Who Do you Follow?

Follow, Follow I will follow Jesus, anywhere, everywhere, I will follow Him.
Or do you sing
Follow, Follow I will follow the world, where ever and everywhere, I will follow the world.

You and I have a choice - Will it be to follow Jesus or follow the World?

Matthew 6:24 "No man can serve two Masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

I'm going to use something that many of use enjoy that's following our friends on Facebook. Do you follow the friend who is critical, negative, curses, post things that are not proper? OR Do you follow the one who is uplifting, encouraging and not afraid to say things about the Lord, church and the Bible?

As Matthew 6:24 says we CANNOT serve 2 masters. You must chose who you are going to follow.
The Lord will lead you in the direction that is straight and narrow. He will give you strength, wisdom and knowledge in what to do with your life. Where as when you follow the world, Satan, he will offer you things such as money, ungodly things etc.

So friend, whom will you serve?


 

Everything's alright in my Fathers house!

If you knew Dr Jack Hyles, or if you attended his church or college you will know this song. Whenever things were hard or something was happening I remember Bro Hyles coming in and singing with us,

Everything's alright in my Fathers house

in my Fathers house

in my Fathers house

Everything's alright in my Fathers house

Where there's Joy, Joy, Joy!

 

Come and go with me to my Fathers house

to my Fathers house

to my Fathers house

Come and go with me to my Fathers house

Where there's Joy, Joy, Joy!

 

As a college student, as worker in the deaf ministry, as a wife, mom, teacher, then later as a Missionaries wife and now a Pastors wife, this song has meant a lot to me! Today is one of those days where, If my former Pastor hadn't of cared for his college students and if he hadn't of been there for us and yes taught us this song; how many of us wouldn't be where we are today.

 

Life isn't a bed a roses and even when we have rough times we can always remember "Everything's alright in my Fathers house!" Now if you are asking who's your Father, in this song it's referring to our Heavenly Father, and yes EVERYTHING is alright in his House! Praise the Lord that I have a heavenly Father who loves me, an earthy daddy who loves and a husband who loves me!

 

John 3:16 "For God so loved the world that he gave His ONLY begotten son that whosoever believeth in Him should perish but have everlasting life."

 

See if everything wasn't alright in my Fathers house, do you think he would have given His ONLY son to die for you and me? No, I don't think he would because then he wouldn't be perfect. Heaven wouldn't be perfect. Friend if you are having a rough day, going through a trial please know with Christ, "Everything's alright in my Fathers house."

Casting your care upon, whom?

Friend who do you cast your cares upon? Do you depend on self? Do you go to your peers? Or do you go to the Lord?

I Peter 5:7 clearly states that we can cast our cares on the Lord and he will care for you. Now I don't know about you but I'd rather go to one who cares for me than to depend on self or another person.

A dear friend of mine has been through the fire, and she realized that the only one who could truly help her was her Saviour. In a few months I'm going to be asking her to share her story here on my blog. She and I were raised basically the same, but our choices lead us different directions. However a little over a year ago, the Lord allowed our paths to cross again. I praise the Lord that my dear friend has come back to the right choice. I will not go into details but she needs prayer things aren't all roses for her, but her future is bright. So friend what are your concerns, worries, fears? Let me suggest that you "Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you."

If you are unsaved and don't understand how God could care for you, please message me and I will be more than happen to share with you the Gospel. We serve a mighty God, a loving God and God who wants you in His family!

I'm a child of the king! I've been adopted into his family and wouldn't trade it for the world!!

*The picture above was done by Paula Joiner Chapman
 

Be Grateful! Be Thankful!

 

Thank you Lord for saving my soul

Thank you Lord for making me whole

Thank you Lord for giving to me

Thy great Salvation so full and free!

 

Thank you Lord for family and friends

Thank you Lord for house and warmth

Thank you Lord!

 

 



Are you going willingly or being dragged?

Good afternoon, well as I was on Facebook earlier I was reading various post some by Pastors, some by Pastors wives and others by what we call lay people. I read this one comment that I thought to be very interesting. When I went back to find it I couldn't I find it so I'm going to try and give this little story as best as I can.

A little boy was visiting his grandma and saw people walking their small dogs. The little boy wanted to walk a dog but his grandma didn't own a dog just a cat. When he asked if he could walk the cat, grandma said yes but she didn't think the cat would go. Well, he found the cat put a string around his neck and carried him outside. After some time grandma was getting worried because her grandson hadn't returned. As she looked out the door her grandson comes around the corner pulling a cat that is clawing and grabbing at anything it can. When she asked why it took so long he replied, I was determined that the cat was either going to go for a walk or be dragged. 

Is that how God feels about us? He wants us in His will even if he has to drag us? As a 13 yr old, I went to Mexico on a Missions Trip and I had a great time. I learned a lot though on that trip and one of them was God's will for my life. I knew at the age of 13 that the Lord either wanted me to be a Missionaries wife or Pastors wife. The summer of 1981 I surrendered to God's will. Yes I was only 13 but God knew my future. I don't have the testimony of coming out of some deep sin, or being raised by parents who didn't love me, or even being raised by a single parent. At one time I use to think wow my life is pretty dull.... I was raised by my biological parents, they loved me, they cared for me, I was put in Christian School, my parents although unsaved at the time raised me in church. My parents did get saved, they attended church regularly closer to my teen years, my dad ended up being a Pastor, I went off to Bible College, met the one the Lord had for me.... what more could I ask for. That's not a dull life that's living the life God had for me. Have I slipped out of His, I would say, yes I probably have.  I admire those who come from rough situations and get saved and serve the Lord in His Will! I don't know everything and I trust me I don't claim to know everything, but I've heard preached that there are different levels of God's will. God has you in the  part of His will that He wants you at, don't fight him, trust him, depend on him and he WILL carry you through.

Deuteronomy 13:4 "Ye shall walk after the Lord your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him."

Following the Lord is the greatest thing any of us can do or you can be like that poor cat and be drug along until you decided to submit to God's Will. I don't know about you but I think I'd rather willingly go than to be drug. As Christians being in the center of God's is 150% better than being outside His will. If you're not sure if your in God's Will today, pray, seek God's face, ask Him to show you His will for your life.

 

Are you on the right path?

Good afternoon friends, what a year we have had! You say but it's ONLY March 6th. Yep you are right and thus far we have had a year of...... Before I go into that I want to ask, "Are you on the right Path of serving God?"

In a few minutes I will finish my statement but first lets look at some scripture:
John 15:1-5  "I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.
Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away; and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.
Now ye are clean through the word which I have spoken unto you.
Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, except it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me.
I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do nothing."

Are you a fruit bearing Christian? Do you tell others of Christ, do you serve the Lord through your church? How about in your speech, actions etc. See if we as Christians aren't bearing fruit we aren't on the right path. What Path? The Path that is narrow and straight that leads to great things being done for the Lord. None of us are perfect and we all back slide BUT we can all turn around and get back to the right path.

Now, the reason for this scripture is to go back to my the statement I didn't finish at the beginning. You are right that we are barely into the third month of 2014 however after talking with my husband/Pastor this morning we started thinking about what has happened thus far. I'll start with our church and the progress there:

At church we had many things given, I mean Free, to the church to help with our finishing the Sunday School Building. People who didn't want to work on it before have been there almost weekly working and getting things done. We've had former members return. We have seen people saved. Now these aren't just from our family this is our church family as a whole.

Now to look at what has been going on with our family - At the first of the year we decided to daily Thank the Lord for just one thing he had done for us that day. To be wise in our spending and save for future things our family would like to do. A few of us had decided in January to change our way of life as far as health is concerned. Naturally that will take a little more money but we decided that we wanted to do that. We decided to start the WMS (Women's Missionary Society) at our church, To start a Bus Ministry in the Spring, and many many other things...... The biggest decision was when Preacher announced to the church that he had a goal of 100 in church for our Dedication service in April/May. (If you would like more information on that message me and I will get that) all this to say;

In January my husband was laid off of his second job, which was the income that we paid our bills and bought groceries with. Blessing here - The Lord has given us EVERYTHING we need to make it from week to week. Then at the end of Feb (as many already know) I flipped the truck - which incurred many hospital bills, doctor bills AND put us down to 1 car and it doesn't run the greatest! Now you say so? What's the big deal? You are serving God. Yes, we are bearing fruit and ole Satan doesn't like it! Then just last night 3/5 we had a chimney fire! It could, just like the accident, have been fatal, but Praise the Lord it wasn't.

Some look at this as "bad luck" well friend I look at it as a test, a trial, to see if we are serious about serving our wonderful Lord and Saviour here in Maine. I will be the first to admit, I'm not settling in fast to the "way of life' in Maine. As I said in my last posting, maybe I've not done something or should have said something, I don't know but I do know, "I love the Lord and I want to serve him with all my heart, and if having what seems like tragedy to some, happen in my life to make sure I stay on the right path, I will accept it. Is it easy to accept? NO the pain, the sleepless nights, are not easy to endure but through God's grace and the peace and rest he gives I/we make it. I have days with no pain and nights with good sleep which I praise the Lord for.

So even though we are only on March the 6th, it has been a Year! A Year of hardship, Yes. A Year of trials, Yes. A Year of aches and pains, Yes. A Year of Blessing, Absolutely! A Year of seeing our church members grow, Absolutely! A Year of first, Absolutely!

So as you read my blog don't pity me, Pray for my family, Pray for Second Baptist Church, God's NOT FINISHED WITH US YET!

A Heart that's Devoted

Are you devoted  to God? I know the last few post I've done on either of my blogs I have mentioned my recent accident, but may I say that accident although I don't understand why God allowed it to happen if for no other reason it was to bring me closer to Him. I have been questioned how in the world can you say God let you be involved in something that could have been so fatal and in the same breath say it was to possibly or it was to bring you closer to him.

First let me say, although I don't understand it all, especially on the vehicle end of it all, why I had this accident, I don't know. Why, what would have been our 2nd vehicle was totaled, I don't know. Why, my seat belt didn't hold, I don't know. Why God allowed me to live but not even 2 miles away a family lost there 24 yr old son in a car accident just hours after I had mine, I don't know. Yes, I have questioned why? BUT friend a long time ago I gave my life to the Lord. Have I always done right, no. I'm not perfect, but I have tried to be pleasing to my Saviour in several ways. The key being my topic, "A Heart that's Devoted!"

See, I'm not 100% the Proverbs 31 lady (at least in my eyes, I don't think I am) I do all I can to be that Proverbs 31 lady but it doesn't always happen. Reason being, I'm HUMAN!

"Who can find a virtuous woman? for her price is far above rubies" Proverbs 31:10
I'm going to give a few points on how I believe that I'm "A heart that's devoted."

1. I'm devoted to my husband - When I said "I do" I meant it. It was and still is this day till death do us part. We joke that death will be because of this or that but I LOVE my husband and you know I pity the person who tries to break up our marriage. Reason being HE IS MINE! I am devoted with my whole heart to William P III!

2. I'm devoted to my children - ALL 5 by birth and #6 through marriage :) I love my children and I'm devoted to them to be there when they need me. To listen when they need a listening ear. To discipline when they need correction. I LOVE Tom, Tabitha, Paul IV, Caleb, Samuel and Jason

3. I'm devoted to my Lord - Do I fail him? YES but I'm devoted to serve him, to love him and to Praise him!

4. I'm devoted to my Bible - THE KING JAMES BIBLE

5. I'm devoted to my church - Second Baptist Church is MY CHURCH! I'm devoted Not to the building but the church, THE PEOPLE! I love the members of my church!

6. I'm devoted to my friends - You say friends? YES Friends are important and I'm devoted to them.

See my heart is devoted to several people and things. Why? God wants me to be devoted, not half hearted about life but to give me all and to be what He created me to be. Am I perfect LOL NO.
Am I better than others NO. Do I think because I write these things on a blog for the world to see that I'm some great scholar, NO! I am simply Paula Micheal, born and raised in the South, grew up in church and Christian school, attended Bible college had some of the greatest Men of God as my Pastor through the years. Who met a Godly man who wanted to/and is serving God.

See on Thursday 2/20, which I don't remember, but maybe I said/didn't say or should have done something different, who knows, except the Lord. However, that accident sure has set me thinking, I wasn't going to share this but I feel the Lord would have me share this. On Sunday 2/23, my husband and boys had come in from church (I had gone but needed to return home early) my boys were in their rooms and my husband was going over his evening sermon. I walked into the room and burst into tears, all I could say to him was, "I could have Killed us all Thursday!" I believe I said it two or three times. My dear husband just hugged me and kept saying, "But you didn't, God has a great things planned for our family." He even assured me that it wasn't my fault and that I was one of the best drivers he knew. Friend things that happen in our lives isn't always our fault, sometimes it's allowed to happen for a reason. I believe with all my heart that, 11:45 A.M. Thursday, of Feb 20th was for a reason. What? I really don't know yet except that I decided to:
1. Be more devoted to God
2. Pray more for those who live their lives in Pain and hurting EVERY day.
3. To serve my God like I've never served him before.

So friend, let me ask you, "Are you fully devoted to God with your whole Heart?'