LISTEN LEARN AND OBEY

Deuteronomy 31:12 says, “gather the people together, men and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the Lord your God, and observe to do all the words of this law."

Since God has a plan for every life, we should become skilled in the art of knowing and working out that plan. It has been suggested that when we come to prayer we should have three attitudes: “Listen, learn, obey.”  Some will listen but will not learn and some will learn but will not obey.

The Christian is one who listens, one who learns and one who obeys. If he does not approach God in all three attitudes, then there will soon be nothing to listen to, or to learn, or to obey. The voice will grow silent. To the degree that we do all three will there be something speaking.

If we do not have guidance, then it is probably withheld for one of two reasons: We are untrained or we are unwilling. Guidance just does not happen. It is a result of placing oneself in the way of being guided. A radio doesn’t just happen to pick up messages. It is tuned in by deliberate intention, and then it receives. Receptivity is necessary to perceptivity, you perceive only as you receive. To this psychology agrees when it explains life as “instrumentation”. When the king complained to Joan of Arc that he never heard the voice of God, she replied, “You must listen, and then you will hear.”

But many of us do not want to listen to God, for we are afraid that if God reveals His will to us it will be along the line of the disagreeable. The fact that we have changed “Thy will be done” into “Thy will be borne”, something hard and disagreeable to be borne, shows that we look on the will of God as something that mortals must accept with a sigh, like the death of a loved one.

That view of God as something distasteful must be completely reversed, or we shall get nowhere with guidance. Jesus reverses that view when He says, “My meat is to do the will of Him who sent me.” My meat, my food. The will of God is food, food to every tissue, every brain cell, to everything that is good for us. My will is my poison when it conflicts with God’s will. To real living the will of God is reinforcement, not restriction.

“Forgive me O God, that I hesitate to throw down every barrier to your guidance. Why should my eye be afraid of light? My stomach pinched with hunger, afraid of food? No more should I be afraid of Thy will. I will not be. Every faculty sensitive and open to Thy suggestions, O’ my God!” Amen

Have a blessed day,  Pastor Robert Coutts

(If you have a comment, click below and thanks in advance. If you would like to support this ministry in any way, please click the donate button at the top right of this page. Thank you and the Lord Bless You.)

REVIVAL IS YOURS IF YOU WANT IT

If all the sleeping folks will wake up,

And all the lukewarm folks will fire up,

And all the dishonest folks will fess up, 

And all the disgruntled folks would sweeten up,

And all the discouraged folks would cheer up,

And all the depressed folks would look up,

And all the estranged folks would make up.

And all the gossipers would shut up,

And all the dry bones would shake up.

And all the soldiers would stand up,

And all the folks in debt would pay up,

Then they would have revival!

They that sow in tears shall reap joy. 

He that goeth forth and weepeth, bearing precious seed, shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, bringing his sheaves with him and then you will have a revival in your soul.

Pastor Robert Coutts.

THE ABC'S OF A BILLION DOLLAR (+) POLLUTION BUSINESS

This one is a tough one and I had some doubts about whether or not I should even address this issue, but the Spirit would not let me rest until I obeyed and exposed it for what it really is. So many men. and yes. women, are hooked on this despicable affront to the human soul and it is destroying them, eating them alive, possessing them and in general hurting so many people they come in contact with. It is one of those topics that always seems to get swept under the carpet. Oh, we don't talk about that because it is demeaning to the Christian way of life, or we are to run from the presence of evil so we should not get caught up talking about it because it just gives place to the devil. I say hooey to that. Let's address it now!!! Too many are hooked and they are not even aware of what they are hooked on. What it leads to. Who it hurts and how it affects their soul.

I just want to take a moment of your time and give you the ABC"s of what porn really is and see if maybe it will jog you into rethinking what you are doing. For those of you who are not into this habit or you are disgusted by it, will you do me a favor. I really feel the Spirit leading me to talk about this so I am going to ask you to pray with me, sincerely pray, not just an ascent to pray, I mean really pray for the deliverance of those who read it. I follow the statistics of this site closely and I get hits on this site from, Nigeria, China, Russia, Spain, Latvia, Netherlands, Australia, USA, Canada, Great Britain to name a few and that means people from all over the world are reading this. (I wish I knew who they were so we could connect and have a one on one, that would be super!) But it also means that they will be the beneficiaries of your prayers. Pornography is not limited to the USA. It is a world wide scourge. So please pray as I address it in the best way I can.

Melvin Anchell A.D. said, "The ecology of human sexuality is as essential for survival as the ecology of the earth." The last thing I want to do is simplify the whole idea of pornography. However, I will be as brief as possible and to the point without belaboring the issue. I want to get straight to the point. So, let's just call it, "The ABC'S Of Porn."

"A" Abuses Women: Pornography abuses women. All pornography insults women and leaves them with labels such as, Bunny, B--ch, and or Butch. It is an affront to the beauty God created starting with Eve. 

"B" Brutalizes Men: Pornographic images stimulate men's brute sex urge and teaches them violence in seeking satisfaction.

"C" Corrupts Children: Pornography violates young bodies and minds which in turn warps the future healthy sexual relationships they might otherwise have.

"D" Degrades Sex: Pornography separates love from sex. Pornography lies about sex by showing humiliation and hurting as pleasurable. Pornography encourages sexual behavior that is characteristic of perverts. For example, Child Pornography, Sado-Masochism, Bestiality, Necrophilia, Adultery, Prostitution, Sodomy and the list gets worse!

Many hooked on pornography are like frogs! Yes, I said 'frogs'. Scientists discovered that frogs dropped into a pot of hot water jumped out immediately, but, if frogs were put into cold water and the temperature of the water was raised slowly, the frogs just sat there and cooked to death because they could never decide at what point the water was too hot. Many are like those frogs in the pornography water which is getting hotter. When will you jump out?

WHAT CAN WE DO? We can do the four "P's".

(1) PROTEST: We can protest the pollution of pornography. Speak up. Protest and protest some more. All that remains for evil to flourish is for people to say nothing. So say something. Address someone that has the issue. Help them. Protest pornography.

(2) PRESSURE: Pressure the purveyors of pornography for action. Make them hear your voice. Pressure the merchants, the media, the churches and the societies that engage it, the legislators, government officials and advertisers. Pressure them to bring and end to the smut.

(3) PRAISE AND SUPPORT:  Praise clean shopkeepers and buy from them. Praise courageous officials that stand against pornography. Praise organizations that fight this pollution. Support groups like Morality In Media, Women Against Violence In Porn And Media, and any other group that will stand firm against it.

(4) PRAY: Last but certainly not least, PRAY, PRAY, PRAY!!!
Thanks for taking the time to hear me out and I trust you will pray for those who may be hooked. Pray for their deliverance and for their eternal soul. Have a blessed day. PB

NOTE!!!  Remember to take a look at my new ebook, "Why Adversity". Go to....... http://writersebook.com/shopping/ 
Your support is appreciated.

Thanks for your input. Pastor Coutts

HERE'S A NEAT LITTLE BIBLE STUDY FOR YOU. ENJOY AND BE BLESSED

Here is an interesting little study for you to do. When you become a born again Christian you receive many blessings. Below are listed 53 of them. That’s a start!  Enjoy and don’t forget if you have any feedback just click on the link to my email and feel free to send me your comments. Please check out the sermons by clicking on the sermon page link. There is something there for everyone. Have a blessed day. Pastor Robert Coutts

SALVATION BLESSINGS THAT ARE OURS!
2 Corinthians 5:17-21;

17;  Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

18;  And all things are of God, who hath reconciled us to himself by Jesus Christ, and hath given to us the ministry of reconciliation;

19;  To wit, that God was in Christ, reconciling the world unto himself, not imputing their trespasses unto them; and hath committed unto us the word of reconciliation.

20;  Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ's stead, be ye reconciled to God.

21;  For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.

When a Man, woman, boy, or girl, believes on the Lord Jesus Christ as their personal Savior the following list of attributes is granted to them instantly. The new Believer will not be aware of many of these things until gaining some spiritual maturity and growth in the Word of God, but these [53] blessings are theirs, regardless of their knowledge about them.

1.            Access to God’s Grace.....(Ephesians 2:8+18) For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: For through him we both have access by one Spirit unto the Father.
2.            We are adopted by God....(Ephesians 1:5) Having predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself, according to the good pleasure of his will, (Galatians 4:5) To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.

3.            We get an Inheritance....(Ephesians 1:11) In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will:
4.            We are elected (saved)...(1 Peter 1:2) Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied.
5.            We become a child of God...(John 1:12) But as many as received him, to them gave the power to become the sons of God, even to them that believe on his name:
6.            We get a heavenly citizenship...(2 Timothy 4:18) And the Lord shall deliver me from every evil work, and will preserve me unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory forever and ever. Amen.
7.            We become a servant....(Romans 6:22) But now being made free from sin, and become servants to God, ye have your fruit unto holiness, and the end everlasting life.
8.            We are heirs of God, joint heirs with Jesus...(Romans 8:17) And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. (Galatians 3:29) And if ye be Christ’s, then are ye Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
9.            We become a new creature...(2 Corinthians 5:17) Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new. (Galatians 6:15) For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision availeth any thing, nor uncircumcision, but a new creature.
10.          We become priests....(1 Peter 2:9) But ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvelous light: (Revelation 1:6) And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
11.          We are reconciled to God....(Romans 5:10) For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
12.          We are Sanctified......(1 Corinthians 6:11) And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
13.          We are accepted in the Beloved...(Ephesians 1:6) To the praise of the glory of his grace, wherein he hath made us accepted in the beloved.
14.          We are Baptized into the body of Christ.....(1 Corinthians 12:13) For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit.
15.          We are buried with him.....(Romans 6:4) Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.
16.          We have put on Christ....(Galatians 3:27) For as many of you as have been baptized into Christ have put on Christ.
17.          We have eternal life...(John 10:28) And I give unto them eternal life; and they shall never perish, neither shall any man pluck them out of my hand.
18.          We have peace with God...(John 14:27) Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.
19.          We became a friend of God....(John 15:15) Henceforth I call you not servants; for the servant knoweth not what his lord doeth: but I have called you friends; for all things that I have heard of my Father I have made known unto you.
20.          We get in the Lamb’s book of life...(Revelation 21:27) And there shall in no wise enter into it anything that defileth, neither whatsoever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie: but they which are written in the Lamb’s book of life.
21.          We receive imputed righteousness....(Romans 4:6) Even as David also describeth the blessedness of the man, unto whom God imputeth righteousness without works,
22.          Our names are written in heaven.....(Luke 10:20) Notwithstanding in this rejoice not, that the spirits are subject unto you; but rather rejoice, because your names are written in heaven.
23.          We are given a blessed hope of Christ’s returning....(Titus 2:13) Looking for that blessed hope, and the glorious appearing of the great God and our Savior Jesus Christ;
24.          We are seated in heavenly places.....(Ephesians 2:6) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus:
25.          We have fellowship with the trinity.....(1 John 1:3) That which we have seen and heard declare we unto you, that ye also may have fellowship with us: and truly our fellowship is with the Father, and with his Son Jesus Christ. (Philippians 2:1) If there be therefore any consolation in Christ, if any comfort of love, if any fellowship of the Spirit, if any bowels and mercies,
26.          We have a mansion in heaven...(John 14:2) In my Father’s house are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you.
27.          We are born again with a spiritual re-birth.....(John 3:3-6) Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother’s womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and of the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
28.          We have received an anointing....(1 John 2:27) But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him.
29.          The Holy Spirit will live with us now and forever....(John 14:16) And I will pray the Father, and he shall give you another Comforter, that he may abide with you forever; Even the Spirit of truth; whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth him not, neither knoweth him: but ye know him; for he dwelleth with you, and shall be in you.
30.          We’ve been sealed by the Holy spirit unto the day of redemption. (Ephesians 4:30) And grieve not the holy Spirit of God, whereby ye are sealed unto the day of redemption.
31.          Our bodies become the temple of the Holy Ghost.....(1 Corinthians 6:19) What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
32.          We are forever forgiven.....(Luke 7:48) And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.(1 John 2:12) I write unto you, little children, because your sins are forgiven you for his name’s sake.
33.          We are justified in God’s sight.....(Romans 5:1) Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ:
34.          We are redeemed....(Revelation 5:9) And they sung a new song, saying, Thou art worthy to take the book, and to open the seals thereof: for thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to God by thy blood out of every kindred, and tongue, and people, and nation;
35.          Indwelt by the Holy Spirit.....(Romans 8:9) But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwell in you. Now if any man have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.
36.          We have an advocate with Christ...(1st John 2:1) My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous:
37.          We now have the possibility to have victory over sin....(Romans 6:14) For sin shall not have dominion over you: for ye are not under the law, but under grace.
38.          We become Christ’s ambassadors.....(2nd Corinthians 5:20) Now then we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God did beseech you by us: we pray you in Christ’s stead, be ye reconciled to God.
39.          We are blessed with spiritual blessings..... (Ephesians 1:3) Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with all spiritual blessing in heavenly places in Christ:
40.          Our every need will be supplied by God....(Philippians 4:19) But my God shall supply all your need according to his riches in glory by Christ Jesus.
41.          Given an inner strength to accomplish necessary things (Philippians 4:13) I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
42.          A good work has been done in us....(Philippians 1:6) Being confident of this very thing, that he which hath begun a good work in you will perform it until the day of Jesus Christ:
43.          The Lord becomes our helper instead of our judge..(Hebrews 13:6) So that we may boldly say, The Lord is my helper, and I will not fear what man shall do unto me.
44.          We get abounding grace...(2 Corinthians 9:8) And God is able to make all grace abound toward you; that ye, always having all sufficiency in all things, may abound to every good work:
45.          We get eternal love....(Romans 8:38-39) For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.
46.          Everything that happens to us will be for our own good....(Romans 8:28) And we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, to them who are the called according to his purpose.
47.          A promised faithfulness regardless of our faithlessness....(2 Timothy 2:13) If we believe not, yet he abideth faithful: he cannot deny himself
48.          A promise given to be able to resist temptation....(1 Corinthians 10:13) There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
49.          We are made kings...(Revelation 1:6) And hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father; to him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.
50.          We became saints....(1 Corinthians 1:2) Unto the church of God which is at Corinth, to them that are sanctified in Christ Jesus, called to be saints, with all that in every place call upon the name of Jesus Christ our Lord, both theirs and ours:
51.          We have been delivered from the power of darkness....(Colossians 1:12-13) Giving thanks unto the Father, which hath made us meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light: Who hath delivered us from the power of darkness, and hath translated us into the kingdom of his dear Son:
52.          Our hearts are unblamable....(1 Thessalonians 3:13) To the end he may stablish your hearts unblameable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints.
53.          We get the power of a sound mind....( (2 Timothy 1:7) For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind.

ISN”T IT TIME TO REFOCUS?

Hi all. 

Sorry I have been away from business for a bit but I am back and I will endeavor to get us all up to date.

I was in church on Sunday and there seemed to be a focus that really needed the emphasis it got. It was “God’s Love Endures Forever”. Isn’t that the truth! He never fails, praise His name. I guess God is just asking us to refocus on Him and watch how he brings about the positive change in our circumstances. As I pondered His enduring love, I was thinking about what we do focus on. Some things are trivial and others are important. Some are out of reach and others just fall into our laps. Like vacations. What is the purpose of them? Rest, reflection and refreshing I hope. Where we go says a lot as well and why we go there too. Russia seems to be the forbidden fruit of vacations anymore. I would love to go to Moscow not to just say I have been there, but to take in the beauty of it. We are so westernized aren’t we! We go to Florida, California, Las Vegas and think we have accomplished something. Then some venture off to places like the Bahamas or Jamaica and Mexico and wow! we have been to the ends of the earth. Sure I have been to those places but what really enthralls me is to go somewhere and learn something, not just spend and eat. Like Russia for instance. I would love to drive out into the countryside in Russia and perhaps visit a quaint little village on the other side of one of their magnificent forests. Stop in at a little village about 20 miles from Moscow. In that little village is a tiny little house where Vladimir Lenin, the leader of the communist revolution, lived. Contrary to the grandeur of his lifestyle, the little house he lived in is small and modest. Lenin, you know, overthrew the Roman czars, who lived in palaces too resplendent to begin to describe in this little essay. In Czar Nicholas' days, 85% of Russia had no electricity and almost 90% were illiterate. The czar could not possibly have cared less but Lenin cared passionately. I would love to be in that little house of his and sit at his small desk and try to imagine what it must have been like those nights that he was joined by Joseph Stalin and Leon Trotsky and many others. These men were consumed with one thing: to change the course of humanity in Russia. And low and behold, they did it! Their efforts put almost half the world under their hammer and sickle. Doesn’t it make you wonder if sometimes we Christians have the same intense purpose? We are so easily swayed and get so  easily sidetracked on peripheral issues that  really don't matter much. As a Christian, I know that our task is to tell the world about Jesus Christ! Oh I know there will be scoffers and many who just plain won’t listen, but it goes without saying that it is still the great commission from our Lord. Lenin let nothing deter him from his purpose of trying to bring everyone under communist rule. If a man can be that passionate about that kind of a cause, what about being passionate about eternity? We need to be re-energized by the Holy Spirit and refocus on our purpose, tell others about Him!!!. I understand my Bible very clearly when it says we are going to be held accountable one day. I trust we will we have succeeded in God's eyes? Are you refocused?

Hey, I’m glad you stopped by today. I wanted to let you know that I really thought my book “Why Adversity” would be ready, but apparently the publisher is swamped and he says ‘very shortly’ it will be ready. So, I am sorry it is taking so long but it will be here. (Maybe it has something to do with adversity) lol. That aside, I would be honored if you would take a look around and leave me a comment or suggestion, (you can do that at the end of any of the articles/posts) or even sign up for email updates  so you know when a change has taken place, it will be emailed autmajically to you. Check out the weekly cartoon and click on the poll and have your voice heard, it is anonymous. In general, be blessed by whatever you find. One final thing. There are some articles for sale in the lower left hand column and also a place where you can support this blog for me. Know this. The funds that come in are solely designated for my wife’s medical expenses. Even the sale of the book (which will only be $4.95), the profits go to her medical. I am not taking a thing. So anything you can do to support will be welcomed with thanks and a prayer for God to richly bless you for it.

Thanks for dropping by and I will post more things shortly.

Pastor Bob & Daphne Coutts