Why is this the most wonderful time of year?????

Why is Christmas the most wonderful time of the year? Why are families re-united? Why are people happier around Christmas time than the rest of the year?

I just love the anticipation of the children for Christmas morning. I would submit that people are so cheerful because of the simple fact of the name of Christ being posted everywhere. We are told over and over in the bible that our words have power. This principle is not more evident any other time of the year. But, during the month of December, people and banners are continuously expressing "Merry Christmas". Even the un-saved are using the name of Christ. Christ means the annointed one, and when we include Him in the hustle and bustle of our everyday life, we too can live an annointed life.

I would love to see people everywhere have the same anticipation that little children have for Christmas morning. Instead, we should be anticipating the return of the Christ. What a joyous day that will be. I just pray that we can include Jesus in our speach, our actions, and our thoughts all throughout 2010.

Have a Merry Christmas, and remember..... without Christ, there can be no CHRISTmas.

Follow at a distance????????

How often have we either said or heard, "we better keep our distance". We usually say that when we want to "know" what is happening, but not really be involved. Think about when you were in grade school. There were fights that would break out. Everyone wanted to be a witness to the fight, but not many people wanted to be close enough to get smacked. Think about an accident on the highway. People can't keep themselves from staring, but not many actually want to get out of their car and help.

When Jesus was betrayed in the garden, Peter attempted to cut off one of the soliders heads. Peter had just been told by Jesus that he would deny even knowing Christ 3 times before the end of the night. After Jesus had been arrested, and was being led away, we are told that Peter followed at a distance.

Those who had arrested Jesus took him to Caiaphas, the high priest, where the teachers of the law and the elders had assembled. 58But Peter followed him at a distance, right up to the courtyard of the high priest. He entered and sat down with the guards to see the outcome.

How many of us are more content just "following at a distance"? I mean think about it, wouldn't we rather just "be there" to witness and maybe even partake in all the greatness of God, without actually having to "get our hands dirty"? Jesus said that only if we are willing to "lose our life" will we actually find it. I challenge you today not to just follow at a distance, but rather jump in, both feet, and do the work of God.

We have all been blesed with talents, abilities, and gifts. Shouldn't we start using them for heaven's sake? We really need to give our best efforts to God. He tells us that in our weakness, He is able to show His strength. Turst Him today, and do you best.

Believing is not seeing.... it's saying

Many people believe that you can't believe something that you can't see. I agree, it is hard to believe something that you can't visualize. But, that is the point of faith. We are to walk by faith, and not by sight.

However, when we consider the passage in Mark 11, Jesus taught that what you say is just as important as what you believe.

22"Have faith in God," Jesus answered. 23"I tell you the truth, if anyone says to this mountain, 'Go, throw yourself into the sea,' and does not doubt in his heart but believes that what he says will happen, it will be done for him. 24Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours. 25And when you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven may forgive you your sins."

We have to get into the habit of making positive confessions about our lives, and the "obstacles" coming into them. It is just as important to speak to the obstacles in our lives, as it is to believe that things can change. Proverbs 18:21 tells us that "The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit."
I can't stress to you how important the things we say about us, others, and our lives is. Our words have power. We are told to call things that are not, as though they are. That is how God formed the earth. He called out the things that He wanted to appear.


Believe it and speak it. If you believe something, and have dreams and desires, start speaking them. Your words have power, start using them wisely.

Are your prayers hitting the roof?

Do you ever feel like your prayers aren't heard or even answered? Do you ever feel like you are praying the same words everytime you hit your knees? I am sure we have all felt that way. The disciples asked Jesus to teach them how to pray. Jesus told them how to pray in what we call the Lord's prayer.
Matthew 6:
9"This, then, is how you should pray:
" 'Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10your kingdom come,
your will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
11Give us today our daily bread.
12Forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13And lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from the evil one.[a]' 14For if you forgive men when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15But if you do not forgive men their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

I see two really important parts of this prayer. One, we are to forgive others, if we expect to be forgiven. Secondly, how are we told to seek forgiveness? We are told to confess our sins and He is faithful and just to forgive us.

I think the point is that if we want our prayers to be heard and answered, we have to hold our end of the deal with sin. We have to forgive those who have sinned against us, and we have to confess our own sin.

Try praying with a new approach. Search yourself with the help of the Spirit, and see if there is any sin that hasn't been dealt with.

Seek the Lord, and you will find Him.

Happy Pill.........

In today's society, many, many people have a "happy pill". Usually this is an anti depressant that is commonly prescribed by a doctor to assist a person with dealing with a traumatic event. In my opinion, and again this is my opinion, these meds are prescribed wayyyyy toooooo often. Even more, there are taken for way toooo longggg.

It seems to me that most people who consistently use these happy pills, are looking to fill a void in their life. There is an empty hole in every persons life that they are born with. We as humans, attempt to fill this hole with people (friends, spouses, children), stuff (cars, clothes, purses, houses, shoes, etc), or new hobbies and toys (the newest technology, a new sport, a boat, camping equipment, etc). This hole is not meant to be filled with any of this stuff.

God fashioned each and every one of us in His image with a void in our life that ONLY HE can fill. I encourage you today to examine your life, take inventory of the things that make you feel happy. If God is not in that inventory, I encourage you to pray for Him to give you a desire for His Love and Truth. His Word says that He is a "consuming fire".

Allow yourself to be consumed with Him today! Start a new Happy Pill. Allow the Spirit to fill you.

Are you a sponge???

I heard this great illustration a few days ago, and I just have to share it. Okay, picture a large bowl of orange juice. If you soak a sponge in the OJ, and the go to an empty bowl and ring it out, what comes out of the sponge? Orange Juice right? Okay the sponge is completely rung out now. Soak the same sponge in a bowl of water. Now ring out the same sponge, what comes out now? Water, that is correct.

Now consider yourself as the sponge. Whatever you saturate yourself with, is what comes out of your life when you get squeezed. When life stresses you, what do you say or think. I would bet that most of us allow non life giving words and thoughts to come out of our lives. The bible tells us that "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks. That means whatever you saturate yourself with, that is what is squeezed out of you when life starts stressing you.

I encourage you today to decide today to get VERY familiar with your bible. God has given us His amazing Word so we can get to know Him. If He is our heavenly father, shouldn't we spend as much time and energy forming a relationship with him as we do with an earthly father?

You are a sponge, make sure you are soaking up good stuff!

Please God.....

We often times use these two little words while we are in the middle of a heap of whatever. We are usually begging God to change our circumstance. However, we are too proud to realize that it is actually us that He desires to change. So, when we get out of what it was that we were in to, we forget about the impact that God has in our lives.

I would like to encourage you today to take a different stance. Instead of asking "oh please God", why not try living a life that is pleasing to God. The bible tells us that blessed is the man that delights in the Lord. That means if we actually live out our faith, we are going to be different. We are going to act in a way that is pleasing to the Lord.

Please God today!

Can You Sew????

Well, many people have taken FHA, or Home Economics in school. So, when I ask, "Can You Sew", most people might say "yeah, kinda". However, the sewing that I am talking about is actually spelled S-O-W. You know, the act of "planting" seeds. When you plant grass seed or many other types of seeds, it is called sowing. So, can you sow?

In the bible, we should have learned a principle that is found throughout the entire bible. It is the principle of sowing and reaping. Think about it, if you want tomatoes, you have to start by planting a seed. If you want grass, it also comes from a seed. Nearly all types of vegetation come from seeds.

Have you ever applied the principle of sowing and reaping to your everyday life? The bible tells us that if we want to have friends, we should show ourselves to be friendly. That means that you have to be a friend to have friends. The bible also tells us that we will be blessed with the same measure (that means amount) that we bless others.

This also applies to money. We often times forget that EVERYTHING belongs to God. We get greedy and arrogant, and believe that the money that He has blessed us with is actually ours. WRONG, it is His. In 2 Corinthians 10:9, we are told that
9As it is written:
"He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor;
his righteousness endures forever."[a] 10Now he who supplies seed to the sower and bread for food will also supply and increase your store of seed and will enlarge the harvest of your righteousness. 11You will be made rich in every way so that you can be generous on every occasion, and through us your generosity will result in thanksgiving to God.

Have you ever said "Well, I will give more at church when I have more."? That is a wrong mentality about how we are blessed. We have to give cheerfully and faithfully, knowing that God WILL supply ALL of our needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.

Just like a pool of water, if you don't give your blessings, they will become stagnant, and unfruitful.

You see, you have to give first to get.

In His likeness.....

We are to be completely surrendered, to the point that we are willing to be transformed into His likeness. Are you completely surrendered today? That would mean that you are completely willing to allow His purpose for your life to become your purpose for your life.

In Malachi 3:3, the Bible tells us that He will sit as a refiner of silver, a purifier of silver. Remember the verse, "He is the potter and we are the clay"? Well, it can also be said that we are the silver and He is the refiner.

Now it is important to know a little about the refining process of silver. Silver is held over a fire, and heated up. The refiner HAS to stay with the silver and keep his eye on it, because if the silver is held to the fire for just a moment too long, it will be ruined. The lesson here is, no matter what sort of fire you are going through, He is right there with His eyes on you. The Bible says that He will never leave or forsake us.

Now let's continue, the silver is not at its purest until the refiner can see his image reflecting back at him. So, the lesson is this. Allow Him to complete a great work in you today.

On Bended Knee.....

Do you remember that "love song" by Boyz2Men? You know the one, his woman left him, so now he is down on bended knee asking God what went wrong, and begging her to come back. Well, I have been think a lot about a "bended knee".

Did you know that the bible says that eventually EVERY knee will bow, and EVERY tongue will confess that Jesus is Lord?

Philippians 2
9Therefore God exalted him to the highest place
and gave him the name that is above every name,
10that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow,
in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

My thoughts have been about this sort of bended knee. The idea that Every knee will bow. That tells me that if you are rejecting Jesus Christ now, that eventually you will bow down to Him. That means even the people who completely deny and reject Him, will be brought before Him at the day of judgement, and they WILL bow to Him.

Wouldn't it be so much better to be obedient to Him now a bow by our own free will? He has done so much for us, that we should be willing to bow and worship as an act of Love.

What you eatin????????

In Hebrews 5, we are told that it is okay to "eat" spiritual milk while we are young in our walk with God. BUT, there comes a time, just like with our babies, that we are weaned off the milk, and start eating solid food.
I have been thinking a lot lately about going deeper with God, becoming a more mature child of God. While thinking about this, I was led to consider a teen's maturity process. The Word says that Jesus grew in stature, wisdom, knowledge and favor during His teen years. That was right after he stayed in the temple as His parents started traveling back to Nazareth. So, back to the teenager, they grow in strength, stature, and independence. That says to me that we as believers, have to get off the milk, and GROW UP.

In 1 Corinthians 3, Paul wrote of giving a group of people "spiritual milk" because they were not ready for solid food. I desire to be ready for solid food, and I encourage you to desire the same. The next step is to break open the Bread of Life, which is the Word of God, which is the Bible.

So go, get it off the shelf, blow off the dust, and just allow the Spirit of God to teach and guide your understanding of the Promises therein.

Can you hear Him?

We have a responsibility as children of God to know His voice. Jesus said himself that the sheep would know the Shepherd's voice. Do you know the voice of God?

It amazes me to read about Elijah. In 1 Kings chapter 19, Elijah has gotten scared and ran away to hide in a cave, for no good reason. Here he is, an old testament prophet of God, and he is gettin scared? C'mon man, you have God on your team, chill out for a minute. Okay, I am back to the point. Here is Elijah, hiding out in a cave, and then he is told to go out on the mountain, and wait for the Lord to pass by.

So here is the cool part, there was a hurricane, an earthquake, and a firestorm. And in all of this, Elijah KNEW the voice of the Lord so well that he knew that the Lord was NOT in any of those. Then it said, Elijah heard a gentle whisper, so he covered his head with a cloak, and went out for the Lord to speak.

Also, when Samuel was a young boy (1 Samuel 1) he was laying down to sleep. He heard someone call his name, so he ran to his mentor Eli, to see what he wanted. Eli told Samuel "I have not called you, go lay down". This happened twice more, and the Eli realized that it was the Lord who was calling Samuel. So in this case, Samuel had to "learn" the voice of the Lord.

The point is, can you hear Him? God is still trying to speak to and through His children. We have to hold up our end of the bargain, and actually KNOW Him well enough that we recognize His voice. His Word is the best tool for us to get to know God. I encourage you today to get in His Word, and find out exactly what He says about you. The bible says that the promises of God are yes and amen (so be it) to the believer. Think of God's promises as royalties or an inheritance, it is hard to claim an inheritance when someone dies if you don't know that an inheritance exists.

If a tree falls in the forest.......

We have all heard the question, "if a tree falls in the forest, and there is no one there to hear it, does it really make a sound". I would also like to pose the question, if a wave arises in the ocean, and there is no one there to witness, does it actually ever crash into the shore?

The point is, the Holy Spirit is moving right now like a mighty wave. Consider a surfer, he paddles out as far as he needs to, he then waits for the perfect wave. When the wave finally comes, he is there. He is ready to ride the wave.

We have to be like the surfer. We have to be ready for the wave of the Holy Spirit. When Jesus told the disciples to go and wait for the baptism of the Holy Spirit, what would have happened if they would have just kept on going on with their life like nothing has changed. Instead, they went to the room where the Spirit came like a mighty rushing wind.

We have to make sure that when we "surrender" to the Lord, we actually SURRENDER ALL. God desires a personal relationship with you. He wants you to get to know Him, so that when the wave is coming, you are in the path of the wave, and ready to ride it.

GET IN THE WATER, AND GET READY....... GOD IS SENDING THE HOLY SPIRIT!

What Sin????

I have been thinking a lot about forgiveness lately. Why do we feel like EVERY time we sin, we have to ask for forgiveness. Did we ask for it 2000 years ago, when Christ died on the cross one time for ALL sin and ALL sinners. If He died ONCE, for ALL, then my sins are forgiven as soon as I confess them. Confessing means to acknowledge that you have done wrong, and be truly remorseful, and turn from the wrong way of life (repent means to turn away).

So, if my sins are already forgiven, then the sins that I have yet to commit, are also forgiven. He said that He has removed them from us, as far as east is from west. Think about that, no matter how far you walk in an easterly direction, you are always headed east. You can never head east and arrive at west. There is an infinite amount of miles/ light years between east and west. Shouldn't that loosen us up, and make us more free to live for Him? I mean think about it, there is nothing we can do that can come between us and the Father's love for us.

I encourage you today to receive, and live the life of freedom. The Word says that where the spirit of God is, there is liberty (or freedom). Walk in the Spirit, and enjoy the life that God set for you even before you were born.

Give the man some time.......

We have probably all heard that at one point in our lives. It usually is used in the context of actually working while you are on the clock. We sometimes get in a rut, and think that since we aren't making as much money as we think we should, then we will "lay down" on the job, and just skate. I know that I have been guilty of this before.

HOWEVER, the bible actually speaks as to how we are to "work". In Colossians chapter 3, we are given rules for holy living. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=colossians%203&version=31 Look toward the end of the chapter, and you will see that no matter what we do or where we do it, we should seek to glorify God, and not man. That means, seek to be a God pleaser, and not a people pleaser.

Work for God today. You know, God needs plumbers, painter, lawyers, accountants, housekeepers, electricians, pastors, clerical help, and even stay at home moms in the Kingdom. We are all different members that make up the body of Christ. Lets be a body that He can be proud of.

Are you a Vessel?????

What is a vessel? According to www.dictionary.com, a vessel is a hollow or concave utensil, as a cup, bowl, pitcher, or vase, used for holding liquids or other contents. So think about it, we are told in the Word of God that we are the clay, and He is the potter. I wonder what kind of pottery He would choose to make us? I bet it would probably be concave, so that it could hold "stuff". That makes sense, if we could only understand that God is always trying to fill us with His love, so that when we are full, we can "splash" it out on the people around us. Think about a pond; if it doesn't continually have water coming into it, and flowing out of it, the pond becomes stagnant. That is probably how many of us are. We choose either to not accept God's Love, or rather, we choose not to allow it to flow out onto others.

I am reminded of a Garth Brooks song. "you know a dream is like a river, ever-changing as it goes; and the dreamer is just a vessel, that must follow where it goes". We are told in the Bible that our personal dreams are God breathed. He says that He knew what our life would hold before we were created, and that He is the one that formed us in our mother's womb. The Word also tells us that God wants us to have the desires of our hearts (our dreams). Therefore, if our dreams are actually God's dreams for us, and He wants us to have them; it is easy to see that it is a spiritual act to follow our dreams.

I encourage you to be a vessel today.... Allow God to pour into you, and then generously allow your gifts, talents, and treasures to be a blessing to EVERYONE around you.

The Key to the Secret......

Yesterday, we thought about the secret to life. I submitted that the Secret might just be in the "Greatest Commandment" given by Jesus, to love God first, and your neighbor second. He said that all of the Old Testament of the Bible could be summed up in that.

HOWEVER, if we aren't sure of the steps to take, we could "know" this, without ever experiencing it. So, I will give some encouraging words that will help in walking in His Commandments.

First, we are told to seek God's Kingdom and His Righteousness. That means that no matter what we do, whether it is yard work, cleaning the house, raising your children, hanging out with friends..... Whatever we do, we should do it to glorify the Lord.

Second, we are told to "love our neighbor as ourself". How often have we passed someone that we knew was in need. We are blessed with the talents, abilities and money that we have SO THAT we can be a blessing to others. This is an important concept. If you are praying for blessings, you have to plant a seed, and be a blessing.

Basically I see the key to the secret as RELATIONSHIPS. First our relationship with our heavenly Father. We should start the day praising Him and thanking Him. We should acknowledge Him all day long.

Secondly, our relationships with our neighbors. Which, anyone who crosses your path is your neighbor. The Bible tells us that to have friends, we have to show ourself as friendly. We have to also get to the point where we realize that we DON'T have a right to be offended. Jesus was treated horrible, yet He forgave those who beat Him, spat upon Him, and hung Him on a stake to die.

Cultivate good, deep, godly realtionships today. If you have people in your life or past, that you are harboring unforgiveness over, go and mend it. It may never be the same, but seek thier forgiveness, and give forgiveness to them.

The Secret to Life.....

We have heard that it might be excercise, some miracle drink, good eating habits, or as Faith Hill put it, a good cup of coffee, and keeping your eye on the ball.

Jesus told us to seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all things would be added unto us. I wonder what he meant by "Kingdom of God"? Well, when questioned about the "greatest commandment", He said number one was to Love God, and second we are to love our neighbor. That leaves us third. We don't live that way very often.

I would argue that the people who truly live to serve others, experience the most "fulfilled" life.

Now that you know the secret, go and share it.....

Build on a Rock....

We are all familiar with the parable of the wise and foolish builder. You remember, one built on a rock, and the other on sand. When the rains came (and the will come), the house built on a rock stood. I would like to look a little deeper at the rock.

The foundation of a home is the most important part of the construction. There is a 2 foot by 2 foot trench that is dug all the way around the perimeter of the house. This trench is called the footing. The footing supports the concrete slab. The slab is then poured on top of the footing. The slab is usually between 4 and 10 inches. The slab is reinforced by steel. Usually the steel criss-crosses every two feet. This is all very important to support the house.

Now, back to the parable of the wise and foolish builders. The parable is talking about building our lives on a rock. We have all seen people amass a great deal of wealth and stuff, and then lose it all. This is why it is so important to be well grounded in the truths of God's Word. He has given us 66 different books that show us how to live.

Build your life on the Rock.....

Message in a Bottle......

I am going to just let you think about this for a while. I will be back in a bit to add to it....

So, usually when we hear message in a bottle, it usually has something to do with the ocean. It may be someone stranded on a deserted island, or someone else trying to communicate with someone on the other side of the world.

However, I would challenge you to think of yourself as the bottle, and your testimony as the message. We can all agree that our lives sometimes feel like an ocean full of waves. Sometimes we are on top riding the wave, and other times the waves are crashing down on us. But we need to remember that just as the glass bottle never breaks in the ocean, we too can withstand the waves that crash down on us in this life.

Deliver your message today......

Deal or No Deal......

We have all at least heard of the show. There is a contestant, 20 or so brief cases, and a banker sitting in a dark office calculating odds. I don't know much more than that. The contesteant is offered a cash prize in leu of choosing a brief case. He has the option to agree or disagree with the offer.

Maybe that should have been the title, "Agree of Disagree". It is really important for us to decide with whom we will agree with. Matthew 18:19 says: "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven."


You see, when you make a comment about yourself, either good or bad, someone will agree with you. That is why it is important to only speak positive, life-giving words about yourself, your situation, and your family. God has already said many great things about us, all we have to do is agree, and say the same. However, when we say we are dumb, or not good enough, or ugly, or poor, or whatever, the devil is right there ready to agree with us. That then makes for two people agreeing on the same thing, and according to the above scripture, we get what we agree on.

Only speak positive things from now on. You've always heard "Be careful what you say, you just might get it". I think it is soooo true.

A little football Spirituality

Okay, put yourself in a linebackers shoes. The linbacker usually makes more tackles than any other person on the defensive side of the ball. The linebacker always watches the quarterback to see where the ball is going. If the ball is handed to the running back, the linebacker moves toward where the ball is going. Then, all of a sudden, SUPRISE a blocker appears out of no where. The offense plans its plays to attempt to block the linebacker. This is called getting a blocker to the second level.

It is similar in our spiritual walks. We are the linebacker, and the ball carrier is the promises that God has set out for us. We are always trying to see where the promise is going to be, and then get to that spot before the promise is gone. Then, all of a sudden, SUPRISE a blocker known as satan, lucifer, the enemy, etc, attempts to 'block' us from our promise.

We have to be a strong linebacker, and bust through that blocker to receive the promises of God. Put on your armour and get ready......

Mind Your Business.......

I had the privilege of hearing our youth pastor, Ryan Sanders, speak tonight. He talked about being about the Father's business. When Jesus was twelve, his family journeyed home, not knowing that he stayed back in the Temple at Jerusalem. When the parents came looking for him, he asked them "Didn't you know that I would be about my Father's business?'

Whose business are you concerned with? Do you spend your time, talent, and treasure trying to increase your asset column? The bible tells us not to store up treasure on earth, because moths and rust can destroy it. It goes on to say that we should store our treasures in heaven, where they can be protected from moths and rust. The point is that we should always be more concerned with the Kingdom of God rather than building our own personal empire.

Ryan Sanders encouraged us to take the same motto as John the Baptist. We have to become less, and He has to become more. To do this, we can't worry about what others say or think, rather, we have to know that we have a God given purpose, and we should seek to fulfill it.

Be about you Father's business..........

Are Men really from Mars???

We have all heard that Men are from Mars, and Women are from Venus. But, do you really believe that? Of course not..., we all know that both women and men are from earth. However, do you have any idea why men and women are sooooooo different?

I heard of a great book. It was titled something like "Men are like waffles, and Women are like Spaghetti." It basically said that men live their lives with many different boxes like a waffle. Don't try to get your man to inter-mingle his boxes. A man needs to deal with one box at a time. These boxes may be work, family, chores, hobbies, dates, etc. There are many different boxes that a man has to deal with, and he really don't want to multi-task.

However, women have no problem juggling 10 or 12 areas of her life at once. And, believe it or not, my wife at least is really good at it. It is very seldom that she forgets something, unlike me. Women have a knack for cleaning, cooking, helping out with homework, making sure hubby has something clean to wear, and even getting everyone to appointments (practices) on time. I don't know how she does it, but she is great.

Let's consider why men and women could be so different. In the beginning, just after Adam and Eve ate the forbidden fruit, they both were dealt different curses. We can find this story in Genesis 3:16-20. Woman's curse was a painful childbirth, and that her desire would be for her husband, and he would "rule" over her. Man's curse was actually deferred to the ground. He would spend his days working for food. It would consume his thoughts, the need to provide for his family.

Maybe you can see it now. A woman typically needs to "feel" loved. This is evident in her curse. "she would desire her husband and he would rule over her". This explains how a husbands love for his wife can either "make or break" her. And for the man, it explains his desire for respect and honor "he will rule over her". It is nothing disrespectful to women, it is just how God designed it. It also explains why he feels such a burden to provide for the family.

I know this has just helped me to see the awesome responsibility that both a husband and wife have in the dynamic of a family. I pray today that I can enact "God's plan" for my wife and I....

Why do we argue???

How many people have ever heard people argue about religion? I am sure that nearly everyone has. Do you realize that when we act foolish and argue with someone else about our beliefs, we often times affect people within ear shot of us? That right we are suppose to set an example in our action, speech, and humility, but when our ego gets in the way, we usually take three steps back with that friend that we have been trying to witness to. He or she says "They can't even agree within their own faith, why would I get involved in that, I have enough drama as it is".

Wow, have you ever thought about that? Jesus actually prayed for unity within His followers right before He was crucified, so that the "world" would know that the Father sent Him. Don't get me wrong, it is important to KNOW THE BIBLE, and to stand up for the TRUTH. However, we are to stand up humbly and with love.

I encourage you today attempt to live at peace with everyone in your circle of influence.
Romans 12:18
If it is possible, as far as it depends on you, live at peace with everyone.


“May the God who gives endurance and encouragement give you a spirit of unity among yourselves as you follow Christ Jesus, so that with one heart and mouth you may glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.”- Romans 15:5-6

Why do you do what you do????

What is the motivation for what you do? Do you go to work just to pay the bills? Do you have hobbies just to make someone else happy? Do you go shopping just to make other people think you are someone you are not?

In Colossians 3:23, we are told that no matter what we do, we should do it as to the Lord and not men. People have spent a lot of time and energy doing "stuff" to please people. I would encourage you today to not worry about being a people pleaser, but rather seek to please God.

Have a Super Blessed day.

Who Cares?????

Why in the world do we carry so much anxiety (care) around with us? We have all heard that worrying about today will not add a single hour to our lives. However, we still worry. WHY? Maybe it is because we think that we can change things. NEWS FLASH we can't. Yes it is true, we do have choices every day, but ultimately, God's plan will prevail.

In 2 Peter chapter 5, we are told to cast our cares on Him, because He care for us.

I was approached on Sunday by a brother that I had literally just met. He proceeded to tell me that he felt the Spirit of God promting him to witness to me. He told me that God wanted me to cast my cares upon Him. He then went on to pray for me, and we agreed that I would acknowledge God in all my ways, and He would make my paths straight.

I encourage you today to pray to God about what concerns you. Also, after you ask Him to take care of whatever it is, LET HIM DO IT. We all too often try to intervene after we have asked God to take care of it. His timing is never late and never early, but always right on time. Trust Him today. He is faithful.

The end is better than the beginning??????

In Ecclesiastes 7, we are told that death is better than birth. What in the world does that mean? Most people are really scared of death. Why are we scared of death? Why are we scared to meet our creator? I bet most of us are scared of death, because we aren't sure what the "after life" holds. We ask questions such as "What will FOREVER be like?", "What will Jesus say about the sins I comitted?", etc. I understand the bible to say that when we ask forgiveness for our sins, they are remembered no more.

However, that is not the point today. Today, I want to explore why death could be better than birth. I wonder if it is because when one is born, his or her life is like a blank slate. Nothing is on it. But, when one dies, he or she has a "life" full of memories, conquests, and even families. I want to encourage you today, to prepare for the next season. We all experience seasons in our life. When one season dies, a new one is born. I bet that is what makes "death" better than birth, the fact that the "old" is passed away and the "new" is coming.

The Heart to Mouth Connection......

You have probably heard that the way to a man's heart is through his mouth. This may be true in a sense. However, it is absolutely true that the way to happiness, prosperity, health, salvation, and every good thing IS through your mouth. You are probably asking, "What is this guy talking about?".

Well, I am glad you asked. We are told in the bible that "out of the abundance of the heart, the mouth speaks." That means that most often, what we say is exactly how we fell. We try to hide our feelings by saying "I didn't mean that". But, according to the bible, we speak what we feel.

There in lies the problem. We can't allow ourselves to be led by our feelings. We have to understand that we will reap what we sow(plant). So, if you are reaping "bad luck" right now, stop and examine what you are saying. Have you ever heard someone said, "I am just an accident waiting to happen"? DON'T GET IN THE CAR WITH THEM.

This is were it becomes absolutely imperative that we know what God has already said about us. We have to align our hearts and mouths with His word concerning us. He said that we are more than conquers, that we are the head and not the tail, we are above and not below, we will lend and not borrow, we are the righteousness of God in Christ Jesus. The are literally hundreds of promises in the bible, and we are told that all the promises of God are yes and amen to the believer.

Make sure you are speaking positive, life giving words. There is the power of life and death in the tongue. Choose life today, talk the right way.

Be an Example.......

I often hear people saying, "Well it is my life, I will live it however I want". I hear them saying this in response to having a foul mouth, being a "slave" to some habit, or just about their "character" in general. I often times am reminded about the verse in Romans 14 verse 13. It talks about not being a "stumbling block" to a brother. Now, this means that when someone serves their conviction by not eating meat, then don't go sit down in front of them and encourage them to join you in eating that 72oz steak.

I encourage you to read and consider Romans 14 today. The whole chapter talks about doing whatever you do to glorify the Lord.
First Timothy 4:12 tells us to set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity.

Peter tells us in the second chapter in his first epistle that we should "pay the prices when we do wrong, but we should be more commended when we suffer for doing good, just as Jesus did.

20But how is it to your credit if you receive a beating for doing wrong and endure it? But if you suffer for doing good and you endure it, this is commendable before God. 21To this you were called, because Christ suffered for you, leaving you an example, that you should follow in his steps.
22"He committed no sin, and no deceit was found in his mouth."

So, the next time you are faced with that situation, ask yourself "Can this bring glory to the Lord?".

Where should I live?????

I often times think that I have all the answers. That may be a quality (or deficiency) that was passed to me from my mother (sorry mom). But, when I get that way, I am being proud. The bible is clear when it says "God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble". So that leaves me with the question, "Where should I live?".

Psalm 91 says:
1 He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High
will rest in the shadow of the Almighty. [a]

2 I will say [b] of the LORD, "He is my refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."

3 Surely he will save you from the fowler's snare
and from the deadly pestilence.

This chapter has quickly become my favorite. It is very practical for everyday living. It is full of promises if we truly believe what God has said. I encourage you to read on. http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2091;&version=31;

I have been struggling lately with "my purpose". I believe that God has a purpose for me, and everyone else. But, I am constantly struggling with my arroagance about providing for my family, and God's promises that He shall supply all my NEEDS according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.

I pray today that I can rest assured that those promises are for me and my family, and that I can truly say "I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress, my God, in Whom I trust.

Decide where you will spend your time, talent and treasure (money). Will you "DWELL" (that means live) in the shelter of the Most High?

What are we doing?

Alright, so I was reading in 1 Samuel chapter 8 today. This book was written like 3000 years ago, but I believe that we are in the midst of repeating it. So, Israel the nation had come to Samuel who was getting old. They asked him to appoint a "king" over them since he was nearing the end of his life. When Samuel talked to God about it, God said "its not that they are rejecting you Samuel, but rather they are rejecting Me as their King". God then went on to tell Israel through Samuel that the king will be a harsh ruler, he will take your land, your grain, your livestock, he will make your young boys soliders.

God went on to tell Israel that they would eventually cry for relief for this king. He said that He would not "hear" their crys.

The point I want to make is that it sounds familiar. People are getting to the point that they don't want any responsibility. They want national health care, they want to sue anyone and everyone, they want the government to spend trillions upon trillions of dollars in the name of "economic stimulus".

There are a few voices warning that we really don't want this. They are telling of the consequences of this over spending. The value of the dollar can't hold up to this pressure. Taxes will have to go up to pay off this "stimulus". Guess what happens if your taxes get to high, you can't pay your bills, and the king (government) takes your home, land, cars, and anything else with a lien on it.

We have to acknowledge and accept that the Lord knows best, and we have to surrender control of our lives, our finances, our stuff, everything; to the King of kings and the Lord of lords.

Does God really own it all??????

I talked yesterday about God owning everything, and we are just care takers for Him. Let us see if we can find anything in the Word that supports this. Psalm 24:1 says that "the earth is the Lord's and all it contains". Well, that is pretty self explanatory. In Leviticus 25:23, God says that "the land... shall not be sold permanently, for the land is Mine". That is pretty straight forward too.

In Haggai 2:8, He says "the silver is mine, the gold is mine". Did you know that when the dollar bill was created, it was backed (covered) by silver and gold? That pretty much says that the money is His too. In Psalm 50:10 the Lord says "for every beast of the forest in Mine, the cattle on a thousand hills."

I think that makes a pretty good case that all we have actually belongs to the Lord. Let us live our lives taking care of His stuff. If we really believed this, we would live totally different, I guarantee it.

Whose Is It?????

How often do we talk about our stuff? We make comments like "My car, my house, my camper, my clothes, my neighborhood, my land, my apartment, my, my, my......". The list never ends. Did you know that the bible says that everything on the earth belongs to God????? Why do we have that idea that anything actually belongs to us?

I think we have had a horrible dis-service committed to us. We live in a "I want it, and I want it now" society. What would it look like if we understood that we are just stewards (care takers) of God's stuff that He has allowed us to use?

I have been reading a book, Rich Dad, Poor Dad. It is about changing the way you think about money. One thing that really stood out today is that poor people are poor because they have poor spending habits.

Think about it, do you need a drink every time you go to the gas station? How about making coffee before you leave home? What about taking a snack in your lunch box, instead of buying one from the vending machine? Not to mention our habit of choice.

I have witnessed over the last two weeks a good friend of mine stop smoking after 40 years. What a great testimony of God's grace being sufficient for all our needs.

Be a good steward of what God has blessed you with.

Are you Ready????

We have all used the excuse, "Well, I am just not ready yet". We have used it for not getting out of bed, not taking a new job, not re-locating, and many other times in our life. I would be willing to bet that we have even used it when we knew that God was asking us to do something. Isn't it funny that we think we know better than God? He asks something of us, and we have the nerve to say "not right now, I am not ready".

Here is a little secret, God doesn't always choose those who are prepared, He prepares those who He chooses.

So here's the deal, when we hear that still small voice telling us to step out in faith, we have to get moving. He knows what is best for us, all we have to do is move in the direction He has sent us. It is amazing what we can do when we allow His strength to become evident in our weakness.

As my pastor says, "Its time to get off your seat, and hit the streets". Allow God to be the captain of your ship (life).

And the Promise is.......

When we are referring to the promise of Abraham, we can see that God promised him that his descendants would inherit the Promised land. We are descendants of his in a faith sense. He believed God, and had faith that He would do what He said. We are to believe God also. We are to know way down deep in our knower, that God will honor what He has promised. We just have to have the FAITH to receive it. That means knowing that the promise is coming, and not doubting.

I believe Jesus spoke a little of the promise made to Abraham in the sermon on the mount. He said, blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. (Matthew 5) We have many, many, many promises in the bible that we need to have a knowledge of so that we can receive them.

What's the Promise

We hear about the Father of our Faith, Abraham. We hear about the promise/covenant that God established with Him. We hear that Abraham's faith was credited to him as righteousness(right standing with God). We hear that we can share/inherit the promise as children of Abraham. The question I have is......

What is the Promise???????

What are we inheriting? The common question of today would be, "Whats in it for me?".

Plese examine, think, meditate and come to a conclusion on what the "Promise" is.

Tomorrow, we will examine the "Promise". Let me know what you think the "Promise" is.

A teen Jesus

Ever wonder what Jesus was like as a teenager? Some speculate that He may have walked around turning people into frogs. I DOUBT IT. The first evidence of Him performing miracles was not until the Holy Spirit came upon Him at baptism. But, the Bible does give us an idea of what His teen years were like.

I says that Jesus grew in strength and knowledge.(Luke 2:52) Wow, there is so much we can learn from just those few words. Many teens today have trouble staying connected. They spend a whole lot of time, money, and energy trying to stay trendy, when they really should just be growing in strength and knowledge of God.

We all want to grow closer to God, but we rarely crack open the Good Book during the week. He has provided us a letter so that we can get to know Him better. We pray for His presence and guidance in our lives, but we often forget to read the directions.

Be like Jesus today, and grow in strength and knowledge.....

Great Idea.....

We all have great ideas. But, great ideas can sometime prove to be devastating to others. I am challenging myself today to do as the Word says, and take every thought captive. If it lines up with what God says, then I may let it out.

We should strive for God ideas. To get these, we have to have a daily, hourly relationship with Him. We have to be so familiar with His Word, and His voice, that we don't miss these God ideas.

Ask Him today to reveal those dreams/ideas to you today.

Are you a Leader?????

You say that you would rather follow than lead. Many people just don't want to "own" the responsibility that comes with being a leader. They think "if I fail, it may cost me my job, or my family, or someone's life, or money, or....." the list goes on and on. I can relate, when we try to do things in the natural, (by our own power, without involving God), there is a lot of added, un needed pressure. But, when we are doing the things that He has called us to do, then we have the same power that raised Jesus from the dead at work in us, helping us to complete the good works that He has set forth for us.

I would be willing to bet that everyone reading this is a leader to someone. Stop and think, if you have children, you are a leader, if you help coach a little league team, you are a leader, if you have a younger sibling, you are a leader, if you have nieces and nephews, you are a leader.

So it is settled, we are all leaders in some fashion. Now, the most important part, STOP saying things like, "I'm not smart enough, I'm not good enough, No one will listen to me, I can't talk well enough". Those are lies straight from the enemy. When Moses was called by God, he said "I can't speak well enough", God responded by reminding Moses of Who made is mouth.

If you will step out in faith, seeking to glorify the Father, the Bible says that our works will prosper. That means if we have the right motives (that would be to glorify God and not ourselves) then whatever we do will be a success.

Live out your DASH

I have talked about this before, but I am going to hit on it again. Think about your headstone, Mine for instance will read something like this
William R. Stapleton, Jr.
Loved by many, Missed by All
July 2, 1979-July 2, 2070

The important part here, is the dash. You know, the things you do between the time you are born and the day you die. What will people remember about your "dash"? We are supposed walk by faith, and not by sight. That means, in the natural, we may think that we are going in the wrong direction, or we aren't going anywhere.

However, when we walk by faith, we just line up our steps and words with what God has already said about us, and start moving forward.

Live out you Dash, give your loved ones something special to remember you by.

What Rock????

In Matthew 16, Jesus makes the comment that "on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades[d] will not overcome it." He had just asked Peter "who do you say I am?". Peter replied "You are the Christ, the Son of the Living God".

Many people believe that Peter is the "rock" that Jesus is speaking of. However, if you examine the Greek, Peter was translated from petros, which means "some small rocks". But, in this passage, petra is the word that was used. Petra means a large boulder.

I would challenge you to wonder and think if Jesus could have been saying that He would build His church upon Himself, the Rock of Ages, rather than Peter who is just a smaller rock who would be used to help build the church.

There is a prominent denomination today who believe that the lineage of Peter continue to giude and direct the entire denomination. However, I would submit that we should build our faith on "The Rock", Jesus Christ.

Anyone Tired?

We are all aware of the fast paced, hurried society we live in. We all seem to be pulled in 10 different directions all at once. Sometimes rest is the best thing when a person is tired. I know I always love to get a good nap in.


Jesus said in Matthew chapter 11 that if we come to him, we will find rest."Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. 29Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. 30For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

I think that the key to this is coming and allowing Him to change our way of thinking. We are told that we should be "transformed" by the renewing of our mind.

Allow Him to purge all the thoughts, ideas, pre-cincieved notions of what our schedules should look like, completely out of your mind. Then, slow down and listen to the schedule God would like you to keep.

Tax Day

Today is the dreaded (for most people), 15th of April. That means, if you haven't sent in your previous years tax return, you have until midnight. We as Christians are commanded to be good servants/citizens. We were told by Jesus to "pay Cesar what belongs to Cesar".

In this case, the disciples were asking if they should pay taxes. Jesus asked whose picture was on the coin/money of their time. They replied, Cesar. Jesus then said, Well, give to Cesar, what is Cesar's and give to God what is God's. It is easy to see that our money belongs to the United States of America. It is plasterd all over it.

But, what is God's? Well, I would submit that "WE" are God's. We are to present ourselves, our lives, our bodies, our stuff, our homes, our cars, our talents, our abilities to God as a living sacrifice. Everything we are and have, we are to present to God as a "sacrifice". That means we are to give up our desires and allow His desires for us to be realized.

Ask Him today to "live through you". That means that He is in control, and you are just a willing vessel. Hold on, and get ready for the ride of your life.

Bow the Knee...

Yesterday at The Landing Community Church, we presented "Bow the Knee". A musical drama depicting the journey of a Roman Centurian. A Centurian was a leader in the Roman army. He was assigned to a legion, which some say contained nearly 12,000 men. A Centurian was one of the upper leaders of a legion.

This paricular Centurian had a couple of servants, one of which was healed from his death bed, and the other had secretly became a follower of Jesus Christ. During the drama, the Centurian saw and experienced the life, miracles, death, and ressurection of our Savior.

By the end of the presentation, after the Centurian crucified our Savior, he decided that he had been comitted to the wrong lord for many many years. The Centurian turned from the life he had known to follow the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ.

Today, I would like to ask the same question that the Centurian asked, "Who will you bow to my friend?" The bible tells us that "every knee will bow and every tongue will confess Jeus as Lord." I hope that we can do that willingly now, rather than at Judgement Day.

Actions vs Consequences

Have you thought about the fact that we can all choose our actions, but not our consequences. You see, we all know that we are able to choose what we do, who we do it with, and where we do it. We choose to wear our seatbelts, drive too fast, run a red light. The list continues on with drinking or not, smoking or not, gambling or not, etc, etc, etc. We all know that we choose our actions. Most often, we aren't even forced into our decision.

However, we can't choose our consequences. There are principles/laws in place, most of the time, we aren't even aware of them. For instance, due to the law of gravity, if we throw an object into the air, it comes back down. Due to laws of physics, if we throw an object at a wall, the force is absorbed by both objects, and even transferred from one object to another.

There are also spiritual laws in place. For instance, the law of sowing and reaping says that He who sows generously will also reap generously, but he who sows sparingly, will reap sparingly. There is a principle at work with forgiveness. We are told that we will be forgiven with the same measure that we forgive others.

The point is, choose your actions with a knowledge of the consequences. Most of us are living with the consequences of some action that we comitted some time ago.

Choose your actions wisely.

Parenting 101

Ephesians Chapter 6 gives us instruction on how to treat our children. "Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord." What in the world does exasperate mean?

Exasperate: to irritate or provoke to a high degree; annoy extremely. I think in modern terms, it could be "to wear someone out by picking on his or her petty shortcomings".

I think as parents we HAVE to allow our kids the opportunity to learn from their failures. We have to teach and encourage them to become independent, self-thinking members of society. Why do we feel like we can't let them attempt some things on their own? Is it over protection? Or, is it that we may have to "re-do" something that they mess up?

Whatever the case, our job as parents is to provide, protect, and guide our children. We have to let go of the leash, and allow them to practice some of the things we have taught them.

What to say?

How often do we find ourselves chomping at the bit with something to say. I know I find myself sometimes in a conversation with someone, but unable to concentrate on what that person is saying due to the thoughts about what I am going to say next taking over my mind. Why do I do that? We were given two ears and one mouth for a reason; so that we can listen twice as much as we talk.

I encourage you to read James 1 today. Towards the end of the chapter, we are left with perhaps some of the best advice in all of the bible. We are told to be quick to listen, slow to speak and slow to become angry.

Wow, what would our world be like if we actually followed those three steps.

Stop a listen today......

Is there an Absolute Truth?????

Absolutely, there is. I will tell you about Him at the end of today's post. Many people today believe that the bible is open to personal interpretation. That infers that the bible is only true relative to the person interpreting it.

However, if you recall that Jesus said in John chapter 14 "I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me. 7If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well." Therefore, I would submit that all churches are teaching "the truth" as long as they are keeping Jesus Christ in the center.

We have all been raised in a society that belittles and rags churches and people of different denominations. But, if you recall the people that Jesus reached out to, he never withdrew himself from anyone, especially not those who weren't raised like He was. The one instance that could be argued was when He left His hometown of Nazareth because of the unbelief of the citizens there. But most every where else He went, He Loved the un-lovely, and Cared for the un-caring, and Healed the Hurting.

It is important to remember that with every miracle recorded in the bible, the receiver of the miracle always had to act in obedience to receive the miracle.

I pray that we can all be Obedient to the call that God has placed on our lives.

You don't push a rope.....

I was talking to a friend today. We were talking about life, kids, church, God, politics; you know, typical water cooler talk. He made a very keen statement. We were on the subject of leadership. He said, "you don't push a rope, you pull it." I have not been able to get that out of my mind.

The point is, you have to "LEAD" from the front. You have to be willing to do exactly what you ask others to do. Consider Jesus, he was a servant leader. He "DID" exactly what He has asked us to do. Remember when He washed His disciples feet? That was a job for the lowest of servants. Consider the fact, that there were no shoes or asphalt in those days. Can you imagine how dirty feet must have gotten?

Whatever your position, you are always a leader. It may be children, subordinates, nieces, nephews, sons, daughters, co-workers, etc., that are watching to see if you walk the same way you talk. I encourage you today to consider the things you ask your children to do. Are you willing to do the things you ask them to do? Consider your actions at work. Are you walking the path that you "TALK" so much about?

God has promised to direct our paths, if we acknowledge Him in all our ways.

His Eyes Range the Earth......

In 2 Chronicles chapter 9, we are told "For the eyes of the LORD range throughout the earth to strengthen those whose hearts are fully committed to him." Have you ever thought of yourself as tired or weak? Have you ever felt like you just couldn't wait for the weekend for a little R&R? I think I have something that may help you.

In this passage, we are told that God is looking for people who are fully devoted to His Will so that He can strengthen them. I submit today that if we would give our entire heart to Him, we would be strengthened in the Lord.

I heard a minister speaking this weekend about four things that can keep us away from the fellowship that God desires for us and Him. These four things are our time, distractions in our lives, sin, and an divided heart. If we can't give the time to God to get into His word, and find out who He is, and who we are in Him, how can we expect His blessings to follow us? If we allow ourselves to be distracted, it is easy to lose focus of the main goal. If we have unconfessed sin in our lives, that also puts a curtain between us and God. This last one is the one that really convicted me. A divided heart, that means surrendering to God with half of your heart, but then trying to hold on to something from your old self with the other half. This could be pride, anger, security, etc. Security, that is funny. We like to think that if WE are able to make our decisions on our own, then we are more secure. However, if would would allow God to direct our paths, I would be willing to bet that we would end up more secure in the end.

Today, comit your entire heart to Him. Allow Him to find you when He is looking all around the earth for those whose heart is His. His strength will soon follow.

Feelings....

Why do we allow ourselves to be led by our feelings? We "feel" like eating, so we eat, not necessarily because we are hungry, but because we "feel" like it. We don't "feel" so good, so we don't go to worship service, or work, or to a planned meeting. I would submit that our adversary may have some influence on our feelings. My point is, maybe we can't and perhaps shouldn't trust our feelings/emotions.

I heard a story today, I will try to re-cap it. The devil decided he would "go-out-of-business". So, he decided to have a "liquidation sale". Everything must go. As people were mingling in and out, they couldn't help but notice one item that was priced extremely higher than all the others. One person stopped and asked the devil, "What is that, and why does it cost so much more than everything else?". The devil replied, "well is is priced so high, because it is so effective". "You see, that is discouragement; I use it on people who are headed in the right direction." "I slap a little discouragement on them, and boom, they give up." "I can use it over and over, and they never even know that it's me messing with them."

Wow, isn't that true? We start something new, whether its a new ministry, relationship, job, or whatever, with so much enthusiasm and energy. Then, out of nowhere, we start to "feel" discouraged. If only we could see the whole picture, then we would press on to the goal.

I encourage you today, whatever it is that has discouraged you, ask God to remove it from your life. He has said some wonderful things about us (the believer) in His Word. I encourage you to read His letter to you, and find out what He really thinks of you. Don't let your feelings affect your flight. Speak to things that aren't, as though they are.

Forgiveness

I often wonder about forgiveness. It is something that I don't exactly understand, but by faith I accept. To forgive means to grant pardon of, or to stop feeling resentment for. It means to forget whatever someone has done "wrong" to you. Jesus was crucified as a pardon for our sins. The bible says that without the shedding of blood, there can be no remission of sin. Therefore, when Jesus was crucified, He shed His blood for the forgiveness of our sins.

There seems to be a catch. The bible also says that we will be forgiven by God, with the same measure that we forgive others. Think about the Lord's prayer. It says "forgive my sins just I as I forgive those who have sinned against me." Therefore, it is very important that we forgive those who have wronged us.

Another area that I often wonder about, is when we ask Jesus to "save" us, are we forgiven at that moment of sins past, present, and future? The bible speaks of us crucifying Jesus over and over when we ask forgiveness for sin that we have already been forgiven of. God's word says that he casts our sin into the sea of forgetfullness, that means He remembers it no more. If God can forget it, why can't we? I would say that's because the enemy wants us to continue to feel guilty for sins that we have already been pardoned for.

I encourage you today, to accept the forgiveness that Jesus offers to all.

The law or grace?

In Romans 6:15, Paul is teaching about sin and the law and the doctrine of grace. He poses the question "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace?" What he is saying is just because we are forgiven of our sins, that doesn't mean we should just go out a start sinning. That would be like the local government saying "we won't punish you for murder". Would that prompt everyone to go murder? NO PROBABLY NOT.

The same applies here. Because we are forgiven, we should then fall deeper in love with Christ. This new depth of love should spur us to live more righteous lives thus leading to holiness.

This is somewhat hard to grasp, but the essence is that because we have "died" to our "old sinful self". Then, we should not "re-enter" that lifestyle we left behind. But rather, we should put on righteousness. That means we should strive to produce the fruits of the spirit found in Galatians 5:22-23. These fruits are love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control.

Be fruitful today, strive for holiness.

Exposure vs. Experience

Have you ever thought of the difference between being exposed to something, and actually experiencing something. We have all been exposed to something that we didn't really understand. We have even experienced things. Have you wondered why we know the old saying that "experience is the best teacher"? Well I believe that along with experience comes understanding.

As for realting this subject to our spiritual walk, we all know people who were exposed to Jesus and Christianity as children, but have abandonded the faith. I think of children of ministers and workers in churches. They are "made" to be at "church" every time the doors are opened. However, without ever personally experiencing Jesus, they lose their faith as soon as trials come.

I challenge you today to seek a real, personal experience with Jesus. He said that whoever seeks will find, and whoever asks will get, and those who knock will have the doors opened. Desire the "personal relationship" (experience) that we have all heard of.

The table is full, but plates are empty

I see churches all the time, whether baptist, pentecostal, evangelical, or whatever; who are offering feasts of spiritual meals to the saints (members of the churches). However, the people of the church often times leave with the same problems the came in with. They continue the quarrel with their spouse that started on the way to "church". What this means is that people are not taking the Word of God seriously. People call themselves Christian, but if you line them up next to a non-Christian, you can't tell the difference. Jesus said, "we will be known by our fruit".

How are you known? I wonder how people think of me? We shouldn't aim to "please" people, but we should try to be pleasing to God by influencing people. We have been commissioned to take the gospel to all the world. Jesus came to seek and save the lost. We are supposed to do the things that Jesus did.

I hope that we can all start taking a plate to "church" on Sundays or Wednesdays. If we are going to take our plate, then we should actually eat while we are there. We really need to get serious about this life event that we call religion. We are called to become sanctified (live more holy lives). What are we doing to achieve this?

You WILL have what you say...

Psychologists have suggested for many years to tell yourself what you want, and keep reminding yourself until you get it. Maybe this just re energizes our spirits to be determined to persevere toward whatever the goal is. I notice that one of the important pieces in this puzzle is to have a goal. I heard someone say we can all be expert marksmen, when we shoot at nothing, we hit it every time. It is also wise to remember that you will never no when you get there, if you don't know where you are going.

So, back to telling yourself what you want. This subject is like an octagon, no matter what side you start with, no one side is more important than the other. The bible has a lot to say about the words we should use. We are told that faith comes from hearing (not thinking), and hearing from the word of God. We are told that we should use words that edify (build up) one another. We are told that if we believe without wavering, we can have whatever we ask (not think) for. Jesus himself taught that if we said to the mountain, to be cast into the sea, believing it would happen: then it would come to pass.

FAITH.... what a big word. Many people are scared of the word. They don't attempt to understand it, or even practice it. It is defined in the Bible as the substance of things hoped for. That could be the matter that comes together to form whatever it is we are hoping for.

Interesting note: when scientists look at atoms, molecules, and compounds; the actual sub-atomic particles (that just means really little)actually collapse (fall apart) under the microscope. That is the same matter that is piled up on a mountain. They are freely moving until that scientist decides to examine them, and then takes action toward his or her goal.

We can have the desires of our heart. If you consider that statement, God designed us, He chose us, He has promised us health, prosperity, safety, healing, etc. When we surrender to His will for our lives, our heart actually aligns with His. Therefore, the circle is complete, and our desires are actually His desires for us.

I encourage you today to decide to start talking different. Don't say "I'm sick", God has promised healing. Don't say "I need more money", God has said that He has already supplied all of our needs according to His glory in Christ Jesus. Don't say "I'm at the bottom of the ladder, everyone just climbs over me", the bible says we are the head and not the tail, the top and not the bottom.

The point is, you usually end up with exactly what you say. Claim the promises that God gave us. We have unclaimed royalties as children of the King of kings.

Tell the truth Snaggle tooth

It's a line that we've all heard, tell the truth. We tell our kids not to lie, we tell our friends that lying is not good. But, we tell ourselves that lying is okay sometimes. Some say it is okay to lie to protect another person. I can't be the judge of that. I know that at all times we should try to be honest.

In 1 John 1:5 we are taught that we can't have it both ways. We are told that if we claim to be Christians, but continue to walk in darkness (lead sinful, worldly lives) then we lie to others and ourselves. "This is the message we have heard from him and declare to you: God is light; in him there is no darkness at all. 6If we claim to have fellowship with him yet walk in the darkness, we lie and do not live by the truth."

We also know that we are known by the "fruit" we bear. We are constantly being watched and even judged by those who don't claim to be Christian. They are just waiting for us to slip up and do something "sinful". We must strive to live "holy" lives. We are told that we should present our bodies as "living sacrifices". That means treating your body with respect and taking care of it.

Decide today that you will allow God to change you from the inside so that your life will look different. I hope that people will notice something different about me, and then want to ask about it.

Where does the wind come from?????

I spent the weekend at the lake with some special friends, and my super cool family. We pretty much experienced two thirds of the spectrum of Oklahoma weather. We left for the lake on Friday morning when the overnight low was about 28 degrees Fahrenheit. When we left on Monday afternoon to come home, it was a whopping 74 degrees. Wow, what a difference a few days makes.

After thinking and reflecting back over the past week or so, I was reminded of a story that Bodie Sanders told last Wednesday night. He talked about fishing and asking (griping to) God about why it had to be sooo windy every time he fished. As he was telling the story, I was reminded of the scripture that talks about us not knowing where the wind comes from or where it goes. At first, I thought for sure it was found in Job. However, upon closer examination, that passage talks about nearly everything but the wind. Check it out, it is very interesting.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Job%2038%20;&version=72;

As for the wind passage, it is found in John 3 Jesus is talking to Nicodemus, who is a "religious scholar" who can't understand what Jesus is teaching. 8 The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit." It really hits home when we think we know it all, but when questioned about where the wind comes from or where it goes, we are truly CLUELESS. I guess that is where faith comes in. We hope for something, and faith is the substance that becomes what we have hoped for. It's not that hard, we are told that we should have "child-like faith". Think of how easy it is for children to accept things they don't understand.

Why Me?????

I was asked yesterday by a co-worker, "what have I done to deserve God's grace, favor, and blessings?" He continued on to ask "why do I have more than enough, and there are people all over suffering from starvation, poverty, and lack?" He continued to tell of all he had done wrong in his life, he told of some of the bad decisions he had made. He then went on to give thanks to God for all the blessings.

I believe that God gives generously to all who can be depended upon to give generously to others. 2 Corinthians chapter 9 speaks of reaping a harvest in porportion to what you sow. Or, in simplier terms, you get back in proportion to what you give. This applies in all areas of life, if you need more time, give of your own time. I am in awe to hear people say, "well, I just don't have time for anything." But, they seldom miss survivor, biggest loser, the bachelor, or their favorite soap opera. If you need finances, give finances. It amazes me also to hear people making 50, 60, 70, or even 80 thousand dollars a year talk about not having enough money.

I am a firm believer that if you put God first, He will bless ALL you do. I have seen people make $30,000 dollars a year, and always have more than enough, because they make sure their tithes to God come out first.

God WILL bless you but, to whom much is given, much is also required. If you are asking for blessings today, be ready to give some away. You don't want to interrupt the flow. If you hang on to all your blessings, they will stop coming due to a "pipe" that has become clogged, and is not flowing out anymore.

Does He know you???

Yesterday, I posed the question "Do you know the author?". Today I want to pose another question, "Does He know you?". We often talk about knowing Christ. I think an equally important subject is making sure He knows us.

In John chapter 7, Jesus is teaching about false prophets. He says plainly that not everyone who says Lord, Lord, will enter the kingdom.

15"Watch out for false prophets. They come to you in sheep's clothing, but inwardly they are ferocious wolves. 16By their fruit you will recognize them. Do people pick grapes from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? 17Likewise every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. 18A good tree cannot bear bad fruit, and a bad tree cannot bear good fruit. 19Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. 20Thus, by their fruit you will recognize them.
21"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. 22Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' 23Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'

Jesus goes on to say in Luke chapter 9 that if we are ashamed of Him on earth, then He will be ashamed of us in heaven. I hope that we can understand this. This is paramount in the Christian faith. Christianity is not an individual sport, we were made to fellowship and tells others the good news.
23Then he said to them all: "If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. 24For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me will save it. 25What good is it for a man to gain the whole world, and yet lose or forfeit his very self? 26If anyone is ashamed of me and my words, the Son of Man will be ashamed of him when he comes in his glory and in the glory of the Father and of the holy angels.

Make sure He knows you today. If there is a doubt in your heart, just stop and talk to Him. He is only as far as your next breath. The Word says that "he that believes in his heart, and confesses(speaks) with his mouth that Jesus Christ is Lord, will be saved."

Do you know the author?

We all know people who are very well versed in the Bible. Some people can memorize and quote entire books of the Bible. I have sometimes wondered why there are people who know the book so well, but don't seem to be practicing its teachings. It was said best when someone said, "you can know the book without knowing the author".

Our goal as professing Christians is to know Jesus Christ personally. We should have a daily relationship with Him. He stands at the door and knocks, all we have to do is let Him in.

In John Chapter 5, Jesus is questioned about His testimony. Here is His response,

39You diligently study the Scriptures because you think that by them you possess eternal life. These are the Scriptures that testify about me, 40yet you refuse to come to me to have life.

41"I do not accept praise from men, 42but I know you. I know that you do not have the love of God in your hearts

He goes on to say that we will recognize His disciples by their fruit. That means we are watching people, and people are watching us to see what kind of fruit we produce. The fruit here are the works that we produce. What are your motives today? Why do you do what you do? Don't aim to be a people pleaser, Aim to be a God pleaser.

Crash proof your marriage...

I have often times wondered, "how can I be certain that my marriage will stand the trials of this world?". I have tried gifts, words of appreciation, xoxoxox(hugs and kisses), short vacations, and even back rubs. All these seem to have a momentary impact. The attitudes of myself and even my spouse change for a little while. But, soon, the old people rear their ugly heads, and start another big fight. Why??? Why do we often times fight the most the ones we claim to LOVE the most? Why???

I find myself thinking a lot of times that I deserve more respect, or love, or affection, or even time to myself than I get. HOW SELFISH I am at times. Here lately, I have been reminding myself every time I begin to take the "victim role", and decide that I am not being respected the way I should that Jesus Christ deserved love, respect, and affection also. However, He was the ultimate example of a "Servant Leader". He could of "threw a fit" and demanded that people respect Him more. But, He instead left His home town once because "a prophet has no honor in his home town." He even was beaten and spat upon and hung on a tree to bleed to death without "demanding more respect" (Side note: It is interesting to think that maybe the beating or the piercing of the side or the trauma or the crown of thorns or the heart break were not actually the wounds that killed Him, but rather the fact that He bled out, He had no more blood in His body. The bible tells us that our life force is in our blood. Maybe He just didn't have anymore blood to bleed.)

Anyway, Jesus is our example to follow the next time we are about to pick a fight because our spouse has mistreated us. We need to remember that if anyone had a right to be upset because of how he/she was treated, it was Jesus Christ.

As for crash-proofing your marriage, look to Ecclesiastes 4:10-12
10 If one falls down,
his friend can help him up.
But pity the man who falls
and has no one to help him up!

11 Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm.
But how can one keep warm alone?

12 Though one may be overpowered,
two can defend themselves.
A cord of three strands is not quickly broken.

We are told here that two is better than one (husband+wife=2), and that a cord of three strands is not quickly broken. What could be that third strand? I suspect it should be Jesus Christ. Think about it, if both of a couples live are intertwined with loving and being loved by Jesus Christ, and the loving and being loved by his/her partner, that makes a pretty strong "three-stranded"cord.

Seek Jesus today. Look to Him to fill your "Love Tank". If you are expecting your spouse to "fulfill" you, you will be let down for the length of the relationship. However, if you are "fulfilled" by Jesus, then you can focus your attention on loving your spouse and the rest of your family because you no longer "need" that person to "fill you up".

This is kind of confusing, but think about it. What if we could concentrate on loving our spouse, instead of living every day expecting them to treat us perfectly? How much better would life be?

Dependency....

We are all aware of dependencies. There are drug dependencies (legal and illegal). There are chemical dependencies (these are the people whose hair color changes periodocially). There are social dependencies(these are people who are dependent upon fitting in with the "in crow" or the latest fad). There are even those who are dependent upon their spouse.

All these different groups are dependent upon something for their happiness. People say well if I get the right spouse, I'll be happy, or if I get the right home or car, then I'll be happy. We all seem to be dependent upon something for our happiness. We may "feel" happy for just a short period, but it soon goes away, and we search for something "new" to make us happy. We need to understand that there is only ONE source for long lasting true happiness, and that is the Lord Jesus Christ.

The bible tells us in Proverbs chapter 3 to "lean not upon our own understanding, but rather lean on every word of God". We are told next to "acknowledge Him in all our ways, and He will direct our paths". Wow, lean on God, acknowledge Him, and he will direct our paths. Have you ever wondered which way to go?

I encourage you today to acknowledge Him, no matter what the decision is, take it to the Lord, and then expect an answer (just as psalm 91 tells us).

SATISFIED

I have had Psalm 91 on my heart for about the past week. It begins by talking about taking refuge in the Lord. It says He who dewlls in the shelter of the Most High, will also REST in the shadow of the Almighty. That is a pretty awesome thought. Think about it. Live your life "seeking" God, dwelling in His shelter. We also get to REST in His shadow. How cool is that? How great is it to rest in a shadow of a great shade tree in the heat of the summer?

At the end of the chapter, it goes on to tell us that the Lord will protect us, He will hear us, and answer our prayers,He will be with us in our troubles, He will deliver us and honor us, He will satisfy us with long life, and show us His salvation. Wow, what a promise we can stand on.

In the middle of the chapter, it talks about thousands falling around us, but we are not harmed. Wow.......

I encourage everyone to run to the shelter of the Most High.

Psalm 91 link:
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=psalm%2091&version=31

Are we like silver?????

Refining Silver

Malachi 3:3 says: "He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver".

This verse has puzzled people throughtout time causing them to wonder what this statement meant about the character and nature of God. One woman offered to find out the process of refining silver and get back to the group at their next Bible Study.
That week, the woman called a silversmith and made an appointment to watch him at work. She didn't mention anything about the reason for her interest beyond her curiosity about the process of refining silver.

As she watched the silversmith, he held a piece of silver over the fire and let it heat up. He explained that in refining silver, one needed to hold the silver in the middle of the fire where the flames were hottest as to burn away all the impurities. The woman thought about God holding us in such a hot spot then she thought again about the verse that says: "He sits as a refiner and purifier of silver."

She asked the silversmith if it was true that he had to sit there in front of the fire the whole time the silver was being refined. The silversmith answered that yes, he not only had to sit there holding the silver, but he had to keep his eyes on the silver the entire time it was in the fire. If the silver was left a moment too long in the flames, it would be destroyed!
The woman was silent for a moment. Then she asked the silversmith, "How do you know when the silver is fully refined?" He smiled at her and answered, "Oh, that's easy - when I see my image in it."

If today you are feeling the heat of the fire, remember that God has His eye on you and will keep watching you until He sees His image in you.

"Life is a coin. You can spend it any way you wish, but you can only spend it once."

Try to remember today that we are all a continuous work of a master crastsman. Strive to show a reflection of the silversmith, Jesus Christ.

Where are we????

You may be asking, like millions of other, where are we? What I mean is why is our nation and economy in the state that it is in? Well, I think I may be able to provide a little insight. We are told way back in the beginning of the Bible thatif we obey God's decrees, we will be blessed.

We are told that he gives us the ability to gain wealth. We are told that if we stick to His laws, we will be blessed. Our nation has increasingly grown distant from the decrees of God. We have become greedy, prideful, and even selfish. We think that we can do it on our own. We think that we must have the biggest home, and the newest car, and even the most fashionable hair cut. Where have we gone wrong?
Deuteronomy8:17 You may say to yourself, "My power and the strength of my hands have produced this wealth for me." 18 But remember the LORD your God, for it is he who gives you the ability to produce wealth, and so confirms his covenant, which he swore to your forefathers, as it is today. 19 If you ever forget the LORD your God and follow other gods and worship and bow down to them, I testify against you today that you will surely be destroyed.

It also tells us that if we will humble ourselves and turn (repent) from our wickedness, that He will heal our land. I am not sure how much worse it can get before "we the people" of the one and only God will do this.

Blessings for Obedience (Obedience is better than sacrifice)


Deuteronomy 28

1 If you fully obey the LORD your God and carefully follow all his commands I give you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations on earth. 2 All these blessings will come upon you and accompany you if you obey the LORD your God:
3 You will be blessed in the city and blessed in the country.

4 The fruit of your womb will be blessed, and the crops of your land and the young of your livestock—the calves of your herds and the lambs of your flocks.

5 Your basket and your kneading trough will be blessed.

6 You will be blessed when you come in and blessed when you go out.

7 The LORD will grant that the enemies who rise up against you will be defeated before you. They will come at you from one direction but flee from you in seven.

8 The LORD will send a blessing on your barns and on everything you put your hand to. The LORD your God will bless you in the land he is giving you.

9 The LORD will establish you as his holy people, as he promised you on oath, if you keep the commands of the LORD your God and walk in his ways. 10 Then all the peoples on earth will see that you are called by the name of the LORD, and they will fear you. 11 The LORD will grant you abundant prosperity—in the fruit of your womb, the young of your livestock and the crops of your ground—in the land he swore to your forefathers to give you.

12 The LORD will open the heavens, the storehouse of his bounty, to send rain on your land in season and to bless all the work of your hands. You will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. 13 The LORD will make you the head, not the tail. If you pay attention to the commands of the LORD your God that I give you this day and carefully follow them, you will always be at the top, never at the bottom. 14 Do not turn aside from any of the commands I give you today, to the right or to the left, following other gods and serving them.

Fill er up

We all hear so much about fulfillment. We say things like "My job is so un-fulfilling", or "My wife just doesn't fulfill me anymore", or "My life just isn't as fulfilling as I hoped it would be". I see people all the time with beautiful homes, cars, children, families, faces, the list goes on and on. However, the common demoniminator is lack of fulfillment (or joy). You might ask, "well Mr., how can I feel fulfilled?" I am glad you asked.

In the bible, Jesus says He is the vine and we are the branches. Have you ever noticed a branch that is cut off from the trunk, or the main vine? The branch has a very slim chance of actually living. More often than not, the cut off branch dries up and either rots away, or is tossed into a burn pile.

If we are looking for "fulfillment" in anything other than Jesus, we are wasting our time. How can we expect someone to love us or treat us any better than we treat other people. We are a lost cause without Jesus. The bible tells us that our attempts at righteousness are like filthy rags. This word for filthy rags is actually a woman's menstrual cloth. That is the comparison given for our attempts at righteousness.

I challenge you today to accept the fact that you can't do it on your own. What is "it", you may ask. I would have to define "it" in this context as our lives. We NEED Jesus to cleanse our hearts of sin, and to make a way for us to walk in fellowship with the Father.

Make sure you are attached to the Vine today.

1"I am the true vine, and my Father is the gardener. 2He cuts off every branch in me that bears no fruit, while every branch that does bear fruit he prunes[a] so that it will be even more fruitful. 3You are already clean because of the word I have spoken to you. 4Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.

John 15:5 "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing. 6If anyone does not remain in me, he is like a branch that is thrown away and withers; such branches are picked up, thrown into the fire and burned. 7If you remain in me and my words remain in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be given you. 8This is to my Father's glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.

Can we lose it?????

In Galations chapter 3, Paul is teaching on Faith.
http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=galations%203&version=31

He says that our attempts at righteousness are futile. If we think we can get into eternity by the "good deeds" we do, we are sadly mistaken. The Bible is clear in that there is only one way to eternity with God. That is through the Son, Jesus Christ.

The realization that we must come to is "we can't be good enough to get it on our own, and we can't be bad enough to lose it. His grace is more awesome than we can know or imagine. The closest we can come to understanding it is by comparing it to the love we have for our own children. There is nothing they can do to stop us from loving them.

I challenge you today to step out in Faith. Trust God when He says "I am near", "I will never leave or forsake you", and even when He says "I love you". It's as easy as ABC, Admit your sins, Beleive in your heart that Christ paid the price for those sins, and Confess with your mouth He is Lord. I think that involve surrendering your life to Him (Let Go of The Wheel).

Christian, what's that?????

We are all at least familiar with the word, I think. But, the question I have, is "are we using the word correctly?" You ofter hear Christian used as a religious view, or as an adjective describing a movie, or tv show, or an action or lifestyle. You might hear "that is not a very Christian attitude", or "that's not very Christian-like".

The word Christian is defined as a noun and an adjective. However, I am not sure this was the original intent. The definition of the word used as a noun is "a person who believes in Jesus Christ; adherent of Christianity" and also "a person who exemplifies in his or her life the teachings of Christ". Here we see that Christian is referring to a who, a person, used as a noun.

I often hear people claim Christianity as a religion, just as they would claim Caucasian as a race. That is not the intent. Christians are those people who have surrendered the wheel of their life, to allow Jesus to steer it. They are "fully devoted followers of Christ". I think we should all resolve to be a Christian, rather than just acting like a Christian.

Get to know the King of Kings. The bible says in Romans 8 that 6The mind of sinful man[e] is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind[f] is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. 8Those controlled by the sinful nature cannot please God. Therefore, peace is available through the Spirit of God.

Peace, wow, that is a blog in itself. People search for it, they pray for it, they die for it, but people seldom find it.

Making Plans

How many of us spend most of our day planning tomorrow? We make plans for dinner, plans for the weekend, plans for vacation, and even plan our future. The bible tells us to Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

We often times wonder why our plans don't work. I like to say "plans are made to be broken, so don't bother making them". I don't really recommend anyone to not make plans. Maybe we just shouldn't put so much stock into our plans. I usually get upset when plans that I have stressed over don't come to fruition. That is why I try not to get too hung up on plans. I think we should all listen to what God says to us and about us, and make our plans accordingly.

“For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.”- Jeremiah 29:11-13

Redo please?????

How often do we say something and immediately start trying as hard as we can to reel it back into our mouths. I visualize someone trying to reel in a really big fish. We call it "putting our foot in our mouth", "letting our mouth overload our rear", and even "shooting our self in the foot". Whatever you call, I am sure you can relate.

I was wondering today, "why do we choose to be the rudest to the ones we are closet to, and love the most"? Maybe it is because they know our "hot buttons" better than anyone. I don't think that gives us the right to REACT the way we do sometimes. We should try to respond rather than react. Responding involves careful thought and articulation, while reacting is just that, reacting with whatever comes out.

The bible tells us in James to be "QUICK TO LISTEN, SLOW TO SPEAK, AND SLOW TO GET ANGRY". Wow, what would our lives look like if we took that advice. Have you ever wondered why you have two ears and one mouth. Maybe, we are suppose to listen twice as much as we talk.

Live out your "Dash"

What a message last night by our youth pastor Bodie Sanders. Bodie talked about having offensive faith. Not being offensive, like rude; but rather being offensive, like being on the offense. When a team is on offense, they are trying to score, no matter what sport is being played. The offensive teams goal is to get more points, to get to the goal. As Christians, we should be on offense. We should seek to help a lost and hurting world just as Jesus did.

Bodie spoke of a book that talked about "living our you dash". The premise is, at cemeteries, headstones are marked with a birth date, and a death date. Separating the two dates is a small dash. That in essence is our life. That dash isn't very big on the head stone, but we think our life lasts a long time. The idea of "living out your dash", is to ask yourself "what will I be remembered for?". Most people spend about half of the dash (their life) not living for God. Will people remember me for the time I lived for God, or the times I was living for the world?

I pray you will consider the influence you have. Everyone has an influence; either with children, siblings, parents, friends, co-workers, etc. I hope we can all be prepared with an answer for the hope that lies within us.

1 Peter 3:15But in your hearts set apart Christ as Lord. Always be prepared to give an answer to everyone who asks you to give the reason for the hope that you have. But do this with gentleness and respect,