I think that today is one of the most exciting devotionals that I have done yet. It shows us that we are not to forget of God's grace and mercy on us. In the end everything ends up in the wreckage, it says in Ephesians 2:1-7;
As for you , you were dead in your transgressions and sins, in which you used to live when you followed the ways of this world and of the ruler of the kingdom of the air, the spirit who is now at work in those who are disobedient. All of us also lived among them at one time, gratifying the cravings of our sinful nature and following its desires and thoughts. Like the rest, we were by nature objects of wrath. But because of his great love for us, God, who is rich in mercy, made us alive with Christ even when we were dead in transgressions-it is by grace you have been saved. And God raised us up with Christ and seated us with him in the heavenly realms in Christ Jesus, in order that in the coming ages he might show the incomparable riches of his grace, expressed in his kindness to us in Christ Jesus.
After reading this passage of Scripture, and reading my devotional, I think that the author of my devotional that I have been reading, "Before the Thunder Rolls" by Dale Beaver captures this verse the best. He tells about how he had the chance to meet Doug Macmillan, the best friend of Todd Beamer. Todd Beamer being the "Let's roll" guy of Flight 93 on 9/11.
Doug met up with Dale in Dover, Delaware, before a race there. Doug handed Dale the contents of a small velvet bag. At first Dale thought it was just a piece of scrap metal, but then realized that it was what was left of a Rolex watch. Then Doug told Dale that was all that was left of his best friend and how it had been pulled out of the wreckage of Flight 93.
Todd had bought it celebrating his accomplishments in his career, and it was his prized possession. Now after a tragic turn of events, that watch was nothing, it had been pulled from the wreckage. That is what Doug wanted Dale to remind all the race drivers, in the end it all ends up in the wreckage.
I think that it is not just celebrities that need reminding of this. I think we all need this reminder from time to time. We all find ourselves getting distracted by the things of the world, and forget that one day it will be gone. Cars, watches, houses, and even money will not last forever. You know what though? There is something that does last forever, GOD'S LOVE. Through Jesus we can receive God's grace, love, and mercy. Through our faith in Jesus, God will pull us from the wreckage and put us in a life that He intends us to be in. A life that is incredible with the wealth of his favor and kindness.
So my questions today is, what material things are important to you? What do you feel that you could not live without? How do you think you would feel if those things were gone today and you could not use them?
My challenge today is make a list of material things that you feel are important. After you make your list, write down what you think your life would be like without these things. I would also like, if you are comfortable enough, maybe you could post your answers on here and share.
I'll start us out. First, I will say my cell phone, I think I would be just lost, figuratively of course. I "think" my whole life is in there, all my phone numbers are in there. Second, I would have to say my tool belt, because man does it ever keep all the tools I need right there on my hips. I hate walking back and forth to get a tool that I know that I am going to be using most of the day. I know those two things sound really vain, but I live a simple kind of life and being a "redneck" like me, I am easily entertained. God bless you and I hope to see some of your lists.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
Thursday, February 25, 2010
The water of life
Today I am really excited, because I have been kind of dragging out my devotionals since my book was coming to the end. But today I am happy that I have got a new book to continue on with my devotionals, we will start on it next Friday. The new devotional will be inspired by not only the Bible but also a daily devotional called "100 Days of Integrity for Men." I will be making it so that everyone will be able to enjoy and participate in it, and look forward to comments and questions on the next book.
Now on to today's devotional on the water of life that Jesus gives us. We will be talking about John 4:13-14 which reads;
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
We know that when Jesus said this, He was talking to a woman that had come to a well to get water during the heat of the day. We all know that we need water to survive, since our bodies are 2/3 water. He told her that if you drink from me you will never thirst again. She then ran back to town to tell everyone about Jesus, and the thing is she left her water jar behind. We are shown here that Jesus gives us an over flowing life source, that can not run dry. If we are following Jesus, we have the daily supply of His water for our souls. This water that Jesus gives us can not be contained any earthly containers, and should be shared with others.
I believe that not only do we need to drink the water, but we should share the water by sharing the word of God. In a world that kicks holes in our hearts and souls, Jesus gives us a flow of grace and peace. All we have to do accept it from Him. Jesus is the water of life and He is there for us daily. So let's drink deeply of the water of life.
Now on to today's devotional on the water of life that Jesus gives us. We will be talking about John 4:13-14 which reads;
Jesus answered, "Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life."
We know that when Jesus said this, He was talking to a woman that had come to a well to get water during the heat of the day. We all know that we need water to survive, since our bodies are 2/3 water. He told her that if you drink from me you will never thirst again. She then ran back to town to tell everyone about Jesus, and the thing is she left her water jar behind. We are shown here that Jesus gives us an over flowing life source, that can not run dry. If we are following Jesus, we have the daily supply of His water for our souls. This water that Jesus gives us can not be contained any earthly containers, and should be shared with others.
I believe that not only do we need to drink the water, but we should share the water by sharing the word of God. In a world that kicks holes in our hearts and souls, Jesus gives us a flow of grace and peace. All we have to do accept it from Him. Jesus is the water of life and He is there for us daily. So let's drink deeply of the water of life.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Receive God like a child
Today I read Mark 10:13-16, which reads;
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.
I think Mark 10:13-16 is just about self explanatory. We are told here that we need to come to God with the heart and innocence of a child. Every day that I read my Bible I am taken back by how little I know about my God. I get the sense of a being child-like when I spend time with God. I get the feeling like I am new to the world, and I know I am since I was not always trying to follow God's will.
I think that if we all take in God's truth with the open mind and heart of a child, we could learn so much more. I know that if you are hard headed like I am that is easier said than done. It is so easy to say, "I got myself into this and I can get myself out." Then we close our minds and hearts, so we miss so much of what God is trying to show us. I put a strong emphasis on "trying" because if we do not want to see, then no matter how much God tries to show us, we will not see. If we read our Bibles we will see where God is always trying to talk to us, and I believe if we come to God like a child, He will teach us so much more.
So I ask you to think of the children in your life and watch them as well. Do you enjoy when they come to you for something? Then ask yourself, do think God enjoys you that much? I can say that He does. God bless you.
People were bringing little children to Jesus to have Him touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this, He was indignant. He said to them, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. I tell you the truth, anyone who will not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it." And He took the children in His arms, put His hands on them and blessed them.
I think Mark 10:13-16 is just about self explanatory. We are told here that we need to come to God with the heart and innocence of a child. Every day that I read my Bible I am taken back by how little I know about my God. I get the sense of a being child-like when I spend time with God. I get the feeling like I am new to the world, and I know I am since I was not always trying to follow God's will.
I think that if we all take in God's truth with the open mind and heart of a child, we could learn so much more. I know that if you are hard headed like I am that is easier said than done. It is so easy to say, "I got myself into this and I can get myself out." Then we close our minds and hearts, so we miss so much of what God is trying to show us. I put a strong emphasis on "trying" because if we do not want to see, then no matter how much God tries to show us, we will not see. If we read our Bibles we will see where God is always trying to talk to us, and I believe if we come to God like a child, He will teach us so much more.
So I ask you to think of the children in your life and watch them as well. Do you enjoy when they come to you for something? Then ask yourself, do think God enjoys you that much? I can say that He does. God bless you.
Monday, February 22, 2010
Disqualified
Today in NASCAR, even with all the officials that hover around the garage area, there are teams that still try and cheat. Then end up getting disqualified for the race all together, and if that is not enough, there are fines and suspensions that can come along with it. So with that being said, how are we running the race of life? Are we running a race that brings glory to God and follows God's will? Or are we doing it our way?
In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 it says;
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly, I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
I have found, over the last year and a half or so that I have been involved with my church, that the people that I know outside my church have come to expect me to be a man of honesty, faith and virtue. I have no problems with those expectations and in fact I love the accountability, but shouldn't those standards apply to everyone no matter how involved we are with the church? Whether we are leaders in the church or just starting with the church, our adventure of a life following Christ should call us to a higher and nobler life.
I believe that in every one of us that we have an imprint of our Creator on our souls. You can see it every time there is a disaster somewhere in the world, everyone jumps in and lends a hand to help people that they don't even know. I think that it is God's holy character that comes out when that kind of stuff happens. We all have times that we go the ways of the world instead of God's way, and if you are like me there are more times that you have done it than not. Even as I sit here and write this, I look back at the times that I could have done God's will and have not, and I get upset about it. However, we can not look back on our failures but look for the opportunities that God gives us, and do everything we can to not let it happen anymore.
I can say that in the race of life, that thankfully we have been given the perfect qualifying lap and the perfect race through Jesus Christ. Jesus gave His life as a perfect substitution on our behalf to bring us into a right standing with God. We can not earn our way into God's favor, but since Jesus got us God's favor, we can live our lives as an offering to Him. As we grow in our faith we start to take on Christ-like behavior, and it will be His character people will see in our day to day activities.
I think today we must submit our lives to God's authority if we want to produce a life that is consistent with Christ's character. By faith, Christ has qualified every one of us to run the race. So lets not take ourselves out of the race, but let's set a pace that others can follow.
In 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 it says;
Do you not know that in a race all the runners run, but only one gets the prize? Run in such a way as to get the prize. Everyone who competes in the games goes into strict training. They do it to get a crown that will not last forever. Therefore I do not run like a man running aimlessly, I do not fight like a man beating the air. No, I beat my body and make it my slave so after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize.
I have found, over the last year and a half or so that I have been involved with my church, that the people that I know outside my church have come to expect me to be a man of honesty, faith and virtue. I have no problems with those expectations and in fact I love the accountability, but shouldn't those standards apply to everyone no matter how involved we are with the church? Whether we are leaders in the church or just starting with the church, our adventure of a life following Christ should call us to a higher and nobler life.
I believe that in every one of us that we have an imprint of our Creator on our souls. You can see it every time there is a disaster somewhere in the world, everyone jumps in and lends a hand to help people that they don't even know. I think that it is God's holy character that comes out when that kind of stuff happens. We all have times that we go the ways of the world instead of God's way, and if you are like me there are more times that you have done it than not. Even as I sit here and write this, I look back at the times that I could have done God's will and have not, and I get upset about it. However, we can not look back on our failures but look for the opportunities that God gives us, and do everything we can to not let it happen anymore.
I can say that in the race of life, that thankfully we have been given the perfect qualifying lap and the perfect race through Jesus Christ. Jesus gave His life as a perfect substitution on our behalf to bring us into a right standing with God. We can not earn our way into God's favor, but since Jesus got us God's favor, we can live our lives as an offering to Him. As we grow in our faith we start to take on Christ-like behavior, and it will be His character people will see in our day to day activities.
I think today we must submit our lives to God's authority if we want to produce a life that is consistent with Christ's character. By faith, Christ has qualified every one of us to run the race. So lets not take ourselves out of the race, but let's set a pace that others can follow.
Saturday, February 20, 2010
Approaching God
Today I would like to talk about approaching God. I think that the thing that prevents us from a vibrant life with God is that we don't always know how to approach Him. In Psalm 100:3-4 it says;
Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His, we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise His name.
I think that sometimes that we approach God the wrong way. The Lord is NOT a vending machine with a selection of various satisfactions available with a push of a button. We as God's children need to have awe and respect that His divine presence commands. As we understand how great God is we can approach Him confidently, but more reverently. I hope that we may approach God with the level of respect He is due. Also with gratitude and the hearts that are devoted to doing God's will.
The questions I am asking today is, how do we enter God's presence? Do we possess the balance of awe and respect? I also challenge everyone to ask God to help guide us to better approach Him. I hope that everyone has a blessed day today and that we all make time to listen to God's lessons everyday.
Know that the Lord is God. It is He who made us, and we are His, we are His people, the sheep of His pasture. Enter His gates with thanksgiving and His courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise His name.
I think that sometimes that we approach God the wrong way. The Lord is NOT a vending machine with a selection of various satisfactions available with a push of a button. We as God's children need to have awe and respect that His divine presence commands. As we understand how great God is we can approach Him confidently, but more reverently. I hope that we may approach God with the level of respect He is due. Also with gratitude and the hearts that are devoted to doing God's will.
The questions I am asking today is, how do we enter God's presence? Do we possess the balance of awe and respect? I also challenge everyone to ask God to help guide us to better approach Him. I hope that everyone has a blessed day today and that we all make time to listen to God's lessons everyday.
Thursday, February 18, 2010
No fear in love
I did not get to post yesterday since I had such a bad toothache, that I could not focus on God's word. So I apologize to everyone that came to my yesterday to read the blog and it was not there. Today I do feel much better, it still hurts a little but not as much.
Today I am going to write about 1 John 4:18 which says;
There is no fear in love, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
I love verses like this one because of two reasons. First it really makes you think and meditate on the Scripture. Second it makes you really dig into Scripture and open the Bible and read it. If we back up a couple verses we see that God is love and if we live in love, we live in God and God in us. So if we have God on our side what is it we have to fear. I find it amazing that God can love each and everyone of us, and it really makes me think what I can do to return the love that God gives so freely.
I believe that in our day to day lives we come across so much that causes fear in each of us. Whiether it is your job, family or even faith. There are so many things that scare me that i could not even begin a list, but the thing that keeps me going and keeps me strong is truth in God's love. We can find that truth thoughtout the whole Bible. Even though I have not read my Bible cover to cover, with my Bible studies and my devotionals I find more and more truth about God's love, mercy and grace that He has given us through his Son Jesus Christ.
So today do not fear anything because God loves you. Stand strong in your faith and God will never lead you down the wrong path.
Today I am going to write about 1 John 4:18 which says;
There is no fear in love, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears is not made perfect in love.
I love verses like this one because of two reasons. First it really makes you think and meditate on the Scripture. Second it makes you really dig into Scripture and open the Bible and read it. If we back up a couple verses we see that God is love and if we live in love, we live in God and God in us. So if we have God on our side what is it we have to fear. I find it amazing that God can love each and everyone of us, and it really makes me think what I can do to return the love that God gives so freely.
I believe that in our day to day lives we come across so much that causes fear in each of us. Whiether it is your job, family or even faith. There are so many things that scare me that i could not even begin a list, but the thing that keeps me going and keeps me strong is truth in God's love. We can find that truth thoughtout the whole Bible. Even though I have not read my Bible cover to cover, with my Bible studies and my devotionals I find more and more truth about God's love, mercy and grace that He has given us through his Son Jesus Christ.
So today do not fear anything because God loves you. Stand strong in your faith and God will never lead you down the wrong path.
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Confidence in Christ
Today the title says it all, confidence in Christ. That should ring true for every man, woman, and child. Knowing that God knew about everything before he even laid the ground work for the universe, and He has done and continues to doing everything because He loves us. In Ephesians 1:3-4 and Hebrews 4:14-16 it tells about His love and His blessings for us;
Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let is hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin. Let us the approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
I find it awe inspiring that God chose us, the whole world, to receive all the spiritual blessings that He has in heaven with His Son Jesus Christ. I do not think I can spend enough time praising God for that, but I sure can try. The fact He did it before He even created us is even more inspiring, and I think that if God is willing to do all He does for us, then we should be will to do all we can to bring Him praise and credit for all we do. As I have said before, we would have nothing if God did not want us to have it.
That should be enough to give us the confidence to have the strength to hold steadfast in our faith, knowing that through Jesus we have a intimate connection with God. We can talk to God anytime and about anything that we want to. He is always there to help guide us and give advise when we need it. All we have to do is be willing to listen and follow what He is saying. The connection that we have with God is always there, just like high speed internet, it is always on. The other great thing about our connection with God, he will not put you on hold. He just may not always give you the answer that you are wanting.
So today the are no questions or challenge, just knowledge. Have confidence as we bring our request and problems before the Lord. God wants and invites us to do it and He loves it when we do.
Praise be to God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. For he chose us in Him before the creation of the world to be holy and blameless in His sight.
Therefore, since we have a great high priest who has gone through the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let is hold firmly to the faith we profess. For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weakness, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are- yet was without sin. Let us the approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
I find it awe inspiring that God chose us, the whole world, to receive all the spiritual blessings that He has in heaven with His Son Jesus Christ. I do not think I can spend enough time praising God for that, but I sure can try. The fact He did it before He even created us is even more inspiring, and I think that if God is willing to do all He does for us, then we should be will to do all we can to bring Him praise and credit for all we do. As I have said before, we would have nothing if God did not want us to have it.
That should be enough to give us the confidence to have the strength to hold steadfast in our faith, knowing that through Jesus we have a intimate connection with God. We can talk to God anytime and about anything that we want to. He is always there to help guide us and give advise when we need it. All we have to do is be willing to listen and follow what He is saying. The connection that we have with God is always there, just like high speed internet, it is always on. The other great thing about our connection with God, he will not put you on hold. He just may not always give you the answer that you are wanting.
So today the are no questions or challenge, just knowledge. Have confidence as we bring our request and problems before the Lord. God wants and invites us to do it and He loves it when we do.
Monday, February 15, 2010
Drag in our spiritual lives.
This weekend was a crazy weekend for me, so I did not get a chance to post a daily devotional. First let me say congrats to Jamie McMurray for winning the Daytona 500 yesterday, even though I was wanting Dale Jr. to win. I am happy for whoever wins a race, and even happier when no one gets hurt.
Now on to the devotional for today. In NASCAR the teams have a engineers that their only job is to find the fine balance between to much aerodynamic drag and enough down force to keep the car on the track. Which is a good thing at almost 200 mph, speeds that only a select few get to see. For the rest of us, we will not have to worry about aerodynamic drag in our daily drives to and from work. We DO have to worry about spiritual drag in our lives from day to day, and this drag can be very tiring. It says in Hebrews 12:1;
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
I talk a little about this passage in my very first post, but with it being the day after Daytona, this verse still inspires me to dive deeper into this verse. In our daily lives there is always something that is out there to create drag in our spiritual lives. I know for me there are times that I feel like that I have been "disqualified" from the gift that God has given us with the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. The devil is always around to reminds us how we have sinned and try to keep secrets from God, which we all know that we have no secrets that God does not know about. The secret to getting rid of the drag we all experience is to give it all to God. Throw off everything that is keeping you down and give it to God, He will pick you up and help you get back on track. Can imagine how much God must love us to be willing to pick us up when we fall. I know it is hard to give up everything to God, we all want control over our lives, but we do not have control, God does.
Just the drivers like in the Daytona 500, we have to pace ourselves to run the race that has been laid out in front of us. If we go all out we will make more mistakes and we will not learn from the mistakes that we have made. Plus you can not hear anything at a dead run. So how can we expect to hear God when he is talking to us? If we take our time we can learn to tell the difference between God talking and the devil talking, and that is very important. If we listen to what the devil says, then we will always have spiritual drag in our lives. So we must throw everything off that drags us down, I know I am repeating myself but I think it is very important we always realize this.
I think one of the best ways to get rid of the secrets in our lives that cause the spiritual drag in our lives, is to find someone or a group of people that we trust to share the drag with. We do not have to run the race alone, we are all in it together. Iron sharpens iron, and we can help each other.
Today the questions I want to ask everyone to ask themselves. What secret sin do you work hard to keep hidden? What spiritual drag do you have in your life? I challenge everyone to ask God to show them someone that they can share with.
Now on to the devotional for today. In NASCAR the teams have a engineers that their only job is to find the fine balance between to much aerodynamic drag and enough down force to keep the car on the track. Which is a good thing at almost 200 mph, speeds that only a select few get to see. For the rest of us, we will not have to worry about aerodynamic drag in our daily drives to and from work. We DO have to worry about spiritual drag in our lives from day to day, and this drag can be very tiring. It says in Hebrews 12:1;
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us.
I talk a little about this passage in my very first post, but with it being the day after Daytona, this verse still inspires me to dive deeper into this verse. In our daily lives there is always something that is out there to create drag in our spiritual lives. I know for me there are times that I feel like that I have been "disqualified" from the gift that God has given us with the death and resurrection of our Lord Jesus. The devil is always around to reminds us how we have sinned and try to keep secrets from God, which we all know that we have no secrets that God does not know about. The secret to getting rid of the drag we all experience is to give it all to God. Throw off everything that is keeping you down and give it to God, He will pick you up and help you get back on track. Can imagine how much God must love us to be willing to pick us up when we fall. I know it is hard to give up everything to God, we all want control over our lives, but we do not have control, God does.
Just the drivers like in the Daytona 500, we have to pace ourselves to run the race that has been laid out in front of us. If we go all out we will make more mistakes and we will not learn from the mistakes that we have made. Plus you can not hear anything at a dead run. So how can we expect to hear God when he is talking to us? If we take our time we can learn to tell the difference between God talking and the devil talking, and that is very important. If we listen to what the devil says, then we will always have spiritual drag in our lives. So we must throw everything off that drags us down, I know I am repeating myself but I think it is very important we always realize this.
I think one of the best ways to get rid of the secrets in our lives that cause the spiritual drag in our lives, is to find someone or a group of people that we trust to share the drag with. We do not have to run the race alone, we are all in it together. Iron sharpens iron, and we can help each other.
Today the questions I want to ask everyone to ask themselves. What secret sin do you work hard to keep hidden? What spiritual drag do you have in your life? I challenge everyone to ask God to show them someone that they can share with.
Friday, February 12, 2010
The plug check
I know that today's devotional is running late today, but last night it was put on my heart to read over today's verse's. Then after reading the verse's for today I felt that I really needed to wait to put the devotional up today till God's words really sank in for me. Today's verse's we will be talking about are a verse from Matthew and a verse from Acts. First there is Matthew 7:7;
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Then we have Acts 17:10-12;
As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians; for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures everyday to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number if prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
Now comes the comparison to NASCAR, before the race during the practice sessions on the last lap the driver will shut the car off and coast back into the garage. Once the car is back there the mechanics will pull the plugs out of the motor and take a look at the plugs to see if the car needs any adjustments to the carb. So in other words they are looking for the truth in what the motor is saying, screaming around the track. For many of us we would just see a used spark plug, but to the mechanics it is a treasure chest revealing the true character of the motor. Now some of us see the Bible kind of the same way, but just like the mechanics in NASCAR that have done a lot of reading and training to see the stuff they see in a spark plug, we have to read, meditate, and really listen to the word of God.
In Matthew, Jesus teaches us that if we seek the truth, we will find the truth. I believe that no matter where you are in your walk with God, the more we read the Bible the more we will learn about the gifts that God gives us. I learn this everyday that I do this blog and also when I talk to other Christians. Also when I read the Scripture I get a greater sense of understanding of what God is doing with me and through me. Everyday God will give us more insight to the truth that is in the Bible and the truth about ourselves.
So today we need to ask ourselves, how often do we search for the truth? When we search for the truth, are we listening or are we distracted by what is going on around us?
I challenge everyone, myself included, to ask God to create a thirst in us to search for the truth in Scripture for ourselves. We should be ready, when we ask this, for God to reveal Himself to us in new ways. We should also be ready to listen, when we are listening to God.
Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.
Then we have Acts 17:10-12;
As soon as it was night, the brothers sent Paul and Silas away to Berea. On arriving there, they went to the Jewish synagogue. Now the Bereans were of more noble character than the Thessalonians; for they received the message with great eagerness and examined the Scriptures everyday to see if what Paul said was true. Many of the Jews believed, as did also a number if prominent Greek women and many Greek men.
Now comes the comparison to NASCAR, before the race during the practice sessions on the last lap the driver will shut the car off and coast back into the garage. Once the car is back there the mechanics will pull the plugs out of the motor and take a look at the plugs to see if the car needs any adjustments to the carb. So in other words they are looking for the truth in what the motor is saying, screaming around the track. For many of us we would just see a used spark plug, but to the mechanics it is a treasure chest revealing the true character of the motor. Now some of us see the Bible kind of the same way, but just like the mechanics in NASCAR that have done a lot of reading and training to see the stuff they see in a spark plug, we have to read, meditate, and really listen to the word of God.
In Matthew, Jesus teaches us that if we seek the truth, we will find the truth. I believe that no matter where you are in your walk with God, the more we read the Bible the more we will learn about the gifts that God gives us. I learn this everyday that I do this blog and also when I talk to other Christians. Also when I read the Scripture I get a greater sense of understanding of what God is doing with me and through me. Everyday God will give us more insight to the truth that is in the Bible and the truth about ourselves.
So today we need to ask ourselves, how often do we search for the truth? When we search for the truth, are we listening or are we distracted by what is going on around us?
I challenge everyone, myself included, to ask God to create a thirst in us to search for the truth in Scripture for ourselves. We should be ready, when we ask this, for God to reveal Himself to us in new ways. We should also be ready to listen, when we are listening to God.
Thursday, February 11, 2010
I think today is going to be a thought provoking devotional. The two passages that I am using today have made me really think and look inside myself. The first passage I am using today is 1 Peter 5:2-3:
Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers- not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve, not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
The second passage is from Ephesians 4: 11-12
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for the works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
In the first passage we are being told take a watchful eye over God's flock, and to do it not for money, personal glory or recognition. That we should do it because we want to serve God and bring glory to Him. We need to lead be example and not be over bearing and demanding.
In the second passage we are shown the gift of teaching that He has given us to train and guide Christians in serving each other so that the body of Christ can grow and thrive. I believe that we all can teach the word of God and bring glory to Him, whether we write a blog, talk to friends, family and co-workers, or teach in a Sunday school class. Sometimes it can be very hard to do this with all our daily activities, but we need to stop and listen to what God is saying.
When we stop not only can we hear, but we become approachable for others. I know I have heard many times "I wanted to talk with you, but you looked really busy." I find that it is hard to approach people if they never stop, and always look busy. This a really hard thing for me since I feel like I always need to be doing something, if it is from working in my workshop building or refinishing a piece of furniture or even writing my blog everyday. So this discipline is a very hard one for me, and I know that it is hard for others with day to day activities of life. I think that if we all take the time to stop, we will see what God needs us to do, and even who may need some help with the truth of the word of God.
Today's questions are going to take a little thought for everyone, including me. When was the last time that we stopped and listened to the teachings of God? What is He telling us today and everyday? When was the last time that we were approachable for others to come to us for the word of God?
Today my challenge would have to be, for all of us, to stop and listen, learn and reflect on the word of God. Also stop and let someone that is lost or fallen for the truth approach you for the word of God. Plus be a leader by example, and do it to bring glory to God and not to yourself.
Be shepherds of God's flock that is under your care, serving as overseers- not because you must, but because you are willing, as God wants you to be; not greedy for money, but eager to serve, not lording it over those entrusted to you, but being examples to the flock.
The second passage is from Ephesians 4: 11-12
It was he who gave some to be apostles, some to be prophets, some to be evangelists, and some to be pastors and teachers, to prepare God's people for the works of service, so that the body of Christ may be built up
In the first passage we are being told take a watchful eye over God's flock, and to do it not for money, personal glory or recognition. That we should do it because we want to serve God and bring glory to Him. We need to lead be example and not be over bearing and demanding.
In the second passage we are shown the gift of teaching that He has given us to train and guide Christians in serving each other so that the body of Christ can grow and thrive. I believe that we all can teach the word of God and bring glory to Him, whether we write a blog, talk to friends, family and co-workers, or teach in a Sunday school class. Sometimes it can be very hard to do this with all our daily activities, but we need to stop and listen to what God is saying.
When we stop not only can we hear, but we become approachable for others. I know I have heard many times "I wanted to talk with you, but you looked really busy." I find that it is hard to approach people if they never stop, and always look busy. This a really hard thing for me since I feel like I always need to be doing something, if it is from working in my workshop building or refinishing a piece of furniture or even writing my blog everyday. So this discipline is a very hard one for me, and I know that it is hard for others with day to day activities of life. I think that if we all take the time to stop, we will see what God needs us to do, and even who may need some help with the truth of the word of God.
Today's questions are going to take a little thought for everyone, including me. When was the last time that we stopped and listened to the teachings of God? What is He telling us today and everyday? When was the last time that we were approachable for others to come to us for the word of God?
Today my challenge would have to be, for all of us, to stop and listen, learn and reflect on the word of God. Also stop and let someone that is lost or fallen for the truth approach you for the word of God. Plus be a leader by example, and do it to bring glory to God and not to yourself.
Wednesday, February 10, 2010
Christ has overcome the world
The more and more I do this blog, the more and more I learn about myself and our Lord and Savior. Like how Jesus overcame the world and gave us hope and peace. I think the verse that shows this is John 16:33, when Jesus tells the disciples:
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
For Jesus to let us know that he has overcome the world should provide us with a great source of strength. Even though we may have troubles and problems, with Jesus we will have peace. Just think Jesus is the one that kicked the locked door of death and the grave right off it's hinges to allow us eternal life, that commands our awe and respect. We can thrive with the knowledge that we have been given a gift of a victorious position. We have what it takes, because Christ gave it to us. He is the only one that could give it to us.
So do you lack any confidence today? Take heart in knowing that you and I can face whatever life throws at us, because of Christ's victory. Today ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to an empowered understanding of the gift that has been given through our Lord Jesus.
"I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world."
For Jesus to let us know that he has overcome the world should provide us with a great source of strength. Even though we may have troubles and problems, with Jesus we will have peace. Just think Jesus is the one that kicked the locked door of death and the grave right off it's hinges to allow us eternal life, that commands our awe and respect. We can thrive with the knowledge that we have been given a gift of a victorious position. We have what it takes, because Christ gave it to us. He is the only one that could give it to us.
So do you lack any confidence today? Take heart in knowing that you and I can face whatever life throws at us, because of Christ's victory. Today ask the Holy Spirit to guide you to an empowered understanding of the gift that has been given through our Lord Jesus.
Tuesday, February 9, 2010
Spotter for life
With the Daytona 500 just a few days away, I feel the need for another NASCAR comparison. In NASCAR there is someone on each of the teams that has a very important job and they are the spotters for the driver. Their job is to watch the driver for their team and let them know of any dangers on the track and to let the driver know what is going on around them. In Hebrews 13:7 it talks about our own personal spotters;
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
We all have someone, whether we realize it or not, that when we need the word and truth of God, we go to and talk to. It could be a really good friend or the pastor of your church, and if you are real lucky like me then your pastor is a really really good friend. They are also someone that you try and imitate how they walk with Jesus. Also remember that you have someone that you turn to for the truth, there is also someone that turns to you for the truth of God. In Ezekiel 3:17 it says;
Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from Me.
As leaders we must be ready with the truth of God and to be someone's spotter in life and faith. If you think about it we all have a friend that will let you know that you are getting off in the in field and that you need to get back on the track. They will help warn you of dangers in your blind spot and when something may be in your way. Likewise we need to be willing to do the same.
I am reminded of a time early in the year last year that my good friend and pastor sat me down and did exactly that. He helped me see that I had lost some of my passion for what I was doing in the church and also my faith, then he gave some truth that helped me get out of the in-field and back on the track. He did not let me make excuses for what was going on, he just gave me the truth. I don't remember if I ever said thank you, but that heart to heart we had helped put me back on the track.
We all need friends like that, but we also need to be friends like that. It is never easy to do that, it is always easier to go with the flow and not say anything. That is not being a leader or being a friend.
The questions for today are, who is your spotter? Who are you spotting for? I believe that it is a very important job all the way around, and something that we should all strive to do and be aware of.
The challenge today is a simple one. Find your spotter today and say thank you for them being there and keeping you on the track and not in the in-field. Also pray that God will help you see the opportunities that you can be someone's spotter and guide them to the truth and word of God.
I would also like to take this time to send a very big THANK YOU out to two of my spotters in life. First I want to say thank you my wife and best friend, Laura Alexander. Then the other thank you goes out to my best friend and pastor, David Adams. You two have never given up on me, even when I act a fool, and there are not enough thank you's out there to say for all that you guys have done for me in finding the truth and word of God. I love you guys.
Remember your leaders, who spoke the word of God to you. Consider the outcome of their way of life and imitate their faith.
We all have someone, whether we realize it or not, that when we need the word and truth of God, we go to and talk to. It could be a really good friend or the pastor of your church, and if you are real lucky like me then your pastor is a really really good friend. They are also someone that you try and imitate how they walk with Jesus. Also remember that you have someone that you turn to for the truth, there is also someone that turns to you for the truth of God. In Ezekiel 3:17 it says;
Son of man, I have made you a watchman for the house of Israel; so hear the word I speak and give them warning from Me.
As leaders we must be ready with the truth of God and to be someone's spotter in life and faith. If you think about it we all have a friend that will let you know that you are getting off in the in field and that you need to get back on the track. They will help warn you of dangers in your blind spot and when something may be in your way. Likewise we need to be willing to do the same.
I am reminded of a time early in the year last year that my good friend and pastor sat me down and did exactly that. He helped me see that I had lost some of my passion for what I was doing in the church and also my faith, then he gave some truth that helped me get out of the in-field and back on the track. He did not let me make excuses for what was going on, he just gave me the truth. I don't remember if I ever said thank you, but that heart to heart we had helped put me back on the track.
We all need friends like that, but we also need to be friends like that. It is never easy to do that, it is always easier to go with the flow and not say anything. That is not being a leader or being a friend.
The questions for today are, who is your spotter? Who are you spotting for? I believe that it is a very important job all the way around, and something that we should all strive to do and be aware of.
The challenge today is a simple one. Find your spotter today and say thank you for them being there and keeping you on the track and not in the in-field. Also pray that God will help you see the opportunities that you can be someone's spotter and guide them to the truth and word of God.
I would also like to take this time to send a very big THANK YOU out to two of my spotters in life. First I want to say thank you my wife and best friend, Laura Alexander. Then the other thank you goes out to my best friend and pastor, David Adams. You two have never given up on me, even when I act a fool, and there are not enough thank you's out there to say for all that you guys have done for me in finding the truth and word of God. I love you guys.
Monday, February 8, 2010
Serving each other helps us be better leaders
The devotional for today has to be I believe one of my favorites to talk about and one of the most humbling. Today we are going to talk about service to one another, just as Jesus served the disciples. In John 13:2 gives the perfect example of Jesus serving the disciples, the way we should serve each other, and it says:
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God; so He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
Can you imagine that, to be sitting down to have dinner with our Lord and Savior, and He gets up and starts washing your feet and everyone else's feet that is there. How humbling that must have been for the disciples that night. I am a firm believer in leading by example and not asking someone to do something that you are not willing to do yourself, and that is exactly what Jesus did. In Mark 9:35 it says
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and servant to all."
That is a pretty powerful statement, there is no mystery what He is saying there. We are to lead by example, I believe that we as believers we must be a beacon for others to follow to the truth and to God. We can not be leaders if we say one thing but our actions say another. Jesus gives us an example of doing just that in the first verse in today's devotional. We must be servants of God in order to lead, and be willing to do what is God's will even when we do not want to.
So today there is no questions only the challenge. When you are wanting creature comforts for yourself, ask Jesus to give opportunities to serve others the way He did. Lets be heroes in God's kingdom, and stoop to become servant-leaders like Jesus.
Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under His power, and that He had come from God; so He got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around His waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him.
Can you imagine that, to be sitting down to have dinner with our Lord and Savior, and He gets up and starts washing your feet and everyone else's feet that is there. How humbling that must have been for the disciples that night. I am a firm believer in leading by example and not asking someone to do something that you are not willing to do yourself, and that is exactly what Jesus did. In Mark 9:35 it says
Sitting down, Jesus called the Twelve and said "If anyone wants to be first, he must be the very last, and servant to all."
That is a pretty powerful statement, there is no mystery what He is saying there. We are to lead by example, I believe that we as believers we must be a beacon for others to follow to the truth and to God. We can not be leaders if we say one thing but our actions say another. Jesus gives us an example of doing just that in the first verse in today's devotional. We must be servants of God in order to lead, and be willing to do what is God's will even when we do not want to.
So today there is no questions only the challenge. When you are wanting creature comforts for yourself, ask Jesus to give opportunities to serve others the way He did. Lets be heroes in God's kingdom, and stoop to become servant-leaders like Jesus.
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Friendship with God
I did not post a devotional yesterday, so today's may be a bit long. After being at a Super Bowl fellowship at church surrounded by friends and my church family, I believe today I am going to talk about our friendship with God. In Romans 5:10-11 it says;
For if, we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we now received reconciliation.
Now I know it seems wierd to talk about being God's enemy, when we are talking about our friendship with God. But I have to think about what God has done for us, he sent his Son to die for our sins. Now think about your very best friend, would you sent your one and only son to die for something that he or she did? I can say honestly that I could not do that. So think about what kind of good friend that God really is. I would have to say that He is my very best friend and my Father. I mean who else would do that for anyone?
Through Jesus we are made complete, in Ephesians 4:16 it says;
From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
From this we can see that we take our lead in Christ. He will help guide us, nourish us, so that we may grow up healthy in God. So we may be robust in love for Him and one another and that we may have everlasting life eternal with God. Makes me think what did I do to deserve to have a friend like God in my life. I have sinned and live a sinners life, and still sin, so why would God want to be my friend, and you are like me then you have done a lot of the same things I have done. If you know me you were probably right there with me when we did those things. I can however tell you why God would want to be our friend and forgive us of our sins. It is three words: HE LOVES US.
The questions for today are, how should or how does your friendship with God affect your relationships with other people? What does verse 11 of Romans say to you?
Now on to the challenge for today is to just thank God for the relationship that He has made possible to have with Him.
For if, we were God's enemies, we were reconciled to Him through the death of His Son, how much more, having been reconciled, shall we be saved through His life! Not only is this so, but we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we now received reconciliation.
Now I know it seems wierd to talk about being God's enemy, when we are talking about our friendship with God. But I have to think about what God has done for us, he sent his Son to die for our sins. Now think about your very best friend, would you sent your one and only son to die for something that he or she did? I can say honestly that I could not do that. So think about what kind of good friend that God really is. I would have to say that He is my very best friend and my Father. I mean who else would do that for anyone?
Through Jesus we are made complete, in Ephesians 4:16 it says;
From Him the whole body, joined and held together by every supporting ligament, grows and builds itself up in love, as each part does its work.
From this we can see that we take our lead in Christ. He will help guide us, nourish us, so that we may grow up healthy in God. So we may be robust in love for Him and one another and that we may have everlasting life eternal with God. Makes me think what did I do to deserve to have a friend like God in my life. I have sinned and live a sinners life, and still sin, so why would God want to be my friend, and you are like me then you have done a lot of the same things I have done. If you know me you were probably right there with me when we did those things. I can however tell you why God would want to be our friend and forgive us of our sins. It is three words: HE LOVES US.
The questions for today are, how should or how does your friendship with God affect your relationships with other people? What does verse 11 of Romans say to you?
Now on to the challenge for today is to just thank God for the relationship that He has made possible to have with Him.
Friday, February 5, 2010
Search Me
Today's verse has a very special meaning to me because for me it was one of the scariest verse's for me. It is Psalms 139:23-24, and it goes like this.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
I think what scared me so much about this verse when I first read it was the fact that I was asking God, someone that I did not really know at the time, to come into my life and find everything about ME. I compare it to when my wife and I first started dating. She wanted to know everything about me, where I had been, what I had done, and everything in between. For most of us it is hard for us to let someone that we barely know to have all this information and let them get close to us. Maybe because we are scared of being hurt or maybe them finding something out about us that we do not want them to know.
But after I really thought about this verse I came to realize that God already knows everything we have done and everything that we are going to do. Once I put it in that perspective I came to really really love this verse. I found out that once God came into my life and I let Him find my anxious thought and my offensive ways, and started letting Him lead me instead of me trying to walk beside or in front of Him, all things became more clear to me. The Bible says in Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those that love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." God will find all you anxious thoughts and offensive ways, if you let Him in and let Him guide you throughout your life. He will lead you everlasting life, if you will let him.
Today I challenge you to ask God to search you and show you the way. Also to learn to trust God through any suffering and believe that He will make every experience to make you more like Jesus.
Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.
I think what scared me so much about this verse when I first read it was the fact that I was asking God, someone that I did not really know at the time, to come into my life and find everything about ME. I compare it to when my wife and I first started dating. She wanted to know everything about me, where I had been, what I had done, and everything in between. For most of us it is hard for us to let someone that we barely know to have all this information and let them get close to us. Maybe because we are scared of being hurt or maybe them finding something out about us that we do not want them to know.
But after I really thought about this verse I came to realize that God already knows everything we have done and everything that we are going to do. Once I put it in that perspective I came to really really love this verse. I found out that once God came into my life and I let Him find my anxious thought and my offensive ways, and started letting Him lead me instead of me trying to walk beside or in front of Him, all things became more clear to me. The Bible says in Romans 8:28 "And we know that in all things God works for the good of those that love Him, who have been called according to His purpose." God will find all you anxious thoughts and offensive ways, if you let Him in and let Him guide you throughout your life. He will lead you everlasting life, if you will let him.
Today I challenge you to ask God to search you and show you the way. Also to learn to trust God through any suffering and believe that He will make every experience to make you more like Jesus.
Thursday, February 4, 2010
God's Surface Plate for us.
In today's devotional I am going to using NASCAR in it since the biggest race for NASCAR is just over a week away. The verse for today is from 2 Timothy 3:16-17, and it reads:
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
In NASCAR they use what is called a surface plate, and it is a surface that is perfectly level and in a perfect rectangle. From this surface every measurement is made for a stock car and it is what is use to help make the "perfect" car. We as people in life have the same thing and we call it the Bible. We can read God's word, and search for our imperfections and where we need to make improvements in our lives. God has a unchanging standard that we need to help us with our morality, and without it our lives would be riding on a road that twist and turns with what ever whims that we have for the day. God's word and will should guide us through out everyday of our lives, and should be our spiritual surface plate. It should be what we take our measurements in the wisdom of God's word from.
So today's question is why do you read God's word? Do you read it to get the upper hand on other people? Do you read it to try and discredit God? If you read it for reasons like this then you are reading it for the wrong reason, because motives like this are off base.
Today I challenge you to read your Bible to discover the truth and wisdom that is our Lord and Savior. Also read the Bible to discover the truth about yourself, and you will be surprised by what it is that you learn. God bless you, and may he open your heart to hear Him speak to you.
All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting, and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work.
In NASCAR they use what is called a surface plate, and it is a surface that is perfectly level and in a perfect rectangle. From this surface every measurement is made for a stock car and it is what is use to help make the "perfect" car. We as people in life have the same thing and we call it the Bible. We can read God's word, and search for our imperfections and where we need to make improvements in our lives. God has a unchanging standard that we need to help us with our morality, and without it our lives would be riding on a road that twist and turns with what ever whims that we have for the day. God's word and will should guide us through out everyday of our lives, and should be our spiritual surface plate. It should be what we take our measurements in the wisdom of God's word from.
So today's question is why do you read God's word? Do you read it to get the upper hand on other people? Do you read it to try and discredit God? If you read it for reasons like this then you are reading it for the wrong reason, because motives like this are off base.
Today I challenge you to read your Bible to discover the truth and wisdom that is our Lord and Savior. Also read the Bible to discover the truth about yourself, and you will be surprised by what it is that you learn. God bless you, and may he open your heart to hear Him speak to you.
Wednesday, February 3, 2010
Day 2 Devotional
In today's devotional I will be covering two different passages. First there is 1 Samuel 16:7, it reads.
But the Lord said to Samuel, " Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
Second there is Revelation 2:3-5 that reads.
You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did first. If you do repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
I believe what is being told in the first verse is that we can not judge someone on what they look like but what is on their heart. I think the best way to sum this one up was done best by an author named Dale Beaver in his book "Before the Thunder Rolls."
Though a person may appear to be loaded with credentials on the outside, he or she may
lack the most important characteristic- the heart of a servant under the authority of God.
That is the trait in us that God values most.
In the second verse the apostle John records Jesus' words to a church in a place called Ephesus, there Jesus warns the church to remember Him first in everything that they do. I think that we often forget to keep Jesus first in all aspects of our lives. If do not keep first Him first in our lives, how can he bless the things that we do? It is tough to give praise to Jesus even when things are going bad, but we will bow to Him and ask for help. When things go good we often chose not to, thinking that it is our talent that did it. I have to ask, who gave you the talent? It is God that gives us our talents. Good or bad we always have to give praise to God and keep Him first.
I think that today we need to ask ourselves the following questions. When did you last look for what is in someone's heart and not what they look like? When was the last time we put Him first? Then the challenge that I put out there today is 2 things. First look for what is in someone's heart, instead of what they look like. Second put God first in everything that you do.
But the Lord said to Samuel, " Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the Lord looks at the heart."
Second there is Revelation 2:3-5 that reads.
You have persevered and have endured hardships for my name, and have not grown weary. Yet I hold this against you: You have forsaken your first love. Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did first. If you do repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.
I believe what is being told in the first verse is that we can not judge someone on what they look like but what is on their heart. I think the best way to sum this one up was done best by an author named Dale Beaver in his book "Before the Thunder Rolls."
Though a person may appear to be loaded with credentials on the outside, he or she may
lack the most important characteristic- the heart of a servant under the authority of God.
That is the trait in us that God values most.
In the second verse the apostle John records Jesus' words to a church in a place called Ephesus, there Jesus warns the church to remember Him first in everything that they do. I think that we often forget to keep Jesus first in all aspects of our lives. If do not keep first Him first in our lives, how can he bless the things that we do? It is tough to give praise to Jesus even when things are going bad, but we will bow to Him and ask for help. When things go good we often chose not to, thinking that it is our talent that did it. I have to ask, who gave you the talent? It is God that gives us our talents. Good or bad we always have to give praise to God and keep Him first.
I think that today we need to ask ourselves the following questions. When did you last look for what is in someone's heart and not what they look like? When was the last time we put Him first? Then the challenge that I put out there today is 2 things. First look for what is in someone's heart, instead of what they look like. Second put God first in everything that you do.
Tuesday, February 2, 2010
My first blog
This is my very first blog that I have ever done. God has put it in my heart and has stirred a passion in me to share the word as much as I can, and the best way I can think to do that is with a daily devotional. So I am going to start one here and I invite everyone to join in with their thoughts, comments and questions. Now that I have got a, sort of, introduction done I guess I will get this going.
Hebrews 12:1-3 says:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
What is it that we can take from this passage of Scripture? I believe that God is telling us here that our walk in faith not going to be all roses and flowers. That it is going to be more like a cross-country endurance race. There will be times that we will be running up a mountain and it is going to seem like it is going to take forever to get to the top. Then there will be times that we are running down the mountain on a nice smooth trail and nothing could go wrong. So God is telling us to be prepared for whatever comes and to keep our eyes on Jesus our Savior. Jesus died a shameful death for our sins and rose from the grave so that we may have life everlasting. If we look at the most important people in the Bible, aside from God and Jesus, they all had commitment to press on in their faith and keep on believing. I think that is one of the hardest things that we as Christians have to do, keeping that commitment on our faith. I would like to challenge everyone to commit themselves to God once again or even for the first time, and join in the race of life with God. Remember that life with God is not a sprint. It is a walk - TOGETHER.
Hebrews 12:1-3 says:
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfector of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider Him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.
What is it that we can take from this passage of Scripture? I believe that God is telling us here that our walk in faith not going to be all roses and flowers. That it is going to be more like a cross-country endurance race. There will be times that we will be running up a mountain and it is going to seem like it is going to take forever to get to the top. Then there will be times that we are running down the mountain on a nice smooth trail and nothing could go wrong. So God is telling us to be prepared for whatever comes and to keep our eyes on Jesus our Savior. Jesus died a shameful death for our sins and rose from the grave so that we may have life everlasting. If we look at the most important people in the Bible, aside from God and Jesus, they all had commitment to press on in their faith and keep on believing. I think that is one of the hardest things that we as Christians have to do, keeping that commitment on our faith. I would like to challenge everyone to commit themselves to God once again or even for the first time, and join in the race of life with God. Remember that life with God is not a sprint. It is a walk - TOGETHER.
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