Loops, by Lon Alderman

Jesus says, "Follow me."

And often we answer, "Lord, I will follow You, but..." (Luke 9:61)

Following Jesus requires submitting our will to God's will. If, when Jesus calls, we choose to follow our common sense instead, then we find ourselves in, what I call, a loop.

Oswald Chambers teaches it this way...
If you get into the habit of doing something physically, you will do it every time you are tested until you break the habit through sheer determination. And the same is true spiritually. Again and again you will come right up to what Jesus wants, but every time you will turn back at the point of testing, until you are determined to abandon yourself to God in total surrender.

When we fail to follow God's will then He loops us back to face the same test again. These loops continue until we submit. During these loops our relationship with God stops growing. However, when we finally pass the test by surrendering ourselves we (again) move forward in our relationship with Christ. Are you currently caught in a loop? The way forward is to submit to God's will even when it doesn't make sense.

Submit,
Lon Alderman
www.AcornMinistries.com

Out of the Mouth, by Lon Alderman

Proverbs 10:11 (The Message)
The mouth of a good person is a deep, life-giving well,
but the mouth of the wicked is a dark cave of abuse.

What flows from our mouths? Are we a source of life or abuse?

Our mouths can speak the words that bring encouragement to anyone we meet. Out of our mouth we can build up and give life to our neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family. Even in the most dire storms in life we can deliver the silver-lining with the words we choose. We always have the option!

Our mouths can speak the words that destroy anyone we meet. Out of our mouth we can tear down and rip to shreds our neighbors, co-workers, friends, and family. Even in the most wonderful sunny day we can deliver the dark storm cloud with the words we choose. We always have the option!

The choice of words is ours: "deep, life-giving" or "dark cave of abuse".

What will come out of your mouth, today?

Lon

Please check out the all-new Acorn Ministries website! Check out all of the great resources and learn more about my ministry. Check it out at: www.AcornMinistries.com

In Your Hands, by Lon Alderman

Joshua 24:15
But if serving the LORD seems undesirable to you, then choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve, whether the gods your forefathers served beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are living. But as for me and my household, we will serve the LORD."

Two boys were walking through the woods and discovered a small bird with a broken wing. The boys caught the bird and decided to use it to play a trick on one of their neighbors. As the boys made their way to the neighbors house with the bird held tightly in one of the boys hands, they made up their plan.

Upon arriving at the old man's house the boy holding the bird explained to his neighbor that he had a bird in his hands and he wanted him to guess if it was alive or dead. If the man had said that the bird was dead, then the boy would open his hands and show the man that he was wrong. However, if the man said that the bird was alive, then the boy would gently push the life out of the bird with his hands and show the man that he was wrong by displaying the dead bird. The boys were very excited because they planned to prove the old man to be wrong no matter which way the man answered.

The man was slow to answer which made the boys excitement turn to impatience. Finally, the boy holding the bird shouted out, "What's your answer old man?"

The man slowly responded, "The answer is in your hands."

Choose well!
Lon

I will help you, by Rachel Smith

Writing is a funny thing. Sometimes I think I have something great to say and then it comes out all gibberish. Other times I have nothing to say and then I get all this great feedback that it helped someone.

I think that's how I know if I have prayed enough before I write. Come to think of it, that's how I know if I have prayed enough before any decision or action in my life. If it goes well (not necessarily easy mind you) and I feel at peace, then to me this is a sign God is in it.

Ironically, I tend to fight this. I want to rush in and decide, move, get it done. In my defense I am a leader and normally these qualities are seen as positive. But God is the ultimate leader. And when I lead under His guidance things go so much better. Today I will learn to follow and trust in the one that created me.

Moses had these same troubles.

Exodus 4:10-12

Moses said to the LORD, "O Lord, I have never been eloquent, neither in the past nor since you have spoken to your servant. I am slow of speech and tongue."

The LORD said to him, "Who gave man his mouth? Who makes him deaf or mute? Who gives him sight or makes him blind? Is it not I, the LORD? Now go; I will help you speak and will teach you what to say."

Guest Builder: Rachel Smith

Luke 22:42
"Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will, but yours be done."

I am not the best with directions. I can follow a map just fine, but given the choice to turn right or left, I usually choose incorrectly and end up lost. Even knowing I will choose wrong and purposely choosing the opposite will usually get me lost. I seem to lack an accurate internal compass.

For Christmas my husband got me a GPS navigational devise to use in our van. It will give me directions from just about anywhere to just about anywhere and will even recalculate if I take a wrong turn. It also conveniently advises me on where to eat or shop. But what it can’t do for me is decide.

I can’t help but chuckle over the New York based news story of a young man getting stuck on train tracks because his Garamond said “turn right here.” He listened to the navigational devise and turned, not even noticing the train that was coming. You see even the best advice is just that, advice. I am responsible for where I turn or do not turn. The young man was fine, his car totaled, but he did decide to get out of the car and navigate away from the tracks on his own.

For all of the talking to friends, consulting with family and listening to our spouses well reasoned opinions, the final decision in most things is ultimately ours. That’s how God designed us. He wants us to have free will. He wants us to choose Him, but He does let us choose. And just like being at that turn in the road the action part of choosing is our responsibility alone.

Yes, alone. You are the one and only person that you can never get away from. Every time you look in the mirror, you are there. You may loose family, friends, children and spouses, but you can never truly escape from yourself. Every decision you make must be one you can live with. The most pivotal choice, that of your salvation, must be one you can die with.

If you have chosen Jesus as your savior, you have been given the Holy Spirit to help guide you. But yet you still must keep on choosing. Everyday we choose to obey or not to obey. To listen to His Spirit or listen to the other navigational devises we have come to rely on. (Including ourselves!)

Jesus at Gethsemane had a choice. He found his friends asleep and He went on His own and He prayed. He made a choice we all can live and die with.