Are You Free… to do what the Lord has given you to do? - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Are You Free…

to do what the Lord

has given you to do?

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

As a young boy, (growing into a fine young man!) I really enjoyed reading biographies of men and women – those who found what they were created to do, and actually did it.

Men like David Livingstone, the Scottish Congregationalist pioneer medical missionary with the London Missionary Society, and an explorer in Africa. When he was “found” by Henry M. Stanley, the famous British explorer and New York Times reporter, deep in the heart of “the dark continent”, Stanley reportedly spoke this famous quote, when on November 10, 1871, he found the missionary and asked, "Dr. Livingstone, I presume?"

I really liked the bios I read of Eric Liddell, the Scottish missionary to China, as his parents were before him, who was made even more well-known after the movie Chariots of Fire came out in 1981. Eric was an Olympic hero who followed after the heart of the Lord, in all His ways. He took the Gospel to the Far East nation. What an example for a young boy!

Of course there were others who inspired me, much like Harmon Killebrew, the Minnesota Twins baseball home run hitter in the 1970’s; Francis of Assisi, who left it all behind to touch the lives of the poor; and Abraham Lincoln, our American 16^th President during the Civil War in the 1860s (I think I must have over 24 books on him alone.)

Finally, a most inspiring book for one who wanted to do the Lord’s will in his life...

The Actes and Monuments, popularly known as Foxe's Book of Martyrs. Is a work of Protestant history and martyrology by John Foxe, first published in English in 1563 by John Day. It includes a polemical account of the sufferings of Protestants under the Catholic Church, with particular emphasis on England and Scotland. The book was highly influential in those countries, and helped shape lasting popular notions of Catholicism there.

The book went through four editions in Foxe's lifetime and a number of later editions and abridgements, including some that specifically reduced the text to a Book of Martyrs. (From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia)

Above all, there is the One whom it is written, that there are not enough books to cover His life here on earth - our Lord, Jesus the Messiah. None can compare when reading of Him, and how we can walk in His steps even today.

But how do we walk in His ways, or those who continue to inspire and encourage us on today?

If the Lord called you tonight (or sent a text), and said, “Leave all you have and follow Me?" – what would keep you from doing it?

Would it be that job you have, that you don’t like anyway, but grudgingly to it because that is what you think there is just for you to do?

Is it lack of money, believing you need a good amount to get started down the path you’d really like to take, but never took that first step?

Would the opinion of family or friends outweigh the word the Lord wants to give you, or already has spoken to you about, and you keep pushing it back to another time, another place?

Can it be a simple thing like needing to have the constant noise of the TV on, watching meaningless weekly shows, that a month from now will have proven to be of nothing, having lasting value in your life?

Are you free to do what the Lord has given you to do? What is holding you back?

I think if you ask Him, actually “inquire of the Lord” as David did, you’d be given the inspiration to take the first step. 

Psalm 25The Message (MSG)

A David Psalm

25 ^1-2 My head is high, God, held high;
I’m looking to you, God;
No hangdog skulking for me.

³ I’ve thrown in my lot with you;
You won’t embarrass me, will you?
Or let my enemies get the best of me?

Don’t embarrass any of us
Who went out on a limb for you.
It’s the traitors who should be humiliated.

⁴ Show me how you work, God;
School me in your ways.

⁵ Take me by the hand;
Lead me down the path of truth.
You are my Savior, aren’t you?

⁶ Mark the milestones of your mercy and love, God;
Rebuild the ancient landmarks!

⁷ Forget that I sowed wild oats;
Mark me with your sign of love.
Plan only the best for me, God!

⁸ God is fair and just;
He corrects the misdirected,
Sends them in the right direction.

⁹ He gives the rejects his hand,
And leads them step-by-step.

¹⁰ From now on every road you travel
Will take you to God.
Follow the Covenant signs;
Read the charted directions."

So seek the Lord in faith, not fear, and see what He says. It will be worth it.

Something to think about.

Love you,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

We sure could use your help to bless the families we do in Israel, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and the hurting ones here in the USA. Please give out of the abundance you have been given.

In May, 2016, my wife Laurie and I will be traveling to Israel to spend time with our friends. We support them in word and deed. We have our plane tickets in hand. We love Israel.

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.

If these messages minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

Click here for safe ONLINE GIFT GIVING THROUGH OUR WEBSITE using major credit cards: Love For His People. If you don't have a PayPal account you can also use your credit card or bank account (where available). 

Contribution checks can be sent to: 

Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box414   Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.)

Please share Now Think On This with your friends.

Email: loveforhispeople@gmail.com  

martinlighthouse@gmail.com

Facebook pages: Steve Martin and  Love For His People  

Twitter: martinlighthous, LovingHisPeople 

Blogs: Love For His People,   Now Think On This

Full website: Love For His People

YouTube: Love For His People Inc.

Now Think On This #212 “Free To Do?  Wednesday at 7:30 am in Charlotte, NC

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

Blessed Man - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Blessed Man

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

‘Tis a blessed man of God I am;

So much of life I have to share.

Salvation came from my Lord above,

Now known by Him - my every hair.

When but a lad of five or so,

When Jesus came into my heart;

A Catholic boy in Iowa’s glow,

He’s blessed me from the very start.

Columbus High was where I went,

An education for life to come.

My teachers gave, and then was sent

To seek the Lord, and then some.

My wife to be was but a teen,

I had to wait for her - as us.

October’s light that 8^th was seen,

No worries Mom, don’t make a fuss!

Soon came forth the quiver full,

With Josh and Ben to start.

Then Hannah, Christen – there ain’t no lull!

A family now will never part.

First Derek, then Mahesh and Bonnie served;

Then came Barry & Batya - both Jews.

My fruitful work, for Him deserved,

Eternal reward – now that’s Good News!

I bless Chelsie, Andrew, Jonathan. When?

Spouses for my kids they are;

Plus Daniel, Logan, Dylan, Jensen,

Jack, Payton and Levi - by far!

Continues on my life these days,

To know His will and walk therein.

A blessed man in all His ways,

I love my Lord. Thus all for Him.

THANK YOU YESHUA (JESUS)!

And I love you too,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

Now Think On This #211 “Blessed Man” by Steve Martin on my 61^st birthday!

Date: In the year of our Lord 2015 (11.23.15) Monday at 6:30 am in Charlotte, NC

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Heart of Love - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

Heart of Love

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“Because I regard you as valued and honored, and because I love you. For you I will give people,

nations in exchange for your life. Don’t be afraid, for I am with you. I will bring your descendants from the east, and I will gather you from the west; I will say to the north, ‘Give them up!’ and to the south, ‘Don’t hold them back! Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth, everyone who bears my name, whom I created for my glory; I formed him, yes, I made him.’”  (Isaiah 43:4-7 Complete Jewish Bible)

“Fill my heart for the nations, as Your heart is,” my spirit cried within me. As I sat in morning prayer, before the sun arose in the east, a few tears began rolling down my checks. My heart was wanting His. Yeshua (Jesus) was giving me a little bit more of His heart of love.

I love being in the Lord’s presence, those times of being where He is, as His Spirit comes down. You experience His heart – His awesome heart for His creation, the people of the nations. The mighty work of His hands, those whom He has longed to share His passion and presence, the ones He desires to commune with and share that immense heart He has.

There are moments in prayer, while listening to songs of heartfelt worship, and praying in my prayer language, when my inner man seems overwhelmed. It is like the power of the Holy Spirit is reaching down deep within me, pulling on my spirit, to know Him in a deeper way.

I just want to grab hold, with all I have within, to fully know Him as much as I can. It is similar to a young child, running into the open arms of their father, knowing it is a safe place to be. Taking the time to allow His presence to capture me is where I want to be.

Memories of other times such as these keep drawing me back to Him. The secret place of the Lord belongs to those who desire to have Him intimately within.

Psalm 91 lets us know of what it is like to be in that place of protection and peace, where His heart of love exists.

“He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty. I will say of the Lord, "He is my refuge and my fortress; My God, in Him I will trust."

Surely He shall deliver you from the snare of the fowler and from the perilous pestilence. He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings you shall take refuge; His truth shall be your shield and buckler.

You shall not be afraid of the terror by night, nor of the arrow that flies by day, nor of the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor of the destruction that lays waste at noonday.

A thousand may fall at your side, and ten thousand at your right hand; but it shall not come near you. Only with your eyes shall you look, and see the reward of the wicked.

Because you have made the Lord, who is my refuge, even the Most High, your dwelling place, no evil shall befall you, nor shall any plague come near your dwelling; for He shall give His angels charge over you, to keep you in all your ways.

In their hands they shall bear you up, lest you dash your foot against a stone. You shall tread upon the lion and the cobra, the young lion and the serpent you shall trample underfoot.

"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him; I will set him on high, because he has known My name. He shall call upon Me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him and honor him.

With long life I will satisfy him, and show him My salvation." (NKJV)

The particular verse, “"Because he has set his love upon Me, therefore I will deliver him,” is one of the many promises spoken to us in these Scriptures by the Almighty Father. As we set our own heart upon Him, Jesus the Messiah, Yeshua HaMashiach, we will continually know of His salvation – that daily saving protection, provision, and peace that the world cannot give.

We will be among those who call upon the Name of the Lord Jesus, who will see and know of His ways. We will testify of His true character, His eternal nature, of His plans and His purposes for the nations. These are promises for your family and mine.

Take time with the Lord today. Seek His face and know His heart of love.

Something to think about.

Love you,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

We sure could use your help to bless the families we do in Israel, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and the hurting ones here in the USA. Please give out of the abundance you have been given.

In May, 2016, my wife Laurie and I will be traveling to Israel to spend time with our friends. We support them in word and deed. We have our plane tickets in hand. We love Israel.

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.

If these messages minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

Click here for safe ONLINE GIFT GIVING THROUGH OUR WEBSITE using major credit cards: Love For His People. If you don't have a PayPal account you can also use your credit card or bank account (where available). 

Contribution checks can be sent to: 

Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box414   Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.)

Please share Now Think On This with your friends.

Email: loveforhispeople@gmail.com  

martinlighthouse@gmail.com

Facebook pages: Steve Martin and  Love For His People  

Twitter: martinlighthous, LovingHisPeople 

Blogs: Love For His People,   Now Think On This

Full website: Love For His People

YouTube: Love For His People Inc.

Now Think On This #210 “Heart of Love” by Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2015 (11.22.15) Sunday at 9:00 am in Charlotte, NC

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

The Way To Go - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

The Way To Go

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

John Eldredge, a popular author from Colorado, came out with a book entitled, Wild At Heart (Thomas Nelson, 2001). I loved the book! While it spoke tremendously to the inner soul of men, I think some women also read it just to see what happened to “their man” after he put it down. I recommend it to anyone.

Since then, John has authored and published at least 14 more. I think I have read at least nine of them. There is just something about his writings that so encourage men to be men. He even has a book or two especially for women!

For my oldest son Josh’s wedding anniversary in 2015, I gave him one of Eldredge’s most recent books, Fathered By God (Thomas Nelson, 2009). At that time I hadn’t read it myself, but knowing the quality and insight that John shares, I had no hesitation in doing so. Up until a few years ago, I knew Josh had never read a book completely through, so I carefully chose what I suggested or gave him (other than my own books of course!) Josh is now 37 at the time of this writing.

I share that bit of factual news because Joshua told me once he had never even read a book through high school. Oy! He had since then worked to pay his way through school, married his beautiful bride Chelse, has diligently been employed at his current job for 14 years, fathered and is still raising four of our grandchildren, and is a very responsible man of the Lord Jesus. Way to go Josh!

After he read the book, Josh sent me a text saying he loved the book, and thought of me as a “sage.” My response, not knowing the contents of the book, back to him was, “OK. What is a sage?” I’ll leave the rest at that. I guess both you and I will have to read the book!

Sons are knowingly or unknowingly looking for examples in which to model their lives. In this American culture of thinking that the young have all the answers, and old men are just “old men”, they have not rightly been given, nor received on their part, the training, experience, and understanding of what it means to follow after the Lord, and knowing His ways.

Without fathers (over 33%, or 24 million children in America had only a caring mother in the home, according to the U.S. Census Bureau), young kids have not had that needed grown man in their personal life, to train them to live for the Lord, be a responsible young man, work a respectable job, find a good woman as their wife, raise a family, or give back to society from which they owe much. 

They do know how to play a video game hours on end. Wow, where is that going to get them? They have missed it. We are the ones responsible too for that

God the Father intended from the very beginning that one generation would procreate and raise the next generation. One man married to one woman has always been His plan. This “we know best” current theology will never improve, or eternally replace, His perfect plan. His heart has always been to have men be men and women be women. That is the path we must stand strong for and walk on, as believers in the Lord Yeshua (Jesus).

Our sons and daughters, whom we have brought into this world, need our wisdom, guidance, input and firm hand to point them in the right direction. We are not to let them find it on their own. That belief has not gotten them anywhere of lasting value. We must be the ones as their lighthouse, raising them and then letting them go in the grace and purpose of their eternal Father.

I give thanks for responsible fathers and mothers who have trained up their children in the way they are to go. These young ones will be those the Lord will anoint even more so to take the Gospel to their own generation.

And He will also save many others, those currently on their way to hell, who are living in an earthly one here, by demonstrating His miraculous salvation and freeing them also to stand before the gates of hell, taking back others on their way there.

Proverbs 22:6 truthfully reads, “Train up a child in the way he should go. Even when he is old he will not depart from it. (NASU)

For all this, we as believers give you thanks, Father God, for showing us the way we have gone, and need to continue to go.

Something to think about.

Love you,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

We sure could use your help to bless the families we do in Israel, India, Pakistan, Vietnam and the hurting ones here in the USA. Please give out of the abundance you have been given.

In May, 2016, my wife Laurie and I will be traveling to Israel to spend time with our friends. We support them in word and deed. We have our plane tickets in hand. We love Israel.

Love For His People, Inc. is a charitable, not-for-profit USA humanitarian organization started in 2010 to share the love of the Father in the nations.

If these messages minister to you, please consider sending a charitable gift of $5-$25 today, and maybe each month, to help us bless families we know in Israel, whom we consistently help through our humanitarian ministry. Your tax deductible contributions receive a receipt for each donation. Fed. ID #27-1633858.

Click here for safe ONLINE GIFT GIVING THROUGH OUR WEBSITE using major credit cards: Love For His People. If you don't have a PayPal account you can also use your credit card or bank account (where available). 

Contribution checks can be sent to: 

Love For His People, Inc.  P.O. Box414   Pineville, NC 28134

Todah rabah! (Hebrew – Thank you very much.)

Please share Now Think On This with your friends.

Email: loveforhispeople@gmail.com  

martinlighthouse@gmail.com

Facebook pages: Steve Martin and  Love For His People  

Twitter: martinlighthous, LovingHisPeople 

Blogs: Love For His People,   Now Think On This

Full website: Love For His People

YouTube: Love For His People Inc.

Now Think On This #209 “The Way To Go” by Steve Martin 

Date: In the year of our Lord 2015 (11.21.15) Saturday at 8:15 am in Charlotte, NC

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve