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Monday, February 28, 2011

Crucified With Christ

"I have been crucified with Christ..."--Galatians 2:20

"I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me."--Galatians 2:20.  In context (Galatians 2:11-21), Paul speaks of how he opposed Peter when Peter "stood condemned" (Galatians 2:11) because he would mingle with the Gentiles but when "certain men" came around, he withdrew from the Gentiles because he feared these men.  Other Jewish Christians, even Barnabas, followed suit. Peter's problem? An unwillingness to put aside his old life in the face of potential adversity. Paul, he was crucified with Christ.

Crucified with Christ.  Let us return to the cross.  The old law along with all the sins of mankind was nailed to the cross with Christ. Your sins and my sins were nailed on that cross.  Peter put it best in Acts 2:36 (Scroll over the passage to read).  What does this mean one should do in response to having crucified Christ as a result of our sin? Acts 2:38 is the answer. After we have done this, we must "live by faith in the Son of God." Why? Because we have been crucified with Christ.

Crucified with Christ.  If we have given your life to Jesus per Acts 2:38 (Among other passages), our sins are on that cross PERMANENTLY.  Because Jesus has taken that punishment that He did not deserve in any way shape or form, we need to live our life by faith in Him and completely turn away from our old way of life.  We can't be "Sunday Christians." We need to be 24/7 Christians.  I used to think being a Christian meant trying not to sin but knowing that God's grace covers us when we do. But I now know it's so much more than that. God's grace does cover us but trying not to sin is dependent on our own effort. As Paul says in Galatians 2:21 "Christ died needlessly" if following God was dependent on our own effort.  Every Christian MUST follow Christ every day and in every way by completely putting away our old life. Living by faith in the Son of God involves the DAILY choice to do so.  Why is this true?  BECAUSE WE HAVE BEEN CRUCIFIED WITH CHRIST! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!      

Conquerors

"We overwhelmingly conquer..."--Romans 8:37

"But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through Him who loved us."--Romans 8:37.  This statement made by Paul comes in the middle of a list of situations Christians could come in to contact with describes in Romans 8:35-39.  Paul drives home the point that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God found only in Christ Jesus.  In verse 38, Paul even says life and death itself CANNOT separate us from the love of God found in Christ Jesus.  Through the love of Christ we overwhelmingly conquer these things.

We overwhelmingly conquer.  In this passage every base is covered.  Every possible situation any one person could come in to cannot separate him/her from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, not even life and death.  Life is going to happen.  Sometimes life will deal us a dirty hand but even that CANNOT separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.  With the love of God which is in Christ Jesus, we overwhelmingly conquer.

We overwhelmingly conquer.  Even death CANNOT separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. Within the last two months, I have heard of many people dying and I have been to two funerals.  Thankfully these men whose funerals I attended were in Christ, one of them being my own dad.  Even their death could not separate them from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus. They overwhelmingly conquered.

Whether it's life that happens or the death of a loved one, we must remember that NOTHING can separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus.  In all these things we overwhelmingly conquer.  The only thing that does separate us is us if we choose to walk away from God's love which is in Christ Jesus.  The key here is that the love of God is in Christ. Therefore, we must be in Christ.  Click here to study more on what we must do to be in Christ.

We overwhelmingly conquer. If you are in Christ, help someone else overwhelmingly conquer by sharing the gospel message with them or by encouraging a brother or sister in Christ who needs it. PRAY ABOUT IT! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Who do you trust?


"It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man"--Psalm 118:8.  This is a Psalm that describes God's EVERLASTING loving kindness.  This is a Psalm that emphasizes the fact that if God is for us none can be against us.  This is a Psalm describing that fact that God is our helper. This is a Psalm that emphasizes the fact that God never changes.  This is a Psalm that tells us that we can trust God because He never changes.  God never changes. Therefore we can trust Him. 

Trust. Who do you trust?  Trust is one of the most fragile parts of a relationship.  Trust.  Once you lose someone's trust it can take a lifetime to get it back.  Trust.  I believe this is a concept we can all relate to.  Why? Because at some point in our lives, we all have lost the ability to trust a particular person.   Why is it that some people are one person to your face and when you turn your back they are completely different? The unfortunate fact is it is because people change and people will betray our trust.  This is the first time I have publicly admitted that due to events in my life, I have trouble trusting people because in my life I have been betrayed by some, not all, but some of those closest to me.  That is neither here nor there. But what does it have to do with Psalm 118:8

Well it makes me thank God that we serve an UNCHANGING God.  EVERYTHING about God is UNCHANGING.  His love is UNCHANGING.  This is what sets our God apart from everyone we know.  We live in an imperfect world and people are going to let us down. 

I hate that I have let others down which reminds me how much I need the grace of God and how much I need to TRUST Him. 

So who do you trust? I really don't have a practical application here except to remind yourself that God will NEVER leave you or forsake you, and that His loving kindness is EVERLASTING. Pray about it! Love y'all! God bless! 

Friday, February 25, 2011

Above all else

"but in everything commending ourselves as servants of God, in much endurance, in afflictions, in hardships, in distresses," 2 Corinthians 6:4.  Here we have Paul again describing the fact that no matter what happens, he and those he works with are servants of God. Paul is pretty thorough in his point.  You can read all he says in this passage regarding his service to God in 2 Corinthians 6:1-10.  He remembers his service to God above all else because he does not want to do anything to harm his ministry.  Paul sees God's grace as too valuable to compromise his ministry.  He urges the Corinthians in verse 1 to not accept God's grace in vain. God's grace is too valuable.  We must remember we are servants of God above all else.

Above all else.  I find the list Paul gives in 2 Corinthians 6:4-10 interesting because it is a mixture of positive and negative circumstances.  I don't think this is any coincidence.  Paul says in verse 3 that he will give no cause in anything for his ministry to be discredited.  He goes on to give the list.  Paul will use any and every circumstance, good or bad as an opportunity for ministry.  One could spend an exorbitant amount of time discussing each item in this list but the whole point of it all is that he is a servant of God above all else.

Above all else.  This is what we have to remember.  Life is going to happen.  We are going to have our mountaintop experiences and we are going to have days when we are in the valleys.  No matter where we find ourselves we are servants of God above all else.  Let's take the circumstances we find ourselves in, good or bad, and use them as opportunities for ministry.  Give no cause for your ministry to be discredited. WE ARE SERVANTS OF GOD ABOVE ALL ELSE! PRAY ABOUT IT! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Thursday, February 24, 2011

What is most valuable to you?

What is most valuable to you?

"But I do not consider my life of any account as dear to myself, so that I may finish my course and the ministry which I received from the Lord Jesus, to testify solemnly of the gospel of the grace of God."--Acts 20:24.  Paul. Once again speaking of all he was willing to give up for the sake of the gospel.  Paul made so many sacrifices just so others could be brought to Christ.  He risked and gave life and limb just so others could be brought to Christ.  The more I read about Paul the more I ask myself what is most valuable to me? What is most valuable to you?

The most valuable.  What is most valuable to you?  Is it the computer you are reading this on? Is it some other material item?  Something I don't think we really value as much as we should is our salvation and the gospel message. I include myself in this statement.  I look at Paul and see that what he valued most was the gospel message.  He valued it as the most important thing any one person could carry.  Paul valued the gospel message more than his own life.

What is most valuable?  This is a question we need to ask ourselves.  In an effort to find the answer to this question,  take some time to write down what has stopped you in the past from talking about Christ with others and pray about these things.  This will probably help you gauge what you truly find most valuable and help you overcome those things.  Again, I struggle with this myself so if you could please pray for me as well as I attempt to overcome that which stops me from sharing Christ with others. PRAY ABOUT IT! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS!

Do you love Jesus?

"He said to him the third time 'Simon, son of John, do you love Me?' Peter was grieved because He said to him the third time "Do you love Me?' And he said to Him, 'Lord, You know all things; You know that I love You.' Jesus said to him, 'Tend my Sheep'"--John 21:17.  For me this is one of the most heart wrenching moments between Peter and Jesus.  Check out the immediate context in John 21:15-17.  On the surface, it looks like Jesus is asking the same question three times.  But the first two times Jesus is referring to the sacrificial kind of love, the kind of love God has for us.  The last time Jesus is making reference to the kind of love that exists just between friends.  In other words, the third time the question is more like "Do you like (Greek phileo) me?" as opposed to "Do you love (Greek agape) me?" See the difference? So my question for all of us is do we love Jesus or do we simply like Him?

Do you love Jesus? For Christians, the automatic answer would be yes.  But before we answer yes, let's look at Peter's situation in John 21:15-17 all three times Peter answers with phileo.  Rather than "I agape (love) you" Peter answers "I phileo (like) you." Phileo and agape both do mean love but as I said before they are each a different kind of love.  So why is Peter grieved?

Peter is grieved because he is still coming off having denied Christ 3 times prior to Christ's crucifixion. Peter realizes he still has some improvements to make.  I think Peter realized how much he had messed up in denying Christ.  I think we have all had that feeling of guilt when we know we have messed up and are confronted with it.  But here Christ is giving Peter another chance.  He tells Peter to tend His Sheep.  Christ gives us a second chance.  The point is we need to agape Jesus, not phileo Him.

So again I ask, do you love Jesus? Do you agape or do you simply phileo Jesus? Click here to listen to a podcast of an excellent and more detailed lesson on Peter's situation by one of my instructors here at the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver, Michael Hite.  Do you love Jesus? TEND HIS SHEEP! PRAY ABOUT IT! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS!

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

God wants specifics

"He questioned him, 'What do you want me to do for you?' And he said, 'Lord, I want to regain my sight!'"--Luke 18:40-41.  Bartimaeus, the blind man who pleaded for Jesus to have mercy on him.  The whole account can be read in Luke 18:35-43.  What really intrigues me about this passage is the fact that Jesus asked what it was Bartimaeus wanted Jesus to do for him.  One would think isn't it obvious that this man wanted his sight back?  Jesus knew this is what Bartimaeus wanted yet Jesus still asked the question. The question is why? And what can we learn from this? Well we can learn that God wants specifics and it's our faith that makes the difference.

God wants specifics.  Again, Jesus had to have known that this man wanted his sight back.  Yet he still asks him what it is that he wanted done for him.  What helps me gain understanding of this passage is Philippians 4:6 which tells us to make our requests known to God.  It was said recently in one of my  classes that "God wants to be bothered." What my instructor meant is that there is a false perception many people have that their request is too trivial for God to even care.  

God wants specifics.  We have to remember we serve a loving God who cares about the desires of our hearts no matter how trivial they might seem to us.  He may not always grant our requests but we have to trust that God always knows best even when He doesn't grant our desires.  But the point is we need to learn to get specific with God and that faith makes the difference. Instead of saying something general like "Lord please help me" or "Lord thank you" with nothing attached to it. GET SPECIFIC. What SPECIFICALLY do you want God to help you with? What SPECIFICALLY are you thankful for? Tonight, I encourage you to write down on paper EVERYTHING on your heart you might want to share with God, especially in the two areas I just mentioned and pray about those things SPECIFICALLY.  I would also like to hear your feedback on this passage.  We need to remember God wants specifics. PRAY ABOUT IT! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!  

Are you thirsty?

"...where then do you get that living water?"--John 4:11

"She said to Him 'Sir you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep; where then do you get that living water?'"--John 4:11.  The conversation between Jesus and the Samaritan woman that occurs when Jesus asks her for a drink at the well.  This is among my favorite accounts in the Bible.  There are several lessons that can be learned from this account.  First, Jesus knows everything about us.  Second, the gospel message is for everyone.  And third, Jesus offers something better than anything we could ever ask for.

Are you thirsty?  When the Samaritan woman poses the question to Jesus about the living water, she is still thinking on physical terms. Jesus' response in John 4:13-14 to the question is that whoever drinks of the water she is drawing will thirst again but whoever drinks of the water Jesus gives will never thirst again.  This water that Jesus gives will be a spring of eternal life. The hope (assurance) we have in Christ should make us desire more of Him.  The woman was initially thinking on physical needs before she was thinking of spiritual needs.  Jesus addresses our greatest need, salvation. Jesus quenches our spiritual thirst.

We need to have this thirst for Christ and His Word. I think it's awesome when I see some of my instructors here at the Bear Valley Bible Institute of Denver who have been studying the Bible for so long are still digging in the Word because they are still thirsty for the living water that is offered in its pages. But simply studying the Word is not enough, we must apply it.  If you desire this living water, we must first commit to Christ. Click here to study more on what that means. If you have committed to Christ but haven't gotten into His Word for a while. Get back into it starting with this account which is found in John 4:7-30.    

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

Attitude is everything

"I will most gladly spend and be expended for your souls..."--2 Corinthians 12:15.  Paul, describing how everything he has done has been for the good of the Corinthian church.  Paul did everything for them.  He says he had all the right to boast but chose not to because despite all he had accomplished, he was weak.  It's in this same context that Paul speaks of the thorn in his flesh, his weakness that he pleaded God would take away. God's response? 2 Corinthians 12:9--"My grace is sufficient for you."  This kept Paul humble despite all the other things he could have boasted about. Because of this, his focus was not on himself but on the individuals at Corinth.  Everything he did was for their good.  They were unappreciative.  They questioned his apostleship. But Paul's resolve did not change.

Attitude is everything.  Why do you do what you do for the Lord and His people?  Is it out of obligation?  It is out of selfish desires so that you can look good in front of your peers? Is it for profit or gain? We must remember Paul who had all the right to boast but God kept him humble.  Paul chose to be humble.  If anyone had the right to brag and boast, it was Paul.  But Paul chose humility.  The only thing he would remotely boast about was his weaknesses.  It's our weaknesses and what we do with them that make us strong.  Our weaknesses keep us humble.  It's because we are weak that we NEED God and the salvation offered through Christ. We may be accomplishing great things in the kingdom but we can't forget that at the core it is God and His grace that makes it all possible. Seek first the kingdom of God.  Seek the good of others even in the face of opposition. Why? Because God's grace is sufficient for you and attitude is everything! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!      

"If Jesus could wash feet then I can ________"

"If Jesus could wash feet than I can..."

"Just as the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many."--Matthew 20:28.  Jesus, making a statement as to how we ought to be different.  In context, Jesus draws the contrast between Gentiles (those of the world) and what His followers should be.  The Gentiles' "great men" exercise authority over those they rule in order to be great.  In contrast, we as followers of Christ must serve in order to be great.  Why? Because this is what Jesus came for.  He came to serve, not to be served.

To serve, not to be served.  At the core, this is what Christianity is all about.  It's about service.  Service to God and service to others.  In John 13:5-20, next to giving His life on the cross, Jesus set the greatest example of service.  He washed the disciples' feet.  Jesus says His followers ought to do the same.  An old mentor of mine, Exavious Farley, saw acts of service in this way: "If Jesus could wash feet than I can..."  That statement has stuck with me ever since. The point is not washing feet, the point is service. While I have only done it once, I did have the privilege once to wash the feet of some brethren after we had gone on a long hike 2 years ago up at Lake Tahoe.  It was pretty awesome.

We need to be willing to serve in EVERY way.  Take some time this week to do something for someone without  being asked.  You may not physically give your life for someone as our Lord did but giving up your life also means putting God first, others second and yourself last.  Jesus didn't have to wash the disciples' feet but He did it anyway. The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve.  So I leave you with this. "If Jesus could wash feet then I can ______" Fill in the blank :-).  DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!    

Monday, February 21, 2011

Be still and know...

"Cease Striving and know that I am God"--Psalm 46:10

"Cease striving and know that I am God."--Psalm 46:10.  This passage is extremely close to my heart.  Other translations read as "Be still, and know that I am God."  According to a side note in my Bible the phrase "cease striving" is also translated "Let go, relax."  This Psalm speaks of God being our refuge and how He can make even the most troublesome of times come to an end.  Among other things, verse 9 says He even makes wars come to an end. The whole Psalm is only 11 verses long.  I encourage you to read it here: Psalm 46:1-11.

Be still and know that I am God. We live in a society that is always on the move.  I spent 8 years of my life in Southern California.  Southern California is not as laid back as its reputation says it is.  Life moves so quickly out there.  But its true in most of the world.  We live in a society that is so fast paced. We seem to always be in a rush.  Rather than enjoying the here and now we wonder "What's next?"  In today's society  being still and waiting on God seems to be a thing of the past. Sad but true.

But it's in troubled times when being still and waiting on God is especially difficult.  I look back on the last 4 and a half years of my life, and reflect on the struggles those years have held for me.  The main scenario was watching my dad's physical and mental health deteriorate without being able to do a thing about it except to make sure he was comfortable in every way until the day he died just a little over two months ago. There was nothing I could do except to be still and know that God is God. Now that he is gone, I struggle with not being able to see him on this side of heaven anymore. Other struggles are going on in my life as well but God is bringing me and those involved (family and friends) through it all.  I thank God that God has given me these people, like you the reader, to help me through these bittersweet times that have joy in there as well.  Your readership is one of many encouragements that I have received just within the last two months. Thank you guys.

My only encouragement to you tonight is slow down, be still and know that God is God.  He will bring you through everything you may encounter, good and bad. So slow down, be still, know that God is God, and enjoy and cherish the time you have with those you love and care about.  This was a more personal note as well as a devotional thought. Thanks for reading guys. This one is dedicated to YOU. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!        

Don't just Think Souls...Love souls...Save Souls

"...Get up, let us go from here."--John 14:31.  This is the closing statement of John 14 that Jesus makes to His followers.  In John 15, Jesus would go on to tell them more about who He is and give them further instructions as to how they ought to treat each other and also what their relationship with the world would be as long as they followed Him.  What Jesus is doing is preparing them to carry this message out.  These are not just wise sayings or advice.  These are the promises and commandments of God Jesus is giving to His disciples.  These are the promises and commandments of God Jesus is giving to us.  And He expects us to get up and go and do something with them.

Get up.  Let us go from here.  There is things God expects us to do. In the following verses, among other things Jesus tells us to abide in His love and in order to do this we must keep His commandments.  We are to also love one another.  I just did a memory verse out of the famous love chapter, specifically 1 Corinthians 13:4-8.  Love is not just an emotion.  Love is an attitude.  Love involves initiative (action).  If we claim to love Jesus, that should be displayed in our actions toward God and each other.  1 John 3:18-23 describes this perfectly.

Ultimately, in addition to our love for God, we need to have a love for souls.  This too is involved in loving one another.  We have to remember that we too were lost and I think we would all agree that someone loved us enough to share the gospel message with us and did all they could to make sure our salvation was ensured. This is why thinking souls is so important.  Thinking souls does not only involve lost souls.  Thinking souls involves the souls of the saved.  We have a responsibility both to the souls of the world and to the souls of each other.  But thinking and loving souls involves action.  Thinking souls should lead to loving souls and loving souls should lead to saving souls.  So may we love each other enough to not just think souls but to love souls and save souls. If you are not sure about your soul, click here to study more on salvation. GET UP, LET US GO FROM HERE! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Friday, February 18, 2011

It's your turn to shine...Initiative, pride, and leadership.

"Arise, Shine"--Isaiah 60:1

"Arise, shine, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you."--Isaiah 60:1.  This passage talks about how darkness will come but the man (or woman) of God will shine in the midst of darkness. There is going to come a time when people are going to be relying on the Christian to take the initiative.  There is going to come a time when God will want you and me to take the initiative when no one else will.  What will we do?

It's your turn to shine.  There is going to be times in our lives when people are going to be looking to you and to me to get the job done.  The job isn't easy.  The job is going to require leadership on your part. For example, right now I have been assigned as Student Campaign director for an upcoming campaign trip to Guatemala.  This is requiring me to make sure the logistics of the trip go smoothly and making sure the job we need to do for the Lord down there gets done.

Much of the reason we as Christians choose not to do something for the Lord is because it is not easy, it makes us uncomfortable or because it requires sacrifice.  Sacrifice of pride, time, or energy.  Pride is the biggest hurdle to get over when it comes to initiative.  The task may not be the most comfortable but it must be done.  Doing the Lord's work sometimes means going into the rundown parts of town or to a place where the living conditions are less than ideal.  Doing the Lord's work sometimes means, as my friend and brother in Christ Tony Johnson put it, touching the untouchable.

Tears well up in my eyes just writing this because it breaks my heart to know there are brothers and sisters in Christ out there who refuse to take the initiative to speak to someone who the rest of the world sees as lowly and inferior.  Have we forgotten these are the very people our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ went to? He healed lepers, those who society deemed "untouchable".  Christ did this and we can't even swallow our pride to speak to, let alone touch the homeless man we see every Sunday on our way to church services?   Reader, it's your turn to shine, what will you do with the task that is before you? ARISE, SHINE! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS!

Thursday, February 17, 2011

Initiative and mistakes along the way...


Then He came to the disciples and said to them, “Are you still sleeping and resting? Behold, the hour is at hand and the Son of Man is being betrayed into the hands of sinners. Get up, let us be going; behold, the one who betrays Me is at hand!”--Matthew 26:45-46.  For me this is one of the saddest moments of Christ's relationship with His disciples.  Jesus made a simple request for them to keep watch while He went and prayed as these were the last few hours before Christ would be crucified.  Jesus, He whom the apostles had followed and grown to love and believe in was about to be seized and ultimately killed.  This is when they should have been on their toes. but what were they doing? Sleeping.  This happened 3 times before Jesus makes this statement. But what does Jesus do? Rather than reprimanding them a third time, He simply says "Let us be going."

Arise and let us be going.  We look at this situation and probably ask what the disciples were thinking falling asleep when our Master's life on earth would end in only a matter of hours.  They made a mistake.  We have to remember while these apostles were great men, they were human beings just like you and me.  They made mistakes, Peter probably more than the others but Peter still became a great man of God despite his frailties.

My point is in our walk with God, we are going to make mistakes.  When I say mistakes I don't necessarily mean just sins although sins are included in the statement.  There are going to be times when we are going to blow it.  I look back and I have lost count of how many mistakes I have made in my walk with God.  I hate looking back and realizing the opportunities I have blown with others due to my own frailties.

So what does this have to do with initiative?  Well when we make those mistakes, we have to take the INITIATIVE to learn from those mistakes.  Learn from those mistakes, pick up and just keep trucking.  If you learn from your errors in judgment, rather than dwelling on them, I guarantee your relationship with God and with others will only get stronger.   Mistakes might knock us down but we have to make a choice to get back up.  So, when you make a mistake take the initiative to learn from it and tell yourself what Jesus told His disciples, "Get up and let us be going."      

Food and initiative

"Arise, eat"--1 Kings 19:5

"He lay down and slept under a juniper tree; and behold there was an angel touching him, and he said to him, 'Arise, eat.'"--1 Kings 19:5.  This passage is talking about Elijah.  Elijah was one of the most prominent prophets of the Old Testament.  It was prophesied that Elijah would return during the time of the Messiah.  While Elijah was a great man of God, he was still a man.  In this passage Elijah is discouraged and scared for his life.  He had just had what some would call a mountaintop experience, quite literally if you read the story of Mount Carmel in 1 Kings 18:20-35.  But now he was running scared from Jezebel who had threatened to kill him.  He was discouraged thinking he was the only one still seeking to God's will.   God showed him otherwise in 1 Kings 19:18.  The passage for today tells us that Elijah was told to arise and eat.  This would give Elijah strength to get things figured out with God on Mount Horeb (Sinai).

Ever felt this way? Scared, discouraged and alone.  I am willing to guarantee we all have felt this way at some point in our walk with God.  It happens to everyone.  This is when it's toughest to take the initiative.  If we look at the passage we see what gave Elijah strength was not some extraordinary supernatural event but it was something as simple as food.  The appearance of the food was no doubt miraculous but it was still food that would give Elijah the strength to get things figured out with God at Horeb to get past his fear and discouragement and continue to do His work.

Ill be the first to admit that my diet is not the best.  Much room for improvement. I know we have all prayed for God to give us strength when we are faced with some sort of task.  It really boggles my mind to think that the strength God has provided for us to face the day is as close as our refrigerator or our kitchen cabinet. There is something about a good meal that just makes us feel good.  We need to be thankful to God for this basic yet crucial source of strength as many do not have access to an easy meal.  Something as simple as eating (responsibly of course) can help us get the strength to take the initiative to do God's work. ARISE AND EAT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!    

Wednesday, February 16, 2011

Something New...

Initiative requires a first step
"For this reason it says, awake sleeper, and arise from the dead, and Christ will shine on you."--Ephesians 5:14.   This passage is saying just what it says.  WAKE UP!  Paul is instructing us to learn to walk in the light and to make the most of our time "because the days are evil."  This passage will be the beginning of a new series of blogs dealing with initiative. As Christians, initiative is crucial.  Initiative requires us to take that first step.  As Christians, we need to take that first step and come out from the darkness into the light.  We need to take the initiative to step out of our comfort zones and start making a real difference for Christ.  Why? Because as I quoted earlier from Ephesians 5:16 "the days are evil."  

This week has been especially rough on me.  While there has been a lot of good going on, it has been interspersed with heartache.  Just within the last two weeks, I have heard of 4 people dying.  Probably double that within the last two months.  Sadly, one of them was a child.  Many of my friends and family near and far are struggling with something from the loss of a loved one to medical issues.  I also have had my own struggles and stressors this week.  This has caused me to see the reality of our fallen world and how frail we really are. This makes me realize not only how much I need God's love but how much the world is screaming for God's love.  A lot of what is going on around me makes me realize people are dying.  Is it getting me down? Maybe.  But am I taking it laying down? To this question I respond with an emphatic NO!

Friends, Brethren, as Christians we have not a Spirit of timidity but a Spirit of power given by Almighty God Himself to share HIS love with others.  We have the power to make a real difference in the world and in people's individual lives.  As you sit reading this, think of your next door neighbor.  Have you taken time to really talk to him/her and see how he/she is doing? We can't make disciples of nations if we don't have the courage to take the INITIATIVE to step outside our front door. You don't need a passport to do mission work. We are constantly in a mission field and this includes in our own homes with our family, our neighborhoods, our cities and ultimately the world! So, awake sleeper, arise from the dead, and I guarantee Christ will shine on you! TAKE THE INITIATIVE! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!  

 

Contentment in every circumstance

"Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am."--Philippians 4:11.   Here Paul speaks of the fact that while he is thankful for the concern the church at Philippi has for him, even without it he is able to be content in any and all circumstances. This passage falls in the same context of Philippians 4:13 (Scroll over to read).  Christ is the reason we need to be content but the question is what is contentment and what does it mean "to be content in whatever circumstances I am"?

Contentment.  Contentment is sometimes equated with satisfaction.  However, to be content does not necessarily mean to be satisfied with where we are in life.  It definitely does not mean to be satisfied with where we are in our walk with God.If we become satisfied with our walk with God, that can lead to indifference. To be content means to make the best of our station in life.  God has brought us to where we are for a reason.  Admittedly, we may not always understand why we are in the circumstances we sometimes find ourselves in but God expects us to turn every circumstance into opportunity.  No matter where we are at in our lives and in our walk with God, we need to make the most of the circumstances we find ourselves in.

So what does contentment mean? It means to turn every circumstance into opportunity.  Contentment is instead of complaining about circumstances, its using those circumstances as opportunities to bring others closer to Christ.  It's also using circumstances to improve our relationship not only with Christ but with those around us.  Contentment is realizing that Christ has brought you to a certain point in your life for a reason.  Ultimately, contentment is realizing that Christ will pull you through whatever you circumstances you find yourself in.  So as we go through our day today, while we strive for more, let us turn our present circumstances into opportunities and learn to be content no matter where we are.

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

Who are you living for? Who are you willing to die for?

"For not one of us lives for himself, and not one dies for himself;"--Romans 14:7.  In this passage Paul is making reference to the fact that as people of God, we are no longer living or even dying for ourselves but for God and for others.  He not only makes reference to the Lord in this context but makes reference to the weak brother.  Again, Paul's main point is that we no longer live (or die) for ourselves.

Who are you living for? Who are you willing to die for?  No one is to live for themselves.   As Christians we have to recognize that when we make our commitment to Christ, we are making a commitment to no longer live for ourselves.  As we walk through this life we have to keep in mind the fact that others are always watching us.  This is especially true if we claim to be Christians. God watches us.  The world watches us.  Our brothers and sisters watch us.  Each person has their own reasons for watching us but it doesn't change the fact that we are being watched. This should create in us an awareness that should cause us to no longer live for ourselves but to die to ourselves and live for others.  The "I don't care what people think of me" attitude is not the right attitude to have.  At the core of it all, people's souls are in your hands.  I don't think any one of us fully comprehends the seriousness of our impact on people, positive or negative.   I look back on my life and think of how many times I have chosen to live for myself rather than for my brother or sister or for that lost soul that I could have brought into a relationship with Christ.  Living for God and for others involves dying for others meaning we need to put our own selfish desires to death in order to better serve the Lord and others.  For some Christians throughout history, this also meant physical death.  If some loved God enough to physically die for the sake of the gospel and receive eternal life? Why is it so hard to put our selfishness to death in order to live for God and for others?  After all, isn't this what Christ did for us? Didn't He die on that cruel cross so that we might live?  

This message is pretty straightforward.  We need to realize that we are no longer living for ourselves and our desires.  As Christians, we are living first and foremost for the Lord which means we are living for others and in turn dying for others.  So I ask again, who are you living for? Who are you willing to die for? So as you go through the week, be alert for opportunities where you can die to yourself.  This can be done through one UNSOLICITED ARK (Act of Random Kindness).  DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

To Him be the Glory

"...To Him be the glory, both now and to the day of eternity. Amen."--2 Peter 3:18 This is the closing phrase to the book of 2 Peter. Before this Peter encourages to be on our guard and grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.  This is also a section of Scripture that speaks of the second coming.  Being aware of this should cause us to be holy and godly in every way.  We need to be seeking to give God the glory in every way, both now and to the day of eternity.

To Him be the glory.  Glory is among one of the highest forms of praise. The word glory is used heavily in the Scriptures both in the Old and the New Testament.  To glorify something is to give special honor to that which we are glorifying.  It has also been defined as magnificence or great honor.  All of these words and more belong to our God.  Giving God the glory is being willing to lift Him up and take ourselves out of the spotlight.  Even Christ tells us to let our acts of righteousness be seen by God rather than men.  Does this mean it is wrong when others see us do something for God? Of course not.  The question is who are you seeking to glorify? Yourself or God?

The immediate context of this passage is speaking about the second coming of the Lord.  We are to be holy and godly in every way.  Leading holy and godly lives while growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ will bring glory to God.  Bringing glory to God therefore may involve a change in lifestyle.  This morning ask yourself what you can do to bring glory to God. To Him be the glory both now and to the day of eternity. Amen. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!

Monday, February 14, 2011

Touching Christ

Touching Christ

"When the woman saw that she had not escaped notice, she came trembling and fell down before Him, and declared in the presence of all the people the reason why she had touched Him, and how she had been immediately healed. And He said to her, “Daughter, your faith has made you well; go in peace.”--Luke 8:47-48. I find this to be among the most touching stories in the gospel accounts.  This woman believed in the power of Christ so much that she knew just by touching Him, she would be healed.  I find this story so touching because we see by her reaction she did not understand Christ's love.  All she knew was that He could heal her from a disease that she had been dealing with for 12 years!  This was an opportunity she could not pass up.  All Jesus felt was His power go from Him. He felt her touch out of all the others pressing in around Him. It is my opinion that in reality we are not much different from this woman in some aspects.

Aren't we just like this woman? We may not have a disease that is taking a toll on our physical bodies but we all have something going on in our lives that is causing pain and/or discomfort and all we are looking for is healing.  Maybe it's the death of a loved one or maybe something happened between you and someone you deeply care about that has caused one or both of you pain.  The woman had been suffering for twelve years and she was healed.  I am not suggesting that our pain will instantly disappear but by touching Christ I guarantee the pain will get easier.  I'll be the first to admit that like the woman, I don't always understand Christ's love but I know if there is any healing from pain, it is found only in Him. We live in a world where people turn to drugs and alcohol, among other things which provide only momentary relief of pain.  Our job as Christians is to bring others into a position where they can touch Christ.  Again whatever pain we might have will not instantly disappear but I can promise you touching Christ makes it easier to deal with.

I don't know what is going on in your life right now but maybe your like this woman who would do anything to be relieved of your pain.  Whether you have been dealing with your pain for days, months or years, know that Christ is within your reach.  If the pain is between you and an other person, go to that person trusting in Christ.  He will heal that pain if you believe in and touch Him.  Out of all who are pressing in around Him, it is YOU Christ wants to heal.  You may not fully understand His love but know He can heal you. Put your faith in Him.  "And He said to her...go in peace."--Luke 8:48.  DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS! Feel free to comment.  

See how great a love...


"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we would be called children of God...Beloved, now we are children of God."--1 John 3:1, 2.  This passage refers to us as children.  This of course is not the first time the illustration of a child is used to show our relationship with God.  Jesus said that unless we become like children, we cannot enter the kingdom of God.

On this Valentine's Day (Or what some call Singles Awareness Day), we have to remember the love that was shown to us by God.  God has such a great love for us that He wants us to be His children.  Do we deserve it? Did we do something to earn this great love? Of course not.  This is what makes God's love so great.  He offers us the opportunity to become His children through having given His Son to die on the cross for our even though we didn't deserve it.

So what does this mean to us, especially on a day like today?  Well, as we THINK SOULS, we need to find ways to display God's love to others.  God's love can be shown through Acts of Random Kindness or ARK.  I can attest to the fact that there are people out there who don't think they deserve God's love.  While there is nothing we can do to deserve God's love, the point is God offered it anyway.  The least we can do in return is to offer that love to others whether it's by sharing the good news of Jesus Christ, doing ARK (Acts of Random Kindness), or by offering our friendship.  The point is we need to show that we are children of God by sharing God's love to others.

For what it's worth, Happy Valentine's Day everyone.  May we remember that God is the source of true love.  A love so great that we are given the opportunity to be called children of God.

Friday, February 11, 2011

Having been with Jesus...

"They were amazed, and began to recognize them as having been with Jesus."--Acts 4:13.  This passage is making reference to the fact that the religious leaders of the day saw Peter and John as uneducated men.  This is why they were amazed.  The boldness of Peter and John in their preaching, despite being uneducated men showed the religious leaders that they had been with Jesus.  The text says the religious leaders observed in Peter and John a certain confidence about them.  Peter and John did not have the official religious training the Pharisees did yet because they had been with Jesus, they lacked nothing and had the confidence to preach His gospel even to the most "educated" of men.

My question for you this morning is do people recognize you as having been with Jesus? I think we should all take encouragement in the fact that in the eyes of the world, Peter and John were uneducated but because they had learned from Jesus, that lack of education meant nothing.  What this should remind us of is that we don't have to have some sort of degree to share the gospel with others.  This is not to say that sharing the gospel is easy and that it does not require studying the Scriptures.  It is by no means easy.  My point is it is does not require a college degree to share the gospel.  I have in mind my good friend and brother in Christ Joe Wilkie, a 16 year old fresh out of High School (Yes he is 16 and out of High School).  Click here for a glimpse of Joe's insight into God's Word.  Joe, with just his High School diploma I know is going to become a great preacher of God's Word.  He may get his college degree at some point, he may not, but a college degree does not impact his or any of our ability to preach the gospel to others.

But it starts with being with Jesus.  The apostles learned from Christ.  They spent 3 years of their lives learning from Christ.  We need to take time everyday to learn from Christ by studying His Word.  If we study His Word and turn it into action, it is then and only then that people will recognize us as having been with Christ. Again I ask, do people recognize you as having been with Jesus? DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS!  

Thursday, February 10, 2011

Who is Israel?

Who is Israel? 

"I have wiped out your transgressions like a thick cloud and your sins like a heavy mist.  Return to Me for I have redeemed you."--Isaiah 44:22.  This passage is a reminder to Israel that God will not forget them.  There will come a time when all Israel shall be saved. This passage in Isaiah will go on to say in verse 23 that His glory is shone forth in Israel.  So the question remains who is Israel?

Who is Israel?  There are a number of different answers to this question.  Today, we have the nation of Israel also known as Palestine.  We also have the nation of Israel that we read about in the Scriptures whose God was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  And lastly the other Israel we read about in the Scriptures are the seed of Abraham, those who are in Christ.  While the first two answers have a certain amount of truth, it is this last Israel whose sins and transgressions the Lord has wiped out like a thick cloud and a heavy mist.  If you have ever been on an airplane and the plane is flying through clouds you cannot see anything but the cloud outside.  If you have ever driven through a thick fog (mist), you cannot see anything ahead of you.  If one is in Christ, its such an awesome thought to know that God chooses not to see our sin because He has forgiven it and wiped it out "like a thick cloud" and "a heavy mist." Because He has offered forgiveness, He is calling, nay pleading for us to return to Him.  Our God pleads like a loving parent whose child has gone missing or astray awaiting his/her return.  Why? Because outside the arms of a loving parent, only destruction awaits.  God wants none to perish but for all to come to repentance and return to Him.  If you want to learn more as to how to return to God and receive redemption of sins click here.  If you are in Christ, be reminded that God has forgiven you of your sins but also take some time for self-evaluation to make sure you have not strayed from Him in any way. We are Israel, and God has redeemed us.  Our Promised Land awaits.  Will you join the journey towards our heavenly home? DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS!

I have a secret.

"I know how to get along with humble means, and I also know how to live in prosperity; in any and every circumstance I have learned the secret of being filled and going hungry, both of having abundance and suffering need."--Philippians 4:12.  In writing to the Philippians Paul wanted them to be among other things content.  He wanted them to live in peace, mainly Euodia and Synteche who were at odds with each other.  What was Paul's secret to contentment?  It was Christ.

This passage precedes one of the most well known passages in the book of Philippians.  I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.  Christ is the secret to getting through every situation we come into.  Admittedly sometimes trusting Christ is easier said than done.  Sometimes the circumstances we find ourselves in have an uncertain outcome.  Personally, I think those are the most interesting circumstances to be in.  It is through uncertain circumstances that I have really learned to trust Christ. But you know what? Those  uncertain circumstances have not always been negative.  As I write this I am facing a variety of uncertain circumstances involving my future but the journey so far has been wonderful.  Why? Because trusting Christ above everything else while building relationships with the people involved is the secret that makes it a wonderful ride.

I have not been in circumstances as extreme as Paul encountered in his life.  But looking at Paul and how he endured what he endured should make us realize while we may be uncertain about our future, Christ will give us strength during the journey. How does Christ give us strength? Well for one He has given us the people we love and care about to get us through the uncertain circumstances in our lives, positive or negative.  He has also allowed us to be a source of strength to others in uncertain times.  As Christians, we are a family, and we need to learn to lean on each other for the strength to get us through the uncertain times in our lives. I can do all things through Him who gives me strength.  That is the secret to contentment. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL! GOD BLESS!    

Wednesday, February 9, 2011

Temptation

"And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from evil."--Matthew 6:13.  These words probably look familiar to all of us.  This is the closing phrase of what many people call the Lord's Prayer.  It should really be called the disciple's prayer.  This was how our Lord Jesus taught us to pray.  Matthew 6:9-13 gives us the full prayer.  But among the closing words of this prayer is lead us not into temptation.

Lead us not into temptation.  Temptation is a very real thing in our lives as Christians.  None of us are above it.  We will all be tempted to sin at some point in our lives.  I have yet to meet a person who has never been tempted by sin.  The prayer here is asking God to lead us not into temptation.  The initial question I ask is does God really lead us into temptation?  The answer is obviously no.  The following phrase "deliver us from evil" is asking God to deliver us from evil.  As long as we are in this world, we are going to find ourselves in situations where we will be tempted to sin.  So if God does not lead us into temptation, why pray this part of the prayer?  Well the point is more asking God to lead us, not so much the temptation.  If we seek God's guidance, we will be more and more victorious over temptation.

So how can we overcome temptation when we are faced with it daily? Well, I have found that making a conscious choice to remove whatever it is that could tempt you makes a world of difference. Here a couple of examples: Something you shouldn't be looking at on the Internet? Access the internet in a public place or place filters on your web browser.  For unmarried couples, I encourage you to spend more time in public places and/or in groups to eliminate the temptations that come with being in a relationship.  Fellas trust me she will appreciate it :-). None of us are above temptation.  In summary, my prayer is that the Lord will lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS!    

Decisions decisions.

Decisions--2 Samuel 5:23

"When David inquired of the Lord, He said..."--2 Samuel 5:23.  The context of this passage involves one of the many battles King David fought during his reign.  He had just had a victory over the Philistines.  It was time for his next move.  Rather than trying to figure out on his own, David went to God to see what God thought his next move should be.  In the following verses, in 2:Samuel 5:23-25,  God gave David very specific directions as to his next move.  Sure enough since David followed those directions, the ensuing victory was his.

The question is what does this mean to us?  Well this is not the only time in Scripture that we find victory follows consultation with the Lord.  On the other hand, many times failure follows a lack of consultation with the Lord.  We may not be out there on the front lines such as in Iraq or Afghanistan but there are still battles we face in our own lives. Every day is full of decisions that must be made.  Some are easier than others but they are still decisions.  David was in the middle of a battle and he had a very tough decision to make as to how to defeat the Philistines. There are going to be times in our lives when we face situations where we have to make decisions, tough ones and easy ones.

When we are faced with making a decision, we must always seek God's will first.  Admittedly, God's will is not always as clear as it was with David in this passage.  But we still need to seek out His will FIRST in every decision we face.  What decisions are you facing at the moment?  Is it a decision regarding your relationship with someone? Is it a decision on a career choice? Is it a decision regarding a particular ministry? These are just a very small handful of examples of decisions we will face as Christians and as people in general.  As you go throughout your day today as you come into contact with decisions, seek first the counsel of God.  If you do that, He will give you ultimate victory.  DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!  PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS!

Tuesday, February 8, 2011

Holiness and Sanctification


"Now may the God of peace Himself sanctify you entirely."--1 Thessalonians 5:23.  In Paul's first letter one of the things he calls the Thessalonian church to is sanctification.  This meant abstaining from sexual immorality and other forms of sin.  In calling them to sanctification, Paul also recognized that while the choice to live a holy life was theirs. The sanctification was done by God Himself.  God sanctifies us ENTIRELY.

God sanctifies us entirely.  I think this is a pretty awesome thing to think about.  God makes holy everything about us, inside and out!!! We may be imperfect creatures but through Christ, God makes us holy and perfect.  No, nothing about our physical appearance changes but through Christ what we and others can't see is made clean and perfect.  This fact does not take away from our choice to want to be made holy.  God does not force anything on us.  The choice to want to be made holy is ours.  If we want to be made holy, we must make a choice.  Our choice begins with a desire to be obedient to Christ. Not just in what we say or do but also in what we think about.  Most of what we think about is a product of the environment around us and what we allow ourselves to be exposed to.  What are you allowing yourself to be exposed to? At the writing of this devo I was just told that a glimpse into my thoughts are seen through these devos.  This has encouraged me to continue to expose myself to the Scriptures. I wish I could say my thoughts were constantly on the Scriptures but this is not always the case.  There are so many other things that command my attention.  Not bad things necessarily but still other issues and responsibilities I have to tend to, especially to those I love and care about, such as you the reader :-).  We are told in Philippians 4:8 to dwell on that which is noble, pure, lovely, among several other things.  Scroll over the verse to read the list for yourself. If we are to dwell on these things it is things of this nature that we must expose ourselves to. So what is it that is keeping you from letting God sanctify you ENTIRELY? Maybe its movies you watch or maybe its the music you listen to.  Or maybe it's a person in your life that is keeping you from being holy. If this is the case, consider your relationship with that person and make an attempt to bring them closer to Christ and making them holy rather than letting said person drag you down.  Point is we need to be around that which will help us help God to make us holy. Keep these practical examples in mind. Until then may the God of peace Himself sanctify you ENTIRELY! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS! THINK SOULS!    

What's In a Name?

"...and you shall call His name Jesus..."--Matthew 1:21.  Back to basics.  The name of our Savior, Jesus.  The Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua.  The name means Savior.  In Jewish culture, your name said everything about you.  Your name represented who you were.  Jesus was given this specific name by God because He would save the world from their sins.  Last names in our culture had their origins based on what a person's profession was.  For example, the last name Smith meant that you were a blacksmith or a silversmith for instance.  The point being our name represents more about us than we realize.

So the question is what's in a name? Everyone who reads this will have a different name.  When people hear your name what do you want them to think of? What does your name represent about you?  If we are followers of Christ while our given names might be different, as Christians we all wear the name of Christ. That being said, us wearing the name of Christ makes us representatives of who Christ is.  I am assuming most of the people you know are aware that you are a Christian or that you wear the name of Jesus Christ.  This means that when people hear your name, they connect your name with Christ.  What do they think of now?  We need to ask ourselves if when people hear our name, do they think of Christ and are we representing Christ in a positive and accurate manner?  Jesus' name represented the fact that He IS the Savior of the world.  Jesus' name represents everything about Him, EVERYTHING.  If we choose to wear that name, that means we represent EVERYTHING about Christ.  So I ask again, what's in a name? Everything.  I encourage you to take some time today to do a little self-examination and see if there is any part of your life that is not representing Christ and make an effort to improve in that area or areas.  Our given names may be different but if we are in Christ.  We all wear one name, the name of Jesus Christ. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS!

Monday, February 7, 2011

There is a call for you...will you answer?

"And they heard a loud voice from heaven saying to them. "Come up here."--Revelation 11:12.  The voice from Heaven was God.  Cross referenced with 1 Thessalonians 4:16, this voice was the Lord Himself.  This call will go out to all on that day when the Lord returns.  He will call the dead in Christ to rise first.  Then we who are alive and remain will be caught up together with them to meet the Lord in the air.  This will physically happen one day but the call to make it to heaven is going out to you and to me even as you read this.

My question to you tonight is will you answer the call?  God is calling all of us to come up to heaven.  In today's society there are so many different things that demand our attention and that are "calling us."  Amid all that noise, there is a silent whisper that is almost hard to make out uttering these three little words, "come up here." Thinking of it this way reminds me of Elijah in 1 Kings 19 where the voice of God is heard not in an earthquake or a great wind but in a gentle blowing. The passage in Revelation says it was a loud voice.  I find it amazing the contrast between 1 Kings 18 and Revelation 11 in conjunction with 1 Thessalonians.  God is able to get our attention with a gentle whisper or a loud voice.  Either way He is calling.  God wants all to repent and for none to perish.  Tonight's message is quite simple.  Heed the call to "Come up here."  If you are unsure of how to respond to the call click here to get more information.  For practical purposes, I encourage you to put some kind of message on the display screen of your phone along these lines "God is Calling." And that's what I want to leave you with. God is calling. Will you answer? DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS!

Sunday, February 6, 2011

"Are you guys ready? Let's Roll."

Todd Beamer--9/11 Hero on United Flight 93 "Let's Roll"

"Arise and go."--Micah 2:10.  In this passage, the prophet Micah is told to go from the place of uncleanness and destruction, "a painful destruction."  I am not terribly familiar with the prophet Micah but I gather from this chapter that the Lord is going to bring swift destruction and His followers need to move out before this destruction comes.  

You may be wondering what Todd Beamer, one among many heroes after the attacks of 9/11, of which the 10th anniversary will be celebrated this year, has to do with this.  The passage says arise and go. You may remember the famous words uttered by Todd Beamer on that tragic flight United 93 that went down in a field over Pennsylvania, "Let's Roll."  He led a heroic effort in attempt to save the lives aboard Flight 93 from utter destruction.  We know they went down anyway but not without a fight.  He and the other passengers went down fighting the forces of evil that hijacked the plane. 

What does this have to do with us as Christians? Well, as somber as this will sound, this world is being destroyed by forces of evil of a different sort.  This is why we need to "Arise and go."  We need to remove ourselves from the evils of this world.  But in order to do so we as Christians need to fight the evils through bringing as many people as we can to Christ starting with those closest to us, our neighbors, our co-workers, and soon the world.  But we need each other in this effort, to help one another.  Todd Beamer didn't fight the terrorists aboard Flight 93 on his own. It took the other passengers to help him as well.  Our fight against evil will only be won if every soldier of Christ joins in the effort with Christ as our captain.  So, may we arise and go.  Or in the words of Todd Beamer, :"LET'S ROLL!"--NEVER FORGET! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT PRAY ABOUT IT! THINK SOULS! 

Friday, February 4, 2011

The Love of God

"Then the LORD said to me, “Go again, love a woman who is loved by her husband, yet an adulteress, even as the LORD loves the sons of Israel, though they turn to other gods and love raisin cakes.”--Hosea 3:1.  This verse is from what I have discovered to be one of the shortest chapters of the Bible.  Hosea 3 is only five verses long! You can read the whole chapter here: Hosea 3:1-5.  In the context of the chapter, there is the imagery of a man who loves his wife although she is an adulteress.  At the end of the chapter we find the adulterous woman, Israel would return to the groom, the Lord.

The love of God.  This subject is not touched on as often as it probably should be in today's preaching.  Understandably so though.  What I mean is that the concept of the love of God has been twisted to mean that God overlooks our sin and "loves" us no matter what we do.  God's love does not change but nor does His Word and His commands.  It's because God loves us that He has given us the commands that He has.  Following His commands not only benefit our eternal life but there are also benefits in this life such as improved relationships and sometimes even better health.  Is it always easy to follow His commands? No but it is ALWAYS more beneficial.  The ultimate display of God's love was of course in the fact that He sent Jesus Christ to die on the cross for our sins.  God does love us.  But He expects us to be obedient to His Word beginning with obedience to the gospel which you can learn more about here.  On a final note because God loves us He is "patient toward you, not wishing for any to perish, but for all to come to repentance." (2 Peter 3:9)  DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT. PRAY ABOUT IT. LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS.

Thursday, February 3, 2011

What controls you?

"For the love of Christ controls us..."--2 Corinthians 5:14.  Paul making a point to the Corinthian church that since the love of Christ is in control, they need to live for Him, and not for themselves. He makes the point in the previous verses that because they are living for God, they are acting totally different than what most people are used to.  This drives him to the point that because the love of Christ is in control, they act completely different.

Control.  What is it that controls you?  As human beings, we have an almost natural desire to be in control of any given situation.  A lack of control creates insecurity, doubt, and fear, among other things.  Whatever it is that controls us will cause us to act in a specific manner.  What are some of the things that control people in the society in which we live? Well some of the obvious ones would possibly be drugs or alcohol.  But what about other things such as maybe TV, Video Games, Cell phones, or Facebook? I hate to admit that I probably spend more time than I should on Facebook.  Nothing inherently wrong some of these secondary distractions I just mentioned.  But the question is are we allowing these "distractions" to control us?

It is the love of Christ that needs to control us.  If we allow the love of Christ to control us, it will cause us to seek out those who need His love.  If the love of Christ controls us, it will cause us to help those in need. If the love of Christ controls us, we will put His will above our own.  Giving up control requires a first step.  The first step is to make the choice to relinquish our control and hand it over to Christ.  Just for one day this week, give something up in order to focus more on the love of Christ and showing it to others.  Give up one of those "distractions." Other than posting the link for my devo's, I am going to give up Facebook for one day. Something that consumes more of my time than it should.  So again I ask, what is it that controls you? DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS! THINK SOULS!    

Who we are...

"...we have become as scum of the world, the dregs of all things, even until now."--1 Corinthians 4:13.  Probably not the most positive of words to start your morning out with but we must consider what Paul is writing to the church in Corinth.  Paul opens this chapter with the fact that we ought to be regarded as servants of Christ and stewards of the mysteries of God.

We have become as scum of the world.  We must remember that we are servants of Christ.  Because of this the world may look at us in disdain.   Sometimes standing up for the faith will mean putting ourselves out there to be ridiculed.  Truth be told though, living here in the United States, I don't think we have any idea what it really feels like to be persecuted for our faith.  We have nothing to fear in sharing the gospel with others.  In some foreign countries, Christians have truly become the scum of the earth in the eyes of their oppressors.  And they are treated as such.  They are regarded as servants of Christ by their oppressors but are considered foolish for doing so.  I respect these men and women who have gone to places where there very lives are in danger simply for upholding the name of Christ.  Among them, I think of our own Steven Ashcraft who for the sake of the gospel is facing authorities of other religions in Africa in order to bring others to Christ, risking his own life.  He and other men and women are facing such challenges. All the while us here in America, we are sitting comfortably on the pews of our church buildings and on our sofas at home free from the fear of persecution.  Blessed? I think so.

So, that being said, let us remember that while to the world we may the scum of the world.  To God, we are servants of Christ and our reward is great. THINK SOULS! SERVE CHRIST DAILY! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS.

Wednesday, February 2, 2011

Fragile...Handle With Care.


"...for woe is me if I do not preach the gospel."--1 Corinthians 9:16.  Paul, writing to the Corinthian church realizes how serious a task preaching the gospel really is.  He says if he does so voluntarily, he has a reward.  If he does it under compulsion, he has a stewardship entrusted to him.  Point being, either way he has got to do it, there is no choice in the matter.

Do we take this task as seriously as Paul did?  The statement "Woe is me" carries with it the seriousness of such a duty as sharing the gospel message with others.  Our attitude should be to do so voluntarily.  Why? Because we have a reward.  At the same time though, we still have a stewardship entrusted to us.  I heard a question asked once that was part of a sermon series, "Is the Gospel safe in your hands?" We have been entrusted with the gospel message.  God is trusting us with the most precious message any one person could ever deliver.  Carrying the gospel message is like handling a package that says "Fragile" or "Handle With Care".  Why is this message so "fragile"? Because if we somehow fail to deliver it properly, a person's soul is at stake. So at this point you might be asking what this whole gospel thing is about? Well for lack of time, I can't go into detail at this time. But it all begins here in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.  Take this message out to the world and HANDLE WITH CARE! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS! THINK SOULS!

The Blood of Christ


"...and without shedding of blood there is no forgiveness."--Hebrews 9:22.  The Hebrew writer here is making reference to the old Law which required sacrifice but in the larger context making reference to Christ.  The old Law required the shedding of blood for the atonement, or forgiveness of sin.  Christ said He came not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it.  Christ came to make that sacrifice once and for all.  I encourage you to read Isaiah 53 which describes perfectly what the Messiah came to do for us.  The blood is still required for the atonement of sins.  Not the blood of animals but the blood of Christ. The blood that was shed on that cruel cross at Calvary.  We are released from our sins by His blood.

His blood.  It is the shedding of His blood that brings us redemption of sins.  The above image, while graphic, is probably only a small glimpse of how much agony Christ went through in His final hours while on this earth just so that we might have a chance at eternal life.  It is His blood that was required of Him so that we could be cleansed of our sins.  The question we have to ask ourselves is if His blood is required for the forgiveness of our sins, how is it that we come into contact with that blood?  Well we must follow Christ in His death and be raised with Him again as a new creature.  As my friend Dustin Campbell put it in a sermon a couple of months ago, "We must die to live."  Romans 6:1-7 describes perfectly what this means and how we must do this.  For further study click here.  If we have done this already, His blood continually cleanses us.  May we remember it is by His blood we are cleansed of our sins. Share this message with others. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS! THINK SOULS.

Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Preach the Gospel...point to Christ.

"For Christ did not send me to baptize, but to preach the gospel."--1 Corinthians 1:17.  This opening chapter of 1 Corinthians is addressing the fact that there are divisions in the Corinthian church.  Paul emphasizes that we are not baptized in the name of any man but in the name of Christ.  On top of that, Paul was called to point people to Christ through the preaching of the gospel.  He did baptize a number of people but that, as he says, is not what he was sent for.  He was sent to preach the gospel.

Christ did not send me to baptize but to preach the gospel.  Baptism is a result of preaching the gospel to someone.  It's easy to dunk people in water.  However, if the preaching and the knowledge as to why we are being immersed is not behind it, we are basically just getting wet.  My point here is not about baptism and whether or not we understood why we were baptized.  My point here is that Christ sent us to preach the gospel.  What does this mean?  This means we do what Paul was sent to do.  Our job is to point people to Christ.  I heard it put this way once.  Pointing others to Christ is like one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.  This illustration fits perfectly with John 6:35.

Our job is to point others to Christ through the preaching of the basic gospel message found in 1 Corinthians 15:1-4.  We live in a spiritually starved world.  Yet we as Christians hold the key to the Bread of Life, the gospel message of Jesus Christ.  Maybe you are wondering how to receive the Bread of Life into your life? If so, click here.  May we remember, while baptism might be involved, our main job is to PREACH THE GOSPEL! DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS! THINK SOULS! :-)

Thankfulness...great is the glory of the Lord.

"And they will sing of the ways of the Lord, for great is the glory of the Lord."--Psalm 138:5.  This is a Psalm of David.  It is a Psalm of thankfulness to God for showing His favor upon David.  David thanks the Lord for things such as His loving kindness which David also states is everlasting, boldness, and strength.  In this Psalm David is also is assured of the Lord's protection against His enemies.  In verses 4 and 6, David states the kings of the earth will give thanks and then in verse 6 he states how the Lord "regards the lowly." I encourage you to read all of Psalm 138 as it is only 8 verses long.

But my question for all of us this morning is quite simple.  What are we thankful for? Even if we sat down to write a list of what we are thankful for, it probably wouldn't encompass all God has given to us during our lives.  I would imagine some of the things that would be included on such a list would be your family, people in our lives, having a job during these hard economic times, and maybe your health.  And of course, on such a list the most important person to be thankful for is Christ in this time that we are THINKING SOULS.  Everything that has been provided for us comes from above. See James 4:17.  What should this cause us to do? Give praises to God! Or as the Psalmist put it, sing of the ways of the Lord! So again I ask, what are we thankful for? Again, I encourage you to read Psalm 8.  In addition, let's try to find a song of thankfulness to our Lord for all He has done for us especially for sending His Son to die on the cross for our sins. DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT! PRAY ABOUT IT! LOVE Y'ALL GOD BLESS! THINK SOULS!