He went out, not knowing where he was going" (Hebrews 11:8).

Have you ever "gone out" in this way? If so, there is no logical answer possible when anyone asks you what you are doing. One of the most difficult questions to answer in Christian work is, "What do you expect to do?" You don’t know what you are going to do. The only thing you know is that God knows what He is doing. Continually examine your attitude toward God to see if you are willing to "go out" in every area of your life, trusting in God entirely. It is this attitude that keeps you in constant wonder, because you don’t know what God is going to do next. Each morning as you wake, there is a new opportunity to "go out," building your confidence in God. "… do not worry about your life … nor about the body …" (Luke 12:22). In other words, don’t worry about the things that concerned you before you did "go out."

Have you been asking God what He is going to do? He will never tell you. God does not tell you what He is going to do—He reveals to you who He is. Do you believe in a miracle-working God, and will you "go out" in complete surrender to Him until you are not surprised one iota by anything He does?

Believe God is always the God you know Him to be when you are nearest to Him. Then think how unnecessary and disrespectful worry is! Let the attitude of your life be a continual willingness to "go out" in dependence upon God, and your life will have a sacred and inexpressible charm about it that is very satisfying to Jesus. You must learn to "go out" through your convictions, creeds, or experiences until you come to the point in your faith where there is nothing between yourself and God.

     I will be off line until next week so I thought I would leave you with a Christmas prayer;

     Father, I pray that all of us would feel your presence during this season.  As we celebrate the birth of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ into our world, I pray that He would have center stage in all we do.  Father, help those who are in need today.  We are all just like the sparrows, so I ask you to provide for all that would need provision.  I also pray for those who don't have anybody.  I pray that relationships would be mended and people would come back together to honor Jesus. I pray that everyone would have someone to share Christmas with.  I also pray for those that are not in need of any physical thing, but are lonely and hurting inside.  I ask You, Holy Spirit, to fill everyone's heart with the love of God and let us all see truth during this season.  May the world turn towards You, Father, and may we truly celebrate peace on earth this year.  We need You so much, now, more then ever before.  Would You please come and visit us this Christmas.  We are believing for Your presence to fill our homes and our hearts.  We ask all these things in the name of Your new born Son, Jesus Christ, Amen!!  

     God Bless everyone and I pray that you and your families would have a wonderful Christmas.     Rusty

Isaiah 9:6, " And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God Eternal Father, Prince of Peace."

     Jesus is called the Prince of Peace.  Peace is the Hebrew word Shalom, which means a lot more then we think it does. Peace is only a small part of the meaning.  Shalom means much more then just saying, "Hello, Goodbye or Peace."  According to Strongs #7965, it means Completeness, wholeness, health, peace, welfare, safety, soundness, tranquility, prosperity, perfectness, fullness, rest, harmony, the absence of agitation or discord.  It comes from a root word that means complete, perfect and full.  So when someone speaks the word shalom, they are not only proclaiming peace, but all of the above meanings over a person or their household.  You are actually speaking the presence of the Prince of Peace.   Remember that the power of life and death are in the tongue.  This holiday season we need to speak peace over all people and into every situation.  It's the season of peace and what better way to share peace but by speaking the words of life over people.  Christmas is much more then lights and decorations, and presents.  It's about love and joy and peace.  It's the birth of the Prince of Peace.   So let us go forth in peace and spread Jesus to everyone.  God knows that this world needs it.  How about you?    God Bless,  Rusty

Matthew 2:11, " and they fell down and worshiped Him; and opening their treasures they presented to Him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh."

     The wise men came to see Jesus and they presented Him with gifts.  Actually, the only gifts given during the season of Jesus' birth were to Him, and then they were given about two weeks after He was born.  But were they really gifts?  What did they mean?  Myrrh was a pain killing agent that came from the gum of an acacia tree, which was the same wood that was used in the construction of the old rugged cross.  Frankincense was an ingredient used to make incense.  It was crushed in the process which pointed to the suffering servant of Isaiah 53, " He was crushed for our iniquities."  Frankincense pointed to the body that hung on the old rugged cross, crushed for us.  Gold represented royalty, which was the sign that hung above His head on the old rugged cross, "The King of the Jews."  So the actual items that were presented to Him at His birth were not gifts for Him as much as a prophetic statement about the greatest gift of all that He would give to us.  They pointed to calvary.  The tree that would bring us back into His presence.  We no longer have to hide among the trees, but we can once again eat of the tree of life.  The one present that was given to the child that was born was the gift of life for us.  The very present that would be given to all men to bring us back into His presence.  The tree of Calvary.  The greatest gift of all.  His present to us this holiday season was, and still is His life.  As we celebrate His birth this holiday season, pray for His presence to invade you.  It's the season to truly experience His peace and love and I pray that you would be overwhelmed by the joy that only His presence can bring.    God Bless everyone,  Rusty

Genesis 3:8, " And the man and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God among the trees of the garden."

     I think it's interesting that sin took man out of the presence of God and caused him to hid.  He hid among the trees.  I love Christmas, I love the season and all the decorations.  I love the food and all the toppings.  I'm a Christmas lover.  But I have to wonder where His presence is during the holidays.  Have we, during the celebration of His birth, hid from His presence in the midst of the tree?  Have we substituted presents, around the tree for His presence in the tree? (Tree of Life)  You see the tree of life was His present to us.  And so we ate from the wrong tree and we still gather at the wrong tree today.  He had to die on the tree (knowledge of good and evil) in order to bring His gift of the tree (of life) back into reality for us.  It's not hard to look at what has happened.  We substitute the world's glamour around the wrong tree.  As we do this the enemy very deceitfully takes us away from His presence and the ability to eat off of the right tree.  Therefore the statement that we are to seek God's presence, not presents, can now be understood.  I pray that you would move out of hiding and come back to the tree of life this Christmas season.  I pray that His presence would be a part of your holiday season and that this would be the best Christmas ever.      God Bless,  Rusty

     If you'd like to know more about this subject I have a sermon tape available.  It's a fresh revelation that God gave me as I was searching for the reason for Christmas.  Just send me a message (A private message to ensure your privacy) that includes your name and address.  Each CD is $3.00 with S+H.

Isaiah 9:6, " And His name will be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince Of Peace."

     The child that was born, and the Son that was given had certain characteristics, or attributes.  The one that is characteristic of the season is peace.  We celebrate the birth of this Christ child next week but we also celebrate the entrance into this human realm of peace.  He didn't just bring peace with Him, the word of God says that He is the peace of the season.  The angels proclaimed to the world that night, "Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace among men, with whom God is well pleased." (NAS)  The peace between us and our heavenly Father, that was interrupted so many years before in the garden, was brought back to us in the form of a Savior.  His foretold death would usher in that right relationship with our Father and take away all the striving and conflict between man and his God.  In other words, through Him we would again have a peace with the Father.  Everywhere that Jesus went, there was peace in the hearts of the people.  A peace that just couldn't be described in human terms.  A peace that was perfect.  This is the truth of the season and what God has for all who would honor His son.  So, this Christmas season, instead of worry and fret over worldly things, turn your hearts towards the child laying in the manger.  Open up your hearts and receive the truth of the season.  To receive Him is to walk in peace that you've never known.  He is the reason for the season.  He is the peace that we search for.  With His presence and His peace, no matter what your circumstances are this holiday season, there will be something in you that the world can't explain.  There will be something inside of you that you won't understand.  The Prince of Peace will be with you.  You'll understand the truth of Christmas and it will never quite be the same again.  Amen!             God Bless,  Rusty

Isaiah 7:14, "Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign; Behold a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel."

     The Baby that Christmas celebrates is Immanuel.  Immanuel means God with us, or with us is God.  It was part of God's plan to be with us and so He reveals to us His purposes in the name of the child that was given.  God with us, God with me, God with you.  When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, the child is born again inside of us.  Immanuel, or God with us, moves in.  It's kind of like a relative that lives across the world from where you live.  You might know who they are and even have a picture of them.  You know they are real but they are not present with you.  Therefore, they are real but you don't have very much to do with them.  You're in another world.  It's kind of like the war in Iraq.  You can read about it and listen to the news but you just continue to live your life and even though you know it's real, it's not a part of your life.  But all of a sudden, when you receive Jesus, that relative moves into your house.  Now, all of a sudden you can't help but know your relative first hand.  They're right there with you.  They now are a part of your life, not just in a picture, but in your every word, thought, and deed.  Instead of being a distant object, they are now part of the air you breath.  That's what this season is about.  The birth of the Savior who would make a way for God to move in.  The baby that was born is no longer a distant relative but now is part of the family.  We can get to know every thing there is about Him.  He is present with us.  He is Immanuel.  I pray that this holiday season He won't just be a distant relative, but that you allow Him to move in and participate in every thing that you do.  That's what He desires more then anything.  He wants to spend Christmas with you.  Wow, what a present!      God Bless,  Rusty

Romans 6:23, " For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."

     Last night at church we were discussing a particular concept.  Someone gave a testimony about how they were having better reports from the doctor every time they went to see him.  For most people this is usually not the case.  As we grow older we normally get reports that are not as good as they were in high school.  But, we should not be surprised because this is what God said would happen.  Our spirits, souls, and bodies actually start to heal after we have come to know the Lord Jesus.  If I were to take a survey on people's health before they knew the Lord, compared to after they knew Him for awhile, the results would be astounding.  Most of you reading this already know that to be true.  When I was in the world I wasn't doing to well,  but now I fell a lot better and my health is actually improving.  Why is that?  Well the scripture says that when we come into His presence we receive life.  And so this process of death that we were walking in, before the Lord, starts to heal its self.  I'm convinced that if I could take a can of Holy Ghost, (just an illustration, of course) and pour it on the affected organs, veins or whatever part of a person is diseased or sick, whether spiritual, emotional, or physical, the healing process would take place immediately.  As we are immersed in His presence our sicknesses and pains start to be exchanged for His heath and emotional stability.  Therefore, when we accept His free gift of life, that life actually starts to work inside of us and we have no choice.  The process just starts.  That's why we are better off today then we were with out Him, even in this physical world.  His life is the answer for our death.  Today is the day, if you haven't already, to make the decision to receive that life into your body.  It will change your whole life, and what a wonderful season of the year to start a new relationship.  So what are you waiting for?     God Bless,  Rusty

In the Old Testament the priests were taught to bless the people.  This was an important part of the Jewish life.  In fact the spoken blessing, once spoken, could not be revoked.  We see this in the case of Isaac.  Jacob and his mother deceived him into giving his blessing to Jacob, instead of Esau, to whom it rightly belonged. When Esau found out he pleaded with his father but the answer was simply, " what can I do?  I've already given it to Jacob!"  This is the power in the spoken blessing.  So, with that in mind I want to speak a blessing over all of you today and my belief is that once it's spoken, it can not be revoked.  Are you ready;

"May the Lord bless you and keep you,  May the Lord make His face to shine over you and be gracious towards you, May the Lord turn towards you this day and give you His peace.  Amen!"     God Bless,  Rusty

Lord, we need your strength today more then ever before.  We've all been at the place where the world has pressed in on us and we have all seen your power in the past.  We know that you are a good God and that you have plans for us.  That's the only thing we have to anchor our hope on.  You are the only answer.  We need you right now.  We need your touch.  There is nothing else in this world that can help us.  Let your glory fall on us.  Let your glory fall on our homes and communities.  Let your glory fill our churches and most of all let your glory fill each one of us to overflowing.  We need Your touch right now.  Give us the strength to continue to stand and fight.  Revive us, oh Lord in our hour of desperation.  We need you right now.  You're our only source of help.  Please show Yourself to us in these final hours.  We plead wit you to come and change us.  We plead with You for Your strength.  We plead with You for Your life.  But more then anything else,  we plead with You for Your presence.  Come Lord Jesus.  Do what only You can do!  We ask it in Jesus name.  Amen!   God Bless, Rusty

2 Timothy 1:7, " For God has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power and love and discipline."

     We don't need to be afraid.  "About What," you might ask?  The answer to that would be, "about anything!"    Anything in this world.  God didn't create us to be afraid, or to walk in fear about anything.  God didn't create us to walk in fear about any situation in our lives.  Fear doesn't come from God, nor is it God's intention for us to walk in it's grasp.  God fills us with His Holy Spirit.  He fills us with His very presence.  He has good and perfect gifts for us and He wants to bless us with life and life abundantly.  Fear simply comes from a lack of faith.  When we have faith in a certain area, or situation of our life, there will be no fear.  So fear is just like darkness in a sense.  You see this world is dark and void.  When there is no light you will automatically see what's there, darkness.  Darkness surrounds us all the time.  The only answer to the darkness is light.  By the same token there is fear all around us in this world.  Fear accompanies darkness.  The only answer to the fear in this world is to turn on faith.  Faith exists in the light.  Faith sees God's word clearly and has solid ground to stand on.  Faith is the opposite of fear.  When we have faith, fear can't exist.  When we allow fear in, that's right, we allow fear to come in by turning out the light or walking away from God's word, that fear paralyzes our faith.  So, God's message for us today is simple.  We don't have to live in fear.  We can live right in the center of God's light every moment of our lives if we choose.  All we have to do is stay in His word and stay in the light.  Fear will not be able to exist.  His power and love and discipline will over take us and through Him we will always live victorious.  That's good news!  Amen!                God Bless, Rusty 

     Today I feel like praying for all of us who are hurting:

Father, I stand in the gap today for all of the hurting people in the world today.  I know that you love us, because you created us.  You formed us in our mother's womb and you anointed and called us forth into your plan.  There are so many today that are hurting and in pain, my family included in that role call.  Your word says that we can take your yoke upon us and that your burden is easy and your load is light.  We need a light burden today.  We all need relief from the pain.  So I call on you today and ask for you to meet with us.  Meet with us in all your glory.  We are born again and children of yours, so how much more would you give good gifts, or pour out your presence, onto all that need you.  Meet with all of us today, heart to heart.  We need a living encounter to make it through.  We need your light to guide us.  We love you and know that you bring good and perfect gifts to us.  We need you more then ever.  Please come Lord Jesus, touch our frail bodies today.  It's our only hope.  We thank you ahead of time, in Jesus Name.  Amen!!     God Bless, Rusty    

Hebrews 8:6, " But now He has obtained a more excellent ministry, by as much as He is the mediator of a better covenant, which has been enacted on better promises."

     The other day someone told me," God doesn't heal any more.  That was strictly in the old covenant."  Well, I'm sorry if I hurt anyone's feelings when I say, " that is ridiculous!"  This covenant is better.  It's like having a Mercedes or a Lexus.  The car has everything you can imagine in it.  The computer runs everything and you don't even have to hardly drive the thing.  A voice talks to you through a satellight.  All you have to do is speak and the car starts, windows operate, seats shift and you think you're in a spaceship.  If you ask the thing for a cup of coffee it would probably say, "What do you want in it?"  You probably get the picture.  Now, say I've had that car and you rode in it, and the next time I see you I say, "I traded that car in and I got a much better car based on much better technology, " and then I come to pick you up.  As I drive down your street it's sputtering and kicking, it's backfiring and there's smoke all over the place.  I pull up and it's a 1966 VW Bug.  It's all rusted out and the seats are all torn up.  There's tape on every part holding the thing together.  You have to manually put the windows down because there's no air.  In fact to get it going I have to put my feet through the floorboard and start to push, kind of like Fred Flintstone.  After your shock,  I look over at you and say, "Much better car, isn't it!"  You would think I was crazy!  You would take me straight to the doctor to be examined.  That's what its like to think that the promises in the old covenant aren't for us today.  In fact we are to receive even better promises.  We are to receive exceedingly abundantly above all we can even ask or imagine.   That's God's promise.  Grab on to Him and receive the promises of God into your life today.  Don't let someone tell you it's not for today and talk you out of your faith.  Stand on the word of God and receive every spiritual blessing He has for you.  It's already bought and paid for.  Amen!      God Bless,  Rusty 

Colossians 3:1, "If then you have been raised up with Christ, keep seeking the things above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God."

     There are so many things today that are going on around us that it's easy to get off track.  By off track I mean that we look at things instead of Christ.  Hebrews 12 tells us to, "fix our eyes upon Jesus."  In every situation we have the choice to either look at the problem, on the earth, or look at the solution, Jesus.  That's why faith is being convinced of things you can't see.  You can't see Jesus, because He's at the right hand of God, but through the eyes of the Holy Spirit, through faith, we can focus on Him every minute of every day if we so choose.  The problem is that the things that happen around us in this physical realm are so easy to focus on because we can actually see them in the physical, with our eyes, which is natural to a physical man.  What do we do then when the things of this world dominate the situations around us? What do we do when "all hell breaks loose in our lives?"  We focus on a different world.  A world that gives us abundant life through Jesus.  A world that gives us love, joy and peace.  The world that we're actually a part of.  The only truth of the universe.  After all the bible says that we are not of this world.  So even though our senses overwhelm us in physical things, we have the ability to see spiritual things.  We have eyes into the future home and eternal life.  We have the ability to keep seeking the things above, not of the earth.  I encourage you today to take your eyes off of the situations of life and fix your eyes on the answer to all mankind, Jesus Christ.  He is life in every situation.  He is strength in every situation.  If you stand in faith, no matter what, then HE IS!!      God Bless,  Rusty

Romans 12:6+8, " And since we have gifts that differ according to the grace given to us, let us exercise them accordingly, he whom  exhorts, in his exhortation."

     I have the honor of doing a local radio program called "The Living Word" every day here in my home town.  Recently I was helping to serve a Thanksgiving dinner at God's Storehouse, which is part of our ministry to the down and out, and Ms Sowell came up to me.  I had never met her but she introduced herself and then told me how much she was encouraged by my words every day on the radio.  She thought I was the one who was encouraging her, but little did she know the effect that her words had on me.  I was the one being encouraged.  Let me give you another example.  After service each week I have people that always come up and tell me things I could have added to my message.  Some will even kind of correct me, in a nice way of course.  They always want to comment on the sermon and the comments are never real good, "Oh, I loved your sermon, but I think you could have said.....".   There is, however, one man that  I always look for.  I look for him because no matter how good or bad the sermon was, he always tells me how much he enjoys it and how much he enjoys listening to me preach the word.  I look for him every Sunday because, just like Ms. Sowell, he has the gift of exhortation.  You see an encouraging word goes further then you can imagine.   It is a simple ministry but one that's like the energizer bunny.  When someone gives you an encouraging word "it just keeps going, and going, and going."  This is a powerful gift in the kingdom and one we don't recognize enough.  The gift of encouraging, exhorting, or basically just building someone up.  Simple words are very powerful.  So, today, when the opportunity arises, just say something nice to someone.  Your words could make the difference in someone's life this very day.  They can change the course of the path someone is walking.   So, exhort someone today.  You'll be glad that you did!    God Bless You,  Rusty 

Joel 2:32, "And it will come about that whoever calls on the name of the Lord will be delivered."

     Joel prophesied an escape for those that called upon the Lord in times of trouble.  He said that people will call out and be delivered and become the survivors.  It's a simple concept but one that we have drifted away from in these last days.  What I mean is that we don't have trouble going to church and reading our bibles.  We don't even have trouble believing in Him and the things of God.  What we do have trouble with is putting Him first when we get into situations that require help.  When adverse situations  raise up in our lives we tend to jump out to the world's answers before we go to Him.  We never call on Him until after the fact.  Meanwhile we spend a lot of our energy, time and money trying to solve problems the way the world tells us.  We get to a place where we finally acknowledge Him and call on Him but after what cost to us?  I'm not saying we shouldn't pursue things the way the world does, after all we live in this world and we are physical people.  What I am saying is that if we called on His name first, in every situation,  we would probably save ourselves a lot of frustration.  God said through the prophet that if we called on His name; in the just the good times, no, in just the bad times, no!  God said that all the time, every situation, in every thing, good or bad, if we call upon His name we shall be delivered.  From what; things that are happening in our life, yes, things that have not happened yet yes!!   God said He would deliver us from all things.  No matter what.  The point is clear that we should continually call upon His name.  Every day and every minute we should call out to Him.  He is our salvation and our present help in the time of trouble.  He is our peace.  He is our deliverer.  So in this season, call upon Him every moment.  He will always be there and He will always help.  That's why He's such a good God, all the time!       God Bless,  Rusty