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......