Today's Walk With the Lord - The Lord Brings Us Near

Good Morning,

 

As I was doing my prayer walk this morning, I realized that the Lord drew me nearer to Him over these last few years. Nearer I have come to Him, the more sanctified my life has become. I look forward to further growing closer to the Lord and the life I will lead for Him, through Him and for Him.

 

What was suprising to me in this realization this morning was that the Lord called to me even though I had lived a life of sin. That I was involved in magical rituals, the occult, Scientology, tarot and other practices which the Lord considers disgusting and sinful.

 

That through all that I was, and what I did, the Lord peered through it and called me to come to Him. And as I journied to Him, my life as a Christian blossomed and sinful nature, activities and behaviors of my past have been dropping away.

 

Again I say, I am not the man I know the Lord wants me to be, but thank God I am not the man I used to be.

 

Praise the Lord!

 

Sanford

 

Sanford Berenberg

sanford@berenberg.net

www.berenberg.net

 

Today's Walk With The Lord - Racing to What End

Good Morning,

 

Over the last four or five years I have felt the need to make up for lost time. This need has been met with going back to college, twice, and with a focus on learning. I read, I listen, I interact and more recently, I pray.

 

This morning as I prayed to the Lord I asked him show me the finish line.

 

I feel like I am charging hard in a race car, moving faster and faster, and with each book read, cd listened to, seminar attended, that my car is stronger, faster and more reliable. The one question I have though, is where am I racing to?

 

What is the end, the finish line the Lord wants me to cross.

 

I know that is presumptuous of me to expect that the Lord will show me where the finish line is, because so long as I live, there will be another challenge, another test, another goal to fulfill.

 

As my faith in Him improves, I know my purpose is to bring glory to Him, to praise Him in all of my actions and endeavors.

 

My focus has been in helping others, through sharing wisdom over the web and via email. I also mentor others when I have the opportunity, when the world does not get so much in the way.

 

For the last year I have felt the calling to some sort of ministry and to share my testimony of the different places I have been in life, so I see a goal ahead. The Lord wants to use me to bring others into His family.

 

Now I have have to obey.

 

As I learn and grow daily, teach and empower others, I must also Do.

 

That is the finish line of this current race I am in.

 

When I get there, I know another race will begin, but I will leave that to another time.

 

Marching orders received.

 

Thank you Lord!

 

Enjoy!

 

Sanford

 

 

Sanford@berenberg.net

www.berenberg.net

 

One Man's Walk With The Lord - He Knows How to Reach Me

Good Morning

 

Songs of praise to the Lord reach us. So do hymns and music. Different styles of music appeal to different people. Like in the movie 'Awakenings' each of the patients had different music which had an impact on them.

 

As I have continued my walk with Jesus, and the sanctification of my life progresses, I have been cleaning house of those things in my life and past which are not Christian or Christ-like in nature. While I have come a long way, I know I still have a long way to go.

 

One challenge for me has been music. I am a headbanger at heart. I love Iron Maiden, Metallica, Rammstein and similar groups, but as I get closer to the Lord, there are some songs which I have trouble even playing now, knowing the words promote something that I just don't believe.

 

I was a bit fearful closing the door on my hard hitting chords and pounding drums, but I would do it if it meant getting closer to Christ.

 

Then, one Saturday morning, my buddy and accountability partner, Justin, had finished having breakfast at a local restaurant and walked to our cars. He pulled out his cell phone and showed me some new music his brother had showed him. It was metal and it was Christian.

 

The name of the group was Skillet, and I chuckled at the name. The music sounded okay, but cell phone speakers just don't do rock justice.

 

So that evening I went onto YouTube and started listening and watching some Skillet songs, and within a week I had purchased my first CD (my car speakers are a bit better than the cell phones). As I was listening to it one day in the car, my daughter asked if that was Skillet and if she can borrow the CD to put some songs on her IPod.

 

I have since become a huge fan of Skillet, purchased a second CD from them and listen intently throughout the week.

 

I praise the Lord for worship music which reaches me. Now don't get me wrong, the songs we sing at Church are very powerful and I enjoy listening to KLove and our local Christian station, WJIE, but when I really want to get into the zone, a good hard hitting metal song is what I need. And the Lord gave us Skillet and other Christian Rock bands.

 

Praise Jesus!

 

Sanford

 

sanford@berenberg.net

www.berenberg.net

 

 

 

One Man's Walk With The Lord - The Lord Almighty is in my heart

Good Morning,

 

Recently my wife, Karen, and I had the opportunity to visit the Billy Graham Library in Charlotte, North Carolina and the Billy Graham Training Center in Asheville, North Carolina.

 

It was my hope in this trip that I would be able to strengthen my relationship with the Lord.

 

I knew that the problems with our relationship, the one between me and the Lord, were all because of me. I just did not know what barriers I put or allowed others to put there.

 

I prayed a lot and I opened my eyes, my ears and my heart.

 

At the end of this trip I realized the Lord was with me each and every day, on the good days and the bad days. That no matter how large the barrier, He was always right there.

 

All I need to do is to look to Him, to call to Him, to praise Him and to pray to Him. 

 

He is always there. No matter how bad life gets, He is always there waiting for me with open arms.

 

And as I am nothing special, I can assure you, whomever is reading this, that He is waiting there for You too, with open arms.

 

The Lord loves us.

 

Praise Jesus!

 

Sanford

 

sanford@berenberg.net

www.berenberg.net