Roy’s Blog: “God’s Eye”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2021/01/22/roys-blog-gods-eye/(opens in a new tab)

Psalm 32:8 “I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will guide you with my eye.”

I travel every now and then to a place I’ve never been. Thankfully, my “electronic navigational tool” helps me get to where I need to go. I punch in the address and up pops a map. It even has a pleasant voice to tell me when I need to turn in time for me to get in the right lane (not that I don’t argue with her sometimes). As thankful as I am for this automated help, I know that sometimes these systems can send you in a bad direction especially if they haven’t been updated.

This is never true of the Lord. He will always guide you in the right direction. I can be negotiating unfamiliar territory in my life, and yet, I can be confident that God is watching me and guiding me. I can rest assured that nothing on my journey will be left to chance. When He says He will guide me with His eye, I know He will keep that promise.

Life in these last days is requiring believers to chart a course with uncertain conditions up ahead. Trust God to guide you. But guidance by His eye isn’t automatic. It is a result of intimate, day by day, face to face communion with Him, gazing at the all-knowing, all seeing God though His Word and prayer.

This is His desire for your life.

Roy’s Blog: “He Knows”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2021/01/21/roys-blog-he-knows/(opens in a new tab)

2 Peter 1:19 “We have also a more sure word of prophecy; whereunto ye do well that ye take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day star arise in your heart.”

The Bible gives many reasons to boldly live out our faith. At the top of the list is prophecy. Peter calls it “a more sure word”, meaning it’s fixed and certain. Unlike emotions or feelings, it will not fail or waiver. The Lord has proclaimed His prophetic word in Isaiah 46:9-10, “For I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like Me, declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times things that are not yet done, saying, ‘My counsel shall stand, and I will do all My pleasure.'”

God is not idly watching history unfold. He’s not sitting up in heaven waiting to see what happens next. He knows! He knows what happens in the universe, in the world, and what happens in your life. He sees the past, the present, and the future of His creation. God knows every leap forward and every slide backward.

The very same God who directs the universe, the whole of mankind’s future, is holding your hand. There is nothing that is able to deter His promises to you from coming to pass. When uncertainty creeps in and doubts try to rob you of hope, remember who you belong to and who holds your hand.

Roy’s Blog: “The Gathering”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2021/01/20/roys-blog-the-gathering/(opens in a new tab)

Matthew 18:20 “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there I am in the midst of them.”

On the show “Good Morning Israel”, Finance Minister, Yisrael Katz, announced that they have every intention of extending the new high speed train line that runs from Tel Aviv’s Ben-Gurion International Airport to Jerusalem on further to the Western Wall in Jerusalem. These are huge words.

The project will involve the construction of two new stations and a 1.8 mile long tunnel under downtown Jerusalem and the old city. The Western Wall and Temple Mount train station will be named after President Donald Trump.

Here is an amazing thing: the train is expected to begin service in April, just in time for the Passover holiday. Many see the train as a necessary element of the Third Temple. Things are happening right now in Israel that have prophecy teachers sitting on the edge of their seats. We are talking about preparation for huge crowds of people to be able to travel to the Western Wall and Temple Mount…this year! They are gathering together to pray.

Construction of the Third Temple can’t be far behind.

What does all this mean for us in America? It means prophecy fulfilled. And for every prophecy that is fulfilled, we are that much closer to Jesus Christ’s return.

Roy’s Blog: “God’s Antidote To Fear”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2021/01/19/roys-blog-gods-antidote-to-fear/(opens in a new tab)

Psalm 23:6 “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.”

If you are a believer, you can plug your name right into that psalm. Yes, David wrote it about himself, when he was being hunted by others that wanted to kill him. But, he was inspired to write this as a testament to God. God was his antidote to fear.

Fear is like a poison. It can eat at the body and the mind. If you’ve ever had food poisoning, you long for some antidote to get rid of the affects.

Many people, especially right now, are facing fear of what the future holds. Worry about jobs, businesses, homes, even their children’s future can add to the fear. How did David handle it? He didn’t worry. He was just the opposite. In the psalm it says, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life.” How could he say that when we know he had many troubles and heartaches?

Not everything that happened to David was good. But he knew God would bring good from everything that was happening. God will ensure good will come out. It followed whatever happened to David, and it will follow whatever happens to you, if you are a believer. Bad things will happen to you, but rest assured, God will bring good out of them.

He doesn’t exempt you from adversity, but He walks with you through it and will ultimately bring good out of it. Psalm 23:4 “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; for thou art with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.”

God is the antidote to the poison of fear.

Roy’s Blog: “The Dwelling Place”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2021/01/18/roys-blog-the-dwelling-place/(opens in a new tab)

Psalm 90:1 “Lord, You have been our dwelling place in all generations.”

This remarkable expression isn’t limited to a particular time or nation. It is an ageless promise for every one of God’s children throughout time. Moses, the author of this Psalm, knew a thing or two about life not going in the direction he thought or planned. He understood how easy it is to be hijacked by events or circumstances.

Here Moses sets our vision higher by speaking of a person, not a designated part of the world or universe, as our dwelling place. Humans long for security, so we’ve perfected the building of all sorts of homes or other buildings that provide comfort. We’ve put in place bank accounts and 401k’s to rely on when life hits you with the unexpected. But what happens when storms or corruption comes and brings all of it crashing down and it’s swept away? What then?

Forty years of wandering in the wilderness, living without a home, taught Moses a truth relevant in every age. When our hearts rest securely in God, we discover abounding love and hope. We find our security, one that never fades or corrupts. Our ultimate dwelling place is in God alone.

Psalm 90:2 “From everlasting to everlasting; You are God.”

Roy’s Blog: “Without The Lord”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2021/01/17/roys-blog-without-the-lord/(opens in a new tab)

2 Timothy 3:16 “All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for correction, for instruction in righteousness.”

Are you walking in the dark? Friends, the Bible provides you with what you need to keep on course when you can’t see the way ahead. If you want to traverse the chaotic times we live in, make a diligent study of God’s Word a priority. No one goes through the turmoil and darkness easily. It takes time, effort, and prayer to learn to allow the Holy Spirit to direct you and give you peace. Rest assured He will will provide security and a hope only He can give.

Quite a few years ago, a man and a companion were tragically killed when he accidentally flew his small plane straight into a lake. It was a dark moonless night, and the pilot became confused about which way was up and which was down. The ground and sky looked the same. He lost anything to focus on…until it was too late. He mistakenly thought he could make the journey at night to the small rural airport. But he couldn’t.

Are you trying to travel in the dark with nothing to focus on? Focus on God and His word because without the Lord, you can’t make it safely through.

Psalm 119:105 “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Roy’s Blog: “Your Path”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2021/01/16/roys-blog-your-path/(opens in a new tab)

Psalm 6:1-2 “O Lord, do not rebuke me in Your anger, nor chasten me in Your wrath. Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am pining away; heal me, O Lord, for my bones are dismayed.”

We are facing uncertain times. Within days, our entire way of life has changed drastically. The pandemic and national unrest has given most a new perspective on what is really important to us–freedom, human interaction, the very touch of a loved one. God is giving us a wake up call: to focus on Him. Jesus said, “Seek ye first His Kingdom and His righteousness…” Matthew 6:33.

Discouragement is Satan’s tool to keep us in bondage. But it is also God’s magnet to draw us unto Himself. When we realize our situation is hopeless without Him, we seek God’s face, His wisdom, and council.

We know the blessings of a child come after intense travail and pain. Likewise, we must travail in prayer until we prevail. There is a saying, “Victory in the prayer closet gets you victory on the battlefield.”

The masses are fearful. We are anxious and many are scared about the future. But are we contrite? Is our path littered with unconfessed sins we have committed, or sins of our nation we’ve turned a blind eye to? No matter how hard we travail, we will not prevail if sin is blocking our path. Pray. Pray forgiveness for yourself, your children, your country. Pray for changed hearts.

Don’t let sin set up a roadblock in your path.

Roy’s Blog: “Don’t Miss Jesus”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2021/01/15/roys-blog-dont-miss-jesus/(opens in a new tab)

John 12:12-13 “When they heard that Jesus was coming to Jerusalem, they took branches of the palm trees and went out to meet Him, and began to shout, Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord.”

When Jesus rode into Jerusalem on a donkey that first Palm Sunday, the crowds that greeted Him were anticipating an earthly ruler, a King, who would deliver them from their Roman oppressors. They greeted Him with shouts of “Hosanna!” It means “Save us now.” Although they were excited to see the man who performed miracles and hoped to see Lazarus whom Jesus raised from the dead, they were not looking to Jesus as a heavenly Savior.

The people had witnessed His many miracles. They even knew Zechariah prophesied this very event. Yet, they still missed the hope that could have been theirs as Jesus rode by them. Jesus, the Messiah, was coming to save His people from their sins and give them a lasting hope. But, they missed it.

How many times do we see the brokenhearted, the lonely and confused, miss their opportunity to experience hope. Where ever you are today, whether alone or in a crowd of people, you will have an opportunity to experience that everlasting hope. Please, don’t miss it. Don’t miss Jesus!

Roy’s Blog: “What Now?”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2021/01/14/roys-blog-what-now/(opens in a new tab)

Ezekiel 38: 13 “Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish with all its villages will say to you, ‘Have you come to capture spoil?'”

The Munich Group (as they call themselves), composed of the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, Germany and France, met Monday of this week in Cairo. They stressed that the United States has an important role to play in relaunching an Israel-Palestinian peace process that would create a two-state resolution to the conflict between them. It would be regressing back to the pre-1967 lines. This comes as a result of the upcoming Presidency of Joe Biden. Off with the new–on with the old!

They put forth the group’s commitment to a negotiated two-state solution which, by the way, Israel will never agree to since Israel is not going to give up Jerusalem. It ensures an independent and viable Palestinian state based on June 4, 1967 lines and United Nations Security Council resolutions. It would give lands that belong to Israel to make a state of Palestine that has never before existed.

What now? This process is virtually guaranteed to create conflict. Neither side will be willing to negotiate. For these same reasons no President of the United States, no matter how hard they tried could get any deal made…until President Trump came along.

The circumstances on the ground in Israel make this ‘new’ deal next to impossible. Throw in Israel’s wealth and the countries waiting to pounce from the north–Russia, Turkey, and Iran–and you have war!

Roy’s Blog: “God’s Mercy”

https://bphowlett.wordpress.com/2021/01/13/roys-blog-gods-mercy/(opens in a new tab)

Psalm 107:1 “Oh, give thanks unto the Lord, for He is good; His mercy endureth forever.”

All of us have benefitted from God’s mercy. It was God’s mercy that prevailed in the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned, the Lord could have scrapped everything and started over. But God was merciful. He allowed Adam and Eve to live with the hope that their seed would redeem back what they had lost.

God’s mercy prevailed in the wilderness with Moses and the children of Israel. When the Israelites continually moaned and groaned about the conditions they faced, their fate could have ended in immediate and total destruction, but God was merciful.

When Jonah refused to go to Nineveh to preach to them, God could have killed the unwilling prophet for disobedience and found another prophet to go in his place. But it was God’s mercy that allowed the great fish to swallow Jonah to keep him from drowning when he was thrown out of the boat. And God’s mercy caused the fish to vomit him out on the shore.

Sometimes, God allows us to fall because in our falling, we wake up to realize that without God’s mercy, we are weak. We are not able to navigate this world in our own strength. “Oh, give thanks unto the Lord” for His mercy.

Lamentations 3:22-23 “It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.”