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!
Showing posts with label Forgiveness. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Forgiveness. Show all posts
Wednesday, October 9, 2013
Friday, March 8, 2013
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
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
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
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.
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.
Friday, December 7, 2012
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
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.
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.
Friday, July 27, 2012
Dropping the Stones
I have felt under a lot of conviction the last couple of months. It seems that Christianity has been under attack from all sides here lately. And I have been on the attack back. But not in the way that I should. I have used phrases such as "They will get what's coming to them", "They make me sick", and even "Society would be better without them." However, my feelings and words towards them was way out of line. They do not fall into line with my Christian beliefs. What was in my heart towards these people and individuals was hatred. I began to have a change of heart with some study.
John 8:1-11
"But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “ He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “ I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
What I had done, was carry a stone in my hand. I looked at the sin in peoples lives and allowed myself to be judgmental of them and their lifestyles. And I began to realize, what do I expect them to do? It is obvious they do not have Christ in their lives. They are unable to see the sin in their lives. And they do not understand when we debate them because there is no way they can understand.
1 Corinthians 1:18
"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
To enter into a debate with them is of no use. Even scripture teaches that they cannot understand. Does it make it okay for them to live in this lifestyle. Absolutely not. Everything that we know and believe teaches that it is wrong. But, are we truly any better? We have sin in our lives and sin everyday.
1 John 1:8-9
"If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
The only thing that separates us from the ones that hate and persecute us is that we have confessed our sins and asked forgiveness for them. Every time that we pray, we ask forgiveness of our sins. We want Christ our Lord to look at us through grace. And by grace receive forgiveness. And yet when we look at the lost that continue to persecute us, we look at them through the law. We do not always see them in the same light as Christ saw us before we were saved. Christ loves us, all of us. Not just His church, but all of the world.
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
He loved the entire world. Those that would believe and those who would not. Christ died for everyone. We need to see that it is the sin in their lives that makes them this way. It should break our hearts for them when we see them, because we know what they do have. And we know where that will lead them. And that is never a good thing, no matter who they are. We need to love them, show compassion to them, and most importantly, share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ. This needs to be our mission in life. We need to share with them His birth, life, teachings, death, and resurrection. We need to pray for them daily, and make Jesus the center of all conversations with them. And we need to let the stones fall from our hands.
Thanks for reading, and God Bless you all this week!
John 8:1-11
"But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, they *said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “ He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “ I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”
What I had done, was carry a stone in my hand. I looked at the sin in peoples lives and allowed myself to be judgmental of them and their lifestyles. And I began to realize, what do I expect them to do? It is obvious they do not have Christ in their lives. They are unable to see the sin in their lives. And they do not understand when we debate them because there is no way they can understand.
1 Corinthians 1:18
"For the word of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God."
To enter into a debate with them is of no use. Even scripture teaches that they cannot understand. Does it make it okay for them to live in this lifestyle. Absolutely not. Everything that we know and believe teaches that it is wrong. But, are we truly any better? We have sin in our lives and sin everyday.
1 John 1:8-9
"If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness."
The only thing that separates us from the ones that hate and persecute us is that we have confessed our sins and asked forgiveness for them. Every time that we pray, we ask forgiveness of our sins. We want Christ our Lord to look at us through grace. And by grace receive forgiveness. And yet when we look at the lost that continue to persecute us, we look at them through the law. We do not always see them in the same light as Christ saw us before we were saved. Christ loves us, all of us. Not just His church, but all of the world.
John 3:16
"For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life."
He loved the entire world. Those that would believe and those who would not. Christ died for everyone. We need to see that it is the sin in their lives that makes them this way. It should break our hearts for them when we see them, because we know what they do have. And we know where that will lead them. And that is never a good thing, no matter who they are. We need to love them, show compassion to them, and most importantly, share with them the gospel of Jesus Christ. This needs to be our mission in life. We need to share with them His birth, life, teachings, death, and resurrection. We need to pray for them daily, and make Jesus the center of all conversations with them. And we need to let the stones fall from our hands.
Thanks for reading, and God Bless you all this week!
Thursday, May 17, 2012
Showing God's Love in Bad Situations
This week, so far, has probably been the hardest for me as a believer. I have always been one to look for God in all things good and bad. I have counseled many people on dealing with trials. And I finally felt that I was at the point of full reliance on God in every situation. I felt that I had obtained an understanding of true love for people of this earth. Whether they were a brother or sister in Christ, or a lost person, I have tried to deal with them in understanding of the big picture of things. But, in this, God showed me that I still have a lot of work to do.
Two days ago my wife, Jennifer, was involved in a bad automobile accident. She had spent the day with a good friend from the church. She had our three year old daughter, and our 11 month old daughter with her. On the way home, someone had crossed the yellow line in a curve. My wife swerved to miss the car, and ended up up-side down in a ditch full of water. My two little girls hung up-side down in their car-seats in the back of the vehicle. The man that ran them off the road fled the scene. My wife was in an area with barely any cell reception, and is not sure how long it was before someone saw the car in the ditch, and stopped to help. Thank God, they were okay. My two little ones did not have a scratch on them, and my wife has no cuts, scratches, or broken bones, but is pretty banged up. I am just so thankful that I was able to put them in my van and drive them all home from the hospital in relative good shape that evening.
The problem in this was my feelings toward the man that ran them off the road and did not stop. I felt feelings of anger and disdain for him. Why did he flee? Why did he leave my wife and daughters in that situation without even checking on them. I had a lot of bad things to say about that individual while I was at the scene trying to console my wife and take care of my girls. Thoughts come to my mind as to what I would do if I found out who he was. This is where I fell. I let my anger for this person to cause me to fall into sin.
Here are a few verses that come to mind when I came to the realization of my sin.
Matthew 7:12
"In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
Luke 6:27-33
"But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 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."
You know, it seems pointless to let anger and hate come into your life for someone that you do not even know. Will I ever know who was responsible? Probably not. Have I forgiven him? Yes, although I have to remind myself to do so every time I see my wife in pain, or look at the wrecked vehicle. But what other alternative do I have but to forgive him. Doesn't Christ forgive me daily for my sins? He died because of mine. So what right do I have not to forgive when, as bad as it was, the outcome was minor compared to what Christ suffered? I do not know what was/is going on with that person right now, but I pray for him too when I pray for my wife.
So what have I learned from this awful account? I have learned to cherish the time I have with my loved ones. Because the fact that they can be taken away at a moments notice has become very real to me. I have learned a hard lesson about forgiving and praying for those who hurt me, whether I feel that they deserve it or not. I have learned also, that there is far more for me to learn about God's grace, love and mercy.
Thanks for reading, and God Bless you all this week!
Two days ago my wife, Jennifer, was involved in a bad automobile accident. She had spent the day with a good friend from the church. She had our three year old daughter, and our 11 month old daughter with her. On the way home, someone had crossed the yellow line in a curve. My wife swerved to miss the car, and ended up up-side down in a ditch full of water. My two little girls hung up-side down in their car-seats in the back of the vehicle. The man that ran them off the road fled the scene. My wife was in an area with barely any cell reception, and is not sure how long it was before someone saw the car in the ditch, and stopped to help. Thank God, they were okay. My two little ones did not have a scratch on them, and my wife has no cuts, scratches, or broken bones, but is pretty banged up. I am just so thankful that I was able to put them in my van and drive them all home from the hospital in relative good shape that evening.
The problem in this was my feelings toward the man that ran them off the road and did not stop. I felt feelings of anger and disdain for him. Why did he flee? Why did he leave my wife and daughters in that situation without even checking on them. I had a lot of bad things to say about that individual while I was at the scene trying to console my wife and take care of my girls. Thoughts come to my mind as to what I would do if I found out who he was. This is where I fell. I let my anger for this person to cause me to fall into sin.
Here are a few verses that come to mind when I came to the realization of my sin.
Matthew 7:12
"In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets."
Luke 6:27-33
"But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 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."
You know, it seems pointless to let anger and hate come into your life for someone that you do not even know. Will I ever know who was responsible? Probably not. Have I forgiven him? Yes, although I have to remind myself to do so every time I see my wife in pain, or look at the wrecked vehicle. But what other alternative do I have but to forgive him. Doesn't Christ forgive me daily for my sins? He died because of mine. So what right do I have not to forgive when, as bad as it was, the outcome was minor compared to what Christ suffered? I do not know what was/is going on with that person right now, but I pray for him too when I pray for my wife.
So what have I learned from this awful account? I have learned to cherish the time I have with my loved ones. Because the fact that they can be taken away at a moments notice has become very real to me. I have learned a hard lesson about forgiving and praying for those who hurt me, whether I feel that they deserve it or not. I have learned also, that there is far more for me to learn about God's grace, love and mercy.
Thanks for reading, and God Bless you all this week!
Thursday, January 19, 2012
Poor Peter: A Life Lesson
We are all confronted by our sins daily. Even as Christians, we still sin everyday. It is not something that we can help, because it is the nature of who we are. To me, I feel like a failure a lot of the times when I think back on some of the things that I have done, and think how in the world God could use me or even want me. Because there is nothing about me that will ever be good enough for Him that I could do on my own. This makes the awesomeness of His grace take so much meaning in my heart and mind. Yet, I still struggle and make mistakes.
This reminds me of a sermon that I was blessed to be able to give a year or two ago. I was asked to fill in for my pastor while he was on vacation. I love the opportunity to share with my church from the pulpit on such occasions, and it is a great honor that my pastor trusts me enough to do so. I gave a sermon on the life of Peter, which I believe we all have a connection with in the way we live our lives. So I am going to give a brief synopsis here of that life lesson and how it may give some encouragement in times when we feel like we just mess up too much.
1. The Call of Peter
Luke 5:1-8
"Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!""
I believe that Christ will call every man and woman in the right time. And He usually does it in a way that is up close and personal to that person. Many people will tell you that Christ got in the boat just to distance Himself from the crowd. That is probably true, and I have no issue with that, but I believe there was another reason also. I believe He wanted to be up close and personal with Peter. Peter was right there in the front row, so to speak, for the sermon. And then, Christ performed a miracle right there for Peter to get his attention. To show Peter who He was, and that He wanted Peter to follow. Christ does the same with us. When He calls us to be saved, it is a personal event. We sometimes feel like a sermon was meant solely for us, and no one else seems to be in the room. At least that is how it felt for me when I surrendered to Christ almost 15 years ago.
2. Making the Mistakes
Matthew 14:28-31
"Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”"
Matthew 18:21-22
"Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."
Mark 8:31-33
"And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and *said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”"
Mark 14:37-38
"And He *came and *found them sleeping, and *said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”"
Mark 14:71-72
"But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about!” Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he began to weep."
After Peter's acceptance of Christ and the beginning of his walk with Christ, we see that Peter made a lot of mistakes. The examples above are but a few of them. Peter was always known to be the one to ask why about every situation as well. Sometimes we feel this way. We always want answers, we always make those mistakes just like Peter. The great thing though, is the love and patience that Christ had for Peter. Even with all the problems that Peter had, God still had a plan to use Peter.
Peter's Commissioning
John 21:14-18
"So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 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."
It is here that we see that Jesus was not done with Peter. After all he had done wrong, after denying Christ, Christ still wanted him. He still wanted to use Peter for great things. And Peter became the leader of the church after the resurrection. Peter became a great man for God. We can see this all through the book of Acts. Did he still mess up? Yes, lets not forget the incident with Paul rebuking him with separating himself from the gentile believers. But, God still had a plan for Peter.
The same is true for us. We are going to make mistakes every day. We are going to fail occasionally. But, that does not mean that God is not still in control of our lives. He can still use us inspite of all that if we will surrender ourselves to Him. His grace is greater than all yours and my sins.
Thanks for reading, and God bless you all this week!
This reminds me of a sermon that I was blessed to be able to give a year or two ago. I was asked to fill in for my pastor while he was on vacation. I love the opportunity to share with my church from the pulpit on such occasions, and it is a great honor that my pastor trusts me enough to do so. I gave a sermon on the life of Peter, which I believe we all have a connection with in the way we live our lives. So I am going to give a brief synopsis here of that life lesson and how it may give some encouragement in times when we feel like we just mess up too much.
1. The Call of Peter
Luke 5:1-8
"Now it happened that while the crowd was pressing around Him and listening to the word of God, He was standing by the lake of Gennesaret; and He saw two boats lying at the edge of the lake; but the fishermen had gotten out of them and were washing their nets. And He got into one of the boats, which was Simon’s, and asked him to put out a little way from the land. And He sat down and began teaching the people from the boat. When He had finished speaking, He said to Simon, “Put out into the deep water and let down your nets for a catch.” Simon answered and said, “Master, we worked hard all night and caught nothing, but I will do as You say and let down the nets.” When they had done this, they enclosed a great quantity of fish, and their nets began to break; so they signaled to their partners in the other boat for them to come and help them. And they came and filled both of the boats, so that they began to sink. But when Simon Peter saw that, he fell down at Jesus’ feet, saying, “Go away from me Lord, for I am a sinful man!""
I believe that Christ will call every man and woman in the right time. And He usually does it in a way that is up close and personal to that person. Many people will tell you that Christ got in the boat just to distance Himself from the crowd. That is probably true, and I have no issue with that, but I believe there was another reason also. I believe He wanted to be up close and personal with Peter. Peter was right there in the front row, so to speak, for the sermon. And then, Christ performed a miracle right there for Peter to get his attention. To show Peter who He was, and that He wanted Peter to follow. Christ does the same with us. When He calls us to be saved, it is a personal event. We sometimes feel like a sermon was meant solely for us, and no one else seems to be in the room. At least that is how it felt for me when I surrendered to Christ almost 15 years ago.
2. Making the Mistakes
Matthew 14:28-31
"Peter said to Him, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” And He said, “Come!” And Peter got out of the boat, and walked on the water and came toward Jesus. But seeing the wind, he became frightened, and beginning to sink, he cried out, “Lord, save me!” Immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and took hold of him, and *said to him, “You of little faith, why did you doubt?”"
Matthew 18:21-22
"Then Peter came and said to Him, “Lord, how often shall my brother sin against me and I forgive him? Up to seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you, up to seven times, but up to seventy times seven."
Mark 8:31-33
"And He began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. And He was stating the matter plainly. And Peter took Him aside and began to rebuke Him. But turning around and seeing His disciples, He rebuked Peter and *said, “Get behind Me, Satan; for you are not setting your mind on God’s interests, but man’s.”"
Mark 14:37-38
"And He *came and *found them sleeping, and *said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not keep watch for one hour? Keep watching and praying that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.”"
Mark 14:71-72
"But he began to curse and swear, “I do not know this man you are talking about!” Immediately a rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had made the remark to him, “Before a rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.” And he began to weep."
After Peter's acceptance of Christ and the beginning of his walk with Christ, we see that Peter made a lot of mistakes. The examples above are but a few of them. Peter was always known to be the one to ask why about every situation as well. Sometimes we feel this way. We always want answers, we always make those mistakes just like Peter. The great thing though, is the love and patience that Christ had for Peter. Even with all the problems that Peter had, God still had a plan to use Peter.
Peter's Commissioning
John 21:14-18
"So when they had finished breakfast, Jesus *said to Simon Peter, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me more than these?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Tend My lambs.” He *said to him again a second time, “Simon, son of John, do you love Me?” He *said to Him, “Yes, Lord; You know that I love You.” He *said to him, “Shepherd My sheep.” 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."
It is here that we see that Jesus was not done with Peter. After all he had done wrong, after denying Christ, Christ still wanted him. He still wanted to use Peter for great things. And Peter became the leader of the church after the resurrection. Peter became a great man for God. We can see this all through the book of Acts. Did he still mess up? Yes, lets not forget the incident with Paul rebuking him with separating himself from the gentile believers. But, God still had a plan for Peter.
The same is true for us. We are going to make mistakes every day. We are going to fail occasionally. But, that does not mean that God is not still in control of our lives. He can still use us inspite of all that if we will surrender ourselves to Him. His grace is greater than all yours and my sins.
Thanks for reading, and God bless you all this week!
Wednesday, January 4, 2012
Starting Things Anew
Happy New Years everyone!!!!!!!!! 2011 brought many joys and some sorrows to my life. I am thankful to make it through to another year. I was blessed when my wife gave birth to our third child, Lauren. She was a band-aid on broken hearts as 2010 left us with two miscarriages. I am blessed to still be employed in a rocky economy, and I was blessed to start this blog in January of last year. Writing here on this page has really increased my focus on God, and what He wants from me here on this earth. I pray that God will continue to bless me in writing this blog, and that He will use it to His glory, and not mine.
Traditionally, everyone this year likes to come up with a New Year's resolution. Something that we are going to try better to do this year, that we could not do last year. While viewing the news last week, a learned of a poll that was done that said that 85% of people quit on their resolution in the first month, and 90% never make it past the second month. I can honestly say that I am in the 85% group that never makes it past the first month. I have finally got to the point that I did not make them anymore. But, I noticed that all of them were of a physical nature. I wanted to lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier, etc. All things that I tried to do on my own for me. There was never any inclusion of God in what I was doing. So I decided to do things a little differently a year or two ago. Instead, I just try to take a good honest look at my spiritual life, and see where I need the most work, and do my best to work on it that year. And I pray for God's guidance and help to get me through. Is it always easy, no, absolutely not. Will I fail? I will probably make many mistakes along the way, and there will be consequences I am sure. But, I know that God is right there with me.
This caused me to think on the story of King David. The first time we see David is in 1 Samuel 16. He was hand picked by God to become King of Israel. David was faithful to God. He demonstrated that in the killing of Goliath in chapter 17 of that same book as well as the rest of 1 Samuel and the beginning of 2 Samuel. However, in chapter 11 of 2 Samuel, we see David fall. It is here that he falls to sin in the murder of Uriah and the affair with Bathsheba. This was certainly not a good time in David's life. We see his punishment with all that happens in his family afterwards. However, David does ask for forgiveness. He asked God for His help. And God was faithful. And because of this, David was able to persevere through his trials.
God will help you through things that are going on in your life.
Philippians 4:11-13
"Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 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. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
To those who are lost, there is a promise.
Romans 10:9-11
"That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”"
And once you are truly saved, you will be forever new.
2 Corinthians 5:16-18
"Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,"
So, with this new year, will you choose to make God a part of your resolution this year? If you are lost, and seeking God, I encourage you to click the link at the top of this page for the Plan of Salvation. If you are a believer, I hope that this will help you set good goals this year to help in your walk with God.
Thanks for reading and God Bless you all in 2012!
Traditionally, everyone this year likes to come up with a New Year's resolution. Something that we are going to try better to do this year, that we could not do last year. While viewing the news last week, a learned of a poll that was done that said that 85% of people quit on their resolution in the first month, and 90% never make it past the second month. I can honestly say that I am in the 85% group that never makes it past the first month. I have finally got to the point that I did not make them anymore. But, I noticed that all of them were of a physical nature. I wanted to lose weight, exercise more, eat healthier, etc. All things that I tried to do on my own for me. There was never any inclusion of God in what I was doing. So I decided to do things a little differently a year or two ago. Instead, I just try to take a good honest look at my spiritual life, and see where I need the most work, and do my best to work on it that year. And I pray for God's guidance and help to get me through. Is it always easy, no, absolutely not. Will I fail? I will probably make many mistakes along the way, and there will be consequences I am sure. But, I know that God is right there with me.
This caused me to think on the story of King David. The first time we see David is in 1 Samuel 16. He was hand picked by God to become King of Israel. David was faithful to God. He demonstrated that in the killing of Goliath in chapter 17 of that same book as well as the rest of 1 Samuel and the beginning of 2 Samuel. However, in chapter 11 of 2 Samuel, we see David fall. It is here that he falls to sin in the murder of Uriah and the affair with Bathsheba. This was certainly not a good time in David's life. We see his punishment with all that happens in his family afterwards. However, David does ask for forgiveness. He asked God for His help. And God was faithful. And because of this, David was able to persevere through his trials.
God will help you through things that are going on in your life.
Philippians 4:11-13
"Not that I speak from want, for I have learned to be content in whatever circumstances I am. 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. I can do all things through Him who strengthens me."
To those who are lost, there is a promise.
Romans 10:9-11
"That if you confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved; for with the heart a person believes, resulting in righteousness, and with the mouth he confesses, resulting in salvation. For the Scripture says, “WHOEVER BELIEVES IN HIM WILL NOT BE DISAPPOINTED.”"
And once you are truly saved, you will be forever new.
2 Corinthians 5:16-18
"Therefore from now on we recognize no one according to the flesh; even though we have known Christ according to the flesh, yet now we know Him in this way no longer. Therefore if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creature; the old things passed away; behold, new things have come. Now all these things are from God, who reconciled us to Himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation,"
So, with this new year, will you choose to make God a part of your resolution this year? If you are lost, and seeking God, I encourage you to click the link at the top of this page for the Plan of Salvation. If you are a believer, I hope that this will help you set good goals this year to help in your walk with God.
Thanks for reading and God Bless you all in 2012!
Monday, December 26, 2011
Aftermath of Christmas
WOW!!!! We had an amazing Chirstmas this year! We spent a lot of time with good family. There was more food than I could eat, but I tried anyway. There were presents galore, and the laughter and squeals of happy children was a constant reverberation everywhere we went. This truly was a wonderful holiday. But the question that I have is, what's next? One thing that I have noticed throughout the years, is that the day after Christmas mainly consists of children trying to play with all of their gifts. They even are adament that they bring their toys and gifts with them everywhere they go. And they seem to forget about all of the other things that they had before Christmas. This brought me to an interesting thought. What happened after Christ's birth?
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."
Christ was worshiped. Wise men from the east knew who this child was. I believe that they got their information from the prophet Daniel. While in captivity under the Babylonians, he rose to be a high ranking official as an interpreter of dreams. He probably told the magi hundreds of years before what to look for. The gifts brought were represenative of Christ's life, death, and Royalty. They recognized who He was and traveled a long way to worship.
Luke 2:20
"The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them."
So what should we be doing now? We should rejoice in His coming. We should offer praise and honor to Him for coming. Because His coming meant that we would have a way to obtain forgiveness for our sins, and gain eternal life in heaven with Him. We should also spread the Gospel. We know that He came. We know that He died. We should be sharing this wonderful gift with all that we come into contact with.
Now, I am not one for making new years resolutions. But, being it is directly after Christmas. I feel that I need to do just as the wise men and shephards did this new year. I am going to strive harder to give glory and praise to God for all that He has done and will do for me, and share this wonderful gift that has been given to me.
Thanks for reading, and God bless you all!
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."
Christ was worshiped. Wise men from the east knew who this child was. I believe that they got their information from the prophet Daniel. While in captivity under the Babylonians, he rose to be a high ranking official as an interpreter of dreams. He probably told the magi hundreds of years before what to look for. The gifts brought were represenative of Christ's life, death, and Royalty. They recognized who He was and traveled a long way to worship.
Luke 2:20
"The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them."
So what should we be doing now? We should rejoice in His coming. We should offer praise and honor to Him for coming. Because His coming meant that we would have a way to obtain forgiveness for our sins, and gain eternal life in heaven with Him. We should also spread the Gospel. We know that He came. We know that He died. We should be sharing this wonderful gift with all that we come into contact with.
Now, I am not one for making new years resolutions. But, being it is directly after Christmas. I feel that I need to do just as the wise men and shephards did this new year. I am going to strive harder to give glory and praise to God for all that He has done and will do for me, and share this wonderful gift that has been given to me.
Thanks for reading, and God bless you all!
Thursday, December 1, 2011
The Encounter
I recently had an opportunity to read a book entitled "The Encounter" by Stephen Arterburn. This is a story of dealing with anger, abandonment, and ultimately forgiveness. It was an easy read (I read it in one day), and the way the plot developed kept it interesting.
Synopsis:
The book begins with the main character making a trip to his hometown in Alaska. He is on a search for his biological mother who abandoned him at age four. He has had numerous problems with his anger that have made the news and tabloids many times, being that he is the owner of a Fortune 500 company. He was involved in many bad relationships and had the tendency to become violent with his employees. He even came to the point of attempting suicide. After that incident, one of his friend's invited him to church, where he met the pastor. The pastor counseled him to help him with his issues, and suggested that he find his true mother and make peace with her. While on his search, he begins to unveil much about his birth mother. There was a lot of evidence gathered that his mother really did love him, and did not want to be apart from him. The manner in which he meets his true mother is not as he expected, and the outcome tragic. Yet in the end, he does forgive and make peace with his mother, and makes plans to spend time with her to get to know her better.
My Thoughts on the Book:
I really enjoyed the message of this book on forgiveness. It teaches us that we should forgive those who do us wrong. The main character was so angry that he did not want to forgive her, but eventually learned the value of grace and forgiveness. It reminds me a lot of a set of verses in Luke.
Luke 6:27-36
"But I say to you who hear, love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. Whoever hits you on the cheek, offer him the other also; and whoever takes away your coat, do not withhold your shirt from him either. Give to everyone who asks of you, and whoever takes away what is yours, do not demand it back. 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."
It is easy to forgive and treat kindly the people we know and love. But it is so much harder to do that than to someone who has hurt us. Even the lost understand the meaning of how to treat someone who loves you. But we as Christians, are set apart for the Gospel. We are in the world, but we have been called out by the one that is greater than the world, which is Christ Jesus. This means that we are going to be different, and this is one of the ways that we stand out. And it provides us with a great witness of the love of God.
The only thing about this book that I did not like, is that there is no indication of the main character getting saved anywhere. It does say that he went to a church, and that he learned to sing his mothers favorite hymn, yet no profession of salvation. I personally think that would have been a better ending.
About the author:
Stephen Arterburn is the founder and chairman of New Life Ministries—the nation’s largest faith-based broadcast, counseling and treatment ministry—and is the host of the nationally syndicated “New Life Live!” daily radio program heard on over 180 radio stations nationwide. Steve is also the founder of the Women of Faith conferences attended by over 3,000,000 women. As a best-selling author, Steve has written over 60 books, including the best selling Every Man’s series and his most recent book, "Reframe Your Life." He has been nominated for numerous writing awards and won three Gold Medallion awards for writing excellence. Steve has degrees from Baylor University and The University of North Texas as well as having obtained two honorary doctorate degrees.
This book was provided me free from the publisher by BookSneeze.com blog book reviewers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.
Monday, November 14, 2011
Devil in Pew Number Seven
I have never viewed myself as an avid reader until the last few years. As a matter of fact, I hated to read when I was a kid. However, when I got to college, I learned to enjoy reading. I just had to find a genre that suited me and that could keep my attention. I just finished reading a book entitled "The Devil in Pew Number Seven" by Rebecca Nichols Alonzo. It is a true story based on the life of the author. I found it hard at times to put down from reading. One of the reasons for my intrigue of this book is the location in which the story takes place. The backdrop is the Sellerstown community in Columbus County. This community is located about 5-10 minutes from where I currently reside, and about 15 minutes from where I grew up. I also recognize some of the people described in this book and know them personally. Although most of the events occurred before I was born, it is still pretty familiar to me. I am also overtaken by the message of this book. It shows how hard it is to bless and forgive those that persecute or try to hurt you.
Synopsis:
The book begins with an introduction to the parents of the author. It tells of how they met, and how their ministry got its start. As the book continues on, the author shares insight on all of the trials that her parents went through before their move to North Carolina. Once the move is made, the authors father makes great strides in work at the church that offered him a job. The church begins to grow, and bear fruit, much to the dismay of the antagonist in the story, who is a wealthy and powerful individual in the county. This sets up a chain of events in which this man tries everything in his power, legal and illegal to run this preacher out of town.
Now, I am not going to ruin the book for you by telling you how that it ends, and all of the details. What I will do is tell you that what I read was one of the greatest examples of practicing what you preach. Will all of the horrible acts perpetrated against this family, they stayed true to their faith. They always leaned on the Lord. There were constant reminders of scripture through all of the trials. And never once did the family seek its own revenge.
I particularly like the way the author ended the book. She ended it with certain truths that she learned from these experiences that helped her to draw even closer to God. And how that God manifested Himself to her, and had a forever effect on her life. This book was not only good reading, but an inspiration for those Christians who are going through many trials. I think that all I go through in my life does not even come close to what they went through. And if they can do it in the midst of their circumstances, then so can I. I encourage you all to take time to read this book.
Thanks, and God Bless You all this week!
I have in no way been compensated for my review of this book. These are my personal thoughts on the book.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Martyrs
Today at school we had the annual See You at the Pole rally before the day started. I have to admit that I was a little scared when I left for work this morning in a bad thunderstorm about how many would show up. So, when I got to work I stood out front to tell everyone that we would meet in the Library instead. And I was not prepared for what I saw when I got there. Talk about a WOW GOD moment! I had the biggest crowd that I have had in the 6 years I had been in charge of this. Now there has been a lot that has been said about having prayer time at school all over the country. And there has been some persecution. And I spoke with my pastor about this and what he said was very encouraging. He told me that it was an honor to be persecuted. Matthew 5:11-12 "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you." I begin to feel somewhat excited that I got to get a small piece of what all of the apostles and church leaders in the early church experienced.
This got me to thinking about all those who suffered because of their faith in God. The story of a martyr is not one of sadness and pity, but of power and victory. From time to time on this blog I will be posting the story of a martyr for the Lord. Not to gain sympathy for what we believe, but to offer encouragement that we are not alone. That God will also be with us through everything we face. I find it fitting that the first martyr be the subject of my first martyr post; Stephen.
Acts 7:54-60
"Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep."
Stephen was a devout man of God. The end of chapter 6 of the book of Acts tells of all the wonders, and how that no one could stand against the Word that he taught through the spirit. So the Jews conspired against him and claimed that He blasphemed against Moses and God. (The word blaspheme can also be translated as slander) So, he was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin to be questioned. When he spoke to them, he retold the story of Abraham through all of the prophets, and compared the religious leaders to the Jews that would not follow God and resisted the spirit. For this, He was stoned. However, the part of the story that stands out the most was his attitude. He asked the Lord not to hold this sin against them. With his dying breath he prayed for those who killed him.
There is much to learn here from Stephen. He was not afraid to tell others about Christ. He was bold and courageous. And when it cost him his life, he was not angry at the situation, he was not mad at those who killed him. Yet, he loved them. He prayed for them. I hope that we all can be strong like Stephen. Anytime we face persecution for what we believe, I pray that I can have the same attitude as he did.
Thanks for reading, and God Bless You All this week!
This got me to thinking about all those who suffered because of their faith in God. The story of a martyr is not one of sadness and pity, but of power and victory. From time to time on this blog I will be posting the story of a martyr for the Lord. Not to gain sympathy for what we believe, but to offer encouragement that we are not alone. That God will also be with us through everything we face. I find it fitting that the first martyr be the subject of my first martyr post; Stephen.
Acts 7:54-60
"Now when they heard this, they were cut to the quick, and they began gnashing their teeth at him. But being full of the Holy Spirit, he gazed intently into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God; and he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.” But they cried out with a loud voice, and covered their ears and rushed at him with one impulse. When they had driven him out of the city, they began stoning him; and the witnesses laid aside their robes at the feet of a young man named Saul. They went on stoning Stephen as he called on the Lord and said, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit!” Then falling on his knees, he cried out with a loud voice, “Lord, do not hold this sin against them!” Having said this, he fell asleep."
Stephen was a devout man of God. The end of chapter 6 of the book of Acts tells of all the wonders, and how that no one could stand against the Word that he taught through the spirit. So the Jews conspired against him and claimed that He blasphemed against Moses and God. (The word blaspheme can also be translated as slander) So, he was arrested and brought before the Sanhedrin to be questioned. When he spoke to them, he retold the story of Abraham through all of the prophets, and compared the religious leaders to the Jews that would not follow God and resisted the spirit. For this, He was stoned. However, the part of the story that stands out the most was his attitude. He asked the Lord not to hold this sin against them. With his dying breath he prayed for those who killed him.
There is much to learn here from Stephen. He was not afraid to tell others about Christ. He was bold and courageous. And when it cost him his life, he was not angry at the situation, he was not mad at those who killed him. Yet, he loved them. He prayed for them. I hope that we all can be strong like Stephen. Anytime we face persecution for what we believe, I pray that I can have the same attitude as he did.
Thanks for reading, and God Bless You All this week!
Tuesday, September 13, 2011
What do we do with Grace?
One of the many parts of my job that I enjoy is being a coach. I love to get outside after school, and play. I often times get on the field and go through the drills with my team. I want them to know that I will do the same as I ask them to. It builds a level of trust with my athletes. Along with this, at times, I can become very "loud" at some of our practices and soccer matches. I have been known to throw my hat past the bench area, and speak my mind to an official occasionally in maybe a not so nice fashion. I really get into what I am doing, and I want to win. I want my team to be a success. Now, we do pray before every game starts. And I am always saying to God that I want to represent Him well. And sometimes I end up ignoring that all together. I feel ashamed sometimes when the game is over and I am on my way home for the way that I spoke or carried myself during a game. I have even contacted an official a couple of days later to apologize for the way that I spoke. This led me to think on what are we doing with the Grace that God gives us. Ephesians 1:7 reads "In Him we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of His grace." By His grace, we are saved. Because none of us is worthy on our own to be saved. It is because He was gracious enough to send His Son to die for our sins. Christ suffered, bleed, was beaten, and crucified just because He loved us, and wanted us to spend eternity with Him. How do we repay this grace? A lot of times we use it to enable us to sin. What I mean by this is that sometimes people say that it is okay to slip up because God will forgive them. Or, I will just ask God to forgive me after I do this, or later on when I get older. That is not what grace is. Will God forgive us? Yes, but we need to strive to live our lives in a manner that is pleasing to Him. We need to look at grace as our lifeline to reach eternity, rather than to trample it when things don't go our way. We always need to be mindful of God, and act as if we are truly thankful. Not just something to fall back on. We need to be proactive about being a good witness to those around us all the time. We need to be truly thankful for the gift of grace. I think of my children at their birthdays. When the get the one gift that they wanted the most, they hug everybody, they are so thankful and joyous, and cannot wait to play with their new possession. When was the last time we acted the same way towards God for His gift of grace? So happy and thankful. And we cannot wait to apply it in every aspect of our lives. So the question is today, What do we really do with God's grace?
Thanks and God bless you all this week
Thanks and God bless you all this week
Monday, June 20, 2011
I Need a Re-do!
Since I have begun with this blog, I feel that I have become pretty computer savy. I have learned to do things that I could not imagine. However, with all that I have learned to do with computers, I still make some careless mistakes. Sometimes I wish that I would have spent more time paying attention in my grammer classes and computer classes growing up. It is so nice having things like spell check, and grammer check. However, my favorite feature is the Undo button. I have had the occasional erase everything by accident moment when typing research papers and coming up with assingments for my students at school. Thankfully there is always the Undo button at the top that I can click and my work would go back to like it was before my error. In a way, that is how Christ is. At one time in our history man was perfect. There was a time when Adam and Eve were sinless. But, because of their sin in the garden, a curse was passed down to all mankind. We were separated from God. The sin in our lives acts like a divide that pulls us out of the perfect will of God in which we were designed. We were a great mistake in the history of life. With all these mistakes, Jesus came, lived a perfect life, and died so that we could become rightous. He is our Undo button. His love and grace can undo all that we do, and all that we have become. Christ is the only way to cover our sins, kind of like what the older generation used white out for. There is none other holy enough, or great enough to forgive those sins. John 14:6 reads, I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life, and no one comes to the Father but by me. He is our advocate. He is the one that makes intercession to the Father on our behalf. I like knowing that I have an undo button here on this earth. It is nice to know that when I make mistakes in this life, that I have a Savior great enough to undo it for me. Thank God I am saved.
Thanks for reading, and God bless you all this week!
Thanks for reading, and God bless you all this week!
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