The Haven of Rest Ministries, Inc., of Anderson SC, is an organization established to reach out to people who are in need. Our society has an overwhelming problem with drug and alcohol addictions and this has created a frantic plea for help in our surrounding communities. Our goal is to see people who are suffering from any form of addiction, financial crisis, spiritual needs, and other life dominating problems brought into our doors and restored to a better life.
Thursday, September 12, 2013
NOW I SEE
“...Whether he is a sinner I do not know. One thing I do know, that though I
was blind, now I see.” Jn9:25 wp.me/p29yfQ-vL
Trust and Obey – Dr. Charles Stanley
One of my favorite songs is
"Trust and Obey" because it sums up God's purpose for our lives. When
we practice these two commands, a beautiful cycle begins. Trusting the Lord
makes obedience easier, and obedience produces ever-increasing trust. Can you
recall facing a challenge that was difficult or perplexing? If so, you know how
important these two commands are.
When the Lord calls you to a
task that seems unreasonable, you have two options. You can obey Him even
though you don't understand what will happen, or you can become fearful and
attempt to find a way out. Joshua chose the first option. Because he trusted
the Lord, he disregarded all his military experience and adopted God's bizarre
battle plan. Over the years, he had learned that the Lord is trustworthy.
The way we respond to God's
challenging assignments reveals our level of commitment. We may feel as if
we're right in step with Him--until He proposes a change of direction. That's
when our resistance kicks in, and with it, the realization we aren't as close
to Him as we thought. At that point, our decision determines whether the Lord
will be able to use us as He desires. Because Joshua never lost his commitment,
he continued to serve the Lord for the remainder of his life.
At times obedience is a
struggle, as your mind runs through all the reasons God's path is illogical.
Fear dominates and your will battles to comply when everything within is
screaming to run the other way. But obedience is always the best choice,
because the Lord is trustworthy and wise.
Wednesday, September 11, 2013
WORRY LESS, PRAY MORE
“You keep him in perfect
peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Is26:3 wp.me/p29yfQ-vG
THE SPIRIT OF TRUTH – Neil Anderson
John 16:13
When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He will guide you into all the truth
It's not hard to know the truth if You are the truth, and
speaking with authority would come quite naturally if you're God! Discernment
is also easier if you know, as Jesus does, what's in the hearts of men (John
2:24, 25). Though we don't possess those attributes, we do have the Holy
Spirit. If we are going to continue the work of Jesus, we must yield to the
Holy Spirit and allow Him to control and guide us. Then we can know the truth,
speak with authority, and discern good and evil.
We have as our guide the Spirit of truth. When Jesus promised to
send the Holy Spirit, He said, "When He, the Spirit of truth, comes, He
will guide you into all the truth . . . He will disclose to you what is to
come. He shall glorify Me; for He shall take of Mine, and shall disclose it to
you" (John 16:13, 14). This promise has primary reference to the apostles,
but its application extends to all Spirit-filled believers (1 John 2:20-27).
The Holy Spirit is first and foremost the Spirit of truth, and He will lead us
into all truth.
When Jesus prayed, He requested, "I do not ask Thee to take
them out of the world, but to keep them from the evil one. Sanctify them in the
truth; Thy word is truth" (John 17:15, 17). Truth is what keeps us from
the evil one. John wrote, "The whole world lies in the power of the evil
one" (1 John 5:19), because Satan "deceives the whole world"
(Revelation 12:9). The only way to overcome the father of lies is by
revelation, not research or reasoning. Many in higher education lean on their
own understanding and believe only in what can be validated by research. Truth
is God's will made known through His Word. The Holy Spirit's role is to enable
us to understand the Word of God from God's perspective. Jesus says, "You
shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free" (John 8:32).
Prayer: Father, forgive me for
leaning on my own understanding. Fill me with Your Spirit and lead me into all
truth today.
Tuesday, September 10, 2013
SHOO IT AWAY!:
SHOO IT AWAY!: “Let the words of my mouth &
the meditation of my heart be acceptable in ur sight, O Lord.....”Ps19:14 wp.me/p29yfQ-vC
Worshiping in Everyday Occasions
When you were under the fig tree, I saw you —John 1:48
Worshiping in Everyday Occasions. We
presume that we would be ready for battle if confronted with a great crisis,
but it is not the crisis that builds something within us— it simply reveals
what we are made of already. Do you find yourself saying, “If God calls me to
battle, of course I will rise to the occasion”? Yet you won’t rise to the
occasion unless you have done so on God’s training ground. If you are not doing
the task that is closest to you now, which God has engineered into your life,
when the crisis comes, instead of being fit for battle, you will be revealed as
being unfit. Crises always reveal a person’s true character.
A private relationship of worshiping God is the greatest
essential element of spiritual fitness. The time will come, as Nathanael
experienced in this passage, that a private “fig-tree” life will no longer be
possible. Everything will be out in the open, and you will find yourself to be
of no value there if you have not been worshiping in everyday occasions in your
own home. If your worship is right in your private relationship with God, then
when He sets you free, you will be ready. It is in the unseen life, which only
God saw, that you have become perfectly fit. And when the strain of the crisis
comes, you can be relied upon by God.
Are you saying, “But I can’t be expected to live a sanctified
life in my present circumstances; I have no time for prayer or Bible study
right now; besides, my opportunity for battle hasn’t come yet, but when it
does, of course I will be ready”? No, you will not. If you have not been worshiping
in everyday occasions, when you get involved in God’s work, you will not only
be useless yourself but also a hindrance to those around you.
God’s training ground, where the missionary weapons are found,
is the hidden, personal, worshiping life of the saint.
By Oswald Chambers
Sid Stewart
Executive Director
864 226-6193
Monday, September 9, 2013
CAUGHT!...NOW WHAT?
CAUGHT!...NOW WHAT?: “The teachers of the law
and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery...." Jn8:3-5 wp.me/p29yfQ-vx
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