Fine times an’ good boot is about anybody can ever hope t’ want.”
              –Clair Huffacker  (The Cowboy and the Cossack)

    “I know how to get along and live humbly [in difficult times], and I also know how to enjoy abundance and live in prosperity. In any and every circumstance I have learned the secret [of facing life], whether well-fed or going hungry, whether having an abundance or being in need.”
              –Philippians 4:12 (AMP)
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The affluent church is a dangerous thing.  Now, I am not speaking of the influence of the church upon the world, but the affluent church can get caught up in all of its programs, and start to believe the its own hype.  This happened to the Catholic Church in medieval times.  It became extremely rich and powerful, but what did it do for the poor people?  More tithe, selling of indulgences.  Other churches have gone the same way, and it is very prevalent in the large independent churches.
    I just finished reading The Robe, a book that I read many years ago.  Here is an interesting observation found in its pages.

         “The Christian afoot is a formidable fellow–but–when he becomes prosperous enough to ride a horse–…–a Christian on horseback will be just like any other man on horseback!  This Jesus army will have to travel on foot–if it expects to accomplish anything!”

When the church becomes just like everyone else it will cease to be the influence for which it was intended.  First, it was to proclaim and spread the Gospel, then it is was to make disciples.  Most often, if a church and/or pastor, gets too big for their britches the influence upon society is either not as great or gone altogether.  Salt and light, not compromising and acting just like society.
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    I’m sure some of you must have made resolutions for the year.  I know some of them were for better health, eating right, losing weight, exercising, etc., and these are good and fine resolutions.  There are some other good ones, such as reading more, reading classics, keeping a journal.  In other words, things for self-improvement.
    But look at this verse:

              “For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ, that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad.”
                        –2 Corinthians 5:10 (KJV)

Only the things done for Jesus will last for eternity.  With that in mind, look again at your resolutions.  Or if you prefer, inventory your life.  In fact, this is something that should be a regular occurrence.  Rick Renner gives five questions that we should use when conducting a inventory of our lives.  Check them out and see how you answer.

         1)  What do I give to God financially?
         2)  What are my spending habits like; how do they reflect my character?
         3)  What am I doing with my time?
         4)  Whom am I serving with my talents?
         5)  What do I spend my time praying about?

When trouble strikes close to home, it makes a person see things in a whole new light.”
              –Lou Bradshaw (True North)

    “Happy is the one who is always reverent, but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble.”
              –Proverbs 28:14 (HCSB)
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This is a hard Psalm.  Who has a chance against God?  The fool doesn’t think He exists, and the rest of the human race is a mess; they don’t seek God, they turn from God.  Some may say they seek God, just look at me on Sunday, but do they know the real august, almighty God?  If we did, don’t you think our actions would change?  Let’s take a quick look at Psalm 14 from the HCSB.

              1 The fool says in his heart, “God does not exist.” They are corrupt; they do vile deeds. There is no one who does good.
              2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race to see if there is one who is wise,one who seeks God.
              3 All have turned away; all alike have become corrupt.  There is no one who does good, not even one.
              4 Will evildoers never understand?  They consume My people as they consume bread; they do not call on the Lord.
              5 Then they will be filled with terror, for God is with those who are righteous.
              6 You sinners frustrate the plans of the afflicted, but the Lord is his refuge.
              7 Oh, that Israel’s deliverance would come from Zion!  When the Lord restores the fortunes of His people, Jacob will rejoice; Israel will be glad.

    This Psalm deals primarily with the “fool;” the person who does not believe that God exists.  There are several words in Scripture for “fool.”  
              “pethi” — a silly ass
              “kesil” — a stupid person
              “ewil”  — an idiot
              “holel” — the complete fool
              “nablul” — impious
              “lets” — the sneerer, the arrogant free-thinker

The NLT states, “only fools say in their hearts, ‘There is no God.”  Look at the news, listen to what people say about God, how they try to take God out of the picture.  You can put any one of those terms and match it with them.  The fool!  But go on in that verse.  It states that the fool is “corrupt.”  In this place it means, “gone putrid.”  Have you ever picked up a rotten apple off the ground?  Yuck–well that is the fool–putrid.
              “their actions are evil” (NLT)
              “their deed are vile” (NIV)
              “they do abominable deeds” (RSV)
    God looks down on the fool, and the whole human race.  Looking, looking for one who is truly seeking Him.  Someone who wants to live righteously.  But all are corrupt.  And the fool especially for he is the one who is in danger of rejecting and scorning God’s Word. (see Romans 1-2)
    The fools, the evildoers are ones who afflict those who do call upon God.  They will one day be filled with terror.  I had to laugh at an interview I saw where a woman said that the “red hat (MAGA) terrified her.”  She doesn’t know the meaning of terror.  When that day arrives, the day of the Lord, there will be real terror on the earth.  Now is the time to seek Him, to take on His robe of righteousness.
    Because of this type of people culture and society is in danger.  If a person does not believe in God all, notice all, have become evil.  They cannot do a good deed, for even if it seems that way it is done with selfish motives or with the approval of the devil.  Someone once said, “Without society, man rots; without God, society rots.”
    John Newton was a miserable person.  His life was despicable:  drunk, filthy language, sexually abusive to women, brutalize slaves–everything about him was foul, but as he writes, “I see no reason why the Lord singled me out for mercy–unless it was to show that with him nothing is impossible.”  And what did he write, those words that even the “fool” recognizes, but will not hearken to.

              “Amazing grace!  how sweet the sound
               That saves a wretch like me!
               I once was lost but now am found,
               Was blind but now I see.”

Ponder this prayer and make it your own:  “Lord, be present in every moment of my life, in every thought, word, and deed.  May I never say, ‘The Lord does not see; the Lord does not know.'” (George O. Wood)

At dusk–shortly before sunset–the colors of the sky became more precise and clear for a few brief moments, and then a quiet peace took over.  The colors became muted and soft, and even the air somehow became more gentle as the sun eased down.”
              –Paul Bagdon (Stallions at Burnt Rock)

    “That men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun that there is no one besides Me. I am the Lord, and there is no other.”
              –Isaiah 4:56 (NASB)
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    Which is better–the sunrise or the sunset?  I promised myself many years ago that I would not miss any more sunrises if I could possibly help it.  There is something about the red and orange colors as the sun begins its rise in the eastern sky.  There is that promise of a new day.  It’s no wonder the Indians of the plains had the opening of their tepee to the sky.  Not to be lost is the fact that the Lord will return in the eastern sky.  What a thought, what a wonder, what a promise of a new day!
    But the sunset brings a deep, hopefully, satisfying sigh.  A sigh of a day well done; work completed.  The colors, painted by the great Artist Himself–the Holy Spirit promise us the night for rest.  It is a peaceful time with slumber not long in waiting.  There are the words from the pen of Longfellow,

              “The day is done, and the darkness 
                   Falls from the wings of Night, 
               As a feather is wafted downward 
                   From an eagle in his flight.”

or the quiet lullaby,

               “Day is done,
                Gone the sun,
                From the lake, from the hills, from the sky.
                All is well, safely rest,
                God is nigh.”

    With those restful respites and promises I want to bring you back again to the day; the job of living.  Sunrise, sunset, but what of between?  Three questions that you should ask yourself:
          1)  Who am I?
          2)  Where do I belong?
          3)  Am I happy?
Now, don’t get all hyped up about the term happy. I mean, generally, do you have a happy life?  If not, then ask yourself why not?
    One reason is that we have forgotten the excitement of the trip.  What trip you ask?  That trip to heaven.  Where is it in your thoughts?  Abraham left in search of a city, not build by man, but by God.  What/where are you searching?  We get distracted by this life and our outlook then becomes distorted.  “If we are stripped of a preoccupation of heaven this life will continue to disappoint.” (Ted Dekker)
    Dekker goes on to say, “We have fallen asleep to any tangible hope for the bliss of the afterlife and embrace earthly pleasures as a substitute.”  My, my, have we lost the hope of the incomparable riches that await us, and take for ourselves earthly substitutes?  It is time that stop being driven from a world of disappointment and start being drawn by the light of glory.  As I wrote before, C.S. Lewis so pointedly said, “We are far too easily pleased.”

I love mornings.  It smells good, it feels good, and makes me want to do something.”
              –Johnny Gunn (Terror on Flat Top Ridge)

    “Whatever thy hand findeth to do, do it with thy might….”
              –Ecclesiastes 9:10
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    Get up, you’re a-burnin’ daylight!  Or maybe it was like the old sergeants I had in basic training, “get out of those racks you @$%$&*@@#.”  Now I wasn’t always a morning person.  College, my wife, and the military all helped change that.  But a morning is a start to a new day that the Lord has made and allowed you to be part of.
    The morning is a time to start working on those dreams you had.  You do remember them, don’t you?  Randy Alcorn wrote, “Rise up from slumber.  Set your mind and heart on an inheritance that will blow your mind.  Feel your heart flutter and find a new passion for life here and now.”  Get with the program–get up!
    Back to those dreams.  Where are you along in them?  Let’s take a brief look at dreams.  So many of you reading this have not seen your dream fulfilled, nor will you.  Let me share my dreams as a kid; there were a few.  First, I wanted to go to West Point, however, I didn’t study so that quickly went by the wayside.  Second, I thought maybe I’d work as a breeder/genetics, or in forestry, but really those were only thoughts, not deep down-in-the-heart dreams.  But there was one; one that was always on my mind; one that I worked on continually, and that was to be a baseball player.  In one sense I fulfilled that dream for I played in high school, college, and semi-pro, but never made it to the big leagues.  Did I have the stuff?  Maybe, maybe not, but circumstances began to play a role and I know looking back that the Lord was in it.  The dream of the big leagues was not fulfilled, but I sure did love to play baseball!
    Looking at your dreams, what were they?  I mean the legitimate ones.  Those that came from God, those that He gave you a talent and mind for.  First, were your dreams realistic?  Many have crazy, unrealistic dreams.  So look at the realistic one.  They should have fueled your ambition.  All your drive should have been toward those dreams.  Now, here is where so many get bogged down and do not realize that even though their dream was realistic, so is the war.  Satan for sure doesn’t want you to fulfill a dream that could enhance the kingdom of God.  Dreams often become casualties of war.  Don’t despair!  God continues to work in you and give your further dreams; in fact, He might give you things that you never dreamed of.
    Take some inventory.  Were the dreams realistic and practical?  If so, why weren’t they fulfilled?  What did you do, or didn’t do to bring them to pass?  What happened to the dream?  Was it a casualty of war?  Can the dream still be fulfilled?  For example, baseball, at my age, just ain’t going to happen.  Was the dream getting in the way of serving God?  Was more focus on the dream than on God?  
    Maybe, at this time in your life, it is time to ask God for a new dream.  Seek Him, let Him show you what He wants you to do, but remember, it can’t be haphazard, obedience and work are required and often sacrifice.  Look to Him for a dream in this season of your life.
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Friends, if you get a chance go to the Wild West Showdown, Episode 189, January 23 and listen to my radio interview with J.C. Hulsey.  It was fun and I think you’ll get a glimpse of why I want to write and why I do write.  It sure was a fun experience.