He had never allowed himself to dwell on the darker times, for to live them once had been more than enough.”
              –Elmer Kelton  (The Good Old Boys)

    “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.”
              –Matthew 6:33 (NKJV)
——————-
We had communion last Sunday in church.  There’s nothing in Scripture that tells you how often a person should partake of it, but there are some guidelines.  Whenever we partake we are to remember Christ–His death, resurrection and return.  He will have communion with us again.  We are also to examine ourselves; do some inner sweeping and mopping.  The early church had communion whenever they came together, thus the practice that is in Catholic churches.  It doesn’t mean a thing if the heart’s not right and we do not remember Him.
    Yesterday was “Lent.”  I’m not a real proponent of what it represents.  Choose one a day a year to give up something.  If we listen to the voice of the Holy Spirit it is most likely more than one day and most likely more than one thing is given up.  The key is that we should do regular inventory of our spiritual life.  There should be constant introspection, not just on Lent or during the communion.
    Consider the following questions as you take time to look deeper into your soul.  Here, I going to assume that you do it.
         1)  Are you keeping God’s commandments?  (Phooey on those who say the Old Testament isn’t important.  Jesus said, “If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15, NKJV).
                a)  Are they positive or negative to you?
                b)  Do you welcome them as you would good food?
         2)  Are there particular temptations to which you succumb?  (Are you working on these with the help of the Holy Spirit?)
         3)  Do you enjoy spiritual exercise?
                a)  As you read the Bible are the suggestion given to you by the Holy Spirit repulsive or exhorting?
                b)  Do you talk about Scripture?
                c)  Is meditation at the top of your “exercise” list?
                d)  Are thoughts of God pleasant for you?
         4)  Have you done things that are unhealthy?  (we’re talking spiritually here)
There are other questions that could be added to this list, but I figured these were enough to contemplate on and digest.
    For the true believer the life is one of continual sacrifice and surrender.  The “whats” and “hows” may change but they are always there.  The Lord may tell you to give up something, or he may tell you to take more time for him.  If you truly love God, nothing can distract your attention.  While at work He can speak to you, He can give you a lesson, you can be a witness, you can live in joy.
    Don’t let Lent or communion be the only time that you check out your spiritual habits.  Do it often (daily) and see your growth, your strengths, your failures, your weaknesses.  Seek always to grow and improve.  Access your character; it is becoming more and more like the Holy Spirit?
    Perhaps you are just out of tune.  If so, tighten, or loosen the strings.  Tune yourself up by reading God’s Word.  Seek His way and not the the worthless things of the world.  In your inventory of your soul do not hesitate to thank God for even the slightest movement forward in your spiritual growth.  Seek forgiveness for failures; ask God to guide and keep you faithful.  Simply be honest with God.

The first article of the creed of the frontier is to be game.  Good or bad, the last test of a man is the way he takes his medicine.”
              –William MacLeod Raine (Crooked Trails and Straight)

    “For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God.”
              –Ephesians 2:8 (NKJV)
——————–
Stop!  Right now, first thought–what comes to your mind when you think of the Garden of Eden?  Now that may depend on where you live and what you see around you.  Or maybe it is the picture that we have of a lush garden.  What comes to my mind was orchards of various fruits and through them ran several brooks and between the orchards were meadows of soft, velvety grass, the kind you could lie down in to gaze upward.
    Hmmm, now that’s a thought right there.  Were there clouds?  Why would Adam gaze upward?  He didn’t have to look into heaven for God, Himself, would come down and walk with Adam and talk with him.  Did he have dreams?
    A couple of Sundays ago, my pastor mentioned something about Adam that I had really never thought of before.  Adam knew God in a way that we will not know Him until we get to heaven.  I don’t care how many sermons and seminars are given about the concept of a relationship, it will not be completely fulfilled until we walk with Him in that heavenly city.  He had heard His footsteps, he recognized them.  He heard God’s voice (ever wonder what it really sounds like?).  He has a unique and special relationship that was broken because of sin.  After Adam was cast out that relationship was broken.  Never again did he heard God’s footsteps coming to meet him; there is no record of God speaking to Adam again.  How those last words must have haunted him, “For you are dust, And to dust you shall return.” (Genesis 3:19, NASB)
    We think of the “Fall” as something negative, and for sure it brought a curse upon man, upon the animals, and upon the earth.  Could man have remained pure–possibly, but we have to remember God’s greater plan.  Because of his sin, Adam now saw a characteristic of God he did not know existed.  He could no longer look upon God, but God provided something else – that the future of mankind could look upon Him.  GRACE!  Without the fall, there could be no bestowment of grace and mercy.  Right at the beginning we see that grace requires blood.  Adam and Eve tried in their vain human way to atone by making sewing fig leaves together to cover themselves.  God knows what is needed and “The LORD God made garments of skin for Adam and his wife, and clothed them.” (Genesis 3:21, NASB)
    One more little thing to ponder.  This grace and mercy was something that heaven had never seen.  I think Satan was appalled when he saw that side of God; it is something that he could never do–offer grace.  Here is something given to man that was not offered to the fallen angels.  For Adam, even in the wondrous beauty of Eden, had not lived where the glory of God was spread forth in all of its magnificence.  Satan and the angels saw God’s glory, therefore, no grace was offered them.  Man is the only recipient of grace.  The words of Julia Johnston’s great hymn should always be on our lips.  “Grace, grace, God’s grace; grace that is greater than all my sin.”
———————–
Today in the Texas Revolution:  The Alamo falls!

It struck her suddenly and strangely that to know the real truth about anything in life might require infinite experience and understanding.  How could one feel immense gratitude and relief, or the delight of satisfying acute hunger, or the sweet comfort of rest, unless there had been circumstances of extreme contrast?”
              –Zane Grey  (The Call of the Canyon)

    “I am not praying that You take them out of the world but that You protect them from the evil one.”
              –John 17:15 (HCSB)
————————–
When strife and struggle come what is your reaction?  Problems will inevitably come our way from a myriad of sources.  We do the best we can to cope with them, but it is important to realize that there are some problems that are beyond our ability to help and correct.  Along with that we should also remember that God does not intend that we should fix every problem.  Let’s take a look at our Psalm for the week from the HCSB, 17:9-15.

    9 [Protect me] from the wicked who treat me violently, my deadly enemies who surround me.
   10 They have become hardened; their mouths speak arrogantly.
   11 They advance against me; now they surround me.  They are determined to throw me to the ground.
   12 They are like a lion eager to tear, like a young lion lurking in ambush.
   13 Rise up, Lord! Confront him; bring him down.  With Your sword, save me from the wicked.
   14 With Your hand, Lord, save me from men, from men of the world whose portion is in this life:  You fill their bellies with what You have in store; their sons are satisfied, and they leave their surplus to their children.
   15 But I will see Your face in righteousness; when I awake, I will be satisfied with Your presence.

    For sure you understand that even though the Lord is with us day by day in every situation of life, doesn’t mean that we are immune to the cares, pestilences, and wickedness of the world.  We walk daily in a world of darkness and must face the evils that lurk there, and those that might attack.  God is still with us!  He is not removed from this world;  He is not a deistic ideal off somewhere, but is right with us in this world of treachery.
    Another thing you can be sure of is that the enemy of your soul–the devil, will try to surround the believer.  He seeks to ambush, not only with physical harm, temptation to the lust of the eyes and flesh, but he will also bring false ideologies to you.  People will say try this and try that; here is the answer.  Do not listen to his lies.  John Howard puts it this way, “Every refuge but Christ is a refuge of lies.  My soul, stay thou upon the Rock.”
    We must be a realist about life.  Don’t get on the pendulum of being a pessimist or optimist, but look at life in truth through the lens of God’s Word.  To do that we must be saturated with God and His Word.  We must be able to face our problems and when they get so large they overwhelm us we run to the Rock.  
    Life is full of tension and pressure, but there is that one thing that will come to us all–death.  Paul, in the case of the believer, calls it slumber or sleep.  When we fall asleep and wake up on the other side in glory we will for sure be “satisfied with Your presence.”  Nothing more will matter.  Someone put it this way.  “When I awake on the other side of death, I shall be saturated with You forever!”  What a thought!

              “What others value, I resign,
               Lord, ’tis enough that thou art mine.
               I shall behold thy blessed face
               And stand complete in righteousness.”
                        –Isaac Watts
————————–
This Day in the Texas Revolution:  Sam Houston is appointed commander of all Texas forces.  Santa Anna holds a council of war with his generals.