​What a great weekend to go see God's Not Dead!  Watch the short interview with David A.R. White and our General Manager at our Ft. Myers station.  Watch to the end to see the trailer. David discusses why he made the 3rd film and why it's so important to support these films on opening weekend- Hollywood definitely watches.

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Psalms 23 because of how it describes God’s care for us and how he helps give direction in the struggles of life.  From the opening statement about how the Lord is our shepherd and we will not be in want to how he will guide us in paths of righteousness to the goodness and love of God that will follow us all the days of our lives.

One verse struck me the other day and I think God revealed a truth that we need to recognize while dealing with the struggles of life.
Look at Psalms 23:4 – Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me, your rod and your staff, they comfort me.
 
Notice that it doesn’t say, “Even though I STAND in the valley of the shadow of death...” it says WALK. When we feel like we are in the valley of the shadow of death we need to not quit and just keep going. I have dealt with physical issues in my life and one of the greatest pieces of advice I have given people is to not give up and to keep moving forward! The key with this forward movement is that we are relying on God and his knowledge of where we need to go in those dark times and trusting that He has our best interests in mind.
 
One of the primary tools of a shepherd is their staff. The Biblical connotation is that the staff is for “catching and correcting” in that it helps to guide and catch a sheep that either needs to be tended or directed to safety. We need guidance and direction from the Lord and his wisdom to get us through the darkest valleys. Some people will say that God is just a crutch that people lean on that makes them weak and not able to stand on their own. Think of all the things that people in this world use as “crutches” or as “guidance tools” to get through life. Maybe they use their own feelings, or maybe they consult a psychic or turn to drugs or alcohol. The question is not IF we are looking for ways to be sustained and guided in this life but WHAT are we using? God is there for us to access and put our full trust in but we need to accept the fact that our finite minds cannot understand the infinite twists and turns of life and must learn to trust that God has it all under control.
 
The last thing to consider is the fact that this verse is talking about darkness, evil and being in a dark place. Many people will teach that if you are a TRUE follower of Christ that bad things won’t happen to you because you can just simply speak a Bible truth and bad situations will simply disappear. The speaking of Biblical truths are reminders to our minds and spirits that we are overcomers and can speak to storms of life or walk THROUGH difficult situations with our mind and eyes on Christ. Thinking that because we are followers of Christ that problems won’t come our way is foolish. We are never promised life without problems but that we have the ability to live above those storms and challenges in life.
 
Today, give God your full attention and dedication and don’t quit. No matter what you are going through, remember that you have a good shepherd who is guiding and directing your path even when life seems dark. Get your eyes off the conditions of the valley and look for God to move on your behalf even in the darkest hours of life.

1 Corinthians 9:24
Don't you realize that in a race everyone runs, but only one person gets the prize?
So run to win!

A little background about this verse helps us understand the emphasis and direct comparison to a relationship with God. The race mentioned in this verse is referring to the Isthmian games that were a part of great patriotic pride to the people of Corinthians. This race was more than just an amusement with winning a really big deal. The one person getting a prize and the “...run to win” comment is referring to the single winner of a race but also the fact that everyone who runs the race needs to run as if they want to win and not just be a part of the experience.

How many people have run the race of Christianity with a focus on just making it to the “finish line” of heaven instead of running to win? The question we all need to ask ourselves is are we just a follower of Christ or do we CHASE after him? A follower will simply do what is minimally expected so they don’t go to hell versus a true chaser of God who looks at the world through the lens of “what would Jesus do” in life and makes sure they are the best example of God's love and actions everyday.

I want to challenge you today to examine all the areas of your life. Your personal relationship with Jesus, your spouse or family, coworkers, your friends and the strangers you come in contact with. If you consider Jesus to be the full leader of your life then each of those groups demand your best. That “best” comes from surrendering every area of your life like an Olympic runner only focused on winning and not living life based on what is comfortable but what will help propel them towards that sole passion in life.

We are praying for you and believe that God will do AMAZING things when you ask him what is His will instead of stumbling along the path of life and then wondering why you don’t see success in your Christian walk. You need to know that Jesus sees you as an Olympic athlete in the Spirit and stop listening to the lies of the enemy. You can do it. Think of it this way...if you never start the race, you can never finish it. Make TODAY that start and don’t look back. That is not the direction you are going anyways.


Love and Prayers,
Brian

This new program is called theTHREE, with host Laura Harris Smith.  Each week she looks at how the current events going on in the world are shaping us body, mind and spirit.  There is a fun band and special guests each week.  You don't want to miss this!
Set your DVR's or reminder's to catch the show:

Friday's at 8:30pm MT or Saturday's at 10:30pm MT​
​
WAYS TO WATCH: 
Comcast 51 (SD) & 643 (HD)
Dish Network 55
HD Antenna 33.1 (Cheyenne and Northern Colorado)
39.1 (Denver)
If you are not in the Denver/Cheyenne area or want to watch it on a tablet or smartphone, you can stream at Rockymountainctn.com

​1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 - Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.

This verse is very specific in its command of rejoicing always, praying without ceasing and giving thanks in all circumstances. We can read just the words “rejoice, pray and thanks” without reading the associating words that help us understand their context. Words like “always, without ceasing, all circumstances” give another level of emphasis when thinking about our lives and how we integrate things like prayer.

The fact that this verse includes a word like “always” means that there will probably be days where we will not want to rejoice. Always is a definitive word that means at all times and on all occasions. Not sometimes, or when it’s all going good or when you really feel like it. It means every. Single. Time. How is this possible to rejoice always and to pray without ceasing when we don’t feel like it or to give thanks IN all circumstances? I know that the life I live does not consist of joy and happiness 24 hours a day and it is not always the most exciting thing in the world to deal with life’s challenges. The only thing I can think of is the verse in Philippians 4:7 which gives a guarantee that we will have “...a peace that passes all understanding” fill our lives to help get us through the struggles. That peace can only be accessed by trusting that God is in control of our lives 24/7 and that we cannot let worry guide our minds.

When we trust that God knows and sees it all, we can rejoice, pray and give thanks knowing that we are doing our part as God is doing His. We are obeying in the physical while knowing that God is working things behind the scenes in the spiritual.

We are praying for you that you find the joy, prayer and ability to rejoice in the middle of all circumstances.

​OUTCRY began four years ago as a hallmark, a line in the sand, a stake in the ground. It was the mark of something that truly had already begun – revival in the local church.

Featuring a unique combination of artists and worship leaders, OUTCRY: Spring 2018 Tour provides a rare opportunity to worship with a wide variety of artists and hear a message from one of the renowned speakers of the day. Artists teaming up for the OUTCRY: Spring 2018 Tour are Elevation Worship, Bethel Music, Mosaic MSC and Vertical Worship, with speaker Christine Caine.

To register, visit their website.  (There are group rates available)

Here at Rocky Mountain CTN we love our local programmers.  Maurice Washington and Executive Talk is one of them.  On tonight's program, his topic is "Do You Receive More Than You Give?".  It is the first in a series he is doing on this topic and gives you reason to stop and re-evaluate.   Make sure to catch his program tonight (Thursday) at 5PM Mountain Time.