ARCHIVE FILES November 2009 WHY WE SHOULD REFUSE TO QUIT II Timothy 4:10 - 11 This months text finds us in the closing of a Book of The Bible, the chapter of a ministry, and the ending of a great man's life.  Here Paul is writing the very last chapter of is book as well as his life. He is pouring out his heart to his beloved son in the faith, a young preacher named Timothy. He is inviting him to come and visit him before winter settles in and traveling gets rough. Paul has also seen and heard of Mark getting his life back on track and trying to do some thing for God and so Paul reminds Timothy to bring Mark with him because he has seen that he can be profitable for the ministry. Of course Paul talks about the ever so present Luke that had been his faithful servant for much of his ministry. Luke was a doctor that traveled with Paul and cared for his often infirmities. But Paul also mentions a man by the name of Demas. He was also a long time follower of Paul on his missionary journeys. In several books of The Bible Paul talks about him being a fellow worker in the things of God. But in the closing chapter of Paul's life he had to proclaim that Demas had "forsaken" him. This is the same term Jesus used while hanging on the cross when he declared ' My God, My God, Why Has Thou Forsaken Me?" It means to depart suddenly. It means to turn away without warning. It holds to the picture of total abandonment. Paul is saying that he needs Demas and his support more now than ever before and when the time came to reach out to him for strength he was suddenly gone without warning.      Many writers have given their thoughts on why Demas turned coat and ran at this time in his life. I will attempt to express my view as well at this time; 1. He could have gotten Weary      After all it had been a long time since the group had taken any time off to refresh and recharge their own lives. He was so busy helping all the needy that he would find that he began to slip in his own personal life and walk with God.  There is a danger of getting so busy for God that you don't have time with God. I have seen doctors die young because they were so overwhelmed with the health of others that they forsook their own well being in doing so. This can also happen when it comes to the things of God. We can get so busy trying to get others where they belong that we start overlooking our own situations. 2. He could have gotten Worried      Maybe for the first time Demas looked around and seen the final chapter of Paul's life close to an end and he was overtaken with fear.  Fear of how he was going to make it without he great leader and example. He always rested on Paul for every need he had in his life and now he was having to depend on God himself without the aid of others. This could have been a great time for maturity to kick in instead of doubts and fears. This process happens many times when children start to become adults; they have always rested on their parents and elders but now the time has come for them to stand on their own, and many times fear drives them in the wrong direction. This can happen when a pastor leaves a church and dies. Many examples could be seen here but the truth is we all face days of insecurity and fear. This time frame will either make you or break you with your walk with God. 3. He could have gotten Wounded      Could it be that Demas just got tired of all the fussing and fighting that he had been through while on his journey with Paul.  He had seen people yell at Paul, stone him until they thought he was dead, run him out of the cities, lie on him, drag him to court, and cuss The God they loved. After all the issues and hurt maybe he just thought he had all he could take and left. Burn out is a fact of life that one must consider if they are going to remain faithful and dedicated to the things of God. We all have points when we find ourselves overloaded and under more than we are over. We can not compare our load to others for we all have different frames and limits in different areas of our lives. We must be ourselves for God's glory and never compare ourselves among ourselves which is not wise. It is easy some times to focus on problems to the point where we are blind to the blessings. Never allow the treatment from others determine your walk with God for He will always do you right. Don't use others as an excuse for you not being what you need to be for The Lord. 4. He could have gotten Wicked      Strange to me that when he left Paul he "departed" and went back home. That word means to travel in a direction without a thought of returning. When Demas left he was headed back to what God had saved him out of with the intention of never returning to God's will and as far as we know he never did. Demas was saved in a very wicked part of the country. He was exposed to sin and depravity at a very young age. Maybe the thoughts of his past life invaded his mind and caused him to fall back into the lust of the flesh. This thought should be a warning sign to all of us. We all have a past and sad to say most of them are not positive. When you allow yourself to get weary and wounded it makes one weak and unable to fight off all the deeds of the flesh. We are to forget those things that are behind and press forward for God's glory.      Whatever the reason for Demas turning back we can all agree on one thing, he is remembered as a quitter. It does not matter how long you live for God or the deeds you have done in His name, you ever quit and that is all people will remember about you.      I guess this is weighing heavy on my mind because I have seen so many turn back this year alone. I have dealt with 5 good men in the last month. All of them were good men that had great futures with God and His work. But today while I write this article they are gone and their families are ruined and their ministries are wrecked. And now I witness the hurt and pain on their faces and in their lives. Most of them now wish that they had never been born. The sorrows of their mistakes haunts them daily and the reproach seems to be more than they can bear.      My wife and I seen one preacher not long ago that used to be fired up and loved preaching. He took a small church and before long it was running over with people and power. He had a great family and sweet children. He seemed to be what we call the whole package deal. When we saw him the other day we could smell him 20 feet away from us. He was in tattered clothing and was bumming for change outside a store near by. I walked up to him and he said "I was hoping you would just pass me by."  He related his story to me of sin and shame and how his flesh had ruined everything God had given him. His ministry, his wife, his children, his church, his joy- all GONE!!!      My dear friend I don't ever want to be remembered as a quitter! Don't allow the final chapters of your life to one of remorse and regret. Live today like you wished you would have when you meet God on that great day. Jesus never quit on us we should never quit on Him. You have heard it said "Quitters never win and winners never quit."  so much truth in that one statement. I go to missions in the cities and prisons all over America and meet people hat once lived for God and are now reaping the results of turning back. Some time ago I was visiting a top security prison and I knelt down to talk into the opening in the prison door where they pass their food and a voice came out of the vent and said "Hello Dr. Kidd." Behind that door was a preacher I used to share the pulpit with in several different states across the country in days gone by. I had no idea he was in this prison with a life of sadness and heartache. He related to me his story and how it all began and then how it all ended in murder. This good preacher will spend the rest of his life behind the metal bars weeping himself to sleep wishing he would have never quit on God.      A preachers son just sent me a letter from prison saying he wished he would have listened to me at a youth camp when I offered him personal help. Now he is serving 16 years in prison. They have broke his arms and raped him many times. He has tried to commit suicide and has lost all desire to even live. A 15 minute sin can take you the rest of your life to get out of! If you think your outcome will be any different then you are foolish and beyond help. The Devil is setting you up for a take down that will scare you till the day you die.      I have just given my introduction but I feel like this is enough for this month. I will give you the reasons why I can't quit next month. Someone reading this article today is in need of getting right with God right now. This may be the last chance you have to get things straight before wreak and ruin come your way. No sin is worth the price you are about to pay. STOP!!! Turn your life back to God right now. Don't take another breath out of God's will for your life. Jesus will forgive and pardon you. Take Him at His Word and return to The God of your salvation. December 2009 2009 ROUGH YEAR?  GET READY 2010 MAY GET WORSE! II Cor.1:8      I could not count the times I have heard people say this year that 2009 has been the hardest year of their life.  Every day my phone line and mail box is loaded with people having the most difficult time with issues and problems.  They seem to be living on the edge of despaIr and depression.  They express to me that if one more thing goes wrong in their life they just know they can't handle it.  I don't want to sound like a dooms day preacher but the truth is next year may be even tougher than this year.  Just because we are saved and trying to serve God does not mean we will not have battles and heartache in this life.      When Paul wrote this verse, he was busy doing God's will for his life.  yet he declared that the sufferings and pressure had pressed him out of measure.  It had overloaded his boundaries and limitations.  Here is a man doing right, trying to win souls, he has given his life to carry The Gospel to the world.  And beyond all those sacrifices and adjustments he faces issues.  It seems like God would allow a path of ease to those that seek Him most.  But life has proven that not to be the case at all.      With all honesty I too can announce that 2009 has been one of the toughest years on me and my family as well.  Many storms and trials have come upon me this year that I never expected nor was a ready for.  When we get hit blind sided it seems to have more of a long term affect on us and even seems like to takes more time to recover from it.  When I look back over the year I'm almost glad to see it come to an end, but that does not mean that 2010 will arrive with bright colors and positive messages.      So we must enter this new year expecting to be blessed but also prepared for battle.  Just about the time you think it can't get worse, it will!  Our faithfulness to God demands that we approach this new year with proper training and thought patterns.  None of us have to live beat down, dragging around, bad mouthing our life and its turn of events.  Some where beneath the rubble of tears and heartache we can find the deep settled peace of God.  That will be the focus of this months article.  Not figuring out why things happen but figuring out how to live the abundant life while the storms of life are rising up against us.      Our text reveals to us that Paul was enduring pressure so heavy that it pressed him out of form.  What he thought was his limit was overwhelmed with the situations he had encountered.  He noted that it was above his ability to fight it, his strength had weaned and his defeat seemed sure.  The despair was so real that he said they wondered if they were going to even live through the trials of the night.  So never feel like you are the only person in the world that feels like you do today.  We all have either been there or will get there one day.  So lets focus on the solution to the many different forms of pressure we may face in the next 12 months. 1. GOD KNOWS YOUR FRAME      (Psalm 103:14)- David said that God "knoweth our frame". This small statement has blessed me many times with much assurance and hope.  The fact that God knows my frame reminds me that the frame of a building is the structure that holds all the weight of the building.  God knows how much weight my frail structure can bear.  And with that wisdom and knowledge God promised to never put more on me than I can support.  Things that look nice in a structure carry no weight compared to the frame work.  Sheet rock can't take pressure, it will crack. Lights can't take pressure they will break. Carpet can't take pressure, it will rip. So the load of it all is being carried by the frame that we never see. The rest of the building is vain if the frame is not strong enough to bear the load level. God has assured us that life's load would never overcome our limits.      Now I can rest in that truth. No matter what comes my way I know one thing for sure. God has already weighed it out and seen that my frame can bear the pressure of the trials that come my way. Child of God have no fear, your heartache will not take you down, your sorrows will heal, and the sun will shine again. And when it does God will get all the glory for it all!      A young boy was spending the night with a friend. It was chilly that evening and the father of the son ask him to go down in the bottom with him and help him bring back some wood for the fire. Both boys bundled up and headed down the dusty dark bottom with his dad. The dad began to load the sons arms with fire wood when the other boy said to him, "isn't that enough?  You will never get out of this low place with that load on you". The son replied, "My father has never put more on me than I can bear till I get home and lay it down".  Friend, God may take us through some low places in life, and the load may seem to others as to much to bear. But God will NEVER put more on us than we can bear until we get home and lay it all down. 2. GOD WILL BE FAITHFUL TO YOU      Much of our strength during our times of grief comes from the fact that we know God is faithful to go through our situations with us.  It really does not matter what our lot in life is as long as we hold to the fact that God walks beside us all the way. To face 2009 alone would have been more than 3 of me could have handled. Thanks be to God I never took one step by myself, Jesus has been there every step of the way.      The Blessed Spirit of God will minister to you and help you during your time of need and weakness.  He walks with me and He talks with me and He tells me that I'm one of His own! What blessed comfort and peace comes to each of us just for knowing this wonderful truth.      A little boy had stood silent for 2 days in a funeral home as he watched people hug his father and view the body of his mother.  He was to young to fully understand all that was going on but he knew his mother needed to get up. After the funeral the casket was placed over the dark hole and was about to be let down into the ground.  At this point the boy cried to his father and begged him not to allow this to happen. After the grave was covered the two were riding home and the lad ask when his mother was coming back home.  The weary dad declared "Never". That night the dad was laying across his bed weeping in the dark night. He heard the boy coming down the hall and knock on the door.  "Dad, if mom's not coming home can I sleep with you tonight?.  "Sure" said the broken hearted dad. As the son climbed up in the bed with his father that dark night, the father felt his little hand touched his face.  "What are you doing son?"  the son ask, "Dad, are looking toward me right now?. "Yes" said the father, "Why". The son said, "It's dark right now, and I'm a little afraid, but I'll be alright until morning as long as I know you are looking my way", What hope, what assurance, what peace, what joy, just to know that no matter how dark it might get in our lives God is looking our way!! 3. GOD WILL HELP YOU FINISH YOUR COURSE      We must remember that all we go through has a purpose in God's plan for our life but it can also be used by the devil to side track us from finishing our race for The Lord. I have been saved 34 years and I have never witnessed so many people just up and quitting on God.  From the pulpits to the nursery, it seems like most people think that to make things better in their lives they need to stop serving The Lord. The truth of the matter is it will only make things worse.      I'm older now and I'm more determined to finish the right way now than I have ever been in my life. I don't want to be remembered as a person that used to serve The Lord. I see people all the time that used to be sold out to God and now they don't even go to church.  My heart breaks when I see them and remember what they use to do in the service of God. Many of the saints that had great impact on me after I got saved, are now out of church and live in a way I never dreamed they would ever live.      When I see preachers in jail, preachers wives in bars, teens on drugs and running the streets, I'm reminded that I am what I am by the grace of God.  I do want to hear The Lord say "well done". He has been faithful to me and I want to be faithful to Him. CONCLUSION:     As we read this article and enter another year of Our Lord, may we find great peace and comfort in knowing He Does All Things Well.