I Samuel 29:8 And David said unto Achish, But what have I done? and what hast thou found in thy servant so long as I have been with thee unto this day, that I may not go fight against the enemies of my lord the king? David continues playing his game of being on the […]
Archives for January 2016
We will believe anything
I Samuel 28:14 And he said unto her, What form is he of? And she said, An old man cometh up; and he is covered with a mantle. And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground, and bowed himself. Saul has asked the witch of Endor to […]
Continuing the fight
I Samuel 27:11 And David saved neither man nor woman alive, to bring tidings to Gath, saying, Lest they should tell on us, saying, So did David, and so will be his manner all the while he dwelleth in the country of the Philistines. David was living in the land of the Philistines. He had […]
I want God to treat me like I am treating you
I Samuel 26:24 And, behold, as thy life was much set by this day in mine eyes, so let my life be much set by in the eyes of the LORD, and let him deliver me out of all tribulation. What a verse! Saul is chasing David. David has the opportunity to take his life. […]
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Avenging myself
I Samuel 25:33 And blessed be thy advice, and blessed be thou, which hast kept me this day from coming to shed blood, and from avenging myself with mine own hand. So often I want to defend myself. That really means attack someone that is perceived to be attacking me. What a foolish mistake I […]
David let Saul get away
I Samuel 24:19 For if a man find his enemy, will he let him go well away? wherefore the LORD reward thee good for that thou hast done unto me this day. David and Saul are basically at war. It is a one sided war because Saul is in pursuit of David. David has the […]
Sunday in Review (Johnson Blessing Service)
This Sunday evening we were able to send off two of our members to the mission field. Ben and Crystal Johnson are headed to China to spread the gospel and plant churches in a culture that is familiar with neither. The church was able to hold a blessing service for this family, the church was […]
Sunday in Review
This Sunday at Vision Baptist Church, Pastor Gardner preached out of Galatians 2 about the blood of Christ being sufficient for salvation. We need not depend on our works, our traditions, doing the right things, or beseeching God with the right attitude. Our first and final authority for our salvation is the death, burial, and […]
Dear Givers and Supporters of Vision
Dear Givers and Supporters of Vision What a wonderful year the Lord God has given us. He has given us spiritual and numerical growth. He has now allowed us to see nine of our young men ordained to the gospel ministry. We ended the year with 24 missionaries that are members and sent out of […]
From faith to fear, extremes
I Samuel 21:13 And he changed his behaviour before them, and feigned himself mad in their hands, and scrabbled on the doors of the gate, and let his spittle fall down upon his beard. David has gone to the king of Gath. He is running for his life. He is afraid of Saul. The man […]
What friendship
I Samuel 20:33 And Saul cast a javelin at him to smite him: whereby Jonathan knew that it was determined of his father to slay David. Jonathan has realized that God has planned to make David king. Jonathan is ok with that. He plans on being David’s second man. That alone is crazy. What a […]
He will not forsake His people
I Samuel 12:22 For the LORD will not forsake his people for his great name’s sake: because it hath pleased the LORD to make you his people. The Lord will not forsake His people. The reason He will not forsake them is given here. He will not forsake His people for His great name’s sake. […]
Week in Review
This week Pastor Gardner was away at Missionary Brendon’s ordination, and assistant Pastor Trent Cornwell was at a youth retreat. We finished Galatians chapter 1 with Children’s Pastor Robert Canfield. The title of the sermon was “The Gospel Message is God’s Message.” The Lord blessed our morning service with several families visiting the church. We […]
Confidence from knowing God did the work
I Samuel 11:13 And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel. There had been people doubting that Saul should be made king. Some of Saul’s loyalists wanted to bring them out and put them to death. Saul said that […]
No idea of God’s plan for his life
I Samuel 9:16 To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry […]
Returning to the Lord
I Samuel 7:3 And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the LORD with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the LORD, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand […]
They knew better
I Samuel 6:6 Wherefore then do ye harden your hearts, as the Egyptians and Pharaoh hardened their hearts? when he had wrought wonderfully among them, did they not let the people go, and they departed? The priests and diviners, their religious leaders, have come together. They have a plan to try and get peace with […]
Their God is mean to our god
I Samuel 5:7 And when the men of Ashdod saw that it was so, they said, The ark of the God of Israel shall not abide with us: for his hand is sore upon us, and upon Dagon our god. The men of Ashdod wanted the ark gone. They could see that God was dealing […]
What to do when you are hurting!
I Samuel 1:10 And she was in bitterness of soul, and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore. Hannah was childless. She desperately wanted a child. She was hurting so much. She felt like life was cheating her. She knew that everyone knew that she didn’t have children. Her husband loved her but she wanted […]
What a testimony
Ruth 3:11 And now, my daughter, fear not; I will do to thee all that thou requirest: for all the city of my people doth know that thou art a virtuous woman. The whole city knew about Ruth and her testimony. She had proven herself. I think the thing that most speaks to me is […]
Asking God’s blessings on a new believer
Ruth 2:12 The LORD recompense thy work, and a full reward be given thee of the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings thou art come to trust. Ruth has gone to Boaz for help. He is helping her greatly. She asks him why. He says that he has seen the proof of her faith. […]
Stealing hearts
II Samuel 15:6 And on this manner did Absalom to all Israel that came to the king for judgment: so Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel. Absalom wanted his dad’s attention. He wasn’t getting it so he got drastic. He steals the hearts of the people and ends up dethroning his dad. […]
Protecting our sin
Judges 20:13 Now therefore deliver us the men, the children of Belial, which are in Gibeah, that we may put them to death, and put away evil from Israel. But the children of Benjamin would not hearken to the voice of their brethren the children of Israel: There were among the children of Benjamin some […]
Sin out of control
Judges 19:25 But the men would not hearken to him: so the man took his concubine, and brought her forth unto them; and they knew her, and abused her all the night until the morning: and when the day began to spring, they let her go. The chapter starts off with this man’s concubine being […]
Religious service for sale
Judges 18:19 And they said unto him, Hold thy peace, lay thine hand upon thy mouth, and go with us, and be to us a father and a priest: is it better for thee to be a priest unto the house of one man, or that thou be a priest unto a tribe and a […]
We all need an authority in our lives
Judges 17:6 In those days there was no king in Israel, but every man did that which was right in his own eyes. There was no king in Israel, no authority. Everyone was doing whatever they felt was right and best. That obviously leads to problems. Today we have no king but Jesus. He is […]
My failure causes praise to false gods
Judges 16:24 And when the people saw him, they praised their god: for they said, Our god hath delivered into our hands our enemy, and the destroyer of our country, which slew many of us. Samson has fallen. He has been taken captive. Now the people like to get together and praise their god. They […]
Boring with bursts of excitement
Judges 15:20 And he judged Israel in the days of the Philistines twenty years. If you are old enough and mature to the point of reading these devotionals then you probably realize this truth. Life is pretty much just living and serving Jesus. Samson has great stories. That is what we hear all the time. […]
Get God’s instructions on how to raise your children
Judges 13:12 And Manoah said, Now let thy words come to pass. How shall we order the child, and how shall we do unto him? Samson’s parents are told by an angel that they are going to have a baby. Manual does one of the wisest things I can possibly imagine. He asks God to […]
Don’t make foolish promises
Judges 11:31 Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the LORD’s, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. Jephthah makes a very foolish vow to the Lord. He wants […]
Let your false gods rescue you now!
Judges 10:14 Go and cry unto the gods which ye have chosen; let them deliver you in the time of your tribulation. God is so tired of His people serving and worshiping false gods. They leave Him and go after what appears so pretty for a while. They get in trouble and then they call […]
Letting fear keep you from doing what God has for you!
Judges 4:9 And she said, I will surely go with thee: notwithstanding the journey that thou takest shall not be for thine honour; for the LORD shall sell Sisera into the hand of a woman. And Deborah arose, and went with Barak to Kedesh. Barak is a good man. He is a powerful leader and […]
Forced to live below the promise
Judges 1:34 And the Amorites forced the children of Dan into the mountain: for they would not suffer them to come down to the valley: This is a sad chapter. God had given such great promises. The promises however did require that they put forth effort. It wasn’t that God would just dump blessings in […]
Warned not to marry those that worship other gods
Joshua 23:12 Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations, even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: Their instructions were to destroy the other nations. They were not to live with or […]
They kept their word
Joshua 22:2 And said unto them, Ye have kept all that Moses the servant of the LORD commanded you, and have obeyed my voice in all that I commanded you: 3 Ye have not left your brethren these many days unto this day, but have kept the charge of the commandment of the LORD your […]
He keeps His Word
Joshua 21:45 There failed not ought of any good thing which the LORD had spoken unto the house of Israel; all came to pass. This sentence could be placed almost anywhere in history. It is true. God keeps His Word. Not one thing that He had promised failed to come true. There are still promises […]