Pandemic Sized Problems

Hello friends.  Long time no see.  I don't know about you, but man doesn't life seem to get a little out of control real easy?  I know it has for me.  This has a lot to do with the fact that it has been a few years since I have used this platform for communication and devotionals.  But, pandemic times call for pandemic measures!!

This pandemic is definately new to me, and probably you as well.  With the exception of a few members of my church that may remember living through the plagues of Egypt, Black Death, and the Spanish Flu of the early 1900s.  😂  Many times we tend to always focus on the bad, the fears, the stress, and I could probably go on and on and on.  Not to mention the stress on our families as we try to help our students learn at home.  I know many teachers who have had their eyes opened to the challenges on trying to teach online, and parents pulling their hair out trying to help their own kids.  I'm actually living on both sides of this equation right now.  With my wife and I both being educators, it adds an interesting twist to our daily routines.  And we sometimes beg for a little more "social distancing."

There are also things we have to do without.  Sitting down in a restaurant, nope.  Going to the movies, nope.  Finding toilet paper, good luck.  But the thing I miss the most, going to church.  Now, I do follow a couple of pastor friends of mine and watch video clips of there sermons.  I also keep up with my pastor via text, email, and the occasional phone call.  Not to mention keeping up with church members on Facebook.  But it is not the same.  I miss the personal interaction with my church family on a regular basis.  I find myself craving the opportunity to get back to fellowship with my church family.  It almost feels as though I am being malnourished in a way.  I miss the fellowship, the teaching, the prayer time, and singing in the choir.  I feel that too much more of this could cause me to become weak from my 'malnourishment.'

But this 'pandemic problem' is no different than many of the trials that we face, and will continue to face in our lifetimes.  There are two important things to remember when facing trials:

1.  They have a purpose
2.  They don't last forever

James 1:2-3
"Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you encounter various trials,  knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance.  And let endurance have its perfect result, so that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing."

Have we taken time to ask God what it is that He wants us to learn from this?  Have we looked for ways to actively grow our faith in this time?  Are we making the most of our opportunities to share our faith with others as it grows?

There is an end in site with this pandemic.  I challenge you to look for blessings that may be hidden in disguise.  Look for ways to grow your faith in the midst of these trials.  Be comforted by the grace that God has given you in your current situation.  Take joy in the process, because you know what the end reward will be.  Most importantly, don't forget to share with others.  Check in with those you miss.  Call and encourage your pastor.  Keep studying and praying as an individual, and with your families.  I may not be able to go to church, but i can still be a part of it until I can.

Thanks for reading, and God bless you all!

God's Timing

Regardless of how I would like to view myself sometimes, I am not a patient person.  One of my biggest pet peeves are long, and unnecessary lines.  They always seem to be the worst when you are in the biggest hurry as well.  For example, I walked into the local Wal-Mart last week to pick up two or three items.  (Yes, I made it in and out without anything extra)  It took me maybe four minutes total to find what I needed, and I thought to myself, this is going to be a quick trip.  Boy was I wrong.  Out of over 20 registers at the front of the store, only four were open and checking out customers.  FOUR!  The lines were long, and I waited almost half an hour before I got out of the store.  I am proud to say that I kept my cool, because I did realize that it was not the poor girl's fault who checked me out, and she did not deserve some of the comments that she was receiving about the lines.  But, it was still ridiculous.  Then, on the way home I pulled up to a red light, when it turned green five cars got through before it changed back to red.  And guess who was the first one to have to stop, THIS GUY.  I did not think it would ever turn green.  I especially got fed up when there was at least a full minute and a half when no traffic was coming through the green light!

I wonder sometimes if we have this same attitude towards God as we experience things in our lives.  It seems like we are always in a hurry to be in a relationship, to get that new job, or buy a new home.  And when it does not happen, we either try to force the issue or question God as to why.  Not only this, but we tend to demand answers of Him.

Psalm 46:10
"Cease striving and know that I am God;"

Some translations also use the phrase "Be still."  We can also look at a point of being patient.  We should not put so much in making things try to happen the way we want, and just be patient.  And what should we do while being patient.  Know that He is God.  Know that He knows what He is doing.  Trust in the fact that He is sovereign over all things.  Have faith in His will for your life.

Jeremiah 29:11
"For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope."

We must seek His will in our lives, and trust that He knows exactly what to do in our best interest.  Through this, we draw closer to Him.  What do we do in the time being, we serve.  We stay faithful in the areas in which we currently find ourselves, and we work hard until He is ready to move us where He wants us to be.

Thanks for reading, and I pray that God will continue to bless you all!

Praise You in This Storm

This has been a devastating week for my home, and community.  On Friday, October 7th we started seeing the early rain bands of Hurricane Matthew.  This rain and wind continued until Saturday night.  All in all, we received around 15 inches of rain at my house, and some areas around us received more.  Dams have give way, and many of the communities in my county are underwater.  Many have been without power for almost a week now.  Many of our roads are closed due to flooding, and some have even been washed away.  And even more sadly, there have been some in my community to lose their lives as a result of this storm.

With all of this loss, I know many people would ask the question of why these things happen?  Why does God allow things of this nature to occur?  Let me give you my humble opinion to these questions.

#1 - My God is always in control.
It is not my place to question why things happen in this world.  I serve a wonderful loving God who has a perfect will, and a perfect purpose for all things.  And, it is not my place to understand until he is ready for me to understand.  He knows everything in my future, and has a reason for the here and now.  Maybe, just maybe, what I go through now is preparing me for what may come in the future.  And because of this moment, I will be prepare for what He needs me to do when that time comes.

Isaiah 55:8-9
"For My thoughts are not your thoughts, Nor are your ways My ways,” declares the Lord.  For as the heavens are higher than the earth, So are My ways higher than your ways And My thoughts than your thoughts."

#2 - We seek the Lord through humility.

Do we really live our lives with the true understanding of who our Lord truly is?  God is not a buddy, nor a relative we only speak of during certain occasions.  He is our Lord, and our Creator.  Regardless of how we may see Him, He is the Almighty.  It is only by His grace that we have the right to His forgiveness, the right to pray to Him, and the right to be His children.  When we come to Him, it should be done humbly, without pride.  I believe that sometimes God allows things to happen to get our attention.  Maybe He is trying to show us how much we really need the peace and comfort that only He can give.  We when become proud and comfortable, we lose sight on our need for our Savior.

2 Corinthians 12:9-10

"And He has said to me, “My grace is sufficient for you, for power is perfected in weakness.” Most gladly, therefore, I will rather boast about my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may dwell in me. Therefore I am well content with weaknesses, with insults, with distresses, with persecutions, with difficulties, for Christ’s sake; for when I am weak, then I am strong."

#3 - A chance to witness
One thing I have been amazed of in this time of struggles, is the number of Christians I see reaching out to those in need.  I have seen where many are volunteering to help with damage to homes, offering hot showers and meals to those without power, and others taking their own boats into flooded areas to rescue those that were stranded.  As Christians, we have to understand that our actions are our greatest witness.  Many people can quote scriptures at the drop of a hat, but the real question is, can you show them in your life?  As we said when I was growing up, you can talk the talk, but can you walk the walk?  Times like these give us a real chance to show the love of God that lives inside of us.  Are we taking the chance to share that with those around us?

James 1:22

"But prove yourselves doers of the word, and not merely hearers who delude themselves"

I choose to praise God for this storm that we are living through.  Because I know, that even in the midst of struggle and loss, my God is right there beside me.  He never left my side.  And I know that He has a perfect purpose.  I choose to look for the opportunities He has provided me, instead of looking at all the bad that is around.  I choose to trust in the one who knows what my future holds, and who has ordained all of my steps.  What do you choose?

Thanks for reading, and I pray that God will bless you all!

Feeling Far Away From God?

Life is always full of unexpected turns.  We never know where we are going next, or how we are going to get there.  Along with this journey are times of joy, and times of dread.  It is in the times of dread that we begin to question what is going on in our lives to make it so bad.

I think all of us at one time or another have experienced rough times in our lives and questioned where God was during our suffering.  My response to all believers when I here this question is:

Who moved?

Deuteronomy 31:8
"The Lord is the one who goes ahead of you; He will be with you. He will not fail you or forsake you. Do not fear or be dismayed.”

Those that trust in God have nothing to fear from Him leaving us.  When we feel a thousand miles away, we are the ones that have caused that distance.  Not Him.  He is always right there.  We just have to reach out.  His mercy and grace has no end.

So, the next time you feel far away from God, all you have to do is lift your eyes to Him where you are.  I promise, He is right there.

Thanks for reading, and I pray that God will bless you all this week.

Ready for the Unexpected

Today was an interesting day for me.  Upon reaching work this morning, I arrived to the main office of the school in which I work with an inch of water covering the floors.  Earlier this morning we had a huge downpour, and there were two buildings with water coming in.  I called in an extra custodian, took my dress shirt and tie off, and went to work with a mop and a bucket.  I will say this is not something I was expecting to find when I got to work today.  The other Assistant Principal and I worked for almost two hours with the custodians to get the water out of the office.

Life has a way of throwing us a twist when we are not expecting it.  We just have to be ready, and deal with them as they come.  Something similar happened to Abraham in Genesis 12.

Genesis 12:1-5

"Now the Lord said to Abram, Go forth from your country, and from your relatives and from your father’s house, to the land which I will show you; And I will make you a great nation, And I will bless you, And make your name great; And so you shall be a blessing; And I will bless those who bless you, And the one who curses you I will curse.  And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”  So Abram went forth as the Lord had spoken to him; and Lot went with him. Now Abram was seventy-five years old when he departed from Haran. Abram took Sarai his wife and Lot his nephew, and all their possessions which they had accumulated, and the persons which they had acquired in Haran, and they set out for the land of Canaan; thus they came to the land of Canaan."

Abraham was probably not expecting this when he woke up that morning.  This is even more extraordinary being his advanced years.  However, without question or complaint, he trusted and obeyed God's command.  This is true faith in action.  He did not know exactly what laid ahead of him on this journey, but he had the assurance from God that he would be fine.

Do we have the faith of Abraham when God puts us in unexpected?  Are we ready to serve when called upon?  It is easy in this day and time to make excuses for why we cannot do what God asks of us.  Most of them come in the form of fear, or just plain selfishness.  To combat this, we need to strengthen our faith so that we are ready for whatever comes our way, whenever it comes our way.  To do this we need a healthy prayer life, devoted study time, and focus on the work that God has put before us at the current time.  Hopefully, if we truly work in this manner, we may have a time to shine for God like Abraham did.  What a witness that would be.

Thanks for reading, and I pray that God will bless you all this week!

Am I Too BUSY????

Being that I have not posted any devotions on this blog in over a year, I feel that this may be an appropriate question to ask on this post.  Life has a way of getting in the way of our spiritual walk.  I have personally seen this over the last few years.  My children are in school, I have worked on and completed a Master's Degree (yeah), and my wife has gone back to school to finish a degree after a six year absence from college.  Our lives got real busy, real quick.  This does not include my new job as an Assistant Principal at a high school, and all of the things my children participate in after school.  My wife and I joke about when we will see each other on the weekends.  The question then becomes, have I become too busy for God?

John 15:5-6
 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. If you do not remain in me, you are like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned."

Our personal relationship with Christ is a crucial part of our daily lives.  Just like any other relationship, we need to devote time to the other individual to make the relationship a success.  I have been a Christian for almost 20 years now, and I still find that I struggle with devoting quality time with my Savior.  When we do not put in the time for that relationship, it becomes strained and our life is not as fulfilling as God wants it to be.  The same is true in a marriage.  If you want the marriage to work, you have to put the time into it.

So, what is it that we use to fill our time?  Are those things a part of God's plan for my life?  Do we spend an adequate time in study, prayer, and worship?  Hopefully, answering these questions will give you some perspective as it has me.

Thanks for reading, and I pray God blesses you all this week.

Preparing for the New Year!

Alright everyone, how many of you have already made your New Year's Resolutions that you know you will not be keeping?  HaHa...I know right.  This is a time in which we always seem to stress some sort of renewal in how we live our lives.  Most of the time they deal with losing weight, exercising more, reading more books, or managing our money better.  Maybe others set goals for their work and school.  But, no matter how hard we try in the beginning, we usually fail.  And you know what, that's ok.  We are human.

Is it not great to know that we have a Savior who looks beyond our imperfections if we truly belong to Him?  Even with all the things we try to do, we will still fall short of the glory of God.  But, the true message of Grace covers a multitude of failures.  The bible is full of individuals who strived to serve God to their best ability, and yet had their own shortcomings.  David's lust, Peter's denial, Abraham's lies, and Moses' inability to follow directions are just a few examples of true powerhouses for God, that were still human and made their mistakes.

There seems to be a misconception among some that Christians can reach a point to which they no longer sin.  I have had discussions with many of these individuals and still fall back to this verse:

Romans 3:10
"as it is written, there is none righteous, not even one."

and...

1 John 1:8
"If we say we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us."

So what do we do?  Do we just give up because we will mess up?  Absolutely not!  Our purpose in life is to serve God, and to try to be Christ-like as much as possible.  We still must push forward to the prize that is before us.  This life is short compared to the eternity that we have before us, and the reward in heaven is great.  We have a job to do, and even though we will make mistakes, we must continue on in our witness of Christ to the world.  If we sit back and do nothing, think of all the opportunities we will have to share Christ that will never happen.

So.....what does all of this have to do with the new year you ask?  How about a New Year's resolution that focuses on something you are going to try to do for God, instead of yourself.

Psalm 98:1
"O sing to the LORD a new song, for He has done wonderful things, His right hand and His holy arm have gained the victory for Him."

I challenge all of you to come up with a new year's resolution for the Lord.  Even if we fail, He will still win the victory.  It can do nothing but strengthen us and our witness for Him, and bring honor and glory to Him.  And not because we are anything great, but because who we serve is!

Thanks for reading, and I pray God's blessings on you all in 2015!

What Am I Thankful For?

God has blessed my family and I more than we deserve in this life.  Is my life perfect?  Not hardly.  We face many trials and tribulations as everyone else does.  There is a misconception going around in which people believe that Christians all live wonderful lives.  In a way that is true, but not in the sense they believe.  We deal with sin, suffering, shame, loneliness, and heartache on a regular basis.  However, the difference is the grace in which we live, compels us to the hope of more to come.  Our faith in Christ Jesus provides the foundation of this hope.

When I struggle, I think of the ways in which God has blessed me.  It really is true, that when you count your blessings, you begin to forget the things that make you feel down.  One of my greatest blessings is my children.  God has seen fit to send my wife and I three beautiful children.  Even more, they are growing in the love of the Lord.

There are numerous verses that speak of how God blesses us.  But, today I want to thank God for the bad in my life as well.  My wife told me once, "With each trial we face, we get a chance to see God in action!"  Every bad thing that comes, shows me more of who I am, and gives me a chance to grow in my faith.

Romans 5:3-5
"And not only this, but we also exult in our tribulations, knowing that tribulation brings about perseverance; and perseverance, proven character; and proven character, hope; and hope does not disappoint, because the love of God has been poured out within our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us."

So in this time of Thanksgiving, I pray you will be thankful for everything you have experienced in this life.  Because God is always in control.

Thanks for reading, and God bless you all!
Happy Thanksgiving.

Work in Progress

What a wild ride life has become.  Life is full of twists, turns, and curve balls that we must navigate through.  I can see where many people struggle through this life in the midst of all of these changes and challenges.  With all of the new developments in my life, this is the first opportunity that I have had to write again.  However, I have felt great encouragement these last few months in the direction God is taking me in life.

In this busy life, numerous things can cause us to lower our dependency on our Creator, and hence drive a wedge between us.  Sometimes we develop a sense of self reliance to where we try to make God fit into a neat little box that suits our own purpose.  On the other hand, we sometimes can doubt our own worth when faced with adversity.

Instead of looking at life through what we see, maybe we should look at ourselves as God sees us.  We are His creation, and we were created for His purpose.  No matter how low we are, He loves us.  I stumbled onto a video that I felt was an incredible depiction of how God sees us.  Are we perfect?  No...definitely not.  However, we are a work in progress.  We just have to allow God to finish His work in us.  Hope you enjoy.

Thanks for reading/watching, and may God bless you all!

Renewal

I apologize for my long absence from writing.  Life tends to fly by at a pace that it is hard to grasp all that is happening around us.  I have even had my own personal struggles and fears that I have had to deal with over the last year.  There are always trials, and changes that need to be faced.

So much has happened that have shaken my faith, but not destroyed it.  There have been injuries to loved ones, the loss of my grandmother to cancer, trying to buy a new home, a new job, and the list keeps on going.  And I have caught myself many times questioning why all this was happening all at about the same time.  Is it all a test?  Is it God showing me what I am capable of handling?  Is it preparation for something in the future?  And through all of my questioning, I have found that I had developed a lack of trust.  A lack of faith.  I had become prideful about my accomplishments, and somewhat bitter about my downfalls.  But, even at my lowest point, God was always there within reach.  It was not that He left me, but I allowed myself to move away from Him.

2 Chronicles 7:14
"If my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then will I hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and will heal their land."

Renewal to God is based on a few conditions as seen in this verse.  And these conditions all rest on us.  First, we have to humble ourselves.  We have to understand the fact that there is nothing about us good enough on our own to please God.  As Paul said, he did not feel worthy enough to tie the sandals of Christ's feet.  Only through humility, can we adequately approach the throne of God.  Secondly, we need to pray, and pray often.  If we want a right relationship with God, we need to speak to Him on a regular basis.  This is our way to reach out to Him.  As I stated earlier, He never leaves us and is always there.  Next, we need to seek Him.  We do this by studying the Word of God.  We look to find what He expects of us, and we learn of who He is.  This helps us to draw closer to him.  Lastly, we need to repent.  Repent literally means to have a change in mindset.  Not only do we need to ask forgiveness for our shortcomings, but we need to consciously change our actions to match.

When we submit to these four conditions, God brings about renewal to our lives.  He will hear our prayers, He will forgive our sins, and He will bring about healing for all of our sufferings.  No matter where we are in our lives, or the level to which we feel we suffer, God is still there.  We just have to recognize it, and actively seek Him for help.

Lord, forgive me for my distrust and distance from You.  I know that you have always been there, regardless of my situations.  And I know that I have come through them, not own my own power, but by Your grace.  Please give me the continued strength and guidance that You always have provided in times past.  Shower me with Your love and comfort, so that I can push on in this world,  and show the world who You are through what you have done in my life.

Amen.

Thanks for reading and God bless you all!

Wait

Hello all.  Forgive me for my absence from the blogging world these last couple of months.  Life is always interesting, and presenting new challenges.  But, I have felt really encouraged this past week to continue my writing.

The inspiration for this post comes from the dinner table.  Now those of you who have or have had small children my gain some appreciation from this.  One thing that I have noticed from my kids, ages 7, 4, and 2, is that they are always in a hurry.  "When is supper going to be ready?"  "Can I have a small snack while I wait?"  "Can we hurry up and say the blessing?"  "Can I get down and leave the table?"  My wife and I have been using the all powerful "Just wait a minute."  Supper time at my house is a big deal.  Not only is my wife an awesome cook, but that is the only time that I get to spend with my family when I am working.  As a teacher, and a varsity coach, when school is in, I miss a lot of those moments.  So we stress the need for family time.  This made me think of an Old Testament verse.

Isaiah 40:31
"Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary."

Waiting can be the most stressful things we as humans can do.  We want what we want, when we want it.  Waiting can also cause all sorts of anxiety.  Take a job for instance.  From the time that you apply for a job, the anxiety builds while you wait.  Will they call for an interview?  Did they like my interview?  Will they call back?  Did I get the job, or did that pass me up for someone else?  The same can be said for waiting on your child to be born.  Is the baby ok?  Will the baby come early?  Will I be a good parent?  And once you get to the hospital to have the baby, how much longer before the baby is here?

However when we wait upon the things of God in our lives, the anxiety is absent if we truly trust in Him.  I have been told often that things happen in God's timing, and not ours.

Proverbs 3:5-6
"Trust in the Lord with all your heart And do not lean on your own understanding.  In all your ways acknowledge Him, And He will make your paths straight."

Philippians 4:6-7
" Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

God has a specific plan for us.  When we try to do things on our own, without seeking the will of God, we deal with all sorts of anxiety.  But, when we trust in the Lord, when we pray about the direction God has in our lives, and be at peace with the fact that God is in control, waiting does not seem so bad.  Because the reward in the end is so much greater.

Thanks for reading, and I pray that God will bless you all!

Modeling

I love working in education.  Now don't get me wrong, there are days that I get frustrated with the woes of working in public education.  The pay is terrible, and the hours can be long.  Many times I have to take work home.  And there are always those students, that no matter what you do, just don't care.  However, each child that comes to me and says thank you, or comes back to visit after graduation just to visit me and ask for help outweighs all of the bad.

Now one of the best strategies that I have for teaching, and coaching, is modeling.  I try to model what I expect them to do.  If it is an assignment, I show them how to work out some examples.  If it is a concept, I give them a chance to create a real life example, or I make up one, to help them visualize.  When I coach, I get on the field and practice with them.  I show them exactly what I want them to do, and do it with them.  To me, this is the best way to learn.  Now don't get me wrong, there is nothing wrong with a good lecture every once in a while.  But, the best way to learn is by experiencing it.

The same is true with Christianity.  The best way to share it, is to show it.

John 5:36
"But the testimony which I have is greater than the testimony of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish—the very works that I do—testify about Me, that the Father has sent Me."

Here Christ was telling of His testimony, not by words that He had said, but by the works that He did.  That was the testimony of who He was.  As we strive to be more Christ-like, we have to model what we learn in the bible.  It is not just enough to quote scripture.  Anyone can do that, and learn it.  But it is the actual application of it to our daily lives that is the biggest witness to others.  Do they here us and see us live it?  There are a lot of people in this world that are playing church.  As Revelations 3 teaches us, they are lukewarm.  Neither cold nor hot.  They put on a good show to go to church, but do their actions away from church show the same life.  When we model the Christian faith, or live it outwardly, we show the world a true look at what Christianity really is.  And not what they see and hear from TV and some internet counterfeits.

So, the question today is, what are you modeling?  Because, what we model is what we truly believe in.

Thanks for reading, and I pray that God will bless you all!

Acts of Kindness

Wow, what a week.  I have been home since Wednesday tending to my wife and daughters with the flu.  I hate seeing them sick, especially the baby.  She does not know how to tell us what hurts.  Instead she just cries.  And hearing your one year old cry can rip your heart out when you know there is not much you can do for them other than to try to make them comfortable.  One good thing though is the people that I work with.  They have been very helpful and supportive in this time.  One of the teachers has been helping me coach for free, and took over my two games this week.  And more importantly, the prayers being offered by them have been the best help.  This matched so well with our bible study at church Sunday night.  So I think I will take time this week to share with all of you a little about acts of kindness.

Galatians 5:22-23
"But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law. "

Kindness is one of the fruits of the spirit.  It is also one of the things that are evident in a true Christian's life.  Is it hard to show kindness to others sometimes?  Of course it is.  It is not in the nature of human beings to be kind to each other.  It is only by the help of the Holy Spirit that we can fully achieve true kindness.  Now, I want to expound on what I believe to be true kindness.  This is the kindness brought about by the Holy Spirit.

First, kindness is an expression of love.  When reading in 1 Corinthians 13 we see the phrase "love is kind", and "it does not seek its own".  When Jesus was performing all of His miracles, He was doing it out of love for those around Him.  All of them were in need, in either one aspect or another.  And He met that need.  And it was truly unconditional.  He never told any of them that He expected them to repay Him for his kindness.  How many times do we do things for others, but seek repayment or special recognition for the kindness.  If we do, was it a true act of kindness?  I say no.  Because the only reason for doing it was because of something we could gain from it.  And in so doing, we lose the blessings that come from it.  A truly, Holy Spirit led act of kindness seeks no recognition or gain from the act.  That being said, who do I be kind to?

Luke 6:31-36
"Treat others the same way you want them to treat you. If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners love those who love them. If you do good to those who do good to you, what credit is that to you? For even sinners do the same. If you lend to those from whom you expect to receive, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners in order to receive back the same amount. But love your enemies, and do good, and lend, expecting nothing in return; and your reward will be great, and you will be sons of the Most High; for He Himself is kind to ungrateful and evil men. Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful."

We should show that love and kindness to all people, including those who hurt or persecute us.  This is one aspects that separate Christianity from other religions.  We are taught to show love and kindness to all people.  As hard as it may be sometimes, we must strive to do this.  Christ displayed this for us on the cross.  he died for all of our sins.  He knew that everyone would not accept Him and follow Him.  But He died for them just the same.  Are we willing to sacrifice of ourselves, even to those who are against us?  In a way, this is a true witness of who we are and who we believe in.  You never know who is watching.  That person may see how you treat those that mistreat you.  If you repay hurt for hurt, that may be the perception they get about Christians, and never want to be a part of that.  And think about the witness to the person that hurts you.  You may be the one that God is sending to that person to show them who He is.  That act of kindness may be the catalyst that leads to them coming to a saving knowledge of Christ.

Lastly, one of the greatest acts of kindness we can show, is to share the gospel with others.  By sharing the gospel, we can in effect share the love that God has for all of us.  If that leads to that person's salvation, then that act of kindness changed their eternal destination.

Hope you enjoyed reading this.  And I hope you received a blessing from it. Thanks for reading, and God bless you all this week!a

What Would Your Letter Say?

Hi all!  It feels good to have the opportunity to write again.  Lots of things have been going on that have left me unable to post for a while, but with a small bit of free time, I felt that today would be a good day to begin again.  I have recently begun to question many things about my life.  No, I am not having a mid-life crisis.  That would be kind of sad to think that I would only live to see 60.  But more so, If I could have a one on one conversation with God, what would He say about me.  How would He feel about the way I am living and the things that I am doing.  While reading through my bible, I came across an interesting set of scripture.

Romans 1:7-10
"to all who are beloved of God in Rome, called as saints: Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.  First, I thank my God through Jesus Christ for you all, because your faith is being proclaimed throughout the whole world. For God, whom I serve in my spirit in the preaching of the gospel of His Son, is my witness as to how unceasingly I make mention of you, always in my prayers making request, if perhaps now at last by the will of God I may succeed in coming to you."

 Wouldn't it be cool to get a letter from one of the Apostles?  Or even better, from God?  The book of Romans is nothing more than a letter that Paul wrote to the church at Rome.  We know that this letter was intended for the church(body of believers) because it is addressed to those called as saints.  In the same fashion as he does with all of his letters, Paul includes a message of grace to those in which he writes.  But the next part is what struck me.  He made sure to let them know that he was thanking God for them!  WOW!  Now there is a way to make a believer feel good.  But why?  Because their faith was being proclaimed throughout the whole world.  At this point in time, Paul was in Corinth which is around 1000 miles away.  And he was getting news of the faith of that church and its spread.  The people were sharing the Gospel and maturing in their faith.  And this gave Paul a since of pride, even though He, at this point, had never been to Rome.

What would your letter say?  Would you be praised for your faith, and all of the good things that you are doing?  What would it say?

Thanks for reading, and God bless you all!

Thoughts of Living Every Day

I am one excited individual.  This week marks the two year birthday of this blog!  Writing these devotions has been a great blessing to me.  I have seen more clearly how God can move in my life.  I have had the opportunity to expound on the things that I have learned through my experiences.  But in thinking of something to write for this week as a good 2nd birthday for this blog I was a little puzzled.  Maybe this could be from my not being able to post as often as I would like because of circumstances being what they are.  But, every time that I find myself in a struggle, God is always there.  So, today, I will begin a new commitment.  I will try to do the same for those that I see in my life.  How? Here is a list of things I will try to do everyday in my life.  Why everyday?  Because life is too short and we are none guaranteed tomorrow.

1.  I am going to pray a little more.

I have been guilty a lot of wallowing in my troubles, and not praising for the good times.  I guess that is just one area in my life that I struggle to deal with.  I get so caught up with life that sometimes God takes a backseat to what I want, and what I feel I need.  So, starting today, I am going to make it a point to pray more each and everyday.  To try never to place God in the backseat of my life, but in the driver seat.

Psalm 71:1-3
"In You, O Lord, I have taken refuge; Let me never be ashamed.  In Your righteousness deliver me and rescue me; Incline Your ear to me and save me.  Be to me a rock of habitation to which I may continually come; You have given commandment to save me, For You are my rock and my fortress."

I will trust in Him more every day.  Because I know that nothing in this world matters more than the will of the One who causes my every breath.

2.  I am going to seek to be more forgiving.

Oh my at the things that I have done wrong in my life.  If it were not for grace and the forgiveness of God, I would have no hope in this life.  I admit that I sin everyday, and I need His forgiveness.  However, sometimes I find it hard to be forgiving to others.

Matthew 6:14-15
^" For if you forgive others for their transgressions, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive others, then your Father will not forgive your transgressions."

What right do I have not to forgive someone for a wrong that has been done to me.  Begging God to forgive me, yet not returning that favor to my fellow man is kind of hypocritical.  God loves that person just as much as He loves me.  And God will forgive that person, if they are truly saved, and so should I.  We are not going to get along with everyone we come across, and we will not always agree.  But we all are children of God, and we have a witness to display to the lost.  They have a chance to view God's forgiveness when they see it in us.

3.  I am going to do more to help those in need.

Sometimes I feel so ashamed for the attitudes that I carry.  God has blessed me above and beyond what I deserve.  And sometimes I fail to see that there are others around me that have less than me.  And sometimes I fear to reach out because I worry about what I want, not what they need.

Matthew 25:34-40
"Then the King will say to those on His right, ‘Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry, and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger, and you invited Me in; naked, and you clothed Me; I was sick, and you visited Me; I was in prison, and you came to Me.’ Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry, and feed You, or thirsty, and give You something to drink? And when did we see You a stranger, and invite You in, or naked, and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?’ The King will answer and say to them, ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to Me.’"

I may not have much to offer, but anytime that I am able to help those in need around me, I will try.

Again these are areas in my life that I commit to do better.  What about you?  Are there areas in your life that you feel are in need of a big tune up?  If so, why not join me in a commitment to do better this year.


Thanks for reading, and I pray that God will bless you all this week.

Thoughts for the New Year

Is it just me or has 2012 flown by?  It seems to have come and gone in a whirlwind, and left many of us wondering at what all has happened over the past year.  Did we accomplish our goals that we set out to do?  Did we make a difference somehow in this world that we live?  Many times a lot of us make new resolutions for what we want to accomplish in the upcoming year.  Things that we hope will last more than a week, when in reality they don't.  Still, we have this hope for future things.  And as Christians, we sometimes find ourselves asking what can we do this year?  And, can we stick to it?  It all seems to focus around change.  Yet, there is always a fear of the unknown when change comes around.

Jeremiah 29:11-13
"For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the Lord, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will listen to you. You will seek Me and find Me when you search for Me with all your heart."

This verse really rings true to any believer.  In whatever we plan to be different for this year, God already knows about it.  And as long as we are seeking His will in our lives as the driving force for the changes that we want to make, we have no reason to fear.  All of us were born with a purpose.  A purpose designed by God before the creation of the world.  He knows our beginning, our end, and everything in between.  And the plans are for our own good.  Contrary to what you may hear from some people, everything that happens in our lives is for our good.  God does not delight in bad things happening to us.  He has a future for us, and that should give us hope for what is to come.  And when we pray, He listens.  When we seek Him with all of our heart, we will find Him. 

So now that we have no reason to fear this new beginning, what now?  I have three things that I believe will help us as we look forward to 2013.

1.  Forget the Past  
 
Philippians 3:13-14
"Brethren, I do not regard myself as having laid hold of it yet; but one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and reaching forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus."

Whatever has happened last year, be it good or bad, it is in the past.  We cannot go back and change what has happened in our lives.  Many people spend a lot of time dwelling on this.  A famous quote I hear a lot "If I knew then, what I know now" comes to mind.  That is a chapter in our lives that has come to a close.  We must leave it in the past and reach forward to the future and what God has prepared for us in it.  There are new challenges, new opportunities for service, and new blessings on the horizon.  In the end, there is a robe and a crown of life waiting on us.  That is what we are working toward.  We must live each day with the end in site.  Thinking of heaven makes every little thing that happens here seem not worth worrying about.

2.  Wait on the Lord

Isaiah 40:31
"Yet those who wait for the Lord Will gain new strength; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary." 

We must understand that things will happen in God's timing and not our own.  His plan has been laid out in our lives, and nothing is going to change that.  We must take comfort in that, and let God lead.  Many times we tend to take matters into our own hands.  Because lets face it, none of us are very patient people in this day and time.  I know that I am not.  And when we do, we tend to make a mess of things.  But God has a time and place set aside for everything.  And His timing is perfect.

Ecclesiastes 3:11
"He has made everything appropriate in its time. He has also set eternity in their heart, yet so that man will not find out the work which God has done from the beginning even to the end." 

3.  Treat Each New Day as a Special Gift



Lamentations 3:22-24 
"The Lord’s lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail.  They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.  “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” 

Each new day is just that, a new day.  And each new day is a gift from God.  His love, compassion, forgiveness, mercy, grace extend to us brand new each day.  He is always there for us.  So, we likewise, need to be there for Him each and every day.  How can we do this?  We need to talk to Him, seek Him, and search for ways to serve Him.  We should be in a constant state of prayer.  Yes, He already knows what is on our hearts.  But, it is still important for us to pray.  Because our faith is based on a relationship.  And you cannot have a good relationship when one party is not communicating.  We seek His will in our lives by reading and studying our bibles.  The scripture is a written account of how He wants us to live.  If we try to model our lives based on these scriptures, we find ourselves drawing closer to His will in our lives.  Lastly, we need to serve.  Our main commandment is to witness to the lost.  This is not only done by the conversations that we have with others, but in the way that we live.  Our actions show who we truly are.  They are our biggest witness to this world.  We need to share the good news of His birth, and His death for all of our sins.

Perhaps you may be reading this today, and have never accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior.  If not, all of the hope that is mentioned above is not in your life.  For without Christ we have no hope.  I urge you to seek Him.  He can take anything that you are going through right now, and turn it around.  He can take your life and give you hope.

2 Corinthians 5:17
"Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come."  

He is the only one that can do this for you.  If you are seeking, I encourage you to click the tab at the top of this page for the Plan of Salvation.  Read through this, as it explains the need that we have for Christ.

I hope that you have enjoyed reading this devotion, and I hope that it helps with the hope of this new year.  I pray God will bless you all in 2013! 

We Three Kings?

I just love Christmas carols.  It is one of my favorite things to do this time of year.  I look forward to signing them at church, hearing them on the radio, and going Christmas caroling.  They really seem to lock in on the true meaning of this time of year.  We set aside time now to celebrate the coming of the King of Kings and Lord of Lords.  Now was Christ really born on December 25th?  Probably not.  For more on that, you can read my post entitled Traditions for my beliefs and scripture about that.  However, there is one Christmas carol that I never did understand.  And that carol is "We Three Kings".  We're there really three Kings?  What does the bible say?  That is what I would like to talk about in this post.

Matthew 2:1-12
"Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem, saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we saw His star in the east and have come to worship Him.” When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. Gathering together all the chief priests and scribes of the people, he inquired of them where the Messiah was to be born. They said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea; for this is what has been written by the prophet:

‘And you, Bethlehem, land of Judah,
Are by no means least among the leaders of Judah;
For out of you shall come forth a Ruler
Who will shepherd My people Israel.’”

Then Herod secretly called the magi and determined from them the exact time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the Child; and when you have found Him, report to me, so that I too may come and worship Him.” After hearing the king, they went their way; and the star, which they had seen in the east, went on before them until it came and stood over the place where the Child was. When they saw the star, they rejoiced exceedingly with great joy. After coming into the house they saw the Child with Mary His mother; and they fell to the ground and worshiped Him. Then, opening their treasures, they presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. And having been warned by God in a dream not to return to Herod, the magi left for their own country by another way."

Now there is a lot of good information here in this text.  My first question is, how many were there?  Actually, we don't know.  It just says magi from the east.  We don't know if it was three, or three hundred.  It never really said.  All we know is that they brought three types of gifts.  Gold, which represents his Kingship, frankincense, which represents His royal Priesthood, and myrrh, which was symbolic of His death that would come on the cross for our sins.  And because of this we traditionally say that there were three of them.  But, we don't know for sure.

My next question is, were they kings?  That is not what the scripture says.  In the scripture above, it says that they were magi.  Now, historically, magi were known as wise men.  They were experts at astrology with there beginnings in Persia.  These were men, who spent their lives studying the stars and there movement to try to predict what was going to happen.  They were by no means kings.

My last question is, how did they know that the star in the sky was significant to the birth of Christ?  They were not Jews.  They were from Persia.  So how did they know?

Daniel 2:46-49
"Then King Nebuchadnezzar fell on his face and did homage to Daniel, and gave orders to present to him an offering and fragrant incense. The king answered Daniel and said, “Surely your God is a God of gods and a Lord of kings and a revealer of mysteries, since you have been able to reveal this mystery.” Then the king promoted Daniel and gave him many great gifts, and he made him ruler over the whole province of Babylon and chief prefect over all the wise men of Babylon. And Daniel made request of the king, and he appointed Shadrach, Meshach and Abed-nego over the administration of the province of Babylon, while Daniel was at the king’s court."

I just love how God can take a bad situation and turn it good.  Daniel was taken from his home when Judah fell to the Persians almost 600 years before the birth of Christ.  During that time, he was a part of interpreting many prophecies about the coming of Christ and the End Times.  And because of this, he was made the ruler of the "wise men".  WOW!  I am sure that he took the opportunity to share the prophecies with the wise men under his charge.  Including his 70 weeks prophecy, which talked of the coming of the King, and the Tribulation.  At the end of the 69th week, Christ would enter the gates of Jerusalem.

I know that at the time of the birth that it was getting close to the time of that entry into Jerusalem, and the magi, that at one time were under Daniel, must have been looking for a sign of the coming of the King, which was His star.

Numbers 24:17  
"I see him, but not now;
I behold him, but not near;
A star shall come forth from Jacob,
A scepter shall rise from Israel,
And shall crush through the forehead of Moab,
And tear down all the sons of Sheth." 

So, were there really three kings?  No.  But, there story is still a true sign that He is our Lord.  And I will still sing the song for that reason alone.  I hope that you all enjoyed this little study.

Thanks for reading, and God Bless you all this Christmas season.  

Getting Older

WOW!  Time sure does seem to fly by.  There are so many things going on in our lives that we sometimes forget to stop and look at what is going on around us.  Two weeks ago, I hit a milestone in my life.  I graduated into a new decade in my life.  I finally turned 30.  I will be honest, it was not something that I was looking forward to at first.  But, then I realized that it was just another marker in my life.  Something that I could definitely use as sort of a window to my past and to my future.  So what I am going to do in this post is to examine the decades in which I have lived, and then, look to the future as to where God would have me go.

0-10 years

Luke 18:15-17
"And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”

These were the great years.  These are the days that we all as adults wish that we could go back to sometimes, because life was simply and easy compared to what we go through today.  There was no worry on bills to pay, no job to rush to, no "responsibility" whatsoever.  I had a pretty good childhood.  I did not have as much as everyone else did.  But, my parents worked hard to provide a good life for us.  There was never a time that I had to wonder whether I was loved or not.  I also did not have an understanding of the world that my parents had.  Everything seemed so simple and easy to me.  Much the same as a new believer.  The concept of faith in Christ is not truly a hard concept to understand from a child's perspective.  Many times you can tell a child that something is true and they will just blindly trust you.  We need to be the same in our walk with Christ.  We need to be at a point that we put our full faith and trust in Christ, and all that He teaches.  And we cannot try to put our own spin on our salvation.

11-20 years

Psalms 25:6-8

"Remember, O Lord, Your compassion and Your lovingkindnesses, For they have been from of old.  Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions; According to Your lovingkindness remember me, For Your goodness’ sake, O Lord.  Good and upright is the Lord; Therefore He instructs sinners in the way."

These were the hard years.  This is the time in my life where I truly started to question God and His promise.  No longer was I satisfied with the "just because it says so" answer.  I lost my childhood faith as I grew.  I found that this was a time of many mistakes and repentance.  I rebelled against what I was taught, and surly gave my family some sleepless nights.  But such is true of all those that are of the world.  It wasn't until I was 14 when God truly opened my eyes to who He was.  And how bad that I needed Him.  And I gave my life to Him.  And it was at this time that I failed the most.  I was pulled by the things and temptations of the world.  Much is the same for a new believer.  There are going to be many trials in the beginning.  Temptations seem to be stronger as we begin our faith.  But, those mistakes are not necessarily a bad thing.

21-30 years

Philippians 1:6
"For I am confident of this very thing, that He who began a good work in you will perfect it until the day of Christ Jesus." 

This was a time of growth for me.  I had matured out of the foolishness of my thoughts and actions.  I moved to a point that I knew that I was responsible for my faith, and I knew that I had to act on it.  Did I still make mistakes?  Yes, numerous.  However, I found that my mistakes were important to me.  They showed me where my sins were.  They showed me the way in which I needed to turn.  It is much like the Old Testament Law.  It is not there to condemn us, but to show our sins to us.  I saw the sins of my youth, and I worked hard in these years to learn and increase in my faith.  My mistakes were also a way to show that God was still there.  Because no matter the sin I committed, God was right there with me.  I felt conviction from the Spirit inside of me to repent.  With all this in mind, I began to grow.  I began to study more to seek out God's will in my life.  I also looked to find where my shortcomings were, based on past experience, so that I could make the necessary changes.  This represents the time in a believer's life where they begin to need the meat of understanding.  They have moved on from the milk as described in 1 Corinthians 3 and Hebrews 5.

30+ years

Philippians 1:9-11
"And this I pray, that your love may abound still more and more in real knowledge and all discernment, so that you may approve the things that are excellent, in order to be sincere and blameless until the day of Christ; having been filled with the fruit of righteousness which comes through Jesus Christ, to the glory and praise of God."

And I still have a lot to learn.  I find that there are new ways that I can grow everyday.  Our journey never ends while we are here on this earth.  What does the rest of my life hold?  I have no idea.  But one thing that I am certain in is that I will never be alone.  God has brought me this far, and no matter what, He will always be there for me.  Why?  Because I have put all my faith and hope in Him, and not in anything else.  I depend on Him for everything.  I need His guidance, and His forgiveness.  And my job is to keep on serving to the best of my ability until it is time for me to go home.  As I look to the future now, it is not in fear, but in hope, and anticipation.  What is God going to show me?  What is He going to help me through?  When I look back on these years, what will I have learned?  It is rather kind of exciting now.

Never again will I look at aging as something to be afraid of.  Yet, more of an adventure that is continuing in my life.  My story is not over.  Now, I do know how the story ends, and I take comfort in that.  What is exciting now is what is going to take place between here and then.  Because nothing is more important than my relationship with my Lord.

Thanks for reading, and God Bless You all this week.