HELP!

Psalm 46:1 God is our refuge and strength, an ever-present help in trouble. What or whom do you rely on/seek out in those tough challenges of life? There are many choices we as humans turn to for comfort….money, drugs, alcohol, power, material items, careers/job, sex, a close friend, family, etc. While a close friend and family are vital to a healthy emotional state, we as humans are limited. As Christ followers, we should be seeking Jesus daily, nurturing our mind, body, and soul for the difficult times. God is all powerful, all knowing, and ever present. Why don’t we embrace this truth in both the tough times and offer thanksgiving and praise during the good times. What a blessing we have in being a child of God and trust in His promises. Rely on God, the solid/firm foundation (Matthew 7:24- 29) and our mighty comforter (2 Corinthians 1:3). My challenge to all (myself included) is to seek out God daily for strength, refuge....... and help! Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Silence- a blessing or an enemy?

 As with many reactions/decisions, the Bible demonstrates through many scriptures where being silent can be a good attribute…or perhaps an enemy for a bold, active faith.  Proverbs 10:19, 11:12, 17:28, Psalm 46:10, 62:5 are just a small sample of examples on the wisdom of silence….it can help us avoid sin (in speech, reactions from anger), gain respect, self-control.  Be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger-(James 1:19).  However, I would like to notate one circumstance where silence can be detrimental.  I am typically introverted in most situations…not all though, less so as I have gotten older.  I have, many times, let this be a hindrance to developing and having an active and bold faith.  While I do believe being quiet can be of great value in our service, there are times when taking a stand, being firm and boldly proclaim the Good News of Jesus to those in our lives should be the action demonstrated.  Here is my confession…I have often lacked faith/trust or perhaps forgotten that God is always with us.  We do not have to feel inadequate or act alone.  We have a helper, a comforter- God provides strength and courage through His Spirit   (1 Timothy 1:7-8; 1 Thessalonians 2:2). Pray for boldness and for the power of the Holy Spirit to give us courage/strength.  May we be silent when necessary…may we speak up boldly proclaiming the Good News daily!  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Excuses……..the weeds of service!

 Are you like me and are well adept at coming up with excuses for tasks we just don’t want to do, or see the benefit/purpose (to us?).  Perhaps a procrastination issue or just uncomfortable with doing/out of the comfort zone?  We are good at excuses and validating our decisions for these situations.  However, James 4:17 states the following… If anyone then knows the good they ought to do and doesn’t do it, it is sin for them.  Sure, some of our excuses may seem valid and are creatively designed to justify not doing something that we know we should or could.  These can include a variety of opportunities such as attending church regularly, being involved at church (teaching a class, serving in a leadership role, etc.), helping someone in need, saying no in situations that present temptations,coaching a youth team, volunteering at an event/organization, and so on.  Just like a well-manicured lawn or a beautiful garden, we must do our part to remove ‘weeds’ that can overtake and hinder our service/commitment to God and others.  Excuses, avoidance, skewed priorities, and apathy can all be weeds in our life of service to God and others.  May we get to the point where we never question, dismiss or excuse obedient service/commitment anymore.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Confession

 The eighth chapter of the book, The Pilgrim Heart by Darryl Tippens is about ‘confessing’.  We all are sinners, yet sometimes we only look to the obvious/blatant “bad” sins.  There are of course a varying degree of sin….yet it is sin whether we see them as little/small or big ones. God hates all sin, but loves the sinner and desires us to commit wholly to Him.  The chapter  brings out that a pilgrim heart is a confessional heart, a heart that faces, accepts, and tells the truth…..the whole truth, no ‘little white lies’-- whatever those are believed to be?   Unfortunately, in today’s culture, speaking truth is often defined as being intolerant and judgmental. We must speak and live  truth with compassionate love to be at peace as much as possible (Romans 12:18).  We all have hurt someone and been hurt.  The Bible is filled with scriptures referencing confessing our sin (James 5:16, 1 John 1:8-9, Psalm 32:3-5, etc.).  Doing nothing or being silent can be sinful….that is one of my flaws.  I have used the fact that I am more introverted than outgoing.  Thus, I often say/do nothing, ignore, dismiss, avoid.  Czeslaw Milosz quoted the following:  “In a room where people unanimously maintain a conspiracy of silence, one word of truth sounds like a pistol shot”.  Us introverts don’t have to say a lot, but speak firmly, boldly, and truthfully with compassion.  What are your confessions that you are holding on to?  Take them to God in prayer, share them with a trusted friend. If you are looking for a challenging read to help you daily live the life God wants/expects, this is a gut check type book that should transform your heart. Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Bring It

 Oftentimes, we look to things of this world for answers, fulfillment, happiness, etc. God’s word shows us a different venue.  Matthew 14:18 Jesus tells the disciples to bring Him the five loaves and two fish that were available to feed a multitude of people present to hear/see Jesus.   Jesus took these and gave thanks….God provided for this need.   While we don’t always understand and get answers/results we want, God promises the faithful He will take care of us.  On this earth and in our temporary human bodies, there will be struggles, pain, hurts, and disappointments.  Living a faithful life will allow us to proclaim victory when our earthly time is finished. God created us and is all knowing and powerful, so keep in mind the following:  

When I am overwhelmed: "If you can't do it, just bring it to Me."

When I am angry: "If you can't do it, just bring it to Me."

When I am hurting: "If you can't do it, just bring it to Me."

When I am confused: "If you can't do it, just bring it to Me."  

When you don’t know/are in doubt:  "If you can't do it, just bring it to Me."   

Bring it to God, ask, seek and knock (Matthew 7:7-8)...trust Him.  Bring everything to God in prayer (Philippians 4:6-7).  Remember, just as a loving parent at times says no to a child because we know what is best for them, God may at times tell us no, or perhaps not now.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Power…..a by-product of Love

Ephesians 3:17b-18 says, "And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ."  The Bible has many examples showing that God is love-to know love is to know God!  There is an attainable power, not on our human abilities, but the power of God working/molding us.  A capacity of strength and empowerment within us via the Holy Spirit.  That is power, power to sustain the pull of Satan/sin.  I must ask myself, how often do I demonstrate godly love to others during the daily grind?  When I do not, I am missing out on a promise and blessing-the power through God’s gift of the Holy Spirit.  When I do show love-I can more effectively share Jesus and be filled with the powerful Spirit.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Shaken but not Broken!

At times, I have felt that abiding peace in the midst of uncertain circumstances. I have relearned the practice of true childlike faith when I don't know what's coming next, and yes, it can be a struggle/challenge.  I’m trying to simply trust. My faith has been shaken but not broken. I realize more now than ever that sometimes each of us needs a shake (in this context, not the milk kind-although that sounds pretty good), otherwise complacency can become our dwelling place. God uses trials to make Himself more real and reachable to us than He was before. Hebrews 12:6-7,  Because the Lord disciplines those he loves  and he punishes everyone he accepts as a son. Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father?  A pathway to a new place we could never have reached if things had stayed the way they were! God uses everything in our lives to draw us closer to Him-even the bad stuff. Situations we never would choose- trials that shake us, that leave us different than before. May we never equate the trials/struggles we face with how God feels about us. He is not indifferent and does hear our prayers. He deeply loves us----always, and that is our ultimate victory! In the end we can be certain of these promises: we will find Him faithful, we will find Him true, we will see what He has done and marvel at His ability to use everything and waste nothing. Isaiah 42:16 says, ‘ I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.’ Read Romans 8:28 and Hebrews 12:11 again. God works for the good of those that love Him.  Discipline is a large part of love......just as a loving parent instructs/nurtures their children.  Sometimes we say yes, others no.....or at least, 'not now'.   As reflected in the poem ‘Footprints’, God does not leave the faithful. Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

The Choice is Yours

There are typically three choices in how we do life; Give in, Give up or Give it your all.  May we not succumb/give in to Satan's deceptive lies and lures in this world.  Winston Churchill advised us to never, ever, give up.  Life is better when we're ALL IN. Jesus told us not to be lukewarm in our faith (Rev. 3:15-16), but to deny self, commit to a life in Jesus.....be ALL IN.  I want to encourage you today to not live life timidly or without passion.  Live, really LIVE the day by day abundant life Jesus offers! Blessings in your pursuit.......TO 

Here Comes The Judge!

James 4:11-12 says, Brothers and sisters, do not slander one another. Anyone who speaks against a brother or sister or judges them speaks against the law and judges it. When you judge the law, you are not keeping it, but sitting in judgment on it.  There is only one Lawgiver and Judge, the one who is able to save and destroy. But you—who are you to judge your neighbor?
We all at times probably like to think we are right and another is wrong.  Ungodly attitudes, pride and sin usually shows itself in these moments.  Why do we compare, critique.......judge others?  Do we honestly think we have it all together/right...and all the time?  Unfortunately, sometimes we have this mindset.  Scripture tells us often to be humble......to think of others more highly than ourselves.  We are to be welcoming, loving, caring, show kindness, compassionate, etc.......why does judging or other insensitive acts (gossiping, backstabbing, selfishness, etc) often consume us/take precedent over what God calls us to be.  There is a huge difference in condemning/judging versus attempting to point out or help correct sin.  The difference is love and attitude.  We are all guilty of sin and we all need love, compassion, and forgiveness. Let us have the mindset of nurturing one another through genuine acts of caring for and loving others spiritual well being.  I challenge us all to become more godly, (loving, caring, nurturing) as we strive to become the servant God desires.......more of Thee and less of me.  Blessings in your pursuit.......TO

The Great Physician

In Luke 4:18, we read of the wonders of God's healing power. 
He came to:
                    Open the eye of the blind/recover the sight (Optometrist)
                    Set the prisoner free (Spiritual Dr.)
                    Give good news to the poor in spirit (Encourager/Hope)
                    Heal the heartbroken/oppressed (Heart Surgeon).....see also Psalm 34:18; 147:3.
Sometimes while it is necessary to trust in earthly doctors, we often fail to lean more on our Heavenly Father/Creator........the Great Physician.  Yes God does work through others whether it be an MD, fire fighter, EMT, nurse, police, educators, etc.  However, the source is the all powerful, all knowing  Creator-God.  All our hurts and fears will not be satisfied during this earthly life.  Through obedience we can have and enjoy the ultimate victory......everlasting life with our Creator and Savior.....free of hurt, tears, disappointments, disease.........are you walking that line of faith, trust, and obedience?  Blessings in your pursuit.......TO
 

The Bible.......summarized

I heard a sermon that focused on a summation in a few key words of the overall theme of God's Word.......so here goes my adaptation.  Creation- (In the beginning God created);  Love- (we love because God first loved us, boundless love);  The Fall/Sin- (man’s yields to temptation, sin enters);  Israel- (out of love God selects a chosen Nation/People from which a remnant will stand & a Savior will come);  Jesus- (God in the flesh, lowers himself into humanity to lead & save us);  The Cross- (again, out of love, Jesus takes on our sin with the ultimate sacrifice);  Resurrection/Salvation-  (Jesus arises on the third day, conquering death, providing salvation to believers/followers);  Judgment- (God’s final judgment on all; glorious eternal life for the faithful, eternal separation/wrath upon sin/unbelievers);  The Curse is Reversed- (sin/Satan is defeated/destroyed).

The Bible was written over a period of about 1600 years (roughly 1500 BC-100 AD)…….by at least 40 different authors (Kings, fishermen, farmer, doctor, shepherd, tax collector, Prince, tent maker, a military general, a prime minister, a priest, etc) …….in 3 different languages (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek)…….covering pieces of 3 continents (Africa, Asia, Europe)…….and yet it tells 1 uniform story:  Where we came from; Where we are going when we die; and THE WAY God provided for you to choose your eternal destiny.  It does not matter who or where we are; what matters is if we have a faithful relationship with our God.  Blessings in your pursuit.......TO

 

 

Cafeteria Christianity

Hebrews 5:12-6:1 says, In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food!  Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness.  But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil therefore let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God.                                               This is evidence that we must mature in our faith.  Truth is, seems as though we oftentimes get content in our faith walk and want to pick and choose what we believe to be true obedience to our God.  This is what is referred to as a 'cafeteria Christianity' faith.  Living in a way with the freedom to select from God's word how WE think our walk should be. We must surrender to the WHOLE truth and not partial. This is a dangerous route to take.  It is not about us, God is the source of righteousness and truth.  May we all pray fervently for wisdom and discernment to truly walk in the light of our Savior and Lord Jesus Christ.....growing and maturing in His love.  Blessings in your pursuit.......TO

                              

Shaken.....but not Broken!

I have felt that abiding peace in the midst of uncertain circumstances. I have relearned the practice of true childlike faith in that I don't know what's coming next, and yet, I’m trying to simply trust. My faith has been shaken but not broken.  I realize more now than ever that sometimes each of us need a shake(not the milk kind-although that sounds pretty good), otherwise complacency can become our dwelling place.  God  uses  trials to make Himself more real and reachable to us than He was before.   A pathway to a new place we could never have reached if things had stayed the way they were!  God uses everything in our lives to draw us closer to Him-even the bad stuff.  Situations we never would choose- trials that shake us, that leave us different than before.   May we never equate the trials/struggles we face with how God feels about us.  He is not indifferent and does hear our prayers.  He deeply loves us----always, and that is our ultimate victory!  In the end we will find Him faithful, we will find Him true, we will see what He has done and marvel at His ability to use everything and waste nothing.   Isaiah 42:16 says, ‘ I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.’   Read Romans 8:28 and Hebrews 12:11 again. As reflected in the poem ‘Footprints’, God does not leave the faithful.   Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Struggling with God's Will?

There have been times I have earnestly prayed for God to show me His will for what He made me to do/be.  I have prayed for the job He wants me in, where geographically he wants me, what congregation to worship with/be involved at, and probably a host of other requests.  I came across an article the one day that has changed my outlook.  While it is perfectly normal to ask and seek answers from our God through prayer, are these petitions reflective of my will or God’s?  1 Thes. 5:16-18 says; "Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus".  WOW!  I am guilty of wanting/perhaps demanding direct answers and guidance to specific prayer requests to God.  Yes, we should ask.  But my response should be to be joyful and thankful no matter the circumstance and/or answer and continue to pray and trust.  Prayer is our 24/7 hotline to God.  It keeps us connected to our rock/refuge/comforter.  Giving thanks helps take the focus off the trials and allows more time to enjoy the blessings God has provided.  So, no matter where I work or live, what career or potential spouse we (or our children)choose, and any other important choices-God’s will is to be thankful, prayerful and cultivate joy.  I sometimes fret over making the ‘right’ choice.  Instead, my goal now is to pray for guidance, use all available resources in making decisions, then trusting God, and getting to the understanding that sometimes there are no ‘right or wrong’ choices-but just multiple options.  That means the pressure of making the exact right decision, or else entirely missing God's will, is off.  And that's one thing we can give God thanks for today!  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Total Surrender

Are you ready to ‘give up’?  

All our lives we are usually encouraged by special influential people to persevere, don’t give up-you can do it!  Sound advice for becoming/being your best. It has been stated that Thomas Edison made 1,000 unsuccessful attempts at inventing the light bulb! We sure have benefited from Mr. Edison's resilience and perseverance. Winston Churchill said to 'never, never, never give up'. No doubt, excellent motivation/advise. That said, I want to suggest there is a time to ‘give up’....... in a different manner of speaking.  It is the humbling act of denying ourselves and following Jesus.   In Luke 14:25-35, Jesus addresses the commitment demanded for a life of obedience.  Verse 33 tells us that unless we give up everything, we cannot be a disciple.  Does this really mean we must give up all in order to faithfully follow Jesus.   I don’t believe that necessarily.  It’s more about an attitude of whether ‘we have things’ or ‘things have us’.  Just as Jesus was warning this crowd of followers of the cost for a complete surrender, we must put away/give up those things that distract us.  Prioritizing-beginning with God- is the perplexing and constant battle that can entrap us.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

One

  One is important to God

 We typically want to see ‘big’ results of our service actions.......and NOW! I want to help lead many to Jesus, perhaps be a super hero in sharing Jesus/The Good News.  While it’s great to set lofty goals, this can lead to getting discouraged, doubt, and narcissistic in my efforts to share Jesus.  Luke 15:1-10, one brings rejoice/joy, one is important to God.  If I should just lead one to know God-much rejoicing will occur in Heaven-just like in the parables that Jesus taught regarding the joy in a master/owner finding the one lost sheep and one coin.  Let’s nurture our relationships with others and plant seeds through our actions to all that are part of our lives.  We as humans may see just one/or a few as insignificant or as 'failing'. However, God rejoices, every ONE is important to our Creator!  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO