Available and Obedient

I loathe the thought of this, but if I’m honest, I must confess that I probably have practiced ‘Convenience Christianity’ too often.  Is God really first or do I schedule Him around life/things?  We live in a demanding ‘me’ society, taking care of numero uno, do what feels right and when!  May God grant me mercy as I have confessed/repented of not taking a firm stand for God and conforming to the world with a tolerant attitude.  1 Corinthians 16:13 says, "Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.  Also, we see in Isaiah 7:9, If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.  Romans 12:2 tells us not to conform to the world-my translation-Don’t be tolerant, but bold and courageous for Christ.  God demands a life of total surrender, we cannot straddle the fence(Matt 6:24) and be obedient when we choose-when it’s convenient.  Christians must be available, willing to serve 24/7, that is why we are here, the reason God created us.  I am part of His body in the 21^st century to share the good news of Christ-obediently/faithfully.   I must ask myself, ‘Am I willing and open to God’s will/purpose for my life?’  Thus, being available and obedient!  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Stuck on the mat?

Then Jesus said to him, "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk" - John 5:8.  The invalid in this story allows circumstances to hinder healing-sometimes we feel overwhelmed and unable to overcome just as Luke 18:27 reminds us, "What is impossible with man is possible with God.  We need a bold faith to believe that God is in control, not us, and He will supply our needs.  However, we must get past the obstructions in life and take the first step off the mat of a complacent life to one that affords us to LIVE the LIFE.  What is challenging each of us from trusting God to take this step.  Don’t succumb to Satan’s pull-- paralyzed by fear, despair, isolation, or self-pity!   Pray for strength, wisdom, and a trusting faith to ‘Get up and walk/go/serve'…..as God desires/expects from us.  We are to be the hands, feet, eyes and ears  of our Risen Savior-we cannot effectively do so as long as we stay on our 'mats'.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Just like at the movies

It happens in almost all movies, the good guys get the bad ones, right defeats wrongs, he gets the girl/she gets the guy.  Through all the twists and plots, when it comes to most movies,….there it comes-the happy ending.  While ‘real’ life probably will not unravel like a movie script, there is One that pursues/calls us to 'THE LIFE' , where victory can be ours eternally.  It is our Almighty God pursuing us but it's so much better than what happens in the movies. Even though He pursues us and desires us to be obedient/believe, the choice remains with each of us.  Our Creator and King is pursuing us-because He loves all. He gave up His life and paid the ultimate price to come and rescue us.  God considers each of us valuable and worth pursuing-He never grows tired of this either.  I'm reminded of a favorite Acapella song,  "Walking the line”-the line that involves committing to an obedient life.  Do you have the relationship with our Savior Jesus Christ-for the eternal happy ending?  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

Distractions

We  each handle distractions  differently, some may use diversion such as using a calming sound device to drown out the ruckus that may keep them awake.  We can also attempt to avoid them, file them away in our mental storage to handle later.  Jesus gives us an example of handling pandemonium in our lives.  He found places of quietness to pray, rest, to focus.  In Psalm 85:8 it says,"I will listen to what God the LORD will say; he promises peace to his people, his saints — but let them not return to folly."  Ahh! Peace, focus……sounds good.  Psalms 46:10 tells us to be still and know that I am God.  Only by setting aside quiet time with God(prayer, study the scriptures, meditating, fasting) during our chaos, can we be enabled with the tools to experience this peace.  That means turning off the electronic devices(phones, Ipad, Internet, TV), getting away even if just a few moments a day from our jobs, bills, chores at home and devoting scheduled time with God and Him alone.  But the precursor to experiencing that peace is listening to what the Lord has to say. And for listening to occur, we have to be able to actually hear from God, focused and free from all that clamors for our attention. Drowning in so many daily distractions can keep us from hearing God's voice. Let's purpose together to drown out our distractions instead, and tune in to the life-giving Word. He is the only steady source from which we can ever find true and lasting peace.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

False Adverting

Have you ever noticed that some TV commercials mix just enough truth with their product to make it believable? While that's called false advertising, the product still comes off convincing. It's not until we purchase the product, and it fails, that the deceit is exposed.

In the same way, Satan specializes in false advertising. He's good at making our fears look real when they are not. Does that mean all fears are untrue? No.  He does in fact seduce/trick us into thinking that God is not loving nor cares for us when we are facing challenges-Of course the opposite is in fact the Truth.  There is a song I like called ‘Voice of Truth’ by the Christian group, Casting Crowns.  It’s chorus says, “But the voice of truth tells me a different story--And the voice of truth says "Do not be afraid!"--And the voice of truth says "This is for My glory"--Out of all the voices calling out to me I will choose to listen and believe the voice of truth.  Let’s not be deceived by Satan’s influence like Eve and Adam and so many others-including those times in our own lives.  May we always seek to listen to God/Jesus-the voice of truth.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

. Moral Character/Integrity

Integrity has been defined as a steadfast or firm adherence to a strict moral or ethical code.  Also,  the state of being unimpaired/ soundness.  Thus, are my  actions and words consistent with the way I live-especially when others are not around?   Do I live/act according to the situation/setting, or am I firm/constant?  We can fool humans, but will not dupe God.  What do our children/family/friends see in us(when we think they are not or did not hear/see something?  Sadly, trust and positive influences are hard to re-establish once lost.   Jesus had both authority and influence because His character and actions completely matched His words.  Twelve disciples watched His every move.  Because they found no inconsistencies, they grew to trust Jesus.  This gave Jesus a moral authority that superseded the authority of any other religious leader of the time.  What an awesome example!  I once heard a minister say that there are a lot of characters in this world, we should strive to be ‘of character’.  I challenge us all to live consistent, godly lives so that  others will notice the reliability of our character that portrays our Savior Jesus Christ.  Isaiah 7:9, If you do not stand firm in your faith, you will not stand at all.  Psalm 139:23-24, Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts. See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting.  Blessings in your pursuit…….TO

A WOW Faith-Get out of the Boat

I recently heard a sermon that challenged me to consider my faith. The climatic point was this, do I have the type of faith that captures true discipleship- a Walking On Water faith. When Peter stepped out of the boat and walked to Jesus-yes he did waiver during this walk- yet he had the courage to step out of the boat-a sort of ‘gut check’ for me as many times I simply do not have the faith to ‘get out of the boat’. I challenge us all to have the WOW faith God deserves and desires us to have, each and every day, the courage and be bold for our Lord. Blessings in your pursuit…….TO