Banished

Genesis 4
13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

Some people have said that they have had near death experiences where they claim to have died and gone to Hell. One of the common themes from all of the accounts is that Hell is a place where there is no hope. All hope is gone. Loneliness, despair, agonizing regret, all of what is negative or wrong is there. It is eternal separation from God.

Jesus called it a "Lake of Fire, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth."

Cain was banished from the presence of God. Yet, he reached out to beg for mercy. For him, it was hell on earth.

When we choose to go our own way, to live in sin and rebellion against God, God lets us wallow and live in hell on earth, in hopes that we will see the error of our ways so that we will call upon His Name to deliver us from our mistakes and restore us in His Grace.

Later, God has promised to those He calls His children:

Deuteronomy 31:6
“Be strong and of a good courage, fear not, nor be afraid of them: for the LORD thy God, he it is that doth go with thee; he will not fail thee, nor forsake thee.”

Hebrews 13:5
“Let your conversation be without covetousness; and be content with such things as ye have: for he hath said, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee.”

You have a choice. You can be a child of God, or you can be your own person. Where you live for eternity is YOUR choice.

Revelation 7:14
“And I said unto him, Sir, thou knowest. And he said to me, These are they which came out of great tribulation, and have washed their robes, and made them white in the blood of the Lamb.”

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Out of the Presence of God and Smack Dab Into His Grace...

Genesis 4
13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment is greater than I can bear.
14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.

Cain had murdered his brother, Abel. He had done the unthinkable. God could not abide such insolence and destruction and disrespect in His presence. He banished Cain.

His sin was another step away from the garden that God had created for His children. It's as if Adam's sin had started a chain reaction that was working it's way toward a big climactic event. God could not let this rebellion stand. He had to follow through with the consequences in order to teach those who would come later that disobedience comes with a price that you don't want to pay.

God could have struck Cain down with lightening, or flicked a finger and "poof" Cain would have been gone. But, even in His anger and hurt, He had mercy enough to let Cain live out his life on this earth. God had a plan, and Cain was a part of it.

And, indeed, without Cain, the lesson would have been lost.

Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

And, God has mercy with us, giving us time to come to Him for forgiveness.

God has given us a choice. He has shown us that the consequences will be enacted.

Deuteronomy 30:19
“I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:”

And yet man could not help himself. And, in the end, God saw that man could not fix himself.

Psalms 49
7 None of them can by any means redeem his brother, nor give to God a ransom for him:
8 (For the redemption of their soul is precious, and it ceaseth for ever:)
9 That he should still live for ever, and not see corruption.

There was no man on earth worthy of eternal life with God, who cannot abide sin in His presence.

Romans 3:23
“For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;”

God wanted Cain (all of us) to have the chance to live. He wanted to give Cain (All of us) the gift He had intended for Adam to have.

Romans 5
8 But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
9 Much more then, being now justified by his blood, we shall be saved from wrath through him.
10 For if, when we were enemies, we were reconciled to God by the death of his Son, much more, being reconciled, we shall be saved by his life.
11 And not only so, but we also joy in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom we have now received the atonement.

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I am a murderer...

Genesis 4
9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?
10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.
11 And now art thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;
12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

We are all murderers. If we have ever hated anyone, then we have as much as committed the same crime that Cain committed.

Matthew 5
21 Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment:
22 But I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire.

None of us have ever lived without sin. Adam was perfect until he disobeyed, and that is what sin is: disobedience.

I remember reading about Cain when I was younger and thinking of how crude and mean he was for doing such a horrible thing. Now I realize how mean and crude I am each time I choose to make a decision to be angry at someone, or to dislike them. Love has become the answer to any emotion I may have. I can feel as if I do not like someone, yet treat them with love and respect and let God speak through me with my life.

Romans 12
19 Dearly beloved, avenge not yourselves, but rather give place unto wrath: for it is written, Vengeance is mine; I will repay, saith the Lord.
20 Therefore if thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink: for in so doing thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head.
21 Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good.

I have found that in doing so, I have made many friends that I would otherwise not have had. These friends have proved, sometimes, more loyal than those who were chosen for their good character.

God's Grace has saved us while we, ourselves were yet sinners. (Romans 5:8). This means that while we were at enmity with God, He loved us enough to send His own son to take the punishment for us. Should we not do the same and offer such love to someone else in our lives who does not deserve it?

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Featured Ministry at God Inspires: The Truckers Christian Chapel Ministries

Luke 14:23 And the lord said unto the servant, Go out into the highways and hedges, and compel them to come in, that my house may be filled.

At Truckers Christian Chapel Ministries it is our goal to provide as many Chapel Locations as the Lord allows, within a truck stop setting familiar to the road drivers & travelers, easily accessible to them, and most importantly, through and with the local church.

All of our Chapel Locations work through the Local Church. The Local Church provides the workers who have been recognized by the church to have the gifts of administration, evangelism, knowledge of scripture, teaching and counseling. They are commissioned by the church and the church has the autonomy to oversee the work of the ministry as an extension of it's work and mission endeavor, ministering to the needs of the drivers and travelers. In this way, we partner with the Church, training the Chaplains and overseeing the work, maintaining contacts with the Church, Truck Stop Corporations and Chaplains so that all are working together bringing about a worshipful experience.

We provide Chapel Services, Bible Studies, Prayer, Counseling, and just plain old Fellowship.

Visit the TCCM by clicking HERE

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Don't Look Back (by Rose Marie)

Luke 9
62 And Jesus said unto him, No man, having put his hand to the plough, and looking back, is fit for the kingdom of God.

One of my favorite songs is "the well " by casting crowns. One of the lines in the chorus says...leave it all behind, and come to the well.

Often in life we make wrong turns that get our souls into trouble. I have made such turns. My soul cried out to my Father, help. He stepped in and saved me.....but because He didn't save me the way I thought it should be.....I found myself looking back over my shoulder at the very thing He had freed me from.

I, like so many others, became so focused on one small pin point on how "I" thought God should fix it....that when He, in His infinite wisdom, truly set me free...... Couldn't see the freedom. I kept looking back.....I kept thinking but what if.....I kept crying and longing for something I couldn't see the evil in. God was trying to save me from the very prison that threatened my soul but through my blindness I kept trying to hold on to. Why, because it didn't match what I thought because I couldn't see past my want! I couldn't see past man laws, I couldn't see past my hurts and my desires!

Praise God for His infinite, love, mercy, and grace! Praise God for opening my eyes so that I could truly see that He set me from from a prison I didn't even realize was a Prison! Praise God for telling me to let go and stop looking back! For as long as I was looking back and longing...my prison was following me....it's chains still shackled to my feet and hands.

If God has set you free.....Be truly free! Stop looking back! Lots wife looked back and it cost her everything. Take the bandages from your eyes, trust our Abba Father and look forward, truly free to your promised future!

Stop trusting what you can't see and trust what God can See!

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Am I my brother's keeper?

Genesis 4:9
“And the LORD said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: Am I my brother's keeper?”

As Christians, it is, indeed, our duty to be our "brother's keeper". When we see a fellow Christian struggling with a need, we are to help him or her lift their burdens. It is our duty to care for the sick, feed the hungry, relieve the poor and oppressed and tired.

When was the last time you passed by that hungry transient on the street corner holding up a sign? Did you ignore him, or did you stop to take the time to get to know him? Sometimes getting to know someone is more important than dropping a dime in his hat. When you get to know them, you become less judgmental and more knowledgeable on how to give the hand up he or she needs.

John 13
34 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another.
35 By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

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Choosing to Master My Sin

Genesis 4:7
“If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.”

Recently, I quit smoking. It's the second time that I've tried to quit. The first time was in 2008.

The first time, I sucked on a lot of Dum Dum suckers and Jolly Ranchers and still ended up cheating some...only to start back on the eighth day. I just knew I was going to have to go through all of that again this time.

This time, however, I have not cheated once. I suck on a lot of breath mints, but the craving seems at least 10 times less intense than it was the first time.

I have 33 years of smoking under my belt. I wasn't expecting easy. It isn't easy. However, this time seems more tolerable than back then.

Someone said it's because this time I have God. That can't be true, because last time I had God, too. But, then again, last time I didn't have so many people praying for me.

Anyway, I know that it's either conquer the habit, or the habit will conquer me. A cigarette is within reach. I can get one right now if I want to. I have the means. But, although that cigarette is waiting just behind the door, I have had the strength to walk past it when I open the door to go outside.

It's a matter of will power and determination. And, knowing that it's all for God's glory helps, too. After all, He's the reason I chose to do this. He is the ONLY reason.

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You gotta be nicer than Cain to Abel

Genesis 4
1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.
2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.
3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.
4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:
5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.
6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?
7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee shall be his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.
8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

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Somebody Like Me...

A drunk walked into our little church at 1st Biker's Church in Texarkana, Texas, back when it was in Brother Gary's garage...before we were an actual church.

We had a little kitchen area in the back where everyone congregated before service, getting their coffee (and maybe donuts if someone was gracious enough to bring them...LOL)

The church was growing. Everyone had to wriggle around everyone to get to their seats, or make their way to the bathroom. The drunk made his way through the crowd toward the coffee area, where Brother Gary was coming back from, making his way to the Pulpit. You could smell the alcohol on him as he reached out to shake Brother Gary's hand, as Gary welcomed him.

At that point, a bottle fell out of the man's trenchcoat. It shattered on the floor, the smell of whiskey permeating the room. I know the guy had to feel embarrassed. Brother Gary just looked down at the mess, smiled and said, "Might better clean that up before someone gets hurt."

I remember thinking, "This is definitely my kind of church." All my life, I had looked for a church where everyone else's stench was as nauseating as my own, and the smell of my sin didn't cause them to push me away. Rather, as everyone welcomed that drunk into the congregation, I felt pulled into a family circle that, years later, I am still a part of.

As I tell my friends, we don't necessarily condone the behavior, but we totally understand it.



Luke 7:
36 And one of the Pharisees desired him that he would eat with him. And he went into the Pharisee's house, and sat down to meat.
37 And, behold, a woman in the city, which was a sinner, when she knew that Jesus sat at meat in the Pharisee's house, brought an alabaster box of ointment,
38 And stood at his feet behind him weeping, and began to wash his feet with tears, and did wipe them with the hairs of her head, and kissed his feet, and anointed them with the ointment.
39 Now when the Pharisee which had bidden him saw it, he spake within himself, saying, This man, if he were a prophet, would have known who and what manner of woman this is that toucheth him: for she is a sinner.
40 And Jesus answering said unto him, Simon, I have somewhat to say unto thee. And he saith, Master, say on.
41 There was a certain creditor which had two debtors: the one owed five hundred pence, and the other fifty.
42 And when they had nothing to pay, he frankly forgave them both. Tell me therefore, which of them will love him most?
43 Simon answered and said, I suppose that he, to whom he forgave most. And he said unto him, Thou hast rightly judged.
44 And he turned to the woman, and said unto Simon, Seest thou this woman? I entered into thine house, thou gavest me no water for my feet: but she hath washed my feet with tears, and wiped them with the hairs of her head.
45 Thou gavest me no kiss: but this woman since the time I came in hath not ceased to kiss my feet.
46 My head with oil thou didst not anoint: but this woman hath anointed my feet with ointment.
47 Wherefore I say unto thee, Her sins, which are many, are forgiven; for she loved much: but to whom little is forgiven, the same loveth little.
48 And he said unto her, Thy sins are forgiven.
49 And they that sat at meat with him began to say within themselves, Who is this that forgiveth sins also?
50 And he said to the woman, Thy faith hath saved thee; go in peace.

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Bearing my cross so I can follow Jesus

Luke 14:27 “And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”

I used to wonder what it meant to "bear my cross." It couldn't have been something as simple as picking up your burdens. That was something everyone had to carry, like it or not.

No. I think what Jesus meant when He said, "whosoever does not bear his cross and come after me..." was that if you have sinned, you should be willing to live with the consequences of that sin in the light of truth, or confession.

For instance, if I stole something, and then I got saved and I went back to the person I stole from and apologized and confessed my sin to him, he might have me put in Jail. I could see that as a blessing, or a curse. If I chose to see that as a blessing, then I would be aware that where ever I end up for doing what Jesus wanted me to do is exactly where He needs me to be in order to build His Kingdom. In jail, I have an opportunity to witness whereas I couldn't do that if life went on as usual.

And, anytime I am where Jesus is at is where I want to be. There is freedom and joy in being where He has placed me in order to be nearer to Him.

I have sinned. I still sin...but the longer I walk with Jesus, the lighter the load gets over time.

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A member of the party that wins...

I've come to the realization that the only One who can fix our nation, our homes, our problems, our jobs, our children, or just plain our lives, is Jesus.

While everyone is clamoring over whether or not to support war of any kind, I've chosen to step out of that fight to fight for something that I know will make a difference. I have decided to enlist as a soldier on the side that I already know is going to win, because God said so.

There is a bigger issue than what some political party or other is doing or believing. The issue is: Will you stand up for Jesus? Will you go where HE sends you? Will you trust Him when things aren't working the way you hoped? Will you love Him through your tears?
Will you let Him love you?

When He comes back, I plan on riding that cloud with Him. I plan on watching Him smile when every knee bows and every lip confesses that He is, indeed, Lord. I plan to yell "Hallelujah, Praise to His Name! He IS worthy!" as He dawns the crown that says He's King of Kings and Lord of Lords! And, I plan to mean it!

I refuse to let my life on this earth be defined by the name of some party that only partially represents me. When I rise from my knees every morning, I am convinced that I am fully represented by Him in Heaven, therefore it is my duty to fully represent Him with my life while on this earth.

There is a bigger war, a greater fight, and you don't have to wait until November to vote for which side you are on.

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