God's Roadmap

Now may the Lord Jesus Christ and our Father God, who loved us and in his wonderful grace gave us eternal comfort and a beautiful hope that cannot fail, encourage your hearts and inspire you with strength to always do and speak what is good and beautiful in his eyes (2 Thessalonians 2:16-17 TPT).


Sunday, September 25, 2016

Weapons Against Our Spiritual Enemy

by Barbara Latta

Our yard has frequent visits from those pesky, armored creatures called armadillos. Their
Armadillos have the ability to destroy a lawn in one night.

dinosaur look, beady eyes, and mouse-like ears make them easily recognizable, but their most well-known trait is the ability to destroy a lawn in one night of feeding. The claws attached to their scaly legs can dig more holes than a backhoe o
n assignment. The evidence left behind is a yard full of ugly holes.

A couple of weeks ago we were plagued with two of these visitors. The daytime sleeping area was a large hole behind my hydrangeas. I was not a happy gardener when I spotted the pile of dirt in the flower bed and the exposed roots of my shrubs. I knew we had another culprit and the hunt was on.

Sunday, September 18, 2016

The Best Defense Against Offense


by Barbara Latta

“That you may approve the things that are excellent, that you may be sincere and without offense till the day of Christ” (Philippians 1:10).

The prophet Isaiah said the Messiah would be an offense to many because his teaching would prick the conscience of those who wouldn’t believe (Isaiah 8:14). Christ is rejected
New offenses arise daily.
because so many don’t want to give up the god of self. Society has taught the population to want everything their way so that nothing even remotely goes against their senses.

The cause of offense
New offenses arise daily. Clothing, jewelry, flags displayed, memorials, statues, signs, and even something on a restaurant menu have become things of contention for some group somewhere. The last few weeks have brought about football players protesting the National Anthem being played before games.The politically correct climate we live in has gone so far into the ditch no one can see how to climb out. Those who embrace these philosophies are blinded to the point of making the ditch deeper.

I am not advocating giving up our freedom to speak and stand for our values. It’s the overt shout of the selfish that claim “I don’t like something so you shouldn’t have it or display it” which promotes “me-ism”. This attitude hurts everyone because the focus is on petty feelings. The rest of the population is forced to give in to the complainer to try to keep the peace. All this does is fuel someone else’s need to rant.

While all of us may not go to the extreme of demanding a sign or flag be removed in favor of our feelings, we can still let offense rise up in our emotions when we are wronged. We get hurt by things others say or do and if we are not careful a wound festers into a big scab.  
Jesus warned his disciples what would happen in the last days, “And then many will be offended, will betray one another, and will hate one another.  Then many false prophets will rise up and deceive many.  And because lawlessness will abound, the love of many will grow cold” Matthew 24:10-12

Offense causes lawlessness to abound. Recent violence in many states is an example of
The Sword of the Spirit arms us against offense.
what happens when someone is displeased with an event or decision made by another party. False prophets will arise and their words tickle ears with voices that shout you deserve to get what you want so don’t let anyone stand in your way.

Removing offense
The best defense for offense is found in Philippians 1:11, “being filled with the fruits of righteousness which are by Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God.”

If the fruits of righteousness are filling us there is no room for making such big issues out of small things. When the focus is on God and what he wants, desires that are wrong fade away and right ones take their place. When the Almighty One of the universe is at the heart of our feelings, we find out what is important. The sword of the Spirit, which is the Word of God, will arm us against being offended.

When emotions rise over something that doesn’t really matter, put up your defense of righteousness and the offense won’t win.

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Sunday, September 11, 2016

The Importance of Patriot's Day

 by Barbara Latta

Each year on December 7, we remember the attack on the United States at Pearl Harbor. As the years have gone by, generations are born who know little about the war and the cost incurred against the citizens of our country. That's why it is so important to keep the history alive and educate those born after the events happened so they can remember the price paid to keep the freedoms they enjoy intact.

Ground Zero
On September 11, 2001, our country was attacked again and thousands died. Fifteen years have passed and while memorial ceremonies occur on the grounds of the tragedies, the importance of the loss doesn't have the impact it did immediately after the attack.

Reviewing the photos and videos of that day is difficult, but if we cease to look at the loss and the viciousness of the attacks, we will become apathetic against fighting our enemies. Patriotism is under attack in America with some refusing to honor our national anthem or the banner it proclaims.

May we never forget those who gave their lives on September 11, 2001 and those who have fought against terrorism on the battlefield.

God bless America!
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Saturday, September 10, 2016

We Say Good-Bye Again

by Barbara Latta

Telling loved ones good-bye when they leave this earth is never easy, even though we know their destination is more wonderful than we can imagine in our limited minds.

Kenneth A. Latta 1921-2016
This week, my father-in-law, Kenneth Latta, went to meet Jesus and all those gone before him. We rejoice in knowing he is released from the chains of his suffering body, but we will miss his presence in our lives.

He was ordained as a minister in 1938 and served as a Baptist preacher in small churches that couldn't support a full time pastor and he worked in the oil industry as his secular job.

As an avid Alabama Crimson Tide fan, he never missed watching a game on TV. If distance hadn't prevented travel, he would have been at the stadium.

We will miss you, Pop.

Sunday, September 4, 2016

Spiritual Checklist for the End Times

by Barbara Latta

Last week we talked about readiness for natural and man-made disasters. We looked at
The day of the Lord comes as a thief in the night.
ways to be prepared ahead of time to prevent being caught without the necessary supplies to sustain life and health.

A more important preparation is one we should look at as our world becomes more evil and anti-Christian.

But know this, that in the last days perilous times will come: For men will be lovers of themselves, lovers of money, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, unloving, unforgiving, slanderers, without self-control, brutal, despisers of good, traitors, headstrong, haughty, lovers of pleasure more than lovers of God (2 Timothy 3:1-4).

These verses portray the headlines in our news media today. Never before have we seen the violence and attitudes displayed by people in the world as we do in the last few decades. While scoffers will always exist, the truth unfolds in the scriptures.

For you yourselves know perfectly that the day of the Lord so comes as a thief in the night. For when they say, “Peace and safety!” then sudden destruction comes upon them as labor pains upon a pregnant woman. And they shall not escape. But you, brethren, are not in darkness, so that this Day should overtake you as a thief. You are all sons of light and sons of the day. We are not of the night nor of darkness. Therefore let us not sleep, as others do, but let us watch and be sober (1 Thessalonians 5:2-6).

The world is becoming more evil.
There are many theories about the rapture of the church. Some believe Christians will be join the Lord in the clouds before the Great Tribulation, others think it will happen at the middle of this terrible time, and another group says the rapture will be at the end. No matter which way you lean, the important thing is this: if you know the Lord you will be going to meet Him no matter when the trumpet sounds.

This is the first step to being ready for the end times or ready for death. Knowing the Lord and submitting our lives to Him prepares us for eternity and gives us strength for whatever we may face. The Lord told His disciples that if the world hated Him, it would hate them also. The spirit of anti-Christ is already present in the world. Christians are being put to death, imprisoned and tortured all over the planet.

Natural disasters abound in frequency and magnitude more than has ever been on the earth before. Jesus told his disciples in Matthew 24 these disasters would be one of the signs of the end of the age.

The second step in preparing for the end of this age is to have a deep knowledge of the scriptures to avoid being deceived. The devil can use signs and wonders as an imitation of God’s power to trick people into following him. If anything doesn’t glorify Christ and uphold Him as the Son of God, the doctrine isn’t the truth.
Preparation in the Word prevents deception.

Third, we are not to be in fear. Jesus said, Now when these things begin to happen look up and lift up your heads; because your redemption draws near (Luke 21:28).

Our spiritual preparedness is not only for eternity but for this life as well. In Luke 19, Jesus tells a parable about ten minas as an illustration for His church to be occupied with His work until He comes back to the earth. We are not supposed to hide in the hills, sitting around doing nothing. Spreading the gospel is necessary until the church leaves the earth.
We are the light in this dark world, so I emphasize again: We are not to be in fear, rather, we can be excited while looking forward to our Savior's return

In Hosea 4:6 the Word says, My people are destroyed for lack of knowledge. We can make sure we are not in that group if we will become grounded in the Word of God to be ready for service on the earth and life in eternity.

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