I was preparing for a message yesterday for the football team at Pedro. Yes, it has been one of those weeks where I am actually still preparing the day of which is usually a major no-no for me. I had the message together but I was looking for some type of a crowd breaker type of illustration. This story borders on which blog it should truly appear in, but it's funny to me for sure.
I was going to talk about ants, and how much as football players and especially as Christians we should be more like ants. Ants work tirelessly to build their little hills, colonies and homes. They work all together in a way that is extremely envious to me. They spend the majority of their lives just building their colonies. THeir life expectancy is actually some where around 50-60 days. No wonder they are so mad when their little colonies get stepped on. They can lift up to 20 times their own weight yet they work all together, you never see a few working while the others sit around, they are completely focused all on one thing, building and storing food.
Focus is important, but what should we focus on, what do we put into our heads to stay focused?
Philippians 4:8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things.
Paul says focus on what is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent or praiseworthy! What is there in this world that can cover all those words? Only Jesus and the Gospel are capable of being all of those things. The world shows us a lot of things that are focus oriented, and many things that exemplify some of those things, but if we focus on God, His Son and the Bible we cover all of the above completely. So focus on the word, meditate on it daily and see that your focus is where it needs to be.
That was to be the meat of my message for the team yesterday, to show them the importance of focus. Then, I went to pacetti Bay and did some presentations opposite of Liberty. Liberty is the new drug dog that the St. Johns Sherriffe's office uses. Liberty was so focused on the job at hand. If Liberty has her ball taken away she immediately starts to (on command) sniff out drugs in the room. Well, she did her first presentations for the kids and in between the first and second one I talked to the officer for a while. Liberty came over and sniffed me and sat looking into my eyes as if to accuse me of concealing some form of drugs. I didn't think much about it and then like a flash of 160 degree heat, or a revelation it dawned on me. In my watch pocket of my jeans I carry a hydrocodeine just encase my kidney stones start bothering me, especially when I have public speaking appearances. I walked outside after the second presentation because she continually stared at me while I was talking. Focus, Liberty is trained to do one job and she does it without any hesitation, not caring who or what you are. That's the kind of focus we as believers need, we need to work like ants and focus like Liberty on reaching the lost with the never failing message of JEsus Christ and the Gospel!
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Friday, October 31, 2008
Thursday, October 30, 2008
How big is our God?!?!
Do you ever stop to wonder just how big and powerful God is. I think of illustrations I have heard about it several times over and I always think of Louie Gigglio's explanation of the stars. And how there is a star that we can only see a spec of in the strongest telescopes and yet it is bigger than the Golden Gate bridge stretched out over 7 times. That's huge! But a few years ago I was studying the Israelites and looking over their travels and found some astounding examples of a man that failed to prepare. If Moses had used my formulas for leading and waited for everything to be in order, and all the pieces to be in place the trip through the wilderness would have never happened. THere are so many things that he did not account for, including food, water, cooking supplies, travel, getting accross the Red Sea and countless other things.
What would have happened had Moses tried to figure out what was needed to accomplish God's command? One of the biggest arithmetical miracles in the world was required in the desert.
Moses led the people of Israel into the desert..Now what was he going to do with them? They had to be fed, and feeding 3-1/2 million people required a lot of food. According to the U. S. Army's Quartermaster General, Moses needed 1500 tons of food a day, filling two freight trains, each a mile long. Besides, you must remember, they were cooking the food. Just for cooking this took 4000 tons of firewood and a few more freight trains, each a mile long and this is only for one day (not to mention for keeping warm, and if anyone tells you it doesn't get cold in the desert don't believe them!). They were travelling out there for 40 years!
Let's not forget about water, shall we? If they only had enough to drink and wash a few dishes (no bathing?!), it took 11,000,000 gallons EACH DAY--enough to fill a train of tanker cars 1800 miles long.
And another thing! They had to get across the red sea in one night. Now if they went on a narrow path, double file, the line would be 800 miles long and require 35 days and nights to complete the crossing. So to get it over in one night there had to be a space in the Red Sea 3 miles wide so that they could walk 5,000 abreast. Think about this; every time they camped at the end of the day, a camp ground the size of Rhode Island was required, or 750 square miles.
Do you think that Moses sat down and figured out the logistics of what God told him to do before he set out from Egypt? I doubt it. He had faith that God would take care of everything. Let us have courage, we share the very same God!
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
What would have happened had Moses tried to figure out what was needed to accomplish God's command? One of the biggest arithmetical miracles in the world was required in the desert.
Moses led the people of Israel into the desert..Now what was he going to do with them? They had to be fed, and feeding 3-1/2 million people required a lot of food. According to the U. S. Army's Quartermaster General, Moses needed 1500 tons of food a day, filling two freight trains, each a mile long. Besides, you must remember, they were cooking the food. Just for cooking this took 4000 tons of firewood and a few more freight trains, each a mile long and this is only for one day (not to mention for keeping warm, and if anyone tells you it doesn't get cold in the desert don't believe them!). They were travelling out there for 40 years!
Let's not forget about water, shall we? If they only had enough to drink and wash a few dishes (no bathing?!), it took 11,000,000 gallons EACH DAY--enough to fill a train of tanker cars 1800 miles long.
And another thing! They had to get across the red sea in one night. Now if they went on a narrow path, double file, the line would be 800 miles long and require 35 days and nights to complete the crossing. So to get it over in one night there had to be a space in the Red Sea 3 miles wide so that they could walk 5,000 abreast. Think about this; every time they camped at the end of the day, a camp ground the size of Rhode Island was required, or 750 square miles.
Do you think that Moses sat down and figured out the logistics of what God told him to do before he set out from Egypt? I doubt it. He had faith that God would take care of everything. Let us have courage, we share the very same God!
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Get your song on!
Can you remember the last time you just started singing? For no apparent reason you just burst into song either in your head or out loud. You just couldn't stop from singing a few lines of your favorite song. Hopefully it was some time this morning or yesterday, I know I am bad about it. Especially in the car, I hear a song that really hits me and I start singing it. A lot of times if I am travelling to the far north or southwest part of the county for work I will turn the radio off and just talk to God. I like to call it windshield worship, some of my most meaningful moments and ideas come during times of riding in the truck just talking and listening to God. Once I am through talking and listening I often times find myself(I know this is corny) singing a song that I really like. It happened just yesterday as I was dropping some items off at our thrist store, I started singing a song that Chris Tomlin sang at Student Life this past summer that I absolutely fell in love with. It talks about God being the GOd of this city and how great and powerful He is in all circumstances. Also, it talks about better things are yet to come in the city. The song isn't as important as the singing is.
I used to watch a show called Ally McBeal with Tara, the show was extremely quirky with lots of funny little things but one thing I do remember. They went to a therapist and the therapist would have these attorneys pick out a theme song for themselves and that song should be playing in their heads all the day long. How much greater is it when we let God have control and give us our theme song!
Psalm 40:3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
There it is, David went from being in the pits, to having God place his feet on the rock solid ground, and now God took it one step farther by giving him a new song. It is God's desire that all of us sing, sing joyfully to the Lord(whether it sounds joyful or not) but there are some ingredients to each song.
FIrst, we need to understand that storms come into life and they are ordained by God. God ordains those times of being in the pits, so that we can fully rely on Him to lift us out. Once He has placed our feet on solid ground again out of the pits, then is when the songs come back. So next time you're in a rut, feeling like you're in the pits or life is the pits, remember that is when you are most reliant on God, let Him lift you out and give you a new song.
I used to watch a show called Ally McBeal with Tara, the show was extremely quirky with lots of funny little things but one thing I do remember. They went to a therapist and the therapist would have these attorneys pick out a theme song for themselves and that song should be playing in their heads all the day long. How much greater is it when we let God have control and give us our theme song!
Psalm 40:3 He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God. Many will see and fear and put their trust in the Lord.
There it is, David went from being in the pits, to having God place his feet on the rock solid ground, and now God took it one step farther by giving him a new song. It is God's desire that all of us sing, sing joyfully to the Lord(whether it sounds joyful or not) but there are some ingredients to each song.
FIrst, we need to understand that storms come into life and they are ordained by God. God ordains those times of being in the pits, so that we can fully rely on Him to lift us out. Once He has placed our feet on solid ground again out of the pits, then is when the songs come back. So next time you're in a rut, feeling like you're in the pits or life is the pits, remember that is when you are most reliant on God, let Him lift you out and give you a new song.
Tuesday, October 28, 2008
From the pit to the rock
So I had some close friends growing up who had acquired 4 wheel drive trucks. I never had one, have never desired one because in my outlook that was just one more place for me to get into trouble, and one more thing to have go wrong on my vehicle. But, not so for my friends. One of my closest friends got a 4 wheel drive and we fixed it up, got it running right and took it into a huge mud pit which is now St. Johns River COmmunity College. We took it through every mud hole there was and it never got stuck, we took turns manuevering it through mud sometimes half way up the door and this was a very big, high sitting truck. It had huge tires on it and a lift so the door's bottom was about waist high for me. We were so proud and enjoyed this so much that a few days later we went to a place called "the pits" and once again stuck the truck in the worst area and tried to dig our way out with the tires, this time no luck. We eventually had to call for help, get boards and shovels out and dig. We had to dig out around the tires, stick boards under each tire the best we could so that it would not dig down deeper and have another large truck pull us out. This was no longer fun to us, atleast not to me. I didn't go on many more of those excursions as I am not into all the digging and calling, and pleading that was involved.
The bottom line however, is that we had to dig out and get the tires on a solid surface for them to have a chance at driving us out of the hole. WE also had to have the power of another truck to pull so that together we could get one truck out.
This is much like what David was referring to in these verses in Psalms 40:1-2; I relied completely on the Lord, and He turned toward me and heard my cry for help. He lifted me out of the watery pit, out of the slimy mud. He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure footing.
David was in the pits, in a slimy watery pit that life had thrown his way. There are so many figurative examples that this pit could be representing. It could have been when Saul chased him out of the palace and attempted to have him killed, it could have been when his own son Absolom attempted to assasinate him, or maybe it was near the time of his adultery with Bathseba, or the death of his illegitimate child. All of these are examples of major pits that David fell into, but regardless of what pit it was he handled it the way God calls us to handle it.He called out to God to help Him and instead of getting a little bit of comfort, or even getting a lift out of the pit, he in affect got lifted completely out and placed on a rock solid foundation where he found secure footing.
YEsterday we were in the pit, today we see that God is waiting for us to surrender our pits to Him completely, then and only then can He take us out and place us on solid ground. THat's where we get our joy, and our song which is what we will talk more about tomorrow.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
The bottom line however, is that we had to dig out and get the tires on a solid surface for them to have a chance at driving us out of the hole. WE also had to have the power of another truck to pull so that together we could get one truck out.
This is much like what David was referring to in these verses in Psalms 40:1-2; I relied completely on the Lord, and He turned toward me and heard my cry for help. He lifted me out of the watery pit, out of the slimy mud. He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure footing.
David was in the pits, in a slimy watery pit that life had thrown his way. There are so many figurative examples that this pit could be representing. It could have been when Saul chased him out of the palace and attempted to have him killed, it could have been when his own son Absolom attempted to assasinate him, or maybe it was near the time of his adultery with Bathseba, or the death of his illegitimate child. All of these are examples of major pits that David fell into, but regardless of what pit it was he handled it the way God calls us to handle it.He called out to God to help Him and instead of getting a little bit of comfort, or even getting a lift out of the pit, he in affect got lifted completely out and placed on a rock solid foundation where he found secure footing.
YEsterday we were in the pit, today we see that God is waiting for us to surrender our pits to Him completely, then and only then can He take us out and place us on solid ground. THat's where we get our joy, and our song which is what we will talk more about tomorrow.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Monday, October 27, 2008
The pits of life
Life is the pits, I'm just in the pits, this is the pits. All expressions we have heard someone share, or have even shared ourselves at some point in life. I'll admit it, I'm not too proud, I've been there. Those days when life is the pits and we just can't seem to get motivated. But, I must admit the advantage of being a believer and having a personal relationship with Jesus Christ is that it is only a day or so in the pit. Never, will you experience the pits for prolonged amounts of time without Jesus lifting you out.
Psalm 40:1-3 I relied completely on the Lord, and he turned toward me and heard my cry for help. He lifted me out of the watery pit, out of the slimy mud. He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure footing. He gave me reason to sing a new song, praising our God. May many see what God has done, so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord!
There it is, we see David himself feeling those feelings of being in the "pits". He even goes so far as to describe it as watery and slimy mud inside of the pit. It doesn't sound like a place anyone would want to spend any amount of time.
The interesting part is the way he described coming out of the pit. He described it as singing a new song. I can admit to you, and you would admit it too, that I am a terrible singer. The beauty of being the terrible singer is that it doesn't sound as bad in your head as it does to others who are listening. I like to keep the dial on the local Christian radio stations but if there is a lul or a talk show I do have Big Daddy Weave in the cd player to rescue me. I love to sing along with the radion and it would be easy for someone to judge my day by the amount of time I actually spend singing along with the radio. It's easy for me to even tell when I am not in a good place, as I don't sing along even when some of my favorites come on the radio. I just ignore them or listen without any imput whatsoever. David tells us here we need to allow God to lift us out of the pits so that we can get a new song, and sing it with reassurance that when life gets too rough and we lose our song again God will be there to gently lift us out of the pit again, if we will let Him.
Have a great day and thanks for reading!
Psalm 40:1-3 I relied completely on the Lord, and he turned toward me and heard my cry for help. He lifted me out of the watery pit, out of the slimy mud. He placed my feet on a rock and gave me secure footing. He gave me reason to sing a new song, praising our God. May many see what God has done, so that they might swear allegiance to him and trust in the Lord!
There it is, we see David himself feeling those feelings of being in the "pits". He even goes so far as to describe it as watery and slimy mud inside of the pit. It doesn't sound like a place anyone would want to spend any amount of time.
The interesting part is the way he described coming out of the pit. He described it as singing a new song. I can admit to you, and you would admit it too, that I am a terrible singer. The beauty of being the terrible singer is that it doesn't sound as bad in your head as it does to others who are listening. I like to keep the dial on the local Christian radio stations but if there is a lul or a talk show I do have Big Daddy Weave in the cd player to rescue me. I love to sing along with the radion and it would be easy for someone to judge my day by the amount of time I actually spend singing along with the radio. It's easy for me to even tell when I am not in a good place, as I don't sing along even when some of my favorites come on the radio. I just ignore them or listen without any imput whatsoever. David tells us here we need to allow God to lift us out of the pits so that we can get a new song, and sing it with reassurance that when life gets too rough and we lose our song again God will be there to gently lift us out of the pit again, if we will let Him.
Have a great day and thanks for reading!
Friday, October 24, 2008
timing
So as most people know by now I have been doing a little bit of hurting and a whole lot of being sick over these past few days. It's so funny because I am still working through the book "Desiring God" by John Piper and I have read about 4 other books during this time, but as timing would have it just Monday I started reading the chapter on suffering. how funny is that? I've been reading about how Paul suffered, Stephen suffered and many others for the advancement of the Gospel. This week I have been studying for the sermon this Sunday on Acts chapter 9 where GOd gets Paul's attention on the road to Damascus. Putting those two together this week has fell right into a storybook type setting for me.
I read this story in the book and I want to share it with you. It's part of Serei Kourdakov's autobiography, The Persecutor. Sergi was commissioned by the RUssian secret police to raid secret prayer gatherings and use whatever means necessary no matter how brutal to stop them. Instead, he was eventually stopped by one young girl's faith.
I saw Victor reach and grab for a young girl who was trying to escape to another room. She was a beautiful young girl. What a wast to be a Believer, the writer recalls thinking. Victor caught her, picked her up above his head, and held her high in the air kicking and screaming for a second. She was pleading with him not to hurt her. Victor threw her so hard she hit the wall at the same height that she was thrown from, then dropped to the floor, semiconsciously moaning. Victor turned and laughed exclaiming, "I'll be the idea of GOd went flying right out of her head."
On a later raid, Sergei was shocked to see the same girl again. I quickly surveyed the room and saw a sight I couldn't believe! There she was, the same girl! It couldn't be. But it was. Only three nights before, she had been at the other meeting and had been viciously thrown accross the room and into the wall. It was the first time I got a really good look at her, she was much more beautiful than I could imagine. I picked her up and flung her on the tabel face down. Two of us held her over the table and began to beat her again and again. My hands began to sting under the blows. Her skin started to blister all over her back and legs. I continued to beat her, still as she screamed for mercy. TO suppress her cries she bit her upper lip and eventually bit all the way through it and blood ran down her face. At last she gave in and began sobbing, When I was so exhausted I couldn't raise my arm any more I pushed her off the table and she collapsed into a ball on the floor.
To SErgei's shock a few weeks later he encountered her once again at another Christian underground meeting. Several of the others saw her. Alex Gulyaev moved toward her, hatred filling his face, his club raised high above his head. Just then, something I never expected to happen, happened. WIthout warning, Victor jumped in between the girl and Alex, facing him head on. "Get out of my way," ALex said angrily. Victor didn't move, He said "Don't toucher her Alex, I'm telling you no one in this room better touch her, you got it!
Angered, Alex shouted, "You want her for yourself, don't you!"
No, Victor shouted back. "She has somethign that we don't have! Nobody touches her! Nobody!
... For the first time in my life, I was deeply moved.. this young girl did have something! She had been beaten horribly. She had been warned and threatened. She had gone through unbelievable suffereing, but here she was again. Even Victor had been moved and recognized it. She had something se didn't have. I wanted to run after her and ask, "What is it?" I wanted to talk to her but she was gone. THis heroic young Christian girl who had suffered so much at our hands somehow touched and troubled me very much. Sergie later got saved and became a believer with a great testimony. Later in the book he wrote:
And, finally, to Natasha, whom I beat terribly and who was willing to be beaten a third time for her faith, I want to say, Natasha, largely because of you, my life is now changed and I am a fellow believer in Christ wit you. I have a new life before me. God has forgiven me, I hope you can also.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
P.S. I'll take my kidney stones over this any day!
I read this story in the book and I want to share it with you. It's part of Serei Kourdakov's autobiography, The Persecutor. Sergi was commissioned by the RUssian secret police to raid secret prayer gatherings and use whatever means necessary no matter how brutal to stop them. Instead, he was eventually stopped by one young girl's faith.
I saw Victor reach and grab for a young girl who was trying to escape to another room. She was a beautiful young girl. What a wast to be a Believer, the writer recalls thinking. Victor caught her, picked her up above his head, and held her high in the air kicking and screaming for a second. She was pleading with him not to hurt her. Victor threw her so hard she hit the wall at the same height that she was thrown from, then dropped to the floor, semiconsciously moaning. Victor turned and laughed exclaiming, "I'll be the idea of GOd went flying right out of her head."
On a later raid, Sergei was shocked to see the same girl again. I quickly surveyed the room and saw a sight I couldn't believe! There she was, the same girl! It couldn't be. But it was. Only three nights before, she had been at the other meeting and had been viciously thrown accross the room and into the wall. It was the first time I got a really good look at her, she was much more beautiful than I could imagine. I picked her up and flung her on the tabel face down. Two of us held her over the table and began to beat her again and again. My hands began to sting under the blows. Her skin started to blister all over her back and legs. I continued to beat her, still as she screamed for mercy. TO suppress her cries she bit her upper lip and eventually bit all the way through it and blood ran down her face. At last she gave in and began sobbing, When I was so exhausted I couldn't raise my arm any more I pushed her off the table and she collapsed into a ball on the floor.
To SErgei's shock a few weeks later he encountered her once again at another Christian underground meeting. Several of the others saw her. Alex Gulyaev moved toward her, hatred filling his face, his club raised high above his head. Just then, something I never expected to happen, happened. WIthout warning, Victor jumped in between the girl and Alex, facing him head on. "Get out of my way," ALex said angrily. Victor didn't move, He said "Don't toucher her Alex, I'm telling you no one in this room better touch her, you got it!
Angered, Alex shouted, "You want her for yourself, don't you!"
No, Victor shouted back. "She has somethign that we don't have! Nobody touches her! Nobody!
... For the first time in my life, I was deeply moved.. this young girl did have something! She had been beaten horribly. She had been warned and threatened. She had gone through unbelievable suffereing, but here she was again. Even Victor had been moved and recognized it. She had something se didn't have. I wanted to run after her and ask, "What is it?" I wanted to talk to her but she was gone. THis heroic young Christian girl who had suffered so much at our hands somehow touched and troubled me very much. Sergie later got saved and became a believer with a great testimony. Later in the book he wrote:
And, finally, to Natasha, whom I beat terribly and who was willing to be beaten a third time for her faith, I want to say, Natasha, largely because of you, my life is now changed and I am a fellow believer in Christ wit you. I have a new life before me. God has forgiven me, I hope you can also.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
P.S. I'll take my kidney stones over this any day!
Thursday, October 23, 2008
no blog
I apologize but sitting upright for a long period of time to type or to read is not an option for me right now. I have been up all night with what I believe to be a kidney stone. So I will attempt to pick things up tomorrow. Sorry for the inconvenience and have a great day!
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
belief, that's all
So I was sitting with a gentleman the other day who had called to take me out to lunch. Soon into the lunch I realized that he was looking for a youth pastor, and we discussed several different options and the like. He then started telling me about his background as an insurance salesman. He was telling me that sometimes that helps him in sharing the Gospel and sometimes it hinders him. It helps, he said because as a salesman you never overlook a potential client. You see everyone as a potential client because everyone needs insurance, he said that definitely helps him because everyone needs the Lord, and that keeps him in perspective. There is one thing however, that he has trouble with in his salesman frame of mind. Finalizing the sale. He said he can't stand to lose a sale when sitting down with individuals and families alike in the insurance world, likewise he can't stand to lose a sale when witnessing. He told me about going door to door in Cuba, in Haiti and in other countries and how he can't drag himself out of the house until the people have accepted Christ. The biggest problem is always that they can't believe that he cares that much and that it is so simple.
"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard. 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered.Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
A salesman is all we are, we are selling the Gospel and we should never pass up a chance to do it. We should never disobey God and put off an opportunity to serve Him.You see it's about simple obedience, not about who you are or what you have done. You simply have to believe, repent and obey. Regardless of your past, your present or your reputation, simple belief. Jesus is saying that obedience is all He needs when looking for people who will help with the Gospel message and teh Father's plan. Availability is far better than any ability. Saying yes, and doing nothing is no different from saying no and changing your mind later. Obey Him now, right where you are and what you are in obey Him so that you can experience the gift of His Spirit in your daily walk. So that you can hear "well done good and faithful servant" when your day comes.
Have a great day and thanks for reading.
"What do you think? There was a man who had two sons. He went to the first and said, 'Son, go and work today in the vineyard. 'I will not,' he answered, but later he changed his mind and went. "Then the father went to the other son and said the same thing. He answered, 'I will, sir,' but he did not go. "Which of the two did what his father wanted?" "The first," they answered.Jesus said to them, "I tell you the truth, the tax collectors and the prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came to you to show you the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes did. And even after you saw this, you did not repent and believe him.
A salesman is all we are, we are selling the Gospel and we should never pass up a chance to do it. We should never disobey God and put off an opportunity to serve Him.You see it's about simple obedience, not about who you are or what you have done. You simply have to believe, repent and obey. Regardless of your past, your present or your reputation, simple belief. Jesus is saying that obedience is all He needs when looking for people who will help with the Gospel message and teh Father's plan. Availability is far better than any ability. Saying yes, and doing nothing is no different from saying no and changing your mind later. Obey Him now, right where you are and what you are in obey Him so that you can experience the gift of His Spirit in your daily walk. So that you can hear "well done good and faithful servant" when your day comes.
Have a great day and thanks for reading.
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
In the trenches
Have you ever heard a sportscaster say, "this football game is going to be won in the trenches?" I have, and that is a big statment in itself. We found out the other night with Pedro football that no matter how many star athletes and great playmakers you have if you don't have the line, then you're in trouble. We had 1 starting offensive lineman out and 2 more get hurt, we had one starting defensive lineman out and yet another get injured last Friday night. Without the guys up front you become very vulnerable. To the average football fan the line men do the "little things", to the coaches and those who know the game of football every game is won and lost with the work done by offensive and defensive line men. Sure they never celebrate or get the recognition they should, but they are the ones that make it go.
Let's see a quarterback set up and make a great pass without an offensive line, or a running back make a great run without any blockers, it isn't possible.
In Jude 20, teh writer mentions "You must build yourself up on your most holy faith."
We must build ourselves up based on faith, and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We feel like, and have this piece deep inside of all of us that leads us to believe that we must do exceptional and big things for God. What God is calling us to do is strengthen ourselves in our faith so that we can accomplish the menial tasks in life. So that we grow to realize that we can't accomplish big things for Him, or do exceptional things for Him until we do the little things well. Just like blocking to the average football fan, the little things in life seem insignifigant to the average Christian, but for GOd and for those who know better it's the little things that make all the difference.
For instance if you are able to witness and lead a whole group of people from your job to Christ in one day, it won't be as meaningful if you don't ask the blessing for your meal the next day, or take time to read your Bible each day. It's the little things, "in the trenches" where you make your biggest moves and start to accomplish big things for God, not in the spotlight.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Let's see a quarterback set up and make a great pass without an offensive line, or a running back make a great run without any blockers, it isn't possible.
In Jude 20, teh writer mentions "You must build yourself up on your most holy faith."
We must build ourselves up based on faith, and a personal relationship with Jesus Christ. We feel like, and have this piece deep inside of all of us that leads us to believe that we must do exceptional and big things for God. What God is calling us to do is strengthen ourselves in our faith so that we can accomplish the menial tasks in life. So that we grow to realize that we can't accomplish big things for Him, or do exceptional things for Him until we do the little things well. Just like blocking to the average football fan, the little things in life seem insignifigant to the average Christian, but for GOd and for those who know better it's the little things that make all the difference.
For instance if you are able to witness and lead a whole group of people from your job to Christ in one day, it won't be as meaningful if you don't ask the blessing for your meal the next day, or take time to read your Bible each day. It's the little things, "in the trenches" where you make your biggest moves and start to accomplish big things for God, not in the spotlight.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Monday, October 20, 2008
2 kinds of Christians at work
The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few, these are CHrist's own words. These words echoe through thousands of missionary, preachers, and sunday school teachers' mouths each year. How true it is that the harvest is ripe and ready, but so few are working toward the goal of reaching the world with the message of Christ's love for sinners.
There are however, people who are steadfast in doing the work that is mentioned here. But, unfortunately there are 2 different types of people who are doing it. There are actually two different views.
In John 21:17 Jesus asked, "Do you love Me?" to which He later responded, "Then feed My sheep."
He in a sense said, Identify yourself with My interests in other people. He wants us as believers to put ourselves in His perspective and see His view of people and their needs. He wants us to be willing to meet the needs of those who are lost and dying.
There are others though who tangle this up somewhat, and believe that He was saying, Identify Me with your interests in other people. Can you see the difference?
There are those who are seeking to see the world through God's eyes, and meet the needs of the lost with His perspective. Then, there are those who are reaching the people that they want to and putting Jesus into the equation. These are the same people who do what they want to, and rarely seek God's will, but do it with the badge of Christianity on. They think that because they are doing a "good" thing and involvee in "good" things they can write it off as doing GOd's will and work.
That's not completely what JEsus means in this passage. He wants us to identify ourselves with His interests, not the interests of ourselves. It's the Holy SPirit at work in us that allows us to accomplish God's work and GOd's will with our lives. We must detach ourselves from our own desires and attach ourselves to His desires. Then and only then will we truly be led by the Holy Spirit to accomplish big and mighty things in Christ's name.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
There are however, people who are steadfast in doing the work that is mentioned here. But, unfortunately there are 2 different types of people who are doing it. There are actually two different views.
In John 21:17 Jesus asked, "Do you love Me?" to which He later responded, "Then feed My sheep."
He in a sense said, Identify yourself with My interests in other people. He wants us as believers to put ourselves in His perspective and see His view of people and their needs. He wants us to be willing to meet the needs of those who are lost and dying.
There are others though who tangle this up somewhat, and believe that He was saying, Identify Me with your interests in other people. Can you see the difference?
There are those who are seeking to see the world through God's eyes, and meet the needs of the lost with His perspective. Then, there are those who are reaching the people that they want to and putting Jesus into the equation. These are the same people who do what they want to, and rarely seek God's will, but do it with the badge of Christianity on. They think that because they are doing a "good" thing and involvee in "good" things they can write it off as doing GOd's will and work.
That's not completely what JEsus means in this passage. He wants us to identify ourselves with His interests, not the interests of ourselves. It's the Holy SPirit at work in us that allows us to accomplish God's work and GOd's will with our lives. We must detach ourselves from our own desires and attach ourselves to His desires. Then and only then will we truly be led by the Holy Spirit to accomplish big and mighty things in Christ's name.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Friday, October 17, 2008
Harvesting
Okay so I have always read into this verse in Matthew. I have always been intrigued by it and interested in it as Evangelism has always been a leading cause for my struggles in life. But just this week in my preparations for Sunday's sermon I got it. I finally got it, after reading and studying about Phillip going to share the Gospel with the Ethiopian Eunuch. Seeing how he was led by the Spirit to go on a road toward a new endeavor but came upon a man sitting by the side of the road. He found that the Ethiopian was already reading Isaiah and he was reading a passage that referred to the trial and death of JEsus Christ. God had sent the Spirit way ahead of Phillip to prepare the Ethiopian for what was coming. How cool is that? Very! But here's the verse I want to share with you this morning:
Matthew 9:38 Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. I finally got it after 32 years and after being intrigued by this verse since my teen years it occurred to me the wording here.(YEs I realize most people probably get it the first time).
Now it is not my intent to insult anyone in these coming statements but to prove my point. I have friends that live in Elkton, their house is right in the middle of a huge potato farm. I've seen the guys out there harvesting, now here's the thing. Someone has to prepare the land, someone who knows a lot about the crop to be grown. Someone has to come along and plant the seeds, then it is irrigated and watered regularly. But here's the deal, at harvest time anyone can harvest them. Anyone(Even me) can go out and pick potatos and stick them in a bin. The harvest is the final piece of the puzzle. The land was prepared(God sending the Holy Spirit), the seeds were planted(this is our first role) and then the harvesting is done(that is a mixture of GOd and the Holy Spirit and we are the minor role in this capacity).
It got it, harvesting takes place after all the real work was done, and God is telling us to pray for workers, laborers. That is a role that anyone can fill in this capacity.
Here's a little story I share with the domestic violence trainings I do.
This is a story of 4 people who were a part of a task force to get a job done. Those 4 people's names were Everybody, somebody, anybody and nobody. There was a very important job to be done, and Everybody was sure that somebody would do it. Anybody could have one it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
I believe that sums up the job of the body of Christ, God is looking for laborers and nothing more. There's not one of us who can't do that!
Thanks for reading and have an awesome weekend!
Matthew 9:38 Pray the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into His harvest. I finally got it after 32 years and after being intrigued by this verse since my teen years it occurred to me the wording here.(YEs I realize most people probably get it the first time).
Now it is not my intent to insult anyone in these coming statements but to prove my point. I have friends that live in Elkton, their house is right in the middle of a huge potato farm. I've seen the guys out there harvesting, now here's the thing. Someone has to prepare the land, someone who knows a lot about the crop to be grown. Someone has to come along and plant the seeds, then it is irrigated and watered regularly. But here's the deal, at harvest time anyone can harvest them. Anyone(Even me) can go out and pick potatos and stick them in a bin. The harvest is the final piece of the puzzle. The land was prepared(God sending the Holy Spirit), the seeds were planted(this is our first role) and then the harvesting is done(that is a mixture of GOd and the Holy Spirit and we are the minor role in this capacity).
It got it, harvesting takes place after all the real work was done, and God is telling us to pray for workers, laborers. That is a role that anyone can fill in this capacity.
Here's a little story I share with the domestic violence trainings I do.
This is a story of 4 people who were a part of a task force to get a job done. Those 4 people's names were Everybody, somebody, anybody and nobody. There was a very important job to be done, and Everybody was sure that somebody would do it. Anybody could have one it, but Nobody did it. Somebody got angry about that, because it was Everybody's job. Everybody wouldn't do it. It ended up that Everybody blamed Somebody when Nobody did what Anybody could have done.
I believe that sums up the job of the body of Christ, God is looking for laborers and nothing more. There's not one of us who can't do that!
Thanks for reading and have an awesome weekend!
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Peace!
Have you ever met someone who seems to have it all together. I mean every time the chips are down, life looks like it is throwing all it can at them, they are still composed. They lose something big and yet they still look peaceful, like it never happened. They have every reason to throw a week long pity party, yet they just keep on keeping on. I have, witnessed this in a man that I grew up truly admiring. Rev. Armando Silverio was a man who was respected by many, many people. I saw him lose his health, I saw him seemingly have zero wealth. I saw so many things in him that most would run from. I saw his wife get the news that he would not live through the night, this actually happened about 5 times that I know of over a 3-4 year span. He was always energetic, always uplifting but there was one word I would use to describe him, peacefull. Not as in he was in someone who never resorts to violence, or someone who stands up against violence, but some one who is full of peace. That is why I spelled it wrong back there, he was full of peace. The kind of peace that God gives passes all understanding.
Isaiah 26:3 says, You will keep in perfect peace, him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.
So here we can see the source of Rev. Silverio's peace was in the fact that his mind was always steadfact. He lived, breathed, slept thinking of ways to better serve God with his life. He was constantly in the word, talking about the word, or using the word to strengthen the lives of others. You could stop by his house on a Friday night at 9pm and get a full sermon just by asking him an in depth question. The man was definitely steadfast, and focused on God and His word. The verse says, "perfect peace", this is the same as peace that passes all understanding. We're talking about peace, and everyone can understand peace. It is the opposite of violence, it is the times in life where there is no noise, no distractions(which I will admit only come in my house at 6am, no other time will you find this. But, God is talking about a peace that we cannot even understand. I time in your life, where you are so focused on God and on serving Him, on life and living it, that you forget about anything that matters and can rob you of your peace. THat is the key, focusing on God and His creation and letting everything else fall into place. I will admit with money so tight, and so many people falling into foreclosure and bankruptcy this verse is a must in today's society. I struggle from time to time and then I go out and sit in teh chair on the front porch and just read the word, close my eyes and return my focus to God. Then bills, payments, lack of funds and all the things that clutter my mind just seem to blow away in the wind, and I know that God is giving me a small glimpse of the power of His alpowerful peace!
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Isaiah 26:3 says, You will keep in perfect peace, him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you. Trust in the Lord forever, for the Lord, the Lord, is the Rock eternal.
So here we can see the source of Rev. Silverio's peace was in the fact that his mind was always steadfact. He lived, breathed, slept thinking of ways to better serve God with his life. He was constantly in the word, talking about the word, or using the word to strengthen the lives of others. You could stop by his house on a Friday night at 9pm and get a full sermon just by asking him an in depth question. The man was definitely steadfast, and focused on God and His word. The verse says, "perfect peace", this is the same as peace that passes all understanding. We're talking about peace, and everyone can understand peace. It is the opposite of violence, it is the times in life where there is no noise, no distractions(which I will admit only come in my house at 6am, no other time will you find this. But, God is talking about a peace that we cannot even understand. I time in your life, where you are so focused on God and on serving Him, on life and living it, that you forget about anything that matters and can rob you of your peace. THat is the key, focusing on God and His creation and letting everything else fall into place. I will admit with money so tight, and so many people falling into foreclosure and bankruptcy this verse is a must in today's society. I struggle from time to time and then I go out and sit in teh chair on the front porch and just read the word, close my eyes and return my focus to God. Then bills, payments, lack of funds and all the things that clutter my mind just seem to blow away in the wind, and I know that God is giving me a small glimpse of the power of His alpowerful peace!
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
WHy do we love sports?
WHat is it that we love so much about sports? Why is it that we can sit and yell and scream at the television on a weekly, sometimes nightly basis? There are so many answers to this question, but there is one thing that I think we all like. That is the opportunity to watch an underdog overcome obstacles. We all love(unless our team is the favorite) to see an underdog win a football game. We loved it last year when Appalachian State took down then powerhouse Michigan in their own stadium. We love to watch the NCAA Basketball tournament because the first 2 rounds virtually it major underdogs against big time favorites in every game. We love to see that and inside each of us is the feeling that we are indeed underdogs.
As sinners we are underdogs to sin and temptation. Every day we are faced with things that we cannot overcome, things that are so enticing and so alluring that we cannot resist them at all. They are all things that are full of fleshly desires.
John 8:34 says, Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
This is very true, we are all slaves to sin at birth and into our adolescent years. Sin has a hold on us to teh point to where we cannot break loose from it.
Sin basically has 4 characteristics:
1. self-sufficiency instead of faith;
2. self-will instead of submission;
3. self-seeking instead of benevolence;
4. self-righteousness instead of humility.
FOr the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Chrsit our Lord. These are words that shine like a beacon in the life of a sinner. We deserve death, but what we get is eternal life through the shedding of CHrist's blood on teh cross. Without that there is no remedy for sin.
1 Corinthians 10:13 gives us more good news.No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
THis means that God always sees sin coming, and he provides for us an escape. It's up to us to take that escape. Everytime we sin or act on temptation we have made a choice, a choice to choose ourselves over God's will for our lives.
As for underdogs, we will always be underdogs, but through the personal relationship that Christ offers us and through our time spent in prayer and reading the BIble daily we can overcome those urges within, and conquer our flesh when the decisions come up.
Have a great day and thanks for reading!
As sinners we are underdogs to sin and temptation. Every day we are faced with things that we cannot overcome, things that are so enticing and so alluring that we cannot resist them at all. They are all things that are full of fleshly desires.
John 8:34 says, Jesus replied, "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin.
This is very true, we are all slaves to sin at birth and into our adolescent years. Sin has a hold on us to teh point to where we cannot break loose from it.
Sin basically has 4 characteristics:
1. self-sufficiency instead of faith;
2. self-will instead of submission;
3. self-seeking instead of benevolence;
4. self-righteousness instead of humility.
FOr the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Chrsit our Lord. These are words that shine like a beacon in the life of a sinner. We deserve death, but what we get is eternal life through the shedding of CHrist's blood on teh cross. Without that there is no remedy for sin.
1 Corinthians 10:13 gives us more good news.No temptation has seized you except what is common to man. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can stand up under it.
THis means that God always sees sin coming, and he provides for us an escape. It's up to us to take that escape. Everytime we sin or act on temptation we have made a choice, a choice to choose ourselves over God's will for our lives.
As for underdogs, we will always be underdogs, but through the personal relationship that Christ offers us and through our time spent in prayer and reading the BIble daily we can overcome those urges within, and conquer our flesh when the decisions come up.
Have a great day and thanks for reading!
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
We are His witnesses
Have you ever met a micro-manager, those people that have to do everything themselves. Well, I have dealt with those types of people in all areas of life, in a stucco business, in the rental business, in highschool booster clubs, and in the church as well. While in none of these situations was the boss the micro-manager, co-workers were. Those people who think that if they don't do it, no one will. That is a good attitude to have up to a certain point, then you need to trust in others.
Well, unfortunately there are people who have this attitude toward God and think that if they don't do everything they can for God, no one will and that is completely wrong.
Jesus came and spoke to them, saying :All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...." Matthew 28:18-19
In these verses we read that all authority has been given to Jesus CHrist, then He goes on to call them into action. He says go and make disciples of all the nation. This verse is the preface to Acts 1:8 which says "you will be my witnesses." I can't find any place in the Bible where it says if you don't do it, it won't get done. God is Sovreign and the things that He wants to get accomplished will be accomplished with or without you. So if anything you should have an attitude of if I am being called by God to do it, and I don't I may miss out on the blessing of being used by God.
This Sunday we will be looking more into Acts 1:8 once again and how Phillip answered the call and did just what God called him to do. The neat thing is that when we do answer the call and "Go therefore" the work is already done. Phillip walked up on an Ethiopian Eunuch who was reading aloud the book of Isaiah from a scroll. He was even reading a passage that discussed the death and suffering of JEsus, and His silence before His accusers. You see when God calls us somewhere, we are instruments, not micro managers doing the work, but instruments being used to accomplish the goal and that is to glorify God in all that we do.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Well, unfortunately there are people who have this attitude toward God and think that if they don't do everything they can for God, no one will and that is completely wrong.
Jesus came and spoke to them, saying :All authority has been given to Me in Heaven and on earth. Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations...." Matthew 28:18-19
In these verses we read that all authority has been given to Jesus CHrist, then He goes on to call them into action. He says go and make disciples of all the nation. This verse is the preface to Acts 1:8 which says "you will be my witnesses." I can't find any place in the Bible where it says if you don't do it, it won't get done. God is Sovreign and the things that He wants to get accomplished will be accomplished with or without you. So if anything you should have an attitude of if I am being called by God to do it, and I don't I may miss out on the blessing of being used by God.
This Sunday we will be looking more into Acts 1:8 once again and how Phillip answered the call and did just what God called him to do. The neat thing is that when we do answer the call and "Go therefore" the work is already done. Phillip walked up on an Ethiopian Eunuch who was reading aloud the book of Isaiah from a scroll. He was even reading a passage that discussed the death and suffering of JEsus, and His silence before His accusers. You see when God calls us somewhere, we are instruments, not micro managers doing the work, but instruments being used to accomplish the goal and that is to glorify God in all that we do.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Monday, October 13, 2008
Getting into CHrist's stride
Have you ever heard of someone walking in another person's footsteps or shadow? I've seen it, and I've experienced it. Many people said that I walked in my old youth pastor's footsteps and stayed in his stride when I was in high school because I was always with Todd, or doing something that Todd would normally be doing.
Genesis 5:24 tells us that , "Enoch walked with God"
What greater impression could we leave on people and what greater compliment could we recieve than that. For someone to say that we walk with God.
John 3:30 explains how we get to that point, "He must become greater; I must become less."
In order for us to walk with Christ, in order for anyone to say or feel like we walk with Christ we must get into this frame of mind. It's the epitemy of humility, it's throwing all pride out the door and truly walking with Christ. It's asking What would Jesus do in every situation, not just the ones that we can't decide on. It's having the true character of Christ, and not just the appearance.
Your true spiritual life is tested in what you do in the small times, in the seemingly insignifigant times of life, not when the lights are on and you're in front of everyone. People expect you to do the right thing then, it's when the little things are done right.
In order for Jesus to be seen in our lives, He must become greater and we must become less. It's interesting how this happens in the lives of those who truly seek Him. You start out living for Christ very deliberately, everything you do you are actually asking yourself what would Jesus do, how would He want me to act. Then, after years of this attitude it comes to the point where that is no longer needed. You realize that just asking that question sometimes shows your lack of humility, the fact that you are weighing out the flesh's decision against God's will for your life is pride at work. BUt, slowly but surely you come to the place where people comment on your actions in the small things and you don't even realize what you did. That is Him becoming greater while you become less. It's doing the little things well, and automatically without realizing it at all.
My motto for ministry has always been, "Every touch leaves and impression". With that in mind remember that every time you come in contact with someone, you are leaving a major impression on them, it's my hope that the impression left is Christ. That people feel touched by Christ when they are in contact with me, that is my #1 goal.
Have a great day and thanks for reading!
Genesis 5:24 tells us that , "Enoch walked with God"
What greater impression could we leave on people and what greater compliment could we recieve than that. For someone to say that we walk with God.
John 3:30 explains how we get to that point, "He must become greater; I must become less."
In order for us to walk with Christ, in order for anyone to say or feel like we walk with Christ we must get into this frame of mind. It's the epitemy of humility, it's throwing all pride out the door and truly walking with Christ. It's asking What would Jesus do in every situation, not just the ones that we can't decide on. It's having the true character of Christ, and not just the appearance.
Your true spiritual life is tested in what you do in the small times, in the seemingly insignifigant times of life, not when the lights are on and you're in front of everyone. People expect you to do the right thing then, it's when the little things are done right.
In order for Jesus to be seen in our lives, He must become greater and we must become less. It's interesting how this happens in the lives of those who truly seek Him. You start out living for Christ very deliberately, everything you do you are actually asking yourself what would Jesus do, how would He want me to act. Then, after years of this attitude it comes to the point where that is no longer needed. You realize that just asking that question sometimes shows your lack of humility, the fact that you are weighing out the flesh's decision against God's will for your life is pride at work. BUt, slowly but surely you come to the place where people comment on your actions in the small things and you don't even realize what you did. That is Him becoming greater while you become less. It's doing the little things well, and automatically without realizing it at all.
My motto for ministry has always been, "Every touch leaves and impression". With that in mind remember that every time you come in contact with someone, you are leaving a major impression on them, it's my hope that the impression left is Christ. That people feel touched by Christ when they are in contact with me, that is my #1 goal.
Have a great day and thanks for reading!
Friday, October 10, 2008
My second most thankful thing
I am most thankful for Jesus Christ. Hands down this is the thing that I am most thankful for in this world, the fact that God sent His only Son to die on a cross for my sins. That God loved me so much He did this knowing I could not and would not repay Him for such a perfect sacrifice.
But it's my second most thankful thing that I focus on more, I am thankful for the fact that I don't have to be a scholar, have an IQ off the charts or do any type of special study to know the truths involved in God's Word and God's Works. You see so many things in this world depend on our knowledge and our capacity to learn but this one thing does not. We gain glimpses of God and His Word best through obedience. I'll admit there have been times when I would prefer to read and study for hours than obey completely the promptings of the Holy Spirit, but afterwards every time I have been completely thankful for the opportunity to be obedient.
At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Matthew 11:25
Jesus is saying that He praised and thanked His Father for hiding the things of His Word from the wise and learned and revealing them to little children. In other words if a child will respond to the Holy Spirit and simply obey they will have more revealed to them from God than a philosophy major who simply studies the Word all day long. How awesome is that to know that God designed things for my good, for me to be able to fully understand His will for my life by obeying. I don't have to break down the whole New Testament, memorize 20 verses a week, or even study the Word for hours a day. All we have to do is be obedient, then our study times in the Word will become much more efficient and meaningful.
As a kid I remember a family that lived accross the street from us a few houses down. There was a little older man who would drive by and visit with them regularly, he was a deacon at our church. His name was Mr. Leggett and he was one of the neatest and strongest Christians I ever knew. The one thing that blew my mind one day was the fact that he had quit school in the 4th grade to help out his family, he had already been held back a few times all because he could not read. Here he was in my opinion one of the most godly, scripture knowing men I would ever meet and he couldn't even read, how was this so? Through obedience he had gained knowledge from God to face life and to be an awesome witness for Jesus Christ. THat is what it means when Jesus said you have hidden these things from the wise and learned but revealed them to babes. Mr. Legget in the world's eyes, on our scale of wisdome was not even on the scale to register, in God's eyes he was full and overflowing with wisdom because of his simple obedience.
Thanks for reading and have an awesome weekend!
But it's my second most thankful thing that I focus on more, I am thankful for the fact that I don't have to be a scholar, have an IQ off the charts or do any type of special study to know the truths involved in God's Word and God's Works. You see so many things in this world depend on our knowledge and our capacity to learn but this one thing does not. We gain glimpses of God and His Word best through obedience. I'll admit there have been times when I would prefer to read and study for hours than obey completely the promptings of the Holy Spirit, but afterwards every time I have been completely thankful for the opportunity to be obedient.
At that time Jesus said, "I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and learned, and revealed them to little children. Matthew 11:25
Jesus is saying that He praised and thanked His Father for hiding the things of His Word from the wise and learned and revealing them to little children. In other words if a child will respond to the Holy Spirit and simply obey they will have more revealed to them from God than a philosophy major who simply studies the Word all day long. How awesome is that to know that God designed things for my good, for me to be able to fully understand His will for my life by obeying. I don't have to break down the whole New Testament, memorize 20 verses a week, or even study the Word for hours a day. All we have to do is be obedient, then our study times in the Word will become much more efficient and meaningful.
As a kid I remember a family that lived accross the street from us a few houses down. There was a little older man who would drive by and visit with them regularly, he was a deacon at our church. His name was Mr. Leggett and he was one of the neatest and strongest Christians I ever knew. The one thing that blew my mind one day was the fact that he had quit school in the 4th grade to help out his family, he had already been held back a few times all because he could not read. Here he was in my opinion one of the most godly, scripture knowing men I would ever meet and he couldn't even read, how was this so? Through obedience he had gained knowledge from God to face life and to be an awesome witness for Jesus Christ. THat is what it means when Jesus said you have hidden these things from the wise and learned but revealed them to babes. Mr. Legget in the world's eyes, on our scale of wisdome was not even on the scale to register, in God's eyes he was full and overflowing with wisdom because of his simple obedience.
Thanks for reading and have an awesome weekend!
Thursday, October 09, 2008
Offer it to God
How can we bring God and give God glory? How do we most put ourselves into a position to be able to do that? There are a few steps.
1. We must do what we do for His glory and not that of man. We need to do things, let them bring us joy and then in turn make sure that joy is from having served God. We need to avoid doing things to bring ourselves glory, and then say it's for God.
2. We must avoid things that promote the flesh. We need to do things that take the focus off of us and put it in turn on God.
3. We need to remember that no matter what we do, how we do it, God will not be impressed.
I had the priviledge of growing up in a time when there was not much sports on T.V. yes, we had ESPN but only one of them, and the majority of the time it had to divide up what was on. For the most part you could watch Atlanta teams play because TBS at that time was owned by Ted Turner, or you could watch Chicago teams play because that is where WGN was stationed. So, I grew up loving the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Bulls. I could not get into the Cubs or the Hawks as it were.
I got to see Michael Jordan in his prime, when he would step onto the court and seemingly defy gravity. Every single game there was atleast one or two plays that the announcers would play over and over wondering how in the world he was able to do it. How did he hang that high in the air, how did he beat 5 defenders, how did he dunk from that far out, how did he jump over guys a half a foot taller than him, or how did he score over 60 points by himself. These questions came up every single game and I loved it. But it leads me to this point, God was not impressed in any way. THink about it, the very God who gave Michael Jordan all of his power, speed and ability did the same for you and nothing you ever do will impress Him.
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
So we offer our bodies, our actions and most importantly our abilities to God as instruments of righteousness and we offer them to God. Not to man, and not to ourselves but to God. So the best thing we can do is stop trying to impress other humans, or even God because He cannot and will not be impressed. WIth that perspective in mind we should do everything we do by offering it first to God, and then if it brings any positive energy or glory make sure all of it is aimed skyward to God as well.
Have a great day and thanks for reading!
1. We must do what we do for His glory and not that of man. We need to do things, let them bring us joy and then in turn make sure that joy is from having served God. We need to avoid doing things to bring ourselves glory, and then say it's for God.
2. We must avoid things that promote the flesh. We need to do things that take the focus off of us and put it in turn on God.
3. We need to remember that no matter what we do, how we do it, God will not be impressed.
I had the priviledge of growing up in a time when there was not much sports on T.V. yes, we had ESPN but only one of them, and the majority of the time it had to divide up what was on. For the most part you could watch Atlanta teams play because TBS at that time was owned by Ted Turner, or you could watch Chicago teams play because that is where WGN was stationed. So, I grew up loving the Atlanta Braves and the Chicago Bulls. I could not get into the Cubs or the Hawks as it were.
I got to see Michael Jordan in his prime, when he would step onto the court and seemingly defy gravity. Every single game there was atleast one or two plays that the announcers would play over and over wondering how in the world he was able to do it. How did he hang that high in the air, how did he beat 5 defenders, how did he dunk from that far out, how did he jump over guys a half a foot taller than him, or how did he score over 60 points by himself. These questions came up every single game and I loved it. But it leads me to this point, God was not impressed in any way. THink about it, the very God who gave Michael Jordan all of his power, speed and ability did the same for you and nothing you ever do will impress Him.
Do not offer the parts of your body to sin, as instruments of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God, as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer the parts of your body to him as instruments of righteousness.
So we offer our bodies, our actions and most importantly our abilities to God as instruments of righteousness and we offer them to God. Not to man, and not to ourselves but to God. So the best thing we can do is stop trying to impress other humans, or even God because He cannot and will not be impressed. WIth that perspective in mind we should do everything we do by offering it first to God, and then if it brings any positive energy or glory make sure all of it is aimed skyward to God as well.
Have a great day and thanks for reading!
Wednesday, October 08, 2008
Get rich now!
It amazes me that with the economy in the toilet there are still infomercials on in the mornings promoting get rich schemes. Then again, with so many people unemployed and hurting for money maybe the market is good for such schemes.
1 Timothy 6:5-10 addresses some of the things that are going on now in America where we have lost sight of contentment and far too many people have lived above their means(myself included).
and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
First, Paul addresses people who think that Godliness is a means to financial gain. People are using their hunger to know God, and to become more Christlike to gain wealth. Many people do this on a regular basis, praying that God will bless them, as they are seeking to be a blessing the Him. THis is no good and in the early part of verse 5 Paul simply lists it as being of corrupt mind. But, verse 6 tells us that godliness with contentment is great gain. WHy? Because we brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out of it.
Godliness is that striving we get to be more like Christ, to become one with God and to tear down every sin and barrier in our lives that separate us from God in any way. Godliness in affect should lead directly to contentment because if you long to be with God, to become a godly person then treasures and material things are laid aside. No longer do you focus on that new car, bigger house, or those big investments when you realize your greatest treasure is what you have in Jesus Christ. That is your real treasure and your source of true contentment. To know that you family is fed, your house is intact and your family has all of their NEEDS met is all that you strive for in life. SPiritual needs first and foremost and physical needs following very closely behind. Why? Because I have never seen a U-Haul pulled behind a hearse!
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
1 Timothy 6:5-10 addresses some of the things that are going on now in America where we have lost sight of contentment and far too many people have lived above their means(myself included).
and constant friction between men of corrupt mind, who have been robbed of the truth and who think that godliness is a means to financial gain. But godliness with contentment is great gain. For we brought nothing into the world, and we can take nothing out of it. But if we have food and clothing, we will be content with that. People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction. For the love of money is a root of all kinds of evil. Some people, eager for money, have wandered from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.
First, Paul addresses people who think that Godliness is a means to financial gain. People are using their hunger to know God, and to become more Christlike to gain wealth. Many people do this on a regular basis, praying that God will bless them, as they are seeking to be a blessing the Him. THis is no good and in the early part of verse 5 Paul simply lists it as being of corrupt mind. But, verse 6 tells us that godliness with contentment is great gain. WHy? Because we brought nothing into this world and we can take nothing out of it.
Godliness is that striving we get to be more like Christ, to become one with God and to tear down every sin and barrier in our lives that separate us from God in any way. Godliness in affect should lead directly to contentment because if you long to be with God, to become a godly person then treasures and material things are laid aside. No longer do you focus on that new car, bigger house, or those big investments when you realize your greatest treasure is what you have in Jesus Christ. That is your real treasure and your source of true contentment. To know that you family is fed, your house is intact and your family has all of their NEEDS met is all that you strive for in life. SPiritual needs first and foremost and physical needs following very closely behind. Why? Because I have never seen a U-Haul pulled behind a hearse!
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Monday, October 06, 2008
A sell-out
Just last Sunday morning we were discussing the bandwagoning that goes on in life. People who are big fans of a team or a certain school will change with the drop of a dime. I have lots of friends who were NFL fans back in the late 80's to early 90's who liked the 49ers, they were "huge fans" but guess what, they are never seen wearing 49ers gear anymore. Most of them wear COlts, Patriots maybe Cowboys or Giants. I for one have been a Redskins fan through the thick and through the extremely thin. I have been with them through losing season after losing season and a few good ones, but never changed.
The person I was illustrating was Saul, who later became Paul. He was originally on the side of the people who were persecuting the Christians, especially as he was there watching as Stephen was stoned to death by an angry mob of Pharisees and religious leaders. Saul was sure that the best thing to do was to jump on the persecution "bandwagon" if you will but later he experienced God first hand and it all changed, all he needed was a real experience with God himself. From that point on he was a true team player.
Matthew 13:44 says, The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
Paul found a personal relationship with CHrist and immediately he sold off everything he had. He sold himself out to everything he had believed in before and fought for in his life. He threw away everything in life and wanted nothing but to build on his relationship with CHrist, and tell everyone about it. Everything in life he had worked for lost all meaning when compared with his personal relationship with Christ.
Is your relationship like that? Have you thrown away all the things that you own so that your relationship is all that is meaningful to you. Bandwagon was a term used today to describe someone who jumps ship and changed according to what is popular. But, now we see the "sell out" which is someone who sells out his beliefs and his feelings to go with the popularity. But, Paul sold out for a good thing and in a good way. That is what Matthew 13:44 is talking about, about being a sellout for Christ, thowing away everything and working toward your personal relationship with Christ. So make sure it's all rubbish compared to your relationship with CHrist, keep proper perspective intact and live for Him.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
The person I was illustrating was Saul, who later became Paul. He was originally on the side of the people who were persecuting the Christians, especially as he was there watching as Stephen was stoned to death by an angry mob of Pharisees and religious leaders. Saul was sure that the best thing to do was to jump on the persecution "bandwagon" if you will but later he experienced God first hand and it all changed, all he needed was a real experience with God himself. From that point on he was a true team player.
Matthew 13:44 says, The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field. When a man found it, he hid it again, and then in his joy went and sold all he had and bought that field.
Paul found a personal relationship with CHrist and immediately he sold off everything he had. He sold himself out to everything he had believed in before and fought for in his life. He threw away everything in life and wanted nothing but to build on his relationship with CHrist, and tell everyone about it. Everything in life he had worked for lost all meaning when compared with his personal relationship with Christ.
Is your relationship like that? Have you thrown away all the things that you own so that your relationship is all that is meaningful to you. Bandwagon was a term used today to describe someone who jumps ship and changed according to what is popular. But, now we see the "sell out" which is someone who sells out his beliefs and his feelings to go with the popularity. But, Paul sold out for a good thing and in a good way. That is what Matthew 13:44 is talking about, about being a sellout for Christ, thowing away everything and working toward your personal relationship with Christ. So make sure it's all rubbish compared to your relationship with CHrist, keep proper perspective intact and live for Him.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Regeneration
One of the neatest things in nature for me is the abilities of a lizard. If a lizard loses its tail it will eventually grow a new one. My friend down the road from me growing up wanted to test this theory once, as we found a lizard without at a tail. SO he took it home and fed it(I'm not sure what) and kept it in a little aquarium for a few weeks and sure enough it did just that, it grew a knew tale. That facinated me at the ability to do such a thing in what seems to be a very simple animal.
How about us, how about our regeneration and the ability of Jesus CHrist through the Holy Spirit to regenerate us, seemingly dead and sinful animals into what we were created to be. Full, righteous worshippers of God the Father.
But when God, who set me apart from birtt, and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man. Galatians 1:15-16
We cannot be regenerated until we realize our need for it. God could have made this as automatic as walking, talking, growing, or even our heartbeats and thoughts. Those things which we do without even thinking about it, He could have made regeneration the same way. But in that setting what good would it do, how meaninful would it be?
Regeneration occurs when we realize we need it, and when we finally admit to our sinfulness and unworthiness. Because, as Paul puts it, we are set apart from birth and called by His grace. It is God's grace that saves us, He knowingly allowed His Son to die on the cross for our sins knowing that we are sinners and will continue to be sinners. Paul is also saying that there is no real consultation needed from the point we admit our sinfulness and our need for Christ in our lives. He says he consulted no man, he fully understood this was between him and God.
That is one of my strongest convictions as a pastor, that we allow people to make their own decisions and never question them. BEcause, in reality the only people who know are themselves and GOd, we can have no part in it, and it is not up to a Pastor to lead people to Christ. IT is up to a pastor to plant seeds, to give every opportunity for believers to grown and unbelievers to experience Christ, but ultimately it is up to God to change their hearts.
So keep on planting seeds, and praying for God to regenerate the hearts of those lost ones we are working so hard to reach.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
How about us, how about our regeneration and the ability of Jesus CHrist through the Holy Spirit to regenerate us, seemingly dead and sinful animals into what we were created to be. Full, righteous worshippers of God the Father.
But when God, who set me apart from birtt, and called me by his grace, was pleased 16 to reveal his Son in me so that I might preach him among the Gentiles, I did not consult any man. Galatians 1:15-16
We cannot be regenerated until we realize our need for it. God could have made this as automatic as walking, talking, growing, or even our heartbeats and thoughts. Those things which we do without even thinking about it, He could have made regeneration the same way. But in that setting what good would it do, how meaninful would it be?
Regeneration occurs when we realize we need it, and when we finally admit to our sinfulness and unworthiness. Because, as Paul puts it, we are set apart from birth and called by His grace. It is God's grace that saves us, He knowingly allowed His Son to die on the cross for our sins knowing that we are sinners and will continue to be sinners. Paul is also saying that there is no real consultation needed from the point we admit our sinfulness and our need for Christ in our lives. He says he consulted no man, he fully understood this was between him and God.
That is one of my strongest convictions as a pastor, that we allow people to make their own decisions and never question them. BEcause, in reality the only people who know are themselves and GOd, we can have no part in it, and it is not up to a Pastor to lead people to Christ. IT is up to a pastor to plant seeds, to give every opportunity for believers to grown and unbelievers to experience Christ, but ultimately it is up to God to change their hearts.
So keep on planting seeds, and praying for God to regenerate the hearts of those lost ones we are working so hard to reach.
Thanks for reading and have a great day!
Friday, October 03, 2008
facing the valleys with CHrist
So we saw yesterday how we can measure our mountaintop experiences. How we can honestly face teh highs and the lows knowing that Christ is right there with us. Yesterday, earlier in Mark Chapter 9 CHrist is up in the mountaintop with a few of the disciples and no doubt they were soaring in their minds and in their spirits to know that they were alone and one with Christ for that period of time. Now in verse 29 we read, "He said to them, 'THis kind of unclean spirit can come out by nothing but prayer and fasting'".
They thought because they had been on their mountain high that they were fully prepared to help someone with evil spirits within them. JEsus taught them a valuable lesson that just spending time alone with Him was not complete preparation for the things that life throws at us. To truly be used by Him we must spend the day with Him.
Think of Joshua as he lead the army in the Old Testament. He was a godly man placed in power by God, chosen by GOd to be the leader of His great army. Joshua had experienced amazing defeats and amazing mountaintop experiences as he conquered armies that were better trained than his own, larger than his own and better prepared than his own. Each time praying for God's guidance and then following God's specific instructions. Then, they came to Ai a small camp that should be no match for Joshua and his army, they attacked and were defeated. They were defeated because of 2 things.
FIrst, their pride got in teh way and they thought because they had conquered all the mighty armies in the past that this one was no match for them. But, more importantly they lost because they did not seek GOd's guidance in the matter. They just dove in thinking they could control their own situation when it was infact God who had secured every victory for them in the past.
SO think about these 2 stories in perspective, think about how you deal with your every day life. Are you spending time alone with God? If so are you experiencing the highs and lows that come from a personal relationship with Him? Most importantly, are you taking Him along in each and every endeavor praying for His guidance and companionship in the mountaintops and the valleys as well? If not, pray that He would help you do so in the future so that you can accomplish all that He has placed you here to accomplish.
Have a great day and weekend!
They thought because they had been on their mountain high that they were fully prepared to help someone with evil spirits within them. JEsus taught them a valuable lesson that just spending time alone with Him was not complete preparation for the things that life throws at us. To truly be used by Him we must spend the day with Him.
Think of Joshua as he lead the army in the Old Testament. He was a godly man placed in power by God, chosen by GOd to be the leader of His great army. Joshua had experienced amazing defeats and amazing mountaintop experiences as he conquered armies that were better trained than his own, larger than his own and better prepared than his own. Each time praying for God's guidance and then following God's specific instructions. Then, they came to Ai a small camp that should be no match for Joshua and his army, they attacked and were defeated. They were defeated because of 2 things.
FIrst, their pride got in teh way and they thought because they had conquered all the mighty armies in the past that this one was no match for them. But, more importantly they lost because they did not seek GOd's guidance in the matter. They just dove in thinking they could control their own situation when it was infact God who had secured every victory for them in the past.
SO think about these 2 stories in perspective, think about how you deal with your every day life. Are you spending time alone with God? If so are you experiencing the highs and lows that come from a personal relationship with Him? Most importantly, are you taking Him along in each and every endeavor praying for His guidance and companionship in the mountaintops and the valleys as well? If not, pray that He would help you do so in the future so that you can accomplish all that He has placed you here to accomplish.
Have a great day and weekend!
Thursday, October 02, 2008
measuring your mountaintop
No matter who you are or how you live you are a product of your environment. We live day to day in the very setting that God wants us in, that He put us in for His purpose. That environment is full of ups and downs and it is up to us to understand each of them for what they are.
If you really get down to it, we measure our mountaintop experiences based on the valleys in our lives. How we live when we are in the valleys determines how and what we do on the mountaintop. Jesus specifically addressed these issues in Mark chapter 9.
You see JEsus started out with a few of the disciples up on a mountain doing some direct teaching. They were experiencing those times when we feel like we are on top of the world. Work is going well, home life is going great, our devotions and quiet times are full of meaning and nothing can seem to phase us as we face our day to day lives. Well, JEsus had to do just as good of a job of bringing them down as He did of getting them up there. In verse 22 them struggling in the valley, "If you can ddo anything have compassion on us and help us."
Skepticism is the worst enemy of our faith. You see, if we stay on the mountaintop all the time we have no need of faith and we have no need of skepticism. But, there are those times when we doubt or are a little skeptical of how God is going to take care of us in the midst of our valleys. We need perspective, He has it, JEsus sees the big picture and all we can see is what is directly in front of us. Skepticism leads to even greater faith and eventually those skeptical thoughts leave us and never return, but it takes a lot of valleys for us to reach that point. So, we need to go through the valleys, understanding that Jesus is there and wants us there to grow our faith. We also need to find those who are maybe older and certainly wiser in the things of God to give us perspective. I would explain it like this:
One day when Alexa was just able to rider her bike without training wheels we went for a walk. P.J. was not mobile yet so I had to pull her behind me in a wagon. Well, we rode and walked and got a pretty good ways from home. Then, we turned and realized that the skies were getting darker behind us and we better start back home. We got a few blocks from home when we could start hearing the thunder crackling in the distance and P.J. was not happy at all about that. Then, it started to rain a little then harder and harder. I wasn't concerned because I could see the house and my only concern was for them getting too wet. Alexa was having a ball riding her bike and she was fine as she could see the house now and she wasn't real concerned about the storm, she had seen them before. But for P.J. this was the darkest, scariest storm she had ever been in, so it was the end of her world seemingly in her mind so she was scared to death, crying and screaming. I had to pick her up and cary her patting her back all the way, and telling her it was alright. You see 2 of us saw it as just another storm, P.J. saw it as the end of everything. Perspective is important in dealing iwth the storms, or valleys in life and if nothing else understand that no matter how intense it is there because Jesus wants you to grow in your faith and He is leading you by the hand right through it, because He can see your way out of it and back onto your mountain.
Have a great day and thanks for reading!
If you really get down to it, we measure our mountaintop experiences based on the valleys in our lives. How we live when we are in the valleys determines how and what we do on the mountaintop. Jesus specifically addressed these issues in Mark chapter 9.
You see JEsus started out with a few of the disciples up on a mountain doing some direct teaching. They were experiencing those times when we feel like we are on top of the world. Work is going well, home life is going great, our devotions and quiet times are full of meaning and nothing can seem to phase us as we face our day to day lives. Well, JEsus had to do just as good of a job of bringing them down as He did of getting them up there. In verse 22 them struggling in the valley, "If you can ddo anything have compassion on us and help us."
Skepticism is the worst enemy of our faith. You see, if we stay on the mountaintop all the time we have no need of faith and we have no need of skepticism. But, there are those times when we doubt or are a little skeptical of how God is going to take care of us in the midst of our valleys. We need perspective, He has it, JEsus sees the big picture and all we can see is what is directly in front of us. Skepticism leads to even greater faith and eventually those skeptical thoughts leave us and never return, but it takes a lot of valleys for us to reach that point. So, we need to go through the valleys, understanding that Jesus is there and wants us there to grow our faith. We also need to find those who are maybe older and certainly wiser in the things of God to give us perspective. I would explain it like this:
One day when Alexa was just able to rider her bike without training wheels we went for a walk. P.J. was not mobile yet so I had to pull her behind me in a wagon. Well, we rode and walked and got a pretty good ways from home. Then, we turned and realized that the skies were getting darker behind us and we better start back home. We got a few blocks from home when we could start hearing the thunder crackling in the distance and P.J. was not happy at all about that. Then, it started to rain a little then harder and harder. I wasn't concerned because I could see the house and my only concern was for them getting too wet. Alexa was having a ball riding her bike and she was fine as she could see the house now and she wasn't real concerned about the storm, she had seen them before. But for P.J. this was the darkest, scariest storm she had ever been in, so it was the end of her world seemingly in her mind so she was scared to death, crying and screaming. I had to pick her up and cary her patting her back all the way, and telling her it was alright. You see 2 of us saw it as just another storm, P.J. saw it as the end of everything. Perspective is important in dealing iwth the storms, or valleys in life and if nothing else understand that no matter how intense it is there because Jesus wants you to grow in your faith and He is leading you by the hand right through it, because He can see your way out of it and back onto your mountain.
Have a great day and thanks for reading!
Wednesday, October 01, 2008
Those mountaintop experiences!
Everyone has had them, I know I have them quite regularly. For me it is those times in the ministry of our church where something happens just the way I feel it should or faster than expected. It is also those times when I sit down to plan and to prepare a message and the words flow through me like I'm not even there. I sit down and my fingers start typing, my mind starts working and everything just shows up on the screen as if God had put it there almost without my recollection.
But life is not always on the mountaintop. As a matter of fact, it's on the mountaintop experiences that GOd actually prepares us to be on the ground, or in the valleys of life. God uses those moments to outweigh the tests and the tough times that must be in order for our faith to grow. As much as we pray for it, as much as we long for it we can never stay on the mountaintop. That is not where God can use us best, it's in the valleys and the reality of life's misfortune that GOd prepares us to be used by Him.
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them Mark 9:2
Later in that same chapter we see what happens when they come back down from the mountaintop with Jesus.
When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. "What are you arguing with them about?" he asked. A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."
So when they came down they were bombarded by situations and a demon possessed boy which they could not handle. They had to call on Jesus to help out because they were seemingly powerless.
This is another reason we can't stay on the mountaintop. When we are sky high and everything is great, we are closest to God but our flesh takes over. It's when we're on those mountaintop experiences that we start to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to and we attempt to do things without Jesus' help. We try to do it all on our own because we are feeling so empowered and strong. So we need to spend some time in the valleys, sometimes right after our mountaintop experience so that we can remember where those great experiences and moments come from. They come from the personal relationship God designed His Son to have with us. They come from the Spirit moving and using us. Not from our own fleshly efforts.
So enjoy the peaks in life, but look for the valleys because that is where God is going to use you most.
have a great day and thanks for reading!
But life is not always on the mountaintop. As a matter of fact, it's on the mountaintop experiences that GOd actually prepares us to be on the ground, or in the valleys of life. God uses those moments to outweigh the tests and the tough times that must be in order for our faith to grow. As much as we pray for it, as much as we long for it we can never stay on the mountaintop. That is not where God can use us best, it's in the valleys and the reality of life's misfortune that GOd prepares us to be used by Him.
After six days Jesus took Peter, James and John with him and led them up a high mountain, where they were all alone. There he was transfigured before them Mark 9:2
Later in that same chapter we see what happens when they come back down from the mountaintop with Jesus.
When they came to the other disciples, they saw a large crowd around them and the teachers of the law arguing with them. As soon as all the people saw Jesus, they were overwhelmed with wonder and ran to greet him. "What are you arguing with them about?" he asked. A man in the crowd answered, "Teacher, I brought you my son, who is possessed by a spirit that has robbed him of speech. Whenever it seizes him, it throws him to the ground. He foams at the mouth, gnashes his teeth and becomes rigid. I asked your disciples to drive out the spirit, but they could not."
So when they came down they were bombarded by situations and a demon possessed boy which they could not handle. They had to call on Jesus to help out because they were seemingly powerless.
This is another reason we can't stay on the mountaintop. When we are sky high and everything is great, we are closest to God but our flesh takes over. It's when we're on those mountaintop experiences that we start to think of ourselves more highly than we ought to and we attempt to do things without Jesus' help. We try to do it all on our own because we are feeling so empowered and strong. So we need to spend some time in the valleys, sometimes right after our mountaintop experience so that we can remember where those great experiences and moments come from. They come from the personal relationship God designed His Son to have with us. They come from the Spirit moving and using us. Not from our own fleshly efforts.
So enjoy the peaks in life, but look for the valleys because that is where God is going to use you most.
have a great day and thanks for reading!
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