The Ballad of Daniel Bray

taken from: "Patriotic Poems of New Jersey,"
compiled by W. C. Armstrong, 1906

 

Background:

Daniel Bray was a captain in the Second regiment of the Hunterdon
county militia. He was born at Baptisttown, Hunterdon county,
N. J., October 12, 1751, and died at Kingwood, in the same county,
December 5, 1809.

Washington abandoned Jersey in the early part of December,
1776, the last man of the rear-guard under Lord Stirling reaching the
Pennsylvania shore on December 8th, about midnight. To prevent the
passage of the British, all boats had been removed from the Jersey shore; but Washington soon had far deeper plans in mind; he wished a little fleet of boats collected so that he and his army might recross the river at will.

Accordingly he summoned Captain Bray and directed him to
gather secretly all the river-craft that could be found on the Delaware
from Phillipsburg downward.

Associated with Capt. Bray in this undertaking were Capt. Jacob
Gearhart and Adj. Thomas Johnes; these three met at Baptisttown, about three miles inland, to make their plans and engage the assistance of others. They worked at night disguised as hunters; and no easy task it was to find the boats hidden away in creeks by their owners, to cut them out of the ice and to keep them from being swamped in the rapids while taking them down the icy current in the darkness.

Capt. Bray and his companions worked at this for ten nights and
succeeded in collecting about twenty-five craft, including fourteen Dur
ham boats, four scows and several rafts for the transportation of cannon; all these they hid behind Malta, a heavily-wooded island opposite Lambertville.

Thus were the boats gathered for Washington s famous crossing.

 

 

 

THE BALLAD OF DANIEL BRAY

December, 1776. 

The Delaware, with stately sweep,

Flows seaward as when armies fought:
But they who struck for freedom sleep

Beneath the soil their valor bought.
At Rosemont, inland, Daniel Bray,

In lonely grave, with rest hard won,
Waits for his country s voice to say:

"He brought the boats to Washington."

At Trenton lay the Hessian host,

Pluming their pride with gay parade;
They thought the freeman s cause was lost

And hoped his last brave stand was made;
But safe on Pennsylvania s shore,

The master patriot aimed the blow
Which thenceforth in the nation s lore

Would mark oppression s overthrow.

To Captain Bray on Kingwood height

A horseman sped by field and brake,
Till on his door, at dead of night,

He knocked, and bade the soldier wake s
A hasty mount, a quick farewell,

And then miles down the frozen track,
Like musket shots the hoof-beats fell,

While Mary slept and dreamed him back.

Down Stony Batter Hill they sped,

Across Duck s Flat; then up the slopes
To Rittenhouse (where sleep the dead)

Their coursers climbed with steadier lopes ;
The ten-mile creek is left behind,

Gilboa s slant is swiftly run;
At Coryell s the inn they find,

And waiting them, great Washington.

That hour Bray heard his general say:

"Seize all the boats from Easton down,
And guard them safe, by night and day,
Until we cross to take the town."


The echoes of a noble voice

Hied with him from that meeting place,
Praise made the soldier s heart rejoice,

And spurred his zeal to quicker pace

Ere gray dawn paled o er Hunterdon,

He ranged a circuit twelve miles wide,
For brave Gearheart of Flemington,

And Johnes of Amwell countryside.
To foil the Tory s cunningness,

With squads in hunter s garb uncouth,
They pierced the Jersey wilderness,

From Ringoes to the Lehigh s mouth.

Then downward on the broader stream,

They drove by night their project bold,
With but the planet s wintry gleam

To cheer them in the bitter cold.
December s slashing wind cut keen

O er ice-cakes massed with frosty grip;
And longside, in the dusky sheen,

They watched the chill black waters slip.

Beneath the river s gloomy banks,

And where the friendly ferry plied,
They seized the craft with scanty thanks,

And launched them on the swirling tide:
Through eddies deep, and rapids swift,

They guided sure their precious fleet;
Minding the rock and treacherous rift,

And creeks where angry currents meet.

No hostile shot disturbed the verge,

Where ghostly woods loomed drear and dark
No voice, except the hound s sad dirge,

Or, far away, the wolf s gruff bark;
But sometimes cross the distant slope,

A farmhouse shed its candle ray,
And warmed the wand rer s heart with hope

Of fireside joys and freedom s day.

The river s speech is low and weird,

It bears no tales of deeds long past ;

But Bray, ere morning light appeared,
His boats by Malta Isle made fast;


And on that famous Christmas night,
They bore the heroes o er the tide,

Who broke the spell of Britain s might,
And flung the Hessian mob aside.

The Delaware shall ever flow

Through sacred soil, forever free.

And every free-born child shall know
The tale of Trenton s victory:

And till the stars shall cease to shed
Their light o er hilly Hunterdon,

Of Daniel Bray it shall be said:

"He brought the boats to Washington."

--Joseph Fulford Folsom. 

Hunterdon County NJ Archives Biographies.....Daniel BRAY

Gods Hand of Provision

I honestly do not know where to begin, or where I am going with this particular blog. I just feel the need to write, so I write. I always intend to do more writing, but time never seems to be there. I also know that a person will do what is important to them and will make time for things they hold priority in life. I guess that means that writing has not been much of a priority lately. Recently I have had an abundance of time, but didnt want to write too soon that my emotions of the moment would spill out without thought. A month has passed and now I feel more in control in what I want to say.

Last month I lost my job with Frac Tech. To be perfectly honest it was no ones fault but mine. I am relatively new at driving, but I guess the incident was avoidable. I was driving an empty flat bed back to the yard. Once I got to the yard it was a confusing mess, as usual. There is quite a bit of construction going on and vehicles are all over the yard. Parked in places they are not normally. The regular place I would make a left at was blocked. So I went to another area. When I went to make my turn I noticed a pickup with a couple of guys standing by it talking. I guess I focused on them to much because I did not follow my tail through the turn. I looked to see if it was clear, but when I saw that truck my focus went to them. Just in case the truck did not see me and swung out in front of me. So focusing on that made me lose attention to my follow through. I clipped a Frac Pump that was parked. It did not do much damage at all, just bent the housing for the tail light. The light still worked, it just needed to be bent back. They did not see it as a small incident. Three hours later I was terminated.

The flat bed was not the only incident though. Two weeks before I accepted the blame for a fork lift mishap that happened on location. That with this recent incident led to my dismissal. I thought I was doing good by telling them to put the blame solely on me and away from the two spotters that I had. My spotters were there to prevent me from having any mishaps. But we all missed it. I was behind the wheel, so I felt a little more responsible. They wanted to suspend all three of us. I asked to go easy on them and to only suspend me. And they did. Little did I know that it probably led to my dismissal rather than a stiffer suspension.

The thing that upset me was that I was a model employee. In the year that I worked there I was never late. I only called out sick once when I had severe bronchitis. Whatever they asked, I did. Whatever hours they needed me to work, I did. I never complained openly to anyone. It hurt that I was just kicked to the curb. I did appeal their decision, but even the higher-ups decided the original decision would stand.

The one thing, through this all, I have not lost is my trust in God. I know he has a reason for me leaving Frac Tech. He has a reason for me being out of work this last month. He has another job out there for me. I have complete faith in that. I have complete faith that He will provide my family's needs. And He has. I was given opportunity to work helping friends out. Whether it was installing insulation or running a dump truck, God provided enough money to meet our needs. (and a little angel that left an envelope on our car a few weeks ago at church...THANK YOU who ever you were). That with the little bit of savings we had helped us make it through the month..... I also have to say that tithing has been a big part of our faith. No matter if I was paid $200 or $2000, 10% of it went back to God. After all, He is the one who provided us with the work in the first place. I believe that more than anything is what has allowed the little money that we have had to be stretched so far.

A couple of days ago, I spent another day filling out applications. I went by a place that I have passed dozens of times and never really thought of stopping. That day I did. I filled out an app and was pretty much hired on the spot (pending the usual drug test and pre employment physical). I should start some time next week. The job sill still be somewhat in the oil field, but just a little more on the driving end. Which is what I need to get over this little incident. While it was not an accident that goes on my record, I am thinking that other employers are frowning on it. I needed a break. For someone to give me shot and look past the mishaps.

I know the thing that has gotten me through all of this is my faith in God. Without him I would not have handled the situation the way I have. I would not have the peace that I have. We woulnt have had the money to make it through. I wouldnt have the supportive wife who helped keep my head in it when things seemed overwhelming. Together we went through this. When I would get discouraged, she would be there to help me, and me her. God has us together for that reason. She is my soul mate. The person God made for me. And God has always provided exactly what we needed. It was in his timing, not ours.

So no matter how dark it looks. No matter what obstacle you face. As long as you hold tight to your faith in God and His provision, your needs will be met. Remember, the word I am using here is 'need'. Not 'want'. Carolyn and I WANT to get a new car. We WANT to start the process of buying our house. Those wants are not met. They are simply that 'wants'. And if one focuses on what they want, then they will always be disappointed. Talk to God. Remember that He will be there when no one else is. His hand will provide what you need when all seems lost. I pray that our recent experience will help you and show you evidence of Gods provision.

Where the Frac has Jeff been?

Well its been over 9 months since my last post. A lot has happened recently. I'm sure that most of you know this by now, I no longer work for Wal-Mart. I now work for an oil field company called Frac Tech. Man does this job keep me busy. My lack of any real FB activity reflects that. I don't have time to sleep much less post on here. I am on my weekend off and wanted to take a moment to update my friends on whats been going on.

Back in February after another pass over on entering the Management program at Wal-Mart I began searching for something else. I had heard about the oil field boom in the area and decided to go check one of the local companies. I was pretty much hired on the spot, as they were hiring anyone who could breathe. I had to go through two background checks, two physicals, and whats called a "stress test". The background checks and physicals went fine. The stress test however had me....well...stressed. It turned out to be fairly simple. It was a series of physical activities and they monitor your heart rate. The big thing that had me worried was that you had to dead lift 120lbs. I wasn't sure if I could do it. I was able to do it. It took some effort, but I got it done. And in March I was officially hired on as an Equipment Operator.

During the interview I thought I was going to be hired on as a Hot Shot Driver. At least that is what I was told, but they were only hiring current CDL carriers as drivers. The gentleman who was interviewing laid it on the line. "Being an EO is hard work, long hours (80-100 hours a week), and not many can do it". I almost walked away. Almost. He did not explain the details of the job, and I see now why. If he had...I probably would've walked. I thought I should give it a shot so I went through the hiring process, was hired, and was sent to Orientation. After that class in Aledo, TX I was sent to the field.

My schedule is 7/2 7/2 7/3. (days on/off) The three is always Fri, Sat, Sun. That is what I am on now. My weekend off. Those 7 days I am away from home. They put us up in a hotel in Laredo. We move around the area to different well sites. Weve had locations in Catarina, Encinal, Crystal City, Valley Wells, and Tilden,  For the closer jobs, like Tilden, We come home every night. Right now our location is in Artesia Wells.

My day usually begins around 2am. Lobby time. We make a store stop to get breakfast, snacks and ice for the coolers of water. We are on location usually by 4-430am. Turn on equipment and are Frac-ing by 530. Each frac runs about an hour and a half. Separated by a process called Wire Line, which takes about an hour. We do about 4 a day. Usually leave location from 6-7pm and at hotel by 9. Shower, eat dinner and go to bed around 10pm. Then sleep for three and a half hours only to wake up and do it all over again. This process can be interrupted by any number of issues: more than two pumps going down (we use 18 pumps for frac-ing), Wire Line misfire, or other equipment failure. This happens quite a bit. I cant tell you how many times we've gotten back to hotel at 10pm and had a 2am lobby time. I am averaging between 90 - 105 hours a week.

Frac-ing is the process of preparing a pre drilled well for extraction. Injecting the well with sand and chemicals and then using a charge to fracture the walls of the well to release the deposits. There are many positions involved. Lineboss, Blender Tender, Hydration, Chemicals, Sand King/ Dual Belt Operators and Greasers. I started off as a Greaser. Which means I filled reservoirs on each pump with grease and maintained them. I did that for two months. Then I moved over to a Dual Belt operator. The Dual Belt is a conveyor belt that takes the sand from the Sand King to the Blenders. After learning that I moved to a Sand King operator, which is where I am now. Greasing was pretty easy. I liked working the Dual Belt. The Sand King is pretty simple. Requires a lot of head work, but easy. The hardest part of it is strapping. (looking in container and determining how much is left). I am still learning to strap, other than that I have got the hang of it.

All in all the job is fairly simple. Like the interviewer said, long hours, but most of the hours are spent waiting. During a Frac job, there is only really six hours of work. Unless you are helping to fix a pump, lining out chemicals, or cleaning up site during the Wire Line. If nothing needs done, then we cab up and sleep or eat. That is one thing I learned with this job. You sleep when you can and you eat when you can. They have no issue with us taking naps. But if we are rigging up or rigging down, the work is constant. The worst part of the job....well then there is the heat.

The weather plays a big part in how much we get done. Not necessarily we stop work, quite the opposite. We work no matter how hot it is or how wet it gets. Day before yesterday we had rain, and some of you may have seen my post "Frac-ing in the rain." The only thing that could stop us would be lightning. Or perhaps a very heavy rain. The heat is the worst. When its 95 in Pleasanton its easily 10 degrees warmer where we are at. Then you factor in the humidity and it becomes almost unbearable. I drink 10-12 bottled waters a day, 2 Powerades, and one or two electrolyte drinks. You don't hydrate, it can mess you up.

In addition to the weather the process can hurt. We work with over 9000 pounds of pressure. If an iron line ruptures the sand that is being pushed though can do some lethal damage. Many dangers loom. Slips, Trips, and Falls are dangers in themselves. One fall almost critically injured one of my crew members. He fell off the back of a pump and deeply cut his thigh. 2 inches from his femoral artery. 2 inches and he would not have made it to the hospital. Another guy lost the tip of his finger when two pieces of iron pinched it. Dangerous stuff. I've never prayed so much for safety.

This job is a like/hate type of job. There are days when I just want to give up and go home, others I can tolerate it, and almost like it. What keeps me going is the goals Carolyn and I laid out: Get out of debt, start the process to buy our house, get a new car, and start saving for college for the kids. Ive learned that this job is not forever. If you don't have a plan getting in, you wont make it. Nearly every guy on my crew has a plan on what they do with their pay. My goals get me out of bed in the morning.

After three months in this job I have grown almost used to it. Which is what I was told when I started. "Give it three months and you'll be used to it". There were days when I wanted to quit so bad that I almost gave up. In fact I think I did give up a time or two. Then I heard a song by Matthew West. "Strong Enough" gets me through my weak days. Philippians 4:13 has always been a staple in my life. No matter what the odds I can get through it with Gods help. When Matthew West came out with that song it reminded me of that. I first heard that song on KLOVE on my way to Praise Wave..where in fact Matthew West was performing that night. He sang that song and it made me cry. ...."Maybe that's the point, to reach the point of giving up. Cause when I'm finally at rock bottom, that's when I start looking up, and reaching out". I was trying to do this job on my own strength. Now I remind myself that it is God who gives me the endurance I need to make it.

I don't know how long I will be doing this. Two years is my target. I would like to eventually learn all the positions. I know I do NOT want to be a Supervisor. I see their job and responsibilities...I don't want them. To much of a headache and to little pay. (they are salary). I thank God for this opportunity. Its a weird, yet good, feeling not to live paycheck to paycheck anymore. And Carolyn gets to stay home with the kids. She has gotten used to the idea of being a stay at home mom. Shes good at it!! Keep us in your prayers. Its not easy me being a way a week at a time. I miss my family. God has us here for a reason. I know he will get us through it. We can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. And I know I don't have to be strong enough for the both God and myself.

The Devil Made Me Do It

In Sunday School this last Sunday morning one of the gentleman in our class make a comment that I found very profound. I don't know if he really understood how deep and profound it was. He said, "Don't give the devil too much credit". It made me think. How many times do we blame the devil for the bad things we do. "The devil made me do it." we say. Passing the blame for our sinful nature to the father of lies.

Is it really the devils fault? Who committed the sin in the first place?

The devil is glad when we sin, sin causes a separation between us and God. I think that even uttering the phrase "the devil made me do it" makes the devil feel proud. His main goal is to keep sinners from the forgiveness and grace of God. His main goal is to keep Christians in their past sins, reminding them that they are not good enough for his love and attention.

When we do sin what is our natural reaction? Our pastor spoke of this a couple of weeks ago. We feel ashamed and hide, and then we look to someone else to take the blame. Just as Adam and Eve blamed someone else for their actions? Eve, the originator of this pass the buck comment, blamed the devil. Adam blamed Eve and even blamed God for putting Eve with him.

I am going to go one step further. The devil has no power over us that the Lord did not give him. So to suggest that he caused us to do something is giving him way to much credit. We are essentially saying that the devil came into our physical bodies, possessed us and caused us to sin and then immediately left our bodies. How ridiculous is that.

We sin of our own will. We give in to our temptations. It is in our human nature. The devil may tempt us. He may lie to us and get us to believe that its okay to sin, but he does not cause us to sin. That is completely on you and me. We shouldn't blame the devil for our sin, its not his fault. Some go to the extent to even blame God for the temptations we face. (e.g. Adams response to his sin)

James 1:13 When tempted, no one should say, “God is tempting me.” For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone;14 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed.15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full‑grown, gives birth to death.

It is our own evil desires. Not the devil, not God, not the woman you put here with me, not your friends, not your parents, not your children...OUR own evil desires. We are born into a sinful world. And we have sinned, we sin , and be sure we will sin again. Again, its in our human nature.

So what are we to do about it? Give up and give in? Throw our hands in the air and surrender to our sinful nature? Before you answer, look at this:

1 Cor. 10:13 No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

Did you catch that?

NO temptation except what is common to man. What you and I go through is common. Everyone out there goes through sin. There are others out there facing the same temptations you are. And better still, GOD IS FAITHFUL!! He only allows as much as you can handle. No matter what the sin or the temptation to sin you are facing, our evil desires are great, but God is greater. If we could not bear it, then God would not allow the temptation to be put in our way.



Job 11:12 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, everything he has is in your hands, but on the man himself do not lay a finger.” Then Satan went out from the presence of the Lord .

and

Job 2:4 “Skin for skin!” Satan replied. “A man will give all he has for his own life.5 But stretch out your hand and strike his flesh and bones, and he will surely curse you to your face.”

6 The Lord said to Satan, “Very well, then, he is in your hands; but you must spare his life.”



The power that Satan had was given to him by God, and he was given limits on what he could do. God did not cause the temptation on Job, he allowed it. He knew that Job could stand up under it. And he did. He lost everything, and did not blame God once. He had friends on every side trying to convince him to curse God and die.

Jobs response was an emphatic:

“Naked I came from my mother's womb,
and naked I will depart.
The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away;
may the name of the Lord be praised.”

More over, God will provide a way out of our temptation. He knows how much we can handle. Even when we are at wits end and feel overwhelmed, its not too much for us to bear. Whatever our sin may be. That little hint or reminder that you get, or that small obstacle in your way from getting to that sin, is placed there by God to give us that way out. We need to recognize that way and take it. Stop placing the blame, when we give in to sin, on the devil. The devil did not make you do it. He couldn't make you do it even if he wanted to. God would not allow it.

James 4:7 Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.8 Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double‑minded.9 Grieve, mourn and wail. Change your laughter to mourning and your joy to gloom.

10 Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up.

Strong and the Weak

The fountain flows, and the river dries,
You can see the peoples sorrows, and hear the childrens cries.

They were warned and they knew,
In their defense nothing to say, nothing to do.

Following the twisted trails, on toward the evergreens,
Searching for the higher ground, for those places never seen.

Having all but given up they fall, one by one by the wayside,
Only few will eventually endure, faces set toward the final goal.

Those who cannot measure up will point and laugh,
Making excuses on why they've fallen short.

Confused at what all this,
Means a lack of tenacity at this race,

or is it a game,

or maybe a crazy dream,
Yet all in all it seems real at that.

So, our final focus is on the reward,
On the reasons for this higher place,
On the grounds of pure insanity.

Call me crazy, or call me dumb, but eternity is worth a few years.
Too many don't even bother to try, and wonder why its difficult.

Complacency kills and idleness infects,
But taking on the challenge is a great thing:

The adventure of all adventures and the reward of rewards.

The cost requires complete affirmation,
And a will that belongs within One.

Still, the fountain will flow, and the river will dry
But we can live without the sorrow of the people
And the cries of the children,

Because we were warned and we all know,
What the spiritually idle can do to a soul.



(C)1997 Jeff Bray

As Much As Necessary

Questions....

How are we to deal with repetitive sin? What are we to do with that one sin we keep committing? Are we to just sum it up as human nature and give into it every time, or is there a way to finally overcome it and get on with life free of the pressures?

"Oh, come on!!" you may say, "Ive dealt with this my whole life and I cant do it!! You have no idea what it is like. You dont deal with the things I do!"

That may be so, but this will work in all situations that deal with whatever sin you may give in to.

Read: II Kings 13:14-19

¹⁴ Now Elisha was suffering from the illness from which he died. Jehoash king of Israel went down to see him and wept over him. "My father! My father!" he cried. "The chariots and horsemen of Israel!"

¹⁵ Elisha said, "Get a bow and some arrows," and he did so. ¹⁶ "Take the bow in your hands," he said to the king of Israel. When he had taken it, Elisha put his hands on the king's hands.

¹⁷ "Open the east window," he said, and he opened it. "Shoot!" Elisha said, and he shot. "The LORD's arrow of victory, the arrow of victory over Aram!" Elisha declared. "You will completely destroy the Arameans at Aphek."

¹⁸ Then he said, "Take the arrows," and the king took them. Elisha told him, "Strike the ground." He struck it three times and stopped. ¹⁹ The man of God was angry with him and said, "You should have struck the ground five or six times; then you would have defeated Aram and completely destroyed it. But now you will defeat it only three times."

Elisha was a prophet of the Lord. He had succeeded Elijah and was the "prophet in Israel". God used him to perform many miracles and to help Israel keep close to the Lord. Kings sought his counsel, especially in time of war, or when war was approaching. Elisha was nearing the end of his life as we enter II Kings 13. On his death bed he still was giving instructions and help to Jehoash.

Jehoash is concened about his enemies. Now that Elisha was dieing, his fears of not having him around are becoming evident. Elisha gets up the strength to give his king one final instruction. Telling him to get a bow and arrow and fire a shot out the window. Signifying Gods sure and true victory in that battle at Aphek.


Okay, lets understand something about shooting a bow and arrow. When an archer shoots an arrow, as he pulls back the string, he must aim at his target. He marks the spot he wants to hit, completely focuses on it, never take his eyes off of it, and then releases his arrow. If he loses focus he may miss the target. And complete focus hits his mark, and victory.

Elishas next instruction was not to fire an arrow but to strike the ground with the arrow. I suppose in his confusion, or perhaps his haste he only hits the ground three times. Elisha points this out and tells Jehoash that he should have hit the ground five or six times. Thus only giving him partial victory against Aram.

First we need to identify what the battle is. In Jehoash's case it was the Arameans. Constant battles with one enemy. Aphek was just one of them. But he identified his enemy as Aram. He grabbed the bow and arrow and fired out the window to the east. Jehoash identified his problem. As we must do. We must identify the problem and focus on it. If you do not concentrate on the issue you do not want in your life, your heart will not be in it completely. And if you attempt to try and defeat it without total focus, you will not succeed. Isnt it ironic that sinning in its original form means missing the mark.

Once we identify our sin, which is the easy part, we must then figure out what needs to be done to battle it. Jehoash did not understand. Thus he did not strike the ground wholeheartedly. If he had, then he would have hit the ground more than the three times he did. When we identify our sin, we then need to strike the ground to give us victory over it. We may need to strike it more than once, more than three times. We may need to even strike it down five or six times. Deal with it till its defeated. To do what is needed as much as necessary.

Remember, satan wants us to fail. He wants us to stay where we are at. He wants us to put up with that sin and to allow it to remain in our life. Its his way of keeping that control over us, by giving himself a foothold into your subconscious with the guilt and shame. Telling you, "You will never be good enough. You will never overcome your sin. Who are you anyway, you worthless sinner. God could never love you, he could never help you. Your stuck. Just live with it. Remember Paul, he had a tormentor, God allowed it. How are you better than Paul?" His idea is for us to take our eyes off of the target by distracting us with his lies. He wants to knock us down and keep us down. Wallowing in self pity and regret.

Toby Mac has an awesome song out right now. "Get Back Up". Thats what we need to do. Get back up. No matter what, no matter how many times. Pick yourself up off the floor, dust yourself off, and continue on. Strike the ground as many times and we need to. Dont go about it half halfheartedly. You may be need to defeat it once, it may take more than that...twice, three times, maybe five or six....maybe ten or twelve. Point is ...do what you need to do as many times as you need to.

The best part is we can do it!! God has given us the strength to deal with it.

Read I Corinthians 10:13

13.No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.

When you are tempted to commit that sin, there is a way out. Each sin has its own out. Each person has their own out. God places the way there for you to take. Its your job to recognize it and use it. See the way out, take it, and resist the devils temptations. Know that it is not impossible for your to resist.

Read James 4:7

7.Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

It does not say he may flee, or he could consider fleeing...HE WILL FLEE!!

Keep in mind that this is not a one time thing. It is a process. And God will be there every step of the way. To keep you standing, or to help you up again if you do give in. Every time.

9.If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

Just as we need to keep on striking it down, God is there for us when do give in. He loves us an will forgive us. Just keep on going and keep on striking it down .

Seeing With a New Vision

Do we take the time to look beyond the outer and look at the inner. Or do we simply go by first impressions or first glances. How fair is that to a person, situation or idea? Let me ask you a few questions...


What is your first thought when you see:

someone panhandling?

A teenager pregnant?

A dirty grungy person sitting in the back pew of church?



Or even worse,

A Mexican,

A black person,

A white person?

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What do you think when someone tells you about a new way of doing things?

What if its contrary or even complete opposite of what you are used to?

And if their idea is somewhat far fetched do we blow them out if the water?

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What if God told you to move across the country or to another country?

Would you be like Jonah and run and hide?

Or be like Isaiah and say "Here am I Lord, send me?"

Are you afraid of a new challenge?

Afraid to step out in faith that where his hand guides, his hand provides?

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Here is the truth:


Not every panhandler is going to buy booze with that money? Even if he did, what business is it of ours if the giving was from the heart?

Arms of love need to be extended to that mother and unborn child, not finger wagging of ridicule and judgment. How will she know about the true love of God? She is confused enough. She is broken-hearted enough. How can we preach love if we cannot show love?

Since when does a persons outward appearance and/or smell dictate his passion to get to know the Living God? Did Jesus not call simple, stinky fishermen to follow him?

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How can we judge a person by the color of their skin?

Not every Mexican is an illegal drunken wife-beater.

Not every black man is going to rob someone blind.

Not every white guy is going to be judgmental or trick one out of their inheritance.

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Did we ever stop to think that there are more than one way of doing things? Have you considered that a change in paradigm is taking place? No one is a carbon copy of you. If every one was like you, how boring would things be? What works for one person may not work for another. What saves one person may not save the next.


God works in new and exciting ways. His ways may never change, but the means by which he goes about doing them are ever changing. Who are we to say that God would not work in that fashion? When it is scriptural of course. I'm not talking about cult rituals or the like. But genuine works of God that line up with his word.

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If you put your life in Gods hands, where do we have the right to say in were we are to live? If God calls you to go to San Antonio...go. If he calls you to Walla Walla, WA...go. Or to Bangor, ME...go. Or to South America, Africa, Mexico, or even China...GO!!!



Gods challenges are him trusting you with the blessings he wants to give you. Remember God will not give us more than he can bear. He is always there supporting and guiding us along the way. And if we are in need? Either it will automatically be provided, or we may be tested in our faith to pray for it so we can receive it. Either way it will be given to us.

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God does not want us to be cookie cutter Christians. Everyone is different and brings different perspectives and ideas to the game. He uses each one of us according to our abilities, which he gave us in the first place. They were meant to be used for his service. He chose you to have and use that gift and ability. Because there are people out there that only you can reach. God put you in that job, God put you in that church, God put you in line with that cashier, God gave you that friend. Gods hand works in all situations, with all ideas, and with all people.

Even if your are a half black half Mexican, pregnant, dirty grungy teen who sits in the back row who was just called to go to China to teach ESL by using the Bible as your textbook.