save us. 

Consider this, John must have been quite a sight-but sight had nothing to do with his assignment from God. He spoke the truth and the truth is what sets people free.
AMEN!!!

“Therefore David inquired again of God, and God said to him, ‘You shall not go up after them; circle around them, and come upon them in front of the mulberry trees. And it should be, when you hear a sound of marching in the tops of the mulberry trees, then you shall go out to battle, for God has gone out before you to strike the camp of the Philistines.’ So David did as God commanded him, and they drove back the army of the Philistines from Gibeon as far as Gazer. Then the fame of David went out into all the lands, and the LORD brought the fear of him upon all nations.”(1 Chronicles: 14-17, NKJV)

How awesome it is when we follow the example of David, as our text tells us, that David inquired of the LORD to precede the attack of the Philistines.  As I am reading this verse, I can’t help but think about the relationship God wants to have with us. He wants to be part of everything we do; he wants to lead us into victory over sin, and rightly so, he hates sin and we should take the same approach about it. Just take a good look at the cross.  Every time David inquired onto the LORD, the LORD led him to victory. If you are new or mature in the faith, I don’t have to remind you of the past experiences you have had and the consequences that they brought you. Had you inquired of the LORD, situations may have turned out differently. It is very clear that as long as we request and have faith in the LORD, God will go out before you, to lead the way. Our LORD will always be faithful to lead us into victory. Our Father knows best. The question is… are you inquiring on the LORD before making your decisions? If you haven’t just like I haven’t every time we find out the hard way of the consequences. I only wish I would have inquired on the LORD and not on my flesh.  Bros, it is never too late to start to inquire of God. It will be so much easier, as we know that one the many attributes of God is that he is omnipresent and omnipotent. Paul reminds us of this same truth when he said, “I can do all things through Chris who strengthens me.” (Philippians 4:13 NKJV). My prayer is that as we continue to grow and mature in the faith, we let God be our “Lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path” (Psalm 119:105 NKJV).