"The trial of your faith" (1 Peter 1:7)

Faith untried may be true faith, but is sure to be little faith. It is likely to remain stunted as long as it is without trials. Faith never prospers as well as when all things are against her. Tempests are her trainers, and lightenings are her illuminators. When calm reigns on the sea, spread the sails as you will, the ship will not move to its harbor. But let the howling winds rush forth and rock the vessel until her deck is washed with waves and her mast sways under the pressure of the full and swelling sail. It is then that she makes headway toward her desired haven. No faith is so precious as that which lives and triumphs in adversity. You could not have believed your own weakness had you not been compelled to pas through the rivers. You would never have known God's strength had you not been supported amid the flood waters. Faith increases in solidity, assurance, and intensity the more it is exercised with tribulation. Faith is precious, and its trial is precious too. Do not let the is discourage those who are young in faith. you will have trials enough without seeking them. The full portion will be measured out to you in due season. Meanwhile, if you cannot yet claim the result of long experience, thank God for what grace you have. Praise Him for that degree of holy confidence that you have attained. Walk according to that rule, and you will have more and more of the blessing of God until your faith will remove mountains and conquer impossibilities.  -C.H. Spurgeon

Have you ever read something that just resonated in your soul? Reading "Morning & Evening" by Spurgeon for 11/12 did just that for me. I just want to take a moment and Praise God for the storms of life. For without the storms and the challenges I would not know His peace, comfort, grace, and encouragement. I don't know completely what God is up to in the lives of the Gibson's of Red Bean Drive - but this I do know.  We trust Him explicitly with our Lives. He has been faithful to a thousand generations - why would He fail us now?  

I just don't feel it today preacher...

It's time to gather and Worship. 

Don't feel like it? 

Check out Paul & Silas....

"And when they had laid many stripes on them, they threw them into prison, commanding the jailer to keep them securely. Having received such a charge, he put them into the inner prison and fastened their feet in the stocks. But at midnight Paul and Silas were praying and singing hymns to God, and the prisoners were listening to them. Suddenly there was a great earthquake, so that the foundations of the prison were shaken; and immediately all the doors were opened and everyone’s chains were loosed." -Acts 16:23-26

You see it? Paul & Silas had been beaten. And yet - you see that after their severe beating, they found themselves worshiping. I doubt that they felt like worshiping, but they made a choice to overcome every negative force. There is purity in persecution. How many times do we let circumstances influence whether we feel like worshiping or not. Notice also that there was an earthquake that came - I would suggest that in our Christian life there must violent earthquakes (surprises, something we don't expect and don't want). But notice that the earthquake is what brought the freedom and change to the situation that Paul and Silas needed. And not only to Paul and Silas - but those surrounding them - all for the Gospels sake.

Now let's lift our voices and Praise the one who knows exactly where we are, and what we need. Thank you Jesus that nothing has surprised you - help me to receive your will for my life.

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My website is undergoing some changes --- and I will be posting info soon!

Mt Carmel / Megiddo

The top picture is of a statue on top of Mt. Carmel of Elijah. Mount Carmel rises up 1,747 feet above sea level, and is a very fertile mountain - due to the sea breezes that come from the Mediterranean. In I Kings 18 we read of the great contest between one prophet of God (Elijah) and 450 prophets of Baal. I love when Elijah says to the crowd in I Kings 18:21...

"How long halt ye between two opinions?

If the LORD be God, follow Him;

but if Baal, then follow him."

And the people answered him not a word."

Elijah calls their hand. He confronts their sin of trying to "Ride the fence"... and look at their response... they don't answer a word. Could this be the sin of silence? I encourage you to read the rest of I Kings 18 - and see that God indeed showed up and proved who was The God of Israel.

The Second picture is of the Valley of Megiddo. You can barely see Mt. Tabor to the left, and Mt. Moren to the right. This picture has at its center a IDF (Israeli Defense Forces) air force runway. When I was there in 2008 - I was completely distracted from the tour guide due to an F16 that was circling over head and landing --- great pictures! You can read of the most familiar event that will happen @ Megiddo in Revelation 16:16

"And he gathered them together at a place called in the Hebrew tongue, Armageddon."

This Valley that is situated between the mountain line of Mt Carmel and is a natural battle field. Even Napoleon recognized this in 1799. Back when Israel was not a nation, but the JNF existed --- this area was swampland. The Jews imported Eucalyptus trees from Australia to try and "dry up" the swamp and help with the malaria. This did not work, so they ended up digging drainage ditches to the Mediterranean Sea - I bet Mark Twain would be amazed now!

All I can say is this --- it is true that reading God's Word is important. I want to also add that seeing it first hand opens your eyes like nothing else can.

revkev

Senator Coburn - making Oklahoman's Proud!

Dr. Tom Coburn, Oklahoma Senator (R): I want to send a couple of messages to my colleagues in the House. If you voted "no" and you vote "yes" and you lose your election and you think any nomination to a federal position isn't going to be held in the Senate, I got news for you, it's going to be held. If you get a deal for you or your district, I've already instructed my staff and the staff of seven other senators that we will look at every appropriations bill at every level, at every instance, and we will outline it by district and we will associate that with the buying of your vote. So if you think you can cut a deal now and it not come out 'til after the election, I want to tell you that isn't going to happen. And be prepared to defend selling your vote in the House.

One Commentator said this about Tom's statement... "Senator Tom Coburn of Oklahoma throwing down a gauntlet. When he says your nomination will be held, he means: "We're going to stop it. If you're gonna get a plum federal job for selling your vote to Barack Obama or Pelosi, you ain't going to get the job. We're going to hold it and we're going to tell everybody what you got, because every nomination has to go through us in the Senate, we're going to tell everybody what you got before the election so you better be prepared to defend selling your vote in the House." This is Tom Coburn, Senator from Oklahoma, and he is a doctor."

Now that makes me PROUD to be an Okie. God Bless you Tom - we are still praying for you to have the Wisdom to know when to speak up and when to be silent. Keep speaking up!

revkev

Caesarea Maritima

"Caesarea by the Sea"

The pictures you see above are the result of the determination to build a super port on the easter coast of the Mediterranean by Herod. Herod wanted more cities of Rome in the region. Caesarea by the Sea also became the capital of the provice of Judea, the home of prefects such as Pilate (John 19:1).

Herod Agrippa 1 lived and died there (Acts 12:19-23). Philip the Evangelist, oe of the seaven, with his four daughters lived there (Acts 6:5, 21:8-9). Having witnessed the Ethiopian eunuch, Philip arrived there after his preaching mission (Acts 8). Paul passed through Caesarea several times (Acts 9:30, 18:22, and perhaps 21:8), was imprisoned there by Felix and questioned there by Festus (Acts 23:23, 25:1-7).

This city was covered by the "sands of time" for centuries. Sand that poured into the Mediterranean from the Nile and wind driven upon the beaches of Palestine. A Roman column was found by a farmer in 1949, and thus began the unearthing of this great city. There is also the ruins of a Roman Aqueduct that would have brought fresh water to the city by gravity.

Next time... Mount Carmel and the Valley of Megiddo...

revkev

"Dr. NO"

While visiting my family in Oklahoma I had the opportunity to go to Church at First Baptist of Muskogee, Oklahoma. My dad asked if I wanted to go to his Sunday School with him - so I agreed. U.S. Senator Tom Coburn (R) is his teacher. I was impressed that "Dr. NO" (as he is called in Washington for his fiscal conservative behavior) - took the time to travel back to his home state and teach Sunday School at his home church. After class I asked what we at the Gibson house could Pray specifically for him - he simply said "Perseverance". He went on to say "That I will know when it is right to stand and when it is right to let things go. I am not very popular, and they would get rid of me today if they could. I need to know what God would have me to do". May God Bless "Dr. NO" with wisdom and the discernment that he needs during these difficult days. Thank God for a Christian Senator with some backbone!

revkev